A/N: Words!
Ardale returned just as they were finishing up their lunch and delivered them to the tournament grounds with hardly a word spoken, bidding them good luck before leaving them to mill about along with the other competitors in the prison chamber from the previous night.
A heavily bearded middle-aged warrior sidled up next to Merlin and Arthur and struck up a conversation, friendly in an offhand sort of way. They recognized him from the auction tent, though his partner wasn't in sight.
"So, 'ow many silencers did you fight off?"
"Excuse me?" Merlin asked in confusion.
"Y'know... those giant wolf-dogs from the first round. Call 'em silencers since they keeps ya from speakin' ta use yer magic. Fores' twas crawlin' wit'em?"
The two looked at each other in silence and the other man took that as his cue to continue speaking.
"My partner drew in five of 'em hisself a' one point- though I had ter kill 'em with hardly enny help from 'im. Useless without 'is magic, 'e is."
The older man was looking at them askance, seeing that they had no intention of answering.
"Well, there be no need to be so unfrien'ly like- just tryin' ter make conversation!"
He stalked off as if he were offended, hiding a slight smirk that betrayed his pleasure with the information gathered.
"'Silencer', hm?" Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow.
"From his description I think he's talking about curshounds. As he said, they're a giant mix between a dog and a wolf, a little bigger than a horse. Something about them prevents anyone from speaking in their presence; it's said their howl affects the brain, but no one knows for certain. They prey on magical people and creatures; more appear depending on how strong the source of the magic is. His partner must be fairly powerful, if he actually attracted five at once."
"How many would you attract?"
"Honestly? I'm not sure. It depends on how they detect power- of course, we already know that they either can't sense me at all, or couldn't because of the collar."
"So now our little friend has determined that we encountered none of these beasts and thus believes you to be nearly powerless?"
"That would seem to be the case." Merlin grinned a bit mischievously.
"Do you actually enjoy being underestimated?"
"It's worked well for me in the past."
"And here I expected you to have trouble seeing the other teams as competition."
Merlin's grin slipped from his face.
"I still intend to save those I can, but there's something about that man..."
Arthur nodded.
"I know what you mean- I wouldn't be averse to facing him myself."
Another thought occurred to the prince and he found himself looking at Merlin with a bemused look on his face.
"What?" The warlock asked, suspicious.
"It's nothing, just... well I never realized you were so knowledgeable, Merlin."
"Not so much of an idiot, am I?"
"Well, I wouldn't go that far."
"Yes, well, you've no idea how much time I've spent poring over Gaius' books looking for the solutions to the magical problems Camelot inevitably faces every few days. I must have at least half the bestiary memorized, and don't even get me started on the love spells..."
The royal cleared his throat.
"That's enough, Merlin, I get the point."
The servant grinned at him smugly.
"Sensitive about that, are we?"
"Shut up, Merlin."
The grin widened.
"Silence! Your attention, please!"
Another red-robed official was standing on a small platform at the edge of the dungeon, ringed with guards.
Merlin frowned.
He hadn't noticed the previous day, but there was something about the shade of red that tugged at the corner of his mind.
Something familiar or significant...
He shook his head, willing himself to focus on the task at hand.
"Today is another simple test. You will be submerged in icy water from which you are not permitted to leave until nightfall. Your only goal is to survive. Good luck."
He hopped from his perch and was promptly ushered from the room as the guards opened the entrance to the arena, hustling the fighters through it once more.
"Why do I get the feeling there's something he's not telling us?"
Arthur asked sarcastically.
"Can't imagine. Do you still have that ring I made you?"
It took a moment for the prince to realize what the warlock was referring to, but then he drew it forth from his pocket.
He had been sure to save the delicate charm from the fate his wardrobe had suffered during the preparations for the auction and had kept it on his person ever since.
Merlin nodded in satisfaction, slipping his own dark ring onto his finger.
"Good. That way I don't have to focus on keeping us warm while on the lookout for whatever else we may be facing. Yours is still working, right?"
"Perfectly."
If anything it was a bit too hot, but he was sure that would soon change.
Shuffling out the archway, the pair blinked at the bright sunlight reflecting off the frozen expanse where a jungle had been only hours before.
The royal shook his head in disbelief.
"Ridiculous."
"They clearly have a good amount of sorcerers working for them."
The warlock commented absently as he gazed up into the stands he hadn't been able to see through the forest.
The small number of people there increased his feeling of apprehension.
Where was the rest of the audience?
His musings were quickly cut off when a guard knocked a hole in the ice and pushed the two of them into the frigid water.
The cold reached him for only a moment before the magic in his ring adjusted to the new conditions, warming him enough to be comfortable.
"You alright, Arthur?"
"You mean aside from the growing feeling of unease? Yes, I'm fine."
"Good."
Merlin began looking around at the other teams, giving invisible aid to those who seemed unable to ward against the cold- and it was in those moments of distraction that the creature in the depths came upon him, wrapping one long limb around his leg and dragging him under.