MAGIC TRICKS

Characters: Percival, Gwaine, Merlin, Arthur

Where was he Percival wondered to himself? He felt as if he'd been in a deep, deep sleep. Something had awoken him, but in his drowsy state he wasn't sure he knew what. As he slowly came too it was then that he realised, he had not been asleep but knocked out. As his eyes functioned properly he looked up to see his hands had been tied between two trees. Suddenly he became aware of the intense pain his wrists were in. But then another terrifying thought occured, where was Gwaine?

Suddenly he got the answer as a horrible earth shattering scream rang out over the forest. That noise was his dear friend, the man with whom he had developed a deep bond with, over the last few years. His eyes felt as if they were on saucers as he heard the depth of Gwaine's agony. What was that witch doing to him? She had already taken Percival's family from him, she was not going to take his friend as well.

He took a deep breath, and began to pull with all his might, the effort came tumbling out of his mouth and silenced the forest around him. All the time a sense of desperateness that he would not be too late, please god he thought, he had to be on time. He could feel the ropes beginning to slacken around his wrists. He felt one more effort would bring the ropes down.

He closed his eyes and gave out another mighty yell, as he did so the ropes finally broke and he fell on to the ground below him with a thud. As he gathered his senses he heard a cry once more, suddenly his determination knew no bounds, he followed the direction of the noise and hope he would be in time.

They had made good progress, Merlin could feel that the place of their salvation was ever nearer. He checked over his should as to Arthur's state, he was still on the horse, but badly unstable at times. Merlin could sense Arthur's strength was slowly disappearing, but he refused to think that they would not make it to Avalon in time. Come hell or high water Merlin would get him there, he could not contemplate any other option.

The sun was beginning to disappear from the sky, Merlin began to consider a place to perhaps stop for a while. Just as he was considering it he heard voices up ahead of them, Saxons on horse back, and they were heading straight for them. Merlin stopped putting his hand up as he did so. Looking to his left he saw a little clearing they could hide in.

"In there." he pointed. He watched Arthur encourage his horse to follow Merlin. Merlin jumped from his horse, tying them up. He helped Arthur down off his horse and wedged him against a tree, and motioned him to be quiet.

Merlin could see the riders there were two of them, they appeared to be following someone or something. He waited until they were almost just across from them. His eyes glowed orange as he whispered a spell.

"Andslyht!"

Suddenly a little breeze appeared and blew the leaves over the tracks. He could see the Saxons clearly now, they looked around them. Merlin made the bushes to the right o f them rustle, the noise encouraging the first Saxon to make a decision.

"This way." he called to his colleague. The two of them went the way of the wind and had soon disappeared from view.

Merlin watched them go with relief, satisfied that they wouldn't come across them again.

Behind him he heard Arthur with a resigned tone. "You've done this before, all these years Merlin, and you've not sort any credit."

"That's not why I do it." Merlin said staring at his friend desperate for him to understand. There was silence between them, but a contented one despite everything.

Arthur knew he should not be that surprised by anything he saw Merlin do. From the moment of the start of the journey, he had sat and watched his friend's true worth open up to him like a book. A wonderful one at that. Why had he been so blind to it he wondered to himself. Why had he not seen his friend's true worth? Yes Merlin had hidden himself well, and understandably so. But surely had he really wanted to see it, he could of surely seen some clues somewhere.

He knew deep down, it was because he had chosen not to see it. It was easier for him to have seen Merlin as his servant. He had taken him for granted, so convinced of his superiority, that he had failed to see the truth. This was a man who needed no weapons, a man who could not fight, but had never let him down. A man who had always been there by his side, no matter what the odds were. He had faced off wtiches, dragons, all types of magical creatures. All for Arthur himself, but he had not seen it, and so missed the very quality of friendship that they possessed.

He felt a deep emotion as he realised he was only seeing it now. If only Merlin had revealed it all before. At least then he could of told him what his friendship meant to him, but now he felt the clock was ticking on them. He would never get the chance to say what he really wanted to say to him.

Suddenly Percival saw Gwaine. He was hunched down his face not visible tied between two bushes. Percival approached him slowly beginning to fear what he may yet find. Gwaine did not look up and indeed made very little movement at all. Percival squated down in front of him. He carefully put his hands on Gwaines's face and made him look at him.

Gwaines face had despair written over it, a broken spirit all of a sudden Percival wanted to weep.

"She is riding for Avalon." Gwaine said his voice a mixture of pain and despair.

"Gwaine." Percival sighed.

"I have failed." Gwaine replied his face a mass of hoplessness.

"No. You haven't" Percival assured him desperate to give him some cheer in his last minutes. But he already knew his friends spirit was broken, he gently rested his forehead against Gwaines, and silently mourned the best friend he'd ever known.

He had stayed by him forehead to forehead for as long as he dared. He knew times was of the essence, he had to warn Merlin and Arthur that Morgana was on the way to them. But first he had buried his friend, taking a few minutes to pay his respects to a fine Knight and an even finer friend. He would make sure that Gwaine's sacrifice had not been in vain, it was the least he could do.

Sighing he remounted his horse and prepared to track down the witch.