A/N: I am sorry that this one took so long! I have had volleyball and I have been editing and I am really busy and...you don't care do you? Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for reading and I hope that you continue to enjoy it. Please! Please! Please! Review! I really enjoy hearing what you think! Also constructive criticism will make the story better ;) Thanks for reading and here you go:
The Nightmare Begins
Part One
I wasn't able to sleep. It was storming rather badly and the thunder echoed through the cavernous room. I had went from walking about my chambers to hanging off the side of the bed. I was bored. I stood up and walked out. I walked down the hallway and pushed open the door to Aleya's chambers. I walked in to find her asleep. Her head was jerking back and forth violently. Her eyes came open for a moment and a vase shattered. I ducked to the floor. She sat up in the bed breathing heavily. I looked up at her terrified face.
"What was that?" I asked. Had she really shattered the vase with her mind? She looked over to the pile of glass and flowers in the floor.
"I don't know." She said. I stood up and looked her over.
"Whatever it was, best we not tell Uther." I said. She nodded. I could tell by her expression that she was terrified at what he would do to her. I looked over to the door to see smoke billowing beneath it. Aleya jumped out of the bed and ran over to the door.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"If there is a fire out there we'll be burnt alive!" she said. She ran her hand up and down the door before deeming it safe and opening it. I ran over to the door and followed her out coughing as I went. We were met by Arthur running down the hallway.
"What's happened?" he asked.
"In there." Aleya said pointing towards Morgana's chambers, which were across the hall from her own. Arthur quickly ran over to the door. When we got closer we could hear screaming from inside of the room. Arthur tried the door to find that it was locked.
"Get back." He said. there was a sense of urgency in his voice. He backed up and rammed his shoulder against the door pushing it down. He quickly ran in. Morgana was watching as the flames engulfed a tapestry. Arthur picked her up out of the bed and carried her out of the room.
oOo
After the incidents of the night I had not slept. It was not so much the fire as what had happened prior to it. I had made the vase burst. The only conclusion I could draw terrified me. It was magic. I couldn't tell anyone. Telling Samantha or Merlin would only make them worry. It would also incriminate them were I to get caught. This was a secret best kept to myself. I walked past Merlin without realizing it. He turned holding some herbs in his hand.
"Are you alright?" he asked. I turned.
"What?" I asked.
"It's just…..I heard about the fire…It must have been terrifying." He said.
"I'm a big girl Merlin, it takes more than that to scare me." I said. He smiled.
"I have to take these herbs to Gaius, but after that we could spend some time together….If you like." He said.
"I'd like that very much." I said. I followed him to Gaius's chambers where we stopped. The door was crack but we could hear the conversation inside. Gaius was consoling a distraught Morgana.
"You're the only person I've told about my dreams." Morgana said. "I know I can trust you Gaius."
"Yes, of course you can." Gaius said.
"It was me." She said. "I set the room alight. I started the fire."
"I don't understand, did you knock a candle over?" Gaius said.
"No that's not what happened. I did it just by looking at it. The flames suddenly leapt higher." She said.
"It could have been a gust of wind." Gaius said.
"It was me. It was magic." I looked at Merlin who was looking at me with wide eyes. He pulled me away from the door and down the hall.
"So she has magic?" I whispered.
"Apparently." Merlin said.
"Uther will show her no mercy. If he finds out." I said. "We have to help her."
"Uther is still clueless. For now. Until he finds out we have nothing to worry about." Merlin said. Morgana walked out of Gaius's chambers. Merlin turned. "I'll only be a moment." He said. He walked into the door way. Uther would show me no mercy either.
oOo
"I don't understand." I said. Arthur and I were trying to determine how the fire started. "If it was the lightening, wouldn't the window have broken inwards?" I asked.
"My father believes it's sorcery." He said.
"No offense, but you're father believes that everything is sorcery." I said.
"He has instructed me to arrest everyone we have under suspicion." Arthur said.
"That's ridiculous." I said. "What will that prove?"
"He believes that whoever is responsible will come forward before they see others die." Arthur said.
"And what if this was as simple as a candle being knocked over?" I asked.
"I have to go." He said. "I'm sorry there is nothing I can do."
"I know." I said. He walked out.
oOo
Merlin was blowing out some candles and I was sitting in one of the chairs reading some of Gaius's medical books. The door came open and I quickly slid behind the table trying to breathe quietly.
"Is Gaius here?" Morgana asked walking closer to Merlin.
"Uh, no he's not here at the moment. He should be back soon though." Merlin said.
"I need to speak with him, where is he?" she persisted.
"He's gone to see the king." Merlin said. "What's wrong? You can trust me Morgana. You know you can."
"I'm scared Merlin." She said. "I don't understand anything anymore. I need to know what's happening. Please."
"Gaius will be back soon, he'll be able to help you." Merlin said.
"He won't, I don't want any remedies they won't do any good." She said. "It's magic Merlin."
"What?" Merlin said.
"I'm your friend you know I wouldn't make this up." She said.
"Of course" Merlin said.
"And you believe me?" Morgana asked. "You think it's magic too. Please Merlin, I just need to hear someone say it so I don't have to keep feeling like I'm imagining it."
"I really wish there was something I could say." Merlin said. I heard her walking away. "Morgana. Morgana, wait." He said. it was too late. She was already gone. I stood up and glared at him.
"You know good and well that she has magic." I said. "Why couldn't you tell her?"
"I don't know for sure." He said.
"It is the only possible explanation. Now she feels as though she is going crazy and imagining it. I know how she feels." I said.
"How do you know how she feels?" he asked. I had let that slip. I hadn't told Merlin about my nightmares. I also hadn't told him about the fact that I was going through the same thing as Morgana. The incident with the vase was not the first time. It always happened when I had a nightmare. They had gotten more frequent.
"I…" I was interrupted by Gaius walking in. As soon as he was out of the way of the door I walked out.
"Aleya!" Merlin yelled. I ignored him and kept walking.
oOo
"Arthur is arresting everyone suspected of sorcery or consorting with sorcerers or the Druids." I said. Aleya was sitting on the chest at the end of my bed as I paced back and forth. "I don't understand the logic behind it."
"What was that about the Druids?" Aleya asked.
"Anyone consorting with them. Why?" I asked.
"The Druids have magic, they help people right?" she asked.
"Yeah, Aleya you don't need to go to them." I said.
"It's not I that needs to go." She said.
"Then who?" I asked.
"Morgana." She said. Great. Morgana had magic.
"What?" I asked.
"Morgana started the fire." She said.
"But Uther thinks it was an attempt on her life." I said.
"You don't understand, Sam." She said, "Morgana feels lost and confused and feels as though she is imagining it. What if this is the road that leads her to become the Morgan Le Fey in the legends?"
"And she confided all of this in you?" I asked. It could be said that we weren't exactly close with Morgana. Mainly because we knew what she would become.
"No, in Merlin. I was hiding behind the table." She said.
"Well, isn't Merlin going to help her?" I asked.
"He doesn't believe her." She said. "If Merlin won't I will."
"How do you expect to find the druids?" I asked.
"If Arthur is arresting people suspected of consorting with them, then there must be a list. And I would bet that Arthur has it." She said.
"And if you can find the Druids, are you going to have Morgana go wandering through the woods to find them?" I asked.
"No, I'll go and ask if they can help." She said.
"How do you propose to get the list?" I asked.
"Could you distract Arthur?" she asked.
"You mean like last time?" I asked.
"Just keep it rated G." she said. I walked out the door and she followed. I saw Arthur walking down the hallway sword in hand. I walked up to him while Aleya rushed into his room.
"Arthur." I said.
"I need to get through Samantha." He said.
"Yeah, about that. Why the rush?" I asked.
"My father has instructed me to bring in all who are under suspicion." He said.
"And you have to do that now?" I asked.
"Yes." He said.
"Why?" I asked. I saw Aleya walk out of his chambers and look at me mouthing something. I assumed that is was I got it.
"Because my father told me to." He said.
"Right. Have fun. Be safe. Wear a helmet." I said before running in the other direction leaving him standing there confused.
"Never again." I said. Aleya smiled.
"A woman named Fern who lives in the lower town. Consorting with the Druids." She said. "I won't be long." She ran off. I wasn't sure that she was fully aware of what she was getting herself into.
oOo
I came to the house. The guards hadn't made it this far yet. I opened the door and walked in. I looked about for her when I felt something press against my back.
"Who are you?" the voice asked.
"I'm Aleya, are you Fern?" I said. she pulled the blade down and I turned to see a woman with dark black hair.
"Why do you ask?" she asked.
"Listen, we haven't got much time. Uther sent out men to arrest everyone who is under suspicion of magic." I said.
"This way." She said walking to the back of the house. "Thank you. You have taken a great risk." I looked around the corner to see guards arresting people.
"I wish I could help more of them." I said. "Do you know where the Druids are?"
"No." she said.
"Please don't lie to me." I said.
"Why do you want to know?" she asked.
"My friend needs their help." I said.
"Their camp is in the Darkling woods on the very edge." She said.
"Thank you." I said before running off.
oOo
I watched as people were led into the castle. The guards were handling them like animals. Uther was a cruel man corrupted by his hatred. I could only hope that he had not corrupted Arthur in the same way. Arthur was beginning to feel unsure about what his standpoint on magic was. I took this as a good sign. He was close to finding his way, but he could so easily be turned around. The door opened and Aleya walked in wearing a cloak.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"I found her, she told me where they were, I have to help Morgana." She said very quickly.
"Why? You're not close to Morgana. Why do you find it your responsibility to help her?" I asked.
"I have to do what is right." She said. she turned for the door.
"Would she do the same for you?" I asked, "Keep in mind she did try to kill Uther."
"She has a good heart regardless. I am not sure what she would do for me but I have to do what is right Sam." She said before walking out. Her definition of what is right and wrong was different from mine. What was happening to Morgana is call karma.
oOo
I rode until it got dark. By then I was questioning whether the information I had been given was true. I tied the horse to a tree and sat down. I leant back and wrapped my cloak around me. I had not anticipated that it would be so cold. I knew how dangerous my being here alone was. I could hope that I would be able to defend myself were I attacked by something. Hope was all I had. I had time to think. It was becoming a bad thing lately. Given time my mind went wild. I was forced to think about the various scenarios in which Uther would have me killed were he to suspect me of sorcery. I thought about the fact that I probably had magic and no one would give me answers. The truth is, I was helping Morgana so that she would not have to go through the same torcher as I was going through. I heard a twig break nearby. I stood up pulling out my dagger as I waited for what was lurking in the darkness. I saw something come out. It was a giant scorpion. I had never seen one of those before. I saw the huge sting it had on it's back. I held up the dagger waiting for it to make a move. Before I could react it stung me on the arm drawing blood. It burnt, which was a bad sign. That meant that this creature was venomous. I felt my head begin to spin as I fell to the ground. I saw the creature coming closer. I had pretty much accepted my fate. Just before my eyes closed I felt something radiate through my body and the creature was thrown back against a tree. I saw that it was no longer moving and I drifted into unconsciousness.
