A/N: Sorry for the long hiatus! I am back at it now.

The Witch finder

Part One

I awoke early, much to my displeasure. I had been in a near constant state of sleep deprivation since the events with the troll. I got dressed quickly and then looked out the window. I smiled as I saw Samantha and Arthur walking through the courtyard laughing. Leave it to Arthur to get her out of bed early. There was a knock at the door so I answered it and saw Merlin standing in the hallway.

"Good morning." He said with a smile.

"Good morning." I replied, "You want to come in?"

"Actually, Arthur wanted me to go and get some firewood and I was wondering if you wanted to come."

"Sounds like fun." I said.

"How is your father since the whole troll incident?" I asked Arthur as we walked through the courtyard. I had been very surprised this morning when Arthur had showed up at my chamber and wanted to spend some time together, but I was not arguing.

"Apart from the initial shock of sharing a bed with a troll, he's fine." Arthur said.

"How many nights did he sleep with a troll?" I asked.

"Three." He muttered. I could tell that he was trying to conceal laughter. I could not help but laugh. "It's not funny."

"It's very funny." I said between laughs.

"It is kind of funny." Arthur finally relented.

"What about you, are you alright?" I asked after a moment.

"I'm always alright." He said.

"Liar." I muttered.

"Listen, I am fine regardless of what my father does." He said.

"I just worry about you."

"Let me do the worrying."

"Not a chance." I muttered before he leaned in and kissed me.

Once Merlin was satisfied that we had collected enough firewood we began to walk back to the castle. As we started over the hill he sat down on a log overlooking the castle. I sat down beside of him and sat the wood down on the ground.

He did not speak, but he pointed at the smoke that was rising from beneath the hill. He muttered something and it turned into a horse.

"It's beautiful." I muttered. I looked up into his blue eyes and he let the glamour he had placed on the smoke fade as he leaned in to kiss me.

"Did you see it?" A woman asked as she ran up behind us. She sounded absolutely terrified.

"See what?" Merlin asked, knowing full well what she was talking about.

"The horse in the smoke." She said.

"I'm sorry to tell you that that was just smoke." I lied.

"It was sorcery, I am certain of it." She said. "We must tell the king."

She grabbed Merlin by the arm and began to drag him off. He looked back at me and I could see the terror in his eyes. I followed after them, unable to control the fear that must have shown in my eyes. The woman did not seem to think that Merlin was the sorcerer, considering everyone in Camelot was terrified of sorcery.

"I saw it." The woman said as she stood before the king. Aleya had briefly been able to fill me in on what had happened before we were ushered into the throne room.

"Perhaps your eyes deceived you, a trick of the light." Arthur suggested.

"The smoke was alive, I tell you, I feared for my life." She muttered.

"I thank you for your loyalty, it will not go unrewarded." Uther said.

"Thank you sire." She said as she was led out of the throne room. Uther was silent for a moment before he began to speak.

"It cannot continue." He said.

"I will hunt down those responsible." Arthur said, "I promise that they will not go unpunished."

"No, stronger methods are called for." Uther said, "Send for the Witchfinder."

A gasp echoed throughout the room at the sign of this apparently infamous name. Merlin looked petrified, along with Aleya, and Morgana. They had good reason to, there were three sorcerers at the very heart of Camelot.

"Sire, is it necessary to resort to such measures?" Gaius asked.

"The Witchfinder is a trusted ally, his help will be invaluable." Uther insisted.

"Of course." Gaius said. We were dismissed from the room and I immediately drug Aleya away from the crowd and to somewhere where we would not be overheard.

"What the hell were you two thinking?" I asked.

"What if the Witchfinder finds Merlin?" She asked with fear in her eyes.

"What if the Witchfinder finds you out, Ally? What then?" I asked.

"You're forgetting that Merlin is the one that actually did the enchantment." She whispered.

"Well, I'm sorry, Aleya, I have to be concerned about you because you're certainly not." I spat back at her.

"I need to go and talk to Merlin, he's probably freaking out." She said as she turned and walked towards the physician's chambers.

When I got to Merlin's chambers he walked out looking a bit angry.

"Did Gaius know anything about the Witchfinder?" I asked.

"His name is Aridian." Merlin said, "Gaius said that he earned his title."

"I don't like the sound of that." I said.

"We just have to be careful." Merlin said, "I won't let him find you."

"You need to worry about yourself, Merlin." I said.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled from down the hall.

"I have to go." He said. I stood there trying to collect my thoughts before I walked off to find Samantha.

"Aridian?" Who names their kid Aridian?" I asked as Aleya explained about the Witchfinder.

"Gaius says that he has earned his title." She said.

"But you're not a witch." I said, "No pointy hat, no warts."

"What about my broomstick in the cupboard?" She asked as she pointed towards the wardrobe. I laughed at that.

"I guess I should get rid of my cauldron." I said. She smiled and then looked over to the window. She slid off of the bed and walked over to the window, her terrified expression had returned. I followed her and saw him.

"Sam," She muttered, "He's here." I watched as he rode up. He had a carriage like a cage and he wore all black. There were several things dangling from the bars of the cage. They looked like torture devices. "What do you think the cage is for?" She asked.

"Don't think about it." I said, "You're not going to find out." I continued watching him as he slid off of his horse and began walking towards the castle. That was when he turned and looked straight at us. Aleya jumped so much that she hit me. "It'll be okay." I said, hoping that my words proved to be true.

Aridian was truly frightening. If it was not the way that he spoke it was the way that he dressed. He wore all black all the time. I was mortified of him. Gaius had kept Merlin busy so he and I had not had a chance to finish our conversation. The Witchfinder had been here for a day and nothing had become of it. Samantha and I were walking back from Arthur's chambers when I heard a deep voice call my name from behind me.

"Yes?" I said as I turned and saw Aridian. I tried to conceal my fear, but I sensed that I was not doing a very good job of it.

"I would like to speak with you, be at my chambers in an hour." He said.

"Yes, sir." I said. He turned and walked away. "He's figuring it out, Sam." I said once he was gone.

"No he's not." She said as she grabbed my arm and pulled me down the hallway. I was just feeling numb with fear. "You were there when the smoke was conjured, it makes sense for him to want to speak with you."

"I didn't see anything." I said, trying to convince myself.

"That's the spirit!" Samantha said as she slapped me on the back.

The hour seemed to fly by and I soon found myself at Aridian's chambers waiting for him to come out and fetch me. I stood leaning against the wall, fighting the urge to pace. I just had to play it cool. The door came open and Merlin walked out being led by Aridian.

"Ahh, Aleya. Come in." He said as he motioned for me to walk past. Merlin looked frightened as the door closed. I sat down at the desk as he walked across the room. I did happen to notice that there was a skull sitting on his desk. Given the time period I guessed that it was not plastic.

"Were you there at the time of the incident?" He asked as he sat down.

"Yes." I said.

"Did you see the smoke?" He asked.

"Yes, but it was just smoke." I said, "Nothing special about it."

"The woman and Merlin said that you were the one that conjured the creature." He said, "Is that true?"

"No." I said. I knew what game he was playing.

"Can you prove it?" He asked. My stomach sank.

"No." I said after a moment's pause.

"I think I've got all I need." He said as he stood up, "You may go." I quickly stood up and walked out to see Merlin standing in the hall.

"What did he say?" He asked.

"That you said I conjured the smoke." I said.

"I didn't even tell him that you were there." He said.

"He was trying to scare me into confessing." I said.

"It would appear so." Merlin said.

Aleya had told me about Aridians strategy to get her to confess. Why could Uther not see that magic was not to blame for all of the world's problems? The true culprits were snakes like Aridian who lied and cheat their way into positions of power.

I stood next to Aleya in the throne room as Aridian prepared to tell Uther his findings. I could tell that she was nervous. Hell, I was nervous for her. If this old snake was not above lying to her to get her to confess then how could he be above lying to Uther? Aridian brought forth three women who had apparently seen things that could only be explained by sorcery.

"Even now magic flourishes on the streets of Camelot." Aridian said. I looked over my shoulder at Merlin once the women were done speaking. Did you? I mouthed. He just shook his head.

"I scarcely believe it." Uther said in shock.

"It is the truth, my lord." Aridian said, "Fortunately I have used every facet of my craft to bring this matter to a quick resolution."

"The sorcerer, do you have a suspect?" Uther said as he stood up.

"I do, my lord. I regret to say, they stand among us in this very room." He said. Aleya stared at Aridian now, her breathing uneven. She was not doing a very good job of concealing her fear. "My methods are infallible, my findings incontestable." He said. My heart began to quicken as the suspense rose. "The facts point to one person and one person alone." He turned towards us and pointed his finger. "The boy, Merlin." He said. Aleya flinched and looked back at Merlin who had gone pale.

"Merlin?" Arthur said in disbelief. "You can't be serious."

"This is outrageous, you have no evidence!" Gaius said.

"The tools of magic cannot be hidden from me. I am sure that a thorough search of the boy's chambers will give us the evidence that we need." Aridian said.

"Merlin?" Uther said.

"I have nothing to hide from him." Merlin said.

"Very well, guards, restrain the boy." Uther said. "Let the search begin."

Everyone began to shuffle out of the crowded throne room and the guards dragged Merlin away. Aleya pulled me along towards Merlin's chambers, her hand trembling as we went. I could tell that she was just barely keeping it together.

"We can't go in." I said, but she ignored me. "Ally, stop." I said as I pulled her to an abrupt stop. She looked down at the floor, her breathing ragged and uncontrolled.,

"Look at me." I commanded and she lifted her head up and met my stare. "Do you know if Merlin has anything that could link him to sorcery?" I asked. She thought for a moment.

"He has a spell book." She whispered. "But it's hidden."

"Then there is nothing to worry about." I said.

Samantha and I stood outside of Merlin's chambers. I heard Gaius yelling at the guards. I could hear Gaius yelling at them about it being his life's work and the sound of glass shattering on the ground. There was one loud shatter and then silence.

"Here" Someone yelled.

"An amulet of enchantment." I heard Aridian say. "Were you aware, physician, that your assistant kept instruments of sorcery?"

"No." Gaius said. My stomach fell. This was all the evidence the Aridian needed for Uther to burn Merlin.

"Well, our work here is done. I must inform the king." He said. I heard him walking towards the door and I decided in that moment what I had to do. I stood in front of Aridian as he walked out the door.

"The amulet is not Merlin's." I said shakily.

"What the hell are you doing?" Samantha said. I could hear the anger in her voice.

"If it is not Merlin's then whose is it?" Aridian asked.

"It's mine." I said. Gaius was giving me a You're lying look, but I ignored it.

"Guards." Aridian said. Sir Leon grabbed me by the arm and dragged me away.

"I'm going to kill you, Aleya!" Samantha yelled from behind me.

"You are a liar." Leon said as he led me down to the dungeons. He did not have to drag be because I did not fight.

"It doesn't matter now." I said.

When we entered the dungeons I could hear Arthur's voice echo from down the hallway telling Merlin that he was free to go. Merlin was led by one of the guards in the hallway. He looked relieved, that was until he saw me.

"Aleya." He said as he expression dropped.

"I couldn't let you die." I said.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Don't say anything." I muttered.

"Let her go!" He yelled at Leon as he led me to the cell. Merlin continued to yell as he was dragged out of the dungeons. At least he was safe now.

Neptune19: Morgana is most definitely worthy of pity. She felt as though everyone she loved had betrayed her. Katie McGrath did an amazing job of portraying her though.

DarkAngel620: I'm so glad you liked it!