Chapter 23
The Dark Tower
Gwen and a handful of knights had left early in the morning to make the annual pilgrimage to her father's grave. She and Sir Elyan always went this time of year to pay their respects to their dearly departed father, but this year Arthur insisted that they be accompanied by Leon, Percival, and Gwaine. The Saxon threat was becoming troublesome, and he didn't want anything to happen to either of them.
Saturdays were usually a day that Marian would spend with Gwen, but she had opted to stay back in Camelot this time. Not only did she feel like she would be intruding on a private family moment, but she was also tired. Her nightmares had started again, which meant she got little sleep. This time, however, it wasn't Morgana that haunted her dreams. Instead, she dreamt of Elyan fighting to his death. Sometimes it was against Saxons, and sometimes it was against invisible foes. But every single time, her nightmares ended in his death.
She was relieved later that day when the knights came rushing back to the citadel ahead of schedule. Her relief, however, was short-lived as several men carried Sir Leon and Sir Percival into the physician's chambers on stretchers. They had been attacked while traveling home and had received snake bites when they were thrown from their horses.
Gaius bent down to inspect their wounds. "Merlin, hollyhock," he ordered.
Marian sat down between the knights. She wrung out a cloth and wiped Percival's brow. She looked up at Gwaine and Elyan, thankful that they hadn't been bitten as well. When she caught Gwaine's eye, she looked away quickly. Nothing had been the same between them since his return from Ismere months ago, though they tried to remain on friendly terms.
Gwaine watched her movements as she picked up a second cloth and wiped Leon's brow. Though they were trying to be friends, but it was becoming more difficult for him. His heart broke when she had rejected him, especially knowing that she actually did love him, but for some mysterious reason refused to act on her feelings.
"One dram?" Merlin asked as he went to the potion cupboard, knocking Gwaine from his thoughts.
Gaius inspected the wounds to be sure. "Two drams," he corrected.
Merlin picked up two vials. "Then what?" he asked.
"Three grains," Gaius replied.
As Merlin handed the vials to Gaius, the door to the chambers burst open and Arthur stormed in.
"What happened?" he asked agitated. This was supposed to be an easy journey, yet two of his best men were lying unconscious.
"We were riding. Came upon a nest of snakes," Elyan said shortly.
Arthur looked around for Gwen. He hadn't seen his wife since she'd left this morning.
"Where's Guinevere?" he asked.
Elyan and Gwaine exchanged a worried look. They had hoped that she had made it back to Camelot safe.
"Where is she?" Arthur asked again.
"I told her to get away. She fled," Elyan replied, his voice wavering.
Angry, Arthur left the chambers. He couldn't believe that they had left her out there. Merlin and Elyan followed the king to see what he planned to do to rescue Gwen.
Gwaine crouched down between his fellow knights in their cots. "Will they live?" he asked the healers.
"Yes, they will live," Marian said confidently.
Gaius gave her a sharp look. He knew that she would use her magic, if necessary, but the outcome couldn't be guaranteed.
"We will do our best, Gwaine," Gaius corrected her.
Marian looked up at her mentor, willing him to understand the lengths she would go to save her friends.
Gwaine watched the battle of wills between them in amusement. Though he knew Gaius to be stubborn, no one was as stubborn as his… no, not his. There was no longer any chance she would ever be his Marian.
Gwaine stood when Elyan and Merlin returned to the chambers. Merlin told the rest that Arthur wanted to leave at first light.
"Gwen is resourceful, Elyan. She knows how to take care of herself out there. It's not your fault," Marian comforted.
Elyan nodded. "Yes, it is. I shouldn't have left her. What if she's hurt? Or worse?" He turned dejectedly and left.
"Elyan!" Marian called after him and tried to stand.
Gwaine laid a gentle hand on Marian's shoulder and shook his head. "I'll go," he told her as he left to go after Elyan.
Merlin sat next to Marian and Gaius between the injured knights. Gaius had pulled up their sleeves and was tending the wounds. On each man's arm, there were two red bite marks, each with green streaks flowing like veins from the wounds.
"This is no accident," Gaius said gravely.
Merlin nodded his head in understanding. "Sorcery," he confirmed.
The elderly physician pointed to the green streaks. "There is dark magic coursing through their veins. At any rate, they should be dead," he said.
"Why aren't they?" Marian asked.
"They were lucky," replied Merlin.
"I fear there is more to it than luck," Gaius said.
"What do you mean?" Marian asked him.
Merlin looked between the knights. "It was Morgana," he stated. "Who else would have the power to do something like this?"
"I'm afraid you are probably correct, Merlin," Gaius said. He continued to clean the wounds. "I've done everything I can. Now it's up to Leon and Percival to heal," he stood.
Merlin stood as well, but Marian stayed beside the knights and kept a close watch on them. They were both feverish, but still as they slept. She would watch for any signs of them worsening, and should she need to, she would heal them with her magic.
An hour later, both Leon and Percival awoke. Their fevers had broken, and they both felt fine but tired. Gaius told them that they should spend the rest of the night in the physician's chambers so he could keep an eye on them. But when he let it slip that Arthur was taking a search party out in the morning to look for the queen, both Leon and Percival insisted that they return to their own chambers so they could prepare to leave in the morning.
"Stubborn-ass knights," Marian huffed after they had left.
Gaius chuckled at the young healer.
000
The next morning Marian headed out to the stone courtyard at first light. Arthur had gathered a search party to go look for Gwen. Merlin, Elyan, Gwaine, Leon, and Percival stood by their horses, checking to make sure they had all of their supplies. When Marian approached them, leading her own horse, Arthur sighed.
"Marian…" he said.
She looked at him, her chin held high, and her jaw set. She was prepared to argue with the king. Gwen was her friend, and she wasn't about to stay behind. But instead of an argument, Arthur mounted his horse.
"You have everything you need?" he asked her.
"I do, my lord," Marian replied, surprised that he wasn't going to argue.
"Then let's go. We're wasting daylight," he ordered.
The others mounted their horses and set off to look for the queen.
000
They stopped when they came upon Gwen's horse. Elyan dismounted and inspected the saddle. The leather stirrups had been broken.
"She must have been knocked from her mount by some force," Leon stated, concerned.
Marian's heart dropped. It seemed as though Morgana had a hand in Gwen's disappearance, after all.
Percival rode forward a little and studied the ground before him. "Here," he pointed. "Tracks. They're heading east," he declared.
Impatient, Arthur kicked his horse. "Let's go!"
000
After they had ridden for some time, Percival dismounted and found more tracks to follow. He led the others, walking beside his horse until the sun had set, and he could no longer see anything.
"It's getting too dark," he stated.
"We'll keep heading east," Arthur ordered, unwilling to stop.
The knights looked at one another. Arthur wasn't thinking straight; instead, he let his worry for Gwen guide him into danger.
"We've lost the trail," Merlin reminded him.
"Then we'll retrace the tracks," Arthur said as he rode back in the direction they came from.
"Arthur!" Merlin called after him.
The warlock turned to Marian and the knights. He knew what they were all thinking. That Arthur wasn't making the right decision. That there was no way they could even retrace their steps, let alone find the trail again.
"I'll talk to him," he said.
000
By the time Arthur returned, the others had made camp, and Merlin had started simmering a stew over the fire. They sat around the fire in silence as their supper cooked.
Elyan got up and wandered off by himself. He didn't think he could take any camaraderie on this journey as the guilt of losing his sister ate away at him.
Arthur watched his brother-in-law leave the fire and stood to follow and console him.
Unable to bear the silence, Marian went to feed and water the horses. They had been on quests and missions before, but never had she experienced the somber atmosphere that hung over them during their search. Everyone was so worried about their queen that no one felt like teasing or joking. Even Gwaine and Percival, Camelot's biggest pranksters, were quiet.
After she had fed and watered the horses, Marian pulled out a brush and began rubbing the animals down. She got to Gwaine's horse, Galahad, and spoke softly to the beast. Gwaine had followed her, and watching as she fed Galahad an apple from her pocket, he silently approached her.
"Are you alright?" he asked, startling her.
"Fuck!" she yelled, grabbing her chest. "You scared the shit out of me!"
"Sorry."
She smiled tightly at him. "It's alright. And yes, I'll be fine. Are you?"
"I'm worried about the queen. And Elyan. He's taken this pretty hard," Gwaine replied. He stepped up next to her and took the brush from her hand. "May I?" he asked. He needed something to keep his mind off of things.
Marian nodded and stepped back. She understood his need to keep busy. Besides, it was his horse. She watched as he methodically brushed Galahad. She desperately wanted to talk to him about how they'd left things. The tension between them was frustrating. Marian wished they could go back to how things were before Ismere.
"Gwaine," she started. She laid her hand on his arm, stopping his movements. When he turned to look at her questioningly, she continued. "I'm sorry about before… after Ismere. I—"
"Let's not do this now," he interrupted before turning back to the horse and continuing to brush it.
"If not now, then when? It's been months," she asked.
"Maybe never, Marian," he answered shortly.
"I… I can't live like that, Gwaine. What if something happens to you and I never—"
"Oh," he interrupted again. "You can't live like that, but I can live with a broken heart?" he asked bitterly.
Marian took a deep, calming breath and tried again. "I'm trying to make things right between us. Will you not let me do that, at least?"
"I don't think anything else needs saying, do you?" he bit out. "Neither of us can change what happened." He looked at her in the moonlight. "So, it would probably be best if neither of us mentioned it again."
She was having a difficult time holding her emotions in, but she guessed that was the least she deserved after the way she had treated him. "Do you…" She swallowed and tried again. "Do you still want to remain friends?"
Gwaine went back to his task and refused to answer. Truth be told, he didn't have an answer for her. Of course, he wanted to be near her any chance he got, but it was proving too difficult to even remain friends with the healer and not feel bitter about the turn their relationship had taken.
At his continued silence, she nodded. "Alright, then," she said dejectedly.
Gwaine turned and watched her leave, her shoulders slumped and sniffling softly. He felt guilty that he had hurt her, but what else could he have done? The closeness of her drove him mad.
000
Later that evening, after the stew was gone and the fire had died down, the knights fell asleep one by one. Still awake, Merlin turned to Marian, whose eyes were wide open.
"Can't sleep?" he asked her quietly.
"Don't want to, actually," she answered as she turned to her side to face him.
"Nightmares?" he asked knowingly. His dear friend had been plagued by nightmares for years now. Sometimes they were visions of the future, but not always.
Marian nodded. "Elyan is in danger, Merlin," she told him.
Merlin turned to look at the knight. He was sound asleep and snoring. "Seems okay right now. You should get some sleep. I'll keep watch."
Marian smiled softly at the young warlock and turned onto her back. Within a few minutes, she had fallen asleep.
Merlin tried to keep his eyes from drooping but failed miserably. Less than an hour later, he had fallen fast asleep. If he had been awake, he would have noticed the cold, ominous air that had blown in around them. He would have seen the furrowed brows and sharp twitching of his friends during their sleep. He would have seen the tears rolling down the side of Marian's face. He would have heard the whimpers coming from not only her but from Leon and Percival as well. Instead, he slept soundly.
Suddenly, Leon screamed at the top of his lungs and sat straight up. Frightened from their slumber, the others jolted awake.
Merlin jumped up and rushed to Leon's side. "It's alright," he tried to comfort the knight.
Panting, Leon recalled his nightmare. "The tower," he said, confused. "Everything in its shadow… was dead. The sound… it was like… like children screaming," he said.
Percival looked at him; he too had had a nightmare. The exact same one, it seemed. "The rain that fell was like blood," he told them. "I had the same dream. I was lost in a forest, the trees had claws, and when I finally escaped it, there was a plain…"
"…empty as far as the eye can see, except…" Leon continued for him.
"…beyond the skyline there was a black pillar of stone," Percival finished.
"The tower was so dark, it could swallow the sun," Leon stated, frightened.
"The Dark Tower," Arthur said. "It's a place where every young knight is taught to dread and rightly so. It's where many have met their end."
Merlin turned to the king. "I've never heard of it," he stated.
"With good reason. It's said that the mere mention of it can bring doom to those that hear it," Arthur told them.
Marian looked at Merlin with wide eyes. She wasn't the only one dreaming of the future, apparently. Their dream had been a warning, she was sure of it. She wiped the tears from her face and pulled her knees up under her chin. This didn't bode well for the search party. Or the queen.
"Well, best to not mention it again," Gwaine said. He wasn't usually one to be spooked by fairytales and stories, but their shared dream sent chills down his spine. "I was having a dream of eating a cheese that tasted of apple pie," he said, trying to lighten the mood.
The rest of them looked at him as if he'd grown a second head.
"Anyone else had that dream? Well, you're all missing out," he finished. He fluffed his makeshift pillow and laid back down to go to sleep.
The others soon followed suit, except for Marian, Arthur, and Merlin. The king and warlock had gone off away from the camp, and Marian sat on her bedroll, unable to go back to sleep after the nightmare she had. It was death and despair. Faceless men roamed the lands. Elyan had perished, Arthur had been run through, and Gwaine died in her arms. She shuddered at the memory, willing it to fade.
Instead of sleeping, she stared at the embers of the dying fire and tried to understand what had happened. If Leon and Percival both had the exact same dream, then she was sure it was magic. The only sorcerer she knew of that would be evil enough to plant nightmares in a person's mind was Morgana.
Gaius had believed the snake bites they received to be powerful dark magic. Had it been the bites that had delivered the dream to the two knights? And for what purpose? They had dreamt of a place, the Dark Tower. So it must be where Morgana was keeping Gwen. Marian jumped as she had a startling thought. The only reason for Morgana to let Arthur know where his kidnapped wife was being held was to lure him there.
Oh my God, it's a trap! she thought.
Marian stood and rushed over to Arthur and Merlin. "Sire! Merlin! The Dark Tower! It's a trap for you!" she said as she reached them.
"Yes," Arthur said as he turned to her, "I know. That's where she's keeping Guinevere."
"We have to go to her!" she implored.
Arthur had been ready for an argument. He was surprised that Marian was thinking the same as he was. "I… yes, exactly! We can't leave her to Morgana. See, Merlin? Even Marian agrees with me."
Merlin looked affronted. "I never said we shouldn't go after Gwen. I just meant that we need to be careful. Maybe knowing it's a trap will be to our advantage?"
"It's worth the risk if it means we save her, isn't it?" Marian agreed.
Arthur smiled at his friends. Though they weren't knights, they were two of the bravest people he knew. That's precisely why he needed them to stay behind. He needed them to be there for Camelot, for the people, should he fail. Arthur decided then and there that he would rescue Gwen on his own.
000
The morning sun rose all too quickly. They awoke and ate a quick breakfast before packing up their things to continue their journey. Arthur looked around at his most loyal knights and subjects, his friends. Resolved in his decision, he addressed them.
"I've decided to journey to the Dark Tower. It's my belief that Guinevere has been imprisoned there. I don't know what horrors will be waiting, so I'll travel alone."
Elyan stood. "No," he stated plainly.
"I'm sorry, but I've made my decision," Arthur countered.
"You can't stop me, Arthur, she is my sister," Elyan said. He was determined to find her and bring her safely home. No one, not even his king and brother, would stand in his way.
Arthur smiled at Elyan. He should have expected it, knowing how fiercely loyal the knight was to his sister.
Percival stood. "Nor me either. She's our queen."
"And our friend," Leon said, standing.
"She's a maiden in a tower. A damsel in distress," Gwaine said as he threw his dagger into the ground and stood. "I was born for this moment."
Arthur looked at Merlin and Marian. "You two can turn back, you know," he told them.
Merlin smiled at the king. "I made you a promise, remember?" he said as he stood.
He held out his hand to Marian and helped her up.
"Gwen is dear to me, Arthur. I would die for her," Marian said after she had stood. "I would gladly die for any of you." She briefly glanced at Gwaine but turned as soon as his eyes met hers.
Arthur looked around proudly at the friends he had chosen to help him. People who were not only loyal to him but who also adored his wife. For the first time, he felt confident that they would bring Gwen home.
000
After hours of riding, they came upon a cliff overlooking a forest. Situated in the middle of the plains beyond stood a tall, black tower.
"The Dark Tower," Arthur said ominously.
"How do we get to it?" Merlin asked.
"Through the Impenetrable Forest," Arthur replied.
Merlin looked at the king incredulously. "But it's…"
"Impenetrable," Gwaine supplied.
"Exactly. We can't possibly get through there," Merlin said. Surely there was another way.
"We must," Arthur said. There was no time for arguments. He started forward down the path to the bottom of the cliff and into the forest.
At the bottom of the cliff, they dismounted and left the horses behind, carrying what they would need in their packs. Arthur came up to Marian and handed her a sword.
"Just in case," he said to her as she took the weapon.
"Thank you, Arthur." She squeezed his shoulder in comfort. "We will find Gwen and bring her home. I promise."
He nodded and left her with her horse. When she had finished packing food and medical supplies into her satchel, she joined the knights and Merlin as they headed into the Impenetrable Forest.
000
The forest was dense with branches, thorns, and vines everywhere. It had been aptly named as impenetrable. They used their swords to cut through the thick vines, making a path through the brush.
Gwaine's cloak caught on a vine of thorns and pulled him back. Angry, he went wild, cutting every branch and vine within reach, until his cloak ripped, leaving a small piece behind.
"Feel better?" Marian asked as the others looked back at his tantrum.
"Keep going," he said irritated.
They continued through the forest, chopping their way through. Suddenly, Marian cried out from behind them.
"Shit!"
The knights and Merlin turned to see her leaning back, her eyes closed in pain. Her braid had snagged on the thorny vines. She tried to loosen it, but it was a tangled mess, the vines had a death grip on her hair.
Gwaine went back to her rescue and tried to pull the vines from her hair but had no luck. He was taking great care to not pull her hair harder, but she whimpered in pain, so he let go. It seemed that there was no way to untangle the mess.
"I hate to say it, beautiful, but I'm going to have to cut it," he told her.
Marian panicked. "My hair?" she asked. "You… you can't get it out of the vines?"
He shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, Marian," he said as he swiftly brought his sword up and cut her braid just above the vines that held it.
She stood there in shock with tears in her eyes. Her hair had once fallen to her waist, now only fell to just above her shoulders in ragged, uneven waves. She knew it was vain and ridiculous, but her hair was the one feature that she actually thought was attractive. It made her feel as if she belonged in this time. It was her cover. With long hair, she looked the part of a medieval woman.
Gwaine had the decency to look regretful. He loved her hair and hated that he had cut it, but most of all, he regretted the shocked and hurt look on her face. He reached out to her. "Marian, I'm…"
"It's okay," she said as she gave him a tight smile, brushing his hand away. "It's nothing," she sniffed. "We need to find Gwen." She tucked her loose hair behind her ears and walked past the others, cutting away angrily at the vines.
Gwaine watched her go, sorry that he had hurt her again.
000
The forest was proving too much for them. First, Gwaine's cloak had ripped, then Marian's hair had to be cut. The last straw was when Percival's sword blade broke in half. He looked at the broken blade sadly.
"Blunt anyway," he said as he threw the hilt to the ground. Merlin handed his sword to the tall knight, and they continued on their way.
"Don't stop," Arthur called behind him.
"We've lost the path," Percival complained.
"We'll keep heading north," Arthur said.
Gwaine chopped at a vine. "How do we know which way is north?" he asked.
"The ivy. Pale leaves face south, dull leaves face north," Arthur explained.
Gwaine and Merlin looked skeptically at an ivy vine. The leaves were facing every which way. There was no way they could tell which direction they were headed.
Finally, they came to a clearing that gave them a view of the Dark Tower.
"We are on the right course," Leon said, relieved.
"We should reach the tower by sundown. Let's pick up the pace," Arthur said, determined to get there and save Gwen as quickly as possible.
000
They had walked for hours. They were tired and thirsty and hungry. Most of all, they were all annoyed that they hadn't found the plains beyond the forest.
"We should have made it out of the forest by now," Leon called out.
"Look," Arthur said as he approached a vine.
There was a small piece of red cloth hanging on one of its thorns. Arthur picked up the fabric and held it out for the rest of them to see.
Gwaine stepped forward. "What is it?" he asked before his face fell.
He lifted his cloak, revealing the hole that the vine earlier had left. It was the same shape as the piece of cloth Arthur held out. They had gone in circles.
"What the fuck?" Marian sat down hard on a large branch and put her head in her hands.
"How can that be?" Elyan asked.
"We have gone… around… in a circle!" Arthur yelled angrily. He threw his sword to the ground. "We have wasted an entire day!"
Arthur slumped to the ground in defeat.
"Let's make camp for the night. Get some rest and pick up fresh in the morning," Leon suggested. None of them were thinking straight and desperately needed the rest.
Merlin walked over to Arthur to console him.
"I made you a promise. Remember?" he said as he turned to the others. "We will bring her home."
000
They made camp for the night, eating leftover stew in silence. None of them felt much like talking, so as soon as it got dark, they settled in for the night. They hadn't been able to bring much with them and had traveled light. That meant no blankets or bedrolls. The knights had their cloaks to cover with, but Merlin and Marian did not. Merlin was alright in his jacket, so he made sure Marian was able to sleep close to the fire.
Long after the fire had died out and everyone had gone to sleep, Gwaine awoke with a start. He wasn't sure what had woken him, so he sat up and listened to the dark. He heard small whimpers coming from across the fire pit. Small feminine whimpers. He looked over at Marian as she twitched. Gwaine knew that she was prone to nightmares, so he crawled to her side to wake her.
"Marian, wake up," he called softly as he gently shook her.
She jolted awake, her eyes wide and unseeing.
"You alright?" he asked, concerned at her wild look.
Gwaine's face swam into focus in front of her. She sat up abruptly and wrapped her arms around him. Her nightmare had been vivid and terrifying. There were faceless men and evil sorceresses and so much death.
Surprised, it took a moment for Gwaine to return her embrace and comfort her. "It was just a bad dream, love. You're safe," he said softly as he held her.
He brushed her shorter hair with his fingers, and when he reached the ragged end, he turned it up to look at it regretfully. Gwaine sighed and held Marian closer.
She remained in his arms for another few minutes while her heart calmed. When she pulled away, her teeth began to chatter.
Gwaine reached up and felt her cheek. "My God, you're freezing. Here," he got up and retrieved his cloak.
Marian protested when he draped it around her. "No, G-g-gwain-n-ne. You'll b-be c-c-c-cold."
He gave her a small smile. Even freezing cold, she thought of him rather than herself. "I'll be fine, beautiful," he told her.
"We c-can sh-sh-share," she said in a small voice. She knew it might be a bad idea, but she couldn't stand the thought that she took his only cover. "I promise not-t-t t-to t-try anyth-thing," she tried to give him a cheeky grin, but her trembling made it more of a grimace.
Gwaine nodded, his mouth in a thin line. He laid down with his back to her. When he felt her lie with her back against his, he pulled his cloak over them both and closed his eyes, willing sleep to take him quickly.
000
The next day, they set out through the forest to try again.
"We need to find the clearing where we saw the Dolares Plains," Arthur said to them.
"Which way is that?" Elyan asked.
"North," Merlin said confidently.
Everyone turned and looked at him in surprise.
"Please. I know I can get us there," he said to them. "I wouldn't do anything to risk Gwen's life. I can get us to the Dark Tower, I'm certain." He looked at Arthur and continued, "I know what Gwen means to you, to all of us. We need to head north."
Arthur threw his sword into the ground, leaving it standing straight. "Which way is that, Merlin?" Arthur asked, knowing that no one would be able to tell without being able to see the sun.
Merlin pointed ahead of him. "That way," he said to the king.
"No, it's…" Arthur looked up at the sky.
Miraculously a sunbeam forced its way through the dense canopy above them and shone on Arthur's sword. The shadow of his sword pointed to the east. Merlin was correct. "…over there. How on earth did you know that?"
"Sense of smell," Merlin lied. "When the wind is from the north, you can smell the sea."
He hadn't told anyone, not even Marian, of his meeting with a faerie last night. Queen Mab, as she called herself, had given him a clue as to how to find his way through the forest. Using his magic, Merlin had been able to see the correct path to the edge.
"That's ridiculous," Arthur said.
Merlin sighed in annoyance. "Trust me just this once?"
"Arthur, give him a chance," Elyan pleaded with the king.
"What choice do we have?" Leon asked as he and the others followed Merlin.
They walked on for a few minutes before Arthur grew impatient. "Are you sure this is the right way, Merlin?" he asked.
Merlin turned away from the king. His eyes glowed with magic as he saw the right way in his mind's eye. He nodded toward the path in front of him and continued on, with Arthur and the others reluctantly following. Soon, they stumbled across Marian's tangled braid and Percival's discarded sword hilt.
"Merlin. You're a genius," the tall knight said as he picked the hilt up.
The others rushed forward to follow Merlin. They came to the clearing from the day before. Arthur patted Merlin on the back, impressed that he was leading them in the right direction.
"Which way now?" he asked.
Instead of answering, Merlin rushed forward. When he was far enough away, his eyes glowed with magic. He saw the path that led straight out of the forest. As soon as the others caught up with him, he ran off to follow the path.
Rushing to keep up, Marian tripped over a vine and fell, scraping her knee on a rock. Leon rushed to her aid, helping her up and leading her on at a fast pace.
Soon, they all were running as they felt the end of the forest near. Emerging from the Impenetrable Forest, they stopped to remove their packs.
"We'll leave these here and pick them back up on our way back," Arthur said.
"How far do you think it is?" Elyan asked him.
"At least we can see where we're going," Gwaine put in.
He turned to the others, grinning. When he saw Marian, his face fell.
"Marian, you're bleeding!" he called out.
She looked down at her knee. There was a tear in her trousers, and a bloodstain was quickly spreading. She bent down to her pack and pulled out a bandage cloth.
"We must hurry to Gwen. Go on, I'll catch up," she told them.
The others took off immediately, leaving Marian to tie the bandage around her bleeding knee. As soon as she was done, she started running to try to catch up to the knights.
About halfway there, Percival stopped and sat on the ground. He pulled off his boot and brought his foot up for a close inspection. There was a large blister forming on the ball of his foot.
The others had stopped when they noticed Percival was no longer beside them. "We cannot afford to rest," Arthur called to him.
"I'm alright," Percival called back.
He put his boot back on and stood just as Marian caught up with them. She leaned over, with her hands on her knees, out of breath.
"I'm… here…" she panted.
Percival clapped her on the back and urged her forward as the rest continued to the tower.
They came upon a small ridge with skeletons and old armor on either side. Walking single file, they started across. Merlin's foot slipped, and he started to fall off to the side. Marian tried to right him but ended up falling over the side of the ridge, taking Merlin with her.
"Merlin! Marian!" Percival shouted.
They rolled and slid down the steep hill. Merlin landed in front of a blade protruding from the sand, missing it by inches. Thinking quickly, he caught Marian as she fell beside him and pulled her within a hair's breadth from the sword. They quickly got up and crawled back up the ridge. Percival held his hand out to Merlin, while Gwaine grabbed Marian's hand.
She nodded her thanks as Gwaine pulled her up and let go of her hand. There was so much she wanted to say to him. "Gwaine…"
He studied her face, worry in his eyes. He lifted his hand up to her face, not quite touching her.
"We must keep moving," Arthur said once everyone was back up on the ridge.
Marian turned from Gwaine and ran to catch up to the others. Sighing, he dropped his hand and followed.
000
They reached the tower and headed inside. Skeletons and rotting corpses littered the stone floor around them, and massive cobwebs hung across the passageways, but still, they carried on. They found a single spiral staircase and began to climb.
Merlin had a funny feeling in his stomach. "Something's wrong. It's too easy," he said out loud.
Arthur turned to him. "Are you ever happy?"
After a few more steps, a skeleton fell from the ceiling, startling the king. Impatient, Elyan slipped past Arthur and continued up the stairs.
Finding a large chamber, Elyan called behind him. "Arthur!"
When the king and the others came up behind him, Elyan held his hand up. "Stop!" he yelled.
A bolt shot out from a statue in the wall and hit Percival, piercing his leg. He screamed and fell to the floor. As Marian started toward him, more bolts shot out at them. One went straight for Arthur's back. Merlin's eyes glowed, and the bolt changed direction and ricocheted off the wall. Leon and Gwaine leaned back to avoid being hit while Marian dropped to the floor as it went over her head.
"Nobody move. Stay exactly where you are," Arthur ordered.
"What triggered it?" Leon asked.
"The flagstones," Arthur guessed. "They must react to pressure."
"Here," Elyan said as he pulled out his sheathed sword. "I'll use this."
He dropped his sword onto the next stone. When nothing happened, he stepped forward. He continued to the next stone, the others following suit.
"I'll push on," Elyan said as he continued through the room.
"No, Elyan," Arthur tried to stop him, but more bolts flew in front of him.
Elyan turned to the king. "None of us would be here if it weren't for me. I have to do this," he said as he reached the door.
Marian pushed past the knights and Merlin. She had to follow Elyan. If her dream was right, then he was in mortal danger.
"Elyan! Marian!" Arthur shouted at them.
More bolts fired, keeping the knights from running after them.
"Marian, no!" Gwaine called as she reached the door. She turned back briefly to look at him. "Wait!" he shouted as she disappeared through the door.
Elyan climbed the stairs two and three at a time. When he got to the top, he burst through the door. There, in the back of the room, stood his sister. A sword was floating in the air in front of her.
"Gwen!" he called out to her.
"Elyan!" she cried.
"What has she done to you?" He tried to go to her, but the magic sword followed his movements.
"No, don't," Gwen cried out. "It will not let you pass. Morgana enchanted it to protect me. You can't free me, Elyan. Leave me here, please!"
"No!" Elyan shouted as he took his cloak off and drew his sword.
"You cannot overcome it! It will fight to the death!" she cried out to her brother.
Elyan fought the sword. It was as good as any Knight of Camelot, blocking and attacking effortlessly. It twirled around him, evading his attacks until it lurched forward and stabbed him in the chest.
"Elyan, go save yourself!" Gwen called out.
Marian reached the doorway and watched as Elyan fought an invisible foe. She tried to go forward to Gwen but was threatened by the sword as it swung at Elyan.
The knight pushed the sword back and opened the wooden shutter to the window. He swung and knocked the magic sword out of the window, closing the shutter behind it. As he leaned back on the wall, the blade of the enchanted sword stabbed through the wood, but couldn't come back inside.
Elyan went forward to his sister but collapsed on the floor, Gwen and Marian both rushing to him.
The queen pulled his head into her lap, tears falling freely. "I'm here. I'm here," she said to him.
"For a moment, I didn't think I was going to win," Elyan chuckled, his voice fading.
"Father would be proud of you," Gwen said to her dying brother.
"And of you. So proud," Elyan said as he looked up at his beloved sister.
Marian looked down at his bleeding chest and knew what she had to do. She quickly looked behind her to make sure the others hadn't arrived. "Neither of you a word to Arthur or the others," she ordered before she placed her hands on Elyan's chest. "Ic pe purhhaele pinu licsar mid pam sundorcraeft paere ealdan ae!" she called to the sky.
Her hands glowed and warmed. As the light spread over Elyan, Gwen gasped but held onto her brother. She felt him strengthening while the light shimmered around them.
Marian felt a sharp pain in her chest as the light began to fade. She looked at Gwen and then fell over unconscious.
Elyan sat up in shock. Neither he nor Gwen knew what to say. He couldn't believe it, he felt fine. The wound in his chest had healed, and he was no longer dying. He turned to his sister to make sure she was unharmed when they heard Gwaine scream.
"MARIAN! NO!" the knight yelled as he fell to the floor beside her. Blood stained her tunic and was spreading quickly over her chest.
"No, no, no! Don't do this, sweetheart! Wake up, Marian! Please! Please be alright! Please be alright!" he cried to her as he pulled her limp body into his arms.
The king and the other knights looked on at the scene before them in shock.
"Help her!" Gwaine begged.
Merlin crouched beside Gwaine as he cradled Marian in his arms. He checked her pulse, it was slowing as she was starting to bleed out. The warlock took off his kerchief and ripped her tunic enough to get at her wound. Merlin held the cloth to her chest to try to stop the bleeding, but it wasn't working.
Concerned that it hadn't healed already, Merlin glanced at Gwen and Elyan, guessing what had happened. Marian had healed one of them and had taken their injury.
Remembering her last words, Elyan told them what had happened, careful not to divulge her secret. "There was an enchanted sword. Marian… Marian saved me," he said.
"Where is the sword now?" Arthur asked as he went over to his wife and pulled her into his arms.
Elyan pointed to the wooden shutter, where the blade was still stuck.
Arthur looked over Gwen, other than the dirt on her skin and the poor state of her dress, she seemed to be unharmed. "Can Marian be moved?" he asked. They needed to get away from the tower as quickly as possible.
"Yes," Merlin replied. "We need to get her back to the supplies so I can treat her wound."
Gwaine lifted Marian into his arms and carried her to the door. Merlin stayed back with Elyan as the others followed Gwaine.
"She used magic, didn't she?" he asked the knight as they both stood.
"It was like nothing I've ever seen before, Merlin," Elyan said in awe.
"Please, Elyan, don't tell anyone. I don't know what would happen if Arthur found out," Merlin pleaded.
"Merlin, I can't lie to the king."
"No, not lie. Just don't tell him everything. Healing is the only magic she's capable of, and she can only use it on those she cares for. Please," Merlin begged him.
Elyan held up his hands. "Alright, I will keep her secret. For now," he promised.
As they were leaving the tower, Merlin caught up with Gwen and asked her to keep Marian's secret as well, which she readily agreed.
After all, she didn't want Arthur to have the advantage over Morgana. She would wait until their next meeting and tell the witch everything.
No one could have guessed that Gwen had been bewitched by Morgana while being held captive. The queen now hated Camelot and her husband and everything they stood for, and Morgana finally had her own pawn hidden deep within Camelot's court.
000
As they hurried through the plains, Gwaine carried Marian close to his chest, rebuffing any offers of help. He needed to carry her. He felt that her wellbeing was his responsibility. He owed her that much.
She was still unconscious but no longer bleeding. Merlin was getting concerned that she hadn't healed. Usually, the injuries that she took on would quickly heal on their own. Whatever enchantment Morgana used on the sword must be responsible.
They reached the edge of the forest, and Merlin gathered both his and Marian's packs. Going through them, he pulled out a few vials of potions to try and a cloth bandage. Gwaine laid her onto the ground and helped as Merlin removed the blood-soaked kerchief.
With a new bandage in place, Merlin tried the potions. When none of them had any effect on her, he stood and turned to the others. "We need to find a safe place to make camp," he told them.
Gwen suddenly swooned in Arthur's arms.
"Guinevere?" he asked, concerned.
"I'm sorry, Arthur. All of this has been too much," she lied as she fanned herself. She figured if Marian was going to die, perhaps she could help hasten the process by getting the knights to abandon Marian. Morgana would be pleased to hear that she had helped rid her of the healer, especially after she learns that Marian has magic.
"You and Gwaine do what you need to save Marian. We'll press on. Guinevere should see Gaius as soon as possible," Arthur suggested.
Gwen frowned in disappointment as Merlin and Gwaine agreed. They all walked together for a while in the forest before parting ways. As Merlin and Gwaine made camp, Arthur, Gwen, and the rest set off for Camelot.
000
"We'll need a fire," Merlin told the knight.
Gwaine stood without argument and went off in search of firewood.
"Purhhaele dolgbenn!" Merlin incanted. When nothing happened, he held his hand over her brow. "Drycræft durhhæle dina wunda on de geedstadolie!" There was no effect.
Gwaine returned with an armload of firewood and cleared a fire pit. By the time he had finished lighting a fire, it was dark. He watched as Merlin administered potion after potion, trying to save Marian's life.
Merlin tried everything in his power to heal Marian, even secretly trying other incantations. When none of those worked, he searched the forest floor in the dark for plants and herbs. Nothing, not even his magic, would heal the young woman.
Frustrated, Merlin sat beside her, watching her and worrying about her as she quickly paled. Merlin loved Marian as a sister, and life wouldn't be the same without her. Memories replayed in his mind. Silly adventures they'd had, jokes they had shared. How concerned she always was for his welfare. She had told him once that it wasn't his magic that made him special to her. It was just him that she cared for, just plain Merlin and all of his goofy antics, as she had called them. She meant a lot to him, to all of them.
Merlin glanced up at Gwaine, concerned. The knight reached over and held her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing her knuckles. Merlin knew how much he and Marian cared for each other. If something happened to her, he didn't think Gwaine would ever recover.
Merlin felt her brow for fever. "She's cold. Too cold," he said alarmed.
"What does that mean?" Gwaine asked. He was frightened for her. Her skin was pale, and her lips were ghostly white.
Merlin touched her neck and felt for her pulse. It was slow and weak.
"Her blood flow is weak. Gwaine, I… I think she's dying," his voice broke, and tears fell. Marian's magic was supposed to heal, not bring about her end. Whatever enchantment Morgana had used on that sword was too powerful, even for their magic.
Tears swam in Gwaine's eyes as he looked at the unconscious woman. I love you. I'm sorry. Any bitterness he felt toward her for rejecting him melted away. While he knew they couldn't be together, he never thought he would actually lose her completely. Feeling hopeless, Gwaine looked up at Merlin. "What can we do? Merlin, she can't die. We have to do something," he pleaded with the warlock, his voice cracking with despair.
"I think," Merlin started. He cleared his throat and took a calming breath. "I think all we can do is to make her comfortable."
Gwaine nodded but said nothing. He went over to where their packs were piled and took his armor off, leaving on his padded undershirt and tunic. Grabbing his red cloak, Gwaine walked over to Marian and lifted her from the ground. He intended to do as Merlin said; he was going to make her comfortable, even if that meant she died in his arms. Gwaine laid her down next to a tree by the fire. As he sat back against the trunk, Gwaine pulled Marian into his lap, nestling her against his chest, her head under his chin.
Catching on, Merlin picked up Gwaine's cloak and spread it over them, cocooning them both.
There Gwaine held Marian, rubbing her back and arms in the hopes of warming her while he silently wept into her hair. "I love you," he whispered. I'm so sorry. "Please don't leave me, Marian. I love you." I'm sorry.
Once Gwaine had closed his eyes, and his breathing had slowed, Merlin muttered a warming spell. He watched the pair sleep in the firelight, a dying woman, and the brokenhearted knight who loved her.
000
Gwaine awoke slowly. He could feel the warmth of the sun on his face, but he didn't open his eyes. If he just kept them closed, if he didn't look at the woman in his arms, then everything would be alright. If he stayed still and didn't wake, Marian would still be alive. It never occurred to the knight that Marian felt awfully warm for a dead person.
There was a slight movement on his chest as she readjusted her head. Gwaine's eyes shot open, and he looked at her face. The color had returned to her skin and lips, and her chest moved steadily with her breaths. He pulled his hand from under the cloak and cupped her face, feeling the heat of her flesh.
Gwaine barked out a quick laugh, and tears of joy fell down his face. "Marian?" he asked as his rough voice cracked.
Marian drew in a deep breath before she opened her eyes. Concern lit her face as she watched his tears fall. She reached her hand up and stroked his cheek, wiping them away.
"Gwaine? Are you alright?" she asked.
He smiled and nodded. "I thought I'd lost you," he laughed through his tears. He caressed her, still not believing that she was alive.
Marian studied his face as he smiled at her adoringly. She didn't think she'd ever see him look at her like that again. Without thinking, she reached up and kissed him.
He didn't respond at first, knowing that she was adamant that they remain only friends, but when she sat up slightly to deepen the kiss, Gwaine kissed her back.
He held onto her head, his hands in her hair, as he lovingly and longingly kissed the woman he had nearly lost. He was tender and passionate as his mouth moved over hers. There were so many things Gwaine wanted to say, so many I love yous he wanted to give her. Instead, he said everything with his kiss. The red cloak covering them fell to the ground as Gwaine moved his hands down to her back and pulled her closer. He held her tightly, never wanting to let her go.
Marian opened her mouth to him as he deepened their kiss further. She sat up, straddling his lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her fingers ran through his hair, massaging his scalp.
Gwaine grabbed at her hips and thighs and moved her closer, moaning as her weight pressed against him. His fingers found the hem of her tunic and slipped inside. He slid his hands up her waist and to the ties of her corset, quickly pulling them loose. He opened the binding, and his warm hands palmed her breasts, his thumbs running circles around her hardening nipples.
Reaching around behind her, he held onto her backside as she moaned. He pulled her closer to him and pressed her against his groin. He needed to reassure himself that she was alive, that this wasn't a dream. He needed to lose himself in the feeling of her.
She felt his arousal as she settled. Letting go of his hair, she reached between them and untied the laces of his padded shirt before delving her hands beneath it. She pulled at his tunic until her hands found his bare sides. His warm skin was like fire on her cool fingers.
She knew she should break the kiss, but something inside of her wouldn't allow it. Tensions had been high between the two, ever since she had rejected him. She had missed his friendship and was reluctant to let him go. Gwaine was like fire, threatening to burn her if she got too close. In truth, though, she wanted nothing more than to have him consume her very being.
Gwaine moved his lips down to her neck, desperate to taste her skin. He delved beneath the hem of her tunic as he kissed lower and lower. He ran his hands beneath the back of her corset and up her smooth skin, ready to pull the clothing over her head and to the ground.
She rocked against him, pressing herself onto him in slow rhythmic beats. As slow as her hips rocked, her heart beat twice as fast as it should. She wanted this. She wanted him, and by the feel of the bulge in his trousers, he wanted her too.
Gwaine bit down on her collarbone and sucked to soothe the stinging flesh. Marian threw her head back and closed her eyes as she moaned loudly.
"AHEM!"
At Merlin's interruption, they parted quickly, pulling their hands from underneath the other's tunic. Marian fell off Gwaine's lap and onto the ground beside him. They were both red-faced and thoroughly embarrassed at having been caught in an intimate moment. Neither knew how far they would have gone if Merlin hadn't interrupted them.
"Breakfast?" an equally embarrassed Merlin asked as he held up a pair of pheasants.
Gwaine ran his hand through his hair, unable to look either in the eye.
"Um… Marian's alive," he said feebly as he gestured to her.
"Yes," Merlin said, smiling, "I can see that."
Despite the awkwardness, Merlin was pleased to see Marian alive and apparently very well. Grinning, he turned to the fire and began to clean the pheasants, preparing to roast them.
As Marian stood, the bandage she had tied around her knee the day before fell, revealing smooth flesh beneath. She looked down at it and then saw Gwaine staring.
He knew for a fact that her knee had been bleeding the day before. But now her injury was gone. "Marian, your knee… it's—"
"I'll go help Merlin with the pheasants," she interrupted.
Gwaine sat back against the tree, staring at her as she walked away. It seemed that Marian Ragnell had secrets she was unwilling to share.
000
They had finished the pheasant that Merlin had cooked and set out to leave the forest. As they were walking, Gwaine fell back to walk with Marian to talk with her about what had happened earlier. And though he was dreading it, he knew it needed to be done before they returned to the bustle of Camelot.
"Marian, about earlier…" he started.
"I know, Gwaine," she sighed despondently. "It shouldn't have happened. I'm sorry," she finished for him.
Though he was glad that he didn't have to say it, he was sorry that she seemed to regret the kiss.
"When we get back to Camelot," he continued, "I don't think we should be around each other anymore."
Marian's heart dropped. "What are you saying?" she asked.
"I can't be around you," he stated plainly. Though it hurt him to say, it needed to be done if either of them were to ever move on and be happy in their lives.
"You can't be around me? Like ever? Am I supposed to avoid you now?" she asked, her voice cracking.
"It would make things easier," he said.
He couldn't look at her. He knew she was on the verge of tears, and if he saw her anguished look, he wouldn't be able to go through with it.
"So, we aren't to be friends anymore because it would make things easier? Is that what you're saying?"
"Very poorly, apparently, but yes, that's what I'm saying," he sighed. He willed himself to be strong.
Marian hugged her body as they walked. She felt so small. She knew what he was saying was for the best, but it still grieved her to lose everything.
"I don't want to lose your friendship, Gwaine."
"I didn't want to lose my heart, but there we are," he said to her bitterly.
"So, this is all my fault?" she asked.
"I thought that much was obvious."
"Do you think I wanted this? That I deserve this?" she asked, her voice raised slightly.
She couldn't believe what he was saying. Was he trying to make her angry? If she could do all over again, she wouldn't have allowed him to get so attached to her. She wouldn't have broken his heart. She would have saved him the pain that they both felt.
Not wanting to fight, Gwaine tried again. "I love you, Marian, but my heart can't take being broken again and again. Every day when I'm around you, but I can't be with you, it breaks my heart," he admitted.
She hadn't expected that. "I thought…"
"What?" Gwaine asked as he finally looked at her. She looked tired and vulnerable. He instantly regretted the way he had handled the conversation. He should have figured out a kinder way to part from her.
"I thought being friends would be enough," she said sadly.
"My heart wants more. I want you. All of you. Not just your body, but your heart as well," he admitted.
"I see," she said as she avoided his gaze. I love you. "I—I'll make myself scarce around you. I'll leave you alone, Gwaine. I promise," she told him, her heart breaking.
"Thank you," he thanked her and sped up to catch up with Merlin.
"I'm sorry," she whispered to his back.
000
Marian was true to her word, she didn't see Gwaine once they returned to Camelot. She went out of her way to avoid him and the other knights, though her heart ached. She no longer visited the training grounds, leaving her training behind, nor did she go to the tavern with her friends. She kept to herself, only venturing past the physician's chambers to fetch things for Gaius or to deliver medicines.
It was a sunny day a week later when she came face-to-face with the man who held her heart. Gwaine had been trying to break one of the new horses when he was horse-kicked in the face and chest.
Percival helped him up to the castle and to Gaius's chambers. He lowered Gwaine to one of the benches and sat beside him to wait for someone to come in. Gwaine's nose was bleeding all down his chainmail when Marian walked into the room.
Percival stood quickly. He knew that there had been some sort of rift between his fellow knight and the healer, but he wasn't sure what had caused it. He missed his friend and her counsel. Seeing an opportunity for them to be alone and hoping they'd work things out, Percival headed toward the door.
"I need to go see if I can get that mare to cooperate. You okay here, Gwaine?" he asked.
Sensing what his friend was trying to do, but not able to call him out on it without hurting Marian's pride, he merely nodded.
"Gaius and Merlin are out in the lower town. I'm sorry, Sir Gwaine, but you're stuck with me today," Marian said dejectedly.
Gwaine took a good look at her. He hadn't seen her in over a week. She wasn't wearing her hair in a braid, which he guessed was because of the shortened length. Instead, it hung loosely, wild and free, ragged and uneven. She was paler than usual, and she had dark circles under her eyes, which were usually bright green, but today were dull. She wasn't holding her head up, and her shoulders were a little bit hunched.
Usually put together while she worked, the woman before him instead looked ill. Gwaine guessed that she was probably depressed, and his heart filled with guilt as he took in her sorry state. "It's fine," he said softly.
Marian brought a cloth over and gave it to him to hold on his nose. "Tilt your head back until the bleeding stops," she instructed.
She walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a salve. "Just by the looks of it, your nose is probably broken," she said to him. "This should help reduce the swelling, though you're going to have a black eye."
"I've had my fair share," Gwaine replied.
Marian chuckled softly as she dipped her fingers into the jar and spread the salve around the ridge of his nose. "I bet," she said.
The medicine felt good as she rubbed it into his skin. She cleaned and treated the other cuts around his face, noting the horseshoe shape.
Once his nose stopped bleeding, Gwaine tilted his head curiously at her. "Are you having nightmares again?" he asked.
Marian looked up sharply. "Why would you ask that?"
"You look tired," Gwaine stated. He watched her as she avoided eye contact with him.
"Thanks a lot," she replied. "You sure know how to compliment a lady."
"Marian…"
"Gwaine, did you get in a tavern brawl with a horse or something?" she tried to change the subject.
"No," he sighed. "I was trying to break in that new mare."
"The black one with the long mane?" Marian asked. She didn't know much about horses, but she really liked the look of the new mare. It looked like a horse from a fairytale.
"That's the one. It seems I just don't have any luck with feisty females," he joked.
Marian's face fell, and she was unable to even fake a laugh. She knew full well that he meant her. "Anything else hurt?" she asked instead.
Gwaine cleared his throat, aware he had made her feel awkward. "Just my side. She got me in the chest, too."
"Alright, then. I'll need to take a look. Unless you want to wait?" she asked timidly.
"No, it's fine, Marian. I promise," Gwaine said as he tried to stand, but nearly collapsed with the effort. He sat back onto the bench hard.
Marian stood in front of him. "I'm going to help you up. We'll need to get this off if I'm to examine you," she said, with no room for argument. She placed her right arm under his at the shoulder. "I'm going to lift you, but you need to push off of the table with your other arm."
Gwaine did as she said, and soon she had him standing in front of her. He placed his hands on her shoulders as he wobbled unsteadily, and watched her closely as she reached down, unbuckling his belt and laying it on the bench beside them. Next, she pulled the heavy chainmail up to Gwaine's shoulders.
She shook her head at him when he tried to lift his arms. "Wait, I'll do it. You'll just make yourself dizzy," she instructed him. She pulled the chainmail over his head and then down his arms, dropping it to the bench. Marian caught Gwaine as he stumbled forward, and once he was righted, she began to untie his padded shirt.
Gwaine watched her small hands make quick work of the laces and was reminded of their passionate embrace the week before. If he hadn't been hurting so much, he would have made some smart remark about being undressed by a beautiful woman.
Once Marian slid his shirt and tunic off, she examined his torso. Her cold fingers pressed lightly until she found his tender ribs.
"Ow!" he winced.
"You have a few broken ribs," she announced as she turned and walked to another cabinet behind her. She was tempted to heal his injuries, but stopped herself, reminded that she shouldn't tell him of her magic.
Gwaine watched her as she pulled out bandages and smiled softly at her when she walked back to him. Despite their arguments, she was really good at taking care of him.
"I'll bind you, and then I want you to rest for the remainder of the day. Understand?"
He nodded, afraid of saying more than he ought. Marian was having an intoxicating effect on him. He couldn't be near her without having the urge to reach out to her and kiss her. He smelled the floral scent of her soap as she reached around behind him to wrap the bandages tightly. Her soft, honey hair tickled his skin. He reached out and fingered a lock of her hair while she worked.
"Marian…" he started, breathlessly.
Marian finished tying the bandage and backed away from him. "I'll help you back to your chamber," she offered quickly. She, too, was close to giving in. She helped Gwaine with his tunic, pulling it down over his head. Grabbing his padded shirt, belt, and chainmail, Marian went to his side and pulled his arm over her shoulders to bear some of his weight. She was surprised that he was letting her help him.
They walked silently back to his chamber, and once inside, she led him to the bed, dropping his armor on the way. Gwaine sat heavily on the bed and swayed a little. When Marian lifted his tunic and pulled it off him, Gwaine caught her hand in his.
"Marian, please. I need you," he begged. He looked up at her pitifully. "Please," he whispered as he caressed her hand. "Let me love you."
Marian smiled sadly at him. I need you, too. Gwaine was kicked in the head, so he didn't know what he was asking. If he had been himself, she thought he probably wouldn't have even let her tend to his injuries, let alone admit that he still needed her. She gently pushed him back on the bed and to his pillow. Pulling his boots from his feet, she then covered him with his blanket.
"Rest," she said as she bent low and placed a lingering kiss on his brow.
As she walked to the door, she turned back to look at him.
"Merlin or Gaius will be by later to check on you," she told him. She wouldn't give in.
"Marian…"
I love you. "Goodbye, Gwaine."
"Goodbye, beautiful."
000
Author's Note:
Spells (a rough translation from the Merlin Wiki at merlin dot fandom dot com):
Ic pe purhhaele pinu licsar mid pam sundorcraeft paere ealdan ae! - I heal you thoroughly from your mortal wound with those special powers that are ancient! Oh!
Purhhaele dolgbenn! - Heal thoroughly the wound!
Drycræft durhhæle dina wunda on de geedstadolie! - Magic heals thoroughly your wounds and strengthens you!
