Now I am sure some may notice that the characters feel familiar, and there is a reason for that. I took down my previous story of Merlin's Bodyguard because I was no longer happy with is at all. And I have been working out the best way to still do this story. I can not promise updates often, but I have been working on a few strories all at once, and it seems to be working. Hopefully it lives up to the memory of the previous story.
I limp slowly through the woods. Hopefully I have managed to lose the hunting party by now. To think they would just shoot me so easily! I shift, and cover my scream with a gentle hand. I need help!My mind drifts to a nearby physician I have heard great things about. I pull my cloak tighter around me, and make my way closer to the big town of Camelot.
The guards are paranoid about my approach, but they let me pass unmolested. Thank goodness, because I doubt I have the strength left to fight them off. I pause briefly to lean against a wall and catch my breath. When I push off, I accidentally bump into someone, and pass out from the pain.
Pov change
Merlin's first reaction as the cloaked figure is to naturally catch them as they fall to the ground. The hood on the cloak falls off to expose the most beautiful woman he has ever had the pleasure of looking upon. Though right now her skin is stark white, and clammy. He pulls his hand away from her side to see that it is coated in blood. He carefully picks her up in his arms, and carries her quickly to Gaius. Hopefully it is nt too late to save her from death's door.
"Gaius!" he calls out in a panic as he pushes the door open.
"Merlin! What happened!?" he asks, as he hurries to clear a space for the unknown woman.
"She bumped into me while I was on my way to the prince's chambers and passed out. She has a bad wound on her side, that is bleeding profusely," Merlin tell the physician, and stands back so that he is not in the way. Gaius flits about gathering this or that, and working so quickly it marvels Merlin. How can one of such advanced age still move so fast? After several long minutes, he sits down and wipes the blood from his hands.
"She will be fine, whoever she is. Her wound was not nearly as bad as it looked. Just enough that her long walk here, caused her to lose more blood then she needed to," Gaius says with a satisfied huff.
Just then the door bursts open again and Prince Arthur storms in, mouth open to yell at Merlin for being late. Then he sees the woman unconscious on the table. He hurries to her side, and lightly touches her face. Merlin can tell he feels as drawn to her as he himself did at first. "I know I am late sire, but I needed to get her here as fast as possible. She had passed out in the courtyard," Merlin explains.
"I understand Merlin, you did the right thing," the prince says. It is easy to tell that he is completely distracted though.
"Do you know who she is, or why she came here?" he asks, looking up at Gaius and Merlin.
"No sire, she passed out before being able to say anything," Merlin says quickly. He feels a little jealous, about the fact Arthur may very well end up being in a relationship with her. Though he does not know why that makes him feel jealous? Perhaps because he found her first? She stirs a little, and Merlin feels powerful magic build in the room. Oh no! This can not be a good thing! He shares a meaningful look with Gaius.
"I must go, father is waiting for me. Merlin stay here, and help Gaius. When she wakes I want you to come get me," Arthur says, before reluctantly leaving. Just as the door closes behind the prince a few bottles start to float and spin around the room.
"Merlin, we must make her stop before smeone else decides to barge in unannounced," Gaius says.
Merlin hurries up to the woman, and places a hand on hers. He feels a surge of magic slam into him and send him flying across the room, where he collapses in a heap. Everything hurt for him. He couldn't breath let alone move. On the bright side though the magic had disappeared from the room entirely. Gaius helps him up, and bacl over to the bench to have a seat. "What the heck was that Gaius?" Merlin asks.
"I am not sure, but your eyes are glowing gold right now," he says in a worried tone of voice. Merlin blinks several times and even rubs his eyes, but they remain lit from the inside. Thankfully though after several hours they go back to normal, just in time for the woman to groan, and Arthur to come in.
"You are awake!" he says happily.
"Sire, do not crowd the poor girl. We do not know what she has been through," Gaius reprimands the prince in a way very few others would dare to. Prince Arthur listens to the wise physician. He stays at the the womans feet so as not to crowd her space. Gaius helps her slowly sit up, and holds a goblet of water to her lips so she can drink.
"Gaius?" she asks in a hoarse voice.
"Yes, that is me. I take it you were trying to get here before passing out huh?" he guesses.
"Yes, I was in the woods, and was unaware of a nearby hunting party. They shot me accidentally," she says, and Arthurs face morphs into one of pure rage.
"Please miss, will you tell me where this happened?" he says and her attention leaves Gaius for the first time.
"It will do you no good, prince Arthur for they were not from your kingdom. They were from Cenrid's domain," she says with wide eyes. Is she perhaps not used to being around royalty? How would she be able to recognize the Prince then?
"That does pose a problem. May I ask where you are staying for the time being?" he asks. He reaches for her hand, and she pulls closer to Gaius. The Prince doesn't seem to notice.
"I have no home Sire. I am a hunter myself, and travel from village to village selling my wares," she tells him, and I can detect no lie.
"Perhaps for the time being you would consent to stay here in the castle till you are fully healed?" he offers. She seems about to decline when Gaius speaks up.
"it would make it easier for me to care for you until you are healed," he says in his warm grandfatherly voice.
"Very well, but please do not let me put anybody out," she says.
"Will you join me in the hall for the evening meal?" Arthur asks hopefully.
"Sire, I am afraid she can not walk that far right now," Gaius says firmly.
"Very well, perhaps when you have had a chance to heal," the Prince says with an understanding look towards Gaius, before bowing to the girl and leaving. Though he seems to remember something before closing the door because he opens it again quickly to look towards me. "And Merlin, I expect you to make certain she has everything she could possibly need," he says before closing the door firmly, and I turn back towards the girl and Gaius only to be trapped in a pair of Frost covered green leaf eyes. How can such a warm color appear cold?
"What have you done?" she asks me angrily, and I stumble away from her in confusion.
"I am not sure what you mean," I tell her.
"Why have you tied me so?" I share a confused look with Gaius, before she flings her arm towards me and I slam into the wall again. No doubt I am going to have bruises on my back at this point.
"I have done nothing to you, I swear it!" I shout back at her, and she seems to pause at this.
"What happened while I slept?" she asks.
"Your magic was acting out, and Gaius told me to try and stop it before you got caught and executed. All I did was grab your hand, and was flung backward to slam into the wall. Similar to what you just demenstrated," I tell her, and I see a softness around her eyes.
"I apologize then, and thank you for saving my life. However what actually happened, was my magic binding us together for the rest of our lives," she says with a sad note in her voice, and my heart goes out to her.
"What exactly does that mean?" Gaius asks her.
"It means that if one of us dies, so too does the other," she tell him.
"It was not safe to come here, so what made you walk so far to seek me out?" he asks her.
"You were once very close friends with my mother. Wolf Queen of the Black clan," she says.
"You are her daughter!?" he asks her sharply.
"Yes, though she has disowned me many years ago," she says with a shrug of her shoulder and a wince.
"Why as she done such a thing?" he ask her seriously.
"Because she believes me unable to change which makes me weak in her eyes," she explains to us.
"But you can change. Your outburst of magic before proves as much," he tries to reason.
"I lead her to believe otherwise, because I did not like the husband she picked out for me," she says wrapping one slender arm around her stomach.
"I understand. It is a common thing to run from an arranged marriage," he says with a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Perhaps she shoudl lie down now though, she is getting very tired with all this talking," I speak up and for a moment wonder how in the world do I even know that.
"Perhaps then you should go prepare a room for her," Gaius says without question.
"Why not put her back there?" I ask.
"Do you really think Arthur would approve of that?" he points out, and I just nod my head at his point. I hurry to get a room nearby ready, so that if there are any issues either I or Giaus can get to her quickly. Once that is done, I head back to collect her. She is fast asleep on Gaius's cot, and he just shrugs at me.
"Better be careful as you move her, or she may kill you," he says with a teasing glint in his eye.
"Why do you say that?" I ask him.
"Because her kind is known for their violence," he says with a laugh. I shake it off for now, and carefully lift her up, and carry her to her new room. She doesn't wake up at all, and I make sure she is tucked in comfortably before heading back to the room I share with Gaius.