In a land of myth and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young girl. Her name: Merlynn.
-0-
Merlynn, Will and Gaius were standing over the body. Will was Merlynn's dog that she had turned from stone, it had taken a lot of begging and pleading on Merlynn's part to get Gaius to agree, but he had relented... eventually. She had named it after the friend she missed dearly back in Ealdor. Will wasn't all that interested in the body and was contenting himself in sniffing the ground around them.
"Aren't you scared?" Merlynn asked as Gaius leaned over the dead body that was in the street. The deceased man was lying on his front.
"Of what?" Gaius asked distracted.
Merlynn's face twisted into a dubious expression. "That you might catch whatever it is." She clarified.
Gaius shook his head fondly at her. "I'm the court physician, Merlin. This is part of my job. Most of the time there's nothing really to be scared of."
He turned over the corpse to reveal a white skinned, white eyed face that had blue veins streaking across it.
Merlynn looked at Gaius with a raised eyebrow. "You were saying?"
Gaius glanced around worriedly. "People mustn't see this. They will panic." He quickly got Merlynn to aid him in lifting the body onto the cart that they had brought ready. They made sure that it was covered up before making their way to the castle, with Will trotting along side them. He was a very good dog.
"What are you doing?" Gwen's voice asked surprising Merlynn and her uncle. Will ran up to her and was letting out small barks at her hoping for some affection, which he got, as Gwen knelt down and began to pet him. Merlynn was quick to put herself in between the body and Gwen.
"Er... just moving something." Merlynn said nonchalantly.
"Looks heavy." Gwen commented.
"Erm, it's nothing really." Merlynn assured her. She then glanced down at Gwen's arms to see they were filled with flowers. "Erm... did someone got you flowers?" Merlynn asked, raising an eyebrow suggestively. This successfully distracted her friend.
Gwen looked down and blushed and giggled. "Oh! No. Would you like one?" Gwen piccked a small one and handed it to her friend. "A purple one. Purple suits you. Not that I'm saying red doesn't suit you." She clarified noticing Merlynn's red tunic.
Merlynn smiled at Gwen, she really was to precious for this world. "Thanks. Well, er..." Merlynn looked for somewhere to put it, before deciding to tuck it behind her ear which makes Gwen smile. "Er... see you." Merlynn waved as she, Gaius and Will left.
-0-
"I've never seen anything like this before." Gaius commented as he examined the body. Merlynn was listening to his observations as Will lounged on a blanket in the corner content in chewing his bone.
"Do you think it could be some kind of plague?" Merlynn asked worried.
"No." The answer comforted her a bit, but then he continued, which only unnerved her again. "I fear that something like this could never come from nature. But who has this kind of power?"
"You think it's caused by magic?" Merlynn said shocked. Before Gaius could answer they heard a large shout in the corridor.
"Merlin!" Arthur's voice cut through the air. Merlynn opened the door before Arthur could come in and see the body.
"Erm... I'm on my way." She assured him. "Sorry I'm late."
Arthur gave her a less then pleased look, "Don't worry. I'm getting used to it." He told her. He furrows his brow when he sees the flower behind Merlynn's ear, an unpleasant stirring in his stomach. "Has someone been giving you flowers?" He asked.
Merlynn looked confused before her eyes widened in realisation, her hand darting to behind her ear and plucking the flower. "Oh, no er... Gwen, she gave it to me."
Arthur's stance and face seemed to soften at the news. "Tell Gaius my father wants to see him now." He ordered before walking away.
"Okay." Merlynn nodded to herself closing the door. She turned to her uncle. "Gaius..." She began, but her uncle interrupted her.
"I heard." He told her.
"Wait, why couldn't he just tell you himself?" She moaned to herself.
"Because that's the way it is. You're a servant." He told her, gathering his things to see the king.
Merlynn scoffed to herself. "Wha... if he knew who I was, what I've done..." But again Gaius interrupted her.
"You'd be a dead servant." He told her. "Right, get this covered up." He gestured to the body.
"Hey, I'm not your servant." She scolded him teasingly.
Gaius looked at her with a smirk, "No, you're my dogsbody." He then left to see the King while Merlynn stayed to clear up the body.
-0-
Upon Gaius' return Merlynn was informed that she didn't need to look after Arthur until they had sorted out this contagion. But Merlynn was struggling with seeing all of these people suffering. When they were both walking through the town, having gone out to buy some more supplies, they came across a man who had the marks on his face but, unlike the other times this man was still breathing.
"Gaius? Gaius. He's still alive." Merlynn called out making her way to the man. But Gaius grabbed her arm stopping her.
"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do for him." He said trying to pull her along. But she resisted.
"But we haven't tried." She argued.
Gaius gave her a stern look. "If we don't know what a disease is, then how can we cure him?"
"With magic." Merlynn stated obviously.
Gaius shushed her before gesturing over her shoulder, making her turn and look at the large amount of guards. "Have a look. They're suspicious of everyone. This is not the time to be using magic. Science will lead us to the source of the disease."
He tried to pull her away again, but she wrenched her arm out of his hand and went to sit by the dying man. She gently took his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. He blindly looked up at her. She whispered a small spell under her breath and ever so slowly, he started to slip into a peaceful and painless sleep that allowed him to pass on to the next world easily. Merlynn looked up at Gaius who was looking down at her with a puzzled expression.
"Just because we couldn't cure him, doesn't mean we couldn't help him." She told her uncle.
-0-
Merlynn was sat on the floor stroking Will back in her and Gaius' chambers. Will could sense that his mistress was upset, being made from magic, he was considerably smarter then other dogs, understanding commands and such, he didn't need to be trained.
"What are you doing?" Merlynn asked seeing Gaius holding up a glass beaker full of a strange white liquid.
"I'm examining the contents of that man's stomach." He informed her as he held the beaker over a flame.
"Will that tell you who did it?" She asked curiously.
Gaius shook his head at her. "No, but it might tell us how it's spread. One thing I do know, this is magic of the darkest kind."
Merlynn looked down at Will, "Why would someone use magic like that?" She whispered.
Gaius looked down at her. There was something about the way she said it that made her seem like a child. So vulnerable. He looked down at her gently. "Magic corrupts. People use it for their own ends."
"But not all magic is bad. I know it isn't." She argued.
"It's neither good nor bad. It's how you use it." Gaius told her softly. Will let out a little bark suddenly and ran up into her room. Before she got the chance to question his odd actions, their door burst open and Arthur and lots of guards strode in.
Arthur starts pointing at random places giving out instructions to his men. He then turned to Gaius. "Sorry Gaius, we're searching every room in town." He informed her uncle.
"What for?" Gaius demanded.
"The sorcerer." Arthur informed him. This made Merlynn's blood turn to ice.
"But why would he be here?" Gaius asked, as if the notion was the most absurd he had ever heard.
"I'm just doing my job." Arthur defended himself.
"We've nothing to hide. Go on, then. Search." Gaius told him.
"What's all these books and papers?" Arthur asked picking up a pile of books that had been left on the table.
Gaius looked at him with a small smirk. "My life's work, dedicated to the understanding of science. You are quite welcome to read through them if you wish."
Arthur quickly down the books as if they had burnt him with a look that made Merlynn hide a laugh. "What's this room up here?" He asked pointing towards her door.
"Er, it's mine." She told him running up to his side.
"And what do you expect to find in there?" Gaius demanded. He was reminding Merlynn of a mother bear, defending her young.
Arthur rolled his eyes. "I'm looking for material or evidence suggesting the use of enchantments."
As Arthur walked into her room Gaius leaned in close and whispered to her, "What've you done with the magic book I gave you?"
Merlynn quickly thought and remembered that she had left it out the night before. Alarm quickly rose in her. It increased when she heard Arthur's voice from her room.
"Merlin, come here. Look what I found." She quickly exchanged a worried look with Gaius before rushing into her room, but was surprised to see that Arthur hadn't seen her book, but was in fact looking at her cupboard on the wall.
"I found a place where you can put things. It's called a cupboard." He told her sarcastically.
"Well I have to share my room so it isn't all my fault." She told him distractedly as she glanced around looking for her book, she smiled when she spotted where it was.
"Who do you share a room with?" Arthur asked alarm, but then he turned to her she just gestured towards the side of her bed, where Will was lying comfortably on top of her book. He really was smart.
"When did you get a dog?" He asked her.
"Oh, it's recent." She said. Arthur tried to approach the side of the bed to search but Will growled at him. He tried again but Will once again growled. Will then let out a bark and Arthur jumped back.
"You are not scared on him are you?" Merlynn asked Arthur teasingly. The prince turned to her with a glare.
"Don't be an idiot Merlynn." He snarled at her, but then he promptly exited the room making Merlynn laugh.
"How long do you think it may be before you find a cure?" Arthur asked Gaius.
"It depends on how many interruptions I get." Gaius said giving his a suggestive look.
Arthur looked down shamefully, "Of course, I'm sorry." He the turned to the guards. "We're finished here."
They leave and Gaius closes the door behind them.
"We have to hide that book." He told her.
Merlynn smiled at him. "I don't think we need to worry about that." He looked at her confused. But at that moment Will trotted out from her room to her side. He looked up at her with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. She knelt down next to him and gave his a good scratch. "You really are a good dog." She told him. Gaius smiled down at the both of them fondly.
She sent him a smirk, "Told you it was a good idea to keep the dog."
-0-
Gaius was looking down at the newest victim with Merlynn.
"What's different about this victim?" He asked her.
"Er... she's a woman." Merlynn observed.
Gaius looked at her in exasperation. "Sometimes I do wonder whether you're a magical talents were given to the right person. Anything else?"
Merlynn rolled her eyes and tried again. "Erm... she's a courtier." She noticed.
Gaius perked up a little. "Ah." He encouraged.
"How does that help us?" Merlynn asked?
"Courtiers seldom go down to the lower town. So what does that mean?" He asked her.
"Erm... that, that she hasn't spoken to any townspeople." She tried.
Gaius almost looked like he was pained, from her answer. "Yes, it suggests that the disease is not spread by contact." He explained to her.
"Oh, and they probably ate different food." She said confidently.
Gaius nodded at her. "Good. Anything else?"
Merlynn looked down at the woman again. "Erm... I doubt they breathe the same air." She summarised.
Gaius smiled pointing at her, with his spectacles. "So what's the only thing they do share?"
'Water. Water?" She said hesitantly. Gaius nodded enthusiastically. "You think the disease is spread through water?" She clarified.
Gaius looked at her proudly. "Merlin, you're a prodigy." He turned and handed her a bucket.
Merlynn walks to Lower Town well and is filling it up when she see's Gwen run past her looking very upset.
"Gwen? Gwen!" Merlynn called as she ran after her, making sure to grab the bucket.
"My father! Please, Gaius, he's all I have." Merlynn hears Gwen cry as she reaches the door.
Gaius shook his head pitifully at the girl. "Gwen, I have no cure." He told her sadly.
"I am begging you!" Gwen begged as she continued crying.
"I wish there was something, anything, but so far the remedy is beyond what I can achieve." Gaius told her. He gently takes her hand. "I'm sorry, Gwen." He told her sincerely.
Gwen ran out of the room, sobbing all of the way.
"There must be something we can do." Merlynn pleaded with her uncle. Gwen was her closest friend here in Camelot, there had to be something that they could do to help her.
Gaius shook his head at her. "My best. Let's hope that this can provide some answers." He said indicating the water she had collected.
"But that'll be too late for Gwen's father." Merlynn said despairingly.
"I fear you may be right." Gaius told her sadly.
Gaius puts some of the water in a jar, and places a flower in it. Merlynn just goes to her room, where she sits with Will, deciding what to do.
-0-
Later on Merlynn sneaks out of her room and makes sure to check on a snoring Gaius as she does. She makes her way out of the castle and into the lower town, managing to pass the guards undetected. She heads straight to Gwen's house, where she see's her friend curled up on the floor by her dying father. She quietly enters the room placing a poultice under Tom's pillow.
"þu fornimst adl fram guman." She whispers the spell and the poultice glows. Merlynn watches with a smile as the sickness leaves Tom's body. She watches them outside the door as Tom wakes and touches Guinevere's head, which is resting on his bedside.
"Father?" Gwen asks in shock at seeing her father without the markings on her face.
The man smiled at his daughter. "Gwen." He breaths.
Gwen's face lit up in a bright smile, and her eyes fill with tears, as she embraces him. "What's happened? I can't believe it!"
Merlynn leaves letting the father and daughter have their moment.
-0-
The next morning Merlynn is passing Morgana's chambers when she spots Gwen. She leans through the doorway with her usual dopey grin.
"How's your father? Is he feeling better?" Merlynn asked her.
Gwen looked up at her with a smile, "Yeah, it's incredible. It's a miracle."
"His skin's clear, back to normal?" Merlynn checked. She had never done that spell before.
Gwen nodded. a serene smile on her face. "Yes."
Merlynn sent her a blinding smile. "Great!" She turned to leave but Gwen's voice stopped her.
"You don't seem surprised."
"No, no, I am. It's a miracle." Merlynn tried to look surprised but was failing.
"But how did you know he was well?" Gwen asked confused.
"Er... because you're smiling." Merlynn tried.
"That's really weird because I haven't told anyone, but you know. How could you know?" Gwen asked looking at her friend suspiciously.
"Yeah. Alright. You finally found out, I'll tell you." She swallowed, as if anxious. "I'm psychic."
Gwen giggled. "No, you're not."
"It's true." She insisted laughing at her friend.
"Alright, what am I thinking?" Gwen asked her.
Merlynn was quiet for a moment as if listening. "That I'm not psychic." This made Gwen laugh again.
"You're strange." Merlynn pulled a face. "I... I don't mean that in a nasty way. You're just funny. I like that." Gwen clarified.
"I'm pleased for you." Merlynn said to Gwen. She turned to leave but Gwen's voice stopped her again.
"Thank you."
Merlynn looked at her in confusion. "What for?"
Gwen shrugged. "Don't know, just for asking."
Merlynn gave her a gentle smile. "I didn't like to see you upset. I have to...get on." Merlynn leaves to continue her duties leaving a smiling Gwen behind her.
-0-
Later Merlynn was walking through the corridor when she hears yelling. When she investigates she is shocked to see that Gwen is being pulled away by two guards with Arthur following behind.
"No, please. You've got to listen to me! Please, I haven't done anything wrong! You have to listen to me, please! I am innocent, I swear! Let me go! I swear to you!" Gwen was crying out. Merlynn starts walking forward following them.
Gwen turned her head and saw Merlynn approaching her. "Merlin! Merlin, please help me!" She then turned to the guards. "Why won't you listen to me?!"
Gaius appears and takes Merlynn's arm, pulling her away. She hears Gwen call out one more time before she is out of her earshot. Her and Gaius enter their chambers.
"What have you done?!" Her uncle demanded rounding on her.
"What?" Merlynn asked innocently.
Gaius looked outraged. "I warned you! Oh, I understand. You thought you were doing good."
"I couldn't let her father die knowing I could cure him." She told him.
"Didn't you think it might look a bit suspicious, the curing of one man?" He asked her like she was a fool.
"Well then, all I have to do is... I'll cure everyone! No one will ever have to know it was magic." Merlynn declared looking at Gaius desperately.
"It's too late! They think Gwen's a sorceress! They think she caused the disease!" Gaius exclaimed to her.
"But she didn't!" Merlynn cried. She rushed to leave, but Gaius stopped her.
"Oh, and how are you going to prove that?!" He asked her doubtfully.
Merlynn stops to think, but then leaves.
-0-
Merlynn arrived at the courtroom just in time to see Gwen being dragged away by the guards. This was her fault. She walked numbly back to her chambers where Gaius was waiting.
"I thought I was doing good and that curing Gwen's father would help her. I thought I was saving a life. It seemed so simple." She told him sadly.
Gaius rested a hand on her shoulder. "An easy solution is like a light in a storm, Merlin. Rush for it at your peril, for it may not always lead you to a safe harbour."
"I can see that now." Merlynn told him.
"How many times have I warned you about the responsibilities of being a witch?" Gaius asked her.
"I must see her." Merlynn declared standing up and heading to the door. When she reaches the cells, she see's her friend sat on the floor, face covered in tears.
"Gwen." She calls out to her. Gwen tries to get to the cell door, but her chains don't stretch that far.
"Thank you." Gwen tells her.
Merlynn was confused. "What for?" She asked.
Gwen gave her a little smile. "For coming to see me."
As a result a tear slid down her cheek. "I'm sorry." She tells her friend brokenly.
"It's not your fault." Gwen assured her. Merlynn just stayed silent.
"It's alright." Gwen told her. "Don't worry about me. There's no point crying about it. I mean...I mean, I'm not saying that you were going to cry about me. Obviously I don't think that."
"Oh, Gwen. I can't have this happen." Merlynn said to herself.
"Please, one thing. You, you don't have to, but..." Gwen trailed off.
"What?" Merlynn asked. She knew in that moment she would do anything for her.
Gwen looked up at her, "Remember me." She requested.
Merlynn's heart broke. "You're not going to die." She told her. "I'm not going to let this happen." She knew what she had to do.
-0-
"It was me!" Merlynn declares as she burst through the doors to the courtroom, surprising the council who all sat around the table. "It was me who used magic to cure Gwen's father!"
The Council members all stared at her in surprise and shock.
"Gwen is not the sorcerer. I am!" She continued.
Gaius stood up a look of anger on his old face. "Merlynn! Are you mad?" He cried.
Merlynn gave him a serious look. "I cannot let her die for me." She turned to Uther. "I place myself at your mercy." She held her hands out, ready to be restrained.
"She doesn't know what she's talking about." Gaius tried to defend her.
"I do." Merlynn declared.
"Then arrest her." Uther ordered the guards who came forward and grabbed both of her arms.
Arthur stood up alarmed. "Father, please! I can't allow this! This is madness! There's no way Merlynn is a sorcerer." It was safe to say that Merlynn was offended at Arthur's disbelief.
Uther looked doubtfully at his son. "Did you not hear her?"
"Yes." He admitted.
"She admitted it." Uther told his son.
"She saved my life, remember." Arthur argued on her behalf.
"Why should she fabricate such a story?" Uther asked.
Arthur glanced at Gaius, an idea appeared in his mind. "As Gaius said, she's got a... grave mental disease."
"Really?" Uther asked doubtfully.
"She's loyal to a fault and Gwen is her friend of course she will try and help her." Arthur said.
"What?" Merlynn said in surprise.
"They are both servants here, they have obviously bonded." Arthur told his father.
Uther grins.
"This is ridiculous." Merlynn mutters to herself.
"I saw you yesterday with that flower she'd given you." Arthur smiled walking towards Merlynn.
"Your an idiot." She hissed at him under her breath as Arthur puts his arm around her.
"It's alright. You can admit it." He told her.
"Yeah she is my friend but-" The king cut her off.
"Perhaps she cast a spell on you." The king states. This causes Merlynn and Arthur to look at him worriedly, but Uther just snickers. Other council members join him, and Arthur smiles in relief.
"Merlynn is a wonder, but the wonder is that she's such an idiot. There's no way she's a sorcerer." Arthur tells his father.
Uther gave them a smile. "Don't waste my time again. Let her go." Arthur pushed her out of the courtroom and pulled her down the corridor. He soon rounded on her and boy did he look angry.
"What on earth was that?!" He demanded.
"I was doing what I felt was right." She told him.
"By offering your head instead of hers?! You idiot, he would have been more likely to execute you both!" He told her.
"Damn the consequences!" She yelled at him. Her eyes were filled with tears. "Now because of you my friend is gonna die! Forgive me if I don't stand back and watch!" The tears leaked from her eyes. On instinct Arthur reached up to brush them away. But Merlynn swatted his hand away and rushed to her chambers, leaving Arthur standing there alone in the corridor.
-0-
"Arthur's the idiot." Merlynn said as she entered her chambers.
"No. He was right to do what he did. And, thankfully, he saved you from your own stupidity." Gaius told her.
"What else could I do?" She asked him desperately." Her tears had stopped, and now she was pissed off. "It's my fault Gwen's going to die."
Gaius nodded his head at her. "Yes, but you don't prove her innocence by offering to jump into the flames. You do it by finding out what's causing the disease!"
"Well, whatever it is, one thing's for sure: Arthur isn't going to find it." She told her uncle. "He thinks he is so sharp! But even when I told him I was a witch, he still couldn't see it."
"Sometimes they're pretty hard to spot." Gaius commented distractedly, he was looking for something.
"Well, maybe I should go around wearing a pointy hat." She quipped sarcastically.
Gaius looked at her, and threw her jacket at her. "I don't think you'll find one big enough. Anyway, forget that. If we're going to save Gwen, we have to find out what's contaminating the water." He instructed and they both left for the water cavern.
Gaius and Merlynn head to the underground entrance to the water supply.
"The water from here supplies the whole town. Take a sample." Gaius instructed her. She did as asked, putting the bottle in the water, letting it fill up before removing it.
"Let's take it back and examine it." Gaius told her. The minute they turned their backs they heard a large splash and a roar, and turned back just in time to see the strange brown creature sink back into the water.
"What the hell was that?" Merlynn cried out in shock.
Gaius takes Merlynn's arm and they hurry out of the cavern back to their chambers where they begin to look through many of Gaius's books. Finally Merlynn exclaimed when she spotted it.
"Here. It was an Afanc." He told her.
"An...a what?" She asked him confused.
Gaius read her the information written. "A beast born of clay, and conjured up only by the most powerful sorcerer. Now we have to find a way to defeat it. But where?"
He glanced up at the shelves of books that covered the wall.
Merlynn looked at him in disbelief. "That could take days. Gwen'll be dead by then." She told him.
Gaius looked at her skeptically. "Have you got a better idea?" He asked her.
-0-
Merlynn sees the pyre being built in the Square on her way to the dungeons. She sees Gwen lying on the cell floor.
"Gwen?" Merlynn called out to her. "I'm going to get you out. I will." Merlynn promised her. But quickly leaves she needed to see the Dragon.
-0-
"Hello?" She called out as she entered the cave.
"Hello." The dragon called as it flew down and landed on the rock in front of her. "The great witch, returns, as I knew she would."
"I need to know how to defeat an Afanc." She told him.
The dragon smirked at her. "Yes, I suppose you do."
"Will you help me?" The witch asked him.
In answer the Dragon said. "Trust the elements that are at your command."
Merlynn looked up at him confused. "Elements? But what is it I have to do?"
"You cannot do this alone. You are but one side of a coin. Arthur is the other."
"I, I don't understand. Just tell me what it is I have to do." Merlynn begged him, she couldn't afford to do the wrong thing with Gwen's life hanging in the balance.
But the dragon just flew off.
"No! Please, help me!" Merlynn begged him.
"I have." The dragon laughed as he flew off.
"Oh, yeah, right. Thanks." Merlynn muttered sarcastically. Why did he always have to speak in riddles?
-0-
"Merlynn, what are you doing?" Gaius asked her when he found her looking through his books.
"Looking for a book." She muttered distracted as she continued to search.
"You going to tell me which one?" Her uncle asked.
Merlynn looked up at him. "A book on elements." She told him.
"Elements?" He asked her.
Merlynn nodded at him. "Yes. Which one would I find them in?"
"Well, most of them. The study of base elements is at the very heart of the scientific process." He informed her.
"But how would they help me kill the Afanc?" She asked him confused.
Gaius thought for a second. "Well, the Afanc is a creature made from earth and water. That's two of the four base elements."
"What about the other two?" She prodded him.
"Well, perhaps they will destroy it. You want fire. Wind and fire. How did you find this out?" He looked at her suspiciously.
"Erm... I just knew, you know? One of my powers." She told him innocently.
Gaius looked at her skeptically. "What else do your powers tell you?"
"That I am only one side of a coin. The brighter side, obviously." She told him.
"And who's the other side?" Gaius asked.
"I think that might be Arthur." She said hesitantly.
Suddenly Morgana burst in walking determinedly towards them.
"They're bringing forward the execution. We have to prove Gwen's innocence." She told them.
"We're trying." Gaius assured her.
"Please, just tell me what I can do to help." Morgana ordered them.
"We need Arthur." Merlynn told her.
"Arthur?" Morgana questioned.
Merlynn quickly informed her of the facts. "There's a monster, an Afanc, in the water supply. That's what's causing the plague."
"Well, we must tell Uther." Morgana stated.
Gaius shook his head at her. "The Afanc's a creature forged by magic. Telling Uther wouldn't save Gwen. He'd just blame her for conjuring it."
"So what are we to do?" She asked him.
"We need to destroy it. Then the plague will stop and Uther may see sense." Merlynn declared.
Morgana nodded. "And that's why you need Arthur."
"He's our best chance. But he won't want to disobey the King." Merlynn said frustrated.
"Leave that to me." Morgana assured them.
Morgana left while Gaius gives Merlynn the keys to the water supply tunnels.
-0-
"You'd better be right about this, Merlin." Arthur orders Merlynn as they walk into the tunnels, Will trailing along by his mistresses side. Arthur has his sword and torch, as does Merlynn and Morgana. They walk through the twisting and turning tunnels when they hear a low growl, which causes Morgana to gasp.
Arthur turned to her. "You should stay here." He told her.
"I'm coming with you." She argued.
But Arthur shook his head. "No."
"Scared I'll show you up?" Morgana teased the prince.
Arthur gave her a look. "Father will slam us both in chains if he knew I'd endangered you."
"Well good thing he doesn't know about it then." She told him.
"I'm telling you, Morgana, turn back. You could get hurt." He ordered her.
Morgana just smirked at him. "You could too... if you don't get out of my way."
"I like her." Merlynn said to Arthur, making him roll his eyes and Morgana smile at her.
But soon the weight of the situation fell on them causing them to go serious.
"How are we going to find it?" The lady asked.
"I just hope we do before it finds us." Merlynn whispered.
Arthur suddenly spun around.
"Stop." He whispered.
"What?" Merlynn whispered back, as the prince advanced on a particular area.
"It's just a shadow." He told her dejectedly.
They keep moving. When they reach the water source Arthur turns to them.
"Spread out." He ordered.
They split up, Morgana and Arthur going down two tunnels, while Merlynn and Will go down another, but stay with in hearing range so that if necessary they can yell for help. Arthur hears a growl and the Afanc appears swiping at him from behind, then disappears. Morgana rushes to him.
"What is it? Are you alright?" She questioned him.
"Yeah." He assured her.
"Did you see it?" Merlynn asked having just found them again.
"Yes." he answered her.
"What did it look like?" She asked him.
"It... it's quick." Was all he could think to say to her.
The Afanc came up in front of Morgana, who screams. Arthur goes for it, but it disappears again.
"Where is it?" He called out.
"I think it's gone this way!" Merlynn whispered to him, pointing down one of the tunnels.
They walk towards it when the Afanc creeps slowly out around corner and into their full view, causing Will to Bark at it. Arthur swings at it and loses his sword. It also swipes away Morgana's torch. Arthur circles it with a torch. Will's barking distracts it enough for Arthur to get a good aim at it.
"Arthur, use the torch!" Merlynn cried out.
Arthur swings the torch towards it.
Merlynn whispers a spell under her breath. "Lyfte ic þe in balwen ac forhienan."
Her spell blows the flames into the Afanc, incinerating it.
-0-
Gwen was released later that day.
"Father!" She exclaimed jumping up to hug him as they walked into the cell.
"Oh, my little child!" He cried hugging her close like he was never going to let her go.
Gwen reached out and grasped Morgana's hand tight in her own.
"Thank you!" She cried to her mistress.
Morgana smiled happily at her. "Don't thank me. It was more Merlynn."
"Really?" Gwen smiled looking at her friend.
"She's the real hero here." Morgana told her.
"I don't know what to say." Gwen told them.
Merlynn just shrugged. "I didn't do anything."
Tom looked at her and smiled gratefully. "I'm- I'm grateful to you all. Come on, Gwen."
Tom takes his daughter and they leave. Merlynn and Morgana share a smile before they both depart and head for their separate chambers.
-0-
Merlynn looked down hesitantly at her dinner. "This fish didn't come from the water, did it?"
Gaius smiled at her. "Well, where else is it going to come from? The water's fine now. That's not your worry. This is the work of a very powerful sorcerer. I only hope you didn't come to her attention." He looked at her worriedly.
Merlynn snorted. "Doubt it." Gaius gave her a look that said, 'be serious'. "Well no one else seems to appreciate my skills. I just want someone to see me for who I am."
"One day, Merlin. One day." Gaius began.
"One day what?" Merlynn questioned.
"One day people won't believe what an idiot you were." He told her with a fond smile on his face.
"Thanks." She said to him sarcastically. She then looked down at Will who was lying by her feet. "You don't think I am an idiot do you?" She asked him. He looked up at her with soft eyes and propped himself up so that he could lick her hand. "Nah, didn't think so." She said affectionately, giving him a rub as Gaius chuckled at the pair.