Merlin rubbed furiously at his eyes to get rid of the tears forming when he began believing he was failing the lady who remained motionless.
it was someone merlin hadn't expected, but maybe should have since it was Elaina. From what she had said, Edwin had begun to seek more of the light when she gave her goodbyes and he supposed they proved that by not provoking Camelot any further or any other kingdom.
In fact, they looked good. Less weasel like in his hunched posture and aged cloaks and more a man, standing square on his feet with a straightened back and unashamed of the burns, which before made him keen to look down with a curtain of hair falling on that right side of his face. He seemed to have indulged in some hearty meals at last, with a bit more meat on his bones and a warmer skin tone, wearing as a last detail more recent fashions. Everything indicated to a bit more luck on his side and merlin smiled knowing how much it would please Elaina to see this in her old friend.
"Edwin…how on earth did you get into the castle."
Gaius was less accepting in his presence as they didn't part on good terms. He was hostile and guarded not just for himself but on the behalf of the youngsters around him and maybe more for Elaina who was defenceless. He had been with merlin when she told them about her life with Edwin when they were children and how she projected his mother's wish onto him to trigger his change in character, but he couldn't help but remain sceptical. His opinion was you didn't know what someone was exactly capable of.
"I have my ways in the art of discretion. Seems Camelot is distracted in any case. no one was going to pick up on my presence when their lady is ailing."
Edwin tried to arch his neck to look beyond the boy and old man, while even the handmaiden covered Elaina, using her as a perch to sleep upon. He could not get a glimpse of the person he was so desperate to see beyond just in dreams and knew that they were very protective over her and would remain that way while she was vulnerable.
"I understand your hostility, but I assure you. I have not come here bearing any ill will. My concern is for Elaina and for her only."
The old man almost growled like a guttural beast over its cub not wanting Edwin to upset Elaina if a part of her was still conscious to her surroundings, for she wouldn't have the strength to be brave like she usually was. Why should she be made to waste what little energy she had in containing distress at the sight and sound of someone who betrayed her trust. He didn't care what the girl had said about Edwin; if there was so much as a flicker of hurt left inside her due to his actions, Gaius would defend her from it growing.
"Elaina did say she got through to him Gaius."
Merlin couldn't blame the physician. Edwin had been vicious in his attack against Gaius going after everything the old man valued, his friends, home and practice. He made Gaius feel useless and insignificant, which was a hard pill to swallow at his age for he had enough belief in those aspects himself and did not need anyone reminding him. It took Gaius a while to feel confident in his skills after Edwin left.
"may I remind you that he nearly killed me!"
Edwin flinched at the anger radiating from Gaius and it was well owed. If merlin and Elaina hadn't of stopped him, Edwin did have every intention of killing Gaius that night. Unlike Elaina who had been a child, Gaius had been a grown man who could have spoken up for his parents when they burned, but instead he had remained silent and allowed Uther to do as he did. He had wanted Gaius to share in that fate but now he saw that Gaius was one man. If he had uttered a word, then he would have been used as extra wood for the flames. Instead, the old man chose to do right by Jayden and Gregor by saving their son alongside Gorlois.
"and I must apologise for my behaviour. You did save me when I was a boy Gaius, in more ways than one and I am truly thankful for that. But for Elaina's sake can we not put that aside for now."
"how did you know about her?" Gaius asked.
Edwin smiled at the deeper intuition which being apart from Elaina had grown within him, with an urge to listen and feel out for her when he could. With practice he found that sometimes he could channel into her surroundings, by wanting to see how she was keeping, since he could not be near her. often, he had seen her sit at her window ledge with a book at hand or out in the castle gardens. Sometimes she even knew that he was there, as a grimoire did not have glamour covering their sight and can see things for what they are beyond any veil and never frightened, Elaina would greet him fondly before carrying on.
He took a few steps forward and closed the door behind him, he couldn't wait to ease into things any longer and needed to see her.
"before you jump to conclusions, I did not have a hand in it like with morgana. I just felt it when…"
He faltered when merlin moved aside. Someone once so vibrant, you couldn't help but reject the image of her this way. Like a wilting flower whose petals were beginning to dry and curl from decay, you wanted her to defy this fate, as her spirit was so powerful that you knew that truly she must have it somewhere within her to do so. Water, sun any nourishment has to work to bring back her colouring and restore her beauty to live again as one of the gods greatest creations.
Edwin fell to his knees, dismissing the prince on the floor next to him and was almost scared to lay a fingertip on her less she crumbled into nothing. This fragile state certainly did not suit her, but it was unlike anything Edwin had seen before.
"I've tried what I can, but nothing is working," Merlin explained, knowing he had run out of ideas to draw upon and was gladdened for a fresh mind to enter on the scene to be of help, because magically, Gwen and Arthur could do nothing and Gaius has tried to find what he can in his books. Everything was failing up to this point and merlin was refusing to accept defeat as his next option would be to drag morgana down before Elaina and threaten her within an inch of her life to restore Elaina, whether by her hands or Morgause's.
"no, it wouldn't."
Edwin took a knife from his holster, nodding to reassure the young warlock and physician who drew back still not entirely trusting of him. He pricked one angry vein and set a bowl beneath to catch the droplets which were black as ink. When it came to poisons, this was a good trick he had picked up to read its ingredients to better understand it.
"the poison is a master concoction of evil. I see in it a mixture of mandrake root to pierce the soul, Fomorroh scales to rid the person their essence and the venom of the Nathair to push them past human endurance. A leaf from a hanging tree to rot the core of life and spit from one who carries a burning hatred, put upon a blade intended for murder. Every ingredient has significance and an intention which drives the body to respond as Elaina's has. Who in all the earth would want to do this to her!"
Gaius removed the bowl from Edwin and looked himself, but he could not see as Edwin did and put it in the fire pit so that no one should accidently come into contact with it, as with all things Elaina's blood has touched.
"it wasn't her morgana meant for the poison to work on, but Arthur. Elaina must have foreseen it and threw herself between the wielder and the prince."
Edwin was aware of the troubles which have brewed between Elaina and her sisters, because he has seen her weep more than he has seen her smile recently and has come so close in rescuing her from the loneliness she has felt without her closest sibling. But then he has also noticed how she has begun to replace morgana with Arthur, who before she claimed love for but now to her he was all the family she had and it was more than just duty which had put her before the blade to save him.
"a lot has happened since you were last here Edwin," merlin accounted, "but what remains is people wanting to end Camelot and Elaina's resolve to prevent that from happening."
Of course he would never had guessed that he would mean Elaina's own sisters, yet here they were caring over her wounded body as not even she was an exception to their brutality.
He wished that Uther could see her for what she had done. A grimoire who has laid down her life to protect his son, when he would take hers for no valid reason other than possessing magic. Even so, the way he treated Elaina in general was a sham for she brought a great honour onto his house and all he had to do to prove that fact was speak to anyone in the whole of Camelot. Elaina has touched so many lives without her knowing it, just by her kindness and understanding. She had time for those in rags as much as she did for those in riches, valuing the smallest of creatures to the greatest. In return she asked for nothing. If she thought that others had happiness, it was enough to sacrifice her own. It was something she would die for, yet the king had looked at Elaina's value and found her worth nothing judging by his attitude earlier.
She may not wear a crown, but her superiority over the king was evident without it.
"you're a physician in your own right Edwin," Gaius admitted, "and with the added benefit of sorcery, what do you suggest?"
Edwin had been rummaging through his mind and all the knowledge he had collected in his lifetime resurfaced on acquirement as one idea led him from one topic onto another and so on, but nothing became clearer. But the fact that he couldn't find any solid lead to go on was telling all by itself.
"magic doesn't work against this poison because simply speaking, this poison should not exist for anything to be able to counteract it. Which leaves us with one option…we must appeal to the triple goddess to undo the workings of her priestesses."
Merlin and Gaius looked sceptical and had anticipated something more formulated on the basis of medicine rather than putting all their eggs in the basket of a deity who was becoming all but forgotten in the coming age. Edwin could see it in them, that they thought he wished them to do as their god in heaven requires and bend the knee with clasped hands asking for a miracle. However, the goddess never responds to idle worship. She preferred proper action and proof in determination for her followers to be worthy of her blessings as she wanted her disciples strong if they were to bear her name and symbols, which is why the priestesses were so fierce. So, explanation was needed.
"I remember a tale from my father who spoke of the goddess having a presence in the waters of the great mountain. It's difficult to find but I did pilgrimage to the area to help atone for my past wrongs. They say for whoever is worthy, the waters can have a miraculous affect. And who is more worthy than Elaina?"
Gaius was surprised and taken by the recollection of the mountain, as such sacred places were kept tightly under wraps and marked in only a few maps, which was fortunate otherwise Uther would have desecrated them all. This lake might be Elaina's only salvation, but he was sure that the place came with a warning as nothing was free where the goddess was concerned.
"I recall the lake that you speak of…I didn't think it was real."
merlin was getting anxious as the night was drawing to a close and soon it would be morning and still nothing would have been done, in the little time Elaina had left. They had to hurry and stop wondering about things and try to think more logically.
"alright, but how long will it take to get there, she won't make it through the journey. If we bring a bottle back-"
"no," Edwin cut in, "she has to be bathed in the waters."
That was how the stories went, for the goddess to wash over the person entirely and since there wasn't an inch of Elaina left that hadn't been racked by the poison, it definitely applied to her. yet merlin was right, she wouldn't last long enough to make the trip up the mountains, and it might accelerate her ailments while Gaius had only made an estimate on the time she had left. Who knew what the poison would do between now and then.
Edwin held his hand over her chest, watching it rise and fall subtly with a wheezing breath, then he uttered a spell as she took another gasp of air only she did not release it like the others. panicking, the boy and physician had to be calmed mistaking it for death.
"I've just frozen her to give us more time. The spell will likely wear off as the poison pushes through and will need to be repeated, but it's better than nothing."
They sighed in relief, but another grumble occurred at their feet as Arthur popped his head up from the ground rocking it around on top of his shoulders like his neck couldn't bear the weight of it.
"oh god, did I hit my head? Merlin what the heck happened."
Arthur had certainly chosen his moment to wake up and with everything still freshly unfolding, merlin had to quickly gather himself so he could relay it to the prince who would have many, many questions.
Merlin mouth was in a grim line, "highness, you must have, umm… slipped?"
He lifted his torso up and gradually opened his eyes, with it taking him a few seconds to register the new addition.
"slipped while sitting, I don't think… wait- YOU!"