Out of Time

AvalonReeseFanFics

A/N: Wow! You guys really know how to show me some love! I'm glad you guys liked it this way, I know everyone was super into seeing both of them getting poisoned but I couldn't have both of my ringers down for the count! I'd like to say that my writing will be more frequent, but it's going to start to get really busy at work, and I have a lot of books to read (You may think that's trivial but I have 377 books on my shelves that I haven't even started, it's a damn epidemic of books up in my house at the moment) so my posts might be a bit more staggered. Keep reviewing, especially if I'm taking a long time as it will remind me I need to post more and I'll get myself on it. I promise!

I hope this chapter satisfies you and your curiosity to see how things are progressing. If you've got any idea for the next chapter shout them out to me!

Thanks to Cordapia for my 80th Review. Thanks to CalicoXTsukiXMaritsu for being my 100th Favourite. And... Thanks to babynora1983 for being my 140th Follower.

Shoutouts: NonthingNooneZero, AuyikmoraTano, Fanficqueen306, Cordapia (I'm super glad you love it and hope to hear from you again), CalicoXTsukiXMaritsu, DaughterFrost, ImaginationInspire, ShezzaBoo0233, KSVamp, Linorien, Omgitsesh Katya Romanov, and babynora1983.

Chapter 15: Out of Devotion

The Mortaeus flower was the only way to save Addison. It was the flower that was used to make the poison and it was the flower that would be used to make the cure. The Mortaeus flower only blooms on the roots of the Mortaeus Tree in the Forest of Baloch. The Forest was only a few leagues away. Arthur could ride there and back in three days or less if he pushed his horse hard enough. Only problem. Uther wasn't going to let him go.

After a loud and almost physical argument with his father Arthur stormed back to his room and slammed his sword down on the table. He paced for a bit to try and quell his rage and dampen his fear, resulting in him spreading his arms and resting them against the mantle place as he gazed into the fire. He thought of how precious Addison was to him, how he never did get a chance to tell her that, and how her luck had turned for a dramatic worse since Merlin had entered their lives.

Though, really that was quite unfair. Addison hadn't know what was going on, she hadn't snatched the poison-laced goblet out of Merlin's hand in an attempt to save him. She had merely been her impetuous self and dashed into danger without knowing it. But that didn't mean she had to die for it, and die she would if he couldn't get that cure back to her.

Gaius had said that if the cure was not administered Addison would die a very slow and painful death, he estimated she could last three maybe four days top. Arthur knew how stubborn Addison was but even she had limits. He gave her maybe four to five days tops before she gave up.

Arthur felt bad that he wasn't down in Gaius's chambers with Addison in her time of need but he was also afraid to be down there. He was afraid to see her that way, and afraid that his father would punish her for it. Besides, she had Merlin and Gwen to attend to her since Morgana had given her the night off to stay with Addison.

With his father now aware that Arthur intended to ride into a cockatrice—basically a giant lizard monster with venom that could kill him if merely a drop were to get on his skin—infested forest to get a cure for her, Arthur knew that he'd be vigilant in watching how his son behaved to her. Spending the night by her side, cooling her brow and holding her hand, acting like the love-sick fool his father though he was would not be the way to convince his father to let him rescue her, his father would probably hasten her death.

"Say what you'd like about the food, but you can't beat our feasts for entertainment," Morgana said making her presence known at the door.

Arthur turned to her to acknowledge her, hoping he didn't look too worn or depressed, then he promptly turned away again just in case she saw it in him anyway. "Morgana, I'm sorry. I should have made sure you were all right," he said.

He took a few steps away from the fire, it was getting hot in his chainmail. He would have wanted Merlin here to help strip him of the armour he was going to get on but he was with Addison. Arthur had given Merlin the night off to care for Addison, like Morgana had done for Gwen, though Merlin hadn't asked him to. It had been an unspoken request that Arthur had an unspoken answer for.

Morgana took a few steps into his room to make up for the distance they had put between them. "Disappointed, actually. I was looking forward to clumpling a couple around the head with a ladle."

Arthur tried not to smile at the image that popped into his head. It merely made him frown again as it only served to remind him that Addison would have been right there beside her, clumping people with a pot or a plate.

"I'm sure the guards could have handled Bayard and his men," he told her.

Morgana fake pouted a bit. "Yeah. But why let the boys have all the fun?"

Arthur had half turned to her. "Morgana you shouldn't get involved. It's dangerous," he complained. Because that's all he needed, Morgana getting injured too.

This just made Morgana cross. "Spare me the lecture, I've already had it from Uther."

Arthur softened to this. Ah, so that must have contributed to his father's sour mood. "If it's any consolation, you weren't the only one," he told her.

"Not that I listened to him," she said quickly. She paused to take a deep breath, knowing that if her words hit the right mark—and she knew they would—she may be sending Arthur into danger. But at the same time, she could be saving a friend. "Sometimes you've got to do what you think is right, and damn the consequences."

Arthur took a moment to think about this. About what this meant. "You think I should go," he said to her plainly. It wasn't a question it was a statement. He needed someone on his side, usually it was Addison showing him what was right, was his wayward star guiding him through life's tough decisions. Morgana would just have to do in this dire situation.

Morgana shook her head. "It doesn't matter what I think," she said.

Arthur turned, ready to hurl his father's own arguments back at Morgana and see what her stubborn pride had to say about that. "If I don't make it back, who will be the next King of Camelot?" he asked her. "There's more than just my life at stake."

Morgana narrowed her eyes the way she did when Uther issued her a demand that she didn't agree with. "And what kind of King would Camelot want?" she shot back. She picked up his sword before continuing. "One that would risk his life to save that of a convicted serf, a mere ward not even worthy to be a servant, or one who does what his father tells him to?"

Arthur didn't have to think twice, he had made up his mind. He had made up his mind as soon as Morgana had told him she thought he should go. He was going to the Forest of Baloch no matter what his father said. He had snuck down as well as he could in armour to the stables where he had begun saddling his horse when someone else made their presence known at the door to his stables.

"I'm coming with you," Merlin said quickly moving towards another horse. Either Arthur was off his game tonight or Merlin was much better at sneaking around then Arthur thought.

Arthur stared at him dumbfounded. That was remarkably brave for a servant, but Arthur wasn't about to let him go. Addison would never forgive him if Arthur went off into a monster infested forest and let Merlin get eaten. For in all honesty that's what he would do, hell he'd probably get so fed up with Merlin he'd kick him to the cockatrice himself.

"No," Arthur said in his most regal of tones. It was meant to hint that there was nothing else Merlin was to say now, no argument, the answer was no, he was to go back to tending to Addison.

"She didn't just save your life, she saved mine," he snarled. He had a bag slung over his shoulder probably filled with all manner of useless things. "I'm coming with you. You may need my help."

"Need your help?" Arthur echoed incredulously. As if he, the great Arthur Penndragon, the best and bravest knight in the kingdom, needed a servant's help on a quest. Still he saw something in Merlin's eyes, a willful disobedience of sorts a determination he only ever saw in Addison. Whatever the reason Arthur suddenly couldn't deny him the chance to die in some godforsaken forest in the name of saving someone who may be just as precious to Merlin as she was to Arthur.

"Fine," he sighed, caving immediately and helping Merlin with his horse. "But if you slow me down in any way I'm leaving you behind."

Merlin didn't seem scared of this threat, but he said nothing else while Arthur whispered the plan of escape to him. Not long after that the two of them rode off into the night, charging the two guards that stood, trying to bar the Prince's way as per Uther's demand, both expecting to save a girl who meant more to them than either of them could ever imagine.

And watching it all in her pensive water alter, having escaped Camelot earlier that night to the safety of her remote island cave, was Nimueh. While it was good Arthur was falling into her trap, she hadn't been happy that Merlin never drank the poison as intended. She hadn't expected the woman to escape, to take the poison and drink it. She had played the scene so well, had made it seem like she had rushed into the chaos of it all and just not known what was happening.

But Nimueh had seen her face when she broke into the banquet hall that evening. Her eyes, wide with fear, scanning for Arthur, and then finding Merlin. She knew that something was wrong before she even got to the room, knew that the intended target had been Merlin. She had intercepted the poison in an attempt to spoil her plan.

And now Merlin was on his way to the Forest of Baloch with Arthur.

That wouldn't do, Merlin would recognize her upon meeting. He would know that she had been lying, he wasn't dumb he must have realized by now that she was in on it, that she had done this to try and kill him. Unless of course she lied once again, Merlin was susceptible to a pretty face and particularly hers. She could use that against him.

Nimueh chuckled to herself. That little time-traveller thought she was so smart, well, but she hadn't foiled Nimueh's plan at all. Yes she had put a little bit of a twist into it, but she could still get rid of Arthur and Merlin in one fell swoop.

[-]

Gwen and Gaius had been up all night. Gaius had been giving Addison potions and draughts that should have alleviated her symptoms temporarily. They wouldn't be able to cure her, of course, but they should have, at least, taken a bit of the pain away. None had worked. Gwen kept her brow cool and spooned Addison cold drinks and small morsels of food.

Late that night an alarm had gone up, Arthur had disappeared, disobeying his father and riding off in search of a cure with his manservant in tow. Uther had not been down to see Addison but for hours after that alarm Gaius and Gwen had sat on pins in needles wondering if Uther would then punish Addison for Arthur's disobedience. But he never came.

By morning Addison was panting and her brow was on fire. There was just no cooling her down. She was sweating buckets, she had gone a pasty white and her breathing came and went in shallow coughs or ragged heaves. She whimpered and sometimes she mumbled, speaking of her home, speaking of things that Gwen didn't know about.

Gwen knew very little about where Addison came from only that it was a place not of this time. The little Addison had explained to her baffled Gwen's mind, to think that humans could have that sort of technology and information at the snap of a finger.

She did her best to hush Addison, who had started talking as if she were speaking to someone but she wasn't talking to Gwen, clearly. Whoever it was they seemed to be talking back to her in her head, or at least that's what it seemed to sound like to Gwen

Nothing she was saying was making sense to her, but Gwen chalked it up to the fever and the poison. Especially when she started asking how to do a purge.

It wasn't until Addison start pitching and thrashing that Gwen knew that something was wrong. Gwen immediately screamed for Gaius and by the time he managed to hobble over to them Addison was soundlessly screaming, her mouth wide her back arched into a painful contortion. Gaius went to press her down, taking her by the shoulders and pushing but she didn't go anywhere. After a few minutes of the painful position a black like sludge erupted from her mouth. Gaius startled and jumped back from her as she coughed and after the black sludge stopped coming from her mouth her back eased back and her eyes rolled back in her skull.

Once she had settled, her breathing back to the ragged and shallow, Gaius went to her side. He wiped what was left of the black from her mouth and took all her vitals in again. Whatever had just happened it had drained the energy right out of her.

Gwen came back to her side. "Gaius, what was that? What happened to her?" she asked.

Gaius went to take her pulse and found a strange raised rash on Addison's arm. Gaius looked it over. "No that's not right," he whispered.

"That is not right?" Gwen cried. "She just threw up all black and you're worried about a little patch on her arm?"

Gaius went back to his book "The rash is not supposed to appear until the final stage," he said scanning through the book. "It says here that once the rash appears, death will follow within two days."

As Gwen thought this over Gaius continued through the passages. "And it says nothing about vomiting or blackness," he said.

"But you said Addison had four days, that's what you told Arthur," she reminded him.

Gaius shook his head. "Something's increased the flower's potency," he quickly went through the pages again looking for directions how to make this certain poison. "Here. It warns that the effect of the Mortaeus flower will be more rapid if an enchantment is used during the flower's preparation."

Gwen's eyes narrowed as she thought what this possibly could mean. "Enchantment? But Bayard's no sorcerer."

"No, he isn't," Gaius agreed.

"Then who did this?" Gwen asked. Gaius was staring off into space.

He was thinking about everyone the two of them had interacted with. About Addison's strange reaction to the serving girl, the one she said had looked at her and she felt as if she were suddenly smothered with air. Gaius had guess that because she was a sponge being around a sudden and strong source of magic must have filled her to the brim and caused a sort of overload, sort of a reaction to absorbing to much magic. But that would mean...

"No, it can't have been," he breathed out. "She wouldn't dare come here."

"Who?" Gwen asked.

Gaius turned back to Gwen. "What happened to that girl?" he asked.

"Which girl?" Gwen wondered, everything had been a blur since Addison drank the poison, she couldn't remember much.

"Just before Merlin burst into the hall, one of Bayard's serving girls took him outside," Gaius told her. It had been the same girl from when Addison had her spasm wasn't.

Oh yes, Gwen remembered that bitch. "She had dark hair, very beautiful," she muttered. Of course the pretty one caught Merlin's eye. No he couldn't have found a plain lady in waiting interesting instead. Obviously she wasn't bitter about that at all. Actually, if Merlin was still there he would have heard words from her about that.

"Find her!" Gaius urged. "Quickly!"

Addison mumbled something like: "Don't trust the cunt!" but she was completely ignored.

Gwen didn't think twice she ran straight down to the dungeons to look for the woman. She'd recognize that face anywhere maybe she'd even rough her up a bit. But the woman wasn't there; she hadn't been captured with the rest of Baryard's men. So where had she gone?

It had taken all night but Merlin and Arthur had made it to the forest. There had been very little talking done by Arthur. He instead listened to Merlin speak of Addison either as if she were already dead, or as if he knew her better than anyone else, which of course he did not. And if Arthur was to keep his head through this whole endeavour he very much wanted to picture Addison alive, not already burned to rid her of poison or magic before Arthur had even gotten back.

When Merlin wasn't babbling on about his adventures with Addison, though how he could have known her for only a few short months and managed to have so many adventures with her was beyond Arthur's comprehension, he was asking Arthur about Addison's life. He wanted to know everything there was to know about her and Arthur was less than forthcoming with that information.

They had been in the forest for less than a few minutes when Merlin suddenly whispered: "Did you know she could cast magic?"

If Arthur hadn't been on his horse in the middle of a very dangerous forest he would have tacked Merlin to the ground and knocked him about until he even forgot witnessing Addison's little slip up. Instead he opted to glare at Merlin hoping he'd just drop dead where he sat.

Merlin silently took in that glare and decided to nod. "I take it that's a yes, but I'm not supposed to know. I'm not going to tell anyone," he told him. "I'm not stupid, Uther would kill her."

"Then stop bringing it up!" Arthur snapped.

Merlin sighed. "You should trust me," he said. "I wouldn't betray you, either of you. Especially Addison."

Now that was a red flag if Arthur had ever heard one. He had thought that he had confirmed that Addison and Merlin were not courting, that they were just inordinately close friends. That for some reason, that Arthur couldn't understand, they had a bond. If Arthur had to guess it was a bond kind of like the one he had formed with her, but different in the aspect of love. He didn't think Merlin loved her, but he definitely cared about her. But making the distinction that he wouldn't betray Addison especially, made Arthur think that maybe he was wrong and there was some sort of deeper emotion there. One that neither Addison nor Merlin had acted upon. Or at least he hooped they didn't. He'd kill Merlin if they had.

In the distance they heard weeping and the two of them exchanged glances before dismounting from their horses and sneaking up on the noise. Arthur was happy he didn't have to explain to Merlin the importance of being quiet, he seemed to just understand. It could have been someone in distress or someone setting a trap, in unfamiliar territory there was no such thing as too safe. No matter what it was they had to be cautious about this, so Merlin followed Arthur's lead, he was the one in the suit of armour after all.

In a clearing sitting on a stump, they found a woman. Her red dress in tatters, her cloak discarded beside her, her long black hair curly beyond belief and a ragged set of scratches down her arm. She shot a glance at them over her shoulder, too scared to move, the weeping clearly coming from her. But that glance was enough, Merlin recognized her immediately.

"Kara!" he cried rushing to her side. He threw the reins to his horse at Arthur who was not expecting it and coincidently didn't manage to catch them.

"Merlin!" she cried back throwing herself into his open arms. "I'm so glad you found me!"

Merlin pulled back to get a better look at her as Arthur busied himself with tying the horses to a near-by branch. He felt out of sorts and out of place, like he didn't belong here with them. "What are you doing way out here?" Merlin asked and Arthur wondered the same thing.

The girl paused in her crying briefly before saying: "After the commotion in the great hall I ran. I took a horse from the stable and just rode all through the night, but I didn't know where I was going. He took me into the forest but this creature jumped out and startled it, the horse threw me and the creature tried to eat me but I ran and ran," she sobbed.

Merlin shot a glance to Arthur who was having a hard time believe all of this. It sounded like a very convenient cover story. Was he to believe that this girl was at the whole commotion in Camelot and somehow managed to get herself lost here, in this forest, right where they were looking for a cure? Boy was that one very convenient coincidence.

There was a sudden roaring that silenced any comment about being untrustworthy that Arthur could throw at the girl. He turned and saw a giant double finned monster came over the hill. Roughly the size of a large wolf this lizard came hissing at Arthur who hid his fear in the ordering of his servant and the new girl back. Merlin was wise enough to take the woman back to where the horse was nervously pawing the ground.

Arthur put himself between them and the creature, the same one from Gaius' book, as it hissed and stomped its feet. Arthur took his sword out and swung it around, he probably looked like he was showing off but in reality he was just calming his nerves.

The creature lunged a few times, but Arthur kept his ground, he wasn't about to let this thing push him back, he wanted the fight to take place as far away from Merlin and the horses as possible. He waited for the right moment, for the creature to jump at him before throwing himself to the ground, rolling, getting up and throwing his sword as hard as he could at the creature that was just landing on its feet.

His sword landed dead center in the creature's chest and resounding force of the blow made the body slide away from him. When it had stopped moving, Arthur could see that it was no longer breathing. Arthur was clearly the champion against this Forest Guardian.

Merlin glared at him, the woman was holding onto him hiding her face in his chest while Merlin stroked her hair in a comforting way. "What the hell was that?" he cried.

"I think Gaius called it a Cockatrice," Arthur said absently as he went to retrieve his sword, making sure to kick it once in case it was faking.

"Why didn't you tell me that there was a cockatrice in the forest?" Merlin demanded to know. Arthur merely shrugged.

The woman threw herself at Arthur this time, sobbing into his armour. Arthur tried to hide the feeling of repulsion that crept up on him but he was sure it was on his face. For some reason Arthur could almost hear Addison's voice: Don't trust the cunt! and with that warning came that feeling disgust and mistrust.

"It's alright, you're safe now," Arthur said patting her back awkwardly.

The girl lowered her eyes sheepishly and allowed Arthur to step out of her grasp. "Can you take me away from this place?" she asked him.

Arthur was the one who answered that question. "Not yet, there's something we have to do first."

Arthur had noticed something when he was fighting, a cave, or more accurately the mouth of a cave. Gaius had said he'd find the cure in the caves under the Mortaeus Tree, and really how many caves could a Forest have?

The woman—Kara—had noticed Arthur's stare as he had answered that question and she seemed suddenly rife with curiosity. "Why have you come to the caves?" she wondered.

Now Arthur had no intention of answering the question as that feeling in his chest kept intensifying, as if something was inherently wrong with this woman, not just because she was interested in scrawny little Merlin, but because he had a feeling that Addison would not have liked this girl. He could still hear her voice in his head, echoing over and over again: Don't trust her. For the love of god, look at that cunt, don't fucking trust her! But Merlin had other ideas.

"We're looking for the Mortaeus flower," he told her. "It's very rare and it only grows inside the cave here."

The girl suddenly smiled a dangerous kind of smile that made Arthur's back shiver with apprehension, something Merlin didn't seem to notice it. "I know of that flower," she answered her voice just as dangerous as that smile on her face. "Bayard had a map that lead to it, I could show you where if you'd like."

"You remember what that map said?" Arthur asked not quite believing her. It just seemed so out of place, how could anyone memorize a map? But then again how could someone come from the future? Anything was possible.

The girl nodded. "Yes, it's the least I could do since you saved me."

Arthur thought this over. Did he trust this woman? No, but if she knew where the flowers were then he'd be willing to follow if it meant he would be lead to the flowers quicker then wandering around the forest with no lead. "Merlin go get the horses," he ordered.

Merlin turned away only for a few minutes. Arthur and Kara had already started walking towards the cave out in the distance, but it was a Forest there was no way that Merlin could lose them in the short time that he was turned away. But when he finished untying the reins and had the horses ready to follow him Arthur and Kara were gone and the entrance to he caves were blocked.

Merlin was lost in the Forest of Baloch.

Arthur was alone with Kara.