DISCLAIMER: I do not own Merlin! I just get to play with the characters so long as I don't claim them as my own and if I don't make money off of them. Ah, come on can't they pimp them out to me… ah well no luck.
My thanks to MindForgedMan, Guest, Guardian of Inheritance, godess bubbles, and Celtic Crossings for their reviews and all of those who followed and favorited my story! Y'all are amazing!
Please Read and Review! I greatly appreciate reviews and critiques (constructive criticism) I promise I don't bite.
There is a time skip. I have my reasons and you will have to follow this story and continue to read to find out what happened in the three weeks of hell.
Chapter 3
Three Weeks Later
Ruined Fortress
It had been three weeks. Three weeks, twenty-one days of having to hear Merlin as he was tortured by her so called sister. The sister that came by every so often to see how she was doing. Morgana no longer saw Morgause as her sister, no matter their blood connection. Morgana was plotting, she knew she needed to get out of there but she was not leaving without Merlin, no matter how much Uther would be angry with her for it later. I need to see him smile, she thought to herself. I need to hear his laugh. I need to drown out the screams. The first week almost did her in. Day in and day out she would hear the screams of Merlin as Morgause tortured him, but when she would try to hear through the door she knew that Morgause hadn't broken Merlin, that he was still being his stubborn loyal self. However Morgana didn't know how much longer Merlin would last. Everyone had a breaking point and Morgana feared Merlin was reaching his. She had found out something, something that Morgause was trying so hard to hold over her. She knew Merlin had magic.
It was almost a week after they had been taken and Morgana's will was almost broken. She wanted more than anything to make Merlin's pain stop and Morgause had told her all she had to do was side with her, but she couldn't do it. Morgause was the one hurting Merlin; Morgause was the one who used her fear against her. Merlin, sweet, kind Merlin, had only ever wanted to keep her safe, and everyone else he felt fell under his protection. She could see it now, how many times he had used his magic to help others, protect Camelot, protect her.
It had started coming to her in her dreams. She'd had problems falling asleep at first and that was due to the screams she couldn't get out of her mind, but finally exhaustion pulled her into sleep's darkened embrace. The first dream had been just darkness with voices, a young voice filled with tears as it asked if they were a monster. Morgana just wanted to hold the owner of the voice and let them know it would be okay. After that first dream she had woken up with melancholy in her heart. That little voice sounded an awful lot like what she had felt recently but that voice was a voice of a child. No child should ever think they're a monster, Morgana thought often throughout the day. The next night she started seeing images, but they were often jumbled. Some of the places seemed familiar; Ealdor and Camelot mostly but there were bits and pieces that were foreign to her. The voices were jumbled too, and like the images some familiar and some not, Gaius, Gwen, herself, and even Arthur. It was actually Arthur's voice that started cluing her into from whose viewpoint she was seeing things. Idiot was the most common thing she heard in Arthur's voice.
Finally it was the third night, and she was partially excited to fall asleep, when everything became clear. However she didn't see these memories from the point of view of someone but as a secondary viewer almost as if she was watching from a distance. This memory was in Camelot but she watched Merlin as he first entered Camelot, she remembered that day because of Mary Collins, but it wasn't until she saw Gaius fall and the golden flash in Merlin's eyes that she woke with a gasp. At first she was angry. He'd had magic the whole time but had not told her, had not helped her. They probably wouldn't be in this mess if Merlin hadn't been a coward, as her thoughts revolved around that another of Merlin's screams ripped through the night and Morgana felt guilty for her thoughts. She once again tried to drown out the screams but it wasn't until sleep took her once again that it finally did.
She was thrown back into the vision where she had woken up previously, but this time she was determined to stay in this dream world. She watched as Merlin saved Gaius's life only for Gaius to reprimand then thank him. She was able to watch his first meeting with Arthur, she'd had to laugh but it also allowed her to see how much Arthur had changed since Merlin had come. As she watched she saw his first few days in Camelot and was embarrassed about his first encounter with her. I thought Gwen was a little strange then. She watched as he fought Arthur in the market and as he saved the same prat from a dagger.
She watched. That was all she could do. She watched as Merlin saved Camelot time and time again, with no thanks, no reward, and was routinely subjected to humiliating circumstances. She watched as he met with a dragon, a dragon, under the castle, as the dragon helped him, and used him. She watched all the hurt that he was subjected to but he never wavered in his belief in Arthur; a man for all intensive purposes would kill Merlin if he ever found out. She watched as Gaius, the dragon and even Merlin's mother told him that he could never tell anyone of his gift. She could see how as time went by his secrets seemed to pull on him, but it was his looks he had given her, both when she told him she knew his secret, oh how wrong she had been, and also when they had been talking when they had been helping the Druid boy, that really made her heart hurt. He seemed to see a kinship in her even then but every time she had been clueless to what really lay beneath the facade that Merlin put forth.
She didn't know how long she slept but she watched all of Merlin's adventures in Camelot and paid special attention to the more recent events. She watched as the dragon told Merlin of what he foresaw for Morgana's future. He can't be right, she thought. I won't let that happen, I refuse. She also watched as the dragon told Merlin the only way to stop the sickness was to kill her, she watched as Merlin reached for the poison but was filled with relief when his hand dropped. He did believe in me, she thought her eyes filling with tears.
"He followed his heart," said a voice within her dreams. "You, Lady Morgana, now hold a great place in his heart furthermore you and your heart will be needed to mend his after this whole ordeal is over. He is Emrys, he is your destiny and he is your doom." The voices words confused and terrified her. Did she really have no choice in whether or not she had a dark future? As if the voice heard her question they answered.
"Doom does not always mean death my dear. It can also mean doom of a path you might have walked. If he had not followed his heart and had listened to the dragon alone that dark destiny that the dragon spoke of would have come to pass but he did not and so that specific path is now closed, for now you see your sister as she truly is. This act has not only released you of your dark path but also released another of theirs." At the voice's words Morgana was surprised to hear the pride in the voice at Merlin's choice.
The voice started fading as Morgana was ripped from the dream world by a rough hand on her shoulder. When she had awoken she found out she had slept the previous day away and that Morgause was concerned. Morgana had snorted at the sentiment, if she cared she would have given Merlin back to me when I asked or at least stopped the torture. She glared at the people who were clucking around her making sure she was okay. When she was alone again she tried to go back to sleep but for so long those dreams eluded her. Finally after almost three weeks and several ideas of escape later her dreams returned. However instead of Merlin's memories she was in a familiar place. It was her father's grave, her eyes filled with tears as she stumbled over and kneeled next to the marker, her tears finally spilling over. After what felt like ages she felt a presence next to her. When she looked around she noticed a beautiful woman kneeling next to her. Her ebony locks waving down her back framing her beautiful alabaster face of high cheekbones, finely arched brows but it was her deep sea eyes of blue and green that were so full of kindness but also sorrow that made it impossible for Morgana to look away.
"I remember your father," at the sound of her voice Morgana knew it had been the voice that had previously spoken to her. "He was a truly good man. He and your mother made the most striking pair."
"You knew my parents? Wait are, were, you even real?"
"As real as you my dear," she said with a chuckle. Morgana ducked her head as a blush over took her face. They sat in silence for a bit before Morgana regained her strength of courage to speak again.
"Can you help me?" she'd asked quietly but when the woman raised her eyebrow in a similar way that Gaius always did she knew her question was a little out there. "I, I can't leave him here. He has done so much for me, for Camelot, for all of Albion and now he is suffering for it. I can barely sleep. I… I need to hear his laugh, I need to see his smile because it is so hard to see and hear them now. You say I will be needed to mend his heart after this ordeal but how do I help him now? We have to get out of here if I am to help him heal."
Towards the end Morgana knew she sounded frantic but she so far beyond desperate that she didn't care. The kind woman brought her hands up and cupped Morgana's face forcing her to look in her contradicting eyes. Her eyes were so full of determination that it made everything around Morgana disappear in it's wake but it was her words, which brought true hope to Morgana's heart after so long in the dark.
"Do not fret Morgana, help is coming."
In a densely packed forest sat a group of people around a fire, close by there was a large stream that had lulled many of them to sleep the night before, but as the sun slowly started it's rise so too did the others. There was one awake who sat cross-legged on the bank of the stream with her hands resting on her knees, her palms facing toward the lightening sky. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing evenly and if one hadn't known better they would have thought her sleeping, but those with her knew better. However this didn't stop one mischievous member of their group to try and break her concentration.
"Poke me with that sword and I'll turn it into a flower," the woman said as the sheathed sword was quickly withdrawn but that didn't seem to deter this rouge. Next he chose a stick, not really caring if it was turned into a flower, moving to try and poke her.
"Move one more step and I'll turn you into an apple tree." This made the man immediately drop the stick and move back in mock horror.
"But then people would eat me," he said in false dramatics. "But I would be delicious." There were snickers from the others in their group but the woman was finally irritated enough.
"Gwaine!" she admonished opening her bright turquoise eyes glaring at the rouge. He was smiling having finally broken her from her thoughts. A lesser man would have been cowed by her glare but he knew her and she knew him. She could see the concern for her that he hid so well. Her eyes softened knowing she had been a little maniacal about finding the person who was sending out the magical pulses but she could see and feel what was happening to him. She knew the traitorous bitch Morgause was the one behind his suffering. Gwaine could see the fury slowly building in the woman's eyes and tried to bring her back.
"Ru," he said sitting down grabbing one of her hands. At the movement her eyes shot back to him, the movement making her hood fall back revealing her dark red hair pulled back in two long braids. "Runa, you need to rest. You're running yourself ragged," he said cupping her face making her look him in the eyes. She turned her cheek into his hands and took a deep breath then looked him back in the eyes.
"I can't," she said. "Not yet. Not until this person is out of her hands. I can feel what's happening to him and he's not going to last much longer and if she gets her hands on someone with this much power I fear for what could happen to our world." As she spoke the others listened, but it was Gwaine's look of concern that made her calm down.
"Is this person so weak…" started one of the others.
"Don't even go there," Runa said with a voice tinged in anger. "I've only felt a small fraction of what he's going through. It's only when it is no longer bearable that those pulses are sent as a plea for help. I highly doubt he knows he's doing it." She turned back to Gwaine whose eyes were slit glaring at the other man who had spoken. She brought up her own hand to his cheek to make him look at her.
"I know we've been gone almost three weeks following an ominous lead but, and I hate to say this, I need just one more outburst to pin point where they are. To do that I need to meditate with no distractions, please?" He nodded and moved back toward the fire to help break down their camp. The others tended to avoid him, maybe because he didn't show their leader the respect that they thought he should but to Runa it was nice that he didn't just bow on bended knee to everything she said but would question her. It didn't really bother him because he never really had any friends, Runa didn't really count on many levels because she was so much more.
They had just finished breaking down the camp when everyone felt a shiver run along their spine. They knew now where those feelings came form it was one of the outbursts. When Gwaine looked over to Runa he saw her magic visibly flowing around her, the mix of silvery white and bright gold unique to her alone, and even though he couldn't see her eyes he knew they would either be pure white with no other color or her irises would be a burning gold. As her magic receded she stood and turned toward her group. The determined look on her face told them all they needed to know. She had them.
In Camelot
Arthur was furious. It had been three weeks. Three bloody weeks! They had nothing. No leads, no information, even though his father had posted a large reward to anyone who was able to give creditable information and even more if their information lead to Morgana's return or Morgause's capture, but there was…
"Nothing," Uther said to the knight kneeling before him. The knight bowed his head even more before his king's anger.
"I'm sorry, Sire, but we have found nothing," the knight started. "We have scoured the lands and have sent small parties to your allies in hopes they will let us search their lands in case she crossed boarders."
"Check with the Druids," Uther commanded as he stood, but was stopped when the knight spoke again.
"We have already tried, Sire, but the Druids are nowhere to be found. We have found some of the remnants of their camps but these camp sites seem to have been abandoned for quite some time." The knight was looked at in confusion by all of those in Court.
"What do you mean by 'quite some time'?" Uther asked as he sat back down. "Two weeks? Three weeks? Longer?"
"Longer, Sire," the knight, said. "I would guess a month or more."
"So before the sorceress's attack," Uther contemplated.
"Father, I highly doubt the Druids have anything to do with her," Arthur said stepping forward. "What she did hurt them as well."
"What do you mean, Sire?" this was asked by Gaius.
"My first search party came across a massacred Druid encampment. I recognized the blows from the Medhir knights. If they had been allies I highly doubt she would have done that." Arthur was thrown back into that scene. He had seen massacres like that before, had actually caused some of them, though he didn't like to think on that, but never that brutal. Men, women, and children lay dead where they had fallen and he could see footprints from where they had been stepped on, as if they were nothing more than an inconvenience. "I think they may be running from her." Uther nodded at Arthur's explanation as to why the Druids were suddenly gone.
Silence had descended on the throne room when suddenly everyone felt something that made the hairs on the back of their necks raise. This had become a regular occurrence ever since Morgause had taken Morgana and Merlin. Many people believed that it was Morgause trying to unsettle the people and knights but Gaius assured everyone that Morgause was not strong enough to do this on any sort of regular basis. After everyone calmed back down Uther dismissed everyone including Arthur.
Arthur made his way out of the throne room, followed by his new manservant, George, a perfect manservant by all accounts but utterly dull. He'd never met a person more dull in his life. He missed Merlin; he missed his quips, his disregard for titles, and most of all his friendship. He also missed Morgana; he swore he could still see both of them within the citadel but every time he thought he caught a glimpse when he looked back there was nothing there. He understood he wasn't the only one who felt their loss. He knew his father felt Morgana's loss and that was a light that many missed but it was Merlin's loss that so many felt the keen loss of. Morgana was a Lady and so was held above but it was Merlin who was a much a part of the very fabric of everyday life in Camelot. He realized there were times that even he would call out to Merlin forgetting that he was no longer there. He also knew that Gaius and Gwen felt both losses the same. Gaius seemed to have aged within weeks instead of years. It was one of these instances that Uther saw outside himself.
When he had seen his old friend looking so much older, he finally noticed that the boy hadn't just been a manservant to his son but also the Physician's assistant. He assigned Morgana's maid to assist the elderly physician now that his ward was gone. When Arthur had returned after his first search mission he was glad to know what his father had done. The routine wasn't entirely new to Gwen because before Merlin had arrived she and her Lady had helped the physician when he needed them.
Arthur often found himself in Gaius' chambers ever since that day, especially since he had returned from his first search mission. He had used the excuse of the mission to search the area close to Merlin's home village, because he knew his father wouldn't agree to allowing him to tell Merlin's mother about what happened but he felt like it needed to come from him not someone else. He could still remember the look of joy that over came her face when he had first ridden up but as he reached her with no Merlin coming from behind, her face fell, and when she asked him where Merlin was and he couldn't give an answer he could see the devastation consume her entire being. She had run back into her cottage choking on her sobs. Arthur had tied his horse up and slowly followed her into the small cottage. He stood in her doorway listening to her sobs and he had to swallow his own. He didn't know how many times he told her he was sorry but when she had finally regained her composure she had told him the same thing Gaius had, that it was his choice. He hadn't stayed long but he promised her that the person responsible would pay. She had just given him a small sad smile.
Brought back into the present Arthur turned to George dismissing him till supper. The man bowed and moved on, Arthur going toward the physician's chambers. Once he entered he noticed that Gaius was sitting reading a letter.
"Who wrote?" he asked startling the old physician.
"Hunith. Just letting me know how she was doing, asking if there was any word about any of them." He handed the letter to Arthur who confirmed what she had written. He could see some wet marks where he assumed she couldn't contain her tears.
"I'm not giving up," Arthur said. "I plan on leaving in two days."
"Where to Arthur?" Gwen asked as she came in having over heard him.
"Farther North along the borders of Essetir, Caerleon and even with the Perilous Lands."
"Those lands are dangerous, Arthur," Gaius said with some concern. "The beasts alone are a problem."
"I know Gaius but it's the only area that really hasn't been searched, but if Morgause is powerful enough then she can probably hide there without too much trouble if she can keep the beasts at bay." Gaius and Gwen looked to each other and knew that Arthur was right.
"Please be careful," Gwen said moving toward him. "I don't want to lose anyone else." Her soulful brown eyes pleaded with him and the only answer he could give was a nod.
Outside the Ruins
"There are three Blood Guards on the outer wall," reported one man. "I don't see any other movement."
"That probably means the rest are inside," Gwaine said. "We need to move now."
Runa looked around at the men that were assembled with her. She knew she needed some of them to stay behind with the horses especially if the person they were here to save was in bad shape, as she knew he was, then they would have to use a transportation spell but there weren't enough magic users in the group, just her and one other. She hadn't wanted to bring too many magic users with them, especially because they knew there was a possibility that they would have to enter Camelot's boarders. They hadn't wanted to test their luck and their luck hadn't held, they were within Camelot's boarders and if they were caught by any of King Uther's knights they knew they needed to get out and get out fast. As she looked around she decided on a plan.
"Ackley, Tye," the two men looked to her. "You two will stay here with the horses. Start making your way home."
"But…" both started.
"You two aren't magic users. You can safely get through, even if you cross paths with any of Camelot's knights, please understand that, and I don't mean this as an insult but both of you appear unassuming. If you are stopped by those with true authority say you are bringing the horses to your master, they will most likely let you pass." They nodded their heads.
"Gwaine, Cromwell, Hayes, Knox, Wyatt, Shaw you're with me. Shaw, you Crom and Hayes take out the guards on the outer wall, do it quick and do it quiet. After they are out signal us. I can feel several magical signatures within the ruins. One is Morgause and she's near the one whose been sending out the pulses, but there's another one that's not a blood guard. I can't get a good read. Their magic is shifting too much, they're untrained, so most likely Morgause's newest puppet, if they're cooperative. If not, they're her next victim." They all nodded their heads and went about following her orders. It didn't take long for Shaw to signal the rest of them. When they entered the ruins they felt a magical outburst that was so strong that it almost knocked them back.
"How can they not feel this?" asked Cromwell, the only other magic user in the group.
"They probably do but I bet they don't know how far reaching it is," Runa supplied.
"Why aren't we using the shield dampeners?" Crom whispered.
"I need to get closer to the person sending out the pulses," Runa replied.
"Why?"
"Because magic is probably the only thing keeping this guy alive," Gwaine provided, like it was obvious. Runa just gave him a smile. She needed to get a better recognition of his power signature to specify the dampeners to not affect his magic. Crom just looked at Gwaine incredulously but he also knew that Gwaine was right. Once they entered the great hall and found no one Runa stopped them.
"Wyatt, Knox," she whispered. "You go up those stairs. Try and find the person being kept up there. Be careful though, we don't know if they are on Morgause's side or not." They nodded and off they went. "The rest of us are going down this way," she indicated the staircase leading down. "I only sense one person up, the rest are down. We need to move quietly but quickly." The others bobbed their heads and followed her. As they moved down they heard screams but they sounded hoarse to them. Runa had looked to Gwaine with sorrow in her eyes but also a steely determination. Gwaine nodded to reassure her that he was with her. Her smile was his reward.
There was only one cell down that was closed, and it made Runa think that perhaps the person upstairs wasn't as cooperative as she first thought. As they surrounded the door Runa could hear muffled voices but what really worried her was the slow but steady stream of magic that was flowing out of Morgause's victim. He didn't have much time left but the steady flow was all she needed. She kept her magic close to her heart but reached out to entangle hers with his, allowing her magic to register his so he wasn't affect by what she was about to do. Once she had a good record of his magic she slowly started to send magic toward him to add to his low reserves while simultaneously setting up the dampening wards. Once the wards were in place there was silence and they braced themselves for the coming onslaught.
"AHHHHH!" Merlin screamed as one of the Blood Guards placed a red-hot iron on the wound that Morgause had just reopened for the umpteenth time. While the iron closed the wound they never cleansed it, he knew his blood was filled with poison, he knew he didn't have a lot of time left but he wanted to give Morgana the chance to get away. He understood that he couldn't control his magical outbursts but he hoped that just once he could, just enough to release Morgana or get her far, far away from Morgause's clutches.
"You truly do have spine," Morgause as she slowly circled the stung up servant. "Your power is wasted on the Pendragon's. Lend your power to me, and it would be rewarded greatly. Think about it, magic reigns, you as a lord, if you wanted to keep the pampered prince alive well you could always make him your servant." As Morgause spoke she ran her blade across Merlin's skin leaving shallow cuts all over his already heavily scarred body. It hadn't taken Merlin long to see how truly mad Morgause was. All she craved was power, she was already a powerful sorceress, a High Priestess of the Old Religion, but she wanted more. And she had almost broken him. He hoped he died from the poison in his blood before she succeeds, he hoped for death, because he didn't want to hurt his friends. Apparently Morgause didn't like being ignored and exchanged her blade for a barbed whip, with a 'crack' she brought it down across Merlin's back eliciting another scream this time causing a magical outburst.
Merlin slumped in his chains, his wrists taking his full weight, not that it was much considering Morgause didn't really feed him. She gave him just enough to keep him alive. She uncorked a potion bottle and yanked his head back and shoved the contents down his throat. The contents burned his throat and made his blood feel on fire. He understood this made his blood clot quicker so he didn't bleed out but for some reason it didn't do anything for the infection in his blood.
"I grow tired of this," Morgause said moving back. "Perhaps I should move on to my sister." Her words brought Merlin a little bit of strength in his anger.
"You… stay… away from her!" he seethed brining his feet back under him.
"Then join me," she soothed as she ran her hand across his bare bloody scarred chest. "She would never come to harm by my hand, especially if she knew we were on the same side." She almost purred her words and even in Merlin's pain clouded mind knew she was trying something but he just couldn't for the life of him understand what it was.
"I will never join you," he said with conviction.
"At least not willingly," Morgause said moving away her face twisting into a horrid mask. "But your magic is almost exhausted so your defense against certain types of magic is almost non existent." At her maliciously gleeful tone Merlin blanched. He knew his magic was down but he had no idea that it would have protected him for what she was planning. This was probably her plan all along, he thought. "I just need you a little weaker."
She moved to her wall of torture instruments, and perused the wall as if she was picking out a book to read. Merlin didn't want her to win so he did what he thought he had to do. He started trying to direct his magic for one purpose, he knew it wouldn't work on the chains as they were warded against being broken by magic, but he needed to get Morgana out so he tried to let the last bit of his magic out in a stream to unlock her chamber door.
He could feel his eyes clouding in pain and exhaustion, as he didn't have that much magic to give, when suddenly he could feel a cool stream of magic slowly filling his nearly depleted reserves. He felt like he could take a deep breath but then he heard Morgause let out a foul curse, when nothing happened and her eyes widened into what he could only call panic, Merlin knew there was a chance.
Morgause had been talking with her Blood Guard about what they were going to be doing when suddenly there was a heavy pressure that was crushing her. She knew this feeling and she had only felt this once before and she had barely gotten out alive. She immediately spoke a curse toward the servant but nothing happened. Morgause started to panic, though she tried not to show it. There was only one person strong enough to block her magic completely without using something on her person and if she was here then that meant she wasn't getting out of this without a fight.
She silently signaled to her guards to draw their swords as she did the same. She then gave them a non-verbal command, stating that they would go through the door first. She knew they would be killed, of that she had no doubt and she could always get more Blood Guards. When she looked toward the biggest thorn in her side, she expected him to death's doorstep but instead he seemed to be regaining his strength. How is that possible?! Morgause thought. I know this spell suppresses all but the castor unless… A look of fury over took her features. She knew her magic was useless now but that didn't mean she was going to leave him uninhibited. She looked at the sword in her hand and in a quick move buried it into the manservant's side once again, reopening the already festering and singed wound. Merlin let out a hoarse cry.
At his cry the door burst open revealing the woman Morgause hoped to never see again. Runa, the beautiful red headed warrior and witch, who was more than a match for her, she had only gotten away the last time they crossed by the very skin of her teeth. She looked furious and from behind her poured in four more men, three of whom she knew but the roguish looking one, she did not. There were no words just furious glares then there was a horrendous sound as the sword was removed from Merlin's side. It seemed the pain was too much and he passed out but his wound was quickly losing blood.
Almost instantly they crossed weapons. Morgause her blade, Runa her battle staff, summarily the small chamber was filled with the sounds of battle. Morgause just barely missed being hit with the battle staff, she knew better than to let that weapon touch her, it had nasty surprises, especially since she couldn't use her magic. Suddenly two of her guards were dead but she and her remaining three guards were on the other side of the chamber, the side with the door. She bolted out the door scarcely hearing Runa's orders.
"Crom, Shaw, Hayes! Follow her!"
Morgause could hear the running feet behind her and knew these men could be ruthless under the right circumstances and she had created just that. She had tried to kill their King.
Morgana was pacing her chambers. She knew that today was the day, she didn't know why but she knew Merlin wouldn't last past today and she wasn't leaving without him. She was contemplating what to do, as the woman's help didn't seem to be coming, when she heard the sounds of doors opening. She hurried over to the door to listen but she heard no voices. As she leaned against the door she heard the clunk of her door unlocking but before she could open it she heard the footsteps coming toward her door.
She immediately moved back and looked around frantically trying to find anything she could use as a weapon. Her eyes landed on the heavy tray that held her supper, untouched, and quickly moved the food and drink aside. With tray in hand she hid behind where the door was likely to open. As she waited she could just barely hear the quiet muffled voices on the other side but as the door creaked open she raised the tray above her head.
"This is the last one," Wyatt said. "You ready?" Knox nodded. They steeled themselves because this was a magic user and the wards weren't up yet so they had to be quick and or quiet to get the drop on them. Wyatt went first and as he slowly moved inside he didn't take notice of the woman behind the door who held a tray aloft. Knox did though but only when she smashed the tray hard against his face. He not only heard but also felt the crunch of his nose being broken and blood gushing.
"Arugh!"
When Wyatt turned around he was only able to catch a glimpse of a woman's retreating form as she raced off down the hall.
"Are you okay?" he asked his companion. Knox held his hand to his bleeding nose and waved off his friend to follow the woman. Wyatt gave chase but this woman was fast and she was knocking things over trying to encumber his path but he wasn't going to be deterred, but why isn't she using magic?
Morgana felt a little bad because now that she thought beyond the moment they weren't dressed like the Blood Guard or even bandits. They had finely made travel clothes and vests that were well disguised but she could tell they were actually leather armor. Fine but well used swords and sheaths, maybe this is the help that woman spoke about. Morgana just shook her head she didn't have the luxury of placing her hope on these people, these strangers. She had to rely on herself to get her and Merlin out of this situation.
She was running down a staircase when suddenly there was a heavy pressure on her chest. She didn't know what it was but it didn't slow her for long because she just hoped it wasn't because she was too late. I can't be too late, she thought. I just can't be. Tears were filling her eyes and spilling over but she quickly wiped them away because she needed her eyes clear not hazy. She finally reached the main floor. She had been carried up three weeks prior so she didn't know where she needed to go so that she reached the dungeons, when suddenly she heard a ruckus coming from a one of the many halls.
Abruptly Morgause and three of her Blood Guards came barreling out of one of the halls. They looked around and when Morgause spotted Morgana she started moving toward her quickly. Morgana in turn backpedaled until she ran into a solid body, when she looked up she recognized one of the men that had come to her chambers. He must have seen the fear in her face because in one fluid motion she was behind him, his body shielding hers.
"Morgause," the man seethed. "I don't think so." His sword was in front of him and when Morgana looked around him she saw three other men who were dressed similarly come out of the same hall Morgause had. Merlin must be that way, Morgana thought. Morgana slowly started moving her way to the hall as the men surrounded Morgause and her Guards. The first clang of swords meeting rang out as Morgana reached the hall and she quickly left them to their battle.
"Crom, Shaw, Hayes! Follow her!" Runa ordered and as her men took off she turned toward the man who was stung up. The sight nauseated her. She would never forget the sight for the rest of her life. The young man was strung up by chains that had cut into his wrists that were bleeding and flowing down his arms, she couldn't count the number of scars and wounds on his skinny chest but it was his seeping wound that needed their immediate attention.
"Gwaine get him down!" she commanded immediately moving to his side. She felt at his throat for his heartbeat, it was slow but steady. Gwaine had only hesitated a moment because he honestly had never seen anything like this. He went over to the wall where the chain was anchored and quickly unwound it, wrapping it around his arm so that he could control the man's decent. He was slowly lowered to the ground and let out an unconscious groan as he was laid out. Runa ripped one of her sleeves and used it to put pressure on the young man's wound. She heard ripping behind her, when she looked Gwaine had ripped off both his sleeves and was tying them together so they could wrap it around him. Runa kept the pressure but then she moved a little back so that Gwaine could lift the man.
"He's too light, Ru," Gwaine commented. Runa just nodded and took the improvised bandage and wrapped it around the man's scrawny torso. After she was finished Gwaine lowered him back to the ground. He had started shivering, probably from the blood loss but Gwaine just removed his cloak and laid it over the injured man. When he looked up he noticed Runa was looking intently at the wall of pain then she just shook her head. She looked back to the two dead Guards with remorse in her eyes. She always hated it when someone died whether they were friend or foe but then she steeled herself and turned back toward Gwaine and the injured man.
"We need a litter to carry him so that we don't jostle him, but I don't want to waste time looking for one." Gwaine nodded but then he stood quickly and reached for his sword. When Runa whipped around there in the doorway was beautiful young woman who looked disheveled, whose eyes seemed glazed but when those eyes landed on the injured man her expression became so heart wrenching that both Runa and Gwaine were uncomfortable. She slumped against the doorway lips trembling, tears spilling out and chest heaving as if trying to get breath. She started shaking her head back and forth as if refusing to believe what she saw before her.
"No," she said quietly. "NO!" As she screamed her eyes flashed gold and all around them the ruins started to rumble. Runa looked up to her sharply, shocked at her raw magical power. She looked to Gwaine who was trying to keep his balance as the world shook.
"Gwaine! Knock her out before she brings the ruins down around us!" Runa yelled as she set up a shield to protect them. Gwaine quickly obeyed and in three quick strides brought his sword hilt down on the back of her neck but before she fell into darkness she whispered one thing.
"Merlin…"
As Gwaine gently placed the woman to rest against the wall, Runa lowered the shield. She looked at the woman in amazement. That was a lot of raw power, she thought. I hope that it was just amplified by emotion because someone this powerful with no control could be really dangerous. When Gwaine stood he looked back over to Runa with a question in his eyes but she just shook her head.
"I don't think she's with Morgause," he said, startling Runa who looked at him with a question on her face. "She just freaked out seeing him like this and I think she said his name. I believe she said 'Merlin'."
"Then we'll take her with us," Runa affirmed. Gwaine just nodded. Soon they heard footsteps and were immediately back on alert but when Crom came through the door soon followed by Wyatt, Shaw, Hayes and finally Knox she knew she hadn't lost any men and to her that was important, more important than getting Morgause. "What happened?"
"We almost had her but then that rumbling started," Shaw started. "But then we were distracted with trying to keep upright without being hit with falling debris, Hayes had just killed her last Blood Guard when she was able to catch him off guard with a blow…"
"Which I blocked," Hayes interrupted snippily.
"Anyway she used the distraction to take off down another hall and before we could follow her the entranceway collapsed." They all look guilty that they hadn't gotten Morgause but Runa was happier to know they were alive and so would their King. Then she noticed Knox's bloody face.
"What happened to you?" she asked incredulously. He cut his eyes to the unconscious woman then away.
"No," Runa said shaking her head as a smile blossomed over her face. "She got you? With what?" Knox mumbled something under his breath and Runa, with a big smile on her face, just turned her ear toward him. "Sorry I didn't get that?" He gave her a look like he would get her back for this but she just continued on smiling.
"A tray," he said gruffly. Runa let out a snort of amusement. "I'm glad you find this amusing."
"I'm sorry but you have to admit it is a little funny," Runa said, her voice full of mirth. "That this little slip of a girl got the better of you. You may not laugh right now because the pain is so fresh but I know you will." He just gave her a look and she could tell he was trying not to smile but then his gaze fell to the injured man and that look disappeared. His expression brought her back to a more immediate problem.
"Crom, we need to turn one of the cloaks and those rods into a litter." Crom nodded taking off his own cloak and with a muttered spell some rods flew through the air, within seconds the cloak and rods had been turned into a litter.
"Hayes, Wyatt, lift him carefully. I don't want to irritate his wounds anymore than we have to." At her orders the men quickly moved to follow them.
"Gwaine bring her over here," she indicated the unconscious woman. Gwaine did as he was told as Hayes and Wyatt placed the tortured man on the litter and gently picked it up. Knox and Shaw joined them in supporting the litter, even though the man was light they wanted to make sure all four corners were supported. As they gathered around, Runa started muttering a spell, her turquoise eyes bleeding to gold. As she spoke a golden circle of light surrounded them and under their feet golden runes etched onto the floor. With one last word the light intensified and they were gone.
Okay done! Please Review! I love reviews! Also please like and follow if you enjoyed. And sorry if this is a little cliffy but I promise they are in good hands.
