A/N: Please read and review. I would love to hear any and all comments. I would appreciate no destructive comments, but I welcome critique.

Chapter Four: At Her Mercy

As one they ran for the forest beyond them leaving behind their horses and supplies. Arthur ran in front leading the way while Merlin kept eyes at their backs. Using his magic Merlin took down those who pursued with roots and branches, if they got to close. His eyes flashed in brief intervals of brilliant gold before becoming their natural blue. The only indication that he had used magic.

Once he was sure no one else was on their trail yet, he cast a spell to hide it, making sure that Arthur's prints never even left a mark on the slightly damp earth. Nothing, not even a crack of a branch under his food sounded as he ran. He grunted in approval, nearly tripping over his feet clumsily. He was pretty uncoordinated as it was, but with the blood loss, fatigue and pain, he was even more so, it was a miracle he managed to stay upright at all.

The pain in Merlin's side was almost to much for him, but his magic was helping dull the pain as his adrenalin pumped through his veins. Merlin stumbled once again, only this time he couldn't keep standing and caught himself on a young tree. He leaned on it for a few moments before pushing himself off the tree and forcing himself to stand on his own.

His lungs burned with each breath and his head spun, the world tilted dangerously. He had a difficult time fighting off the sudden bout of nausea. He swallowed beck the lump in his throat and looked ahead. Arthur was no where in sight. He must not have notice Merlin's absent footsteps behind him, too caught up in running for his life, or the prat actually listened to him, and kept his royal back side safe.

He straightened up when he heard noisy footsteps charging through the forest towards him, obviously they had to be Morgana's men. Merlin was glad Arthur didn't stop. This way Merlin could just end this with magic. Hopefully with out any casualties, such as himself.

But before Merlin could turn around a very familiar laugh made him freeze. He felt his hardened facade crack just the slightest. It still hurt to hear her voice. It was so conflicted with the woman who once held his heart.

"Hello Merlin," She said, hostility sharpened her voice. He knew that voice. It haunted him every night. The high priestess, Morgana Pendragon, Arthur's half sister, and the Witch who wanted Arthur's throne.

Slowly, Merlin turned around, eyes tightly shut, wishing for all that he was worth that this was simply a nightmare, and if wishing got him nowhere, then, he hopped that his magic could just whisk her far far away from him right now.

He opened his eyes. Yes, Morgana was indeed standing in front of him. Clearly he mustn't be all that powerful if he couldn't even make her disappear by just wishing, he thought sulkily. He swallowed thickly.

"Morgan," Merlin nodded slightly, greeting her hollowly. Both silently stared at each other noting the differences in appearance since their last run in a year ago.

Morgana always looked beautiful. Living as the kings ward there had always been a restrained ferocity about her. Now it ran free, and unchecked. Her black hair curled uncontrollably around her face, her green eyes were lined in black accenting her eyes and making her look feral and her lips were painted blood red. Beautiful, terrifyingly beautiful, Merlin thought disgustedly.

Morgana in turn noted how Merlin had changed. He had lost that air of innocence that surrounded him when he first arrived in Camelot. His blue eyes once so clear were hard and calculating, his mouth had lost that heart melting smile and his body had filled out where before he had been unnaturally thin. Beautiful, Morgana concluded sneeringly.

"So Morgana, I would ask you what you are doing here, but I did hear some rumors that you've made these woods your home." Merlin said with a slight smirk. He wanted to lie down, and shut his eyes, but he steeled himself and pushed away from the tree he didn't even notice he, again, was using for support and stood tall. He raised his chin defiantly.

Morgana's eyes flashed in anger. Acknowledging the not so subtle dig Merlin had aimed at her about how far she has fallen. "Shut up. Just. Shut. Up." She snapped, not so eloquently. He stifled a laugh. She whispered some words and suddenly something had pushed Merlin down and he was being tied up with invisible chains.

"What are you doing?" He chocked out. Now it was Morgana's turn to smirk. She came and stood over him.

"There is something so right about this...you at my mercy...the things I could do to you..." She purred.

Something gleamed in her green feline eyes, her tongue came out and licked her lips. Suddenly the air was tense. To Merlin's utter humiliation, he felt something flutter in his stomach. He shook his head angrily. Weather it was to physically deny what he was feeling or what she wanted to do to him, he didn't know. This seemed to anger Morgana, who bent down and grabbed a handful of his thick raven black hair, bringing his face up towards her. She was deceptively strong.

"You are now at my mercy. You move when I say you can. You talk when I say you can. Do you understand?" She hissed.

Merlin stared up at her with hard azure eyes. The silence lingered between them, and then he heard Morgana's breath catch. A small flare of triumph flickered momentarily in his eyes and then as quickly it disappeared. She may think she was in control but Merlin knew better. Whatever there was between them long ago was still smoldering deep, deep, inside all that hatred, and he was going to use it to his advantage. Oh, God, that sounded horrible even to himself. Still, she was a monster that stood out among the worst and he had to survive somehow.

"I have only one master and it is not you." Merlin said simply. With a shriek, Morgana screeched in the Old Religion and all went black...