Title: The legend of a Warlock who Served the Once and Future King
Author: Lamiabellascrittore
Rating: T+
Warnings: Violence, sexual content, adult situations and more- deal with it. There is more to come.
Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, or any of the characters. If I did there would be a season six, seven, eight, and so on, and a movie, of course.
Spoilers: Possibly.
Summary: Merlin and Arthur go on a mission that was supposed to be strictly reconnaissance. However, nothing ever goes as planned, and they get separated. Merlin is kidnapped by Morgana and Arthur must find a way to rescue his ever loyal servant. But, will Arthur still save Merlin after he learns Merlin has magic? This story is building up to the battle of Camlann. There most likely will be a sequel if you all want.
A/N: Okay, so this is my first Published Fan Fiction. Please read and review.
If you liked it I will continue. Please be kind. ;) The more you review the more likely it is that I will continue this story and more. Sorry for any errors, it becomes difficult after editing it so many times. It becomes a lot like a word repeated over and over again until it no longer makes any sense.
I hope you enjoy...
Chapter 19
Darker Days
"How much longer do we have to travel?" Gwain asked for the twelfth time in three hours.
"Your bum getting sore, Gwain?" Ranoue inquired laughingly, taking the opportunity to pick on him as he had been picking on Ranoue.
"It passed sore two days ago, kid. Now its numb, and at this point I don't think I'll be getting any feeling back for a while."
"Stop your whining." Leon snapped in good humor. "I'm sure your rear can take a beating." Leon teased. Percival barked a laugh, but was silenced by Gwain's scowl. "The map says that we'll be there in less than a day. If its accurate." Leon continued, suppressing a smile.
"I'm hungry too." Gwain pouted.
Arthur rolled his eyes, but reached behind him and grabbed an apple from his saddle pack. He tossed it at the roguish Knight. Gwain caught it with a big smile. "Thanks, princess." Gwain frowned and rubbed at his short beard growing. "Or well Queen rather." Gwain laughed at his own humor. He took a bite of the green and red apple. Its juices dripping down his chin.
Arthur shook his head at his antics. He couldn't bring himself to smile. He hasn't since they started this journey looking for Merlin. When they had moments like this he missed the idiot all the more. His playful jibs and light sarcastic remarks were what had kept Arthur sain and grounded through Morgana and Agravain's betrayal.
Arthur tuned the knights banter out as they road on. They left him to his thoughts knowing his unpredictable behavior. Everyone felt the dread and the fear of what they would find when and if they rescued Merlin. Arthur didn't know what to expect either. From Merlin's letter he wasn't as optimistic as he was when they originally set out. He was terrified of the consequences this war will ultimately have; and of how much of his friend was going to be left when it ended.
Arthur sighed. He needed to remember that war has casualties, and he can't save everyone. He couldn't save his father, or himself. What in the hell made him think he could save his best friend, let alone a kingdom and her people? Arthur knew he would fight for Camelot till his dieing breath but without Merlin by his side it made it difficult to believe that he could win a war against Morgana. Her magic was to powerful for him and his knights to defeat her and her forces alone and with out Emrys... they had no hope. Merlin was usually here to help Arthur keep his beliefs up. To help remind him that he could rule a kingdom and protect her people. But with out Merlin... everything was darker. Almost too dark.
Twilight set in as Arthur and the Knights got close to the borders of Morgana's territory. They knew by the frequent run-ins with the Morgana's border patrol; Saxons wearing black leather and chain mail armor with a white deformed dragon insignia on their left shoulder tried and failed to sneak up on them. Soon no more followed. Another five hours with no more ambushes from Saxons when Arthur stopped. Night was in full bloom. He found it odd no other Saxon's attacked still he was going to make use of the reprieve.
"We rest here for the night." Arthur said.
"Where are we?" Ranoue asked. He got off his horse looking around him. He didn't recognize anything.
Arthur dismounted and tied his horse to a low hanging branch. He too looked around him. He recognized his surrounding immediately. He and Merlin had walked through theses wood after his friend Will was put to rest a few years ago.
"We're on the outskirts of Ealdor." Arthur murmured.
Leon glanced at his map. "Your right." He said surprised. "But Ealdor shouldn't be anywhere near Morgana's territory. If we really are that close then Camelot is only a four days journey to the east. I don't get it."
"Unless Morgana had plans with the small farming village and that's why its marked on the map." Gwain said walking up next to Arthur. "Morgana has it out for Merlin. She had tried to kill him before, Arthur, what would stop her from making a move on Ealdor."
Arthur closed his eyes and leaned his forehead into the mare's neck for support. He pet her shoulder with his left hand to try and ease his turbulent emotions. She whined softly. Arthur thought about Merlin. Again. What Merlin was doing amidst Morgana's army? Merlin was the kind of man that inspired loyalty. Mostly because he was so loyal himself. He often did what he thought was right, the consequences be damned, and Arthur feared it would one day get Merlin killed.
"Smell that?" Garret asked, still atop his horse who turned in circles nervously. Garret looked around and sniffed the air, eyebrows pulled together. He settled the horse and dismounted with the reins in his hands.
"Yeah." Percival said. He dismounted cautiously. "What is that? Burning wood?" He sniffed the air.
"No way. That is not wood, my friend." Gwain said scrunching up his face in distaste.
"No, its not wood." Ranoue murmured sadly. "That is the smell of an entire village burned to the ground."
"How the hell could you know that?" Garret asked and looked at his friend incredulously. True there was still so much Garret didn't know about the kid but Garret felt obligated to look after him no matter what. He was after all his sisters widow. Garret promised to look out for Ranoue on her death bed.
"Because." Ranoue looked at Garret blankly. "It was the smell I woke up to when my village was burned to the ground by a sorcerer seeking refuge just over a year ago." Ranoue eyes hardened as did his voice.
Garret looked at him for a long while. He frowned. "He wasn't just some stray." He guessed. "You knew him." Garret narrowed his eyes speculatively. "Oh, God damn. Were you friends?"
Ranoue glared at him. "What?" Garret asked innocently. Ranoue ignored him and turned away. Garret came up beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. "You were family weren't you?"
Ranoue stiffened. He gripped the horse reins tighter bleaching his knuckles of color. They were friends, brothers... enemy's.
"Yeah." Something like that, Ranoue thought bitterly. He shrugged Garret's hand off of him."His presence brought the witch Morgana to my village and she decimated it."
"Why?" Leon asked. He shook his head. "What kind of animosity could she hold against him or your village?"
Ranoue didn't answer. He couldn't tell them that his village was druid, that he was druid. Morgana had destroyed Ranoue's village because they were unwilling to give any information on Emrys. Unlike Ranoue they were loyal to the warlock. Where he just felt a lot of resentment, as did a lot of other druids, they were loyal to Emrys.
Ranoue tied the reins to a branch and quietly started to walk towards the smell of burning ruins. Honestly Ranoue hoped he was wrong and it wasn't Ealdor.
Arthur shrugged at Gwain's questioning stare and fallowed the kid towards Merlin's home. Silently they made their way to Ealdor. The closer they got the more they smelled the destruction. The burning of homes, farms, crops, cattle and humans mixed together in a vortex of violating scents each more shocking than the last.
Arthur's eyes widened when he first laid eyes on the chard and blackened homes. How could have...Arthur shook his head. His hear ached and he felt sick. Who would have- Morgana, Arthur thought. She must have done this to keep Merlin in line or as a punishment. That was more her thing. Punishing those who disagree with her.
Arthur walked past a few destroyed homes nothing left but ash and ruin. He shook his head. Merlin and Arthur had arrived through this very passage when he had first visited Ealdor to help Merlin's mother with some brutish bully's. She she had been so lid to him it made him miss the mother he ever got to meet. Hunith, she-Arthur stopped dead in his tracks.
"Hunith!" Arthur shouted both mentally and verbally. He took of at a dead run towards the home she had been kind enough to share with him. He skidded to a halt.
The home was still standing. Not one flame seemed to have touched it. Confused, Arthur looked around him. Nothing else had survived. Cautiously he crept towards the unharmed home.
"Arthur, wait." Gwain called.
Arthur paused. As much as he hated it he was right. He needed to be smart about this and not go in swords drawn with no plan or back up.
"What the hell, Arthur?" Gwain panted. "What made you bolt like a startled stage?"
"Hunith." Arthur said impatiently.
"Hunith?" Leon asked.
"Merlin's mother." Arthur choked out.
Gwain paled. "This is his village." Gwain stated.
"Yeah." Arthur swallowed. He walked though the door into the small two room cottage. He looked around. There was a counter along the far wall under a good sized window. The ratty red drapes were closed. The table in the center near the fireplace was knocked over and the door to the other room was kicked open hanging from one hinge. With a heavy heart he went into the other room. There were two cots separated by a large thick dark fabric that hung from the ceiling as a pretend wall. Nothing. It was empty.
"Look at this." Leon exclaimed from the corner of the front room.
Arthur rushed over shoving his way through the doorway past Garret. "What is it?" Arthur asked as he reached him. Leon handed Arthur the sheath of a woman's dagger. It was red with gold engraving. He knew that work anywhere. He hoped it didn't belong to who he thought it did. He took the hilt to examine.
Garret walked into the room and stood next to Ranoue who knelt on the ground. He reached under one of the cots and came up with a bloodied dagger, quite petite. A woman's if he had to guess. Dried blood encrusted to the hilt and blade dulling the delicately engraved red and gold handle. Ranoue stood up and brushed past Garret to go find Arthur.
"Arthur, I found something you might need to see." Ranoue said timidly from behind him.
Arthur turned around. Ranoue handed him a dagger. The dry blood blunted the shine but he recognized it all the same. It confirmed Arthur's fears. Morgana had been here. This was a statement. No one was safe especially the innocent who were just pawns in a bloody game of thrones.
Arthur sheathed the dagger and put it in his belt opposite his sword. He didn't hold much faith that Hunith was still alive. He could only hope she died quickly. A bubble of rage rose in his chest. He cleared he throat.
"Lets go." Arthur said moodily.
Arthur left the small cottage without a word or backwards glance. He couldn't stand to be in there another second. That ripe red rage swelled in him about to burst and he needed to get away for his men before he erupted. The back of his neck and his shoulder blades burned as if a fire was building under his skin. His heart pounded in his chest blocking out any other noise. He stormed through the destroyed village not sparing a looked at the destruction around him.
He reached the safety of the trees. He drew his sword and with a tortured cry he lashed out at the closest tree. A helpless sapling no thicker than Percival's arm.
Arthur could no longer contain his anger. The fear, the frustration, betrayal and despair overwhelmed him in a crushing grip of black out rage. One. Two. Three more strikes and there was a resounding crack his sword sliced through the sapling cutting it in half. Arthur slammed his sword down stabbing half the blade into the earth.
He tossed back his head and screamed. "Fuck!" He shouted with all his might.
Arthur took a deep breath to collect himself. He put that hot rage inside a box and slammed the lid shut locking it in as tight as he could. He ran his hands through his hair. He rolled his shoulders and looked up at the cloudy sky. He could do this. He turned back towards Ealdor to rejoin his Knights but couldn't make himself move. He sighed and instead headed back to the horses to wait for them.