A/N: This was so unbelievably hard to write! The end is approaching, and if there's one thing I really hate with all my heart, that would be endings. Only seven more chapters to go and so many things to do!
Reviews are, as always, much appreciated. Sorry for not answering the last ones, by the way... I'll do better this time.
Chapter 23 – One Step Ahead
Slowly, the door cracked open, just enough to allow a slender figure to enter the semi-dark chamber. The figure looked around, like he or she was trying to see where someone or something was hiding, then shrugged, and continued on.
The figure was, of course, Merlin, and because he was Merlin, he managed to stumble over one of Gaius' stools and, taking this item of furniturewith him, he went down with a loud noise. He stopped dead and, cocking his head to the side and obviously listening intently, he waited for a few moments. When he heard nothing, he got back up, stumbling as he did so, and then moved on, toward the door that led to his own room. Merlin sighed in relieve when he'd reached it and tried to open it – but the door wouldn't move. He was just about to try again when he heard someone move behind him: "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
The warlock turned round with a startled yell, and simultaneously to him shrieking like a girl, the fire in the fireplace burst into life.
"Merlin", I sighed tiredly, "what if anyone but me had seen that?"
The warlock shrugged and gave me one of his wide grins: "I'm sure I could come up with a reasonable expla- what happened?"
The warlock rushed over to the bed, beside which I was sitting on a stool and on which Gaius lay, a bandage around his head.
"He'll be all right", I reassured him, "he's sleeping now", but gave him some time to examine his mentor himself (rather more expertly than I had done). When he had finished, he poured himself some water and sat down by the bed, too. I knew he'd been in the tavern with Percival and Leon, though without Gwaine, who had other things to do apparently, and he looked like it, groggy and a bit drunk. While he emptied his beaker, becoming soberer every minute, I told him about a certain remnant that had survived the Purge and was currently lurking around somewhere in his room, looking for someone whose magic it could have for a snack.
When I explained how the Gean Canach took people's magic away, his face paled exceedingly, especially since if I hadn't returned from a run for Gaius sooner than expected, I could've been too late. He narrowly escaped being attacked by the slug, but only because I had found Gaius on the floor, unconscious, and had checked the warlock's room immediately, only to find the disgusting, blackish, slimy thing sliding towards me. I had shut the door as fast as I could, tended to Gaius, and then waited for Merlin to return.
"But", I finished, stifling a tired yawn, "this gives us a shot at Morgana."
"How?", Merlin asked incredulously.
"I have a plan", I said, and couldn't hold back an excited grin. The familiar feeling of doing a tale-changer's work was as delightful as it was unexpected, since I had so gotten used to not being on top of anything and always realising what was going on only when it was too late. But now, finally, I was one step ahead of everyone else, and I would not let that chance pass by unused. Not when Camlann was approaching – and it was approaching fast.
I found Gwaine in the armoury, whettinghis sword. Normally the familiar movement of his hands calmed me down, but now it made me even more nervous. I vaguely wondered why he was still awake at so late an hour, but I was mostly relieved I hadn't had to untangle him from the spy's arms.
I had tried to think of a way to tell Gwaine about Eira, but no matter how I tried it out in my head, trying to anticipate every possible way the conversation could go, I had no idea what he would say.
When I entered, he looked up at me, and then instantly back to his sword, obviously avertinghis eyes from me, which unnervedme as well, but there was no turning back now.
"Gwaine, I need to talk to you."
He nodded.
"It's about Eira." The knight raised his head and paused what he was doing, then stared impatiently at me when I hesitated.
"She's a spy for Morgana", I burst out, and then immediately regretted it, since his face lost all of its colour and became even whiter than Merlin's had on the prospect of loosing his magic.
"Are you sure?"
I opened my mouth, but he immediately raised a hand, a bitter smile on his face, "Don't answer that." He sighed and pushed an unruly strand of hair out of his face: "What do I need to tell her?"
"Merlin, you, and I are riding for the Valley of Fallen Kings. Tell her it's a favour for Merlin, and that you won't be long."
Gwaine nodded, his expression still pained.
"Look, I'm... really sorry about this", I murmured, earning an ungrateful look from the knight, who returned to whetting his sword rather forcefully.
"I really am, Gwaine", I added, and then left, because I felt like I had betrayed him somehow. His expression haunted me for the rest of the evening and most of the night.
In the morning, when Merlin and I were just getting ready for our departure to the famous Valley, pandemonium broke out in the courtyard.
"Go", I said and gave Merlin a thumbs-up, at which he frowned, before he hurried out of the room to go and find Arthur while I packed the last of the things we would need.
Shortly after the door to Gaius' chamber opened again, and Gwaine came in, his face ashen: "The garrison at Stowell has been attacked!"
I dropped the phial I had been holding and shattering on the floor, it spilled its blueish contents all over the place, smelling of a weird herbal mixture.
I tried to regain my breath. The attack on Stowell was how the war with Morgana started: She attacked when Merlin, or from her perspective, Emrys, was at his weakest. In answer to this attack, Arthur would ride to Camlann to stop his crazed sister, the ex-knight and their army. The sheer fact that I no matter what I did, Camlann was definitely happening, sent shivers down my spine.
"Have you given Eira the message?", I asked with my voice shaking.
Gwaine's shoulders tensed, but he nodded.
"We need to hurry."
"So you want me to leave Arthur when he will be needing me most?" Merlin, Gwaine and I were standing in the courtyard. While everywhere around us people were busy tending to wounded knights and townspeople who had escaped the attack on their city, the warlock and me had a heated discussion.
"I know I'm asking much, Merlin, but..."
He shook his head: "You don't. He doesn't. He'll think I have betrayed him. I'm supposed to be at his side, always. Right now they are preparing for a meeting at the table, and I should be there for him!"
Gwaine shifted his weight uneasily when at the other end of the courtyard, Leon appeared and began to make his way over to us.
Meanwhile Merlin was glaring at me, his usually pale face flushed: "He will think I'm betraying him! He'll think me a coward!"
"Arthur knows you're not", Gwaine mumbled, while I tried my best not to grab Merlin's shoulders and shake him until he saw sense again: "If we don't go soon, we'll make her suspicious, and when she's suspicious, we won't be able to get her. Merlin, please! Think! We need to give Arthur his best chance, and this might be it!"
"I know you're right", Merlin finally managed, "but he won't understand it."
"We'll come back in time", I told him without really thinking about it.
"Can you promise me that?"
I felt tears well in my eyes when I shook my head and the warlock gave me a smile that almost tore my heart in two.
Leon had been side-tracked by some refugees on his way to us, but I knew he saw us leaving the courtyard with three of the fastest horses the stable could offer. I could almost feel his stare of disbelief following us until we were well out of sight.
