Merlin was absolutely baffled. "This is impossible, why isn't it working at all?"
The witch was staring at him. "You're a warlock? I can't believe it! How many people in this castle practise magic right under the king's nose?"
He turned to her. "Why isn't it working?"
She shrugged. "Maybe you're not powerful enough either."
"No, I am," Merlin persisted. "Something isn't right... I should be able to -" A thought suddenly popped in his mind. "Wait. You said this was dryad magic."
"Yes, so?"
"What if it can only be cast by a dryad, or by someone with dryad blood?"
"What, you mean -"
"That your grandmother might have been telling the truth, yes."
"No, I told you, she was crazy," the witch dismissed.
"Maybe not as much as you think."
"I'm telling you, I don't have dryad blood! I..." She sighed. "You know, it doesn't matter. I still can't cast that spell efficiently, and apparently neither can you."
"But there's got to be a way... We're so close... We have the spell, we have the spell caster, all we need is..." His voice trailed off, and he smiled. "I think I have an idea."
Merlin took his magic book out of his bag again and flipped through the pages hastily. He knew there was something in there that could be used. "There!" he exclaimed, and handed the book to the witch. "Do you think you could do this?"
While he let her read the page, Merlin started to search Gwen's house for what he would need.
"Are you sure about this?" the witch asked after a few seconds. "I mean, it could be dangerous. Especially for you."
"Yes, I'm sure," Merlin confirmed. "It's rosemary, laurel, and?"
"And thyme," she read.
"Right." Merlin picked up a branch of the last ingredient from one of Gwen's shelves, thankful his friend had these cooking herbs handy. "So will you be able to do it?" he asked while tying the ingredients together.
"I suppose." The witch paused. "The Prince, he doesn't know you're a warlock, does he?"
"He doesn't, and I'd rather it remained that way. We should hurry, he could be back any minute now," Merlin urged as he walked back near the bed and gave a quick look at his magic book to memorise the spell. "Dahalee marook vor!"
The assembled herbs glittered briefly.
"Good. Now we can -"
The sound of the latch. Merlin barely had the time to shut the magic book, slide it in his bag and hide the herbs in his closed fist before Arthur walked in, carrying some bread and fruits.
"How is Guinevere doing?" he immediately asked. "Any improvement?"
"No," Merlin answered.
When Arthur handed the food to the witch, she shook her head. "Thanks but that won't be necessary."
"Then you'd better have found some other way to cure her," Arthur insisted, "because otherwise I'd -"
Gwen wailed in her sleep.
They didn't have the time to wait for Arthur to leave again, Merlin realised. They had no other choice but to act right in front of him. But to keep it discreet they'd have to involve him in some way...
"Actually," he told Arthur, "we talked and indeed, there may be a way to make the spell work, but it will require both our cooperation."
"How so?"
"Apparently, even if we don't have any magical abilities, we can lend some spiritual support to increase the spell's strength. Right?" Merlin concluded by turning to the witch with an insisting look, hoping she'd play along.
The witch just nodded silently. Merlin wished she looked a little more convincing.
"All right, how can we do that?" Arthur asked.
Merlin held out his hand to him.
Arthur stared at his extended hand with an eyebrow raised, then looked back at Merlin. "Is this some kind of joke?"
"Well, you don't have to help, it's all right if you don't want to..." Merlin provoked with a shrug.
Arthur sighed, rolled his eyes, and took Merlin's hand at last. "If this ever gets out of here..." he warned.
"My lips are sealed," Merlin teased. Then he proceeded to grab the witch's hand, the enchanted herbs carefully hidden in his free hand's palm, but she evaded him at the last moment.
"Sire," she hailed Arthur with a slightly mischievous smile, "this is as close as you can get to practising magic yourself. Are you sure you're willing to do this?"
Merlin cursed inwardly. This was a very ill chosen moment to settle political disagreements.
"Yes," Arthur simply answered.
"So you're willing to go against your father's law yourself in order to save this woman's life?"
"Isn't that what I've already been doing all day?" Arthur replied in a whisper, his jaw clenched.
The witch observed him for a second. "She must be one really good friend."
Arthur remained silent at her assertion, his lips pursed.
Gwen whimpered again.
"Could we get on with this?" Merlin insisted.
He took the witch's hand at last, praying that it would work, for it would probably be their last chance. And it did work.
As soon as their hands came into contact, the enchanted herbs trapped between their palms, Merlin instantly sensed the witch's magic nearly as part of his own. It was distant and felt foreign. It also lacked the strength he was accustomed to.
Merlin knew it was the same for the witch and she could certainly feel this newly formed common pool of power. But her reaction to his magic wasn't quite the same as his was to hers. When their hands touched she took a sharp intake of breath, looking both surprised and somewhat overwhelmed.
"Wow. You weren't kidding," she told him, sounding winded.
"Anything wrong?" Arthur asked.
"Nothing," Merlin shrugged it off. "Just... Cold hand."
The prince frowned at his answer, but finally dismissed it. "So, what do we need to do?" he asked the witch.
It took her a second to understand what he was referring to. "Oh. Right. Hum... You just need to... close your eyes and... concentrate. On your friend. While I cast the spell."
"That's it?"
"Pretty much."
Arthur nodded. "Sounds easy enough. Let's hope it works this time."
Yes, Merlin agreed, let's hope it worked...
After Arthur closed his eyes, Merlin nodded the witch to begin. She placed her hand above Gwen's neck. Merlin silently mouthed the words at the same time she pronounced them.
"Toorhim farunka sitow!"
Merlin felt his magic flow from him to the witch and then to Gwen, as the witch tapped directly his power to cast the spell. It was demanding, draining and unlike any magic he had ever practised.
After several long and exhausting seconds of spell casting, the witch stood back, obviously spent and out of breath. She immediately removed her hand from Merlin's. He was a little puzzled to see her so eager to break contact, but immediately forgot about it when he took a look at Gwen.
"It worked!" Arthur exclaimed with a wide smile when he opened his eyes. "She's healed! She's entirely healed!" He sounded exhilarated. "That magic thing wasn't so bad. I think I even felt that connection between all three of us at some point!"
Merlin briefly turned to the witch and saw her shake her head slightly, confirming that Arthur had certainly imagined it all.
"Wait, she's still unconscious..." Arthur suddenly noticed with worry as he gently pushed a strand of hair away from Gwen's forehead.
"The drug is still active," Merlin explained. "She'll wake when it wears off."
Arthur nodded. Merlin saw him instinctively reach out to grab Gwen's hand but change his mind at the last moment, with a quick look at him and the witch from the corner of his eye.
"Are you all right?" Arthur abruptly asked the witch. Merlin noted that indeed, she looked pale and tired.
"I... could use some rest," she admitted.
"I'm extremely grateful for what you did tonight," Arthur began solemnly. "I shall not forget it and I'll see to it that you get out of Camelot safe and sound. But it will have to wait until tomorrow. We all need to rest and we also need to think of a plan to get you past the garrisons at the castle's exits." Then he turned to Merlin. "I'll stay here and keep an eye on Guinevere until she wakes up. I want you to take our new friend to some place where she can rest."
"Some place? Where?" Merlin questioned.
Arthur shrugged. "I don't know, the laboratory..."
"It's the middle of the night, Gaius is probably there sleeping!"
"Anywhere, then, I'm sure you'll find something," Arthur assured as he resolutely led them towards the door. "I'll meet with you tomorrow."
"What about the -" Merlin barely had the time to begin before the door was slammed shut, leaving him and the witch outside. He sighed with frustration. "You know, if you want to stay alone with her, just say it," he suggested, loud enough for Arthur to hear him through the door, but the prince had apparently decided to ignore him.
Merlin sighed again. "You're welcome, by the way," he whispered.