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Merlin rode at the back of the knights, keeping his horse at a slower and calmer pace than the others. Arthur rode ahead of everyone at a strong and desperate pace, having to stop and wait for the knights and think of where he was really going. Maybe Merlin should tell Arthur that he had a map that he had been instructed by his Highness to bring. However, Merlin shook his head in a pleasing manner and smiled goofily at the Prince's foolishness. There was an upside to the King's poisoning.
Merlin galloped up to the group, but still kept his distance a little, feeling slightly embarrassed as their social status was higher than his. The group passed round some water and Merlin licked his dry lips, realising how sour and sticky his throat was. With a nudge on his left shoulder, Percival silently offered him a drink. Smiling his thanks, the secret young Warlock drank greedily, unknown to him that Percival smiled as he did so.
"Sir, are we lost?" Leon asked, moving his horse closer to the Prince's. Arthur looked at the man and opened his mouth, but no sound managed to come out.
"Why don't we just look at the map Merlin's got?" Gwaine suggested, looking down at his hands in his lap. The knight seemed calm, but bored. Arthur and the rest of the knights turned to Merlin, who was on the outside of the group.
"You have a map!" Arthur bellowed loud enough for the world to hear. Leon covered one of his hands on the ear closest to Arthur, symbolising that his eardrum had just burst. Laughing at Leon's painful expression and Arthur's mad-dog red face, Lancelot moved on the way they were meant to go.
"You told me to pack it," Merlin complained. "I just thought you hadn't asked for it because you knew where you were going," he said innocently, as Arthur's face started to turn purple.
"Get. It. Out. Now!" Arthur tried very hard not to scream at his idiotic servant, but didn't do too good of a job. Hurt, Merlin got the map and let Arthur violently rip it out of his hand. The knights waited restlessly like a bunch of mad, energetic children as the all mighty Prince of Camelot studied the map dumbly. Rolling it up again and putting it through his belt, Arthur galloped on; the knights close behind his tail. Merlin waited for them to vanish from eyes view. Thinking that they wouldn't miss him if he rode a different way, he chased loyally after them.
They rode for hours on end, everyone's backsides becoming sore with riding. It took them a long time, but after a journey and a half, they reached the outskirts of the forest.
You could only just see the tips of the trees over the giant gate. The wall separating the forest from the rest of the world seemed to go on forever, though you could see the top. To think this forest – an enormous forest, which stretched for mile upon miles – was all barricaded completely within a year. The thought of manual labour was horrifying. By the giant gate, there was a small cottage. Frowning with his eyes flickering from the small cottage to the giant wall, Merlin couldn't help thinking that they were in the wrong place. Why would there be a cottage next to one of the most deadly forests in the whole of Albion?
"Probably the gate keeper lives there," Percival said, from beside Merlin. Looking at Percival who had appeared from nowhere, Merlin nodded silently. Up ahead, the rest of the knights were jumping off their horses, laughing at something, acting all like brothers, and something in Merlin's heart just ached for that belonging. Ached for that acceptance. Ached for that brotherly love. What would they do if they ever found out about him? He'd never had a true friend apart from Will, and he was long gone.
Somewhere off in the deepest part of his mind, the young boy didn't notice Percival study his face, or when the knight rode towards the cottage. Pulling himself together, Merlin moved on.
Jumping off his horse and pausing, he was like the horse in a way. All work and no thanks.
"Thank you," Merlin whispered to the horse before patting it. He walked up to the knights slowly. Arthur bravely knocked on the wooden door. The house looked like part of the forest, only the door and windows noticeable, everything else consumed by green and mysterious nature.
The door opened with a loud creaking noise and a woman stood in the doorway. Every knight was taken aback by how such an old woman was living in a cottage near the forest.
"May I help you?" she asked sweetly. She had long sliver and white hair, pale crisp skin and soft, controlled sea blue eyes. She wore a long heavy green dress, and no one could see her shoes if she was wearing any. Too stunned by who they had just met, no one was able to respond to her question.
"Who is it mother?" a younger voice asked from somewhere inside the house. Out of the corner of his eye, Merlin saw Gwaine's eyebrows rise. Whether it was because he was surprised that a mother and daughter lived right outside the deadliest forest ever... Alternatively, because there was some young person for him to flirt with.
"Some young knights I'm assuming?" she asked more than stated. Arthur nodded, speechless. The woman smile brightened. "I assume you want to enter the forest, yes?" there were nods all round. "Well, come in, we'll get the gate ready and explain what you might want to look out for when you're in there," she said, opening the door wider.
Arthur nodded his thanks and walked through, the knights following. Merlin slow entered the house last, a little wary of the house. The old woman smiled at him personally and Merlin felt more worried, even though she was trying to be friendly.
The house was small and full of plants, totally clean with not a speck of dust in sight. A small table stood in the middle of the room, there were pots and pans dotted round the place. A large trunk was positioned in the corner.
Gwaine chatted endlessly to the daughter of the house. She was a lot younger than the mother, early to late twenties, with long flowing blonde hair. Her blue eyes stood out on her snow pale skin. Her slim figure was covered by a pale pink and white dress, and as with her mother's it was too long to see if she was wearing any shoes.
"I am Merry and this is my daughter Bell," said the mother.
"You have a lovely home," Gwaine flirted. Rolling his eyes, Arthur spoke.
"You said you needed to explain what to expect in the forest," he asked impatiently.
"Beware anything and anyone... Even the very ground you'll be sleeping on is dangerous," Merry said gravely.
"Be very aware of the black serpent," Bell said looking deep into Gwaine's eyes as she did so.
"Black serpent? What's that?" Leon asked.
"A giant snake that's black. Can't miss it," Merry said obviously. Leon opened his mouth then closed it, feeling dumb. Merlin smiled.
"Anything else we must know?" Arthur asked.
"Where would we find the Remotas flower?" Merlin asked, stepping out of the shadows. Arthur could have kicked himself for not thinking of that question. Merry thought for a second whilst Bell walked out of the room.
"I'd say in the ruined castle area on the other side of the forest," she said thoughtfully, nodding when she was sure of it.
"Here, take these lucky charms," Bell said, carrying a bunch of coloured ribbons with shaped objects on the end of them. "They are known to keep the bad sprits away," she said, handing Gwaine the orange coloured ribbon. Gwaine looked at the object on his - a small sword.
Leon was given one a yellow one with a lion on it. Lancelot was given a green one with a shield. Elyan was handed a blue one with a religious cross. Percival was handed a silver one with a bear.
"I am not one for necklaces, but I shall keep it on me," he said nobly. Bell nodded and gave out the last two.
Arthur was given a red ribbon with a crown on the end of it. Merlin, embarrassingly, got the dark purple ribbon. He took it kindly, but could see the knights trying not to laugh. It wasn't that bad... the colour could almost be mistaken for black. Merlin studied the charm he had on the end of his. He held it in his hand and realised that he was holding a Raven.
Before anything could be said, the knights were walking out the door. Merlin followed them and quickly had to jump on his horse. With a giant might, the gate doors opened slightly. The gap was just big enough for the horses to get through one by one. Moving through the gate, the knights said their goodbyes to Marry and Bell. As usual, Merlin was last to go through, the gate closing sharply behind him.
With a sense of dread in his stomach, he followed the knights.
"We've been riding for hours and met nothing dangerous!" Gwaine moaned from his horse. Merlin couldn't see Arthur's face, but knew that Gwaine was annoying him, and smiled.
"Well, we know that these charms work then," Lancelot replied cockily. Arthur rolled his eyes as the knights started to laugh. Merlin yawned.
"Come on Merlin, you can't be that tired," Arthur shouted to the back of the group.
"I'm not... I'm seriously bored."
"Seriously," Gwaine mocked.
"Seriously," Merlin replied. "We've been riding for nearly four hours since we left the gate. When are we going to stop? It'll be dark in three more hours and it takes nearly an hour to set up camp!" Merlin complained.
"Well, if you weren't so slow Merlin, we might be able to set up camp quicker," Arthur bickered back. Merlin looked away as the knights laughed.
Suddenly, something rustled from in the trees. The knights stopped. Jumping off his horse, Arthur drew his sword. He carefully walked forward towards the trees. The rest of the knights jumped off their horses and followed. Merlin looked around, realising that they were leaving him on his own so he too followed. The knights slowly walked through the forest, swords drawn and waiting to see their opponent.
A hissing noise made them stop. Looking down, Arthur saw a shadow rise. Slowly turning round, the knights saw the rising black serpent, ready to pounce.
"Run!" Arthur shouted as the knights all fled. The snake brought its jaws down on them and missed Percival by inches. The forest didn't make getting away from the large creature easy, as fallen trees lay in their way, the bushes clung onto them when they ran through them and the vines that hung from the trees grabbed at them and held them back.
Merlin tripped on a tree stump. He landed flat on his face, dried leaves clutching to him. As blood ran from his nose, Merlin felt dizzy. He turned over onto his back and saw the advancing snake.
"MERLIN!" Lancelot shouted as the snake attacked his friend...
"So what happened next?" Death asked interested, leaning forward. Merlin stopped and looked at him.
"If you shut up I'll tell you," Merlin shot back and Death was quiet, listening to the story.
"MERLIN!" Lancelot shouted as his friend was attacked. The knights turned round and advanced back to help their friend.
The snake's fangs went straight through Merlin's leg. Screaming in agonizing pain, Merlin became paralysed. The snake's venom raged through Merlin's veins like a fast moving worm in soil. The snake withdrew his fangs and became ready to eat its victim. However, Elyan stepped in the way and lashed out with his sword at the creature. He just paper cut across the face, but it was enough to make the snake cry in pain. Percival and Lancelot grabbed Merlin's arms and dragged him away. Blood rushed out of the deep and bloodied wound. Not liking the pain, the snake slivered away.
The knights picked Merlin up and ran.
"You mean you just all ran away?" Death asked confused.
"Yes Tom, now be quite!" Merlin snapped. Tom Scythe raised his hands in defence and carried on listening.
The knights stopped running and huffed. Merlin leaned against Leon and Elyan for support as he coughed violently. Arthur looked around and realised that they were lost, and that it was getting dark.
"We've lost the horses, we've lost all our stuff, we've lost the path and Merlin's injured... Have I missed anything?" Arthur asked, a little frustrated.
"Yah," Lancelot said. "How's Merlin? Badly injured or not?" At that moment in time, Merlin chose to be sick, coughing up most of what he had in his stomach and anything else he could cough up. Leon looked away in disgust.
"Does vomiting on my shoe answer your question?" Leon asked, shaking his foot. Sniggering, Lancelot nodded.
"We better set up camp for the night," Arthur said, wishing things were better.
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