Merlin lay slumped against a tree; exhausted, muddy and smelling of smoke. He and Thomas weren't far from the cottage, but in their escape, Merlin's wound had reopened and was bleeding heavily. He had managed to preform a little discreet magic in order to break the window, but it had drained him. Thomas had gone to find some water. Merlin glanced at his seeping shoulder, which had been bound with Thomas' jacket since Merlin's scarf had become lost in the panic. He tried hard to stay awake, even though the lure of sleep was overwhelming, every time he closed his eyes, he saw Freya and it scared him. Not that he didn't want to think about Freya, but this seemed more... sinister.
"Merlin." Thomas stumbled through the nearest set of trees to Merlin's right, clutching wood in his thin arms. His blonde hair sticking to his damp forehead. "I found a stream which leads off the lake, but I need to run back to the cottage to get a bucket or something to put it in." Thomas explained calmly to the invalid. Merlin smiled gratefully.
"Thanks," Merlin began to sit further up, which seemed to take an age, but had Thomas to help him "I'll light a fire for us to keep warm." Thomas nodded, his brown eyes filled with concern.
"Will you be okay?" he quivered. Merlin gave his brightest smile.
"Yeah!" He laughed. "Just fine." Thomas looked reassured and began to walk back to the cottage they had not long ago vacated. As soon as Thomas had moved from sight and sound Merlin preformed the practised spell to light the fire after setting the wood in the correct way. Pain shot through Merlin's shoulder causing him to gasp and fall back against the tree. Closing his eyes, Freya's face seemed so clear. Merlin's blue orbs sprang open. He was dying, he was certain of it. It confused him. The wound wasn't so bad, he had had worse. Mim's medicine was advanced and excellent; so why was he dying? Finally, his body gave up trying to keep his eyes open. Sleep overcame the wounded warlock and silence fell around the forest around him.
Arthur dashed forward into the room and grabbed the red scarf. He smiled, shaking his head in disbelief, examining the scarf. Trust that lucky buffoon to escape from the claws of death again. His smile faltered slightly as he spotted a patch of red on the sill. Archimedes, sensing something amiss, joined Arthur at the window and gazed at the red. She leaned forward and placed her finger on the patch, which transferred some of itself onto the tip. She then sniffed and licked the sticky substance.
"Blood. Fresh." was the deduction. Arthur gave the witch a frustrated look. He knew what it was. "Male, about twenty I'd say." this he didn't know and wished he still didn't. Merlin was injured. Again. Typical.
"They may have gone into the woods to hide?" Mim suggested hopefully. Arthur turned to Mim and nodded, putting his friend's scarf into his pocket; the oaf would probably complain about losing it.
"I agree." Arthur started back toward the door. "We'll split up and search." He turned to the elder witch, "Will you help?" Archimedes answered with a delicate nod. Arthur nodded gratefully back. "Thank you."
The three left the burnt wreck, which had only a short time ago been a cosy house. Arthur drew his sword and headed to the south of the woods toward the lake, Mim went west toward the former village, leaving Archimedes to venture north to the stream.
Archimedes had barely stepped into the trees, when a rustling began a few feet in front of her. She stood calmly and gazed at the spot, not even surprised when a small child appeared. The boy looked about seven or eight, maybe older; Archimedes had never been good with ages. The blonde boy gasped in surprise when he nearly ran head first into the sorceress. The boy panting for breath and terror, gazed helplessly up at Archimedes. Archimedes smile serenely back.
"Thomas." it was a statement rather than a question, but the boy nodded in confirmation. "Mim is looking for you." Thomas' eyes lit up with joy.
"Where is she?" He asked hurriedly. "Merlin is injured and I think he may be dying!" Thomas sobbed. Archimedes stared in the direction he had arrived from. Thomas bobbed uncertainly from one foot to the other.
"I'll see to Merlin," Archimedes soothed. "Where were you heading?"
"To get a bucket for water." Archimedes nodded distractedly.
"Then go get it." she advised softly. The boy dashed off like a scared rabbit, while Archimedes hurried to the location of the injured warlock.
After a few minutes, Archimedes could smell a fire. Gazing into a small clearing; only big enough for one or two people to lie down, her eyes fell onto a sleeping figure. Archimedes rushed to the side of the dark haired man.
"Merlin?" she called grabbing his face, staring intently. "Merlin?" Merlin didn't respond. Archimedes closed her yellow eyes, only to open them seconds later with fierce golden tendrils snaking their way across the iris.
"Merlin?" a dark haired woman called holding out her hand. The surrounding area was smoky. The smoky figure of Merlin gazed lovingly back at the woman.
"Freya?" he whispered. "Am I dying?" the woman nodded serenely. The area round her seeming to solidify. Trees, a lake, mountains; all became visible.
Archimedes blinked. All gold gone from her eyes. She knew where that lake was, she knew exactly what the woman was doing. She had to get Mim. Instantly Elaine stood up, but Archimedes flew away to the west toward her sister.
Mim stumbled through the dense trees and shrubs, catching her dress on clawing branches as she passed. She huffed and paused once again to detach the hated cloth from the branch's lifeless grasp. She had barely made any headway through the woods considering the time.
"Thomas!" Mim yelled, cocking her head to try and listen for any signs of voices or movement. The trees remained silent. After a pause, Mim lifted her skirts and continued to move amongst the trees in search of her young ward and the warlock. The prince clearly didn't know what Merlin was, or his importance. She felt a bit vague on the exact nature of the importance, but Merlin was definitely destined for great things. She didn't blame the warlock for not telling Arthur; the prince was still floundering around in uncertainty and uncertainty is never a good thing when you are destined to rule. Mim stumbled again.
"Urgh! I hate nature!" she muttered under her breath. The beating of wings made Mim turn her attention upward. Her eyes narrowed as soon as the caught sight of the owl. The owl circled and began to land, even before it was close to the ground, Archimedes melted into Elaine; who stumbled but continued to walk steadily toward Mim.
"You must come quick," she calmly informed, without any of the haste in her voice that her body language betrayed, "I have found Merlin. He is being pulled toward death and only you can help. I will bring Arthur." Mim watched as her sister began to turn, "He is not far away, head for the stream. Quickly!" With that Archimedes fluttered into the air, leaving Mim standing processing the information she had received.
"Wait!" Mim cried out as soon as thing clicked into place, "What about Thomas?" Mim began to run in the direction of the stream, ignoring the scratches and snags from the cruel branches. It was just like Elaine to fly off and leave people hanging. Mim continued to stumble her way as fast as she could toward the ailing warlock.
Arthur had made better progress through the wood, as the area he had begun to search was a little less densely filled with trees. He called out for Thomas and Merlin simultaneously. He'd probably come across them laughing or joking; Merlin would most likely be doing something stupid and grinning that goofy grin. Arthur gently shook his head; he hoped that was how he would find him. The dolt was probably the only person he could think of as a best friend. He was a terrible servant, but he made up for it with loyalty. He had been with him through so many things and supported him. He even supported Arthur's feelings for Gwen. Arthur paused. Gwen; she would never speak to him again if he brought Merlin back dead.
"Merlin!" he called with more nervousness at the thought of Gwen's heart break at losing their friend. "Thomas!" Mim would probably curse him if he didn't find her ward.
Arthur continued through the woods contemplating the past couple of days. Here he was; Arthur, future King, son of Uther, consorting with witches. His distrust was still there, especially toward Archimedes, or Elaine (he would need to ask which it was.). She was clearly one of the sorcerers his father talked of who served what they called the 'Old Religion'. He had the idea, if provoked, she would be extraordinarily dangerous. A gut feeling though, trusted her. Had she really been at his birth? He tired to doubt it, but things were not adding up with something. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but Mim and … her sister, were clearly concealing things from him.
A shriek drew Arthur's attention to the sky. A hawk was diving to attack, the poor bird in question was an owl. Arthur squinted, making out the brown-grey feathers of the owl as it dived out of the clutches of the hawk. A talon had clearly made contact and the owl began to tumble to the ground. Just moments before impact, the owl swiftly changed shape and Archimedes tumbled over the ground clutching an arm. Her reflexes were sharp and righted herself swiftly, glaring up at the hawk.
"You okay?" Arthur hadn't moved; he wasn't that comfortable round her. She twisted her arm to examine the deep, ragged gash in her arm with steady eyes.
"Yes." immediately she turned toward Arthur. "Merlin is severely wounded. I suggest we make haste." She glanced at her arm. "I will take you there on foot. Come!" She started to run to the south. Arthur followed, filled with anxiety.
Mim arrived swiftly at Merlin's side. Immediately she set to work, chanting and calling his name softly. Elaine had been right, obviously; the druid Freya was trying to bring Merlin over to death, draining him, in his physically weakened state, of his magical strength; which Mim sensed to be great, greater than Elaine's maybe. The barrier Mim had created had weakened greatly, allowing the deceased druid access to Merlin's kind heart. Mim laughed mirthlessly to herself. His kind and loyal nature were going to be the death of him.
Rustling to her left brought the two running figures of Arthur and Elaine. Mim raised her eyebrows at this.
"Since when do you run, Elaine?" Mim asked in clipped tones before turning her attention back to Merlin. Elaine merely looked on serenely, ignoring her younger sister's mocking question. Arthur had rushed to his servants side as soon as he spotted him. "Why did you say only I could help him? Surely your power is stronger?" Mim asked the only standing figure.
"I could feel the presence of your magic around him already." Elaine answered, "It would have been unwise to try and write over something that is already there." Mim looked sour.
"Are you saying, in your oh, so cryptic ways, that I preformed the barrier spell wrong?"
"Don't be silly, Mim," Elaine calmly stated. "The spell was perfect, but he has been weakened and it is allowing her access." Mim only just managed to control her frustration toward her sister.
" Allowing who access?" Arthur asked nervously. The sisters shared a look. Elaine contemplated her answer very carefully, not wanting to reveal what Merlin was.
"The druid, Freya." she began carefully and calculating, "It seems she is trying to reunite herself with Merlin, in death." Arthur merely looked confused, but before he could ask more, Thomas made his way into the small clearing.
" Mim!" he cried out joyfully, placing the charred bucket filled with water carefully on the ground.
"Thomas." Mim whispered happily, filled with relief. They were soon in a very happy hug, which had to be interrupted sooner than they wished.
"Mim?" Elaine interrupted, "I need you to keep Merlin on this side of the veil." Mim looked anxiously at her sister. "Arthur; you'll have to come with me. There are only two ways of saving your friend and if the first is unsuccessful, I will need your help with the second." Elaine looked anxiously at Arthur. Mim's already anxious expression, turned to horror and barely breathed the next statement.
"The Cup of Life!"
Phew! That chapter was hard work! May be a little wait for the next chapter guys! Busy time coming up! Please leave me reviews so it encourages me to continue! :) kthanx!