My apologies for the delay in updating. Writer's block sucks balls.
Merlin's footsteps echoed around him as he walked through the castle. Night had long descended and there was nobody about in the long stone corridors, lit by the warm glows of the torches. Merlin's mind was miles away as he slowly navigated his way up the steep stair cases.
The Saxon prisoner was resting in Gaius's chambers; they'd brought him back to Camelot after discovering his wound and had treated him thus. When the knights and Merlin had first discovered him bleeding, there had been some confusion as to the cause. It was not until Percival had spotted a small throwing knife on the ground covered in blood that they'd come to the conclusion that the man had had a knife hidden in his shirt and was planning on throwing it at one of them, when he'd stumbled and cut himself open. It was the only explanation that would fit as to why a perfectly fit man would just suddenly collapse to the ground with a large gash across his stomach.
But after they'd noticed the tattoos, Sorcery was also put up for an explanation. Arthur had originally pushed that idea away, saying that if the Saxon was a sorcerer then why didn't he use his magic to escape or kill them and why harm himself instead. But then when his wound began to heal itself at remarkable speed, suddenly the Saxon was charged with Sorcery as well as treason and the murder of a Knight.
But there was something else, something Arthur and the Knights didn't know. Before the man had collapsed, Merlin had sensed something. He was still not quite sure what it was, a presence almost. Like a voice on the wind. More particularly a woman's voice, shouting. Warning.
And another voice, a familiar one, chanting in a language known all too well to him. And he knew, unexplainably that it was Morgana. At that moment, seven different voices all cried out in pain, Merlin could hear them in his head, he could feel their pain, their shock and he'd felt something pulling him backwards towards the Saxon, knowing in his heart that something was horribly, dreadfully wrong. And then one thought crossed his mind: help. And he did, his entire mind becoming centered on keeping that man alive.
And it terrified him. Until then he'd thought that it was his destiny to protect only Arthur, but when he saw the Saxon on the ground it was almost as if pure instinct had taken over and he'd felt that if the man died it would be like part of himself dying, which had been an emotion he'd only ever experienced with Arthur.
It confused him to no end. In fact everything about the Saxon confused Merlin. He knew that Sorcery was the cause of his wound as he had heard Morgana casting the incantation, and when he told Gaius later on, he'd agreed with him. Not for one second did Gaius believe that the Saxon had cut himself trying to throw a knife, just like he didn't believe that Rory had slipped while carrying a broach and had wounded herself.
Nor did Merlin and he think it was a co-incidence that the Saxon and Rory had completely identical wounds gained, at what they estimated was around the same time. Neither was it a co-incidence that both he and Rory had identical tattoos covering their bodies that only appeared after they were injured, or that they had both healed remarkable quickly or that they looked similar.
Aye, it had confused them to say the least and for the first time ever Gaius didn't have an explanation for it. That being rare in itself. And so Merlin carried on being confused and concerned, not only for the fate of the man, but also of Rory's. He needed answers. Now would have been a perfect time for him to call Kilgarrah, except there was something else he needed to do too.
Cold air whipped at his face as he clambered through the window and onto the roof where he and Rory had sat what seemed an age ago and watched the eclipse. How she'd known about the eclipse was just one of the hundreds of questions he wanted to ask her.
She sat with her back to him and the castle, facing the night. A single burning torch lay at her side, illuminating her blond hair that for once hung loose around her shoulders. She still wore the thin bed robe that Gwen had changed her into with her brown shall wrapped loosely around her shoulders. It was clear that she must have woken up and come straight here.
"You shouldn't be out here you know." He said to her back. "You'll catch a cold."
Rory made a small sound that sounded like a snort and Merlin took that as a responsive sign that she was safe to talk to and went and sat down next to her, his muscles protesting. After riding hard and non-stop all day who could blame them? Merlin shivered as a small gust of autumn wind blew past. Silently Rory scooted herself closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. Immediately warmth began to radiate off where they were touching and began to spread around his body like wild fire. That was another thing about Rory; she was always impeccable warm no matter what her surroundings.
"We were worried about you, you know." Merlin broke the silence again. "Just disappearing off like that. We're all looking for you. Gwen doesn't know what to think and Gaius isn't what to tell her."
For a while Rory didn't say anything. But eventually she cleared her throat. "How much did she see?"
"Just you on the floor bleeding without any cause to. It looked like you'd been slashed in the stomach only there wasn't anything sharp around. Gaius managed to convince her though that you must have slipped and cut yourself with a broach or something and that it must have fallen out of sight."
Rory nodded her head against his shoulder but said nothing so Merlin continued, a little frustrated. "They managed to get you back to Gaius's chambers before anything started to happen. Gaius got Gwen out the room before then so she saw nothing."
Again she remained silent. Frustrated Merlin burst out, "Rory this has happened twice before and you haven't told us anything. Gaius and I can't keep covering for you when we ourselves don't have a clue whats going on! All you say is that it isn't sorcery and then you pretend like nothing has happened yet still spend the next few weeks in a mood! Rory, if you don't trust us enough to tell us how then the least you can do is tell us why. Gaius only just managed to get Gwen out of the room in time, a couple more seconds and she would have seen and what would you have done then?... Rory?"
Rory let out a sigh but made no move to talk much to his chagrin. Merlin gritted his teeth and ran a hand through his hair. If she wanted to avoid the subject then fine, but he wasn't. He was sick and tired of dodging around the point.
"Those markings on your skin," He started and immediately felt her stiffen next to him.
"They are just normal tattoos Merlin." She said softly, fidgeting against him.
He turned his head down to look at her and matching her tone, whispered, "Normal tattoos don't glow when you are dying Orhea."
Rory swallowed and didn't meet his gaze.
"Please Rory," he begged. "Tell me what they are."
Silence. He pressed on.
"They only appear when you are injured right? Rest of the time they are invisible?"
Silence. God she's stubborn as a mule.
"The runes, Gaius says they are ancient Skylish..."
Silence.
Irritation.
"Are you the only one with them?" He tried again though he already knew the answer.
In the back of his mind he thought about the Saxon now sleeping in Gaius's chambers under heavy guard. But she wouldn't know about him, at least that he was here in the castle. And then in a sudden flare of defiance Merlin decided not to tell her. If she didn't want to tell him anything then fine, he wouldn't tell her anything. He looked back to the night sky again, diverting his attention to the stars.
"There are seven of us."
For a moment it was as if no-one has spoken at all, her voice was so quiet. She refused to look at him, but carried on staring ahead.
"When I was thirteen, all throughout Skyla children were going missing and then turning up a few days' later dead. No one knew what was happening, or who was talking the children, only that they didn't care about class. Rich, poor, noble or street rat: younglings disappeared in their hundreds between the ages of ten and sixteen."
"It happened where I lived as well." He murmered, his voice horse and Rory glanced up at him. "I was ten and there were loads of rumours coming through with travellers on the road that children were going missing. My mother was so afraid I would be taken, I was banned from leaving the village. All of us were."
Rory nodded. "I was living in Orleans at the time." She said. "The biggest city in Skyla not counting the Capitol. You've probably heard of it as the City of Trade, or the Green City. And um, well there, I think about three hundred children were snatched overall, including a friend of mine called Esme, she was only eleven. Well being who we were, the rest of my friends and I went after her and we managed to get right under the mountain- that was where all the children were being held but, we got caught at the last moment."
She took a deep breath and sat up to face him. "The people who had been taking the children were priests, part of this ancient Skylish/Romani/Gallician cult which dates back way before the start of the old religion. Don't ask me to pronounce their name- I can't. But um, they were taking children from all over because they were on a quest for their 'God'. They were looking for specific people and the runes were supposed to find them, only the runes would only work on the adolescent, hence children. And well," She sifted uncomfortably, then looked him in the eye and Merlin saw deep sorrow there. Her eyes seemed to have aged a thousand years as she said,
"Out of the thousands of children taken and tested, my friends and I are the only ones who survived the runes being put on us, the rest were all killed. Even so... Merlin... sometimes I wish I hadn't lived. I really wish I hadn't."
Tears were falling down her face now and her voice shook. He made to touch her but she pulled away and shook her head. And Merlin got the message: she needed to finish her story.
"It felt like...fire. Like my entire body was on fire. It was pain beyond pain, Merlin. I lay there screaming for what seemed like days while all these people in hoods stood and chanted around me. I wanted to die so badly, I wanted the pain to end it was all I could think about. I was thirteen. But I survived. So did six others. And ever since, whenever we are close to death the tattoos on our skin light up and glow and heal us. We have no control over it." She looked down at her feet. "I hate it."
"But, if they heal you then-"
"I can't die." She finished and stared at him. "Merlin, I can't die."
The air around them became heavier of the gravity of her words hit him.
"Do- do you want to die?" He asked, dreading the answer.
"Sometimes." She whispered after what seemed an age. She sniffed. "But Merlin you have to promise not to tell anyone of this. If Arthur or Gwen found out that I have magic invisible symbols on my skin that heals me when I'm bleeding I don't know what would happen but it won't be good." She laughed nervously and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.
"Of course. I won't say a word." Merlin promised while his mind went a hundred leagues an hour.
"Thank you." She whispered. "I'm so sorry to compromise you like this. But I swear I'm not a sorceress. And the runes aren't sorcery either, I mean they are magic but then again everything is but you probably don't know much about that so I swear I am not evil or working for Morgana or the Old Religion or-"
"Orhea!" Merlin shouted, grabbing her by the shoulders and staring her in the eye. She gulped and bit her lip. Merlin let out a shaky laugh and dropped his forehead to hers. Slowly she closed her eyes, breathing deeply and brought her hands up to clutch at his jacket.
"Why didn't you just tell me all this before." He asked. "Instead of act all secretive."
"I wasn't sure how you would react." She murmured. "It's not every day you find out that your best friend was part of an experiment that caused the death of thousands of children. And anyway it's not just my secret to tell, there are six others involved as well."
Merlin's mind went back to the Saxon, who now that he thought about it, probably wasn't even a Saxon. Dread ran down Merlin spin as he thought of the charges that man was under and the trial that was supposed to go on tomorrow, the one that was predicted to end with the noose. Rory, seeming to sense something opened her eyes, and looked at him, her brown eyes wide and worried. Merlin looked into those eyes and felt a sickening dread as he realised they were the exact same eyes as the Saxon's.
"About that..." He started, "Rory-"
But his words were cut off at the deafening clang of a bell that rang throughout the entire city. Both theirs head snapped round at the sound as they listened to the rings.
"It's the warning bells." Merlin said numbly. "Three rings that means-"
"FIRE!" Rory shouted jumping to her feet. "In the Lower town. Come on."
Merlin looked round saw that there was indeed a fire blazing up in the small distance. He had to find Arthur. And he got up and ran after Rory, leaping through the window and into the castle, all thoughts of tomorrow out of his mind as he and the Skylish Handmaiden headed towards the lower town.
Unfortunately I do not feel this chapter has been as good as some of the last but I needed to give you guys an update before I go on holiday so I'm afraid this will be the last chapter for a few weeks. I will try and update a bit more regularly when I get back.
As bad as it is, I hope you enjoy this character, a bit more background info has been given. Leave a review as to what you think and if you've picked up on any of my hints yet.
I'm sorry if there are any typos, please tell me if so.
Love Elle x
