Author's Note: Sorry it has taken me so long to update! I'm working on a new project, with one of my favorite fanfiction authors, that I'm extremely excited about, I can't wait for you guys to see it :) You will look at it when it's done, right? right? :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
Chapter Ten, The Stolen
Merlin wasn't very far down the hallway when he ran straight into Arthur, "Ouch!" He muttered.
"Move Merlin!" Arthur said, his voice not insulting so much as urgent as he rushed down the hallway. Merlin shook his head and ran in the same direction.
"Why are you following me?" Arthur demanded, frustration in his voice.
"I'm not following you! I have somewhere I need to be!" He said urgently.
"Where?" Arthur demanded, as he stopped for a moment.
Merlin stopped too, though hesitantly, and glanced at the prince. "Someone's kidnapped Verona, I have to go help her. They left this," He said, pulling out the note and handing it to the prince. "Now I have to go!"
"Wait!" Arthur ordered, reading over the note and looking slightly pale, before handing it back to Merlin. "They have Guinevere too. Come on." He said, sprinting down the hallway.
Merlin rushed after the prince and said in a half-whisper so passersby wouldn't hear, "They took Gwen too?" He asked, "Just when I thought this couldn't get worse..." He mumbled.
Soon they were outside and in the stables, they mounted their horses and left at a run.
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They rode steadily at a gallop for hours and only slowed down after the moon was high in the sky and the sun had long since sunk behind the distant hills. They both wished to continue riding through the night, but the paths were rocky and were filled with sudden turns, and it would be a struggle to keep from getting lost if they kept going, besides, the horses were getting tired, and they wouldn't get anywhere with exhausted horses. So they were forced to stop for the moment.
Merlin worked away at trying to start a fire. Normally he could have done it quickly and easily, even without magic, but now he was struggling with it. He was too nervous to concentrate on the task before him and he let out a sigh of frustration. Thankfully, Arthur was too busy with his own thoughts to take time to mock Merlin for how long it was taking to build the fire.
After a few minutes, Merlin cleared his throat and said, "Would you go get fire wood?" He asked Arthur over his shoulder.
"Whose the servant here?" Arthur demanded, and then seemed to decide it didn't matter and got up and walked away.
"Wow, he really must be upset to do work." Merlin thought, with a slight grin. But then he was reminded of the circumstances and frowned again, he glanced over his shoulder to make sure Arthur was nowhere nearby, and then he looked back at the small pile of wood in front of him, extended a hand a murmured a quiet spell. Flames erupted there.
He sighed in relief and leaned against a tree in an attempt to relax, but it was hard knowing Verona and Gwen were in trouble. He closed his eyes and tried to block out the thoughts filling his mind. What had been the last thing he'd said to Verona before she had left? He didn't know, he just knew that it had been something horrible. The whole conversation had been horrible, and now she was in danger.
"I will find you..." He said quietly as he stared into the glow of the fire.
After a few more minutes Arthur returned and dumped some wood onto the fire, "Next time that is your job." He muttered, sitting down.
"I started the fire!" Merlin argued.
"Good for you, Merlin, you at least know how to be slightly helpful!" Arthur said in a patronizing voice.
"You know, you aren't the only person who is worried about someone you love! They have Verona too!" Merlin said in frustration, "Besides, Gwen is my friend as well!"
Arthur was silent for a moment, before grumbling, "Sorry, Merlin, you're right."
Merlin's mouth dropped open, "What did you say, sire?" He grinned suddenly, "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you! You'll have to repeat that!"
"Oh, shut up!" Arthur demanded, "I'm taking first watch."
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Atdawn they began riding again, both of them unusually quiet as they tried to think of how they were going to save Verona and Gwen without dying. The trouble was, they didn't know who the kidnappers were, or what the circumstances would be like. So they had no way to come up with a good rescue plan.
"Okay, Merlin, here's the plan." Arthur said finally after a very long silence. "You do exactly what I say, when I say it, and try not to die or do anything stupid, if you can help it."
"Gee, sounds like a great plan, Arthur! A real winner!" Merlin said, in a false cheerful voice.
"It's the only one we've got." Arthur said, his voice unusually grave.
They were drawing near to their destination, and Merlin was growing more worried by the second. Not only did he need to find Verona and Gwen, he needed to make sure Arthur didn't get killed in the process, or he would ruin his own destiny.
Sometimes it was really horrible to have a destiny to protect someone. It was like being forced to be a body guard for your entire life, and you didn't have a choice, it was just your job. Sometimes it wasn't such a bad thing, and Arthur was his friend so Merlin wanted to protect him, but Merlin knew that if it came down to a choice between saving Verona or saving Arthur, he would not have much say in the matter. Not that he wanted to choose who lived and who died. But he certainly didn't want Verona to die either, especially not after all the awful things he'd said to her before she left.
A rather large stone house appeared on the horizon, and Merlin's heart began to beat more quickly with fear as they approached it.
"Hang on." Arthur drew his horse to a very sudden stop, and Merlin slowed his as well, confused.
"What? We really should hurry and go." Merlin urged, preparing to continue, but Arthur held up a hand to stop him. "What?"
"Doesn't it seem a little odd to you?" Arthur asked, with his brow furrowed.
"Does what seem odd?" Merlin asked, not understanding what Arthur meant.
"I understand why someone would kidnap Guinevere. I'm the prince, people will want to get to me." Arthur said, glancing from Merlin to the stone building in front of him. "But I can't fathom any reason, on the face of this earth that would make someone want to kidnap Verona as a ransom to a lowly servant."
Merlin might have been insulted, but Arthur sounded so serious that he decided not to take offense at the words. He stared at the stone building, wondering if Verona and Gwen would be alright, before glancing back at Arthur and realizing that he was awaiting an answer.
"I don't know." He shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe they think I'm a threat."
Arthur gave a humorless laugh, "Doubt it." He shrugged, "Oh well, doesn't matter now I suppose. Let's go save our girls, shall we?"
Merlin frowned as they dismounted their horses and walked towards the old stone house, thinking about what Arthur had said. Whoever had kidnapped Verona and Gwen must have known about Merlin's magic. That could be a problem, Merlin thought, sighing.
They arrived at the door, and hesitantly tried the handle. It was unlocked and pushed open effortlessly, but with a loud creak.
Merlin and Arthur stepped quietly into a dark room. There was an old table with silver candlesticks atop it, the table was covered in dust. It's two chairs were knocked over on the floor, which was covered in cobwebs, dirt, and dust.
Merlin coughed as he breathed the dusty air, only to be given a loud 'Shush!' by Arthur.
There was a door nearby, that was cracked open slightly and out a thin line of golden light. And there was an old grand staircase that curved up into a second floor hallway, behind the railing of the highway above was another door, this one was flung wide open, but only a gentle light came from inside.
The two of them glanced at each other, unsure which room to choose. Merlin coughed again, and this time Arthur didn't get angry because he was having trouble keeping from coughing himself with all the dust in the air.
Suddenly there was a scream from upstairs, and Merlin's blood ran cold. "Verona!" He yelled, running up the grand staircase.
"Merlin, wait a minute!" Arthur called in a low voice, as if to get Merlin's attention without alerting anyone of their presence.
"Arthur?" A frightened voice called from the other room, "Merlin? Arthur!" The voice was Guinevere's and she seemed to be sobbing.
Arthur forgot all caution and ran towards the cries that were coming from the open door nearby, while Merlin was far away upstairs.
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Arthur stepped into the room and saw Guinevere tied to a chair nearby, tears were streaming down her face and her eyes widened with a look of alarm when she saw Arthur. She shook her head violently, as if trying to warn him.
He glanced over his shoulder, and saw a blond woman standing behind him. Morgause.
"Hello Prince Arthur," She said, a smile spreading across her face.
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Merlin felt his heartbeat quickening as he stepped into the dimly lit room, "Verona?" He whispered, and then he froze as he saw her tied up on the other side of the room, her eyes wide with fear.
"Merlin..." She whispered, her eyes filling with tears, "I wish you had not come."
Her eyes settled somewhere behind Merlin, and he glanced behind him to see what she was so afraid of.
"Morgana." Merlin acknowledged, as his eyes fell on the dark-haired woman.
"Hello, Merlin, you arrived just in time for the...Party, of sorts." Morgana's voice cut through the room like daggers, and her eyes were cold and dark as a grin spread across her face, only half-lit by a candle nearby.
Author's Note: Couldn't resist ending on another cliffhanger! Sorry about that :) I hope you guys liked it! Please review!