"And that was when the Prince here jumped you and injected some random concoction in to you – seems unbelievable really!" Knight Blade finished, smiling under his helmet. Luckily that The Cloak could warp his voice too.
"I really did all that?" The Cloak spoke solemnly, not looking away from the trail ahead of them.
Arthur had informed the two vigilantes that this path was well-travelled and the most likely place to start looking for the kidnapped young men, women and children. They headed south, much further than The Cloak or Knight Blade had been before.
"You did," Arthur replied as he trotted beside The Cloak.
The Cloak said nothing as he became lost in thought. If he believed his compatriots then, he'd almost killed everyone in that room, including Gwen, Knight Blade, Arthur and Morgana. He had somehow unlocked incredible power just through anger. Would he ever do it again?
"Hey, are you alright, Cloak?" Knight Blade asked, trotting up to catch the two moving at constant speed.
"I'm fine - let's just keep moving," The Cloak replied determined to carry on. Arthur snorted, causing The Cloak to turn. "Something funny, Arthur?"
"It's Prince Arthur to you, and is that what you call him? Cloak?" The two gave him a curious stare as if he had asked something stupid.
"That is my name, Prince Arthur; do people not call you by your name?" The Cloak smiled under his hood as Knight Blade chuckled.
"Of course, but you obviously have a 'real' name," Arthur clarified.
"And you believe I'd tell you?" The Cloak questioned, rather surprised.
"No, of course not. You know…it doesn't matter." Arthur scowled and picked up speed until he was a few paces ahead.
The three travelled in silence for a few hours, only breaking it when needed. Tensions still ran high between the three, especially between Merlin and Arthur, not that Arthur knew it was Merlin.
"Why did you do it, erm, Cloak?" Arthur said from the front of their group.
"I was enchanted Prince Arthur, you were aware of that, were you not?" The Cloak quipped.
"No, I meant, why did you decide to help the people of Camelot?" the Prince reiterated.
"Well, when I first arrived in Camelot I had no intention or desire to become a vigilante, let alone have a companion and other…accomplices -"
"Gwen, Lancelot and Gaius," Arthur interrupted.
"Yes indeed. They're good people." He would mention himself but thought better of it. Better to be careful and stay alive than be…well, dead.
"I don't know how good people came to associate with sorcerers" Arthur threw back. The Cloak carried on as if he had said nothing.
"I came in to the gates of Camelot – poorer than poor, with only magic at my disposal and saved a woman – Gwen." He chuckled in reminiscence. "I didn't fall in love with the feeling that came over me as I saved her from Agravaine's goons. It was more to do with the vice grip the criminals seem to have over the people. Not one person came out to help her. Not one."
"They were scared; the criminals were armed if I remember rightly," Arthur remarked. The Cloak nodded his head conceding.
"That's true although that doesn't mean much when you live right next to a forge with many swords. I came from a small village, but we managed to drive away many oppressors in my time there." Of course, he couldn't say where he came from, that would easily connect him to Merlin and someone – probably not Arthur – would figure out The Cloak's identity.
"How can I trust that you, a sorcerer, are really here to save the people of Camelot?" Arthur stopped to turn and stare down The Cloak. Their stares didn't waver.
"You can't, Arthur Pendragon but if I didn't want to save people, I wouldn't be here. Oh and I'm a warlock, not a sorcerer." The Cloak quipped.
"What?" Arthur sounded confused.
"I'm a warlock, not a sorcerer. I was born with magic," The Cloak replied.
"Impossible," Arthur stated, clearly in disbelief.
"Believe what you will but that's what I am." The group lapsed into silence once again. It remained unbroken for an hour or so.
"We should make camp here for the night. Cloak can send his message to Gaius while I set up camp," Knight Blade suggested. The other two agreed before dismounting their horses and setting up camp.
The next morning miles north of the travellers, Gaius woke and prepared for his daily rounds. As he trundled about his workshop he thought about how long he could keep being a physician. He was old but the city needed him like it needed The Cloak.
A quiet tap on the window alerted to him and his eyes flicked up to see a black raven eyeing him up with its beady, golden irises. The physician walked over and opened the window; the bird hopped to the window sill and displayed the message wrapped around his foot.
"Well, what do we have here?" Gaius spoke aloud.
"Why don't you share with the rest of the room?" A feminine voice sounded from behind.
Gaius turned, placing the piece of paper behind his back. He relaxed as he saw Gwen and Morgana walk further into the room.
"Milady, I know you are the Princess but please do an old man a courtesy and knock," Gaius reprimanded. They joined him on the bench anyhow.
"I'm sorry, Gaius, what's in the note?" Morgana prompted from across the table.
"The note was sent from The Cloak, I can feel his magic all over it." Gaius unrolled the note. "And what it says is:
Dear Gaius, Gwen and Morgana,
I, Knight Blade and Prince Arthur have travelled south a long way, further than I or Knight Blade have ever been. I am convinced we'll find something on the shores of the south once we arrive. We're only another day's ride now.
Keep safe and watch Agravaine
The Cloak
"Is that it?" Morgana pondered, re-reading the note over and over again.
"Yes milady, you must be patient. Not everything can be done with a snap of the fingers, even for those who have magic," Gaius said.
"You're right. Come, Gwen, we have a council meeting to attend in which I'll try not to kill my brother's dearest uncle." She smiled, bittersweet, and turned with a goodbye to Gaius.
The trio in the south rode for most of the day, taking twenty minute breaks for every three hours of riding. They had found cart tracks matching those belonging to the kidnapper's carts and Arthur hadn't let up since.
The sea finally came into sight in the late evening. The Cloak had never seen it before; it was so vast, so blue and quite beautiful. It wasn't like a lake, still and lifeless. It raged as the waves crashed and thrashed around but he didn't have the time to concentrate on that now.
"Look there!" Arthur pointed to a settlement. They saw a platform set up, probably for displaying the slaves. Four carts sat next to it and The Cloak could just about see a few heads poking out of the barred windows. He loathed the sight of guards stuffing their faces with meats and fruits in front of the slaves who he assumed were fed little.
"We have time. It's getting late and we're all too tired to fight now," Arthur stated. There were far too many guards for them to take on at half strength.
"No, we need to catch them now, while they're off guard. They'll be on higher alert tomorrow when the auction's on." Knight Blade argued back quietly as not to be over-heard by any nearby guards.
The Cloak was stuck, both made good points but he really was tired. He felt sore in many places but it could be more difficult to get those carts out tomorrow. How would he even go about doing that?
"Right, we need to know how to pull this off, for that, we'll need time. Knight Blade, whatever we do we'll have to do it tomorrow. Let's find somewhere away from here to camp for the night and we'll make a plan." The three led their horses half a mile away from the settlement and began making plans for the morning when the auction began.
The Cloak woke up early the next morning to the sound of two voices and snippets of conversation drifted to his ear.
"So what's he like?"
"Well, he's the bravest man I know…"
"Really? But he has magic - what has he got to be afraid of?"
"You."
"Me?"
"Well you are the son of the man who has been hunting down his kind for twenty years."
The Cloak didn't feel like intruding on their conversation so he whispered the perception spell and moved unseen from the campsite toward the auction site. When he came upon it, he saw that people had started to arrive: burly looking men, rich looking men and a few prudish-looking noblewomen.
The auction would be starting soon; they'd have to put their plan in to action as soon as possible to make sure everyone got out and back to Camelot. The Cloak decided to teleport down behind the carts so he couldn't be seen. He then moved to each cart, looking in and asking if they were okay and reassuring them that they'd get out. In truth, he didn't know if they could; there were many guards and not so many rescuers, but he'd be damned if he didn't try.
"Excuse me, hooded sir?" A young girl's voice called out to him. She looked young, about 11 or 12. She had blonde hair which looked like it hadn't been washed in several days and looked skinnier than a twig.
"Yes?" he replied.
"Will you save us?" Hope lit up her eyes and resolve hardened in his as he nodded.
"Yes I will, little one, yes I will." Voices belonging to guards came closer and closer The Cloak took this as his cue to leave. He smiled at the young girl and teleported away to his own encampment.
When The Cloak arrived back both Arthur and Knight Blade were both geared up and waiting for him.
"Where did you run off to?"
"It doesn't matter. Do either of you have a plan for how I'm going to get four carts of people out of here without anyone being killed by tomorrow midday?" From the looks on their faces they hadn't thought of anything.
"How we're going to get four carts of people out, I think you mean." Arthur corrected squaring up to The Cloak.
"No, Camelot needs you, not me, so you two are going to stay here, safe, and wait for me to come back with everyone," The Cloak decided. He sat against a tree so he could think.
Knight Blade could see Arthur had been rubbed the wrong way so he told Arthur to cool down while he handled his over-protective partner.
"Hey man, I thought you would've learnt by now," Knight Blade started as he sat beside his friend.
"Learned what?" Knight Blade looked up enough so that he could make out The Cloak's features under the hood. The Cloak was the lucky one; he hadn't had to wear full armour this entire journey.
"You can't do everything alone because you think that your magic makes you invincible and the rest of us weak. You aren't invincible; you will die if you go out there on your own," Knight Blade reasoned.
"I'll be fine-"
"No, shut up for one damn second, Cloak. You will not be fine, you will be dead and we'll have to send your body back to your mother and friend. What do you think that will do to me, or to Gwen and Gaius or even Morgana and Arthur? They will miss you, I will miss you and the people of Camelot will be doomed. So God help me you're going to put your ego aside for one moment and you're going to take us with you." Knight Blade breathed rapidly and a vein popped from the side of his forehead. He'd never beenthis stressed before, what happened? Oh wait…The Cloak happened.
He watched The Cloak get up from where he sat against the trunk of the oak tree. They shared a bright smile and shook hands. Knight Blade knew there and then they'd win the day.
"So, what are we going to do?" The Cloak emphasised and was happy to see Arthur smiling at his change of phrase.
"Honestly, I don't know how we're going to do it. There are four carts, only three of us so maybe we'll have to leave one-"
"No!" Arthur interrupted. "We can't leave anyone behind; maybe we can see if one of people in the carts can ride the fourth cart."
"No, that won't work; they're all too weak to do any sort of hard work. They've only been fed scraps by the looks of them." The Cloak replied, his teeth gritted in annoyance.
"And t the entire place is heavily guarded," Knight Blade added. They all sighed at once.
"Wait a minute. It's a slave trade, right?" Arthur shouted. The Cloak and Knight Blade stepped back, both equally confused.
"Yes, what's your point?" Knight Blade questioned.
"My point is, what is the one thing that a slave needs to be?" The Cloak thought for a second and his eyes lit up in realisation.
"That's brilliant! But which one of us will do it?" The Cloak asked.
The two smiled at each other and looked at Knight Blade and he had a feeling he wasn't going to like this idea.
It was midday. Everyone was ready but the captives were even more heavily guarded than before. This would be difficult but they had to try.
The carts opened and the people, like the living dead, slowly plodded out and lined up in front of five guards. In front of the stands stood several disgusting-looking men and even a few horrible-looking women too. The Cloak spied the young girl who smiled at him and he shot her a wink as he whispered a spell. All five guards fell into a deep sleep.
On the other side of the encampment, Knight Blade stood ready to work his part of the plan. He mounted his horse, rode out in front of the buyers and drew his sword.
"I am the strongest man in Camelot! If you want a slave, come and get me!" He rode off as fast as he could up the hill and away from the encampment. He hoped Arthur and The Cloak could handle it from there.
Just as Arthur had predicted, a large percentage of the guards followed Knight Blade to get their 'strong slave'. Idiots.
Arthur looked up to see The Cloak give him the signal. The carts were packed and now only about ten guards around to protect the buyers. None watched the slaves, so they could get away.
The Cloak saw Arthur's nod at the signal and smiled. They managed to fit all the people from the fourth cart into the third, second and first. Now all they had to do was wait for Knight Blade to come back and they'd be okay. They had planned the route he would take and he was good on a horse; Merlin just hoped he wouldn't be caught.
The Cloak began chanting. He'd put up objects around the encampment early in the morning and tied his magic to them. They would act as an amplifier but wouldn't affect Arthur or Knight Blade because they had special carvings in their armour to protect them from the spell.
Soon everyone was asleep and The Cloak and Arthur were the only two left standing.
"You could take down an entire kingdom with that spell," Arthur joked. But at The Cloak's silence he guessed that wasn't the best joke to make, given his constant accusations.
"Knight Blade should be back by now." The Cloak changed the subject and looked around only to exhale in relief as he saw Knight Blade riding alone.
"Sorry I took so long, guys. They were pretty fast on their horses," he breathed, exhausted.
"Don't worry, but we need to get out of here before they come back." Arthur made for the first cart and gave a curt head nod before starting up the hill. Knight Blade had the next but before he left he turned and smiled as Arthur vanished from sight.
"Oh my lord, Merlin, my helmet is bloody killing me." They laughed at their list of recent events and Knight Blade jumped on the back of the second horse.
"Go on back to Camelot Lancelot, I'll be right behind you-"
"Will you now?" The two turned to see two men; one they knew very well.
"Hengist." They both gritted their teeth. The Cloak cast a spell to push him back, but the man next to him deflected it. They had a sorcerer protecting them.
"Oh I'm sorry, was that supposed to do something?" Hengist cackled.
"Who's your body-guard, Hengist?" Knight Blade spat, drawing his sword only for the sorcerer to force him back into a tree where he was knocked out.
"Name's Alvarr and you're in too deep, my friend." He smiled in a horrid way which made The Cloak's skin crawl.
"Acwele!" The Cloak shouted and the two flew backwards. The Cloak ran over to Knight Blade, shook him and called his name for him to wake up. Unfortunately, he didn't notice that Alvarr had already recovered and was about to kill him.
"Forbaerne! Ácw-"
The Cloak turned around in time to see a sword jut out of Alvarr's stomach. Arthur appeared as he dropped.
"See? You do need someone by your side."Arthur smiled but The Cloak focused on the dead man in front of him. He had seen dead men before but he forgot to tell Arthur that he didn't want anyone to die. It was his fault.
"You didn't have to kill him," The Cloak sighed, putting his head in his hands.
"He would have killed you," The Prince stated.
"I thought you wanted that," The Cloak retorted, but there was little venom behind it as he smiled.
"Maybe before but now, you've shown me a new light on the use of magic." New hope lit in The Cloak's eyes. They seemed almost golden without any magic use.
"I'm glad, now come on; let's get these people back home." The Cloak walked over to Knight Blade who seemed to be stirring; he looked past the other men to see one dead body.
"Wait. Where's Hengist?" Knight Blade wondered.
"Gone again. That slime ball always seems to slip through our fingers." The Cloak threw his arms out angrily and a tree was uprooted.
"Don't worry about him; let's just get these people home," Arthur decided after seeing The Cloak's show.
"Okay, Prince Arthur." The Cloak pulled Knight Blade from his sitting position.
"Just Arthur I think that's sufficient." The three smiled. The Cloak and Knight Blade their horses. Arthur had left his up on the hill.
"Okay, Arthur." The Cloak replied.
Within three days, the party had made it home. The Cloak was glad to find the young girl knew Gwen and her name was Abigail. But most significant on his journey was that The Cloak had gained the trust and respect of the Prince of Camelot. He only wished that Merlin could have that same respect and trust.
Maybe when it was all over.