(Author's Note: Still own nothing. Once I finish this story my brain may be eaten for a while by school. I am not going to stop writing though.)

Part 6 Saving His Servant

Arthur made it to the fortress in half the time it would have taken at the pace he had been going. He was half surprised that his horse didn't fall over and die. He'd regret pushing it that hard later but for now he had to find Merlin. He unsheathed his sword and entered the ruin. The chambers above ground were all just piles of rocks and rubble. He felt that strange golden shimmer guiding him once again. Even he could feel the magic in it, but it wasn't sinister like the witches. No this was the same feeling that had accompanied the light that had led him away from the giant spiders while he was looking for the Morteus flower. That had only been a few months ago.

It occurred to him that the witch who had left him for dead in the caves was the same witch who had taken Merlin. He moved faster.

The trail led him to a staircase that led into the ground. It was wreathed in golden mist. He stepped onto the stairs and almost instantly the mist retreated and was gone. He hurried as silently as possible down the stairs into the torch lit dungeon. He heard a woman's voice yelling at someone.

"You will tell me what I want to know!" He heard an almost inaudible gasp of pain. He ran, rounding the corner he saw them.

The witch had Merlin chained to a wall and was suspending him with magic. What the magic was doing wasn't obvious but something was happening. The poor idiot was scrabbling ineffectually at his chest, his movements were slowing rapidly. He looked near unconsciousness or worse…

"NO!" Arthur shouted rage overriding his fear. The witch spun, releasing Merlin, which was good. What wasn't good was that he plummeted and smacked his forehead against the hard stones of the floor.

He lay motionless. Arthur charged at the witch. She vanished from his path and reappeared behind him. He spun and struck out at her with his sword. Only to draw sparks off a shield. She sneered at him.

"Who would have guessed it? Uther's son coming to the rescue of a boy he doesn't even know." It was his turn to smile with triumph.

"Ha! I broke your spell witch! I remember everything about Merlin." She frowned and raised her hands as if admitting defeat.

"You win this round Arthur Pendragon, though I swear I shall return and succeed next time. Until then." She vanished in the same whirlwind she had summoned when she had taken Merlin.

Arthur sheathed his sword and bent down, holding down the panic. He was deathly white and unmoving. But after a moment he saw that Merlin was breathing and he began breathing again. It was strained but as Arthur pulled him into a sitting position the breathing eased. There was a bloody lump on his head but it wasn't a cut so much as a scrape. Arthur remembered his labored breathing and began to examine his chest, prodding it gently.

Even though Merlin remained unconscious he whimpered in pain when Arthur barely brushed one of his ribs just above his right lung. The rib was definitely broken. Aside from his head and his rib Merlin was in remarkably good shape. He had light bruising and a few small cuts here and there on his chest but nothing serious enough to threaten his life.

Careful not to jar Merlin's injured rib Arthur slung one of the prone boy's arms around his own shoulder and wrapped his arm around his limp unresisting waist. He half carried, half dragged Merlin out of the dungeon to where he had left the horse.

This could be a problem. There was no way Merlin could ride a horse with a broken rib without doing more damage. Arthur knew that several of his other ribs were bruised and would break if he tried riding without bandages at least. But the bandages were back in Merlin's saddlebags. Arthur had some experience in situations like this. He had to use what he had to hand, which was whatever he found in the saddlebags on his horse. He needed to figure this out. He gently lay Merlin down, leaning him against a tree at an angle to keep the pressure off his broken rib. He started a campfire and sat down to think.

(Merlin)

Merlin awoke blearily to the sound of tearing fabric. His head pounded and his ribs hurt. He groaned and heard a sudden movement. His vision cleared and he saw Arthur, barely disguised concern on his face.

"About time you woke up idiot." Merlin heard relief behind the snark.

"Arthur? What?" He tried to sit up and hissed with pain as his ribs protested.

"One of your ribs is broken. You shouldn't move. At least until I finish bandaging you." Merlin looked down and saw cloth that was not his shirt but strips of one of blankets he had packed. He watched as Arthur finished bandaging his chest. It wasn't an expert job but it would do for now.

"What happened to the witch?" Merlin tried to suppress the fear in his voice. Arthur's expression told him he'd failed miserably.

"Ran. I must have scared her off." There was a moment's silence. Merlin wondered if he should break it. Arthur was packing up the camp. His back was turned to Merlin so he barely heard him when he said.

"Thank you, Merlin." Despite his massive headache Merlin jerked his head up confused. He winced in pain as the world spun for a second. When he could see straight again he found Arthur steadying him.

"What? Why are you thanking me? You're the one who saved my life. Thanks for that by the way." He was babbling.

"No Merlin, she was hurting you and I think I know why." Merlin swallowed hard and felt tears rising. Had Arthur seen him in his mind? He had been so sure he hadn't.

"She wanted to know something, I heard that much. But you refused to tell her." Merlin nodded though Arthur hadn't been asking.

"You are very loyal and I can't believe I'm going to say this but you are brave as well. Thank you for not telling the witch about Camelot." Merlin's mind sighed in relief. Arthur thought Nimueh had been torturing him to figure out how to get at Camelot. He nodded.

"Camelot's my home. I'd never let anyone like her get to it." He smiled as Arthur grinned briefly then helped him up.

"Come on we've got a bit of a walk ahead of us." Merlin raised an eyebrow at him.

"My horse can't carry us both and you can't ride with a broken rib." Merlin nodded and together they made their way back to Camelot.