Chapter 3

In the moment that Leon turned and rode his horse into the melee that had broken out around them, he had estimated that they were outnumbered. The bandits were well armed and also seemed well co-ordinate. He threw himself into the middle of the battle sword outstretched surprising a bandit and stabbing him ending his life instantly. He barely had time to catch breath before he sensed someone behind him; he turned his horse sharply meeting the man head-on exchanging blows, before eventually overpowering him as well.

He looked around him quickly, by now everyone was involved, including the women who were more than playing their part. He had a brief moment to watch Isolde push her sword through a bandit lying on the ground, a brutal stroke that left even Leon amazed by her pure ruthlessness. Even Gwen was outfighting a man who was rapidly on his last legs. A quick one-two and he was dispatched efficiently.

He was so busy watching that he only saw the bandit coming at him at the last minute, but before he had the chance to engage with him, a shout took him by surprise.

"Ecg geteoh ping to!"

Before Leon had time to blink in amazement a huge branch came flying down, knocking his attacker off his horse, he landed with an enormous bang, instantly killing him. He looked up to see a breathless Freya running from some trees.

"You saved my life." Leon said with emotion. "I don't know what to say."

Freya smiled. "You can buy me a drink when we are back in Camelot."

Leon watched her run off, still amazed at how she had so instantly dispatched the bandit. He still found it quite hard to believe how magic could be so deadly and affective in such situations.

Before long he was back in the action fighting a young keen bandit, who seemed determined to make his mark on the Knight. Leon tried every trick in the book that he'd learnt from his life as a Camelot Knight, but this man's heart and stamina seemed to increase with every parry he connected with.

For a brief second Leon feared the worse as he forced him back up against a tree. But Leon drove forward his breath becoming ragged, and eventually finished him off with a couple of blows.

Isolde was beginning to enjoy herself; she loved the feeling of combat. Men so often felt she would be a soft touch, and she used their over confidence to her advantage, time after time. She never tired of the feeling of triumph as she eventually wore them down, and finished them off. She now had an array of moves that could match any man, unwise enough to take her on.

She could sense the over confidence in her opponent now. He eased forward expecting her to automatically go backwards. But going backwards was not in Isolde's book; she merely exchanged blows with him, and waited for him to over-extend himself, which he duly did. Then she was suddenly on the front foot, urging herself forward and forcing the man to go backwards rapidly. Once he was trapped by a tree, she moved in for the kill, finishing him off instantly with two blows.

She looked about her and briefly watched Gwen, finishing off an opponent she felt great satisfaction at how she had grown in confidence, since her lessons. Watching the bandit finally fall to the ground, she laughed to herself.

"Efficiently done I have to say." she shouted.

Gwen smiled preparing to answer back, but suddenly called to Isolde

"Watch out!"

A bandit came hurling himself towards Isolde, she put her foot out catching the man and watching him fall over, stuck her sword in him before he had the chance to recover.

Hearing Gwen gasp, Isolde laughed. "I heard him coming." she winked.

Gwen could only smile in answer, Isolde never ceased to amaze her, in such situations she really was a fearless warrior. But unlike so many warriors she also had a heart that Gwen had experienced as well. But she had learnt never to underestimate her, in any occurrence in life.

She watched Isolde take another bandit on, gamely exchanging hits and parries. Not for one minute did she take any step backs. She met him entirely on his own terms. Briefly Gwen thought she was in trouble as she stumbled on the slippery ground, but just as she feared the worst, Isolde threw herself forward taking the man by surprise and two quick thrusts left him helpless.

Suddenly a fresh group of bandits arrived on the scene yelling as they came throwing themselves at the tired Knights. There was a sense of unease suddenly they had been fighting for a good while, their limbs were starting to groan but they forced themselves to fight on.

Freya watched the battle from cover under the trees, she could sense the tiredness of the group, slowly but surely the bandits were getting the upper hand. She knew she must now step in and save the situation. She looked around at what lay around for her to take advantage off.

Off in the distance she spotted a huge rock which was deposited in the ground, could she manage it she wondered? There was only going to be one way to find out. She shut her eyes, urging the magic to flow inside of her. As she concentrated, she could feel it rising and rising. Looking at the rock her eyes finally turned orange and she shouted

"Torspringe"

The rock came flying off the ground and into a group of newly arrived bandits. They took one look at the rock flying their way and took the decision to run away as fast as they could. All of a sudden they had decided they'd had enough. Suddenly the Knights were cheering, with both relief and gratitude being shouted Freya's way.

"Well done Freya." Gwen smiled, amazed at the awesome show of power Freya had unleashed.

"It's nothing!" the girl smiled back.

One person stood stunned to the spot. "How did you do that?" Isolde demanded.

"It is not only you that has a talent Isolde." Freya smiled, before turning away a look of satisfaction on her face. She knew Isolde wasn't easily impressed, and at times she saw Freya as a "little girl". Well she had showed her that there was something about her, and for that Freya was happy.

Gwen laughed at Isolde's face and shrugged. It wasn't often that Gwen saw Isolde impressed by Freya.

"I suggest we make a move quickly before more bandits arrive. We still have a bit of a way to go before we get to our stop off point." Leon informed everyone.

They quickly mounted their horses and followed Leon through the forest and into a little valley. The sooner they got through it and back into the forest on the other side the better they would all feel.

While the others began to eat ravenously, Merlin sat in a corner trying to fight off feelings of nausea. He had tried to eat a few scraps before, but in truth they had not gone down at all well. He seemed to feel worse now, then before.

As well as the nausea there were the worries eating away inside his mind. There were so many things he could not understand. How had they been caught so easily? How was it that his magic was so ineffective? Who was the person who was keeping them captive? What was is they wanted with them at all? How was it Anna refused to recognize him? He was still sure she was being controlled in some way. It was a feeling that lingered inside him, refusing to give him any peace.

He tried to think back to when they had been caught. It had been a bright sunny day. It was the sort of day where Merlin was usually totally at ease; his senses alive and sharp. They had ridden on through the day normally, making good progress towards their destination.

He remembered them entering a wood, a wood that was very dark and somehow forbidding. It seemed strange that there was no birdsong, and little noise, he remembered how it had spread a bit of tension between the Knights, making Arthur especially worried.

But there was nothing that seemed incessantly dangerous to him. Just a feeling of unease that was all. He remembered vaguely concentrating his senses, while the Knights joked amongst themselves, trying to reduce the tension they felt. But nothing had alarmed him unduly.

The bandits came out of nowhere. Merlin couldn't even remember whether they came from behind or in front of them. It seemed like a haze he'd gone into, as if mind was not quite there. He became aware of people pulling him off his horse, he felt unable to defend himself or fight back. It was as if a feeling of helplessness overcame him, making him useless, and slows in his reactions. By the time he began to fight back, they were beginning to tie him up and blindfold him.

From them on he was helpless, it was as though a fog descended down on him, leaving his senses deadened. The only thing he remembered about the journey was being thrown across the cart. He was constantly banging about, vaguely recognizing voices of the others alongside him. Suddenly the cart had stopped, then nothing, until he had woken up, he assumed the next day.

As he attempted to go through it in his mind again, it became no clearer. He sat and glared at the bars in front of him. It was as if they were laughing at him. Here was the mighty Merlin the powerful warlock useless and helpless, stuck in a stinking cell unable to escape.

He briefly thought of home, of Freya and her sweetness, what he wouldn't give to be resting in her arms, at this time. He shook his head, and tried to stop feeling sorry for himself. But he had to admit for once he was feeling useless, and worse than that didn't have a clue what to do about it. Why couldn't his magic break through, it wasn't as if he had lost it. He could still feel its surge within him, but something was stopping it from working properly. Not knowing was tearing his confidence apart.

He looked about him, the Knights were talking amongst themselves, and he wished he cared enough to find out what they were saying. He caught Arthur's eyes, but could barely answer his friend's half smile. Presently Arthur moved towards him.

"What is it Merlin?" he asked.

"Apart from the fact that I can't get us out of here you mean?" he snapped, straight away regretting his tone. He held his hand up. "I'm sorry."

"Merlin you remember when we had this conversation, about you not keeping secrets to yourself anymore?" Arthur asked.

"Was that the conversation were I said it wasn't always easy saying what was in my mind?" Merlin asked, almost smiling despite his current mood.

"Yes I believe that was the one." Arthur grinned. "Seriously I want you to be honest with me. What is really bothering you?"

"You really want to know?" Merlin asked nearing the end of his patience.

"Yes I do." Arthur said meeting his eyes.

"I am scared Arthur I just don't know what to do anymore. I have never had a sense of such powerlessness. I mean even when I lost my magic, I least knew then I had to find a way to regain it. But this, this is something I've not felt before. My magic is still inside me, but something is stopping it from being used. I feel as if I'm being taken over and controlled."

Arthur looked at him, suddenly unsure how to react or what to say.

"I told you, you shouldn't have asked." Merlin said trying to make a joke of it.

"We just need to think it through logically." Arthur said, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder. "If you can still feel your magic, then maybe there is something around that is blocking it."

Merlin began to think, he was suddenly relieved to be sharing his problem with someone, instead of worrying about it on his own.

"I suppose that is possible." Merlin admitted. "I did have this feeling once before now I think about it. It was when we were facing the dorocha."

He noticed Arthur shiver at the mention of the dorocha's name. Merlin himself shivered too when he relived the moment the dorocha came flying at him that cold still night, it was only Lancelot jumping out and scaring it away that had stopped him from succumbing to them. Could it be another similar situation they were dealing with now he wondered.

He wanted to dismiss such a thought when he thought of the consequences of what they had to do to be rid of it. The experience had cost his friend Lancelot his life, and Merlin had not got over it properly even now. He closed his eyes for a moment trying to fight the wave of tiredness that suddenly came down on him.

"What can you remember about us being brought here?" he asked Arthur.

"We came through that forest." Arthur said. "There was something that was quite sinister about it, from what I remember. It was really quiet no birds sang, but we didn't come across any reason why not. It was almost hazy without any fog."

"Yes that's what I thought." Merlin agreed.

"Could that be magic in some way?" Arthur asked curiously.

"I don't know." Merlin mused. "If it is it is not the type of magic I know anything about."

They looked at each other silently for a moment. It hadn't got them far, but at least Merlin didn't feel so alone suddenly. He smiled at his friend.

"What?" Arthur asked.

"I'm just glad you're here and I can talk to you openly about it." Merlin smiled.

"You can always talk to me Merlin, remember that. Try and get some sleep, you look exhausted. We will try and work out a plan tomorrow, in the meantime get some rest and try not to worry.

Arthur briefly touched his shoulder and moved back towards the Knights. Merlin watched him go, hoping that he could actually relax enough to manage some sleep. Just as he prepared to let his eyes close, light streamed through the passage way, and he became aware of footsteps walking towards the dungeon.

He forced his eyes open again, trying to get his senses working. As the footsteps became nearer, suddenly a fog descended onto the passage. He fought against insane tiredness again that seemed to take over his mind like a haze, matching the fog which was now all about them.

Before he knew it he saw fingers curled around the bars, and a voice that came out of nowhere, seeming loud to his confused mind.

"Hello Emrys, how are you today?"

Before Merlin had the chance to answer his mind closed down completely, and there

was nothing but darkness.