Arthur flew onto Kaina with great speed, intending to race to Merlin's aid. Kaina whinnied and sped off into the dark evening as Arthur dug his heals into the horse. She was as black as the night itself, that is why Arthur had chosen her, he'd be well camoflauged in the night, no knight would notice him return.
As Kaina raced into the night, Arthur thought about the strange voice in his mind. It had seamed so ancient, so wise, but was it just his imagination? No, that was impossible. He'd had a conversation with it, hadn't he? It didn't seam like a voice he would make up. If he had to imagine a voice to comunicate with, it would be young and stupid, like Merlin. Merlin. What had happened to him?
Arthur was interupted from his thought only for a second as Kaina steered towards the wrong direction. He gently persuaded her to go left, not right, and she swiftly obayed. It was as though the horse could sense Arthur's distress and wished not to dissapoint. Kaina was faster than Arthur had expected because soon he had arrived at the clearing. He dismounted and secured Kaina to a tree.
Almost immediatley he saw him. Lying on the ground. Still. That was the first thing that disturbed Arthur. Merlin was still. He wasn't cleaning his arour or fidgeting as he stood next to Gaius in the council chambers, he wasn't fidling with the bottom of his shirt as Arthur scolded him for not doing a job properly. He wasn't doing anything. He was still.
Merlin wasn't talking. He wasn't backchatting, lecturing, joking. He wasn't singing, humming, whilstling. He was lying still, silent.
Arthur rushed to him and knelt down beside him. He turned him over and stared at his pale, lifeless face. He felt a hot liquid on his palm. Quickly he withdrew his hand and stared in horror at the red liquid on his hand. This wasn't right. This was a sick joke.
Arthur shouted loudly in anguish and let a single tear escape his eye and drift down hiis face. This was wrong. This was so, so wrong. He needed to get Merlin back to Camelot as soon as possible. Arthur rushed to Kaina and untied her. He tugged her to Merlin and tied her again to a closer tre. He then hoisted Merlin into the saddle and started to lead Kaina back to the city.
His mind raced as he trudged through the mud. Why had the voice helped him? What had happened to Merlin, or, more importantly, who was it he had to kill for Merlin's revenge?