Heart and Soul chapter two: Antidotes and Magic
Maera sat next to merlin's bedside, her arm brushed across his brow as she reached for the damp towel to wipe the sweat off of his face.
"he's getting hotter" she said as she leaned forward listening to his mumbling, "Him, Liffrea, Wuldres wealdend, woroldare forgeaf" she frowned wondering if another part of her memory was messed up so that she couldn't understand the words spoken by the boy. "what language is that?" she asked Gaius who looked up at her words.
"none. The fever's taken hold. none of those words are his own. His pulse is weaker." Gaius told her as he held Merlin's wrist in his hand to check. Maera frowned looking at Merlin's arm, "what's that on his arm Gaius?" Gaius turned the arm over and looked at it with a frown. Gwen who was cleaning up the remnants of their dinner looked as well "what is it?" she asked
"that cant be right. The rash is not suppose to appear until the final stage."
"what does it mean?" Maera said with trepidation. Gaius picked up the book and checks with a magnifying glass, "it says here that once a rash appears, death will follow within two days." Maera sucked in a sharp breath. "but you said he had four days!" she cried.
"something's increased the flower's potency. It warns that the effect of the Mortaeus will be more rapid if an enchantment is used during the flower's preparation." Gaius read from the book and Maera looked at Gwen with despair.
"An enchantment?" Gwen asked, "but Bayard's no sorcerer" Bayard being the one who was accused of poisoning the chalice meant for prince Arthur. Gaius seemed to agree with Gwen, "no he isn't" but then who?
"then who did this?" Maera asked them both Gwen just shrugged her shoulders but Gaius looked thoughtful and then horrified. "it can't have been. She wouldn't dare come here. Unless…" Gaius trailed off and Both girls looked at him expectantly. "unless what?" they asked in unison.
"what happened to that girl?" Gaius asked Gwen. She looked confused and asked "which Girl?" Gaius sighed "just before Merlin burst into the hall one of Bayard's serving girls took him outside" Gwen seemed to remember something, "she had dark hair, very beautiful.
Gaius looked dark "find her. Quickly!" Gwen took off to wherever she thought the girl might be and Maera turned back to merlin "I'll stay with him to make sure nothing else happens." She said as she sat back down placing her hand on his arm. "come on Merlin you can make it through this." She whispered half to herself as the boy tossed again and murmered "Arthur… swa…" she didn't quite catch the last bit and wasn't sure what was going on.
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Maera had been tending to Merlin and listening to his fever induced muttering which, she couldn't quite get out of her head. It was calling to her almost as if there was some sort of connection. Her eyes drifted across his troubled face and she brushed the hair out of his eyes gently wiping the sweat that was beading on his brow. Suddenly Gwen returned and Maera looked up hopefully but her face sunk back down to despair when she realized that there wasn't any good news. Gaius saw as well "let me guess, she wasn't there" he said sadly as if he had known she wouldn't. Gwen shook her head. "No one has seen her since the banquet. Who is she?" Gaius looked stern. "Not who she claims to be"
Maera looked at him "but you know, don't you?" she asked hopefully, he nodded and said
"Cara. Though that is not her name, not her real name, anyway" Gwen looked troubled
"Then who is she?" she asked. And as Gaius responded Maera's eyes widened
"A powerful sorceress"
Her grip on Merlin's arm tightened and she felt herself freeze as if there were a chill in the air only there was none. A strange sensation in the back of her mind niggled at her as if she should know something but it was just out of reach. She realized that Gwen and Gaius were still talking and she had missed something but caught the last half of Gaius' sentence
"…Arthur could be walking into a trap." Her breath caught. 'no Arthur cant, he'll make it he has to' suddenly she felt a sort of energy coming from her hand where she was touching Merlin's arm shocked she almost pulled away as she heard him mumble "Arthur, Arthur." Suddenly she feels as if the world has tilted and she wavers feeling a surge of energy leave her through her hand. Her arm braces itself against the nearest object which just happens to be Merlin's chest, 'well crap this is going to be awkward,' she thought as she finds herself unable to move and half laying across merlin's chest before completely blacking out.
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she was unconscious that she was sure of but it felt like she was floating in a dream-like reality, suddenly in front of her things started taking shape trees and underbrush a horse and rider making their way through the woods. 'its Arthur!' she thought, 'but no he cant be going this way its wrong' she tried to speak but found herself unable to make sound. She couldn't hear anything either only see. Arthur approached a fallen tree with a girl on it, the girl looked familiar but she couldn't place her. What concerned her more was the creature that was stirring from underneath the branches of the fallen tree. 'no Arthur it's a trap get away!' but it was no use he couldn't hear her and she couldn't speak anyway, the beast rose up and attacked but Arthur was skilled and defeated it, he didn't even seem to notice the grimace on the girls face as he did so, but Maera did. The girl talked to Arthur and he gestured toward the cave to their right, then they started moving in that direction, 'no! Arthur she's bad' Maera tried but it was no use, then she heard merlin's voice, "Arthur, it… it's a trap. It's a trap." But Arthur didn't seem to hear merlin either. Then she heard it again only this time it was if it was singing in her veins, "eft qewunigen wilgesibas, bonne wig cume," it was Merlin's voice but different, more powerful. Strange.
She followed Arthur and the girl, whom she guessed was the sorceress Gaius had spoken of, into the caves and to the edge of a cliff across which sat pretty little white flowers, so deceptive of their true nature. Arthur looked like he was trying to figure out how to get to them when the girl started muttering and this time Maera could hear her in that same strange singing tone that she had herd in Merlin's voice before. "Eorthe, lyft, fyr wearer, hiersumie me." She noticed that Arthur was having a hard time standing and realized that the cave was shaking, 'he's going to die! No! I have to do something but what can I do?' she moved around and floated next to Arthur 'hold on!' she thought but could do nothing else. "hiersumie me" the voice said again and Arthur dropped his torch as the rocks fell away beneath his feet, 'JUMP' she half screamed in her head and to her amazement he did at the last second just catching hold of the opposite ledge with his hand,
The girl looked at him with distain and said something and Arthur responded, then they both looked down and Maera looked as well seeing the shadowy form of a giant spider approaching, 'look out!' Arthur swung his sword and killed the spider as the girl spoke again and then turned to leave, taking the light with her. 'no its too dark, he won't make it!' suddenly merlin's voice appeared again, "Arthur. Its too dark. Too dark." Then his voice shifted again singing through her "Fromum feohgiftum on feader bearme. Fromum feohgifum." Suddenly a glowing ball of light appeared above them floating and Maera felt the warmth from it reaching out to her. Her arm moved up and touched it. suddenly she can hear the chittering of the spiders below 'hurry Arthur move!' she thought. 'up it's the only way out!' as she though that the light moved up and she floated up with it. Arthur heaved himself up onto the ledge and both the light and Maera moved up higher. However Arthur looked to the side and got a determined look on his face. Maera looked over to were he was glancing and sighed 'the flower! Of course. Hurry!' but there was another voice, merlin's, "leave them, Arthur" and the screech of the spiders got ever closer, "go. Save yourself." Merlin's voice kept saying "follow the light" Arthur reached the flower and pulled it out of its crevice stuffing it into his pouch. Maera looked down and saw the spiders almost upon them 'HURRY!' she thought shouted and half pushed Arthur to move. Surprising her he actually moved and started climbing faster racing the spiders to the top. And merlin's voice was there again, "Faster. Go Faster. Follow the light! Move. Climb." Finally Arthur reached the top and the light vanished, Arthur looked around for a moment and pushed a large log over the hole in the ground so the spiders couldn't follow but the world was getting foggy and the lines were swirling a bit too much, 'no Arthur hurry back Merlin needs you!' she got out before the world faded away once more.
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Maera woke with a start, "Gaius!" she half shouted half croaked. Her throat was dry and she had trouble speaking. She was laying down on a cot next to Merlin her had gripping his so tightly that her knuckles were practically white. She loosened her grip slightly as she sat up looking for the old physician. Gaius started and turned to her "
"Maera, how do you feel? You suddenly fainted," the old physician walked over to her "I would have moved you to a more comfortable place but you had quite the grip on poor merlin's hand." Maera looked down and frowned. "Gaius, is Arthur back?" she said and Gaius narrowed his eyes "yes he returned just this afternoon but king Uther has decided to punish him by locking him in the dungeon for disobeying him." Maera flinched and said "we need to get to him," she bit her lip in contemplation as Gwen came in. "Gaius he won't last much longer we need to get that flower from him" Gaius looked at her quizzically with a suspicious glint in his eye, "how do you know he got it?" he asked and she said "I… just… I know and the king won't just let us have it?" she asked?
Gwen shook her head "Uther won't allow anyone to see him." She turned to Gaius, "is there nothing we can do to help?" Gaius sighed
"Only the Mortaeus flower can save him." He said as he put his hand on Merlin's shoulder looking down at him. "we have to find out if Arthur has it…" Maera looked at her thinking if only she could go and ask then she would know, "I could sneak into the dungeon." Gwen suggested suddenly as if she had just thought of it and Maera's eyes widened slightly before she tried to hide it but not before Gaius noticed her reaction. He looked confused but turned to Gwen, "that would be very dangerous." He said worried.
"but I've got to" she argued, "Merlin will die if I don't" suddenly merlin struggled slightly to breath and they all looked down at him, Maera reached out her hand and placed it on his forehead still not letting go of his hand, "she's right Gaius" she said sadly. The old man sighed heavily, "be careful"
After Gwen left Gaius turned to Maera and looked at her. "Maera …" he seemed hesitant about something, "what is it Gaius?" she asked frowning, he sighed and then began to speak.
"I know you don't remember anything about your past, but I am beginning to suspect something." He walked forward and placed a hand on hers, the one currently holding Merlin's. "While you were unconscious what did you see…" he asked looking at her and she gulped. "I… what do you mean?" she tried to fake ignorance but Gaius stared her down and she flinched. "I … I don't know what it was there was this feeling, and I saw Arthur in the woods." She looked up at him, "he fought that beast from the book and killed it, then he went with this woman into a cave." She suddenly remembered something her eyes going to merlin, "and I kept hearing merlin's voice only it was strange he was speaking in those nonsense words again and it was almost musical, like a humming inside me." She looked up at Gaius, "and? Then what happened?" the older man asked somewhat worriedly but like he believed her, encouraged she continued, "I followed them into the cave I didn't trust the woman she felt, wrong." Gaius nodded, "we found the flower but she started to speak in the same words that Merlin did, and the cave started to shake she left Arthur to die there Gaius," she looked up at him, "and Merlin kept trying to get him to leave, to forget about the flower and save himself," her eyes shifted down to merlin's still overheating form. "Then, there was this light and Merlin's voice was coming from it, it was him wasn't it?" she looked up at Gaius practically begging him to say she wasn't crazy. The man looked like he was fretting with something. Finally he sighed
"It was, I saw the light here as well, in his hand, but Maera, you must tell no one or it will be the death of both of you." Her eyes widened slightly in shock, "but surely…" she began and he looked fiercely at her, "you must promise Maera… magic, for that is what this is, is forbidden in Camelot." Her mouth fell open, "but it can do so much good, why…" she was cut off by Gwen who burst into the room breathing heavily. She shut her mouth quickly looking at Gaius who stared at her pointedly and she now know what he was constantly telling merlin with that look
"Don't be stupid and keep your mouth shut"
"I got it, how is he?" Gwen said as she rushed over to them missing the pointed looks sent between them. Gaius held out his hand "the flower quickly, his breathing is much worse we have to hurry," Gwen sat down next to merlin's bedside as Gaius began crushing the flower leaf, suddenly he stopped and looked hesitant.
"Why have you stopped?" Gwen asked with urgency and Gaius looked at her. "The poison was created using magic. We may need magic to make an antidote," he glanced at Maera and she gulped.
"But we can't. It's forbidden. Even if we could." She looked frightened and Gaius set his jaw causing Maera to narrow her eyes. "I'll try to make it work without it… Oh, I need some fresh water" he handed Gwen a bowl and she ran off to get it. As soon as she was out the door Gaius lifted the bowl in his hands and whispered "Sythan…" he looked up and caught her eyes as they narrowed and he sighed, "Sythan arrest wearth feasceaft funden, Denum aerfer dome, Dreamleas gehad he gewinnes longsum." He said and Maera felt the power flow from him to the bowl and the flower in it. The potion sizzled and foamed for a moment then settled just as Gwen rushed back in and handed Gaius the water before sitting back at merlin's side. "Thank you" Gaius said a bit hoarsely and poured the potion into a cup walking over to merlin.
"Hold his nose" he said and Gwen reached out to pinch merlin's nose as Gaius poured the potion down merlin's throat.
"Swallow, merlin. Swallow it!" Maera urged as she clasped Merlin's hand.
"He's stopped breathing! What's happening? Gaius?" Gwen said slightly panicked, Gaius bent his head down and listened to Merlin's chest. "His… hearts stopped," he said looking crestfallen. Gwen looked shocked, "he's dead?" Maera's blood went cold as she felt the magic working 'no it cant be he's not gone, he's still here' she thought. "He can't be, he can't be. It was his destiny." Gaius said standing up. Gwen started crying, "it's my fault, if I'd have got here sooner, if I'd have been quicker." She stood and started to cry in earnest as Gaius hugged her also shocked. Maera sat in her spot looking down at Merlin with her eyes narrowed to slits.
"No, no it was me" Gaius said "I should have looked after him better, it's my fault" he patted Gwen on the back.
Suddenly Maera felt a power surge and yelped pulling her hand away from Merlin's for the first time. "Ouch" she frowned looking down at him and then shocked as she saw that his eyes were open and he was looking at Gwen and Gaius. "That's disgusting. You should be ashamed of yourself. You're old enough to be her grandfather." He said and Maera laughed putting her hand to her mouth and almost falling off the cot.
"Merlin! You're alive!" Gaius said astonished.
"No, I'm the ghost come back to haunt you" he said just before he was attacked by Gwen who grabbed him and planted a kiss straight on his mouth. Maera raised an eyebrow and stifled a snicker. Then Gwen looked abashed and apologized profusely "sorry… I just… I thought you were dead" she said.
"It's fine. It's more than fine… erm… what happened? The last thing I remember is drinking the wine." He replied with that cheeky grin of his and Maera raised an eyebrow looking up at Gaius with a grin of her own.
so to make up for being late I give you a second longer chapter in the same week! which is basically the rest of that one episode but shhh XD oh well as always please review! it makes me all warm and happy inside to know people are actually reading my work.