Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.
Chapter nine: Friend or Enemy?
Gwen slowly got to her feet from where she had been laying on the floor. On the other side of the room Gaius was staring at her, but he doesn't greet her. Sensing she's being watched, Gwen looks round only to find the room around her empty.
The sound of a key turning in a lock echoes through the room and Gwen jumps and turns towards the door, just in time to see it swing open and Morgana enters.
"I thought you might like to dine with me," Morgana announces the reason for her visit.
Morgana begins to walk towards Gwen, who backs away from her.
"Come," Morgana holds out her hand to Gwen. "You must eat or you will fade away."
Gwen slowly reached forward and takes Morgana's hand and Morgana begins to lead her towards the door. Gwen suddenly seems to realise what she's doing and what's happening and pulls her hand back.
"Your hands are cold," Morgana mutters, sounding kind as she stares at Gwen. "Let me get a warm fire going for you. Anything you want you can have, I'll give it to you."
"Why are you doing this?" Gwen pleads.
"Because we are friends," Morgana answers. "We always were-"
"Leave me alone," Gwen pleads again and turns away from Morgana.
"Gwen..." Morgana starts.
"What are you going to do to me?" Gwen suddenly asks quietly, with her back still to Morgana.
"I'm helping you," Morgana answers. "I am looking after you-"
"I want nothing from you," Gwen cuts Morgana off.
"Well if you change your mind," Morgana sneers. "Let me know."
And with that Morgana storms from the room and slams the door shut behind her. Tears roll down Gwen's cheeks as the door locks itself and another scream echoes through the room.
)o(
Arthur turns and looks back over his shoulder as Percival stopped to take off his boot, only to reveal a massive blister on his foot. Elyan and Leon wince in sympathy, while Arthur turns back and looks at the tower they were gradually getting closer to.
"We cannot afford to rest," Arthur informs Percival as he turn s back to face him.
"I'm alright," Percival answers, putting his boot back on and getting to his feet.
The continue trekking across the sandy plains. Suddenly Merlin slips as they make their way along the top of a ridge and tumbles down the sandy slope.
"Merlin!" Percival exclaims, having been walking behind Merlin as he fell.
Everyone stops and looks round and watches as Merlin tumbles down the slope and lands next to a bunch of copses, that had clearly once been Knights, one of whom swords' Merlin nearly impaled himself on as he came to a halt at the bottom.
Forcing himself to his feet, Merlin stares at the corpses for a moment, before turning and beginning to climb back up the sandy ridge. As he got closer to the top, Percival reaches down and offers Merlin a hand, which Merlin gratefully accepts and Percival pulls him up.
"We must keep moving," Arthur orders and Merlin nodes, glancing back at the corpses one last time before he carries on walking, not noticing how one of the corpses twitch.
As they continue on their way they draw nearer to the Dark Tower and more bodies begin to appear, all of which twitch whilst no one is looking. Merlin glances at the corpses and wondered how many bodies lay hidden in the forest, of those who had failed to make it out of the forest.
"We're not far now," Tristan nodes towards where entrance to the Dark Tower had finally come into view.
"We need to keep moving," Arthur orders.
)o(
"Don't look, you'll be alright..." Gwen sobs to herself, with her hands over her ears trying to block out the screams. "Don't look, you'll be alright... D-don't lo-ok… Don't look, you'll be alright…"
"Guinevere..." Arthur's voice suddenly echoes through the room.
"Huh?!" Gwen looks round the room. "Arthur...?"
Suddenly Arthur appears out of nowhere and smiles at her.
"No!" Gwen shakes her head. "I know it's not you!"
Arthur begins to make his way over to her slowly, his smile slowly taking a more evil edge.
"I know it's not you!" Gwen repeats over and over again as he draws nearer. "I know it's not you! I know it's not you!"
"Guinevere," Arthur calls. "Look at me."
"I know it's not you," Gwen mutters to herself, hiding her face in her knees and covering her ears.
"Please..." Arthur pleads.
"I know it's not you," Gwen repeats.
"It's me," Arthur kneels before her. "It's Arthur."
"I know it's not you," Gwen sobs.
Arthur reaches forward and takes Gwen's hands in his own.
"See?" Arthur smiles. "It's me. It's Arthur. You're safe now."
Gwen finally looks up at Arthur only for him to laugh manically and disappear into thin air. Gwen covers her ears once more, crying as laughter and screaming echoes in the air around her. She failed to notice the door opening and Morgana entering the room.
"It's all right," Morgana soothes Gwen. "It's all right. I'm here."
And Gwen goes willingly into Morgana's embrace.
"I'm here," Morgana rubs a hand up and down Gwen's back comfortingly. "My darling, I was wrong to make you suffer. The mandrake root is cruel. It pierces the depths of your very soul. Pushes you into the twisted consciousness of what you fear and dread the most."
Morgana pauses for a moment.
"Gwen, you have been so courageous, but it was necessary," Morgana continues. "Gwen, you're not alone now. You need never been alone again. I am the only one you can trust. I am the only one you have left in the world. The others torment you, hate you... Come."
Morgana gets to her feet and Gwen takes it and let Morgana pull her to her feet and lets Morgana guide her towards the door.
"You need some rest," Morgana nodes to her. "Some proper rest."
"No," Gwen suddenly pulls away from Morgana. "Whatever twisted game you are playing, I want no part in it… I would rather stay here and die."
)o(
Hey, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Until next time,
Blessed be,
TreeOfLife1997.