Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.
Chapter ten: Cover me.
Arthur walked ahead of Merlin, who was hardly watching where he was going as he studied something in his hand. The ground around them was covered in a thick layer of frost, which glittered in the late evening light. Arthur glanced over his shoulder for a second, what ever had been affecting Merlin's magic easier in the day wasn't affected him as much now, but whatever it had been had weakened him and drained a lot of his energy.
"I think I'm missing a toe." Arthur complains about the cold, as he stops walking to let Merlin catch up.
"I'm missing Camelot," Merlin mutters, as draws level. "Missing my wife... Missing my children... Missing my food... Missing my bed..."
Merlin suddenly collapses sideways on to a patch of heather, his back facing Arthur. Arthur stares at him for a moment.
"What are you doing?"
"Settling in for the night." Merlin answers, half asleep already.
Shaking his head slightly, Arthur looks round. He spots a small sheltered grove further along the path they'd been walking along.
"Here," Arthur speaks up, pointing to the grove. "We'll use that."
"I just want to sleep."
"Not there," Arthur replies, reaching over and grabbing Merlin's arm. "You'll freeze to death."
Merlin groans slightly as Arthur pulls him to his feet. Upon reaching the grove, Merlin collapses to the ground once more and pulls his cloak tighter around himself.
"No, Merlin." Arthur speaks. "You're going to have to sleep on the other side."
"What?" Merlin asks in disbelief.
"I always sleep on the left." Arthur explains.
Shifting Merlin moves to the right and Arthur quickly lies down where Merlin had previously been laying. Shivering slightly from the cold, Merlin's breathing becomes slightly laboured, much to Arthur's annoyance.
"Merlin."" Arthur complains.
"Yeah."
"You're breathing."
"Sorry." Merlin answers, almost smiling.
The wind whistled through the half frozen landscape, as the two of them lay there in silence.
"Arthur?" Merlin suddenly questions, opening his palm and looking at the object he's been studying earlier.
"Mmm?" Arthur answers.
"I need to tell you something. That druid... The druid in the village..."
"Just think about something else, Merlin." Arthur sighs, knowing Merlin felt guilty about his death... After all Merlin was king of the druids.
"No, I need you to listen to me." Merlin insists. "Before he died, he tried to warn me... He told me you were in danger and that the danger was close."
"And you believe what he said?" Arthur questioned, recalling all the times Merlin had received warning from others with magic in the past and for them to be false.
"He was a druid seer." Merlin answers.
"That doesn't mean he was right, Merlin."
"He was a Vates, Arthur." Merlin explains. "We have to turn back."
"I can't." Arthur answers. "Even if what he said is true, it makes no difference."
"Arthur, without you Camelot is nothing." Merlin replies, shifting so he can see Arthur. "All that we've worked so hard to create will be for nothing... Everything will be gone."
"Look, no matter what adversity we face, we stand for what is right." Arthur sits up and faces Merlin. "To betray our beliefs, Merlin, that is what will destroy everything we've strived for. I swear I'm going to rescue my men... Or die trying."
"Then I swear I will protect you or die at your side." Merlin vows.
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Gwaine hisses as his back strains as he picks up a small boulder and carries it over to the cart close to where he and Percival were working. Dumping the small boulder down into the cart, Gwaine takes a moment to steady his breathing, wiping the back of his hand across his forehead he glances round. As he turns back round to pick up another small boulder, Gwaine catches sight of the blue light flickering again.
"It's back." He quickly hisses to Percival.
Percival stops what he's doing and glances at Gwaine before following his gaze. Gwaine glances at Percival before moving towards where the flickering blue light had come from.
"Where are you going?" Percival asks, catching sight of Gwaine's movement.
Gwaine grins. "Cover me."
As Gwaine vanishes from sight, ducking through the gap and moving along the tunnel following the blue light, Percival glances over his shoulder and spots the Saxon guards not far from them knocking one of their fellow prisoners around. Glancing back at where Gwaine had disappeared, Percival shakes his head slightly, before picking up another boulder and adding it to the pile.
Suddenly one of the Saxon guards lets out a yell, pointing towards where Percival was standing. Cursing silently Percival looks round for something to deadened himself with, it was just their luck the Saxon guards had to notice Gwaine was gone so quickly. Jumping up on to a low ledge, Percival's gaze falls on the cart he and Gwaine had been loading with small boulders and rocks.
Forming a plan in his head, he jumps forward landing in front of the cart just as the Saxons begin to draw level. Leaning all of his weight against the cart, Percival tips it over, sending small boulders and rocks crashing along the walkway towards the Saxon guards, many jumped out the way, but others weren't so lucky. The Saxon guards quickly turn their attention back to Percival.
"Oops." Percival grins and knocks the first Saxon guard out with a single punch.
Gwaine edges along the nearly completely dark tunnel, a low hissing sound echoes along the passage, as the blue light flickers just around a turning. Using his hands to feel his way around the jagged rocks, Gwaine keeps himself low to the ground and ready for an attack.
Turning a corner, Gwaine straightens up and looks round, the blue glow was gone and the hissing had stopped. Suddenly two Saxon guards grab Gwaine from behind and as one spins him round the other punches him, sending him crashing to the ground. Struggling for a moment, Gwaine tries to regain his feet, but the punch was still making his head ring. His eyes roll and his head drops backwards on to the ground as he loses conciseness.
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Arthur's eyes snap open and he glances round trying to work out what had woken him. It wasn't long past dawn and the ground around where he and Merlin lay was still covered in a thick layer of frost. Sitting up Arthur glances round, beside him the sudden movement jolts Merlin, who lets out a low groan of discomfort but apart from that doesn't move or make a sound.
Listening carefully, Arthur slowly gets to his feet, grabbing a low branch as he does so. His muscles were stiff from the cold and ached from a nights uncomfortable sleep on the hard, cold ground. Moving as quietly as possible, Arthur steps around Merlin's still sleeping form. Glancing down at his friend, Arthur winces slightly. Merlin was deathly pale, it reminded him of the time Merlin had jumped into the Dorocha's path.
The sound of horse hooves brakes Arthur out of his revive. Grabbing Merlin's arm with one hand and covering Merlin's mouth with the other, Arthur pulls Merlin to his feet. Merlin's eyes snap open and his eyes flash for a moment, before he recognised who's grabbed him. As Arthur drags Merlin away from the sound of the approaching horses, the object Merlin had been studying the night before falls from his numb hands.
The two of them just make it to a hiding place not visible from the path, as Morgana and her men ride into view. Morgana pulls her horse to a halt and looks round.
"Don't just stand there!" She bellows at her men as none of them move. "Find them!"
Her men quickly beginning moving, following the path further along and studying the undergrowth for any signs of the people they were looking for. But the frozen ground thankful was too solid for any tracks to have been left.
Jared jumps down from his horse and makes his way over to the grove Arthur and Merlin had been sleeping in moments before. Frowning he kneels down and moves his hand across the ground.
"They were here." Jared speaks up. "The ground is still warm, they can't be more than a minute ahead of us."
Suddenly Jared catches sight of the object Merlin had dropped, picking it up Jared turns it over in his hand. Without warning the object suddenly glows and Jared drops the object with a pained hiss.
"A warding charm," Jared hisses, as Morgana gives him an unamused look. "It protects against corrupted magic... Emrys was here."
Morgana simply turns back and watches her men.
"Find them," She growls. "I don't care how long it takes!"
Clicking, Morgana turns and rides away. Jared quickly returns to his horse and follows her.
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I hope you enjoyed that, next chapter will be up soon,
Blessed be,
TreeOfLife1997.