YAY! One more episode, two maybe three more chapters to go and then this story is finished. But don't worry, I will soon start up on the sequel to it called 'Worlds Discovered'...may change the title, but for now that's what I've chosen. If you've guessed than you're right, there will also be a third story, since each one follows each Merlin season, lol. Also, don't forget to participate in the poll, I will be closing it soon, probably by the end of the next chapter, so say a week to vote. Enjoy the chapter, hope you like my little gift XD.
In the end, it was decided that Merlin would hold onto it. He didn't want to, feeling the malicious blood magic that had been used to create it, but he agreed anyways, tucking the pouch with the stone in it into his tunic, a strip of leather holding it around his neck.
For two days, they waited, nothing happening and leaving Arthur fidgeting and even Merlin started to wonder if the sorcerer would ever come for his lost prize.
Gwen seemed to have composed herself enough to continue working as Morgana's maid, but the three of them still kept an eye on her, sensing her flagging spirit as she mourned for her lost father. Surprisingly, it was Lancelot who came to the rescue, speaking with the maid softly as they watched their charges at dinner, keeping her company while others were busy. Merlin knew Lance could empathize with her, his own father killed when he was younger, though the Druid had never told him how.
"Are you sure? I could go down there with you." Morgana said, eyeing her maid worriedly. She had a basket over her arm as she readied to go down to her now empty home to get some more of her things.
"I am my lady. I need to go there eventually and it is better done sooner rather than later. I will be back shortly." Morgana finally gave, dismissing her maid to leave.
As she walked, she steeled herself against the onslaught of pain and memories she was sure to feel the moment she stepped foot into her home. As her house came into view, she nearly stopped, eyes watering and throat closing up with emotion, but she pushed on, opening the door and sliding into the darkened room.
Everything was as she had remembered it. Nothing was disturbed from the last time she had been here and it made it seem worse, that the death of her father mattered nothing to the bigger picture of the world. Holding herself together, she went to her dresser where her clothing was held and started to pack more into her basket.
She nearly let out a scream as someone grabbed her around the waist, but before she could, a hand was clamped down on her mouth, pulling her back against a large chest. "Do not scream or I will kill you where you stand. Understood?" The man's voice was rough and she could feel the scratch of facial hair as he spoke into her ear, jaw brushing her cheek. She nodded in understanding. "Good.' He released her mouth. "Where is the stone?" He demanded.
"What? What stone?" She cried in fright as he shook her.
"Don't 'what stone' me. I know you have it or else it would still be here. Tell me where it is."
"I don't…I don't have it on me. I…I hid it up at the castle." He let out a growl and a curse, throwing her forward.
"You will listen and listen well. I want that stone. You will bring it to me or else I will kill you in your sleep." She nodded shakily. "When you have it, you will follow the eastern bound road. The firstbranch in the road you come to, take it. I will come to you." She nodded again and he left before she could do much else but stare. Standing up unsteadily, she grabbed her basket that had fallen and left, not looking back as she rushed back to the castle.
"You're sure?" Arthur asked, looking at Gwen as she sat in a chair in his rooms. Merlin stood next to him while Morgana stood behind Gwen's chair, a soothing hand laid on her shoulder.
"Yes. He asked, demanded for the stone specifically. He gave me directions for where to meet up with him…to give it to him." She shrank in slightly as the meeting ran through her mind again.
"What do we do now?" Morgana asked, stepping around the chair to look at Arthur. "I don't want Gwen to meet with him. He will surely kill her the moment he has the stone." Merlin nodded with her.
"Perhaps if I went under glamor, as Gwen. I could take him on easily with my magic." Merlin offered.
"Even though I call you a girl, Merlin, you don't act like one. You would give yourself away before you even got close enough to see them, let alone to spell them." Arthur shot his idea down, starting to pace the room as he thought.
"It was just a suggestion." He muttered, sending a halfhearted glare at him.
"If we could just get him to come after one of us, we could take him on easily." Arthur mused.
"Sire…" He didn't look up. "Arthur!" Gwen said loudly, startling them and she blushed, covering her mouth in embarrassment at the outburst. When he didn't tell her off for being too familiar with him, she tentatively gave her idea. "I…I can go and meet him and say…that I don't have the stone anymore…that one of you has it now. I could give him some indication that whoever it is plans on a journey and can be easily over taken then." They stared at her as the idea sunk in.
"Gwen…that's just brilliant. You could say I found you with it and thought you stole it, so I took it out of jealousy. Once he thinks I have it, we could plan excursion somewhere and draw him in like wasps to honey."
"Are you sure about this Gwen? You don't have to put yourself in danger if you feel duty bound. We won't force you." Merlin asked her softly, concern evident in his voice.
"I'm sure. You've all taken care of me over the last few day and I want to help in any way I can." She said with a firm resolve, eyes steely her determination.
The sun was slowly sinking under the horizon as she left, her horse nimble footed, and traversing the rutted road with ease in the dimming light. As soon as there was some distance from the main wall and the road, the forest sprang up, quickly swallowing her in its green depths.
Her horse, sensing her agitation and nervousness, twitched beneath her, jumping as she jump when a bird called out loudly nearby, when a limp broke in the distance, ringing loudly through the silence.
It was a slow progress, but soon the off shooting road from the main came into view and she turned her horse towards it, guiding the creature down it. She had been riding for some time and nothing happened. She was just about to turn back when someone stepped onto the road ahead. She looked back and saw someone else behind her, sword in hand as he blocked her retreat.
She pulled her horse up, waiting for the man who had threatened her to appear. She didn't have long to wait as he slid out of the shadows, pulling the hood of his cloak back to look up at her. "Where is it?" He demanded.
"P-please, sir…" She let the tremor in her voice through.
"Where is it!" he demanded again.
"I…I don't have it." He swore loudly and her horse shied away a little, startled by his anger. "Please, my mistress, she found it on me. She thought I stole it from someone and took it, saying I didn't deserve it."
"Who is your mistress?" He asked, a little calmer.
"T-the lady Morgana. She wouldn't have normally taken it, but I think she was jealous of me, it was such a pretty stone and she must have wanted it for herself…" She was babbling now, the tremor back in her voice.
"Enough!" She shut up. "Can you get it back from her without her knowing?"
She shook her head. "She has taken to keeping it on her, in case I try to take it back." He swore again. "B-but…" He looked at her sharply, nodding for her to continue. "My mistress, the lady Morgana, she plans a trip tomorrow, to her father's grave. She plans to just bring Prince Arthur with her as protection."
"You're absolutely sure of this?" She nodded, twitching her hands on the reins, her horse fidgeting where it stood. "Good. You may go, but if you lie…" She nodded, eyes widening until the whites of her eyes showed. "Go!" He yelled, striking her horse's hindquarters, sending it wheeling and racing back the way it had come.
"NO!" Arthur yelled as Morgana glared at him across the room. "I will not put you in danger. You will stay here, even if I have to tie you to the bed."
"You can't do this without me." She seethed.
"I can. Merlin will use a glamor on himself and veil Lancelot from sight while he and I go to your father's grave."
"He will never pass as me." She tried to persuade him.
"He doesn't have to, he only has to look like you from a distance. He won't be doing any talking with them." He answered, slowly gaining his calm.
"You know, I really wish they would stop talking about me like I'm not here." Merlin whispered loudly to Mordred, the younger Halfling on his lap as they watched the tow stubborn nobles square off against each other.
"It doesn't look like they will anytime soon." He answered in his mind. The snort behind him showed that Lancelot had been privy to the boy's answer. The three humans looked at them in confusion.
"I must admit, Merlin, you do look good in a dress." Arthur teased the Druid.
Merlin blushed, which meant Morgana's glamor did as well and smacked him hard on the arm. Arthur smirked, even as he rubbed the sore spot. "Prat." It was odd, seeing Morgana's lips move and hearing Merlin's voice in its place.
"Are you two girls done flirting, or should we come back in a few minutes?" Morgana demanded icily, still angry after losing the argument last night.
"Were not girls, and yes we're ready." Arthur answered, decked out in his chainmail, and some light plate armor. The red surcoat he wore glowed brightly against the grey of the armor, golden dragon shining like his hair.
His sword was belted at his side, a comforting weight. Lancelot was dressed similarly, though once they were mounted, Merlin would cast the spell to conceal him, the horse, and any tracks they made in case they were followed.
Morgana still glared, but she appeared worried as well, shifting on her feet restlessly as she looked at the three men. "Don't get yourselves killed, alright?" She said sternly, eyes suspiciously bright. They nodded and left quickly.
"Merlin…" Arthur said under his breath. He didn't even look in Arthur's direction as he answered just as softly.
"Two behind us. They've been following us since we left the city. Nothing ahead just yet." Arthur nodded minutely.
They made it there shortly, the rolling fields surrounding the marker, empty, or what they could see. Someone could hide in the trough of one of the hills and not be seen until you were on them. They dismounted quickly, Merlin doing a good impersonation of a court lady being handed down by her prince and Arthur couldn't help but smirk, making Merlin send him a warning glare.
Walking up the hill, she – he – knelt down, spreading the skirts around her in front of the obelisk in dedication to Morgana's deceased father. He saw her shoulder stiffen slightly and knew whoever it was they were facing was near. He leaned forward, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders as he asked softly, "How many?"
"Six." He answered just as softly. "One sorcerer among them."
"Can you handle them?" Arthur asked.
"Yes, but you and Lance need to be careful. They may be human, but you're still out numbered five to two."
"We always are." He stood, turning to look around and saw them creeping forward. He swore, pretending to be startled and drew his sword. 'Morgana's' eyes widened in fear as she looked up, standing and putting herself behind Arthur.
"Lance is behind two of them. When you attack, I'll reveal him." Arthur nodded and squared his stance, standing between Merlin and the five encroaching men.
"Now." He said softly. Arthur just charged, engaging the closest one. He barely noticed when the veil on Lancelot dissipated, revealing the Druid.
As he fought, he forced his opponent to turn. Merlin stood there in the borrowed dress, glamor gone as he watched them fight, eyes starting to glow gold as he readied to do another spell. He didn't see the man sneaking up behind him. "Merlin!" The Druid whirled around.
Merlin was so focus on Arthur and Lance's fight that he didn't notice the sorcerer sneaking up on him until the man was nearly on him, sword out and swinging for a bit of his flesh. His magic jumped to his rescue, knocking the blade off course enough so that it went right by him to embed itself into the soft earth of field.
He went to take a step back, trying to get out of range of his blade long enough to work his magic, but he forgot about the skirts around his legs, the hem twisting in his feet and knocking him over as it ripped out. Morgana wasn't going to like that.
He rolled aside, the blade landing where he had just been. He acted on instinct, shoving the sorcerer away and scrambled to his feet, hampered by the unfamiliar clothing he wore. His slippered feet scrabbled for purchase on the soft earth. He kicked them off, twos digging into the soil and propelling him up and away.
Blood was pumping in his ears and he could make out the distant fighting of the other two, but knew he was too far away for them to help. He felt the breath get knocked out of him as a spell struck him in the back, knocking him back to the ground. The sorcerer was on him before he could do anything but turn over, sword gone, but knife in hand.
He grabbed his wrist before it could descend, holding it away with sheer will and strength as the man loomed over him. "Where is it? I will have my stone." He was growling, eyes crazed.
He blinked up in surprise as the real Morgana, dressed in tunic and trousers, appeared behind the man, sword in hand held over her head. Before the man had time to react, she brought it down, dealing him a mortal wound. Merlin pushed him off, scrambling to get to his feet and away.
"Thanks." He huffed out.
She shot him a glare. "You tore out the hem."
"Sorry. I'm not used to fighting in skirts." He admitted, blushing, even as he said it. He turned away to see how Arthur and Lancelot were doing. They had finished themselves, jogging over to the two, worried looks sent his way.
"I'm alright. He just caught me off guard." He told them.
"I thought I told you to stay in the castle." Arthur yelled at Morgana.
Morgana's jaw hardened, her temper rising. "If I hadn't been here, Merlin would have been in a pinch. You should be thanking me, not yelling at me."
Arthur went to retort, but Merlin stopped him with a hand on his arm. "She right." He glared at her, but didn't retort, instead shrugging it off.
Hey all turned as someone laughed nearby. Turning, they saw the sorcerer on the ground, mouth red with his own blood as he stared up at them with still crazed eyes. "You think this is it, that it's over. This is only the beginning. She will stop you, no matter what it takes." Before they could even voice a question, he was slumping, grin still plastered on his face as he died.
They all looked at each other, unsure of what to say and unease creeping up their spines at his words. It appeared their enemy was still out there and wasn't finished yet.