A/N - Hello, hello!
I was going to write this yesterday but I had to do some homework, which I should have done on Sunday but instead I went to see Les Mis which was- DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING? SINGING THE SONG OF ANGRY MEN– sorry, that keeps happening. Apparently spontaneous singing is contagious.
In other news, IT HAS SNOWED *cue screaming from most Londoners*. In my part of England (up North with the sheep and tractors oooh arr etc. etc.), this happens pretty much every year but everyone still gets really overexcited - me included. There's about 5cm on my window ledge which I think qualifies as being snowed in.
Anyway, on with the story!
"Bran thought about it. 'Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?'
'That is the only time a man can be brave,' his father told him."
― A Game of Thrones,George R.R. Martin
Tarrian sat down heavily on a wooden bench. He had to think about this. After years of trying different methods, Tarrian had found that the best way to form an escape plan was to sit down and think. In silence. Which was hard when over two dozen spooked guards – who weren't exactly intelligent, at the best of times – were currently pacing around the room.
"Everybody shut up! I am trying to think of a way out of here and I can't hear myself think!"
With mumbled apologies, the guards sat down on the benches and stopped their worried talking.
Tarrian breathed slowly, in and out. Right. He had to think this through.
They were locked in the armoury.
Ignitrus had never been in the armoury, to the best of his knowledge.
Ignitrus had never fought in a war.
Ignitrus probably thought that there were only swords and spears in an armoury.
He probably thought an "honourable" war was fought with swords and spears and nothing else.
He probably didn't realise that the armoury was where Arthur kept the old battering ram.
Tarrian stood up and looked over at the large shape in the corner that was usually used to hold saddles.
Taking a deep breath Merlin stepped round the corner. He would have liked to distract the guards somehow, but he had no time and it was too dangerous.
Sitting at the table were two guards. As they saw him, they jumped to their feet and drew their swords.
Before they had a chance to react, Merlin screamed a spell and they slammed backwards into the wall. He could tell from the horrifying crunch as they hit the wall that they were dead. Merlin turned to the side and noticed the sword just in time to stop it.
There had been two guards. In the dungeons there were always three.
"Your magic won't work on me, scum." The guard spat, swinging his sword. Merlin realised he must have been enchanted by Ignitrus to resist spells - the irises of his eyes were entirely silver.
Merlin jumped backwards as the man advanced. Arthur had taught him the basics of sword fighting years ago, but nothing requiring this much skill. He swung the sword as fast as he could, but changed his aim from the man's stomach to his legs in less than a second.
The guard roared as a line of blood appeared on his light-coloured breeches. He swung his long blade in a rash, angry attack on Merlin's neck and he ducked.
Merlin whispered something and his blue eyes glowed gold as a snake of rope darted out from behind a barrel and wrapped around his assailant's legs.
Bellowing, the guard fell to the floor and started to drag himself towards his sword. Merlin dived to pick it up, but too late. As he bent down, the guard gripped the sword and stabbed Merlin's shoulder.
Merlin yelled in pain and fell back against the table. The guard pulled the rope from his legs and stood up. He started to walk towards Merlin and raised the blood-stained sword above his head. The blow would kill Merlin easily.
Merlin was frantically trying to muster some magic, anything that could distract the guard, but his body seemed to be focussed on the wound and not on the more urgent threat of impending death.
He closed his eyes and sat still, willing for the death to be quick, for there to be no pain-
The blow didn't come.
He opened his eyes and looked up. The guard was still standing there, sword raised, but there was a long, thin blade protruding from his chest. Gasping, the sword fell from his hands and he slowly collapsed to the floor.
Behind him stood Tarrian, smiling.
"Seems you were in a bit of trouble there, eh boy?"
"Tarrian, I am wounded, I was about to be killed, unknown numbers are dead, the castle is under attack and you summarise it as a bit of trouble?" Merlin replied incredulously.
They both laughed and Tarrian pulled Merlin from the ground. He winced as he saw the blood swelling from under Merlin's neckerchief.
Before he could say anything, however, a shout came from down the corridor.
"Tarrian! It's Ignitrus – we've found him!"
Everyone rushed to the door, but allowed Tarrian to go through first. Merlin noticed the respect in their eyes as they looked at Tarrian- no, they were looking at him. Why would the guards pay him such respect?
He didn't have time to ponder it any longer as they had reached the door to the largest cell, the one where they must have been keeping Arthur. Merlin felt dread sink in his stomach like a stone. How long had Ignitrus been in there...?
He walked in through the door, and gasped.
In the centre of the cell knelt Ignitrus, with a sword pressed to his throat by Arthur. Gwaine and Percival stood on each side of him, each with a hand pressed on his shoulder.
"It seems we aren't needed here," said Tarrian. "You look like you've got the situation under control without our help!"
Arthur smiled at Tarrian, and broke into a wide-mouthed grin when he saw Merlin. He did, however, manage this show of affection without letting the sword move an inch.
"This idiot," Leon kicked Ignitrus as he said it, "thought he could just come in here with a sword and we would give in and die. He was going to kill six of us with one sword. How he managed to make it down to the cells is beyond me. We would have escaped if he hadn't managed to shut the door and leave his keys on the other side."
Ignitrus looked up and Merlin could see that his eyes were a dark brown, so dark they were almost black.
"It seems," he said quietly, "that I am a genius except when it comes to battle strategies."
"Shut up." Gwaine snarled.
Ignitrus seemed to sigh for a moment, then returned to his previous defeated stance.
Merlin, who had been watching this all with interest, suddenly realised that he had lost a lot more blood than he'd thought. His vision went black and he collapsed to the floor.
So, did you like it?
There was no need to worry about Tarrian, he wasn't going anywhere. I just like playing with people's minds. *evil laughter*
See you all soon!
P.S – Happy Reichenbach anniversary to all the Sherlockians!