Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.
Chapter Five: Of burns and dark magic.
Freya walked down the steps of Camelot castle, her arm linked through Merlin's as they approached the group which were about to ride out and try and rescue King Rodor. Arthur was standing by his horse at the head of the group, saying good bye to Gwen.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Freya asks, as they reached the bottom of the steps.
Merlin turns to face Freya taking one of her hands in his own. "I wish you could, Freya. But I need you to stay. You are my queen and I need you to protect our kingdom. King Sarrum is still a danger to our kingdom and you have always been more of a diplomat than me."
Freya laughs, "We both know that's a lie."
"True," Merlin smiles. "But I need you to do this."
"Just be careful," Freya pleads, with a node. "You know you're walking into a trap."
"And I'm prepared for whatever Morgana has waiting for us," Merlin answers. "King Rodor is an ally of ours as much as he is Arthur's. I have to help."
"I know," Freya answers reaching up and placing a palm to one of Merlin's cheeks.
Merlin smiles. "I'll be fine."
"You always say that," Freya laughs. "And yet you always come back injured."
"Not all the time." Merlin defends himself.
"Name one time you've come back uninjured." Freya challenges.
Merlin frowns slightly. "I'll have to get back to you on that one."
Freya shakes her head with a found smile and leans forwards and catches Merlin's lips with her own. A throat clearing behind them forces them apart and Freya turns to face Gaius and Alice with a blush.
"I promise I'll be back soon." Merlin promises, taking Freya's hand and kissing it.
Freya nodes. "Keep an eye on Princess Mithian… I don't know how to describe the feeling I have, but something is definitely wrong. I fear she is just too afraid to ask for our help or cannot ask us."
"I will." Merlin answers, letting go of Freya's hand.
"MERLIN!" Arthur's voice bellows across the courtyard.
"I've got to go." Merlin mutters before kissing Freya on the cheek and hurrying across to Arthur and his horse which was waiting alongside Arthur's. He bumps into Hilda and stumbles backwards as a wave of dark magic hits him.
"Sorry, Hilda." Merlin mutters, trying to supress the feeling of sickness that washes over him.
"No harm done." Hilda answers. "All is forgiven."
"What is it?" Arthur asks, as he notices the expression on Merlin's face as he approaches him.
"This mission..." Merlin mutters, glancing back at Hilda.
"It's too dangerous so I shouldn't go." Arthur guesses.
"Yeah," Merlin answers, glancing at Arthur. "You were thinking the same thing?"
"No," Arthur shakes his head with a slight twitch of his lips. "I'm thinking that's exactly what you always say, but here I am. Two legs, two arms, my own teeth."
Merlin almost rolled his eyes. "You've only got all those things, because I keep saving you."
"Ha!" Arthur exclaims.
"I've got a funny feeling that there is something we're missing." Merlin continues before Arthur can say anymore. "Something we don't know."
"But you can't say what exactly." Arthur questions.
"No." Merlin answers.
"No?" Arthur asks.
"Maybe we should delay the mission," Merlin replies, glancing once more at Hilda who was being helped onto a horse beside Mithian. "Until we have all the facts at our disposal."
"Fine." Arthur mutters.
"Really?" Merlin asks in surprise.
"Of course not Merlin?" Arthur sighs. "Or do you want to tell Princess Mithian that we decided to let her father die because you have a funny feeling?"
Merlin glares at Arthur before pulling himself up onto his horse.
"I didn't think so." Arthur smiles smugly.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
After traveling through the woods for half a day, Arthur finds a suitable place to stop for a break. The journey so far had been uneventful and there had been no sign of bandits which the knights of patrol so often ran into.
Merlin quickly jumps down from his horse as they stop in the clearing and looks round. He could sense something in the distance, but he was too far away to tell exactly what it was. It felt similar to the feeling he got when ever he neared the valley of the fallen kings.
"Arthur?" Merlin called over his shoulders.
"What, Merlin?" Arthur replies, sounding annoyed.
"We're not near the valley of the fallen kings, are we?" Merlin asks, turning to face Arthur.
Arthur stares at Merlin for a moment. "Map reading really isn't your strong point, is it Merlin?"
"So that's a no then?" Merlin replies.
Arthur just shakes his head and walks off.
Out the corner of his eye, Merlin notices Mithian struggling to get down from her horse. He quickly walks over to help her.
"If I may, my lady?" Merlin asks, offending her a hand.
Mithian smiles the first true smile Merlin had seen since she arrived in Camelot.
"Thank you, Merlin." Mithian answers, expecting the offered help.
As Merlin helps Mithian down from her horse, he notice a burn on one of her wrists.
"How did you get that?" Merlin asks, taking her wrist gently and examining the burn.
"I..." Mithian begins, before cutting herself off as Hilda appears over Merlin's shoulder. "I was bound by Odin's men before I escaped."
"I'm sorry." Merlin replies letting go of Mithian's wrist as he sense Hilda behind him. "I didn't realise you'd been captured."
"It's a very painful memory." Hilda answers, stepping around Merlin and taking Mithian by the arm. "I'm sure she'd rather not dwell on it."
"Of course." Merlin nodes. "I understand."
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Merlin quietly joins Gaius beside the small stream next to where they hate stopped and begins helping him collect water. Merlin couldn't deny that Mithian's behaviour had been strange… She seemed almost scared to speak when Hilda was around. But Hilda was her maid and had been for year apparently, so why did Mithian seem so scared of her?
"It doesn't make sense." Merlin spoke up suddenly, causing Gaius to almost drop the water skin he was holding. "Mithian had told Arthur that she had escaped… She never said anything about being captured."
"She was in shock Merlin." Gaius points out. "You can't expect her to recall every detail."
"So?" Merlin answers. "That's quite an important detail to leave out of your story."
"Why would she lie?" Gaius questions.
"Because she didn't want me to know how she really got that burn on her wrist." Merlin shrugs slightly. "Gaius, there's something not right here."
Gaius sighs slightly. "What reason would she have to lie to us, Merlin?"
"I think Morgana is involved in this somehow," Merlin answers. "And I think her involvement is far deeper than I previously warned it was. That burn could only have been caused by magic."
"You can't know that for sure." Gaius answers.
Merlin shakes his head. "It was caused by magic, Gaius. I swear it."
"Them what do you propose we do?" Gaius asks.
"Keep an eye on Hilda." Merlin response. "Mithian clearly doesn't trust her. There's a high chance she's working for Morgana… And when I bumped into her before we left Camelot, she was surrounded by dark magic."
"We have to reach the border by nightfall." Arthur calls across the clearing. "Prepare to Move out!"
Merlin hands Gaius the last of the refilled water skins and hurries back over to his horse. He quickly pulled himself up and glanced at Arthur who was staring at him.
"What?" Merlin asks.
"What were you and Gaius discussing?" Arthur questions. "I can't help but worry for the kingdom when you and Gaius start plotting."
"Herbal remedies," Merlin answers easily. "Don't worry, I won't waste your time explaining it."
"Good," Arthur answers. "There's nothing more boring than discussing herbal remedies."
"Your right," Merlin answers with a cheeky smile. "After all your brains too small to understand it anyway."
Arthur glares at Merlin. "I'm the king, Merlin."
"Amazing isn't it," Merlin grins. "How some born a royal could have such little intelligence."
"Merlin." Arthur growls.
"Shut up?" Merlin guesses.
"Good, you're not as stupid as you look." Arthur answers.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Hello, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Until next time,
Blessed be,
TreeOfLife1997.