Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or the song Love Like Winter

:D An update, so soon (ignore the fact that it was already written and only needed typing). This story is coming to an end now, I hope you enjoy this chapter, I'll try my best to come up with a good name for it c: lol, i still haven't actually finished this yet, there's a part where Morgana goes all crazy about Erec and disses him, but I'm not sure what she would call him and still be in character :( so I've got to come up with something NOW. Updating now partially because with the next season my Morguase is going to look more and more OOC (mine doesn't have the same crazy vibes). But seriously, she's scary isn't she?

On with the fic!

Chapter 12

"I've found it!" Morgana held up a small green stone triumphantly, it was a gem which looked to be an emerald, around her dozens of small moss-covered stones lay examined and discarded. Morgana, hoping it was just glass, lay it down and... stamped on it.

"O w ow ow. ARGH! Dammit!" she yelled out in a very unladylike fashion whilst grasping her sore foot.

The seer started to draw her sword, glaring at the unharmed stone. Then she smirked, replaced it and instead picked up Arthur's. This is going to be fun.

Behind her the sun hovered just above the tree tops.

-oOo-

Morgause stepped forwards and raised her sword, she slashed at Merlin and-

Erec blocked it.

The blond scowled at him, her eyes flashed and she kicked the now paralysed figure away. "I wasn't going to kill him, idiot. I still need him alive for the potion."

She raised her sword again but Merlin tossed a fire ball at her, she side stepped. Instructions ran through his head. Endless training sessions with Arthur.

"You let me back you into a corner and now I can kill you, like... THIS!"

Most of these times Merlin had been so surprised he'd managed to fall over in the limited space. He never imagined Arthur's teasing would come in useful, or that he'd remember it for that matter.

Merlin sent fireball after fireball at the witch, he was stuck where he was but he wouldn't allow her to get close. Morgause was about three paces away and she nimbly dodged and ducked around the small infernos. Merlin trapped her in a floating circle of flame, his speciality, a dragon; this one was biting its own tail.

Then Morgause made a mistake, she slashed at it.

The flame was rapidly sucked down the blade and she cried out, throwing away the conjured sword and summoning water to rain on her burnt hand. Merlin shuffled forward carefully, wary of jarring his ankle, and picked up the sword. His magic recognised him and went from the hilt to act in the blade, strengthening it at the edges, making them sharper, keener. Blue sparks played and crackled on the surface before sinking into and under it.

Merlin looked at Morgause who was panicked at her handicap. Her right hand, her sword hand, was so burnt she couldn't use it for magic.

Her eyes darted from side-to-side, she looked all around and then at Merlin, at his weapon.

He feinted, knowing full well his skills were inexistent, struck forward but pulled it back inches away from the witch.

It was enough.

-oOo-

Outside the sun was setting. Morgana was moving in a frenzy. Searching desperately amongst the rubble, thrusting her keystone into random cracks and crevices. In her first dream Merlin would be in trouble soon. She knew th-that MONSTER would get to him if the door wasn't opened. Arthur must be out of commission now since his infection was so bad, she knew nothing of Morgause. All she knew was the awful familiar man would harm her friend if she didn't find the lock to match the keystone.

If she was too late.

She worked diligently, resting only to glance at the sinking sun, barely visible, behind the low canopy.

-oOo-

Morgause, staring at the sword, missed the fear in Merlin's eyes, the uncertainty in his stance. Only seeing the metal rush toward her, she stepped back, tripped and as she fell

"No," in barely a whisper "It's ready."

Merlin saw her disappear into her cauldron; thick golden liquid sloshed at its edges and covered her screaming face. Then Merlin couldn't see anymore. When his eyes adjusted to the evening light he saw a squinting Morgana peering into the cave, clutching a green stone.

"Morgana!"

"Merlin!"

And rather suddenly, he couldn't breathe.

"You're okay! I thought I was too" she opened her eyes, squeezing him even tighter "late."

A groan sounded from further in the cave "You bastard!"

Morgana ran forward and kicked an awakening Erec in the side "I know what you wanted to do to Merlin!"

She kicked him several more times before leaving the cave. Merlin watched silently as she returned and bound them tightly, by Erec's facial expression, it was rather too tightly. She looked quite satisfied but she visibly changed.

"Where is Arthur?"

"Round there." Whilst she was gone Merlin took the opportunity to break the shackle around his swollen ankle,

"Merlin," she called, emerging from the gloom, dragging her brother behind her "I need help!"

"I can't..."

She stepped fully into the light; her eye's scanned the various bruises, scrapes, the burnt hand before coming to rest on Merlin's right ankle.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't even notice-"

"It's fine. Its fine, lets sort out prince prat."

-oOo-

After Arthur had his wound redressed, the poultice applied, his body cooled and a symptom suppressant forced down his throat the four set off.

Arthur rode sat in front of Merlin, leaning back into his servant's chest. He had been drifting in and out of consciousness since they left and he was clearly delirious. Morgana rode at the head of the group. Erec walked beside her, his hands were tethered to her horse by a short rope. Morgana smiled wickedly every time he tripped.

"So, Merlin," she asked "the potion Morgause fell into, that she wanted you to drink, what did it do?"

"I don't know." Merlin lied. Erec looked up sharply and met his eyes.

The wizard gulped.

"Morgana, can't we just leave him here? Or you can just stab him or something?"

"Merlin, we've been through this, he's going to Camelot. Even without all his crimes, intended or complete, we know Uther won't let him down easily when he finds out he assisted a known sorceress. He will be punished."

Merlin looked worriedly at the dark haired man but Erec stared straight ahead.

"Ummm...Mrrr...Merr-in," Arthur mumbled from his place, no one could guess if he was asleep or not.

"Merrin!"

"Yes, sire!"

"Currrl me Artha."

"Okay, Arthur?" Merlin glanced at Morgana, one eyebrow raised, she just shrugged.

"Merrin, I lurve you. So you have to stay. Mor-murgo, Morgs! She can't have you; neither can the new knight, the one I dun't like. Only me. Not even father's servant can. 'Cuz ur mine!"

Merlin was silent. His face was red and he refused to meet Morgana's eyes. Meanwhile, Morgana was having a hard time remaining in her saddle.

"Morgana, it's not funny."

For the first time she noticed he seemed quite upset.

"Of course it is, Merlin. Ah-ah!" She waggled her finger preventing him from interrupting "The whole castle knows he's been alternating between hiding it from you and confessing from the battlements."

"The whole castle?" Merlin squeaked, ignoring the important part.

"Well, no. The whole castle except Uther, but he's in denial about everything. Why do you think he didn't send any knights after us?"

They rode on in silence for a while, just when Merlin was going to inquire after Gwen, Morgana spoke.

"They know about you, too, of course."

"What do you mean?"

Morgana sent him a look that screamed DON'T PLAY DUMB!

"The whole castle knows you like him back, even Uther. No one told you what Arthur felt, thinking you'd sort it out amongst yourselves, that one of you was bound to crack, but no!"

She mumbled something about 'false hope', 'poor man' and 'Tullus.

"Anyway, shall we set up? Looks as though his royal highness could do with a rest."

Merlin just nodded mutely.

-oOo-

When Morgana had her injured party all comfortably settled (and her prisoner toed to a tree) she set off with the horses to find water. Erec called to Merlin, the wizard was going to ignore him, but remembering the threat he posed, struggled to his feet. Merlin used tree trunks to support himself as he made his way to the knight. After traversing the four metres he was exhausted, he sunk to the ground near Erec panting heavily.

"I just wanted to say I won't give you away. It's obvious they don't know about your magic and I don't endeavour to change that."

Merlin opened his mouth to speak but Erec cut in, helpfully answering the unspoken question anyway.

"You're no use to me dead, Merlin. I will not have you killed by that mad man, nor anyone else."

Then Morgana came back and they set off again.

-oOo-

It was night time and nearly the whole party was asleep. Morgana lay on the ground, protected from the forest floor only by her riding cloak. There was a rope tied around her ankle and this was tied to a horse, Atalanta. Merlin lay on Morgana's bedroll, her having insisted he use it due to his injuries. Arthur was using Erec's, since they had not yet come across his horse. Brom didn't carry one; Merlin had been in too much of a rush to pack anything.

Erec wasn't sleeping; he was sat up, also tied to Atalanta. Morgana would be warned if he tried to escape by the horse's movement, except she wouldn't. Erec smirked; it had been surprisingly easy to slip a few leaves into her meal. They were from the same plant Morgause had used to subdue Merlin; Morgana however, got a double dosage. He just had to thank the gods that she had neglected to search him, only removing his sword before tying him up.

Yes! Erec's hands suddenly came free and he dropped the dagger he had used to saw through his bonds.

He quickly and efficiently untied himself from the horse and undid his other bonds, he rose and walked to the horse he had ridden to the cave ahead of Merlin, they had tied his reins to Morgana's mount and walked him along. He located and freed his sword, replacing it at his waist.

Then Erec went to Merlin.

He knelt next to him, looking at the sleeping face, cupping the back of Merlin's neck.

"One day, Merlin, I will come for you. I will have you."

He kissed the wizard on the mouth and then was gone. Erec ran to the west, away from the cave and Camelot, taking only his sword, a dagger, some bread and the clothes on his back.

-oOo-

They rode again mid-morning, Morgana had woken late. Merlin was in good spirits, recognising more and more of the landscape as they drew closer to Camelot.

Morgana was sulking, Merlin almost laughed out loud at the memory of her curses and stomping footsteps when she discovered her prisoner was missing, he refrained though. He had no desire to have that anger aimed at him.

"MERLIN!"

The sorcerer looked up in shock "Sir Bedivere!"

"We're so relieved!" and indeed the faces of each knight in the six-strong group reflected that emotion. "What do you think we thought when we found this horse wandering around, all the supplies still on it, but no rider? Anyway, I promised my wife I'd bring you back, she's quite adamant she meet you!"

-oOo-

A large group was squeezed inside Gaius' workspace. Though originally they had come to stay with Arthur and to make sure that Merlin was alright now they just watched in fascination as Gaius tried to destroy the keystone.

The physician knew that nothing short of Merlin's His audience supplied the necessary gasps and cheers of amazement as well as groans of disappointment when the stone emerged from the colourful smoke unscathed.

One combination cracked his flask and sent the crystal flying out like a cork from a bottle to crash into his bookshelf, sending it and its contents to the ground. The crystal was recovered slightly dusty but no worse for wear. Unlike the manuscripts.

Tullus arrived in the physician's quarters to see the king's ward and her maid, the king's physician and six of the best knights absolutely covered in pink dust. Only Arthur, on a bed by the wall, and Merlin, who held his hand and had fallen asleep in his chair remained relatively unsoiled.

The king's servant watched in concealed amusement as the knight's tried to look disciplined, standing to attention and only succeeded in stirring up pink clouds and making everyone cough.

"The king requires reports from his knights immediately; furthermore he summons the Lady Morgana, Prince Arthur and his manservant as soon as the Prince regains consciousness and sufficient coherence."

"W-what's goin' on? 'M awake..."

"Straight after the knights then."

This is the last chapter :,( there's only the epilouge to go now, I hope you've enjoyed this so far despite the frustrations (late updates and constant re edits :P) Not sure when the last ever update is coming since I want it to be perfect (or as close to perfect as I can make it) Next chapter we're also going to hear from an old friend-

PP: *cough, cough* Lancelot *cough, cough*

OP: Thanks, you gave it away D:

Anyway, see you next time :)

REVIEW PLEASE!