The Fall
Chapter 4
~Fran Gipani

Disclaimer- Flowers sadly cannot make claims to a TV show :(

Author's Note- Sorry for the wait, though it wasn't as long as the last one, you can be thankful for that! I know I said this would be the last chapter but I have decided to make one more… I hope you enjoy the next chapter of the story! Thank you all for the amazing support! I am so glad you love the story just as much as I enjoy writing it! Also don't forget to review! :)
~Fran xx

"I really think there is something wrong!" Gwen told Gwaine urgently, "they left this morning and they really should be back by now. It's nearly lunch for goodness sake."

"You know Gwen, I think you are probably right. I'll take Percival and we'll go find them!" he grinned, "don't worry Gwen, we'll get them back." he replied with a warm smile before sauntering off down the corridor, in search of Percival.

He found the larger knight down at the armory, so soon enough the pair were on the horses equipped with rope and other various items they may need. The two knights followed the path Arthur and Merlin would have taken for that morning's patrol until they got to the cliff and Arthur's discarded cross-bow.

"You don't think…?" Percival said, looking down the cliff as he slowed his horse to a stop.

"I wouldn't be surprised if one of them had managed to fall," Gwaine grimaced, "Arthur's crossbow is here, and he wouldn't have kept walking without it."

Percival frowned, "I think Merlin may have fallen; to put it bluntly he is the clumsy one, and Arthur would have followed him down at a safer place." The tall man stared down river, "and there is no way that Arthur would have left him to the rapids."

"Come on," Gwaine jumped down from his horse and tied it securely to a tree before pulling the long rope from its saddle. Percival followed suit and then they walked slowly along the cliff line calling for Arthur as they went.

"Arthur!"

"ARTHUR!"

A while along the track they heard a quiet and almost relieved reply, "Hello!?"

"Arthur!" Gwaine repeated as he quickened his pace.

"Is that you Gwaine? Percival!" Arthur replied as he caught sight of them at the top of the cliff, "Yes Merlin is with me! I just hope to god you have some rope…he's out cold."

"Course we do mate!" Gwaine responded, "How do you think we should get you both up here?"

"Are you two wearing your Camelot cloaks? I took mine off before to get to Merlin easier."

"Yes!" They responded in unison.

"Throw one down…" Moments later he caught Gwaine's in his hand before laying it out on the ground. He they walked over to where Merlin lay and lifted him onto the red material, ignoring the sick man's mumbled groan of 'just leave me'. He then found four sturdy but light sticks and tied them to one half of the material making a stretcher. He then pulled the other half over and secured it over Merlin, leaving room for his head. "Okay, throw me down one end of one of the ropes," he called up.

"Just one of the ropes?" Gwaine repeated, and on Arthur's word he then attached one end of the rope to a sturdy tree and threw the other end down to Arthur.

It wasn't long then before Arthur had tied the rope securely to the stretcher so that if pulled it wouldn't rock Merlin too much. He then did the same with the other rope and finally Merlin was ready to be pulled up. Nervously Arthur called up to the two men on the cliff, "okay, now pull!" So then Gwaine and Percival pulled as evenly as possible so that eventually the injured man was on flat ground again with Percival and Gwaine sitting next to him looking satisfied with their work.

Minutes later Arthur heaved himself over the cliff, and not wasting a moment he crawled over to Merlin. The thin man on the stretcher was still, far too still. "Merlin!" Arthur called out to him.

"Merlin!" Percival repeated, kneeling by his body.

Arthur slipped off his gloves and put his fingers to Merlin's neck and with an eye on Merlin's almost perfectly still chest he spoke, "he's only just got a pulse…" Please don't die Merlin, you idiot. You cannot die on me. Not today.

"Come on Arthur, there is nothing we can do for him now. We need to get him to Gaius."