Alaia Skyhawk:
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
Music: N/A
"Whom History Won't Remember" Episode: "Negotiations"
~(-)~
Chapter 20: The Poisoned Chalice ~Part 2~
Merlin's rasping breaths drove him onwards, the sound tearing at him. So that was why Merlin hadn't been there to fill the cup, he'd been with someone who had warned him about the poison.
Arthur glanced at the man he had slung over his shoulder, following behind Gaius and Gwen as he was. Why had Merlin done it? Why drink what he knew was poison for someone who had practically bullied him from the moment they'd met? After a moment of thinking about it, he knew why.
'Loyalty earns respect'.
Arthur wanted to curse. He hadn't been completely sure if Merlin had been serious when he'd quoted that, or was just quoting it act smart with him. Now he knew he had been serious about it, the idiot.
"Lay him on the bed, quickly. He's struggling to breathe."
"Right."
They'd arrived at Gaius' chambers, Arthur following the instructions and setting Merlin onto the bed the physician had indicated. The servant had gone very pale, and had begun to sweat in addition to his laboured wheezing.
Gaius glanced to Gwen.
"Gwen, fetch me some water from the barrel by the door, and a towel."
Arthur looked to him, concerned.
"Is he going to be all right?"
The physician looked grim.
"He's burning up."
Gwen came over with the water and towel.
"You can cure him, can't you Gaius?"
"I won't know until I can identify the poison. Pass me that goblet."
Gwen did so, taking over bathing Merlin's forehead with the wet towel. Meanwhile Gaius had stood up and looked inside the item.
"Ah, there's something stuck on the inside."
Arthur rose to his feet, following Gaius to the nearby desk.
"What is it?"
"It looks like a flower petal."
Gaius used a pair of tweezers to peel something from inside the cup, holding the almost completely transparent petal up to the light and noting it was slightly yellow... Probably the original colour of it before it had been prepared. That was when he began to feel a chill of dread, flipping through a book grabbed from one of his shelves and turning to the page he believed would be the one.
Faced with the image there, comparing it to the petal he held, he knew it was true. He pointed to the picture when Arthur stopped by his shoulder.
"The petal comes from the Morteus Flower. It says here that someone poisoned by the Morteus can only be saved using a potion made from the leaf of the very same flower." He turned the page, showing a drawing of cave ledge over a chasm, with the flowers displayed on the wall across from it. "They can only be found in the Caves of Balor, growing on the roots of the Morteus Tree."
Arthur frowned, noticing a picture of a large reptile on the page opposite that of the cave.
"That doesn't look to friendly."
Gaius nodded gravely.
"Cockatrice... They guard the Forest of Balor. It's venom is potent; one drop is enough to mean certain death. Few who have crossed the Mountains of Isgard in search of the Morteus have returned alive."
Arthur frowned, hesitating and thinking as he glanced to where Merlin lay. He paused for a moment longer, before making his decision and heading for the door.
"Sounds like fun."
Gaius' voice made him stop.
"Arthur, it's too dangerous."
The prince turned to face him.
"If I don't get the antidote, what happens to Merlin?"
Gaius too looked to where his ward lay.
"The Morteus induces a slow and painful death. He might hold our for four, maybe five days, but not for much longer... Eventually, he will die."
Without another word, Arthur strode out the door, leaving the two of them there to tend to Merlin. A few minutes after that, the Captain of the Castle Guard, Georg, came in the door.
Gaius looked up from the book he was checking, frowning.
"Can I help you?"
Georg glanced to where Merlin lay, before turning his attention back to the physician.
"I came to see if there might be anything I could do to help. The castle is under lock-down, but if you need supplies from the apothecary in the town I can arrange them."
Gaius shook his head, his expression grim.
"I thank you for your offer, but this is not a poison normal means can cure. The poison of the Morteus Flower has but one antidote, and Prince Arthur is already seeking permission to go seek it. Return to you duties, for I'm sure the king will call for you at some point." Georg nodded and left, Gaius turning to Gwen once he was gone. "You should go see to Morgana. I can look after him from here."
Hesitating, Gwen nodded and got up to leave, hurrying out the door while Gaius set about making something to try reduce Merlin's fever. If Arthur did get permission to go, then it would be best to buy him as much time as possible.
~(-)~
"What's the point of having people to taste for you if you're going to get yourself killed anyway."
Uther strode down the hallway towards his chamber, his son, garbed in chainmail and sword in hand, keeping pace with him.
"I won't fail, no matter what you think."
"Arthur, you are my only son and heir. I can't risk losing you for the sake of some serving boy."
The prince frowned.
"Because his life is worthless?"
Uther stopped, turning to face his son.
"No, because it's worth less than yours."
Arthur was clearly becoming frustrated.
"I could save him. Let me take some men. We'll find the antidote and bring it back."
"No."
"Why not?"
Uther shook his head, becoming as frustrated as his son was.
"Because one day I will be dead, and Camelot will need a king. I'm not going to let you jeopardise the future of this kingdom over some fool's errand."
Arthur was adamant.
"It's not a 'fool's errand', Gaius says that if we can get the..."
"Gaius says?" Uther cut him off firmly. "That's exactly what makes it so. He is emotionally attached to that boy, which makes his judgement on this matter compromised."
Uther turned to walk away, Arthur watching him go before finding himself doing something he thought he'd never do for a servant... He begged.
"Please, father. He saved my life. I can't stand by and watch him die."
Uther turned, unmoved.
"Then don't look... This boy won't be the last to die on your behalf. You're going to be king. It's something you'll have to get used to."
Arthur shook his head.
"I can't accept that."
"You're not going!"
"You can't stop me!"
Uther turned to him fully.
"Damn it, Arthur! That's an end to it! You're not leaving this castle tonight."
The king strode away, leaving Arthur standing there. The prince turned and headed back to his chambers, tossing the sword down onto his table when he arrived and not even bothering to close the door. Was this it, was he giving up on Merlin? But his father would warn the guards not to let him leave. They would be on watch for him near the stables and the gates. Even if he tried, he wouldn't even get out of the castle.
He went to his fireplace, bracing his hands on the mantle and staring down into the flames. Merlin, that stupid, idiotic... smart-mouthed sarcastic excuse for a manservant. How had he managed, with all his stepping and acting out of line... How had he managed to make himself important enough that he cared?
Standing there, staring into the fire, Arthur began to think that he knew why. It was like he'd noted before, Merlin treated him like a person. Merlin, if he felt like his prince was being foolish or arrogant, behaved as he did in response to that. He rewarded the good things with praise and respect, and the bad things with small frowns and stubborn contrariness. He'd smile at his prince's triumphs, support him when he seemed troubled, and without even thinking about it he, Arthur, had responded to that. He'd begun to confide his thoughts to the servant, explain things to him when he asked questions. It was a sort of interaction he'd never had with someone before, Merlin being the first person who would stand there and treat him as Arthur and not 'Prince Arthur'... And now he was abandoning him, and so deeply ashamed by that it was making him hate himself for being so weak.
'Betrayal earns shame.'
There were soft footsteps at the door, but he didn't move, not until a female voice intruded on his thoughts.
"Say what you like about the food, but... you can't beat our feasts for entertainment."
Arthur turned and faced her, guilt still churning through his insides.
"Morgana, I'm sorry. I should have made sure you were all right."
She came further into the room, still acting casual.
"Disappointed, actually... I was looking forward to clumping a couple round the head with a ladle."
Arthur sighed.
"I'm sure the guards could handle Bayard and his men."
"Yeah, but why let the boys have all the fun?"
"Morgana, you shouldn't get involved. It's dangerous."
She rolled her eyes.
"Spare me the lecture, I've already had one from Uther."
Sighing again, Arthur turned his back on her and leaned an arm against the wall.
"If it's any consolation, you're not the only one."
Morgana watched him, knowing what was going on having heard it from Gwen.
"Not that I listen to him... Sometimes you've got to do what you think is right, and damn the consequences."
He stiffened at that, turning slowly to face her.
"You think I should go."
She shrugged.
"It doesn't matter what I think."
Arthur walked towards her, frowning.
"If I don't make it back, then who will be the next King of Camelot? There's more than just my life at stake."
Morgana looked at him eye-to-eye, unwavering.
"And what kind of king would Camelot want?" She turned and drew his sword from the sheathe on the table, holding it across her hands to him. "One that would risk his life for a lowly servant... Or one that does what his father tells him to?"
Arthur glanced at the blade, his frustration returning.
"Even if I want to, if I try to get to my horse I'll be stopped."
Morgana smiled slyly.
"And what if I said that, as the noblewoman who oversees the running of the castle, I had already arranged for your horse to be waiting for you at the training field... Gwen told me what you need to do to save Merlin. You take that horse, ride out with full speed, and there's no way the guards will be able to react in time to stop you... Just don't ask which servant I got to do it. The chief of staff thinks my role of overseeing the running of the castle is symbolic. He doesn't realise I have it so a few of the regular servants don't directly answer to him. Not even Uther knows I've done that."
Arthur took a deep breath before taking the sword from her grasp, returning it to its sheathe and buckling the belt around his waist. Morgana smiled in response to that, helping him into the rest of his armour before leading the way to where, sure enough, his horse was saddled and waiting in the darkness just outside the arch to the training field.
When he noted that basic supplies had also been tied to the saddle, he mounted the horse and looked down to her.
"Thank you."
She tilted her head, towards where the track around the outside of the castle's inner defensive wall led to the drawbridge and gate of the outer one.
"Go on, and good luck."
He nodded once more and sent his horse charging down the track, the sound of the gate guards shouting in alarm reaching her ears a minute later. She knew that even if the got the alarm bell ringing, Arthur would be long gone through the city gates before the men there knew to close them.
~(-)~
The mid-morning sunlight streamed in through the window, Gaius sitting at his ward's side while Gwen bathed Merlin's brow. The young man's fever had worsened, much as she soon commented, but then Merlin had begun to mumble incoherently in the Old Tongue.
Gwen frowned, even as Gaius stiffened in concern.
"What language is that?"
Appearing unconcerned, yet relieved she had not recognised it, Gaius promptly conjured a reply.
"None. The fever has taken hold, those words are not his own." He reached down, clasping fingers on Merlin's wrist. "His pulse is also weaker." He was about to let go, but then frowned and pushed up Merlin's sleeve to reveal a ring-shaped rash like a bruise. "That can't be right. The rash isn't supposed to appear until the final stage."
Gwen turned to him, concerned.
"What does that mean?"
He got up, going to the book on his desk which was still open to the page about the flower, Gwen following him.
"It says here that once the rash has appeared, death will follow within two days."
"I thought you said he had four days."
Gaius frowned.
"Something has increased the flower's potency." He looked again to the book, turning to the next page. "It warns that the effects will be more rapid if an enchantment is used during the flower's preparation."
Gwen started to shake her head.
"An enchantment? But Bayard's no sorcerer."
Gaius' expression became thoughtful.
"No, he isn't."
"But then who did this?"
Gaius hesitated, his expression changing to one of shock as he slowly started to shake his head.
"It can't have been. She wouldn't dare come here... Unless..." He turned to Gwen. "What happened to that girl? Just before Merlin burst into the hall, one of Bayard's serving girls took him outside."
Gwen began to nod.
"She had dark hair... Very beautiful."
Gaius' tone became serious.
"Find her. Quickly."
Gwen hurried from the room, leaving Gaius to return to Merlin's side. The warlock had again begun to mumble, but the words were too disjointed for the physician to make sense of them. Fevered as he was, though, even if they had been clear they likely would have made little sense.
She returned a short while later, shaking her head when she saw Gaius' questioning expression.
"She wasn't there. No one has seen her since the banquet... Who is she?"
Gaius sighed.
"Not who she claims to be."
Gwen frowned.
"But you know, don't you."
He nodded.
"Kara... Although that's not her name, not her real name anyway."
"Then who is she?"
His expression was grim.
"A powerful sorceress, one with a strong grudge against Uther."
Gwen came closer.
"Then maybe we should tell him. He can send riders after her."
"No, she'll already be long gone. With her level of magic, travelling far distances in a few seconds is possible. She would have returned to her home within minutes of leaving here, and it's impossible to know where that would be." He paused, something occurring to him and he began to shake his head. "On no... She knows the place an antidote will be found is in the Forest of Balor. Arthur could be walking into a trap."
"...Ar...thur..."
Merlin's mumble caused them to turn and face him, the young man suddenly more restless. Aware, even in his fevered state, of what those words meant.
~(-)~
Blue eyes looked around warily, their owner cautiously leading his horse along a game-trail through the trees. He was letting it walk, to rest it from the hard run to point, but also because he could not risk laming it. Without it, even if he got the leaf of the Morteus, he would not get back to Camelot in time.
Time, that was something that edged at Arthur. It was almost a full day since Merlin had been poisoned, and night would soon fall. He didn't know how long it would take him to find the caves, and the flowers, but he did know he wanted to do it as quick as possible.
He reached a ridge within the forest, looked down the slope beyond to an area clouded with mist drifting among the trees. He knew by the general terrain, rocks poking up from the forest floor here and there, that he must be in the right area. Caves were carved by water, which meant it was a fair bet that the caves he looked for would be somewhere down there.
He continued on, unaware that his progress thus far had been watched, unaware that one of those who had been watching him was now laying in wait up ahead.
He heard her crying before he saw her, her sobs echoing through the trees until he found her seated upon a fallen log. Tying his horse to a tree to stop it straying, he approached her cautiously.
"Hello? Are you all right?"
He knelt down beside her, Nimueh pretending fear of him until she screamed at a nearby snarl. A reptile half the size of a horse came crawling up from beyond a nearby dip in the terrain.
Arthur gestured for her to remain where she was, drawing his sword and placing himself between her and the cockatrice. It snarled at him, lunging and trying to bite, making getting close enough to strike impossible to do without risking its venom. Nimueh watched the fight with narrowed eyes, hoping for the prince to fall and disappointed when he changed tactics and threw his sword at the beast during a moment of opportunity.
The beast fell to the forest floor, his sword embedded in its chest, and he left it there for a moment to turn his attention back to her.
She stood up, once again pretending fear, Arthur holding out a hand trying to reassure her.
"It's all right, I won't hurt you." He glanced at the scratches on her arm, and the tattered state of her red dress. "Who did that to you?"
She cowered nervously, her voice tearful.
"My master... I ran away from him, but then I got lost. Please don't leave me here alone."
"I won't, I'm not going to."
She took a step towards him.
"You can take me away from here?"
Arthur paused, shaking his head, his eyes moving to look at the cave that was visible nearby. He'd spotted it after killing the Cockatrice.
"Not yet, there's something I need to find."
Nimueh watched him as he retrieved his sword from the body of the creature, her eyes calculating behind her innocent expression.
"Why have you come to the caves?"
He checked his horse was secure, collecting from the saddle the two make-shift torches he'd made on his way here.
"I'm looking for something that can only be found here."
"What is it? I know this place, I could help you. My master used to bring me here all the time."
Arthur faced her, wary, but at the same time aware that her knowledge could mean the difference between returning to Camelot in time to save Merlin, or not.
"I need the leaf of the Morteus Flower to save someone's life."
She acted in recognition, seeming eager to repay his protecting her from the cockatrice.
"The Morteus Flower? I know where they are. Follow me." When he hesitated, she paused to put on her cloak and pull up the hood. "Please, you saved me. Let me repay you for your kindness."
She set off again and this time he followed her, while far away the other one who watched him grew ever more restless.
~(-)~
Merlin was twitching, agitated, tossing and turning and murmuring over and over, warnings of 'Arthur' and 'it's a trap'.
Gwen lay a hand to the side of his face, solemn.
"His fever's getting worse, isn't it?"
Gaius nodded, sighing.
"The poison is setting in."
Merlin began to resume mumbling, switching back to the Old Tongue again and causing Gaius to glance at Gwen warily. He reached for an empty jar on the table beside them, passing it to her.
"Could you go to the apothecary in the town and get me some Wolfsbane. I'll need it to make a remedy to try bring down his fever. Tell the owner it's for Gaius, the Court Physician, and he won't charge you for it."
She accepted it, rising to her feet.
"Yes, of course."
He watched her leave the room, before resuming listening to Merlin's unintelligible mutterings. He had the feeling his ward was trying to say something, something important.
"Merlin, you must fight it. You must hold on until Arthur returns."
As if hearing those words, Merlin opened his eyes, but they were glazed over as if looking to somewhere far away. He closed them a moment later, frowning slightly as if in effort, before speaking again but this time clearly.
"Arthur... Liffrea, wuldres wealdend, woroldare forgeaf. Swa sceal geong guma gode gewyrcean. Hine on ylde eft gewunigen wilgesiþas, ponne wig cume. Fromum feohgiftum on foeder bearme."
Gaius almost choked, his eyes widening in disbelief at what he'd just heard his ward say.
"That's... That's part of the prophesy of the... But, but how could you possibly know it?"
Merlin didn't answer, couldn't answer, at least not in the way Gaius might have expected.
"I have to protect... Dryht aciegan hine be seo mann. Bewerigend ond raeswa innan sweorcan gesceaphwil. Baed be unasecgendlic de ear ond upheofon, andweardian leoma to achaini dol hopa ond liss."
Gaius put a hand on Merlin's arm, giving him a small shake.
"Merlin?"
Merlin did not respond, instead murmuring his way through the first passage again, while in the caves beneath the Forest of Balor, Nimueh guided Arthur to what he sought.
They came out onto a ledge, just like the one shown in Gaius' book, a pale glimmer of the last of day's light coming from somewhere above. By the light of their torches, she pointed to a place on the wall the other side of the crevasse below, to the cluster of yellow blooms that clung there.
"There they are."
He looked down into the crevasse, unable to see the bottom, before gesturing to her and slowly advancing out onto the single spur of stone that made an incomplete bridge between this side and the other.
"Keep back from the edge. It'll be fine." Nimueh watched him intently, starting to smile once his back was turned, words of magic spilling quietly from her lips causing the rock supporting the spur to begin to fall away. Hearing it, he turned to stare in shock and betrayal. "What are you doing?"
She gazed at him in triumph, the last of the spell coming forth.
"Ic can stanas tobrytan! Hiersumie me!"
Feeling the spur start to fall, Arthur dropped his torch into the abyss and flung himself to the far ledge... Hands grasping for that single chance of salvation while she looked smiling on...
~(-)~
Alaia Skyhawk: Well, what Merlin mumbles, when strung together, seemingly is, or at least close to, a quote from Beowulf. The English translation sounds quite like it could be a piece of the prophesy talking about Arthur, so I went with that and made up a bit about Merlin as well. The translation of both will be in the next chapter :D