Alaia Skyhawk: Right, time for me to have some more fun. I have a few tweaks in mind for this one. Added lines, changed lines, added scenes... Merlin thinking Arthur is a complete prat...

And thanks to Amphigoury for doing the most AWESOME comic strip based on the part in last chapter where Merlin is grieving and his magic is smashing stuff up. Seriously, go to their profile and check it out on their Deviantart page. YOU MUST SEE IT! It totally nails how I envisioned it as I wrote :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

Music: N/A

"Whom History Won't Remember" Episode: Famine

~(-)~

Chapter 61: The Labyrinth of Gedref ~Part 1~

The forest was peaceful, the birds singing in the canopy unaware of what lay below. The vibrant sounds mingled with the wind through the tree tops, but the feeling of serenity was one that would ultimately be shattered by the snap of a crossbow.

Merlin followed behind Arthur and the two knights, enduring what was entirely an unnecessary hunting trip. How going out and killing wild animals was supposed to be fun, he didn't know. He'd always been raised to hunt only for need, for food. Careless killing of animals would mean less there in leaner times.

But then again, Arthur never had to worry about where his next meal came from, so maybe that was the problem.

Merlin bit back a sigh, and the urge to deliberately step into the rabbit burrow he could see to his left. He did it so regularly by accident that there was no way Arthur would figure out he'd done it on purpose this time, and the noise might just scare enough game away from where they were that the prince would give up in disgust... Except Arthur had the two knights with him, and he didn't fancy being glared at by three men, two of which he barely knew.

Nah, it wasn't worth it.

They passed into a gully formed of rocks, using the cover to advance in silence. Arthur led the way, stopping when a branch cracked ahead and gesturing for the knights to circle round. He then glanced at Merlin, whispering urgently.

"Merlin."

The servant came over at the command, frowning a little as he whispered in reply.

"What is it?"

Arthur peered around the edge of the rock he leaned again.

"I don't know. We'll surround it. I want you to go in there and flush it out."

Merlin had been nodding at the surround part, but then stared at him when he heard the rest.

"You want me to go in there? You just said you don't know what it is. It could be dangerous."

Arthur smirked, grabbing Merlin by the shoulder and pushing him down the trail.

"Let's hope so."

Merlin stumbled a little, before grudgingly following the trail. How was it that Arthur could be such an understanding and nice guy, like when he'd asked Gaius to do that memorial ritual for Will, and then revert to one of the most arrogant and self-centred people imaginable? He just had to suppose it was one of the world's great mysteries, the mystery of how such a complete prat could be destined to do such great things. It was times like this that really made him wonder if the dragon knew what he was talking about.

Advancing further into the thicket, Merlin's nerves now made him more cautious. He picked up a stick to defend himself if needed, creeping further and further until a sound to his left made him stop... and then in stare in awe.

It looked like a horse, pristine in white with a hint of silvery grey, and it snorted when it saw him. Ears pricked forward, it watched him with trusting brown eyes, but that wasn't what drew his attention. What entranced him was that the horse bore a single spiralled horn above those eyes, a proud spire that immediately told him what he was seeing.

It was a unicorn, a real unicorn.

Merlin dropped the stick, walking tentatively towards it. He could sense the pure magic that radiated around him, that feeling shivering through him as he slowly reached a hand towards it. The unicorn showed no fear of him, like it knew they were both a part of the Old Magic, Merlin's fingers gently brushing against the tip of its nose before the sound of movement nearby reminded him of why he'd been sent in here.

Awe faded to fear, and he waved a hand urgently to try and startle it away.

"Go! Go!" The unicorn didn't seem to understand, more interested in him than in walking away." Please go! They're going to kill you! Go!" Still it wouldn't leave, and Merlin turned to see Arthur perched on a ridge above. "Arthur, no!"

The prince fired, the scream of the unicorn ripping through Merlin's heart much like the arrow did to its. It fell over, kicking in panic, but lying still when he rushed to its head to comfort it. The unicorn snorted weakly, whinnying one last time, before Merlin felt the life drain from it and it went still.

Arthur came down the slope, laughing in victory at the sight of the fallen creature.

"A unicorn!"

Hearing the pleasure in the prince's voice, at the life he's just taken, Merlin looked at him with deep disappointment and a hint of barely concealed anger.

"What have you done?"

Arthur just stared at him.

"Don't be such a girl, Merlin." Merlin averted his eyes, refusing to look at the prince in that moment, and as a result saw an old man in cream-coloured robes stood behind the prince and the two knights. Arthur frowned. "What are you looking at?"

He turned, the figure suddenly gone before he or the knights could see it, and Merlin felt a sense of dread. A dread that something bad was now going to happen. That feeling only intensified when they arrived back in Camelot, and he was forced to carry the unicorn's horn on a cushion so Arthur could present it to his father. It was like ice trickling into his gut, when a query as to Gaius' solemn viewing of it gained a faintly grim reply.

"Unicorns are rare and mystical creatures... There is a legend that bad fortune will come to anyone who slays one."

Uther laughed off the comment, remaining openly proud of his son, and Merlin felt his disappointment deepen at Arthur being so glad about it. He was being praised for murdering something he shouldn't have killed.

Merlin maintained a strained silence as he followed Arthur out, glad to relinquish possession of the horn at the first opportunity that came. He beat a hasty retreat to Gaius' chambers, in the guise of changing into a set of clothing that didn't smell like a week-long hike, seething inside at how callous father and son were being. He voiced as much to the physician the moment he passed through the door.

"I don't understand how Arthur could've taken any pleasure from killing the unicorn."

Gaius sighed, seating himself on the nearest bench and watching his ward pace.

"Arthur is a hunter; it's in his blood. Whereas you are something entirely different."

Merlin went quiet, distant as he remembered.

"It was the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. I wish you'd been there."

Gaius nodded sadly.

"It's a rare privilege. Alas there are very few unicorns still alive."

Merlin snorted.

"You try telling that to Arthur."

"I can imagine that would be difficult."

He had to agree with that, the thought remaining with him as he changed clothing and hurried out again. Arthur would want food, but first it would be prudent to go help him out of his armour if he hadn't already removed it on his own. Merlin took the fastest route he could to the prince's chambers, lacing the front of his spare shirt as he did so, and stopped in his tracks the moment he entered the open door.

It looked like Arthur wouldn't be needing food...

A small feast had been laid out on the prince's table, probably brought up by Uther's manservants as a mark of approval. Arthur was indeed also out of his armour, seated at the table having already started to consume what had been set on it.

Merlin corrected his plans at that point, going to the hearth instead, starting a fire in it, and then going to stand by the window until he was needed to clear up the plates. He remained there, becoming lost in thought, while a short time later Arthur deigned to finally speak to him.

"My horse has cast a shoe. Take it to the blacksmith and make sure he does a good job. And when you've done that you can polish my s... saddle." He frowned, having turned to see Merlin apparently daydreaming. "Merlin. Have you listened to a word I've said?"

The servant in question had jolted at the call, turning and nodding blankly as if he had.

"Um, yeah."

Arthur's frown deepened.

"You've had a face like a wounded bear ever since we got back from that hunting trip. Don't tell me you're still upset about me killing the unicorn."

Upset? Yeah, you could say that, but more than that Merlin was disappointed in him.

"Well I don't think you should have killed it."

"Oh really? And why is that?"

Merlin looked out the window again.

"It was doing no harm. What purpose did you serve by killing it?"

Once again Arthur was dismissive, now seated on the edge of his bed pulling on his boots.

"We were hunting. That's what you do. Did you want me to bring it home as a pet?" He frowned, spotting something on the floor beside the bed, his tone suddenly irritated. "Look at this."

"What?"

Merlin walked over, only to be grabbed by the back of the neck, forced to lean down, and have a scattering of brown lumps on the floor pointed out to him.

"Do you know what that is? Rat droppings! My chambers are infested. You need to spend less time worrying about unicorns, and more time worrying about rats." There was a rapid knocking on the door, Arthur ceasing his tirade and facing it. "Enter."

The door opened, revealing an agitated guard.

"My Lord, the king requests your service as a matter of urgency."

Arthur nodded in understanding, before directing one final glare at his servant and heading out the door.

"Find that rat."

Merlin watched him go, feeling a great deal of resentment. Was it his fault a rat had come in here while they'd been out for the past three days hunting things? No, it wasn't, but he was being blamed for it anyway.

"Prat..."

He trudged out of the room to go get cleaning supplies, with the feeling that this was going to be a long day. A long day it was, but worse came when word spread regarding the reason Arthur had been called. The crops had withered, and when Merlin looked at map the prince brought to his room with him. It was marked with the path the strange occurrence had taken, from the earliest instance noted that morning far out from the castle, to the wilting of the fields around the city after midday.

It was the route they'd come back by from the hunt.

~(-)~

The morning light entered through the windows, Merlin watching his mentor anxiously as Gaius began another test on samples of the dead crops.

"Any ideas of what caused the crops to die?"

He suspected he already knew, but he had to ask. Gaius was always telling him off for assuming magic was the cause of strange things... even though every time so far he'd been right.

Gaius kept his attention on the vial he held, and the liquid he was pouring into it.

"I've yet to complete all the tests. No disease I have heard of, can spread through the entire kingdom in the space of a single day."

"Then what could kill all the plants other than a disease?"

Gaius set down the vial, glancing at his ward.

"It's not killing all the plants. The trees and hedges around the crop fields are unharmed. Unfortunately, you can't eat trees and hedges."

Merlin felt his certainty become a bit stronger.

"It's only killing plants we can eat."

"It appears so."

Merlin went quiet for a moment before he said it.

"If it's not a disease, it can only be magic."

Gaius sighed, giving Merlin a small warning look.

"We can't assume that, Merlin. Perhaps there is something in the soil or water that can explain it. I can't tell the king it's caused by sorcery until I'm completely certain."

Merlin moved away in exasperation, starting to pace again.

"Gaius, I saw someone when Arthur killed that unicorn; an old man, dressed in robes and holding a staff. And when the unicorn died, it was... I felt the life draining out of it, Gaius. It felt so wrong, like some great crime had been committed. You said it yourself, that there's a legend that says those who slay a unicorn will suffer misfortune."

The physician regarded him grimly, not surprised to learn his ward had seen more to the incident than Arthur or the knights had.

"If you're right, then there will be misfortune indeed. The king has already declared all food be rationed. Every available scrap of it in the city has been brought inside the castle walls." He picked up and handed Merlin a large wooden bowl. "Here, go collect our share. If you go directly to the storehouse and say you're there for me, you won't have to wait in the queue with the people from town. Just don't make a show of it, or it could cause resentment."

Merlin accepted it, heading out and determined to keep his head down. Tensions were running high, and sneaking through the shadows of the colonnade on one side of the central courtyard, he could tell things would only get worse.

Out among the townspeople waiting there, the king strode across the courtyard with his son beside him. Both of them looked grim, as the prince made his report.

"The livestock is either dying or has already been eaten. Food and water is very scarce, and we're distributing rations, but they're very meagre."

The two of them proceeded towards the storehouses in the lower part of the castle, a certain servant hearing them coming and ducking into cover to let them pass. Forced to wait for them to leave, Merlin found himself eavesdropping on their conversation.

The king pulled the slide out of the bottom of the grain vault, seeing the last few grains within it fall to the small pile below it. Around the edges of the room, barely thirty sacks of grain remained.

"This is all the grain we have?"

Arthur was unable to deny it.

"The people are growing scared. There's been some looting."

Uther turned to his son, and away from the sacks he'd been inspecting.

"Maintain order at all costs. Panic will only make the situation worse. I'll issue a decree that looters are to be executed, and tonight Camelot will be under curfew."

He strode out of the grain vault, Arthur following.

"I'll see to it."

Merlin winced in his hiding place when they passed him again, deciding that perhaps right now wasn't the best time to collect his and Gaius' share, at least not from the stores themselves. He changed direction, going to the palace kitchens and managing to talk a share of grain out of the cooks instead, taking it back to Gaius before heading into town. He wanted to see for himself, if things were as bad as they said.

They were, he saw few people going about their normal business. Most were staying in their homes, conserving energy to stave off hunger somewhat. Those who were farmers looked particularly bleak, having seen months of toil be rendered dead and withered.

He lasted maybe half an hour before turning back towards the castle, passing one of the city water pumps just as Gwen arrived there with a bucket.

She called out to him, making him stop.

"Merlin, is it true what they say about the crops? They're all dead?"

He grimaced.

"I'm afraid so. Word hasn't come in from the furthest parts yet, like Ulwin, but it's not looking good. We may have to start tightening our belts."

"I'm sure Arthur will think of something."

"And if he doesn't... I will."

Gwen smiled a little at his assurances as he started to walk away, before she turned her attention back to the pump. The first stroke of the handle yielded nothing, just her frown of confusion, before further attempts brought up sand.

"Merlin!"

The panic in her voice brought him running back around the corner, his eyes following hers to where her continued efforts with the pump were producing only a fitful flow of sand. He turned and ran up to the castle, heading straight for the well in the courtyard and throwing the bucket on its rope down it. There was no splash as their should have been, and after rattling the bucket around a bit he pulled it back up to find only sand inside it.

He set it down beside the well, running up to the nearest guard full of urgency.

"Tell the king! The water's gone from the wells!"

~(-)~

"Sand... and you say the well is full of it?"

The golden grains flowed from gloved fingertips and back into the bucket, the king standing beside the well along with his son and Gaius. He'd wondered if it were true at first, coming from Arthur's manservant, but the report had been correct. The words of his son now further confirmed it.

"I sent men down to the underground reservoir. There's no trace of water to be found."

The king stared down into the well, grim.

"First the crops and now this."

"It's the same throughout the kingdom. There's precious little water anywhere."

Silence fell, Uther turning to his physician in search of answers.

"Gaius, can you offer any explanation for this?"

Gaius too stared at the sand, forced to admit that his ward had been correct.

"I can think of no scientific explanation, so I am forced to conclude it is the result of sorcery."

The king's expression hardened.

"I believe you are right that this is the work of magic... The kingdom is under attack."

He strode away, Arthur following as his father began to give him orders, Gaius turning and heading back to his chambers. Merlin had come up there to tell him what had happened with the wells, a bucket of sand with him. He returned to find his ward seated in his room beside it, spellbook open as he struggled with spell after spell in an attempt to change it.

He flinched when he heard his mentor enter, realising he'd been careless in leaving his door open.

"Um, I was just um..."

Gaius looked bleak.

"I was hoping you might be trying to turn it back into water." He moved further into the room, seating himself on Merlin's bed. "I know I've cautioned you against using magic, but if ever there was a time to use your talents, it's now."

Merlin sighed, seeming defeated.

"Well I wish I knew how. I've tried everything. If it is magic, then it's more powerful magic than any I possess."

~(-)~

Alaia Skyhawk: I added a couple of minor bits to this part, nothing huge, the biggest bit was probably Merlin's internal monologue at the start XD

On a side note, I've posted part three of Scars of the Witch Hunt, in Whom History. Gaius and Hargren have an interesting talk in that one :)