Reniassancebooklover108- Thanks... Comedy is definitely not my strong point.
Bolivianfall- Don't worry I will finish this story. I have just been busy. Thanks.
Insanetrouble- I think everyone loves Dolma
Mike- Yes I think she would.
Junior Woofles- Hmm... I wonder!
Sorry its taken me so long to update. I will try and post more regularly again.
"Emm... Mer- I mean Dolma cast a spell on me to restrain me. I became... immobile," Gwaine fabricated. Arthur frowned at Gwaine's subtle attempt to invent a story. Through Arthur's eyes the story appeared to be valid and reasonable, but there was a glint in Gwaine's mahogany eyes that Arthur did not trust.
"I thought Merlin was going to keep an eye on Morgana," Arthur said in a hushed tone. He paused and glanced around checking that they were not being overhead. "Merlin is, 'apparently', the most powerful sorcerer ever and yet a crooked old lady manages to get hold of Morgana. Either Merlin has been neglecting his duties or has been defeated. He was meant to be protecting Morgana and protecting everyone from her. He has failed."
Arthur gulped. His melancholy and grave expression made him seem old. Inside he felt old. The young king had assumed that his servant had betrayed him. Without a doubt Arthur had cast Merlin away. It was like he had almost expected his servant to be guilty or malicious or even murderess. This wasn't true, though. Was it true? It had taken Gwen's reassuring words to alter Arthur's opinion into thinking that Merlin may not have betrayed him; that Merlin may have been trying to give Morgana a chance- the final chance. It was almost too much to bear. Arthur was exhausted but determined to make amends with Merlin.
"I encountered Merlin before I ran into Dolma," Gwaine invented. "He had been collecting firewood and left Morgana with his mother."
"Merlin has been living in Ealdor?" Arthur interrupted much to Gwaine's displeasure.
"Where better to hide Morgana and keep her safe. Not many people know Merlin's childhood village. Anyway, Merlin went to collect firewood and came home to find his mother lying unconscious upon the floor of her house. Morgana was gone. He went out in search of Morgana and bumped into me. We both spilt up in search of Morgana. Shortly after that I confronted Dolma."
Gwaine apprehensively bit his lip. The story that he had fabricated was impressive (at least from his point of view it was). Gwaine just wondered if Arthur would lap up his lies. For a moment Arthur seemed lost in thought but then he gave Gwaine a curt nod.
"We should seek out Merlin," Arthur announced adjusting the girth of his horse's saddle.
Gwaine remained where he was and allowed himself a small grin. He doubted that Merlin would try to be a girl again. Although Merlin and Morgana had been acting, Gwaine couldn't help noticing their bond. They might 'hate' each other (or pretend to) but their relationship was still incredibly strong. Gwaine wasn't sure what was going on yet it aroused a strange feeling in him. Was more going on between Merlin and Morgana than anybody (including them) was aware of?
...
Merlin and Morgana landed in a lush glade just five minutes from Ealdor. The sorcerer hastily muttered an enchantment. His eyes flashed gold and then Dolma's body and face began to morph into Merlin's. Soon Merlin was standing in his mother's baggy dress which was at least a foot too short for him. It was a sight which Gwaine would die to see. However Morgana was dying to escape Merlin's clutches and wrath. There were a lot more significant tasks she could be performing such as plotting Arthur's demise or vanquishing some annoying people such as Gwaine.
"You are a natural born deceiver, manipulator and actress. You were brilliant at acting like a slave. I almost feel like I could kiss you." Morgana glared at him her lips tight. "I didn't mean I was going to... I just meant... I mean that- Oh great, now I feel like a complete dollophead."
Merlin looked away from Morgana completely flustered. He hadn't meant to say that out loud.
"Just to let you know Emrys, I would rather kiss a swine than you," Morgana hissed. She only felt an adequate amount satisfaction for her snide comment when she should have felt elated. Something wasn't right at all.
"Come on Morgana kissing me wouldn't be that bad would it?" Morgana threw him a dirty look. "Back to calling me 'Emrys' they do say anger is fear turned inwards."
Morgana suddenly dropped into the lush grass. Some early summer flowers sprang up as she landed. Merlin worriedly pulled off Dolma's dress and kicked off Dolma's boots. He had worn a white shirt and beige trousers underneath. Franticly, he kneeled down and grabbed her wrist to check her pulse. It felt steady. Morgana's eyelids flickered open, alert and ready for action. It was intimidating for Merlin to be leaning over her like that not to mention strange.
"And you love and trust will be your downfall," Morgana softly snarled. She gripped Merlin's bony shoulder and pulled herself up.
Her meant-to-be-cruel comment touched Merlin. Barely anyone had ever touched him that much.
"So will yours," Merlin replied. Morgana's mouth opened in surprised. This was the last thing she had expected him to say. "Your love and compassion for Aithusa, Mordred and Alvarr is strong though everyone underestimates it."
Merlin wrapped his arm around Morgana to help her up. Suddenly, he looked up. Hoof beats could be heard in the distance. Morgana froze. Merlin froze. Then into sight came Arthur and Gwaine both mounted upon Arthur's stallion. The horse accidentally splattered mud over Merlin and Morgana as Arthur pulled it to a sudden stop. It reared up and succeeded in tossing Arthur and Gwaine into the mud. Shaking, it's mane the horse trotted away and began to graze on the lush grass. Morgana pushed Merlin away from her and retreating a few paces.
"Right you two love birds," Gwaine began spitting out some mud. "Agh.. Anyway what are the lovebirds saying? "
Morgana gazed upwards into the treetops in search of something. She then looked around the clearing but failed to find whatever she was looking for.
"Where are these 'love birds'?" Morgana frostily inquired. "I can't even see any birds."
Arthur held his muddy face in the muddy palms of his muddy hands. Morgana's ignorance still managed to exasperate him. How could she not understand that her and Merlin were the lovebirds?
"Is she being serious?" Gwaine whispered to Arthur. "I presume she is acting?"
"I think Morgana is being serious," Arthur quietly replied. "She tended to be very serious even when she was a child. Except when we stole food from the palace kitchens or when we laced our father's medicine with laxatives. We had overdosed him so much that he wasn't right for weeks." Gwaine heartily chortled. Merlin and Morgana both gaped at him in bewilderment. Neither Merlin nor Morgana had heard anything Arthur had whispered to his fellow knight.
"Bet you he never saw that coming," Gwaine chuckled. "LAXATIVES in medicine... It sounds like something I would of done."
Morgana took a few tentative but graceful steps forward. The memories that Gwaine was stirring within her troubled her. For many years she had not relived the memories of her childhood with Arthur. Her childhood should have been melancholy, being an orphan, but it was somewhat action packed, exciting and in general Morgana had been a relatively happy child. Living in Camelot with Uther and Arthur should have been terrible but once Morgana had got to grips with what kind of people they were, it was fine.
"Uther used to give the most illuminating speeches at feasts. Arthur loathed them more than anything else so he came to me asking how to prevent Uther giving the speech. You see Arthur knew I was a lot more intelligent than him."
"You are NOT more intelligent than me," Arthur indignantly retaliated. Merlin bit back a laugh. Morgana and Arthur were like properly acting like siblings. They were always bickering, trying to out do themselves and wanting what the other sibling had (in their case a castle and kingdom). Morgana and Arthur. had just unfortunately taken it to a rather extreme level.
"I am MORE intelligent dear brother. I am a High Priestess of the Old Rel-"
"You've already told me a hundred times sister," Arthur argued "Just look where being a sorceress and a High Princess-"
"High Priestess," Morgana corrected.
"-has got you!" Arthur finished.
"How about we ask Emrys, the most powerful sorcerer ever," Morgana suggested. "Emrys who is more clever, Arthur or I?"
Merlin froze on the spot pretending to not have heard Morgana. He absentmindedly rubbed his chin but kept his gaze averted from them. The truth was that he couldn't answer Morgana's question without starting a war.
"You heard Morgana, who is more clever?" Arthur roughly interrogated. This put Merlin in a rather uncomfortable position. If he said Arthur was more intelligent, then Morgana would most certainly try and kill Arthur. If Merlin said Morgana was more intelligent, then then Arthur would hate him forever. If Merlin refused to reply then they would both eternally hate him.
"Well Morgana is quicker to pick things up," Merlin explained. "She's adaptable but uses knowledge in the wrong ways. Arthur, you use it well but you have a hard-"
"So the mighty Emrys describes me as being 'adaptable'. I am sure that everyone thinks of me as being adaptable," Morgana hissed interrupting Merlin. Merlin's mouth was slightly ajar but the ends of his mouth were twitching into a smile. "Perhaps I have knocked him unconscious so many times that he has no brain cells left."
"You are right," Arthur agreed. "Merlin speaks incoherent nonsense sometimes. It's probably to do with the fact that he is ... he is a clotpole."
"That word is copyrighted by me," Merlin protested.
"And it suits you perfectly," Arthur laughed. "We should go to Ealdor for the night. That Dolma may still be around there..." Arthur shuddered and looked cautiously around the clearing. Then he began to saunter off in the direction of Ealdor.
Winking at Merlin, Gwaine put a hand over his mouth to muffle his laughter. Merlin felt slightly nauseous with apprehensive. If Arthur found out that he was Dolma... The warlock glanced at Morgana; it had been worth it.
"Honestly, why does everyone think they can control my life," Morgana indignantly remarked. "I am a free person." Merlin looked at Morgana with a daft grin etched upon his face. Morgana scowled at Merlin but surprisingly followed her brother. Both Gwaine and Merlin watched Morgana set off in astonishment. Morgana hadn't obeyed her brother's commands in years. It was as if Morgana was the proper Morgana. It was as if she had gone through redemption.
"That's why I like her," Gwaine laughed once Arthur and Morgana were out of earshot. Merlin nodded in argument. "That attitude... "
"... would be something you wouldn't like to be on the receiving end of," Merlin finished for Gwaine.
"Do you love her for her attitude," Gwaine teased heading off after Arthur. Merlin slowly dragged his feet lagging behind the knight.
"Why does everyone think that I love her?" Merlin asked. Although was meant to be a rhetorical question, Gwaine felt duty bound to answer it.
"Everyone thinks it because you do love her," Gwaine replied exasperatedly shaking his head. Merlin didn't know what to think about this. He did feel odd when Morgana was around but this surely wasn't because he loved her- or did he? Merlin didn't trust himself to say anything to Gwaine in reply, so he just kept his mouth firmly shut. Gwaine chuckled to himself. He didn't know who was more ignorant; Merlin and Morgana were as ignorant as each other.
It should have taken them a mere thirty minutes to stride to Ealdor but with Morgana still being enervated and weak after five minutes their pace had significantly decreased. She limped and stumbled until Gwaine took pity upon her and lifted her into his robust arms. Although Morgana wanted to protest she didn't have the energy. Every minute it became darker and by the time Ealdor came into the group's sight, night had fallen. Since it was dark, the four of them managed to sneak into Merlin's childhood home without anybody catching them.
"Mother," Merlin quietly said looking around the room. Hunith was nowhere to be seen.
"Merlin," Hunith sighed hurrying in from the adjoining room. She pulled her son into a tight embrace. "Thank the heavens. I was worried sick about you." Once Merlin and Hunith broke apart, Hunith looked around the room at everyone.
"I'm sorry I didn't warn you about the visitors mother," Merlin apologised.
"It's my fault," Arthur began stepping forward. "I tol-"
"The more the merrier," Hunith smiled. She glanced at Morgana who looked like she was about to faint or collapse. "Here, my girl." Hunith pulled out a wooden chair for Morgana to sit on but Morgana remained standing.
"I need to leave," Morgana muttered stumbling towards the door.
"NO!" Gwaine, Merlin and Arthur chorused.
Morgana turned around in shock. She either had three men trying to protect the world from her, or three men trying to protect her from the world. Whichever scenario it was Morgana strangely felt herself liking it. Perhaps, after the complete isolation from humans for three years, company and socialisation was still a novelty for Morgana.
The priestess ended up hobbling to the wooden chair and collapsed in it. Over the next half hour Morgana's eyes drooped as she vaguely watched everyone help prepare supper. She didn't have the energy to sleep but she didn't feel hungry. Potatoes were peeled, tomatoes were washed and the fish were gutted and cooked over the fire. Even when the aroma was mouth-watering Morgana still found herself not wanting to eat. This contradicted Gwaine who was ravenous and desperately needing to consume an apple.
Even when everyone else had eaten their supper, Morgana still found herself dreaming and unable to eat anything. She had found herself drifting in and out consciousness. An excruciating head ache had started and all she found herself wanting to do was sleep. It happened that Morgana didn't have the energy to hobble through to the bedroom by herself. Someone would have to assist her and she doubted that Hunith, Gwaine, Merlin or Arthur would allow her to go to bed without eating something.
"C'mon Morgana," Merlin gently murmured nudging the side of her ribcage with his elbow. "You need eat something." Morgana didn't reply or move an inch, she just stared at Merlin rather dejectedly. "Alright this will work- if you don't eat anything I will have to feed you."
"Love is in the air," Gwaine remarked biting into an apple. Merlin spun around to see his friend laughing. "I said nothing." Gwaine held his hands up in the air in surrender whilst continuing to annihilate his apple. "You should at least devour an apple Morgana. An apple a day, keeps the physicians away!"
Hunith and Arthur exchanged exasperated looks about the whole situation. Merlin's attempt to make Morgana eat some of the fish was successful and she consumed three mouthfuls. After this Merlin helped Morgana clamber up and hobble into the bed in the adjoining room. He covered her with a couple of thick, woollen blankets. Then he sat against the wall burying his chin into his knees. As he lay there, Merlin watched the comforting rise and fall of Morgana's chest. The sound of her inhaling and exhaling also soothed Merlin. For now she was alive and safe. For now he could rest assured that she was in no immediate peril.
Merlin could feel his vision blurring and his eyes closing. He could feel himself drifting into a tranquil sleep until someone put a hand over his face and shook him awake. Merlin bolted awake to see Arthur crouched next to him.
"I need to leave tomorrow at first light," Arthur whispered. The whole of Camelot was bound to be looking for him by tomorrow evening if he didn't turn up. Gwen would be out of her mind with worry. "I need to ask you a favour as a friend." Arthur paused glancing at Morgana to make sure she was sleeping. He didn't want to be overheard by anyone especially not Morgana. "Morgana is asleep isn't she? We must not be overheard?"
"A friend," Merlin echoed, astounded. "That'll be a first. But yes Morgana is asleep,"
"You are such a cabbage head Mer-"
"Stop stealing my words! You are such a-" Merlin broke off when he saw Morgana stirring. She mumbled something incoherent and writhed a bit as she did when she was having a-
"Nightmare!" Merlin exclaimed
"I am not a nightmare!" Arthur protested. Merlin sighed. He had been referring to the nightmare that Morgana was having just now. Of course Arthur was extremely ignorant so it didn't come as much of a surprise. "Merlin what is going to happen to." Arthur nodded his head indicating it towards Morgana.
Merlin shrugged. To be honest the young warlock hadn't thought about Morgana's future. He knew that they couldn't remain in Ealdor for much longer. It wouldn't be long until the villagers began to act suspiciously about her or until someone recognised her.
"I think you should stay with her. She needs to be looked after by someone and I know that you won't let her out of your sight. Perhaps for a month or two. I'll manage to keep myself alive." Merlin raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
"You do need my help but so does Morgana. If she came back to Camelot, than perhaps I would be able to but..."
"It wouldn't be possible," Arthur accurately finished. "She can't be kept hidden because she wouldn't stand for it and if I announced it publicly then there would most likely be rioting." Morgana continued to writhe and the blankets toppled off the bed. Quietly, Merlin stumbled to his feet and gently tucked her back in. Arthur watched his servant with a puzzled expression upon his face. It was strange to see Merlin helping his sister.
"You do care for her," Arthur murmured. Merlin gave him a sad smile; sad and melancholy.
"Yes, I do care for Morgana," he sorely said. There was a lump in his throat. "I can't deny it. Don't tell her though or she will probably assume that it is a manipulative trick to make her change her allegiances."
"At least stay here a week and do not let her out of your sight for a minute or else that Dolma will probably get her hands on her. Or else the bandits, hunters or even ordinary people may just capture her. There is an award for the capture of her in all the kingdoms of Albion. She is probably one of the most wanted person in Albion." With this Arthur clapped Merlin's shoulder and departed the room.
Merlin knew the peril he was in by being in any sort of contact with Morgana but found himself wanting to engage more with her everyday. He cursed this feeling but he couldn't stop it.
...
Morgana couldn't fall asleep. She could feel Merlin's eyes burning in the back of her skull. It was fortunate she was highly experienced in feigning sleep. She had found out that Uther was her father by feigning sleep and had also overheard many conversations. Feigning sleep was a useful skill to have acquired.
Earlier on, Morgana had heard someone entering the bedroom. Her hearing was still acute despite her exhausted state. By judging the weight of the footsteps and the speed of it, Morgana had guessed it to be Arthur. She had been proved right when the person had spoke saying that they needed to ask Merlin a favour. Morgana had almost sighed here. The favour that Arthur would ask would probably be something stupid. When Arthur had said that he didn't want Morgana to overhear the favour, Morgana became excited. It would probably be some top secret information concerning Camelot. Arthur was stupid enough to shout confidential information in the same room as her when she was awake so no doubt he would when she was 'asleep'.
Then the two had got sidetracked and started calling each other names. Morgana had been tempted to yell at them but had restrained herself- she needed to find out what the favour was. The priestess decided to end the argument by pretending to have a nightmare. Arthur and Merlin had then had an interesting conversation about her. Although Arthur hadn't directly asked Merlin the favour, he had firmly suggested that Merlin should keep an eye on Morgana for a couple of months. Morgana's brain began to turn off in the middle of the conversation. She didn't stay awake long enough to hear the end of the conversation and fell into an uneasy sleep with Merlin's words of 'Yes I do care for Morgana' burning her brain.
...
NOOOOOOOOOOO!
Morgana bolted up. It was still pitch black but a scream pierced the night.
NOOOOOOOOOOO!
Morgana clambered to her feet. The scream wasn't piercing the night, it was piercing her brain. The scream was telepathic. Morgana looked at Merlin in alarm, he was still fast asleep; asleep and snoring. The telepathic screams couldn't be affecting him. Not wanting to wake the warlock Morgana crept through the house and out of the door. The air was humid for an early summer's night but ground was cool against her bare feet.
The telepathic screams still echoed in her brain. Automatically, she sprinted towards the source of the screams. Morgana wasn't quite aware of what was happening but her eyes were permanently glowing gold. It was as if she was in a dream.
Finally Morgana arrived at her destination; it was a normal, snug village. However, the activity that the villagers were taken part in was not normal. Each villager from the elderly to the little toddlers were holding a flaming torch. All of them had formed a flaming circle around a pyre and stake. A crooked old woman was tightly bound with coarse rope to the dilapidated stake . The crowd of people were jeering and chanting 'Burn the witch!'. This scene was uncannily familiar to Morgana. The only difference was that she had been the person bound to the stake.
Morgana found herself almost floating through the crowd of people, her eyes were still glowing gold. Shutting her eyes firmly, Morgana begged for it just to be another nightmare. When she opened her eyes, it was pitch black. Morgana could see no one but the figure of the woman bound to the stake.
"WHOEVER DOES THIS SHALL BE FOREVER CURSED!" Morgana yelled. Her brain hadn't told her mouth to yell these words, it had just happened automatically. With strength that she did not have, Morgana carried the woman into the forest.
"Thank you Morgana Pendragon," the woman wearily said in Morgana's arms. Morgana placed the woman on the ground and sat her up against a pine tree.
"How did you know my name?" Morgana inquired.
"You are the last High Priestess of the Old Religion and are Emrys's destiny and doom."
"I am Merlin's doom," Morgana incredulously said. "If he is my doom and I am his doom, does that me we stab each other at the same time."
"It would be naïve to say that my child but soon everything will be vivid. I have a gift for you. You have the qualities of a true priestess." The old woman extracted an ivory horn from her pocket. "The Horn of Cathbhadh has the powers to summon the sprits of the dead." She carefully handed the horn to Morgana. Holding it up, Morgana examined the horn in the pool of moonlight.
"I-I must n-now tell you two things," the old woman stammered. Her voice was beginning to fade. "Firstly Em-Emrys must not find out about the savage manor or we will be annihilated and secondly remember d-do l-l-look back." The woman's eyes became wide and glassy. Morgana checked for a pulse but could not find one. The woman was gone.
Morgana picked herself off the ground and limped into the distance with the horn clutched at her side. Morgause had mentioned the Horn of Cathbhadh many a time. She had told Morgana how she had longed to find this horn. All Morgana had to do now was to find the Great Stones of Nemeton and then she could see her sister. Morgana had dreamt of this moment for years.
Morgana shut her eyes again and tried to think of where the Great Stones of Nemeton could possibly be. Perhaps they located in or beside Nemeth. Sighing, Morgana opened her eyes to see that she was not in the woods with the corpse of the old woman lying in front of her. No she had somehow miraculously managed to get herself from the woods to the Great Stones of Nemeton in a split second. Fortunately, the horn was still clasped in Morgana's hand. Shakily, Morgana rose the horn to her lips and blew hard. A light appeared and Morgana curiously stumbled towards it. Soon she was enclosed in a world full of light.
"It's been too long, sister." Morgana swivelled around on the spot to see a figure watching. It was-
"Morgause?"
Is there anything you want Morgana and Morgause to discuss in the next chapter? Please causes because it makes me really happy! ;D