Author's Note: Halloo guys! Bit of a plan formulating here and we get to see what Arthur and Uther think of the whole situation! Hope you enjoy! Please read + review as always - you guys are so fab at that!

Chapter Fifteen

Tenacious

When the doors closed, Arthur turned to face his father.

"I'm sorry for forcing you into taking an ambush, but I can't bare to let that Thief escape one more time. The people are getting scared. More scared than ever. But anyway, I have something to give you." Uther stood from his chair and beckoned Arthur to the side of the hall. Arthur followed his father into a side chamber. Uther closed the door behind them and then strode over to a corner of the room. He bent down over a small wooden chest. He opened it and took out a long, black chain. It was about four feet long and at the end it had a tiny engraving in the last link. It seemed to be a symbol of some sort but Arthur couldn't quite make it out.

"Um, what is it?" Arthur asked hesitantly. Uther looked like he had expected this question.

"It was given to me by a famous Witchfinder named Cadeyrn." Arthur made a distrustful look. He remembered only too well what had happened last time the kingdom had encountered the fraud Witchfinder, Aredian. Uther acknowledged Arthur's look and carried on assuredly. "Don't worry. This man was genuine. He dedicated his life to the extermination of sorcery. He told me only to use it in emergencies, but I think now is a good enough time. I want you to take it tomorrow night." Uther held the chain tenderly, as if it was fragile.

"But… what does it do?" Arthur asked. Uther looked like he had expected this question.

"When it comes into contact with the skin of a creature of magic, it enables the sorcerer from using most sorts of magic," Uther said proudly. Arthur nodded, beginning to understand. He tilted his head a little so he could get a better look at the

symbol.

"What's that symbol on the end?" Arthur straightened his head again and pointed at the emblem.

"It is the symbol of Dark Magic. Dark Magic and normal magic are mortal enemies. That is why the users of it make things like this, to try and weaken the other. But we can take advantage of this. The chain only prevents the sorcerer from using normal magic but Dark Magic is only practiced by very few people, and from what I have gathered from you and what you have told me about him is that the Thief does not use this Dark Magic." Uther's voice became more serious than it already was as he talked about Dark Magic. His eyes showed he didn't like talking about it.

"But… but how could you tell that the Thief doesn't use Dark Magic?" Arthur asked.

"It's because…it's because I have witnessed it at work. During the Great Purge, those few who did use Dark Magic were amongst those who threatened Camelot. I am not likely to forget the destruction they caused. Believe me… if someone used Dark Magic, you would know. Now, as I said, I want you to take this with you tomorrow night, along with as many Knights as you can get. I don't want this ambush to fail," Uther said sternly. He offered out the black chain to Arthur. Arthur hesitated. Did he really want an item of Dark Magic with him? But he didn't have much choice. He stepped forward and took the chain from his father. It was surprisingly light, but still, it was menacing, if a chain could be menacing. The magic prickled his palm and every now and again would send a shooting sting through his hand. He could feel the magic coursing through the metal beneath his fingers. It was like the feeling he had when he was around the Thief. The power and danger emanating into his body and into his blood. It was enough to make him shiver. Uther didn't notice and led him out of the room. "Well you'd better go back to your chamber then. Your going to need all your strength for tomorrow night," Uther said, heading towards the Council Chamber doors. Arthur nodded in agreement and started to walk off down the corridor. But before he could reach the stairs, his father called him back, for the second time that night. Arthur resisted the urge to roll his eyes and turned round.

"Oh and Arthur? Good luck," his father attempted a smile. A smile! Considering what had happened that night, his father was actually smiling! Arthur couldn't help but smile back. He nodded his thanks to his father then started on his way up the stairs, the cold metal of the chain in his hand clanking against the stone walls.

"Before me I have many strong, courageous, loyal and brave men, each of whom are willing to help me protect Camelot." As Arthur gave his 'pre-ambush speech', a servant scuttled along the line of men, handing each of them a sword. They slid them into their sheaths confidently. They looked so bold and brave on the outside, but Arthur could tell that inside, apprehension, anxiety and fear was mounting. It certainly was inside him. He had gathered all of his usual Knights (as they were all now in good enough shape to take part) plus a few extra and also a few guards who were up for it. "So, are we ready? Does everyone know the plan?" There was a collective nod and a shudder from Gwaine. He was at the end of the line. He had regained most of the colour to his face from last night. But not much. He still had that terrified look on his face, like the image of the Thief still haunted him. Which it probably did. Arthur decided to go over the plan again just to make sure everyone got the message. He couldn't afford any slip ups tonight, especially with his father breathing down his neck. "OK, so I'll go over it one more time. Remember, tonight has to be perfect. If any of you go wrong you'll have my father to answer to. Right, so if Leon, you take the biggest group just inside the gates, two guards will open them as soon as I give the order. That group is as follows; Lorin, Darnell, Layton, and Deon. Then there will be two more groups led by Lancelot and Elyan. Elyan's group is Percival, Braeden and Olwyn. Lancelot's group is Aldric, Delmar and Gwaine. Elyan's group will wait in a back alley between the houses closest to the gates. Lancelot's group will wait in the woods nearby. OK? So, when I give the signal, everyone will come out of their hiding places and crowd round the Thief. Is everyone clear on that?" The line nodded collectively again. Another shudder from Gwaine. Arthur checked the amount of daylight out of the window. There was hardly any. The last bit of blue sky was being swallowed by the apricot stain that the sinking sun was casting over the Heavens. It was time. Arthur nodded to the line of men as an indication to start filing out. "Good luck, and remember, Camelot is proud of you." Gwaine was at the end of the line (in more ways than one). Arthur went to join him. "You OK Gwaine?" Arthur said softly.

"I've been better." Gwaine said, almost inaudibly. Arthur tried for an encouraging smile. Gwaine acknowledged it but didn't return it. He looked like death itself. But there was nothing else he could say. All he could do was follow the line out of the Great Hall and prepare himself for the meeting with Emrys.

The sun was dying. It lay, bleeding its scarlet rays over the city of Camelot. Its death bed. This was the signal for Arthur. Emrys had been waiting for a while but he didn't mind. As long as he saw the Prince he didn't care how long it took. He hadn't even worked it out himself, why he had asked Arthur to meet with him. He had had a couple of things he wanted to say to him in his head, but he hadn't quite put them into words yet. He would have to work it out soon. The sun's blood smeared the sky, dripping and mixing into other colours. Salmon, pumpkin, tangerine, lemon all swirled into each other like they were dancing. It sounded like one of the King's luxurious feasts, all those exotic foods and then the elegant dancers twirling round the floor. Suddenly, the huge gates opened a crack. Emrys just had time to fix his hood so it was completely covering his face before the Prince slipped through the gap. He looked confident but Emrys could tell he was terrified. Something in his eyes was nervous, anxious, worried. He was unarmed from what Emrys could see. There was no sword or any other weapon. They were equal this time. Well, as equal as a sorcerer and a Prince could be. Arthur strode confidently over to Emrys and looked him right in the eyes. Emrys stared back, searching Arthur, seeking inside of him, entering his soul.

"Thief," Arthur breathed. Emrys smiled slyly.

"Arthur," Emrys replied. Emrys liked playing games.

"Look, what do you want? Why did you call me here?" Arthur asked quietly.

"Because I wanted to warn you," Emrys said briefly. Arthur's eyes became a little surprised but then returned to their original curiosity.

"Warn me about what?" Arthur asked slowly and cautiously. Emrys took a step closer to Arthur and narrowed his eyes.

"If you ever send anyone to try and find me or my camp ever again, I swear I will kill them on sight. You know that I can. And will." His voice had instantly become threatening and dangerous. Arthur took an immediate step back, his eyes wary. There was a silence. A long silence. Arthur seemed to be thinking about something. Emrys tried to read it but before he could, something terrible happened. Something that he had dreaded. Something that he had reluctantly anticipated. A loud snap of a branch echoed into the blackness. Someone was watching them. And Emrys was sure there was more than one. He whirled around just in time to hear Arthur call a command.

"Now!" Arthur yelled into the night. He stood back to make way for the onslaught of men that now ran towards the two. Emrys panicked. He couldn't get his head to figure out an escape route. He was trapped this time. They all had swords. All thirteen of them. One of them threw an extra sword to Arthur, along with something else. It was black. It was long. It was a chain.

Gwaine bit his lip as he ran. The branch that he had accidentally stood on had made such a loud noise. The one thing he had needed to do was to keep his head down and what did he do? He went and alerted Emrys that a whole ambush was crouching in the shadows, waiting to pounce on him. Great start Gwaine, what are you going to do next? Drop your sword? Trip over your own feet? Let Arthur down? Let Emrys go? A voice in his head taunted him. The last one hurt. That was exactly what he wanted to do. To back out of this altogether. To just let Emrys free and go back to what it had been like before. But they were all too far into this thing to let it go now.