Chapter 26–The Curse of killing a unicorn
Hey guys, so new day new chapter. I've had a busy week, getting ready to head back home to Essex from university so it's been packing and sorting the mess which is my room. Somehow I found time to write this while I was doing that…no idea when, but I hope you enjoy the chapter. I don't own Merlin, but Laudine, Kay and Elizabeth are mine.
It was late the next day when things seemed to get worse the remaining crops had been collected up and any animals surviving had been slaughtered, trying to make enough food. Then things began to get worse I was in the main square with Arthur and Uther standing by the well. Apparently all the water had gone. I shifted sand through my fingers from the bucket, "Sand, the well is full of it?" I questioned looking up and Uther and Arthur.
"I sent men down to the underground reservoir, there is no trace of water to be found," Arthur explained.
"First the crops and now this," Uther summarized.
"It's the same throughout the kingdom, Sire. Little water anywhere," I explained remembering one of the meeting I had early on that day.
"Gaius, can you offer any explanation for this?" Uther questioned.
Gaius looked reluctant, "I cannot think of a scientific explanation, I can only conclude it's the result of sorcery."
"I believe you're right, it is the work of magic. The kingdom is under attack," Uther said looking serious.
"I need to see if there is a way of defeating this," Gaius suggested looking at the king before turning to me, "Would you be able to help Princess?"
I nodded my head before we walked back to his chambers quickly in silence. When we opened the door Merlin was sitting in the room with a bucket of sand in front of him trying to magic it back to water, he turned when he heard us, "I was…I was just, err…"
"I was hoping you might be trying to turn it back into water. I know I've cautioned against using magic, but if ever there was a time to use your talents, it's now," Gaius said.
I leant over Merlin's shoulder to read the page of the book, "That spell won't work," Merlin looked at me in surprise, "Laudine has gone through every spell book I own plus some that she owns. There are many transformation spells. None of which seem to be working, it's the most powerful magic I have ever seen."
"You ought to be heading home my lady," Gaius informed me looking out of the window. I noticed it was coming to sunset, "Merlin will walk with you. We don't know what could be causing this, so you should stick together."
I nodded my head and walked out of Gaius's room followed by Merlin, once the door shut I turned around, "I'm going to see Arthur," I told Merlin simply, "If I'm right then I think he could be the reason we are in this mess to begin with."
Merlin nodded his head in agreement and we set off out of the castle and onto the drawbridge, where Arthur was standing with the guards, "Patrol the market and lower town. No one leaves their homes, dismissed," I continued to walk towards him with Merlin next to me, Arthur turned around and faced us, "Elizabeth, Merlin. You do realise there's a curfew?"
"Merlin was just walking me to my chambers you don't know what kind of evil this is so Merlin was protecting me," I made up the excuse on the spot.
Arthur looked between Merlin and me in disbelief, "Merlin was protecting you?!"
"Well my prince was busy at the time, I had to make do," I said back sarcastically.
Arthur just rolled his eyes, "Go home, it would be embarrassing to have to lock up my servant for breaking the curfew."
I felt something magic rise up my spine and turned to look over my shoulder seeing a white cloaked man walking through the Courtyard corridor and into the palace, "What was that?" Arthur questioned from next to me.
"What?" Merlin questioned quietly.
Arthur took off running with Merlin and me following quickly behind, we jumped over the courtyard ledge and followed the hooded figure down the upper corridor, along some stairs to the wrought iron stairway which lead to the burial vaults were we lost him. Arthur signed to Merlin before walking off, Merlin went to follow him but I grabbed his arm, "That means you go the other way and cut him off," I translated the signs Arthur had just used. Merlin nodded his head and we moved quietly around the opposite way to Arthur, "Is that the same man…" I began to ask Merlin.
"Yes," He whispered back to me as we met up once again with Arthur at the same place we started. Arthur looked at us in confusion, before he could speak I shook his arm pointing behind him where the hooded man shadow was on the wall. We walked around once again still coming up with nothing.
"Where is he?" Arthur questioned angry.
Merlin shrugged, "I didn't see anyone."
"He was right here!" Arthur exclaimed, "Don't tell me you let him get past you."
"Arthur no one passed us," I promised him.
"Are you looking for me?" A voice questioned next to us, we turned to see the hooded man standing there, "I am Anhora, keeper of the unicorns."
Arthur looked at us in confusion, "Camelot is under curfew, what's your business here?"
"I have come to deliver a message," Anhora stated.
"And who is this message for?" Arthur questioned.
"It is for you, Arthur Pendragon," Anhora said, the way he spoke reminded me so much of the great dragon with all the riddles and the ability to take ten minutes just to say one point.
"Is it you who's responsible for killing our crops, turning our water into sand?" Arthur said getting angrier.
"You alone are responsible for the misfortune that has befallen Camelot," Anhora stated back with any emotion in his voice.
This made Arthur even worse, "Me?! You think I'd bring drought and famine upon my own people?" He yelled.
"When you killed the unicorn, you unleashed a curse. For this, Camelot will suffer greatly," Anhora said back simply.
"If you have put a curse on Camelot, you will lift it, or you will pay with your life," Arthur said reaching for his sword.
I grabbed his hand quickly before he did anything rash, "Can you stop the curse?" I questioned Anhora keeping calm.
Anhora noticed me for the first time, "the curse is not my doing my Lady. Only Arthur can release it and he will be tested."
Arthur broke free of my hold and reached out for Anhora, "You're under arrest," Anhora disappeared and Arthur stumbled.
We looked around for him before Anhora voice came from the stairway, "Until you have proven yourself, and made amends for killing the unicorn, the curse will not be lifted. If you fail any of these tests, Camelot will be damned for all eternity," we watched as once again Anhora disappeared.
"Guess that explains the curse," I whispered quietly under my breath, "We better get to bed, standing around here won't make Anhora come back."
It was early the next day when I decided to go and visit Arthur, "Get it mended. Find that rat," I heard Arthur yell through the door. I entered the chambers without knocking, "You're getting as bad as Merlin," Arthur greeted me.
"No one is as bad as Merlin," I said coming to sit down at the table before changing the topic to what I wanted to know, "Have you given any more thought to what Anhora said last night?"
"Ah, well, he may have escaped last night, but at least we now know who we're looking for. I told my father I'll find this Anhora and put an end to it," Arthur stated missing what I was asking completely.
"And what if he was telling the truth about the curse?" Merlin questioned as he moved around the room cleaning up after Arthur.
"You think I'm responsible for bringing suffering upon my own people?" Arthur questioned slowly.
"No, not deliberately," I said quickly trying to defuse the situation between Arthur and Merlin before it got out of hand.
"When you killed the unicorn, I saw Anhora in the forest," Merlin confessed.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Arthur questioned annoyed.
"It was just for a second, and then he disappeared. I didn't even...well, I-I thought I was seeing things. But he was definitely there," Merlin tried to explain.
"That doesn't actually prove anything," Arthur dismissed.
"Doesn't it make you think he might be telling the truth?" I argued.
"Because he was skulking about in the forest? That makes me trust him even less," Arthur was stubborn at the best of times, and today was not the best.
"Why would Anhora appear in Camelot, and then lie to you?" Merlin continued my argument for me.
"We had him cornered. He was trying to talk his way out of it by blaming me," Arthur tried to make up an excuse.
I had enough and stood up, "Arthur, he disappeared into thin air!" I exclaimed at him, "He didn't have to talk his way out of anything!"
"My father has warned me about sorcerers like him. They will not rest until our kingdom is destroyed," Arthur said standing up in front of me, his tone one of warning.
"I believe he's telling the truth," I said to him honestly.
"You cannot trust a single word a sorcerer says," Arthur snapped, I had to remind myself that those words were more Uther than Arthur's still, "You'd do well to remember that. Now, I think I've figured out what Anhora's next move is going to be, and when he makes it, we're going to be waiting."
"Where?" I questioned.
"The grain stores, I think he will destroy them," Arthur stated, "Merlin and I will hide out there tonight."
"I will come with you," I stated, not bothering to ask. Arthur frowned at me for a moment before just nodding his head.
It was evening when we sat in the grain store, all three of us hungry and thirsty. Merlin was leant against the pillar next to me half dead to the world, every five seconds he kept smacking his lips together. This went on for about 3 minutes before Arthur finally hit him with a broom, "Don't you worry about keeping watch, Merlin. You just make yourself comfortable, and stop smacking your lips. It's annoying."
"He's thirsty Arthur everyone is," I argued for Merlin.
Arthur looked like he was about to respond when there was a noise from the door of the barn, "Pst! Someone's coming," Arthur said drawing his sword, I took out my smaller dagger and followed him and Merlin further into the grain store, there was a silhouette on the wall. Arthur looked at me, "Move over there and come in," I nodded my head, "And take Merlin with you."
"Show yourself before I run you through," Arthur ordered as I dragged Merlin around the other side, he picked up a scythe hook along the way. The man edged around the corner with a shovel and grain, "Who are you?"
"My name is…my name is…" The man stuttered.
"Speak up!" Arthur yelled.
"My name is Evan, My Lord," Evan whispered quietly.
I walked forward slowly followed by Merlin, "I see you think you can help yourself to our grain reserves. My father has order that looters be executed," Arthur informed him.
"Please, My Lord. I- I do not steal for myself. I have three children they have not eaten for two days. They are hungry," Evan begged.
"It's the same for everyone," Arthur snapped.
"I... I know that it is wrong to steal. I couldn't bear to see them starve," Evan said looking ashamed.
"And you could bare for your children to see you hung?" Arthur asked. Evan shook his head looking close to tears, "Then you should go home. If you're caught stealing again, I will not spare you."
"Yes, My Lord. Thank you," Evan smiled putting down the grain and shovel before starting to leave.
"Wait," Arthur called after him grabbing up one of the grain bags, "Use it sparingly. It might be the last food you and your family get for some time."
"You have shown yourself to be merciful and kind, My Lord. This will bring its own reward," Evan smiled before running out of the store leaving us behind.
I looked at Arthur, "Any idea what he meant?"
Arthur just shook his head.
It was later the next day when I got the good news, the water supplies were working again. I went to visit Arthur's room and found him and Merlin gulping down a large mug of water each before refilling it yet again, "Never knew water could taste that good," I observed watching them before grabbing myself a mug and joining in, the cool freshness running down my throat eased the pain that had formed over the last few days.
"My throat was so dry, I thought I wouldn't be able to talk," Merlin said in between gulps.
"Well, at least some good would've come from the drought, then," Arthur replied sarcastically.
"More?" Merlin offered both Arthur and I, we both held out our mugs to be refilled.
"The sand's disappeared. The water returned to the well. It doesn't make any sense," Arthur said confused, I looked away thinking everything through, "I suppose you have some explanation for this, Elizabeth? Let's hear it."
"Well Anhora said you would be tested. And last night, in the grain store, you let that villager go. And he said it would bring its own reward," I said slowly thinking it through in my head, it did make sense.
"He was just grateful," Arthur dismissed.
"Maybe that was your first test. You passed it, so the curse has begun to lift. Perhaps this is your reward. I know you don't have to listen to me," Merlin said agreeing with me.
Arthur rolled his eyes, "Glad we agree on something."
"If you're tested again, you have a chance to end your people's suffering. I know you want that more than anything," I said simply. Arthur still didn't look like he believed me, "Perhaps we should seek Anhora out."
"I cannot negotiate with sorcerers. My father wouldn't hear of it," Arthur said stubbornly.
I shrugged, "Then it's probably best you don't tell him."
Arthur looked at me before shaking his head, "I must go check on the guards, see if you can find me some food."
"I should go to," I said as I watched Arthur walk out of the door, "I need to visit Laudine and make sure she is okay."
It was later on in the day when I walked over to Arthur who was standing in the main square, "Who are they?" I questioned pointing to the new people who had joined the queue for food.
"They've come from the outlying villages in search of food. There's not enough rations to feed the people who are already here," Arthur explained quietly to me.
I noticed the guilt on his face, "Arthur you weren't to know. Blaming yourself doesn't help…"
"It is not enough," Arthur replied simply before walking away just as Laudine approached me.
"Did you manage to find any food?" I questioned her. Laudine pulled back a cloth on her basket showing me some bread, "Where did you get that?"
"I was able to smuggle it out of the palace kitchens," Laudine explained.
I smiled at her nodding, "Share it out amongst the children and old people. Make it go as far as you can," I asked watching as Laudine moved around the crowd quietly handing out pieces of bread when she could.
Merlin came up to me a tapped me on the shoulder, "Arthur wants to go into the wood," he told me simply before nodding over to where Arthur was walking out of Camelot. Merlin and I quickly followed behind. It didn't take us long to catch up with Arthur.
"I thought I told you to stay behind," Arthur accused Merlin.
"He was worried about you, we both are," I informed him softly taking his hand, "What are we looking for then?"
"We're looking for footprints or broken branches. Anything that would indicate someone passed that..." Arthur began to explain before he suddenly stopped, I looked to where he was staring and saw Anhora standing there, "Merlin! Elizabeth! He's here!" Arthur yelled before running off.
I tried to follow him but ended up in completely the wrong place, I continued to walk around until eventually I stumbled across a clearing where Arthur was standing opposite Anhora, "You have shown that you would kill a man to defend your pride. You have failed the test. For this, Camelot will pay dearly."
"My people have done nothing!" Arthur yelled back.
"Your people suffering is not my doing, it's yours," Anhora disagreed before disappearing.
I ran into the clearing and over to Arthur, "What happened Arthur?"
"I killed him," Arthur said back simply.
"Who?" I asked confused.
"Evan, he was a thief. He said something about my father and I just lost it," Arthur explained resting his head on my shoulder, "I caused this. It is my fault."
Okay so that's another chapter done, I hope you review and let me know what you think.
Until next time
Artistic-Blue-Eyes
xxx