Thank you once again for the lovely support, it means a lot.

Merlin could feel himself shivering. He was huddled against the pole as best as he could, his knees bent up to his chest in a feeble attempt to try and get some warmth back into his body. It wasn't particularly cold, the walls of the hut were sturdy enough to keep the weather out. But the extended length of time of being cut off from his magic was beginning to take its toll and Merlin knew that it wouldn't be too much longer until he lost consciousness. His magic was such an instinctual part of him, to be cut off in such a manner was not good for him. Merlin knew it was the equivalent of blood loss for him. It was making him feel light-headed and woozy, but he knew that he could recover from it if it didn't go too far.

The trouble was, he had no way out.

While the cuffs were around his wrists and he was blocked off from his power, he knew that he was helpless. He wasn't even sure removing the cuffs would be much use right now, it was going to take time to regain his strength. Merlin just found himself praying that Gwaine hadn't done anything to rile up their captors while he couldn't protect the man. He had heard a brief scuffle earlier, but apart from that, all had been quiet. Merlin was taking that as a good sign, knowing that Gwaine wouldn't stay quiet if he was planning on running for it. Merlin also knew that there was no way Gwaine would go without him, it wasn't in the man's nature. But while he was shackled to a post, Merlin found that it was giving him time to think. If Gwaine did come for him, Merlin wondered whether he would notice how the servant was being restrained and the reasons for it or not. If he did realise, Merlin wasn't entirely sure what the knight would do.

The sound of the door being pushed open drew Merlin from troubled thoughts and he turned his head. To his alarm, his vision took a moment to settle as he moved, but he tried not to let his expression show his discomfort as he stared at the sorcerer.

"Who are you?" Merlin tried to demand, but he was fully aware that his voice was far from its usual strength. He almost felt feverish.

"My name is Jachira. And you are Emrys."

"How do you know who I am?"

"I know many things, Emrys. The least of which is this. When a blood of a noble and blood of power are consumed on the night of a full moon, untold power will be granted. I assume that answers the next question you were going to ask me about what you are doing here."

Merlin glared, trying to disguise the way his heart was pounding. He hadn't heard of a spell like that before and he didn't need to think about it too hard to know why. It was dark magic.

"I could have taken three of your party for the noble's blood, this one was just closest. But only two of you I could have selected for power. The blood of kings would have been one thing, but the blood of the legendary Emrys? That would give me power beyond reckoning…"

"You really think it is going to work?" Merlin knew it was time to start fighting back. There was a slightly mocking tone to his voice and he tried to make himself look bored. Jachira seemed to stop himself mid-sentence to glance at the restrained warlock.

"I know it will work, I have you at my mercy."

"For now," Merlin managed to shrug, biting his lip just in time as his stiff muscles screamed at him in protest. "But have you not met Gwaine? He's not going to let himself be sacrificed, it will be a stain on his reputation or something like that."

"I can deal with a Knight of Camelot."

"Perhaps. But can you deal with me?" Merlin almost felt the way his voice deepened, pulling slightly on his dragonlord power. That was separate than the magic, the cuffs couldn't restrain it in the same way. Judging by the look on Jachira's face, he was beginning to realise that perhaps he would have been better sticking with taking Arthur after all.

"You have me tied now, that is true. But you won't be able to drain me like this, will you? I'm completely cut off from my magic. I die with these cuffs on, the magic dies with me. But can you risk releasing them?"

"I have your friend at my mercy."

"No, Jachira. As soon as these cuffs are off, it will be you who is at my mercy. And unless you let us go immediately, you might find that I don't have a deep reserve of mercy. Not when it is my friends being threatened."

Merlin wasn't quite sure what he expected to happen. The threats seemed like a good idea at the time, but Arthur often commented that his servant needed to think before he opened his mouth at times. He thought it might have worked when Jachira backed out of the hut with wide eyes, but before Merlin could think about congratulating himself, the man reappeared. And this time, he had a strip of cloth in his hands. It didn't matter how much Merlin tried to push himself away, there was nothing he could do as Jachira simply wrapped it around his mouth, cutting off any further threats.

"Maybe I don't know who I'm dealing with. But you don't know who you are dealing with either, boy." Jachira tied a forceful knot, causing Merlin to choke slightly as the fabric came to rest over his mouth, silencing him. Jachira rose to his full height and smirked, leaving the hut again.

Merlin could only hit his head on the pole in frustration and start to think of a new plan.

MMM

Despite having left within the hour that Arthur had commanded, the searching knights swiftly found they weren't as close to the sorcerer's camp as they believed. There were traces everywhere that vast numbers of people were coming and going around this area, but Arthur could only come to the conclusion that the man was somehow shielding it with magic. Cursing the fact that they were so close and yet still so far from finding their friends, he eventually drew his men to one side again, making sure they couldn't be seen.

"We can't go on like this," he said quietly, finding that he was glancing around as he spoke in case there were ears present that he didn't want hearing. "They could be watching us from behind whatever he is using to shield the camp. They'll wait until we are exhausted, then strike. We need to find a new way in."

"How?" Lancelot questioned, and Arthur grimaced.

"I'm not sure. We know there are people around here, the tracks are sure sign of that." The prince paused, thinking hard about all of their options. He didn't like admitting there didn't seem to be a lot they could do until a weakness was found in the magic, but he didn't see what choice they had.

"Surely they won't all stay there for the night though," Leon said quietly. He had dismounted and was studying some of the tracks. He pointed out a few. "These are old. From long before the sorcerer would have got back. If people are coming and going from here, it's not just to do with Gwaine and Merlin. This seems to be a more permanent resting spot."

Arthur found that he was gritting his teeth in annoyance that a sorcerer could be finding a place of safety within Camelot's borders. He was going to make sure that never happened again, and Leon had just given him an idea.

"Spread out. If they are coming out, it will be soon, nightfall won't be long. We want hostages, I need at least one alive. Make sure you aren't seen or heard, but give the signal if you have someone. They are going to show us the way in themselves."

Grins spread across his men's faces. It didn't matter whether it would work or not, the fact they had a plan and something to work towards was enough for them. Leon and Percival took the horses back to a clearing a little further away and made sure they had everything they needed for at least a night. The rest of the group slowly peeled away from each other and began skirting where they believed the edge of the camp was. Arthur found himself staring at seemingly nothing, wondering if there was just a veil of magic separating him from his men.

Knowing that he couldn't dwell on it, he too disappeared into the cover of the trees.

Night was almost upon them when a slight shimmer in the air caught his attention. For a moment, it was as if he could see nothing at all. But then, seemingly from nowhere, a group of three bandits were stealing through the forest. Arthur had no idea if they were part of the group that had attacked them previously or not, and found that he didn't particularly care. Leon was crouched not far from him and Arthur gave a small whistle. Leon's head shot around and Arthur indicated what he had seen. The knight nodded slowly and rose in his crouch, indicating that he was with Arthur.

The two knights followed the bandits for a few paces, drawing them away from the cover of whatever magic had been protecting them. They managed to pick up Elyan on the way and as soon as the trees provided them with some shelter, Arthur gave a signal. Leon and Elyan immediately each picked a man, and Arthur did the same. He ignored what his knights were doing, but instead grabbed the bandit nearest to him. They had the advantage through surprise, but the bandits clearly knew the forest well and knew how to survive. Arthur found himself locked in a far fiercer battle than he was anticipating until he finally managed to disarm the man, loop his arm around his neck and pull him into a headlock.

Another whistle on his part told the others that he had one, and they made short work of rendering their opponents unconscious at the very least, knowing they no longer had a use for them. Arthur dragged his man further back, forcing him to his knees but no relenting on the pressure around his neck.

"Do you want to live?" He snarled in the man's ear, and it was enough for the bandit to cease struggling quite as hard, although judging from the look Elyan was giving him, he must have been glaring for all his worth.

"Do you?"

"Yes!" The man gasped, clearly realising that Arthur was fully prepared to snap his neck right there and then if he didn't get the answers that he desired. While the prince didn't normally like to be considered that ruthless, if it meant getting their friends back, then he would kill a thousand bandits with his bare hands to achieve that.

"Then you are going to help us. What does the sorcerer want with my knight and servant?"

"I don't know!"

"Wrong answer," Arthur's grip tightened and the man gasped.

"I don't, I swear! I only know it is some sort of ritual that will be performed tonight in the light of the full moon, but that's all, I swear! I swear that's all."

Arthur sighed, loosening his hold slightly. He could hear that the man was telling the truth. While still making sure he had hold of him, Arthur bent down close to the man's ear.

"You are going to get us in there, you understand?"

"I…"

"Do you understand?"

"Yes," the gasp was enough for Arthur to let go and put his foot in the middle of the man's back, toppling him.

"Tie him up," he ordered his men, sheathing his sword. "Then he is going to show us the way in."

MMM

To all extents and purposes, Gwaine looked as if he had been sitting still all afternoon. In a way, the fact that no one suspected anything else was a blessing. Gwaine had been worried about how well his captors seemed to know him considering they knew of his true bloodline, but the fact they had left him alone and seemed to believe that he was truly behaving himself was a sign that they didn't know him as a man even if they knew his name.

For although it looked like Gwaine was sitting still, he had been actually working the ropes lose. A small flint, no bigger than half his thumbnail had been just within his reach and although his fingers were smeared with blood, by the time night fell, Gwaine was able to pull his hands free. He almost fell over again from where he had been sitting all afternoon, but it was with a grin he crept to the doorway. He knew that he had been in worse scrapes before.

A low whistle sliding between his teeth was all it took for his guard to turn and be instantly knocked out. Gwaine caught him before he hit the ground, dragging him inside the hut to make sure that no one realised that anything was wrong if they happened to glance over. Once he was sure he had managed to get away with the first part, Gwaine crept to the door again and swiftly stole into the night.

He didn't go very far though, instead just ducking around the back of the hut and crouching in the shadows while he worked out where he was. There was a strange feeling in the air, almost as if the breeze itself had been stopped. Glancing up, Gwaine could make out the stars, but it was almost as if they had been veiled in some way. Upon realising it must mean the whole camp was magically shielded, Gwaine found himself cursing even as he crept forward. Not that he needed any help in getting out, but it was going to make it slightly more awkward if the rest of the knights didn't even know where to start looking for them.

But for now, Gwaine didn't let himself think about that. He couldn't go anywhere until he found Merlin. In all honesty, it didn't take long to take a guess at where the servant was being held. There was another hut almost opposite from Gwaine's. It was the only other hut that was in darkness and had a guard on the outside. Not that Gwaine was worried about the guard, he had taken out his own easily enough. It was getting across the camp that was going to be the issue.

Moving back around until he was hidden behind his hut, Gwaine checked that no one was watching and simply ran for the next hut. It luckily wasn't far, and he froze as soon as he reached the cover of it, listening hard to see if there was any indication that anyone had seen him. He hadn't forgotten their threats about hurting Merlin to make him behave, and he knew that he was too far away right now. If they saw him and realised he was heading for Merlin, they would get there first and that was something Gwaine simply couldn't allow to happen.

It seemed that his luck was holding, for no alarm was giving. Taking a breath, Gwaine darted to the next hut, then a third. He paused between each one, not only to regain his breath but just to check that no one knew what he was doing. Somehow, he managed to dart the whole way around the camp without being seen. As he reached the back of Merlin's hut, Gwaine decided that he could be quite good at this whole rescue business when he was given the chance.

Letting another whistle escape him, Gwaine quickly led the guard off behind the hut, again making sure he was out of sight before simply hitting him over the head with a branch and then cushioning his fall to the ground. That was at least two bandits out of the way now and, feeling optimistic, Gwaine dived through the doorway of Merlin's hut. He ended up skidding in on his side to make sure he didn't open the door any more than necessary, but for a split instant thought that he was in the wrong place as all he could hear was muffled breathing.

It was only when he looked around did he realise why. Merlin was indeed there, and considering by the way his arms were being held behind his back, he had been tied the same way as Gwaine. But he had also been gagged. Gwaine chuckled as he picked himself up off the floor.

"And I thought they were annoyed at me for not shutting up," he muttered, making sure he kept his voice down. Merlin's eyes seemed to be visually checking him over and Gwaine was sure he sagged with relief upon seeing the knight unharmed. Somehow, Gwaine thought he knew why. Something told him that Merlin had received the same threats that Gwaine had – they had kept them separate so they could use them against each other. Gwaine smiled reassuringly and took a step towards Merlin.

To his astonishment, Merlin's eyes went wide and he shook his head frantically. Gwaine paused and frowned, but then realised a second too late what Merlin was trying to say. Pain exploded in the back of his head and he was falling before he even realised there was someone standing behind him. The blackness rushed up to meet him even as he hit the floor and Gwaine managed one regretful grin at Merlin before passing out.

The last thought that went through his head was that the rescuing business was definitely harder than it seemed.