"Sifa!" Anna scrambled over to her on her hands and knees. Sifa, unable to answer, gave a choking gurgle. The sword had slashed deeply across her chest. Anna put her hands over the wound. "Þurhhæle! Ic hæle þina þrowunga," she said, her eyes glowing golden. She did it several times before Sifa stopped coughing. Gwaine helped her sit up, and someone handed her a handkerchief to clean the blood off from around her mouth. Sifa looked up, startled—it was Kara. Kara pressed her lips together in something resembling a smile, and Sifa smiled back tremulously.
"Thank you," Merlin said, putting his hand on Sifa's shoulder. "You saved my life."
Sifa turned as pink as her paleness would allow, but didn't answer.
"We should take her back to the surgery," Anna said, and Gwaine nodded. "Perce—" he began, looking around, and then paused, his face growing suddenly serious as he remembered where Percival was. "I'll take her," he said quietly, and scooped her up in his arms.
Arthur, who by this time had clambered to his feet, offered a hand to Anna. "I have never seen Morgana run from a fight like that," he said wonderingly.
"She's terrified of Emrys," Merlin said quietly.
"Yes. She called you that—who is Emrys?"
"I am," Merlin answered, not meeting his eye. "I—it's—I'll explain later."
They followed Gwaine up to the castle, though their smiling army. The celebrations were a bit subdued—everyone was thinking of the soldiers who were still paralyzed.
Gaius had set up cots in the Great Hall, though there were few casualties. "I hate to distract you, Gaius," Arthur said as Anna and Gwaine settled Sifa onto a cot and Anna saw to one of the more severe injuries that had come in, "but I wondered if you had found out anything about the spell Morgana put on our soldiers."
Gaius shook his head. "I have found only one account of a similar spell, and the historian wrote that the victims all died of starvation because a counter-spell could not be found."
Gwaine blanched and Arthur looked at Anna, whose expression was grim. "Let's go out to them," Merlin said.
000
Anna, Gwaine and Arthur rode out to the field on the western side of the city as the sun slowly sank in the sky, Arthur carrying Merlin's body before him on his saddlebow. Gwaine felt sick when they reached their destination. The field looked more than ever like it was full of dead bodies: the soldiers who had been left to guard their comrades had laid them out in neat rows, and they looked like nothing so much as corpses awaiting burial. Gwaine dismounted and crouched down by Percival, laying a hand on his forehead. "We're going to fix this, Perce," he murmured, knowing that his friend could hear him. "Merlin will find a solution."
And Merlin tried. He used a number of spells, speaking words the others couldn't understand, but nothing seemed to work. Gwaine began to wonder if they would find a solution after all. Would Percival and the others slowly starve to death out in this field? Would Merlin remain in Anna's body? For how long? How would it affect Anna?
Anna finally sat back. "That's all the spells I can think of," Merlin said dully. Gwaine ducked his head so that the tears in his eyes would not be visible.
"Then there's nothing we can do?" Arthur asked grimly.
Merlin was silent for a long moment. "It's all the spells I know," he finally said, climbing to his feet. Then Anna threw her head back, and a voice issued from her throat unlike any sound Gwaine had ever heard her make before. It was a deep roar, an animal sound—terrifying and wild. "O DRAKON! E MALE SO FTENGOMETTA TESD'HUP'ANANKES!"
Everyone drew back from her, but she simply watched the skies. "No one panic," she said quietly. "I called him here—he can't hurt you."
"WHO?" Arthur said, his voice rough with surprise and alarm.
But the answer was quickly obvious. They heard the sound of giant wings beating the air, and looked up into the sky, all lit with the colors of sunset, as a huge form swooped down from the clouds and alighted next to them: a dragon. His scales were gray and rough, and three horns curved backward from his head—but his golden eyes were strangely intelligent. Arthur, Gwaine and the guards all drew back in terror, but Anna remained, staring calmly up at the dragon, which could barely fit in the small clearing without standing on any of Morgana's victims.
"This is a new sight," the dragon spoke at last, and everyone but Anna jumped. He sounded vaguely amused. "Trying on new faces, Merlin?"
"My usual one is currently out of commission," he answered dryly, gesturing to his body, which lay nearby.
"And an audience," the dragon continued, fixing the rest of them with a stare that made them instinctively draw back. "This is a new age, indeed."
"I need your help," Merlin said, cutting him off. "Morgana used a powerful spell to paralyze these men. I cannot break it."
"And you order me to do so," the dragon said.
"You know that I prefer not to order you to do anything," Merlin answered. "But yes—if I must."
"Let us put you back into your own body first," the dragon said, and turning its head, breathed on Merlin's body. Anna stumbled and nearly fell, and Gwaine leapt forward to catch her.
"Ow," she said querulously, putting her hand to her head.
"Are you alright?" Gwaine asked urgently.
"Yeah," Anna said, rubbing her temples. "I just have one hell of a headache."
Merlin sat up, rubbing his head as well. "That was not fun," he said, his voice rough.
"But I am sure your comrades will be grateful," the dragon replied, and turning his head, breathed across the field. There were groans and gasps as all across the clearing as men sat up and stretched their limbs. It looked like the dead were rising.
Percival sat up and rolled his gigantic shoulders. "Perce!" Gwaine said joyfully. "How do you feel?"
"Like I've had too much sleep," Percival answered taking Gwaine's proffered hand and clambering to his feet. He stared up at the dragon. "Thank you," he said cautiously.
"You are very welcome, Sir Percival," the dragon answered formally.
Merlin stood up and stretched, glancing nervously over at Arthur, who was looking between him and the dragon with a stern expression. "Everyone back to the castle," Arthur ordered shortly.
Anna turned to Merlin and gave him a big hug. "Thank you," Merlin murmured.
"Glad I could help," she answered. "Let's never do that again."
He laughed. Gwaine led her horse over as Merlin went to join Arthur. Anna looked up at it and shook her head with an expression of distaste. "I've had enough jolting for one day," she said, crossing her arms protectively over her chest. "Merlin really doesn't know how to roll his hips."
In a few minutes the soldiers and Anna had left the field, and Arthur and Merlin were left alone, staring up at the massive form of the dragon in the gathering darkness. "It seems we have much to discuss, Arthur Pendragon," the dragon said.
"Yes," Arthur answered shortly. "We do."
TBC
