A/N: My favorite chapter, for reasons you'll soon see. I hope it satisfies.
Ch. 7
"Bloody, stupid necklace," Merlin muttered irritably under his breath as he once again pulled the leather cord of one of his mother's self-made clay pendants from around his neck, and the eagle-shaped charm from where it pressed itself like an overly affectionate pet from the skin of his chest. He held the necklace out, but the blasted thing continued to point at him and only him. Although this time he was sure it had wavered a little to the right.
Just in case the movement hadn't been a trick of his hyper-hopeful mind, Merlin didn't place the pendant back around his neck, but wrapped it around his hand, hiding the charm in his palm to avoid any time-wasting questions from anyone he happened to run into. He continued deeper into the woods in the direction Elyan had pointed him in. He'd run into Elyan at the camp, where the knight and his squad had come back from searching for the giant in order to refresh a few supplies. Elyan had told him that Arthur and some of the knights had gone searching in the hills. Merlin had followed, coming across another of Arthur's men who pointed Merlin in the direction of a very dense woodland.
A very wide, dense woodland, and Merlin was starting to seriously wonder if he might have overshot or under shot where Arthur and the others had gone in. Or if he hadn't got turned around. It would be easy to get lost in a place like this, and in his anxiety Merlin hadn't thought to mark his path.
Merlin unwound some of the pendant and let the charm hover. Yes, he was sure of it, it was most definitely leaning a little to the right. A smile of triumph and relief broke out on Merlin's face. He adjusted his baring right, and kicked through the wet underbrush, stepping over logs and stumbling over hidden indents in the ground, slapping aside twigs and leaves. He honestly hoped that whatever magic was hiding the giant, it didn't allow sound to get through or Merlin was in trouble…
Merlin suddenly found himself gripped by the throat, and he was yanked back against a chest made solid and uncomfortable by a metal chest plate. Something pricked his side, and he glanced down to see the point of a knife threatening his flank.
"Well, well, well," said the horribly familiar voice of Lesk. "If it ain't the feral boy traipsing through the woods like a little lost fawn." The knife slide up, ripping through the thin material of Merlin's shirt and writing a stinging line on his skin. "You know, I've no problem with gutting fawns. Especially fawns as annoying as you. No funny business, now, little fawn." The knife moved to Merlin's throat. "Just keep moving forward, and all will be right as rain between us."
They moved together forward, the going slow with so much of the forest debris getting in their way. But they apparently didn't have to go far when Lesk suddenly called out, "Got another one!"
They stepped into a very small clearing, but one shielded by trees growing close together and curtains of hanging lichens. The small glen was crowded with four armed men in the livery of Lot, and with them Lot's man, Landes.
And kneeling on the ground, his hands tied behind his back and his mouth gagged…
"Arthur!" Merlin cried out.
Arthur's eyes widened in horror.
Lesk shoved Merlin forward and cuffed him across the head. "Quiet, you little idiot," he spat.
But it was Lesk that Landes was glaring at. "You're the one who needs to be quiet, Lesk. You're bloody shouting could have given us away. Now tie him up and put him with his king."
"Gladly," Lesk growled. Merlin's hands were yanked behind his back, the pendant still wrapped around his hand and ignored. Course rope was tightened cruelly around his wrists, while another man gagged his mouth with a foul piece of cloth. Once trussed up like a pheasant for the cooking, Merlin was shoved to the ground on his knees next to Arthur.
"Good," Landes said, hands clasped behind his back as he stood before his two prisoners. "Was he the only one in our vicinity?"
"So far," Lesk said. "We saw the others going opposite ways, so we shouldn't have to worry about them."
Landes nodded, looking imperious as though Arthur and Merlin were little more than bugs he was contemplating squashing. "Then get them up and bring them."
Arthur and Merlin were hauled to their feet by their arms, making the tight ropes rub painfully against their skin. They were more dragged than marched as they left the glen, following Landes.
"I am sure you want nothing more than to demand what is going on and that we untie you and so on and so forth," Landes said, still with that casually indifferent air of superiority. "It's nothing personal, I promise you. I'm merely tired of you making a fool of my king. Really, if anyone should get the honor of defeating this giant menace then it should be Lot. These are his lands after all. The problem is, Lot is too bloody soft. He doesn't care that him not defeating the giant will make our realm look weak, he just wants the blasted thing dealt with."
Landes stopped and turned to Arthur. "I, on the other hand, have a better sense of patriotism." He turned back, and they continued on. "But neither am I a fool. You won't be harmed, I promise you; I simply need you out of the way until the giant is dealt with."
Arthur said something, but with the gag in the way it was little more than desperate gibberish. Landes waved it away dismissively.
"When the giant is dead, you will be released. Mind you we'll have to force a potion on you, one that will erase your memory – I don't think all of your memory, you never know with these potions, and the sorcerer who made it was rather mad. All the same, afterward we will send your men out to find you and then that will be that. No hard feelings and such. Ah! Here we are."
The company stopped. Merlin and Arthur were shoved on ahead, only to be pulled to a rough halt.
Merlin's heart launched itself into his throat, beating frantically like an animal thrashing in a trap. They were standing at the lip of a pit, not so deep that the bottom couldn't be seen, but deep and shadowy enough to send a massive wave of terror crashing down Merlin's spine.
"In you go," Lesk said. Both he and Arthur were shoved into the pit. Merlin landed on his shoulder, his head cracking against the hard ground and the pain of it filling his eyes with dark spots and making the world spin. He glanced up to see a thick piece of cloth – a blanket or large cloak – being pulled over the hole, blocking most of the light. He heard Landes instruct the men to hold the cloth in place with rocks, then cover it was as much forest debris as possible.
The light died, little, by little, by little, as more and more dirt, leaves and twigs were tossed onto the cloth. Until there was no light left.
Merlin couldn't breathe. The only sound was his rapid respirations that weren't getting enough air into his lungs.
And scratching.
Welcome back, said a voice like Morgana's, sickly sweet and condescending. That is, if you even ever left.
~oOo~
Let it never be said that Arthur didn't have some appreciation for the superiority complexes of others – namely the advantage of the enemy being so certain in their victory that they didn't think to search Arthur more thoroughly. Or, in the case of Landes' men, search him at all. It took a bit of maneuvering and rubbing his wrists raw, but Arthur was able to get the small dagger hidden up his sleeve into his hand. Sawing at the ropes was the greatest test of his patience he'd ever endured; greater, even, than those tests of patience Merlin had always subjected him to. But he soon managed to weaken the rope enough to pull and snap himself free.
Arthur ripped the gag from his mouth, and the first thing out of his mouth was, "Merlin?"
No answer, save for the sound of raspy, ragged, and uncomfortably fast breathing. Still gagged, right. But even gagged Merlin would still have made some kind of noise, in frustration over Arthur not noticing the obvious, or to at least let Arthur know where he had landed.
Arthur moved forward on his hands and knees, feeling around until his hand landed on what felt like leather and buckles. But he'd barely touched what he was sure was Merlin's foot when it was jerked away, accompanied by a whimpering yelp muffled by a gag. There was scraping, the sounds of shuffling, and more whimpering.
"Merlin?" Arthur said. He continued forward, reaching out again, this time his hand landing on the cloth of Merlin's leg – his skinny calf by the feel. Once again, his hand barely made contact with Merlin, and Merlin reacted, kicking out, the whimpers growing louder and faster until they turned into hiccupping sobs.
"Merlin why are you…?" Arthur began.
It hit Arthur, then, like a slap to the face and a punch to the gut at the same time – the dark, the musty smell, the dank, cold air.
Oh, gods, Arthur thought, frantic.
"Merlin," Arthur said, as kindly and calmly as he could. "Merlin, listen to me. It's all right. You're all right. This isn't the oubliette, Merlin. You're not in that place, this is just a pit, nothing more. Nothing we can't get out of. Merlin?"
Merlin's sobs had settled into something like strained weeping, so lost and childlike it made Arthur ill to hear it.
Had Merlin cried like that, down in the hole?
Arthur inched slowly forward, still feeling his way. "Merlin, please, it's all right." He reached out, aiming upward, and his hand brushed over the pointy knot of Merlin's trembling shoulder before the joint was jerked violently away.
Arthur sat back on his haunches and rubbed his chin with the back of his hand. He needed to get Merlin to calm down, but the only way that was going to happen was to show Merlin that he wasn't where he thought he was. Arthur felt around until his hand made contact with the dirt wall, and he used it to pull himself upright. He jumped up, as far as he could go, hoping to at least touch the lip of the pit with the tips of his fingers, but all he felt was more of the wall. He dug his fingers, then the toes of his boot, into the soft dirt and tried to climb, but the dirt gave way, dropping him back to the ground.
"Hey!" Arthur called, not sure if it was a good idea should Landes and his men still be around, alerting them to the fact that Arthur was no longer gagged. But it might also mean them removing the pits cover, and that was only if Arthur's knights didn't hear his cry, first. Either way, if it stopped Merlin's panic, then it didn't matter.
"Hello!" Arthur called. "Is anyone there?! Hello!"
Merlin made a strange sound, a strangled noise as though he were choking. Arthur dropped back to the ground and felt his way quickly to Merlin. His hands found Merlin's arm and shoulder, and this time Merlin didn't pull away. But whatever was happening to Merlin, it wasn't good, not the way he was shaking, so tense he seemed ready to snap. He felt almost as though he were convulsing, but only when he made the choking noise.
"Damn it!" Arthur hissed. He pulled Merlin against him, felt Merlin's face until he found the gag and pulled it away. As soon as he did Merlin doubled-up in Arthur's arms, dry-heaving violently. Arthur took the opportunity to pull out his knife and cut Merlin's bonds.
Arthur pulled off the rope, and the moment he did Merlin began struggling – not merely squirming but kicking and fighting like a cornered cat, desperate with every fiber of his being to get away, screaming a scream so loud it tore into Arthur's ears like a blade.
"Merlin stop it!" Arthur screamed back, holding Merlin tight against him with both arms wrapped around Merlin's chest. He could feel Merlin's heart beating, and didn't think it was possible for any heart to beat that fast. "Merlin please stop!"
Then he heard it, the words within the screaming.
"You're not real, you're not real, you're not real, you're never real, you're not real!" Over and over and over again.
"I am real, Merlin! I am real!" He tightened his hold on Merlin. "Do you feel that? How can that not be real? Please, Merlin, you need to calm down. You're going to hurt yourself, please!"
Merlin stopped. The struggles, the screaming, ended so abruptly that dread ripped through Arthur that Merlin's fright had killed him. But he felt the rapid heartbeat and heaving breaths against his arms. Then Merlin slumped against him, shaking and spent.
"You're not real," Merlin said weakly, still sobbing.
"I am, Merlin," Arthur said.
Merlin suddenly pushed away from Arthur. "You're not real! You can't be! You never are! You put me here! Why would you come, why would you be here? You put me here, you put me here…" Merlin's voice weakened, collapsing, giving way back to sobbing. "You put me here."
"Gods, I hate you. I hate you so much…"
Arthur chest tightened until it hurt to breathe. His throat tightened until he thought he would choke.
"You left me here," Merlin wept. "You're not real."
Arthur searched out Merlin, found his wrist, and followed it up to Merlin's quaking shoulder. He sought out Merlin's other shoulder, and on finding it, clasped it, and gave both shoulders a squeeze.
"I'm here now, Merlin. I'm not a dream or hallucination or… or whatever you think I am. I'm here and real. You feel this?" He gave Merlin's shoulders another squeeze. "I'm real, Merlin. You're free of the oubliette, I promise you. This is a pit, nothing more. Feel the dirt beneath your hands, you know I'm telling the truth."
Arthur heard the soft sound of fingernails scraping through soil. But Merlin still wept, still shook.
Arthur had never been the most tactile person beyond shoulder squeezing, clasping arms and hugging Gwen. He'd never been particularly comfortable with it, especially where other men were concerned. But he pulled Merlin to him, then wrapped his arms around him, with one hand chafing Merlin's bony back, ignoring the discomfort of his fingers catching on the knobby spine.
"I'm sorry, Merlin," Arthur said and, damn it, his eyes stung with the threat of tears. He, too, was going to cry. But how could he not? Because this was what his friend, his best friend, had gone through. This was what he had suffered. This was what Arthur had left him to, and it made Arthur heart sick and angry and wishing he could tear that oubliette apart with his bare hands. So he blinked and let the tears fall.
"I'm so sorry," Arthur said, his voice thick. "I'm so sorry for everything. You've always been there for me, Merlin. I see that, now. I understand. You're Merlin and you've always been Merlin and nothing else matters. And I swear to be there for you as much as you were there for me. I swear on my honor and life and bloody kingdom."
Arthur felt movement, then felt the light weight of Merlin's hands settle on his shoulders and grip the fabric of his coat and mail as if holding on for dear life.
Arthur squeezed his eyes shut, causing more tears to fall, and already hating himself for what he was going to have to ask of Merlin.
"Merlin, listen to me. We need to get out of this pit. But… but we can't do that unless…" He swallowed thickly. "Unless we can see."
He felt Merlin stiffen.
"Merlin, please. Can you use your magic?"
Merlin began trembling again. His heartbeat picking up speed.
"I can't," he said, his voice threatening more tears. "I can't."
"Can you try, at least?" Arthur said gently. "If you can't, that's fine, we'll find another way. There's always another way. But it never hurts to try, right?"
Merlin made a small, whimpering sound, and Arthur winced. He could have kicked himself, considering the last time Merlin had used magic in front of Arthur.
"It will be a good thing, this time, Merlin. I promise you. I swear on my life. Try, if you can."
Merlin pulled away and Arthur let him. He heard Merlin say a word, a single word carried on a strained, shaky whisper. But nothing happened. Merlin said the word again, louder this time and with more force, and still there was nothing. Again, this time with desperation, as though Merlin's life depended on it.
"Hey," Arthur said. He reached out, found Merlin's hands cupped in the air, and gave them a brief, reassuring squeeze. "It's okay. Take a deep breath, calm yourself. I'm no expert on magic but I know what a stressed mind can to do your concentration. Just take your time."
Arthur heard the click of a dry throat swallowing. "Yeah," Merlin said, still unsteady. But the pit filled with the sound of Merlin's inhale, followed by Merlin's exhale. There was a moment of silence.
Then, there was the word.
A familiar ball of blue light flickered above Merlin's palm, struggling to live. Arthur beamed, hope filling him.
"That's it, you're doing it," Arthur said. The light grew stronger, more stable, and filled the pit with its gentle glow, the same glow that had saved Arthur so many years ago. He stared at the globe in wonder, then turned his gaze to Merlin.
Merlin's face looked drained of color, but that could have easily been a trick of the light. He watched Arthur, his eyes red-rimmed and looking large with a mixture of terror and hope. Tears that had yet to dry glittered on his cheekbones and jaw. Arthur looked back at the light.
"I forgot how beautiful it was," he said. And it was beautiful, like an orb of swirling blue clouds. He looked back at Merlin with a smile, and Merlin smiled tentatively back.
Then Arthur searched their current prison. He rose and moved beneath the entrance to the pit, reaching up to see how far his fingers were from the lip.
If we can get the covering down," Arthur said. "I should be able to boost you up easy enough."
"But you'll still be down here," Merlin said, still sounding shaky but at least he was talking and more aware.
"Well it's not like I expect you'll leave me down here, Merlin," Arthur said, but with levity and a smile directed Merlin's way. "I expect you to either find some form of rope or the knights. Come here. I'll lift you up and you see if you can pull the cover down."
Merlin stood and moved beside Arthur. "I'll do one better. Step back," he said, then said a word that made his eyes flash gold. The cover sagged inward.
"Damn it," Merlin hissed in tense, nervous frustration that sounded more like controlled panic. He spoke the word again, with another flash of gold.
The cover collapsed inward, raining dirt and sticks down into the pit. The dust slowly cleared, and as it did, sunlight chased away what remained of the darkness. Merlin breathed out a heavy sigh of relief and released his light.
Arthur laughed and clapped him on the back. "Merlin, that was brilliant! Now, let's get you out of this hole."
They moved closer to one side of the opening, and there Arthur crouched and cupped his hands into a step. Merlin settled his foot in it, and with one massive heave Arthur all but threw Merlin to the edge of the pit and even a little past it. Merlin latched on to the edge and scrambled out, sending down a cascade of dirt and dead leaves.
It was funny. Arthur didn't, for even a moment, consider the possibility of Merlin leaving him in the hole as some form of retribution, not until Merlin returned only moments later with a tired grin on his pale face and said, "Thought I'd left you down there?"
"No, actually," Arthur said, much to even his own amazement. It really shouldn't have been a surprise, though. Arthur may have made a great lament to Gaius about not having known anything about Merlin after Merlin had revealed himself, but that wasn't true. It had never been true. Arthur did know Merlin. He knew his loyalty and his kindness, and that he was not a man prone to bouts of cruel vindication.
He knew that he trusted Merlin with a trust that was almost instinctual.
"Here," Merlin said, and he began lowering what looked to be a length of dried-out vines braided together – not doubt constructed with a bit of magic. Arthur grabbed on and climbed out, the vines taking his weight easily. Once out, he gave Merlin another hearty clap on the back.
"I take back everything I ever said about you being useless and incompetent," he said. "Merlin that was genius."
Merlin beamed, and it was like seeing the sun come out after days of being hidden behind rainclouds.
"Come on," Arthur said. "Let's get back to the others."
"Wait!" Merlin said, unraveling what looked to be an eagle pendant from around his hand. He held the pendant by its cord as the eagle floated in mid-air, wavering back and forth between Merlin and nothing.
"I had Gaius enchant this to locate sources of active power, and I think we're close to where the giant goes to… vanish or whatever it is he does to hide."
Arthur sighed, looking from Merlin to the pendant. They weren't exactly in peak condition – Arthur's head still throbbing from the blow he'd received and Merlin still looking pale and shaken, the hand holding the pendant trembling slightly.
Merlin, seeming to read Arthur's mind or at least recognize his hesitation, said reasonably, "All we need to do is find the location and mark it somehow. Then we can go back, gather the knights, make plans and do all those other kingly things you do when getting ready for a fight."
Arthur chuffed. "Good point. Lead on, then."
Merlin took the lead since he was the one with the tracker, muttering about how irritating it was and explaining how it kept wanting to point to him since he, too, was a source of power. And if Arthur were to be honest, it was still difficult to wrap his head around that Merlin – clumsy, goofy, ridiculous Merlin – was supposedly so powerful to be considered a source of power rather than just knowing a bit of magic.
If Arthur were honest with himself, Merlin never ceased to amaze him. But like hell he was telling Merlin that.
The Pendant wavered more and more between Merlin and open air, like a pendulum picking up speed rather than slowing down. They had to stop every so often, Merlin turning this way and that until finally deciding on which way to go, and the pendant swinging out even more.
"We're close," Merlin said, sounding giddy. "I'm sure of it. Just a few more…"
An alarming, almost painful sensation like being doused with cold water in winter hit Arthur. The forest vanished, just vanished as though he had blinked while stepping through an unseen doorway, and where the forest had been was a massive corridor of storm-gray stone, with a vaulted ceiling high over-head and a gloom like perpetual twilight. The air was stale and cold, and echoed hollowly like the air in a tomb.
"Oh," Merlin squeaked, looking as alarmed and unbalanced as Arthur felt. Merlin swallowed audibly. "I think we found it."
TBC...
A/N: Eh heh, me and cliffhangers ^^;