Merlin hit the ground hard, knocking the breath out of him. He rolled onto his side, gasping. He tried opening his eyes, only to be blinded. He put up his hand, shielding them as he tried to stand. Beside him, Mordred was attempting the same.
Merlin blinked, and he gradually lowered his hand. His pained eyes widened in shock. "Oh...damn."
"That's all you can say? Oh damn?" Grumbled Mordred. "Get us back Emrys!"
As far as they could see in every direction there was nothing around them but leagues and leagues of sand.
...
"Where did they go?!" Arthur demanded of their environs. "No one dismount! They only dissapeared when they were about to touch the ground!"
"Sire..." Leon, the voice of calm reason interjected. "Perhaps it has something to do with that monument at the edge of the path."
Arthur forced his horse over to gaze at the stone. "What does it say?!"
"It's unreadable sire."
Arthur swore angrily to himself. If only he had listened to them...how had they known? It looked like magic when they disappeared, but...Mordred was a druid...Merlin... Arthur decided he didn't want to finish that train of thought.
If only he had listened...An angry voice broke into his thoughts:
"If you had listened, instead of being an arrogant ASS, they wouldn't be GONE."
"Shut up Gwaine." Arthur grumbled. "We need to get Gaius."
They wheeled their horses as one, heading out of the forested tunnel with the suspicious stone in the general direction of Camelot.