What's this I see- another update?!
Just to say thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter- especially GateMadness, I had a little chuckle to myself at your comment! - But to everyone thank you, love getting reviews so you are all amazing!
Ok so this is more of a filler-ish kind of chapter, just to set everything up nicely for the next one or two!
Regrettably I do not own Merlin.
Chapter 9
2 weeks later…
She watched the terror unfold from within the safety of the trees. She stood shakily, heart pounding wildly within her small chest, within the protective circle of her mother's arms as they watched the flames lick their way higher and higher.
The smoke was thick and black, the cries of people and livestock alike ringing through the acrid air as bodies tried to escape from the heat of the blaze.
She could feel her mother's sobs shudder through her own, small frame, as they watched what was left of their home- their livelihood, crumble to the ground in a heap of glowing amber and ash.
She turned in the gentle embrace to bury her head into the softness of her sole comforter, the familiar smell of her now just barely noticeable beneath the strong scent of the fire and the smoke. The arms around her tightened, and the two wept together for their lost home in the safe shadows of the trees.
A twig snapped sharply.
The girl's eyes flew open, casting around the gloom of the forest warily.
There, fading into the shadows, she could have sworn she saw a figure retreating.
A woman dressed all in black.
The rain is ceaseless, heavy ribbons pouring from the sky relentlessly. The streets run in shallow rivers, lights from the houses blurred by the wet curtain.
He can hear it dripping on the window sill from the wall above as he lies in his bed, warm and safe from the torrent outside.
Small puffs of warm air tickle at his throat, unconsciously in time with the splashing raindrops at the window. His fingers stroke out their own rhythm through soft, black hair as he relaxes further into the mattress, content in this moment of warmth and comfort...-
-"Sire, we have new reports of fresh attacks by the western border"
Leon's voice pierced through Arthur's distracted reverie. He blinked and looked up, "Sir Leon?"
"News, Sire", Leon repeated, taking a small step closer to the king, "From the western border".
Arthur blinked again and sat up straighter, clearing his throat softly.
Concentrate, Arthur!
"Go on" he said, nodding towards his friend.
The knight in question cast his eyes amongst his comrades anxiously before addressing his king, "Another village has been targeted, sire" he began, "the attackers came in the night and razed it to the ground. Those who survived are without food and shelter".
The king's brow furrowed as his friend informed him of the news.
Another village.
"Did they take anything?" he enquired of Leon, "possessions, people? Does there seem to be any reasoning behind this attack?"
A matching frown creased its way onto the knight in questions brow as he replied, "No, sire, nothing of the sort. One witness- a local farmer- merely reports that the men responsible arrived, searched every building and, when they did not find what they were looking for, set fire to the houses and moved on. No blows exchanged".
"Did he say how many men?" the king asked,
"Yes" Leon replied, "he said that from what he saw there can't have been more than five"
Arthur's brow furrowed even further, "so few" he commented, standing to move over by his men, and bracing his arms against the table as he leaned in to inspect the large map that had been laid out.
"This is the fourth village to be targeted in the past nine days" he spoke steadily, hands moving to point at the locations on the illustration before him. "First here, at Edgeby", his hand moved to the top of the map, settling on the place where the village lay- or used to lie. "Second" his hand moved further down the map, travelling inland, "was here at Bridham. Thirdly," his fingers crept along the map slightly to the east, "was here, at Pemthely". Arthur stood up straighter as he appraised the map carefully. "And the fourth" he continued steadily, "was…?" Arthur looked up expectantly at Leon, waiting for the knight to supply him with the information.
The knight looked up at the pause in the king's speech. Taking in the expectant expression he jumped into action, "Oh! Um, yes. Here...". Walking around the table, Leon was able to reach over to place his hand on the location of the most recent attack. "At Fettleshaw".
The young king nodded, "they're heading for Camelot" he murmured quietly, eyes noticing a pattern on the map before him.
"Sire?" Leon spoke, both he and Percival looking up at the king questioningly.
Arthur's hand moved to the map again as he explained. "The attackers, whoever they are, are moving south, attacking the villages that they meet in their path". His fingers traced the line from village to village, before jumping further down the map to land solidly on another point. "If I am right, then the next town to be targeted will be here" his fingers tapped again over their place on the map, "At Woodsborough".
The knights around him nodded in understanding. Percival opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the sound of the large wooden doors slamming open, iron handles rattling loudly from the impact.
Breathing heavily and still in his full armour, Gwaine rushed in, eyes casting about quickly until they found Arthur.
"Gwaine!" The king in question exclaimed, standing up from his position over the table to move towards the disturbed looking knight.
"Sire" Gwaine responded, moving forwards into the room towards his king, "Sire, I have news. Urgent news".
Arthur stopped in his movements and appraised his friend carefully, "Go on".
Gwaine took a deep breath, hand coming to rest on the hilt of his sword as he worked to slow his breathing.
"I have just returned with a scouting party" he began, "we were patrolling the borders to the east, near to Cenred's kingdom".
Arthur bristled slightly, Cenred's name conjuring a bitter taste on his tongue, as well as bitter memories in his head.
He had not informed anyone of Cenred's involvement in his recent capture- he did not quite understand it himself. He had, however, sent out parties to patrol the border with Cenred's kingdom, should the dark king be planning anything sinister.
Sir Gwaine had paused in his speech, and was watching his king carefully. Arthur focused his attention back on the knight, and nodded at him to continue.
"We were nearing the end of the border" the man carried on, "when we noticed black smoke on the horizon, barely a few leagues into King Cenred's lands".
Arthur froze.
"Though it was not in our lands, I felt compelled to investigate, sire, and I and two others crossed the border, leaving the rest of the party to continue on without us".
When the king said nothing Gwaine continued, "It did not take us long to find the source of the smoke" he commented, "a village, Sire. It had been razed to the ground. Everything was destroyed. Those who had survived were already moving to find shelter. In truth, there was nothing that we could do for them. I thought little of it until we had re-joined the rest of the scouting party and were returning to Camelot."
Gwaine paused and moved towards his king, gaze solemn,
"There were more, Arthur, more villages; and in Camelot's lands."
"How many?" Arthur's voice was quiet as he spoke.
"There were three; that I saw" came Gwaine's reply.
Percival's eyes snapped to Gwaine, "that you saw?" he questioned.
His friend's eyes looked troubled as they met his gaze, before moving back to settle on the king. "As we returned back towards the city we crossed paths with another scouting party. They had been patrolling the lands to the south." Gwaine swallowed, "they had come across two villages, sire, similarly destroyed, and had heard rumours of the same thing happening to the west".
Arthur moved back and sat on one of the table's empty chairs heavily.
Gwaine moved closer,
"Some were not burned" the knight tried to console, "merely raided as whoever they were passed through".
Leon spoke up then, "did they say how many men were responsible for these attacks?"
Gwaine shook his head, "not in exact numbers, but all of the accounts that we managed to obtain suggest that there could not have been more than a handful of men."
"How can so few be responsible for this much destruction?" Percival commented, eyes flicking between his friends in confusion.
"How many dead?" the Arthur enquired softly, eyes now focused to the floor.
"Very few, sire." Came Gwaine's reply, "most were able to escape the fires before the houses collapsed".
The king nodded, "there at least, is some comfort in the matter" he spoke. Seeming to collect himself he stood from his chair and moved back to inspect the map.
"There must be more than one group doing this to have covered so much ground in such a short space of time" Arthur declared. He turned to Gwaine, "You say you have knowledge of five more attacks?"
The knight nodded.
Arthur pulled up the chair beside him, "Come. Show me".
They continued talking long into the evening, until weariness called them to their beds for the night.
"We will scout out ourselves tomorrow" Arthur stated, "Let us see if we can intercept some of them before they are able to cause any more damage".
The knights all nodded in agreement, and with murmured 'good nights' and 'good evenings', stood and began leaving the hall. Gwaine was the last to the door, halting as Arthur called out to him,
"Gwaine!"
The knight turned back to his king expectantly,
"The town" Arthur began, "the one you went to help, in Cenred's kingdom". The other king's name rolled off of his tongue bitterly.
"Sire?"
"What was it called?"
Gwaine's face tightened only slightly at his king's question, eyes flashing fleetingly with sympathy as they steadily kept the other man's gaze.
"Ealdor, Sire. It was Ealdor".
TA DA!
Ok, ok I know it wasn't much, and no Morgana yet I'm afraid, but hopefully (serious fingers crossed) more should be coming soon!
Thanks for reading!