Merlin stood by the creek with Gaius helping refill the waterskins. "It doesn't make sense. Mithian had told Arthur that she had escaped. She never said anything about being captured."
"She was in shock Merlin," Gaius reasoned, slowly beginning to think Merlin wasn't just overthinking things.
"So that's quite an important detail to leave out of your story," Merlin pressed, wanting Gaius to believe him and not think he was going crazy due to lack of duties to perform.
"Why would she lie?" Gaius asked.
"Because she didn't want me to know how she really got that burn on her wrist. Gaius, there's something not right here. That burn is less than a day old." Merlin stated.
Before Gaius could reply, Arthur showed up behind them. "We have to reach the border by nightfall. Move out!"
Merlin sat down next to the king, still pretending to take on the role of the loyal servant. "Arthur? Are you sure this is the right thing to be doing?"
Arthur poked the fire. "Ah. You're funny feeling again, is it?"
"Something like that," Merlin replied. "Have you talked to Mithian?"
The king threw the stick into the fire. "I tried, but Hilda has been keeping watch. But something does seem off. Mithian looks at Hilda and instantly looks like a scared little girl who just broke her grandmother's vase."
"Do you think it is still safe to go and get Rodor?" the warlock questioned.
"Odin is a plague on this land," Arthur reasoned. "I can't just stand by and let him murder Mithian's father as he murdered my own."
The two of them sat in silence for a moment, wondering what their next move would be if it all was some kind of elaborate trap.
Just then, Hilda let out a short gasp of pain as she grabbed at a nearby wall.
"Gaius!" Merlin called out as he grabbed his cane to get up and help Hilda. Despite his feelings toward her, something was wrong, and she was in need of assistance.
Gaius helped hold her up. "It's alright. Just breathe in." He demonstrated what he meant, and she copied him, "That's it."
Hilda started breathing a bit easier "I'm fine. Thank you, Gaius."
Gaius nodded. "Of course. Let us be sure all the same."
That was when she started to push away. "It's really not necessary."
That's when Arthur decided to speak up. "Hilda, if you're unwell, you must let Gaius help you."
"Well, if you insist," Hilda gave in, fearing her secret would be discovered.
Merlin stood off to the side as best he could in the curtained-off area of the camp and watched as Gaius checked over Hilda.
When Gaius finished his inspection, he simply sighed and said, "Well, no obvious problems that I can find. You're in excellent health, Hilda."
"Thank you, Gaius," Hilda said as she nodded graciously.
"Better shape than me, at any rate," Gaius pointed out as he and Merlin exited the area. "Merlin, it's amazing. Her blood. It flows with the strength and vigour of someone half her age."
"How is that possible?" Merlin questioned.
Gaius gave him a look of complete loss. "I'm not entirely sure. All I know is she's better preserved than anyone her age has any right to be."
Merlin looked over at Arthur, who was chatting away in hushed tones with Leon, then back at the curtained area. Nothing about this was right. He needed to figure it out before it was too late. People's lives depended on him uncovering the truth.
Shortly after sunrise and a hasty breakfast, Mithian gathered some supplies and began to move away from the camp, heading in the direction of the nearby creek. Her hope was to get away without Morgana noticing.
"Going somewhere?" Morgana questioned in a cold tone as she came out from behind a pillar.
"I need to wash," Mithian stated wrapping her cloak more tightly around herself.
"Do I need to remind you what fate awaits your father should you try anything foolish?" Morgana threatened, doubting the princess's claim.
"I need to wash. That's all," Mithian insisted.
"Don't be long," the witch warned.
Mithian turned and headed toward the nearby river, with every intention of washing up and perhaps leaving a message.
Once she arrived at the small river, she took off her cloak and unwrapped the flint stone she had hidden away in the hood. She quickly found a rock with a flat enough surface and etched a name into the stone, hoping she could get someone to see it and would understand.
After she finished her message, she tossed the flint stone into the woods on the other side of the creek. She quickly starts to clean the grime off her face and out of her hair.
Merlin stood, helping around the camp, when the princess suddenly stood next to him.
"Princess?" Merlin asked, hoping she would tell him what was wrong.
"Good morning, Merlin," Mithian greeted.
"Can I help you with something?" Merlin wondered.
"I hope so," she replied wistfully.
She was cut off by whatever she was going to say when Hilda moved in closer to watch them. Merlin followed her gaze to see who she was looking at, but quickly looked back at Mithian when he realized that Hilda was once again nearby. He watched as she stumbled to grab her waterskin and hand it over to him.
"I need this refilling, please," Mithian said hurriedly.
Merlin quickly grabbed his own, not wanting to leave the princess alone with Hilda. "No need. Here, you can have mine."
"I'd prefer my own. If you don't mind," the princess persisted.
Merlin reluctantly took hers, wondering what she was planning. "Not at all."
"Thank you," Mithian said, almost relieved.
Merlin laid his cane on the ground as he carefully kneeled down next to the water. He placed the waterskin into the creek. As he filled it up, he looked around, thinking Mithian might have left a sign of some sort. His eyes quickly landed on a rock with the name 'Morgana' etched into it.
Everything clicked into place. The need to stay by the princess' side. Why Mithian was so terrified? In the heat of the realization, Merlin stood up, abandoning the waterskin and his cane, momentarily forgetting that he needed it, adrenaline clouding his judgment. He stumbled a few steps as he yelled out, "ARTHUR!"
Before he had a chance to say or do anything else, he found himself flying through the air toward a nearby tree. He felt his head connect with one of the roots that was sticking out of the ground. The warlock quickly ignored the pain and turned around. Before he could even think of a spell to cast, Morgana's magic was choking him.
Morgana glared at the meddling fool. He wasn't going to stop her this time. This time she would come out on top. Nothing and no one was going to get in her way.
In the haze of his pain and inability to breathe, he tried to move the invisible hand that was choking him. After several more seconds, he lost consciousness. The last thing he heard was Arthur calling his name.
Mithian watched in horror as Percival carried unconscious Merlin in his arms.
"What happened?" Arthur demanded.
Percival laid Merlin down on some bedrolls that had been left out. "Hilda found him."
"He was down by the river. He must have fallen," Hilda informed, doing her best to sound convincing and innocent. "His cane was by the water, and he was lying against a tree. Perhaps he tried to walk on his own?"
Arthur studied the older woman. Now, he was positive something was not right about her. Merlin would not have been so stupid to leave his cane. Unless he had found something out that could put everyone in danger and had to get back quickly. He then looked over at the elderly physician tending to Merlin. "Gaius?"
"He's taken a heavy blow to the head," Gaius informed.
"But he'll be alright?" Arthur asked.
Gaius nodded. "He should be fine, Sire, but there is no telling when he will regain consciousness."
Arthur had to quickly formulate a new plan now that he no longer had Merlin's magic to count on. "We can't wait for him. Not if we're to stand a chance at reaching Rodor before Odin's men. Gwaine and Hilda stay here with Merlin and Gaius. The rest of us make for Nemeth."
Hilda didn't have a chance to protest before the king and his men took off with her hostage. She looked over at the servant; even near death, he was foiling her plans. She would just have to wait for an opportunity to arise so she could slip away. To hell with Odin; she needed to get back to her castle and formulate a new plan to take over Camelot.
Once they were a safe distance away from Morgana, Mithian stopped everyone and spoke up. She told them what was really going on, who Hilda really was, and that she was unwillingly leading them into a trap.
Arthur nodded and took the information in stride. "Continue leading us to where your father is being held. We'll storm the place together so no one gets separated."
Gwaine paced back and forth, anxiously glancing between Merlin and Hilda. "He should have come around by now."
Gaius glared over at Hilda. She played a hand in this. Of that, he was certain. "It's unusual, certainly."
The nobleman crouched down, looking at Merlin's head wound. "Just a blow to the head, you say? What about his older wound? Could it have reopened? Or be causing bleeding on the inside?"
"There's some slight bruising by the wound. There's nothing to suggest anything wrong on the inside," Gaius explained as he rubbed his hand over Merlin's. He was becoming cold. The physician looked at Gwaine. "Can you go check on Hilda? Make sure she is doing okay. I fear she may have been traumatized by finding Merlin the way he was."
Gwaine nodded, understanding what Gaius was going to do. "I'll go do that."
Gaius waited until Gwaine had led Hilda away from him and Merlin before he took out a small bundle of dried twigs covered in withered leaves and herbs that released healing properties when magic was used. He began to slowly wave it above Merlin's body while incanting, Ic þe þurhhæle þin licsare.
As the dead king's tomb came into sight, Mithian spoke up, "The tomb just lies east of the river."
Arthur surveyed the land that lay before him and his knights. "We're about to cross the Camelot border into Nemeth. This is Odin's land now. Stay alert."
As Gaius continued to encant the healing spell, he was beginning to feel more hopeless. "Come on, Merlin," he urged before casting the spell one final time. The elderly man stared at his nephew as he set the withered leaves down. "Please, Merlin. That's all I have. Let it be enough."
When Merlin did not wake, Gaius bowed his in defeat. Not ten seconds later did he feel an arm touch his own. He looked up and saw the young man staring at him. "Merlin!"
"Gaius!" Merlin replied as he reached for his still sore throat. "Hilda. It's Morgana."
"Morgana?" Gaius repeated, surprised.
"She's been using some kind of ageing spell," Merlin explained, using Gaius' arm to push himself up.
"That would explain why she was always so tired," Gaous agreed.
"Mithian tried to warn me," Merlin informed, "but I couldn't get to Arthur in time. Morgana got to me first. I didn't have a chance to use my magic."
"And she very nearly killed you," Gaius pointed out.
"Yes," Merlin nodded, then smirked. "Well, she didn't count on a sorcerer of your power. Now did she?"
"Indeed," Gaius said, "but please, Merlin, don't make me do that again. I'm not sure my heart can take it."
At that moment, Gwaine came back with Morgana. Merlin wasted no time explaining. He quickly cast a spell that threw Morgana against a wall. As she fell, her features quickly returned to what they once were.
"We need to get to Arthur. He's walking into a trap," Merlin said as he stood up.
"You're not going anywhere," Gwaine and Gaius protested in unison.
Merlin looked down at himself. He was standing on his own two feet at the moment, but he doubted he could run on his own. He looked over at Gaius. "Can you give me something to block the pain and keep me moving on my own two feet?"
Gaius sighed and pulled a tonic out of his medicine bag. "Take this. The effects should last for about a couple of hours at best."
Merlin grabbed the vial and downed the tonic inside it. Almost instantaneously, he felt the way he did before Uther stabbed him. "Gaius, make sure she stays here. We don't want her getting away."
Before Gaius could reply, Merlin picked up a sword and ran out with Gwaine hot on his trail.
Mithian stared at the direction she and everyone else needed to go in but was tempted to have everyone turn back. She was glad that Arthur knew that it was a trap, but that didn't make it any less dangerous.
"Is something wrong, Mithian?" Arthur asked.
"Just scared," Mithian admitted.
"Everything will be alright," Arthur reassured. "We know the truth now."
Gwaine followed the warlock, doing his best to keep up. Whatever Gaius gave the younger man was most definitely working. "They're travelling east! Maybe an hour ahead of us."
"We don't have much time!" Merlin exclaimed, pushing himself to go faster.
Mithian and Arthur stopped at the opening of a clearing. In the middle of the clearing was the old tomb.
"Is that it?" Arthur asked, making sure they were in the right place.
Mithian nodded. "Yes. We should find my father and Odin inside."
Arthur walked ahead. "Let's go then."
Merlin continued to forge ahead while Gwaine tracked. At one point, Gwaine grabbed Merlin's wrist and pointed to a different path. "Wait a second. This way."
The two men turned and went in the new direction.
As everyone reached the tomb, Arthur decided to change the plan once more, hopefully giving his men and himself a better chance at succeeding. "New plan. Leon, Holmes, Marsh and Anthony stand watch. Everyone else, follow me."
Leon and the three knights drew their swords and stood watch while everyone else went into the tomb.
Mithian led the Camelot knights through the maze of tunnels until coming to a stop. "The burial chamber lies just ahead. At the end of that tunnel." She pointed down a rather narrow tunnel that led to a large cavern.
Merlin and Gwaine spotted a patrol of men marching in their direction. They both quickly hid under a slope, thus allowing the group to march above unseen.
"Odin's men," Gwaine confirmed, looking at Merlin, who had his right arm resting across his midsection. "You alright, mate?"
Merlin nodded, trying to push the pain to the back of his mind. "Just peachy."
Merlin knew he was lying. The tonic was beginning to wear off, but if he told Gwaine, the man would carry him back to Gaius without a second thought. He needed to keep going. Arthur needed him. If he wasn't there to help, the royal prat's chances of survival would be nonexistent.
Mithian and Arthur entered the chamber with the knights right behind them.
Arthur drew his sword and called out, "Odin, I know you're here. Show yourself."
Odin's men walked in and surrounded them. Arthur and the knights didn't hesitate and began fighting. They quickly got the upper hand and in a matter of moments. Enemy men were strewn across the floor, either injured or dead.
Odin came out with several more of his men who held Rodor at sword point. Mithian ran to her father, who embraced her and kissed her forehead.
"Arthur Pendragon," Odin stated. "At last. I have waited many years for this moment. You killed my son. You took what was most precious to me, and now you will pay the forfeit."
"My father's life?" Arthur asked. "That wasn't enough?"
"No," Odin informed as two of his men grabbed Arthur and dragged him to his knees.
Arthur sighed. "So be it. But understand this, Odin, you kill me, and you will have all of Camelot to answer to."
"Camelot is nothing without its king," Odin stated, savouring his moment of victory.
Arthur let out an airy chuckle. "Then you don't know my knights. They will hunt you. And they will find you. And they will not rest until they're done."
"I will deal with your knights soon enough," Odin threatened, "but now, your time has come."
Author's Note: