Chapter 22

Darker Days

"How much longer do we have to travel?" Gawain asked for the twelfth time in three hours.

"Is your bum getting sore, Gawain?" Ranoue inquired laughingly. He took every opportunity to pick on him as he had done to Ranoue.

"It passed sore two days ago, kid. Now it's numb, and at this point I don't think I'll be getting any feeling back for a while." He shifted in his saddle.

"Stop your whining." Leon snapped in good humor. "I'm sure your rear can take a beating." Leon teased. Percival barked a laugh, but was silenced by Gawain's scowl. "The map says that we'll be there in less than a day. If its accurate." Leon continued, he suppressed a laugh.

"I'm hungry too." Gawain pouted.

Arthur rolled his eyes, but reached behind him and grabbed an apple from his saddle pack. He tossed it at the roguish Knight. Gawain caught it with a big smile.

"Thanks, princess." Gawain frowned and rubbed at his short beard. Man, he wanted to shave. "Or well Queen rather." Gawain laughed at his own humor. He took a bite of the green and red apple. Its juices dripped down his chin.

Arthur shook his head at his antics. He couldn't bring himself to smile though. He hasn't since they started this journey to find Merlin. When they had moments like this he missed the idiot all the more. His playful jabs and light sarcastic remarks were what had kept Arthur sane and grounded through Morgana and Agravain's betrayal.

Arthur tuned the knights banter out as they rode on. They left him to his thoughts. His unpredictable behavior. Without Merlin his emotions have been unsteady, he wasn't himself. Everyone felt the dread and the fear of what they would find when and if they rescued Merlin. Arthur didn't know what to expect either. From Merlin's letter he wasn't as optimistic as he was when they originally set out. Arthur was terrified of the consequences this war will ultimately have; and of how much of his friend will be left when it ends.

Arthur sighed. He needed to remember that war has casualties, and he can't save everyone. He couldn't save his father, or Elyon, or any of the other knights that have died in this tug of war for Camelot. What in the hell made him think he could save his best friend, let alone a kingdom and her people?

Arthur knew he would fight for Camelot till his dying breath but without Merlin by his side it made it difficult to believe that he could win a war against Morgana. Her magic was too powerful for him and his knights to defeat her and her forces alone and without Merlin and his magic to even the tide... they had no hope. Merlin was usually here to help Arthur keep his beliefs up. To help remind him that he could rule a kingdom and protect her people. But without Merlin... everything was darker. Almost too dark.

Twilight set in as Arthur and the Knights got close to the borders of Morgana's territory. They knew they were close by the frequent run-ins with Morgana's border patrol. These men wore black leather over chainmail armor with a white deformed dragon insignia on their left shoulder. They tried and failed to sneak up on them each time. Soon no more followed. Another five hours passed with no more ambushes from the Saxons when Arthur stopped. Night was in full bloom. He found it odd no other Saxon's attacked, still he was going to make use of the reprieve.

"We rest here for the night." Arthur said.

"Where are we?" Ranoue asked. He got off his horse. He looked around him. He didn't recognize anything.

Arthur dismounted and tied his horse to a low branch. He too looked around him. He recognized his surroundings immediately. He and Merlin had walked through these very woods after Merlin's friend Will was put to rest a few years ago. He felt foolish thinking about it now. Will had taken credit for that twister, but now that he examined his memory he clearly saw Merlin raise his hand not will.

"We're on the outskirts of Ealdor." Arthur murmured. He wanted to check in on Huneth while he was here. Mind as well see if she saw Merlin since he had been missing. Had he taken shelter here before Morgasna got him?

Leon glanced at his map. "You're right." He said surprised. "But Ealdor shouldn't be anywhere near Morgana's territory. If we really are that close then Camelot is only a four day journey to the east. I don't get it."

"Unless Morgana had plans for the small farming village and that's why it's marked on the map." Gawain said. Walked up next to Arthur. "Morgana has it out for Merlin. She had tried to kill him before, Arthur, what would stop her from making a move on Ealdor."

Arthur closed his eyes and leaned his forehead into the mare's neck for support. He pet her shoulder to try and ease his turbulent emotions. She whined softly. Arthur thought about Merlin. Again. What Merlin was doing amidst Morgana's army? Merlin was the kind of man that inspired loyalty. Mostly because he was so loyal. He often did what he thought was right, the consequences be damned, and Arthur feared it would one day get Merlin killed. Maybe Merlin would inspire loyalty among Morgana's men, they would follow Merlin and not Morgana.

"Smell that?" Garret asked, still atop his horse who turned in circles nervously. Garret looked around and sniffed the air, eyebrows pulled together. He settled the horse and dismounted with the reins in his hands.

"Yeah." Percival said. He dismounted cautiously. "What is that? Burning wood? Smells too potent to be a fireplace." He sniffed the air.

"No way. That is not wood, my friend." Gawain said scrunching up his face in distaste.

"No, it's not wood." Ranoue murmured sadly. "That is the smell of an entire village burned to the ground."

"How the hell could you know that?" Gawain asked incredulously.

Garret looked at Ranoue with a knowing glance. He didn't know the kid too well, but he was Garret's sister's widow. He promised to look out for Ranoue on her deathbed.

"Because." Ranoue looked at Gawain blankly. "It was the smell I woke up to when my village was burned to the ground. By a sorcerer who sought refuge with my family. He stayed with us for a few months when it happened." Ranoue's eyes hardened as did his voice. Brenden, he knew he was being hunted when he asked for shelter. And how cold he had refused, they were connected.

Gawain looked at him for a long while. He read the lie easily. It wasn't a gess. There was more to it. He frowned. "He wasn't just some stray." He guessed. "You knew him." Gawain narrowed his eyes speculatively. "Oh, God damn. Were you friends?"

Ranoue glared at him. "What?" Gawain asked innocently. Ranoue ignored him and turned away. Garret came up beside him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You were family weren't you?" Gawain kept going.

Ranoue stiffened. He gripped the horse reins tighter, bleaching his knuckles of color. They were friends, brothers... enemy's. They loved the same women as life would have it, and so began their hatred of magic.

"Yeah." Something like that, Ranoue thought bitterly. He shrugged Garret's hand off of him. He didn't need his support, he needed vengeance. He felt bad the moment he shook him off, he lost her too. "His presence brought the witch Morgana to my village and she decimated it."

"Why?" Leon asked. He shook his head. "What kind of animosity could she hold against him or your village as a fellow maci user?"

Ranoue didn't answer. He couldn't tell them that his village was druid, that he was druid. Morgana had destroyed Ranoue's village because they were unwilling to give any information on Emrys. Brendon knew who Emrys was, as did half his village. Unlike Ranoue they were loyal to the warlock. Where he just felt a lot of resentment, as did a lot of other druids, they were loyal to Emrys. Their loyalty made him lose everything.

Ranoue tied the reins to a branch and quietly started to walk towards the smell of burning ruins. Honestly, Ranoue hoped he was wrong and it wasn't Ealdor burned to the ground.

Arthur shrugged at Gwain's questioning stare and followed the kid towards Merlin's home. Silently they made their way. The closer they got the more they smelled the destruction. The burning of homes, farms, crops, cattle and humans mixed together in a vortex of scents that violated their noses, each more shocking than the last.

Arthur's eyes widened when he first laid eyes on the charred blackened homes. How could have...Arthur shook his head. His heart ached and he felt sick. Who would have-

Morgana, Arthur growled. She must have done this to keep Merlin in line or as a punishment. That was more her thing. Punishing those who disagree with her.

Arthur walked past a few destroyed homes; nothing left but ash and ruin. He shook his head. Merlin and Arthur had arrived through this very passage when he had first visited Ealdor to help Merlin's mother with some brutish bully's. She had been so kind to him it made him miss the mother he ever got to meet. Hunith, she- Arthur stopped dead in his tracks.

"Hunith!" Arthur shouted both mentally and verbally. He drew his sword.

He took off at a dead run towards the home she had been sweet enough to share with him, Guinevere and Morgana. He skidded to a halt. The home was still standing. Not one flame seemed to have touched it. Confused, Arthur looked around him. Nothing else had survived. Cautiously he crept towards the unharmed home.

"Arthur, wait." Gawain called.

Arthur paused. As much as he hated it he was right. He needed to be smart about this and not go in swords drawn with no plan or back up.

"What the hell, Arthur?" Gawain asked out of breath. "What made you bolt like a startled stage?"

"Hunith." Arthur said impatiently.

"Hunith?" Leon asked.

"Merlin's mother." Arthur choked out.

Gawain paled. "This is his village." Gawain stated. "That's right."

"Yeah." Arthur swallowed.

He walked through the door into the small two room cottage. He looked around. There was a counter along the far wall under a good sized window. The ratty red drapes were closed. The table in the center near the fireplace was knocked over and the door to the other room was kicked open and hung from one hinge. With a heavy heart, he went into the other room. There were two cots separated by a large thick dark fabric that hung from the ceiling as a makeshift wall. Nothing. It was empty.

"Look at this." Leon exclaimed from the corner of the front room.

Arthur rushed over and shoved his way through the doorway past Garret. "What is it?" Arthur asked as he reached him. Leon handed Arthur the sheath of a woman's dagger. It was red with gold engraving. He knew that work anywhere. He hoped it didn't belong to who he thought it did. He took the hilt to examine.

Garret walked into the room and stood next to Ranoue who knelt on the ground. He reached under one of the cots and came up with a bloodied dagger, quite petite. A woman's if he had to guess. Dried blood encrusted the blade and the delicately engraved red and gold handle. Ranoue stood up and brushed past Garret to go find Arthur.

"Arthur, I found something you might need to see." Ranoue said timidly from behind him.

Arthur turned around. Ranoue handed him the dagger. The dry blood blunted the shine but he recognized it all the same. It confirmed Arthur's fears. Morgana had been here. This was a statement. No one was safe, especially the innocent who were just pawns in a bloody game of thrones.

Arthur sheathed the dagger and put it in his belt opposite his sword. He didn't hold much faith that Hunith was still alive. He could only hope she died quickly. A bubble of rage rose in his chest. He cleared his throat. What was he going to tell Merlin If he found him?

"Let's go." Arthur said moodily.

Arthur left the small cottage without a word or backwards glance. He couldn't stand to be in there another second. That ripe red rage swelled in him about to burst and he needed to get away from his men before he erupted. The back of his neck and his shoulders burned as if a fire grew under his skin. His heart pounded in his chest. It blocked out any other noise. He stormed through the destroyed village not sparing a look at the destruction around him.

He reached the safety of the trees. He drew his sword and with a tortured cry he lashed out at the closest tree. A helpless sapling no thicker than Percival's arm. Arthur could no longer contain his rage. The fear, the frustration, betrayal and despair overwhelmed him in a crushing grip. For the second time since Merlin has been gone he experienced a black out rage. One. Two. Three more strikes and there was a resounding crack. His sword sliced the sapling in half. Arthur slammed his sword down into the earth. He tossed back his head and screamed.

"Fuck!" He shouted with all his might.

Arthur took a deep breath, took a moment to collect himself. He put that hot rage inside a box and slammed the lid shut and locked it as tight as he could. He ran his hands through his hair. He rolled his shoulders and looked up at the cloudy sky. He could do this. He turned back towards Ealdor to rejoin his Knights but couldn't make himself move. He sighed and instead headed back to the horses to wait for them.