Fight For Me

Chapter 8

"You can't--" Arthur chokes off with a stifled sob. "You can't kill him."

I can't live without him, he stops himself from staying. I need him.

Knowing how much he cares for Merlin, you'd think he couldn't deny how he really feels, yet he does. He denies it, he pushes it down every time he thinks of those impossibly full, soft-looking lips, and those deep blue eyes, almost like the ocean, and their star-like glow as he does magic, and his scrawny yet somehow perfect body, and his adorable smile that gives Arthur butterflies.

And then he thinks of Uther taking that away from him. Even if he denies it, he knows it. Even if he refuses to believe it, he knows it. He can't live without his stupid, clotpole of a servant.

***

The fire burns in the dim light of the dawn. It's silent, save for the horses, birds and fire crackles. Morgana lies sleeping, leaning on a tree, whilst Gwen sits, awake and anxious about Merlin. What must he be going through right now? Does it hurt him? Is he even still in there?

The plan had been to get Merlin unconscious, and move him to somewhere safer. That was done. He's out, he's not in prison, he's far from Camelot, where hopefully no one will find them. Then, set up a camp and find a way to rid Merlin of Sigan. Now, that was the part they were all stuck on. None of them have the faintest idea how they're meant to do it. Gaius is probably the only one who has some knowledge of this kind of thing. And right now, he's gone, back in Camelot, so he can look after Arthur.

No doubt Uther will be angry at hers and Morgana's disappearances, along with Merlin's, but did he expect they'd just leave him? If he didn't, he could not have been more wrong.

Merlin was pretty much Gwen's best friend. And he was an amazing person. Everyone thinks so. Or thought... They all think he's a sorcerer now, so many's opinion of him would have gotten rather less spectacular.

And everyone who knew Arthur and Merlin saw their strange relationship. They insult each other all the time. No one else would dare do that to the prince, and for such a scrawny boy, Merlin had courage. He never left Arthur's side, even if it was dangerous.

Anyone who knew them like Gwen and Morgana knew, however, it was a little more than friendly banter. Not that the two boys even knew it themselves. It annoys Gwen how stupid and blind they both are. Sometimes she just wants to yell at them, 'Would you two get a room!' and then watch what would happen. It would be funny, she thinks. They'd both know, then. They'd both accept, maybe. But, who's to know? Maybe it's not meant to be...

And then comes a scream which echoes throughout the entire kingdom. Along with the scream comes a huge pillar of flame, and some sort of quick force emanating from Merlin, pushing things away. The trees sway, some even cracking, and Gwen could swear some fall from the sheer power of it. It dies down after almost seconds of it springing to life.

Morgana startles awake. Her eyes immediately go to the pillar of fire in between her, Gwen and Merlin. She looks, dread on her face, at Gwen. Gwen mirrors the expression, and then the two in unison return their gazes to the fire, unsure of what to do.

The fire roars so loud, Gwen can hardly hear Morgana when she speaks.

"What?" Gwen shouts as loud as she can.

"Should we try and wake him?" Gwen hears, but only just.

Gwen shrugs, at a loss, and infinitely afraid. She cowers back from the flame, not wanting to be burned. Morgana, however, stands and makes her way, hair blowing in the wind whirling the fire into its strange shape, to Merlin. She reaches him, and tries to shake him awake, yelling his name. Gwen can't get rid of the tension in her stomach, just waiting for something to go wrong.