YOU CAN'T ESCAPE DESTINY | ARTHUR PENDRAGON [2]

Mordred

*Annabelle's P.O.V.*

        My eyes widened the tiniest bit as Merlin and I saw the Druid camp from where we were hiding behind the hedges. It was definitely not what I expected it to be, though I don't really know what I expected. I guess I expected to see something more rogue, more nomadic. Instead, I saw a camp filled with people and children around warm fires and efficiently made tents. I glanced at my brother, who watched the Druids from beside me, before we shared a look and quietly moved up, constantly hiding behind multiple hedges and trees as we made our way closer and closer to the camp. At one point, as we actually reached the camp, we had to crouch down and hide behind the sheets that were hanging up on strings all over to hide from the Druids' view.
        "What would you like to know?" I suddenly heard the same male voice Merlin and I heard earlier, and I glanced at my brother before we both halted by the tent the voice seemed to be coming from.
        "Why I can see the future in my dreams," I heard a voice that I immediately recognized as Morgana's, and couldn't help but breathe out a silent sigh of relief. She's okay. "Why I'm able to start fires with my mind,"
        "People who are able to do this are few and far between," I heard the man say. "You have a gift,"
        "Is it magic?" I heard Morgana's voice, filled with fear.
        "Of a kind, yes," the man responded, and I felt my heart skip a beat. "But it will be many years before you're able to understand it fully, let alone use it... This isn't something to be afraid of,"
        "It is if you have Uther as your guardian," Morgana said, her voice trembling. "If he found out he'd have me killed,"
        "He won't,"
        "But if he did..."
        "We won't let that happen. You're safe here," the man said, his voice soothing. "You shouldn't be scared of Uther. You should pity him,"
        "Pity? Why?" Morgana asked, her voice shaking but incredulous.
        "Because he's a broken man, consumed by fear... His hatred for magic has driven goodness from his heart," the man said, and I couldn't help but admire him in that moment. Being a Druid means that he spent his entire life running from Uther, looking over his shoulder at every turn. And yet he doesn't hate the King.
        "I've always been taught that magic is evil," Morgana said, and I could tell from just her voice that she had tears in her eyes. "That it corrupts your soul,"
        "Uther told you so... Just because he decrees it, doesn't make it so," the man said, "In time, you will learn... that magic isn't a dark art that must be shrouded in secrecy. It can be a force for good," I couldn't help but smile a small smile as I heard him say that, his words reminding me a great deal those of Gaius's. I could tell that the Druid is a wise man, and one with a good heart. I turned around to look at my brother, only to see him also smiling a small smile as he listened to the man's words.
        After a few minutes, I thought I heard someone leave the tent, so I gestures for Merlin to follow me and glanced around the tent, only to see the man leave. Meaning Morgana was now left alone. I glanced at Merlin, and he nodded before quickly taking a few steps and opening the flaps of the tent with me close on his heels. Morgana was lying down on a few blankets, and she gasped and quickly sat up, her eyes widening when she saw us.
        "Merlin, Anna!" she exclaimed quietly in shock. "What are you doing here?"
        "We've come to take you back to Camelot," Merlin said.
        "Then I'm afraid you've had a wasted journey. I'm never going back," Morgana said.
        "No, you don't understand. Morgana, you have to," I said urgently, and she looked at me, confused.
        "Why? You're the ones who said I should seek out the Druids," she said.
        "Yes, but we never realized what the repercussions would be," I stressed.
        "What repercussions?" Morgana asked in confusion, glancing between me and Merlin, and I took in a deep breath before looking her in the eye.
        "Uther thinks that you've been kidnapped," I said. "He won't stop until you're found. He's arrested dozens of people, and he's going to execute them all,"
        "If I return the same fate awaits me," Morgana said after a moment of silence, her eyes filled with fear.
        "No, Uther doesn't need to know about this. We won't tell a soul," I promised, and Merlin nodded beside me.
        "I'm sorry," Morgana shook her head after a moment of silence, and I could see her having an internal battle with herself. On one hand, she clearly didn't want anyone to die because of her. But on the other, she was just terrified of what Uther would do if he ever found out that she has magic. And she had every right to be, "I'm never going back. These are my people... They're like me," she said, and I felt the sudden urge to just tell her that she has people in Camelot who are like her as well. She has me, and Merlin. But she can't know. She just can't. No one can, "I don't feel so alone here," she said, looking me in the eyes, silently begging me to understand. And of course I understand, I'd be a hypocrite if I refused to. But I can't let all these people back at Camelot die. "Do you understand?"
        "Better than anyone," I said after a moment of silence, and I could see Merlin looking down from the corner of my eye.
        "Morgana!" I heard the man from before, and looked up as someone opened the flaps of the tent, only to see a bald dark-skinned man around his mid-thirties with brown eyes and robes of a Druid, "We must go..." he trailed off as he saw me and Merlin, his eyes widening. "Who are you?"
        "I-It's alright, they're friends," Morgana assured quickly. "What's wrong?"
        "Arthur and his men are coming," the man said, and my eyes widened, "Your friends have led him straight to us," he accused, his lips curling up in an almost snarl as he helped Morgana up before pulling her out of the tent, though at a slower pace as she was limping. I didn't have the time for it right now, but I will definitely be worried sick about her leg later on. I looked over at Merlin, and we both shared a scared look before quickly getting up and rushing out of the tent.
        Once we made it out, I looked around, only to see everyone running around in panic. Mothers were calling their children, people were trying to gather all their things as quickly as possible... It was chaos. I looked around, but froze as I met a familiar pair of blue eyes.
        Hello, Ketziyaa. I heard in my mind, and could tell that Merlin heard it as well as he suddenly turned around, freezing when he saw whom I've been looking at.
        "Mordred," I murmured, and the boy smiled before running over to me and wrapping his small arms around my waist. It took me a second to comprehend what was happening, but I quickly hugged him back as I realized that I truly missed him. He hasn't changed a bit, with the exception of growing an inch or two.
        "Come on," Merlin suddenly said, before grabbing my hand and pulling me away from the camp in the direction everyone was running in, and I quickly grabbed Mordred's hand to pull him along. I felt the urge to protect him once again. I glanced over my shoulder a few seconds later, only to see the guards with the guard dogs and torches already arriving.
        Merlin and I ran, with Mordred holding onto my hand to keep up, and Morgana and the man behind us as he helped her run, holding her by the arm and waist. We ran through the valley and over many branches and rocks, but came to a stop as we realized that Morgana and the man weren't running anymore. I turned around, and quickly ran over to them as I saw Morgana resting against one of the huge stones that formed the valley, Mordred and Merlin following.
        "We've got to keep moving!" the man urged.
        "My leg, it's too painful!" Morgana said, reaching down to touch her leg.
        "We'll try to create a diversion," I said, glancing at Merlin in the process, silently telling him my plan. I didn't even need the Druid telepathy to do that.
        "No, Anna, you can't!" Morgana exclaimed in worry, trying to move towards me as the man held her back.
        "You carry on," I said firmly. "It's our fault they're here,"
        "Go!" Merlin urged, but Morgana refused to move.
        "Go!" I, and she limped towards me quickly to wrap her arms around me tightly. I returned the gesture, hugging her tightly for what I prayed wouldn't be the last time. I... maybe I know, maybe I don't... I just don't think that Arthur would kill me, or Merlin. But the guards might fire without really looking at our faces, and one of us could still die. Or both.
        "I'll never forget this," Morgana mumbled into my neck, and I squeezed her tight one more time before pulling away.
        "Go!" I ordered, and the man quickly grabbed Morgana around the waist as Mordred rushed forward to wrap his arms around me. I hugged him back, realizing how much I actually missed the boy, before pulling away, "Go!" I urged, and he looked at me for a second before following Morgana and the Druid man. Merlin and I waited for them to completely disappear from our view, before sharing a nod.
        "Bene læg gesweorc," we both chanted, and raised our hands in the direction Morgana disappeared with Mordred and the man. We only had to wait for a few seconds before the fog we wanted to create appeared. We kept our hands raised as more and more of it formed, before turning around and positioning our palms to face the direction Arthur and his men were, sending the fog towards them. As soon as we did that, Merlin grabbed my hand and pulled my up one of the small hills of the valley before pulling me behind a tree and hiding behind the one beside me. We saw Arthur and his men arrive, and stop and look around, trying to see something through the fog. I might have just imagined it 'cause I could really barely see anything through the fog, but I thought I saw some of the guards look scared.
        After a few seconds of hiding silently, Merlin grabbed my hand again and pulled me behind him.
        "There!" I heard Arthur yell as we ran, and only a second later an arrow skimmed past me. I never thought I'd be running from him out of all people.
        Merlin pulled me through the forest, and we jumped over one of the logs, before stopping and turning around. Arthur and his men were nowhere to be seen yet, so Merlin quickly pulled me down onto the ground. He then crawled into a hole underneath the log, and I followed, seeing as there was more space, squeezing in beside him just as I heard Arthur and the guards arrive. They all jumped over the log, but thankfully didn't even think to turn around and look underneath it, so Merlin and I waited until they disappeared in the forest before crawling out and running back in the direction we came from, away from Arthur and the guards.
        Merlin and I have been running through the forest for a few minutes, and I was starting to run out of breath, when Merlin suddenly pulled me to a stop and behind one of the trees. I looked at him in confusion, but only saw him looking at something in front of us, so I turned my head, only to see three guards advancing on Mordred from all sides. I was about to run over to him, when suddenly the boy closed him eyes tightly and screamed at the top of his lungs, an invisible force throwing all the guards back a good few feet. I could almost hear their spines crack as they hit the ground, and couldn't help but stagger back, my eyes wide.

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