Queen of Camelot ~~~ON HIATUS~~~

Chapter Fifteen (IV)

"Arthur... swa..." Merlin muttered as Gwen raced out of the room.

She neared the entrance of the cells looming at all the servants in a separate jail room. She scanned them once...twice...she wasn't there. She bit her lip racing back to Gaius.

--

Gaius looked up at the girl as she entered. "Let me guess, she wasn't there." Gaius said frustration evident in his voice.

Gwen shook her head quickly attending to Merlin once again. "No one has seen her since the banquet. Who is she?" Gwen wondered knowing on her lip.

Gaius waddled over her placing a kind hand on her shoulder as he lowered himself into the seat beside her. "Not who she claims to be."

Gwen looked at him quizzical. "But you know, don't you?"

Gaius nodded slowly looking to his apprentice. "Cara. Though, that's not her name. Not her real name, anyway."

"Then who is she?" Guinevere questioned her voice was soft and yet filled with so much wonder.

"A powerful sorceress." Gaius said is voice almost not heard.

Gwen's eyes widened standing up grabbing her basket of work. "Well, we should tell Uther. Maybe he could send riders out after her."

Gaius sighed shaking his head. "No, she'll be long gone. It's impossible to know where, though. Oh, no." Gaius's face paled as he grabbed Gwen's arm urgently.

Gwen could fill his panic being spread to her as her heart raced in an unhealthy amount. "What?"

Releasing the young lady Gaius made his way over to the booking pointing at the flower that had cause Merlin's suffering. "She knows the only place an antidote can be found is the Forest of Balor. Arthur could be walking into a trap."

This seemed to have struck a chord with the unconscious bat laying near them. "Arthur. Arthur." Merlin mumbled trying to move to warn the poor lad.

--

Thanks to the map and instructions Gaius had provided for her she knew she was close. Her horse needing a real worked well for her for she needs to eat and make sure she was heading in the right direction.

As Artura broke through a line of trees into a clustered clearing. She heard what sounded like someone crying. Curious she quickly tied her horse to a tree as to not lose her trusty steed.

Cautiously she neared the sound knowing that if she does, she would have been no help to Merlin whatsoever so being cautious was necessary.

" Hello? Are you alright?" Artura asked finding a young lady that must have been only a couple years younger than herself. She had a large gash on her right shoulder and she seemed to flinch away from Artura when she spoke.

Artura's whole bony language soften as she took a slow step this time to not scare the young girl. Right as Artura was about to help the young maiden a beast two red at the two.

The young one almost jumped out of her skin while Artura stepped towards the Cockatrice her sword drawn in an instant. "Stay back." Artura warns the girl seeing only fear in her eyes as she nodded quickly.

Artura then gives the beast her full attention falling into a defensive position. She uses her sword to tease the monster then rolls under it as it lunges towards her it lands turning around to have her. The same time Artura get on a knees and thrust her sword at the Cockatrice. Her sword lodged itself inside killing the thing.