Merlin |Confusion [Merlin & Morgana]

Chapter Two - Merlin in the woods

Chapter 2 - Merlin in the woods

"MERLIN!" Yelled Arthur, his voice shattering against the trees in the woods. "Get your lazy backside right here!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Merlin ambled into view, leaning on his hunting baton like a walking stick.

"Where the hell have you been?" The King protested, grabbing the stick off his servant.

"Going after the deer... like you told me to." Merlin rolled his eyes. "Or have you forgotten?"

"Yes, I told you to go after it half an hour ago. What have you even been doing?" Arthur pointed his finger directly at Merlin. "Don't tell me you let it get away..."

"It was uh, too fast for me." Merlin smiled sheepishly.

"It's a wounded deer with an arrow in it's leg... it would have fallen to the ground within 50 yards from here."

"Then why don't you go get it yourself?" Merlin yawned. If Arthur knew just how many times he'd saved him... A sudden whack around the head brought him back to the present.

"Ow!" He objected, clutching his head.

"Excuse me?" Arthur imposed incredulously, raising his eyebrows. - Waiting.

"Okay, I'm going your lordship." Merlin backed down, bowing mockingly before his King.

"Good." Arthur smiled smugly, jumping back onto his horse as he did so. "I'll go hunt some more..." And he charged off in the opposite direction, leaving trails of leaves and dust spiralling about the ground.

________

Merlin wandered through the woods aimlessly, bored and annoyed.

"Do this Merlin, do that Merlin," He was muttering, "Scrub my shoes, clean the floor, chase after deers, send Queen Gwen flowers, why don't you just bow down and worship me Merlin?" He banged his baton against a tree, and the wooden sound reverberated through the forest. The birds were silenced, and everything was quiet for a few moments. Merlin closed his eyes and dragged a deep breath into his lungs.

Suddenly, he became aware of a cracking sound, not too far away. Carefully, he picked his way through the gaggle of twigs strewn on the ground.

"Stupid, stupid..." A voice was muttering. "Don't even think about it..." Merlin's heart froze as he recognised the voice.

She couldn't be 20 feet away from him now, presumably collecting fire wood. He peered round a large tree which leaned over into a small clearing, littered with rocks and bushes. A figure dressed in sombre black was bent over snapping branches to carry in manageable chunks back to her hut. As she once more straightened her back, Merlin caught a glimpse of her pale but beautiful face, framed with raven hair. Twisting guilt and sadness worked away in his chest as he once more remembered the old Morgana in his arms, dying. It was his fault she was this. It was his fault she was evil. And the worst thing of all, even though it was the worst thing he had ever done, poisoning her, he had been glad that he was able to hold her, for those few precious seconds before Morgause took her.

He leaned forward further, trying to hear what she was muttering, however he slipped on a moss covered rock and tumbled into the clearing.

Morgana snapped her head round at the sound of the rustling. 

A figure fell into view - literally - with black hair, a red top and brown trousers. Her breath held, she moved toward the man groaning and clutching his head on the ground.

"Ow..." He complained, sitting up and looking around. When his gaze landed on her, his eyes widened and be backed off quickly. She was still staring at him, her head spinning, hurting. He was not real. He couldn't be real. How could he be here? She raised her hand to cast a spell, to be rid of him forever. Merlin winced and raised his hand too. As if that would stop her spell! Swallowing, she decided to play it cool, smug and not the scared person she felt. She circled him like a vulture choosing the weak spot on a carcass.

"Well Merlin, it's nice of you to drop by." she began silkily. Merlin's cheeks reddened. "Lost your way perhaps? Need guidance?"

"Why are you here, Morgana?" He questioned, looking back up at her.

She stiffened as he said her name.

"Why shouldn't I be?" She whispered dangerously, letting a grin seep onto her face.

"You're in Camelot territory." He shrugged, gazing intently at her face, his eyes searching hers.

"And thats enough to put me off?" She leaned toward him, making her sly grin spread further.

Merlin stared into her eyes. There was a time when he believed magic wouldn't influence her, and she could still be turned back. There was a time when he could look into her and still see the good inside her. Now... all there was, was emptiness. Cold. Dark. Evil.

Morgana stared into Merlin's eyes. How easy it had been to fall for him when she was younger, to trust him with her most guarded and dangerous secret. He loved her then, she was sure of it, but then her dreams were filled with blood and evil there was Morgause, her half sister. She taught her how to hardness her magic for the 'right' reasons, how to stun and kill and reign it with her feelings. She explained how Uther had killed hundreds of her kind...and then she hated Merlin. She never thought that he could betray her, kill her. Her Merlin. That look in his eyes, filmed over with unshed tears as she clutched at her choking throat. Her heart had broken that day as she lay dying, with sorrow and regret which was nothing like she'd ever felt...

"No, I'm just saying if Arthur catches you he'll kill you." Merlin swallowed, picturing the image of her. - Dead.

"Let him try!" Morgana scoffed, straightening up as he too slowly pushed himself up from the floor.

Merlin faced her, wondering how this was going to end. He didn't think they'd ever spoken this long without trying to kill each other.

"He would have killed you before, if you hadn't run away." He reminded her, his memory flicking back to the day when she lost her powers.
She took a step toward him, so close he could feel her breath on his cheek.

"I did not run away." She muttered, through gritted teeth. "In case you've forgotten, I defeated Gwen in a sword fight."

"And that was the success of the century!" he laughed hollowly. "She's sitting on the throne of Camelot right now. If anything, your actions to try to kill her made her queen. Arthur realised how much she meant to him."

The seconds ticked by as they stared each other down, both of them daring the other to make a move and attack.

Then, they both made a move... but it wasn't to attack. 

With a weird force, they were both suddenly kissing, and Merlin remembered her as the way she once was. Morgana didn't take enough time to think about her actions, to remember that this was her enemy, all she was feeling were the feelings she had once felt, the memories she had once cherished, all in that one embrace, that one moment. Everything faded away; the woods, the birds, the sun, the animals. The only thing that remained was the whisper of their lips and the pounding of their hearts. His hands entangled in her hair, and she wrapped her arms around his waste. It was like old times... just like old time.

However just like that, the moment vanished.

Merlin pushed himself away from Morgana, and she - both hurt by the response and annoyed at her kissing him - let her passion fall out into one curse.

"Hleap on bæc!" she screamed, and Merlin flew backward. He scrambled up just in time as a ball of tumbling flames threw themselves at him from her hand. She watched him stumble away, he seemed as confused as she felt. She touched her lips where not moments ago his had been pressed.

"Stupid." Was the word that escaped her mouth.