The patrol was riding through the forest in search of Gwen and Aria when they came across their horses tied to a tree branch.
Elyan dismounted and examined Gwen's saddle while Percival dismounted and examined Aria's.
Gwen's saddle was broken but Aria's remained intact.
"Gwen must have been knocked from her mount by some force" Leon states.
" How come Aria's saddle is still intact?" Percival questioned as he showed everyone her saddle.
" When Gwen was knocked from her horse she must have stopped and dismounted of her accord to try and help" Elyan replied.
" Here!" Gwaine shouts " Tracks. They're heading east"
"Let's go!" Arthur ordered and they all rode off following the tracks into the forest.
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Gwen and Aria stumbled through the forest as they were tied behind Morgana on her horse. Gwen was gasping for breath and eventually collapsed from dehydration.
" Gwen!" Aria cried out in worry as she knelt down beside her sister in law.
Morgana stopped her horse, dismounted and strode towards the two with a canteen full of water in her hand.
" Here" She offered the canteen to Gwen but Gwen refused to take it.
" Is it too good for you now that you're Queen?" Morgana sneered coldly
" I don't want anything from you" Gwen breathed
" Just my crown" Morgana resorts
" Drink it. You may need it"
Gwen looked appalled" Why?"
" I wouldn't be in such a hurry to know" Morgana smirked before holding the canteen to Aria
"What about you,?"
" I don't want any" Aria shook her head. If Gwen wasn't going to have any then neither was she.
"Fine then." Morgana snapped. She removed the cork and tipped out all the water in the canteen onto the floor in front of Gwen, torturing her. Morgana was hurt, thinking that Aria didn't take the canteen because she didn't trust her. But she didn't let it show.
Morgana then walked back to her horse and mounted it. They start off again and Gwen groaned as the two women were pulled forward.
A while later and Morgana was now dragging Gwen and Aria through a scorching desert. The two were stumbling over the hot sand as they approached a tall dark tower. Aria's eyes widened in pure fright. She recognised the dark tower from her books and knew it wasn't a nice place to be.
Morgana dismounted her horse then untied Aria and Gwen. Morgana frowned when she saw the red marks around Aria's wrists but she quickly masked it and smirked at the two women. " Come, my ladies"
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It was dark now and Percival was leading the patrol on foot with his horse beside him.
"It's getting too dark" He states as he squinted trying to see the tracks they had been following.
" We'll keep heading east" Arthur declared
" We've lost the trail" Merlin informed
But Arthur wasn't given up yet. " Then we'll retrace the tracks" He resorted turning his hose around and riding off.
" Arthur?" Merlin called out but Arthur just ignored him. " I'll talk to him" Merlin then followed after Arthur.
Mordred dismounted his horse and kicked a rock in frustration.
" Mordred-" Elyan says
" She can't be far" Mordred states looking worriedly out into the dark forest.
" I know but it's too dark for us to carry on. We'll make camp and pick up the trail in the morning." Elyan placed a comforting hand on Mordred's shoulder, then goes to make camp with the others.
Mordred just continued to look out into the forest worried for the life of the women he loved.
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In the dark tower, Morgana was leading Gwen and Aria up a dark, stone stairwell. The only light was from the torch in Morgana's hand.
Gwen and Aria stopped and stared up the stairs, frightened.
" Keep moving" Morgana ordered
" Where are you taking us?" Gwen asked as she and Aria held onto each other for comfort.
" You'll find out"
The three women continued up the stairs before they came across a door.
Morgana opened the door and gestured for Gwen to go inside.
Gwen and Aria looked at each other fearfully before Gwen entered the room with Morgana following. From where she was standing Aria could see black, slimy looking plants hanging from the ceiling and her eyes widened in fear as she instantly recognised them.
" What is this place?" Gwen quietly asked.
" Sleep well" Morgana smirked as she shut Gwen in the room and locked the door. Aria could briefly hear Gwen yell out to Morgana before the door closed.
Morgana turned to Aria with a soft smile
" Come, Aria. Let me show you where you'll be staying"
Aria followed Morgana up several flights of stairs until they came across another door.
Morgana opened the door and Aria could see the same black, slimy plants hanging from the ceiling that she had seen in Gwen's room.
" I'm sure you recognise those plants from your books," Morgana said.
" Mandrake roots" Aria whispered in fear.
"...You don't have to stay in there," Morgana told her little sister softly. Aria looked confused at her older sister.
" You could have a nicer room. One without Mandrake roots. One with a comfy bed and warm fire." Morgana offered
Aria shook her head stubbornly " If Gwen has to be in a room like this, then so will I"
Aria then walked into the room with her head held but with slight fear in her eyes.
" So be it then," Morgana said coldly and shut the door with a bang leaving Aria alone in a dark room filled with mandrake root.
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Arthur sat staring into the fire worrying about Gwen and Aria. He heard movement behind him and saw Elyan stood a few feet away, leaning against a tree and staring into the forest.
Arthur got up and walked over to him.
" Elyan"
" If I'd stayed with them..." Elyan shook his head
" You saved Percival. You saved Leon" Arthur points out.
" But not my own sister"
" We cannot blame ourselves"
" She raised me. You wouldn't understand " Elyan muttered
" I do," Arthur responded,
" I don't know... What I'd be if it wasn't for her" Elyan admits "... I can't explain"
" You didn't have to." Arthur placed a comforting hand on Elyan's shoulder and the two walked back to the others.
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Later that night, everyone was woken up by someone screaming.
" It's alright" Merlin approached Leon reassuringly
" The tower" Leon breathed heavily.
" It was a dream," Merlin says trying to calm Leon down.
" Everything in its shadow is dead. And the sound, it was like, like children screaming"
" and the rain that fell was like blood" Percival cuts in " I had the same dream. I was lost in a forest. And the trees had claws and I finally escaped it. There was a plain"
" Empty as far as the eye could see. Leon looked at Percival with confusion "Expect--"
" Rising into the sky was a black pillar of stone" Percival finishes
" A tower so dark, it could swallow the sun" Leon added.
Mordred and Arthur knew exactly what they were talking about.
" The dark tower" Arthur informed making everyone look at him.
"It's a place where every young knight's taught to dread and rightly so. Its where many have met their end"
" I've never heard of it," Merlin said.
" I have" Mordred spoke up making everyone now look at him, "Aria told me about. She'd read about it in one of her books. It's said that the mere mention of it can bring doom to anyone who hears it."
" Well, let's not mention it again," Gwaine said. " I was having a dream about eating a cheese that tasted of apple pie. Anyone else have that dream?"
No one answered
" You're all missing out." Mordred glared at Gwaine slightly as he settled down to go back to sleep.
Everyone else then goes back to sleep except Merlin who walked over to his bag and took out his canteen as Arthur walked up to him.
" Why would they both have that dream?" Arthur questioned
" Poison" Merlin answered " must still be coursing through their veins"
" But why the same dream?"
" Arthur, Morgana conjured those snakes. Leon and Percival would be dead if that was that she wanted" Merlin tells him.
" So what are you saying?" Arthur enquires
" She planted those visions in their minds. It's a trap. She's luring you to your doom"
" At the tower" Arthur realised" That's where she's taken Guinevere and Aria."