Shadows and Stone, Chapter 9
Summary: None of the return trips to Camelot goes undisturbed.
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Gwen; Elyan, Gwaine, Lancelot, Leon, Merlin, Nimueh, Percival, Dorin (OC), Taulard (OC)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2874
Spoilers/Warnings: Begins shortly after 3x13 ends.
Disclaimer: The show Merlin is property of its respective rights-holders, including the BBC, Shine, and Fremantle Media. We neither have nor claim affiliation with any official entity related to the show, and make no profit from this fan venture.
Previous Chapter
~9~
The wooden cage in which the giant had placed Gwen was sturdy, but that made her feel no better about being lugged about in it. She closed her eyes and clung to the bars as she bounced along, Taulard not paying much attention to how she fared as he hauled the container over his back by a rope. He only set it down and walked away once, and Gwen used the opportunity to try to kick the bars out. When that did not work, she attempted to tip it over in the hopes that it would break. However, the thing was very well built, its balance excellent. The door was locked on the outside, where she could not reach to pick it. So, when Taulard lumbered back, chewing on a cow and carrying another, Gwen was right where he had left her.
He picked up the rope and held the cage so that she was at eye level with him. She studiously avoided looking at him- or inhaling through her nose, considering the smell of his breath. "The love of a prince, eh?" he muttered around a mouthful of raw meat.
"I am," she replied, a layer of steel in her voice despite the way it quivered.
He sniffed. "Princesses and ladies. Pretty little birds."
In fact, the cage was rather fancy, resembling the kind in which birds would be kept, but she resented the implication that she was merely decorative. "I am the daughter of a blacksmith, a seamstress in my own right. Do not assume that you know me." She was so terrified that she was trembling, but she would not be dismissed like that.
He raised an eyebrow, the hairs from which could have filled at least two, possibly three mattresses. "You're pretty as a princess. Princess or seamstress; liar or true- it makes no difference, as long as you sing."
"Sing?"
"That's right, little bird. Sing." Taulard flicked the cage with a finger that was not much shorter than she was, sending her sprawling as the floor swung from under her feet. She cried out as she fell against the bars on the other side, wringing a cruel laugh from him. He took another large bite of the cow and mumbled around it, "Excellent."
Gwen tried to ignore the throbbing in her shoulder and knee, grabbing hold of the bars nearest her as he flipped the cage over his back again. The movement as he started walking was almost a relief after that-- until he spoke. "Let's find you some friends. I enjoy a harmony."
She shut her eyes, hoping she could find a way to stop him before the giant wanted to hear more "singing"- and before he added anyone else to her traveling prison.
* * *
They never stood a chance.
The ground rumbled, and despite Lancelot and Elyan having their weapons at the ready, two swords had little effect against a man who was larger than a three-story house. Despite this, they did try, and the giant kicked Elyan against a tree and Lancelot into some bushes. Merlin extended his hand, about to knock him away magically, when a familiar voice cried down from above. "Merlin!"
"Gwen?" he yelled back, but his hesitation gave the giant the opening he needed, the toe of the giant's boot knocked the breath out of Merlin as he was sent flying backward.
The next thing he became aware of was a growing pain in his midsection when he regained consciousness. As he was opening his eyes, he heard Elyan call, "Everybody alive?"
Lancelot groaned, clambering out of the brush. "Yes."
The pain made everything go white for a moment as Merlin sat up, but he managed to say, "Mostly." His hand went to where the ache was radiating from, and he winced. If one or two of his ribs were not broken, they were at least cracked. Unsurprisingly, he was not the only one who was feeling the attack, judging from the way Elyan was clutching the back of his head. "Are you all right?"
The knight managed a strained smile. "Once I stop seeing two of you, I will be." The smile disappeared when he glanced about. "The horses are gone."
Realizing only the three of them had spoken, Merlin looked around. "Where's Cerys?" It did not take long to confirm that she was missing, and Merlin remembered what had happened just before he was kicked. "Gwen- the giant had Gwen, I think on his shoulder or something. He might have taken Cerys, too."
"Then, we need to follow him," said Lancelot instantly, and they all agreed. At least it was easy to see where the giant had gone; he did not bother to stick to proper paths, forging one of his own when it was more convenient. They had only gone a few yards along the makeshift route when someone hailed. Turning, they saw Dorin rushing toward them.
While he was probably fortunate that he had not come across Arthur, none of the men he was nearing was feeling particularly friendly toward him, either. While Lancelot drew his sword, Elyan preferred a more direct approach: seizing Dorin by his shirt, Elyan flung him up against a tree. "What have you done with Gwen?" he demanded.
"I have done nothing! Elyan, you know I would never do anything to harm her!"
"Then explain how she is now being hauled around by a giant, after you stole her away," her brother growled.
"Let go of me, and I will." When Elyan maintained his grip, Dorin continued, "There's no time for this!"
Angrily, Elyan released him, but with Lancelot and Merlin flanking Dorin as well, he was not going anywhere. "What happened?" Lancelot demanded.
Dorin took a breath. "It was Lady Morgana. She and her sister are trying to destroy Camelot. She said Gwen was going to be making 'amends' to her- I'm not sure what she meant. They were going to kill me, but Gwen saved my life. Since I could not help her there, I thought to find you all…" With a look around, he noticed that their group was diminished. "Where is everyone else?"
Ignoring his question, Elyan demanded, "Why did you take Gwen?"
Dorin glanced downward, seemingly embarrassed. "Lady Morgana said Gwen and Prince Arthur had been enchanted to make them believe they were in love, and that her sister could break the enchantment."
"When did she tell you that?" inquired Merlin, sure he already knew the answer.
Hesitantly, Dorin met his eyes. "A week before I arrived in Camelot."
"This whole thing has been a set-up, hasn't it?" Merlin could have kicked himself. "Morgana needed the Stone to save Morgause, and she didn't know where it was. But, we had the resources to find it, between our library and Camelot's friendship with Gawant."
"It was not meant to be a set-up," Dorin insisted. "I thought I was saving Gwen. And Prince Arthur, and possibly Camelot, since she said the enchantment had been cast in order to weaken the kingdom." Merlin sighed inwardly at that, wishing not for the first time that he had come up with another excuse for "Dragoon" to have cast the spell. "But," Dorin continued, "you are right. I bought Lady Morgana's lies because they were what I wanted to hear, and I did not give consideration to her odd assignment. This whole thing happened because of me, so I would like to help stop it. But we will accomplish nothing if we stand around here!"
He was right, even if none of them wanted him to be. With great reluctance, Elyan stepped back, allowing Dorin to move away from the tree. "Come on," Lancelot said to all of them. "This is going to take longer without our horses."
That also entailed stopping more often than they would have to do on horseback, and Merlin was just returning to their resting point after excusing himself when he overheard Dorin and Lancelot talking.
"…and anyway, you love her, too," Dorin was saying.
After a pause, Lancelot replied, "I never said that."
"You do not need to. I know the look, having worn it myself."
There was another pause. "It does not signify. She is with Arthur, and I will not go between them."
"Because he's a prince?" Dorin asked dryly.
"Because she deserves to be a queen," said Lancelot in such an earnest tone, it was almost painful. The reply surprised Merlin. He had assumed that Lancelot left them after they rescued her from Hengist because of a sense of loyalty to Arthur.
Apparently, it surprised Dorin, as well, since the other man did not reply immediately. "I cannot argue that," he finally murmured.
"If either one of you had bothered to stay with her instead of pursuing fortune or humility, we would not be finding ourselves in this position right now," Elyan announced as he joined them, having gone off in an opposite direction from Merlin.
"It is not as though you were around to look out for her until recently," Dorin retorted.
Enough was enough. "In case nobody noticed, Gwen is perfectly capable of dealing with most things on her own," Merlin said irritably as he stepped out of the trees. "Every single one of us has required saving at some point, and that she needs saving is far more important than who is or is not courting her. Now, are we going to keep talking about her like a bunch of gossiping Guses, or are we going to go rescue her- and the kingdom?"
No one ever seemed to know quite what to do when Merlin unloaded on them, and this was no exception. Without a good rejoinder, they resumed their trek in relative silence.
* * *
Arthur's company was nearing Camelot quickly. In the back of his mind, he was hoping that the sooner they returned, the sooner the rest of his men would return with Guinevere. He knew it was not logical, but he was being logical enough in planning the preparations for a possible attack. In his opinion, it was within his rights to allow his personal thoughts to run toward irrationality. It was because those hopes were so impractical, however, that he had them make camp for one more night instead of pushing all the way through to arrive home around dawn. They did need to be back soon, and he was concerned about how his father was faring, but it would do no good if they were all too exhausted to function when they made it to the castle.
They were just finishing supper when a cloaked figure emerged from the trees on the outskirts of their camp. Flickering light from the fire in their midst did little to illuminate the identity of the person, and the knights instantly took hold of their weapons and jumped to their feet. Arthur began to say, "Show yourself," but before the first sound left his lips, the figure pushed back the hood of her cloak- and both Arthur and Leon went on high alert, while Gwaine and Percival began to lower their swords.
"Hello, Arthur Pendragon," Nimueh said, giving him an infuriating smirk.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded, causing the men who had not previously encountered her to recognize that she was a threat.
She held out a hand when four blades were pointed in her direction. "I have not come to harm you. On the contrary, I offer an alliance."
"I do not ally myself with sorceresses."
She raised an eyebrow. "It would serve you well to hear what I have to say before you dismiss my offer."
"Every practitioner of magic I have ever met has lied to me." Arthur's gaze was as level and cold as his voice, thinking back to the myriad times he had been misled. "What makes you think I would believe a word that left your lips?"
"My niece has been kidnapped by the same creature that threatens your kingdom- a giant called Taulard, who now has your friend, as well. I can defeat him, but not the army that follows in his path. You cannot defeat him, but you can defeat the army. Together, we can stop them both."
Arthur frowned and shook his head. "I know nothing about a giant, an army, or a taken friend." Morgana had Guinevere, but she was much more than a friend, and he could not imagine his sister would hand her over to a monster who was stealing women. It was possible that she had convinced Urien to rally his army, which was why he had agreed to go to Camelot. But as far as Nimueh was concerned, he was sure this had to be a trap. "Considering that you tried to kill me at least once before, you will understand if I do not trust you." He started toward her. "What you can do is join us going back to Camelot, where you will be tried for practicing magic."
"It is your loss, Arthur. Everything that befalls Camelot will be on your head." She began muttering words under her breath, and then she vanished into the air like a whirlwind.
They all stood there for a moment, and then Gwaine asked, "Am I the only one who has a very bad feeling about this?"
"You mean, a feeling like she was telling the truth?" Percival frowning was a formidable sight, and that was even more true when he was worried.
Arthur and Leon exchanged a look. They knew Nimueh to be a schemer; but for some reason, they were both wondering if the others were correct.
Next Chapter
*
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Gwen; Elyan, Gwaine, Lancelot, Leon, Merlin, Nimueh, Percival, Dorin (OC), Taulard (OC)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2874
Spoilers/Warnings: Begins shortly after 3x13 ends.
Disclaimer: The show Merlin is property of its respective rights-holders, including the BBC, Shine, and Fremantle Media. We neither have nor claim affiliation with any official entity related to the show, and make no profit from this fan venture.
Previous Chapter
~9~
The wooden cage in which the giant had placed Gwen was sturdy, but that made her feel no better about being lugged about in it. She closed her eyes and clung to the bars as she bounced along, Taulard not paying much attention to how she fared as he hauled the container over his back by a rope. He only set it down and walked away once, and Gwen used the opportunity to try to kick the bars out. When that did not work, she attempted to tip it over in the hopes that it would break. However, the thing was very well built, its balance excellent. The door was locked on the outside, where she could not reach to pick it. So, when Taulard lumbered back, chewing on a cow and carrying another, Gwen was right where he had left her.
He picked up the rope and held the cage so that she was at eye level with him. She studiously avoided looking at him- or inhaling through her nose, considering the smell of his breath. "The love of a prince, eh?" he muttered around a mouthful of raw meat.
"I am," she replied, a layer of steel in her voice despite the way it quivered.
He sniffed. "Princesses and ladies. Pretty little birds."
In fact, the cage was rather fancy, resembling the kind in which birds would be kept, but she resented the implication that she was merely decorative. "I am the daughter of a blacksmith, a seamstress in my own right. Do not assume that you know me." She was so terrified that she was trembling, but she would not be dismissed like that.
He raised an eyebrow, the hairs from which could have filled at least two, possibly three mattresses. "You're pretty as a princess. Princess or seamstress; liar or true- it makes no difference, as long as you sing."
"Sing?"
"That's right, little bird. Sing." Taulard flicked the cage with a finger that was not much shorter than she was, sending her sprawling as the floor swung from under her feet. She cried out as she fell against the bars on the other side, wringing a cruel laugh from him. He took another large bite of the cow and mumbled around it, "Excellent."
Gwen tried to ignore the throbbing in her shoulder and knee, grabbing hold of the bars nearest her as he flipped the cage over his back again. The movement as he started walking was almost a relief after that-- until he spoke. "Let's find you some friends. I enjoy a harmony."
She shut her eyes, hoping she could find a way to stop him before the giant wanted to hear more "singing"- and before he added anyone else to her traveling prison.
* * *
They never stood a chance.
The ground rumbled, and despite Lancelot and Elyan having their weapons at the ready, two swords had little effect against a man who was larger than a three-story house. Despite this, they did try, and the giant kicked Elyan against a tree and Lancelot into some bushes. Merlin extended his hand, about to knock him away magically, when a familiar voice cried down from above. "Merlin!"
"Gwen?" he yelled back, but his hesitation gave the giant the opening he needed, the toe of the giant's boot knocked the breath out of Merlin as he was sent flying backward.
The next thing he became aware of was a growing pain in his midsection when he regained consciousness. As he was opening his eyes, he heard Elyan call, "Everybody alive?"
Lancelot groaned, clambering out of the brush. "Yes."
The pain made everything go white for a moment as Merlin sat up, but he managed to say, "Mostly." His hand went to where the ache was radiating from, and he winced. If one or two of his ribs were not broken, they were at least cracked. Unsurprisingly, he was not the only one who was feeling the attack, judging from the way Elyan was clutching the back of his head. "Are you all right?"
The knight managed a strained smile. "Once I stop seeing two of you, I will be." The smile disappeared when he glanced about. "The horses are gone."
Realizing only the three of them had spoken, Merlin looked around. "Where's Cerys?" It did not take long to confirm that she was missing, and Merlin remembered what had happened just before he was kicked. "Gwen- the giant had Gwen, I think on his shoulder or something. He might have taken Cerys, too."
"Then, we need to follow him," said Lancelot instantly, and they all agreed. At least it was easy to see where the giant had gone; he did not bother to stick to proper paths, forging one of his own when it was more convenient. They had only gone a few yards along the makeshift route when someone hailed. Turning, they saw Dorin rushing toward them.
While he was probably fortunate that he had not come across Arthur, none of the men he was nearing was feeling particularly friendly toward him, either. While Lancelot drew his sword, Elyan preferred a more direct approach: seizing Dorin by his shirt, Elyan flung him up against a tree. "What have you done with Gwen?" he demanded.
"I have done nothing! Elyan, you know I would never do anything to harm her!"
"Then explain how she is now being hauled around by a giant, after you stole her away," her brother growled.
"Let go of me, and I will." When Elyan maintained his grip, Dorin continued, "There's no time for this!"
Angrily, Elyan released him, but with Lancelot and Merlin flanking Dorin as well, he was not going anywhere. "What happened?" Lancelot demanded.
Dorin took a breath. "It was Lady Morgana. She and her sister are trying to destroy Camelot. She said Gwen was going to be making 'amends' to her- I'm not sure what she meant. They were going to kill me, but Gwen saved my life. Since I could not help her there, I thought to find you all…" With a look around, he noticed that their group was diminished. "Where is everyone else?"
Ignoring his question, Elyan demanded, "Why did you take Gwen?"
Dorin glanced downward, seemingly embarrassed. "Lady Morgana said Gwen and Prince Arthur had been enchanted to make them believe they were in love, and that her sister could break the enchantment."
"When did she tell you that?" inquired Merlin, sure he already knew the answer.
Hesitantly, Dorin met his eyes. "A week before I arrived in Camelot."
"This whole thing has been a set-up, hasn't it?" Merlin could have kicked himself. "Morgana needed the Stone to save Morgause, and she didn't know where it was. But, we had the resources to find it, between our library and Camelot's friendship with Gawant."
"It was not meant to be a set-up," Dorin insisted. "I thought I was saving Gwen. And Prince Arthur, and possibly Camelot, since she said the enchantment had been cast in order to weaken the kingdom." Merlin sighed inwardly at that, wishing not for the first time that he had come up with another excuse for "Dragoon" to have cast the spell. "But," Dorin continued, "you are right. I bought Lady Morgana's lies because they were what I wanted to hear, and I did not give consideration to her odd assignment. This whole thing happened because of me, so I would like to help stop it. But we will accomplish nothing if we stand around here!"
He was right, even if none of them wanted him to be. With great reluctance, Elyan stepped back, allowing Dorin to move away from the tree. "Come on," Lancelot said to all of them. "This is going to take longer without our horses."
That also entailed stopping more often than they would have to do on horseback, and Merlin was just returning to their resting point after excusing himself when he overheard Dorin and Lancelot talking.
"…and anyway, you love her, too," Dorin was saying.
After a pause, Lancelot replied, "I never said that."
"You do not need to. I know the look, having worn it myself."
There was another pause. "It does not signify. She is with Arthur, and I will not go between them."
"Because he's a prince?" Dorin asked dryly.
"Because she deserves to be a queen," said Lancelot in such an earnest tone, it was almost painful. The reply surprised Merlin. He had assumed that Lancelot left them after they rescued her from Hengist because of a sense of loyalty to Arthur.
Apparently, it surprised Dorin, as well, since the other man did not reply immediately. "I cannot argue that," he finally murmured.
"If either one of you had bothered to stay with her instead of pursuing fortune or humility, we would not be finding ourselves in this position right now," Elyan announced as he joined them, having gone off in an opposite direction from Merlin.
"It is not as though you were around to look out for her until recently," Dorin retorted.
Enough was enough. "In case nobody noticed, Gwen is perfectly capable of dealing with most things on her own," Merlin said irritably as he stepped out of the trees. "Every single one of us has required saving at some point, and that she needs saving is far more important than who is or is not courting her. Now, are we going to keep talking about her like a bunch of gossiping Guses, or are we going to go rescue her- and the kingdom?"
No one ever seemed to know quite what to do when Merlin unloaded on them, and this was no exception. Without a good rejoinder, they resumed their trek in relative silence.
* * *
Arthur's company was nearing Camelot quickly. In the back of his mind, he was hoping that the sooner they returned, the sooner the rest of his men would return with Guinevere. He knew it was not logical, but he was being logical enough in planning the preparations for a possible attack. In his opinion, it was within his rights to allow his personal thoughts to run toward irrationality. It was because those hopes were so impractical, however, that he had them make camp for one more night instead of pushing all the way through to arrive home around dawn. They did need to be back soon, and he was concerned about how his father was faring, but it would do no good if they were all too exhausted to function when they made it to the castle.
They were just finishing supper when a cloaked figure emerged from the trees on the outskirts of their camp. Flickering light from the fire in their midst did little to illuminate the identity of the person, and the knights instantly took hold of their weapons and jumped to their feet. Arthur began to say, "Show yourself," but before the first sound left his lips, the figure pushed back the hood of her cloak- and both Arthur and Leon went on high alert, while Gwaine and Percival began to lower their swords.
"Hello, Arthur Pendragon," Nimueh said, giving him an infuriating smirk.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded, causing the men who had not previously encountered her to recognize that she was a threat.
She held out a hand when four blades were pointed in her direction. "I have not come to harm you. On the contrary, I offer an alliance."
"I do not ally myself with sorceresses."
She raised an eyebrow. "It would serve you well to hear what I have to say before you dismiss my offer."
"Every practitioner of magic I have ever met has lied to me." Arthur's gaze was as level and cold as his voice, thinking back to the myriad times he had been misled. "What makes you think I would believe a word that left your lips?"
"My niece has been kidnapped by the same creature that threatens your kingdom- a giant called Taulard, who now has your friend, as well. I can defeat him, but not the army that follows in his path. You cannot defeat him, but you can defeat the army. Together, we can stop them both."
Arthur frowned and shook his head. "I know nothing about a giant, an army, or a taken friend." Morgana had Guinevere, but she was much more than a friend, and he could not imagine his sister would hand her over to a monster who was stealing women. It was possible that she had convinced Urien to rally his army, which was why he had agreed to go to Camelot. But as far as Nimueh was concerned, he was sure this had to be a trap. "Considering that you tried to kill me at least once before, you will understand if I do not trust you." He started toward her. "What you can do is join us going back to Camelot, where you will be tried for practicing magic."
"It is your loss, Arthur. Everything that befalls Camelot will be on your head." She began muttering words under her breath, and then she vanished into the air like a whirlwind.
They all stood there for a moment, and then Gwaine asked, "Am I the only one who has a very bad feeling about this?"
"You mean, a feeling like she was telling the truth?" Percival frowning was a formidable sight, and that was even more true when he was worried.
Arthur and Leon exchanged a look. They knew Nimueh to be a schemer; but for some reason, they were both wondering if the others were correct.
Next Chapter
*