Dark Merlin: The Man Called Emrys

VII

THE JOURNEY THERE FELT like it lasted a life time, the tension rising the closer they got. Merlin remained quiet the whole ride, but Arthur or one of the Knights would occasionally try to spark a conversation with him; none in which he engaged in. He could tell by Arthur's glance how worried he seemed, but Merlin tried returning the look with a smile to reassure the Prince. To be honest, Merlin just wanted to be left alone with his thoughts.

He didn't sleep at all that night. No surprise there. His body ached and his eyelids were heavy, but still he refused. The nightmares were too vivid. He couldn't keep reliving those moments over and over again. But one separate thought plagued his mind keeping him awake, and that was the man in the crystal. That Merlin who killed Arthur, or ... Emrys as the rider had put it. He said Emrys would be the one to kill Arthur, but the rider hadn't made sense. He had neglected to mention why Emrys would kill Arthur. Merlin would never lay a finger on him. There were so many missing pieces to this puzzle, and Merlin was desperately trying to get them to fit together.

Just a couple hours after dawn, they neared the spot where they had apprehended the three sorcerers just days before.

"Be on the look out!" Arthur shouted to his men. "We're about to enter Cenred's Kingdom. Spread out. Look for any sign of our men or the crystal." He dismounted and so did the Knights, Merlin glanced around and gulped before following suit. The Knights fanned out away from Arthur, but Merlin stayed attached to his hip.

He hated the thought of being back here. "Arthur, this doesn't feel like such a good idea," he whispered. "We were lucky enough to escape Cenred's land without being caught once, but we might not be so lucky a second time."

"Shut up, Merlin," Arthur responded, blankly. "My father gave the orders. I cannot disobey him."

As if somehow being able to hear his words, a horde of shouting erupted from every side. Merlin's heart leapt as he stood up straight and twisted his head from left to right. Several Knights bearing Cenred's emblem—that of a snake—jumped from the bushes and behind trees, all with their swords raised. "I hate being right!"

"No one likes a show off, Merlin!" Arthur swiftly unclasped his cape from around his shoulders and withdrew his sword. A second later, his sword clashed against another and metal rang loudly throughout the forest as the battle commenced.

Merlin, though his mind felt elsewhere, stayed alert. Prepared to defend his Prince at any cost—even if Arthur never knew and always thought he was a coward. His attention was drawn to the right as a soldier advanced on Arthur; Arthur totally unaware as he fiercely battled two other Knights.

Without thinking, Merlin uttered, "Ic þé wiþdrífe!" and magic left his body. A second later, the Knight was tossed into the air and thrown backwards. His back collided with a tree and the Knight flopped to the ground motionless. Merlin then, realizing he had used magic out in the open, quickly glanced around to see if anyone had seen him. Satisfied that no one had, he ran over and hid himself behind a tree while keeping his focus on Arthur.

From his safe hiding spot, his eyes found another Knight a few feet away. The Knight stood beside to a tree while holding a crossbow aimed at Arthur. Merlin gazed up at the tree to find a thick branch just hanging over the Knights head. With a flash of his irises and a quick, "Forbærne firgenholt," the branch suddenly snapped and flattened the man, but to Merlin's horror, not before he had released the bolt. Merlin quickly thrust his hand forward feeling another burst of magic. His magic impacted the bolt just in the nick of time and it flew past Arthur lodging into the bark of a nearby tree.

The battle continued and Merlin thought that surely they could win. The Knights of Camelot were more talented and had trained harder than Cenred's men. As it was, there lay more of Cenred's Knights dead on the ground then Camelot's, but just when he thought the battle would be over soon and Cenred's men would retreat, his eyes met an unforgettable face.