Broken mist (fanfic to artwork)

Merlin was exhausted.

He cooked, cleaned and set up the camp.

The warlock laid himself on his make shift bed, when his body relaxed he was about to close his eyes when-

"MERLIN, stop lazing around and get more fire wood!" Arthur yelled from his tent that Merlin made out of wood and leaves.

"Why...can't i do it in a few minutes, i just need to rest!" Merlin groaned.

"No, now Merlin...its for when the fire is low, do you want to be eaten by wild animals!?" Arthur sneered.

Merlin cursed under his breath and stood up, only to fall on Gwaine.

The knight was quick and before he knew it Merlin was on his feet.

"Careful there...you want me to come with you?" Gwaine asked.

"No, no it's alright..." Merlin said and Gwaine patted him on his shoulder.

"Hey Merlin...isn't your name a bird or something?" Gwaine asked.

"Yeah, a type of eagle i think..." Merlin said and gave Gwaine a smile before walking into the dark forest.

As the man collected his last piece of wood he felt something snap next to him.

The man braced himself and turned to see Morgana.

"Merlin, Merlin, Merlin...." She smirked.

"-Still loyal to Arthur...pity..." She sighed.

"What do you want, Morgana?" Merlin sneered.

"Oh, so quick to the point..." She gasped.

"Morgana..." Merlin warned.

She took a step in front of Merlin.

"Merlin..." She said carefully.

Suddenly she pressed her hand on Merlin's chest, before Merlin could react he felt as if his bones were breaking.

He cried out in pain as he suddenly grew smaller and smaller.

Over at the camp, they all heard his screams, all reached to the spot where they heard it but saw nothing.

"What should we do?" Gwaine asked.

"I don't know...lets go back to camp..." Arthur said and walked back.

"HEY!" Gwaine screamed.

All turned.

"Merlin sounded like he was in pain and all your going to do is sit around sobbing!?" Gwaine cried.

"look..." Arthur sighed.

"Oh don't you 'look' me, Merlin is out there suffering!" Gwaine cried.

"We need to be calm about this!" Arthur hissed and turned.

"Fine, you go mope and sit around, i'll go and save my best friend...yeah, i have the guts to say it, Merlin is my best friend and your even too scared to give him a hug, because it will hurt your...kingly hide!" Gwaine sneered and ran to fetch his horse an venture into the darkness to find his lost best friend.

Elyan was about to stop him when Arthur spoke.

"Let him go..." He said simply and the small team went back to camp to think.

Gwaine ventured through the dark forest, calling out for the man with no avail.

Before he knew it, it was day.

"Six hours..." The tired man mumbled to himself as he road through a misty pathway.

"Oh Merlin, be safe..." Gwaine whispered.

Suddenly, a Merlin bird flew next to him, the funny thing was that it squawked at him.

The knight watched the bird with eagerness, remembering his little chat to Merlin before that happened.

He turned his head away from the bird with a grave face, his eyes sharp with pain.

As he remembered his friend's screams.

The bird flew over him.

"I promise you, Merlin... i will find you..." Gwaine vowed as he pressed on in the foggy pathway as the bird disappeared into the pathway.

The day went by slow and Gwaine wasn't the most patient of men.

He scanned the woods around him as best as he could, his voice strangled with anger as he shouter for Merlin.

But not so far, the same bird flew close by the knight.

Suddenly the bird squawked as it lost balance and landed in Gwaine's lap.

The knight gasped in shock and stopped the horse and looked down in fear but soon softened when he saw a helpless bird lightly chirping as its eyes looked up at Gwaine with a pained expression.

The knight decided to take it with him, with a careful hand he lifted the bird to a more comfortable position, using his cape he made a small bed for it and he road on.

When night soon arrived, Gwaine jumped off of the horse and made camp.

He laid the bird next to him as he took out cider.

The bird flapped its wings and sat up, looking at the knight.

Gwaine looked back with an amused smile.

He chuckled and said.

"Well...look at this, i'm talking to a bird..." He chuckled.

The bird flapped its wings and chirped and flew at the top of Gwaine's head and sat.

The knight laughed but let the bird alone and drank.

When he was done he stood up, forgetting the bird.

It fell down but Gwaine managed to catch it.

"Phew!" He sighed with relief.

The bird sat up on Gwaine's hands.

"You ready to leave?" He asked.

The knight threw his hands into the air, the bird flew but stayed just near Gwaine.

"What, you attracted to me?"

The bird chirped and sat on a fallen log near the fire, Gwaine sat next to the bird.

"Am i drunk?" He asked himself.

He bird chirped.

The knight sighed.

"I hope Merlin's okay..." He said.

He turned to the bird.

"Your a Merlin bird aren't you...i'll name you Merlin then..." He said.

The bird nodded?

"Your trained?" He asked.

The bird nodded again.

"You can understand me?"

Again it nodded.

"Wow..." Gwaine breathed.

He was quiet.

"When i last saw Merlin i talked to him about that his named resembled a bird like you..." He said, talking to the bird.

Merlin tried to speak but it only came out as chirps.

"Yeah..." Gwaine sighed and looked into the fire.

"Well...i'm going to get some shut eye..." Gwaine said and lay down and closed his eyes.

The bird flew onto Gwaine's chest and lay down and slept.

Gwaine couldn't help but laugh, soon he was asleep.

He woke to something heavy on his chest.

The knight groaned painfully and lifted his head and opened his eyes to see Merlin..naked.

"MERLIN!?" He screamed and shut his eyes.

"WATE UP MATE YOUR STALKERS!!!!" He screamed.

The man woke and made a startled noise and jumped off of Gwaine and found his cape and wrapped it around himself.

"I'M HUMAN AGAIN!" Merlin cheered.

"You decent?"

"Yeah.."

Gwaine sat up.

"So you were the Merlin bird?"

Merlin nodded.

"Ironic..." Gwaine smirked.

Merlin laughed.

"Arthur's still probably sitting in the camp moping..." Gwaine grumbled.

He stood up.

"We need to get you some clothes...wait...first how...why were you a bird?"

"When i was collecting wood, Morgana...she turned me into it for some reason, i woke somewhere and i saw you so i followed you..." Merlin said.

Gwaine nodded.

"We should get back...but i saw a village near so i could ask them for clothes..." Gwaine said and jumped on his horse.

"I'll walk thanks..." Merlin said.

"Why?"

"My legs feel numb i need to break them in i suppose...don't worry...when i was young i us to walk bare foot in the woods many times...just don't gallop..." Merlin said and walked next to Gwaine's horse.

They soon reached the village, Merlin wore a similar outfit to his own.

"Right were all set..." Merlin said and turned to the family that gave him the clothes.

"Thank you...you've been a real help..." He smiled and Merlin jumped onto the horse and they set off.

It took a day or two but they arrived.

Merlin jumped off of the horse and Gwaine followed, when they reached the camp, no one was there.

Merlin walked to the fire that was still lit.

"I don't think were alone..." Merlin said.

Soon a cruel laugh echoed around the camp.

Gwaine took out his sword and Merlin stood close.

Morgana appeared.

"You guessed right..." She smiled.

"Where are they?" Merlin hissed at her.

"Oh...why don't I show you..." She smiled and turned to show Arthur and the knights gagged and tied to a tree.

"SET THEM FREE NOW!" Merlin yelled.

"Oh i don't know...i'm too tired...why don't you, Merlin..." She asked, eyes hard on Merlin.

"What are you up to?" Merlin asked, carefully.

"Oh come on Merlin, i know your secret." She said.

"What?" Merlin frowned, inside he felt cold.

"Merlin...the hero...Merlin the warlock...Merlin the king of the druids..." She said lamely.

Merlin gulped.

"What is she talking about?" Gwaine asked.

"I...don't know..." Merlin grit out, feeling awful from lying to Gwaine.

'What should i do?' Merlin asked himself.

"Come on Emrys...free them...or defeat me.." She said calmly.

"I don't know what your talking about..." Merlin said sternly.

"Well, lets see shall we..." She said and walked up to Arthur.

"Get away form him!" Merlin cried, taking a step forward.

"If you don't free them and duel me i swear i will end them!" She cried.

She extended her hand, showing a fireball forming near Arthur's head.

Merlin grit his teeth.

"STOP THIS!"

"Time's a-waisting, Emrys..." She said.

"Merlin...what-?" Gwaine asked but Merlin interrupted him.

"I'm sorry Gwaine..." Merlin said and his eyes flashed gold and Morgana's fire ball vanished.

She laughed.

"I knew it..."

"Set them free or i swear!" Merlin threatened.

"Fine i will, but in exchange you must try to defeat me, in three days...in the field near camelot...at midnight..." She said and vanished.

Merlin ran to the knights and freed them, he couldn't look at Gwaine.

"Lets get them back..." Merlin said.

"And what...you'll get killed in three days?" Gwaine hissed.

Merlin flinched.

"Help me with Percival, get them on their horses and well get a rope and-" Merlin was lifted and shaken.

"DO YOU WANT TO DIE!?" Gwaine cried.

"I'm strong Gwaine, i'll beat her!" Merlin said.

"Really...why is she calling you Emrys...whats that about!?" Gwaine asked.

Merlin looked at him.

"Your not mad?"

"Why would i be mad?" Gwaine asked as he helped lift Sir Leon onto the horse, Merlin put Arthur on his with his magic.

"Well...i...hid my magic and..."

"Merlin i really don't care if you have magic... i knew you were special so now i know, i'm just scared to see you...die..." Gwaine said.

Merlin couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you for not being mad...you don't know how much that means to me..i knew you would be happy...it's just...i'm worried about Arthur finding out..." Merlin said.

"No worries, i'll be there and if princess gets all fired up, i'll join you..."

Merlin couldn't take it and ran up to Gwaine and hugged him.

The knight hugged back.

"Thank you..." He said.

They stood there for a while then parted, Merlin connected the horses and Gwaine was first, then Merlin and the rest.

Arthur and the knights woke on the way, thank god they had no memory of Morgana.

They reached Camelot.

For the past two days Merlin and Gwaine were close, Gwaine taught Merlin to dodge and quickly stand up if hit.

Day and night they did this.

On the last night was the most quiet.

Gwaine threw a punch at Merlin, the man dodged it and hit it away.

Gwaine nodded and they continued.

Suddenly Arthur walked up to them.

"Good now-" Gwaine said but Arthur spoke up.

"What on earth are you two doing?" He asked, arms folded.

The two stood next to each other.

"Umm..." Gwaine said.

"Gwaine saw how pathetic i am at training and the bruises you gave me and decided to help lessen the pain... don't worry this is our last practice." Merlin said.

Gwaine smiled.

Arthur nodded.

"Don't stay put too long..." Arthur said and walked away.

"Your good..." Gwaine said.

Merlin smiled.

"Practice, i guess..." Merlin said and they carried on training.

When it was over they silently walked to Camelot.

"So...what...what will you do if you loose?" Gwaine asked.

"I'll try not to, but if i do i'll try to destroy her first..." Merlin said.

"Alright...be careful though...and if you win we are celebrating..." Gwaine smiled.

Merlin grinned and nodded.

Not the tavern, we can drink in your room, so i don't have to carry your arse back up there..."

Gwaine laughed.

Both laughed together as they walked into the palace, not noticing Arthur spying on them.

"So...i need you to distract Arthur...i don't want him to see the blasts or whatever...can you do that?" Merlin asked.

"I'm a master at distraction..." Gwaine smiled.

"Could i tell Percival about this...he's a quiet guy and doesn't judge...he'll keep it secret and if i mess up Percival will take over..." Gwaine asked.

Merlin was quiet.

Soon he sighed and nodded.

"Only Percival though..." Merlin said as they reached Gwaine's room.

"Well...good luck...i'll try to visit and use your telepathic whatever if things get hairy...i'll get bandages and run right over..."

"Sure..." Merlin said and Merlin nodded him good night and Gwaine closed the door.

A confused Arthur made his way to his chambers.

Merlin tried his best to sleep as well as Gwaine.

Merlin woke in the morning and made his way to serve Arthur.

He tried not to tire himself out through the day.

Finally, when he could retire, Merlin stopped by Gwaine's room.

He knocked on the knights door, soon the knight opened it with dark circles under his eyes.

"Same for you too?" Merlin asked as he walked in and closed the door.

They sat on the bed.

"I couldn't sleep well either..." Merlin confessed.

"So, do you think were ready?" Gwaine asked.

"We have to be....no need to worry, were going to be fine..." Merlin said.

They were quiet.

"When it's midnight, Arthur will be in the hall singing papers, just guard him and if he is near any window or if he tired to go outside, just do what you can to stop him, also what did Percival say?" Merlin asked.

"He was shocked at first, he wanted to tell Arthur but when i explained everything he understood, were both going to guard him and if Arthur makes a move i will stop him, and if your injured i will go to Gaius and go to you..."

"No...stay in the castle, Morgana is powerful and you will be my weakness, if she captures you...or Arthur..or anyone...i don't, just please don't...whatever you hear, whatever happens, don't do anything...just wait till the sun comes up and then go...promise me Gwaine..." Merlin begged.

"I promise..." Gwaine says with hesitation.

"Thank you..." Merlin smiled.

"So...how long till you have to-"

"Two hours..." Merlin said.

Gwaine nodded and they sat in silence.

Merlin didn't notice he was crying till Gwaine pulled him into a hug.

He couldn't control himself and just let go, sobbing into Gwaine's shoulder.

Merlin gripped onto Gwaine's back, his whole body shook with sadness, fear.

Gwaine held him tightly, allowing Merlin to let the worry and the stress and anger flow out if him.

Soon Merlin calmed and slowly parted the hug.

He sniffed and lifted his arm and wiped his face.

"I'm sorry..." Merlin croaked.

"It's alright...everyone needs to let everything out now and then..." Gwaine said calmly.

"So...what do you want to do?" Merlin asked.

"OH!" Gwaine cried and jumped up and ran to his chest.

He opened it and threw stuff out and picked it all up and laid it on the bed.

"Armor...clothes?" Merlin asked.

Gwaine proudly smiled and stood tall.

"Yeah, i got them for you...see, the armor is very light and small but still strong, you can move around in it a lot...and its only a chest plate..." Gwaine smiled.

"Whats the other clothes for?"

"Protection, their simple and thin but it will save you...here..." Gwaine said and put it all in Merlin's arms and pushed him behind a screen.

"Dress...i'll help with the armor..." Gwaine said.

Merlin obeyed and put on tight jeans, it was comfortable and he could move easily in them, he put on tight fitting boots, it gripped the floor well and it wasn't at all heavy, he put on a brown shirt, the sleeves tightly wrapped around his arms and ended just above the wrists, he put on another but there were strings.

He stepped out.

Gwaine inspected him, smiling.

"You look rather heroic and very fetching in that too..." Gwaine said and walked up to Merlin and tied it, he got the chest plate and put it on Merlin, he walked to Merlin's back and tied it tightly.

He then fetched a belt and fitted around Merlin's waist and put a dagger in a sleeve.

"Just incase..." Gwaine said an stepped back.

"Wow, your all set..." Gwaine smiled.

Merlin grinned and walked up to a mirror.

He gasped.

Gwaine was right, he looked heroic, warrior like and darn good in that outfit.

The bronze chest plate completed it well.

Gwaine stood behind him, looking proud.

"So, lets practice a bit..." Gwaine said.

The last hour Gwaine told Merlin how to use a dagger, how to block and dodge.

When they were done it was time.

Merlin and Gwaine stood outside.

"Good luck..." Gwaine said.

"You too..." Merlin smiled.

Gwaine's chin throbbed, tears prickled his eyes.

"Don't die...okay?" He croaked.
Merlin sadly smiled at him and wiped away the tears.

"You underestimate me...no promises but i'll do my best...for you, Arthur and all of Camelot..." Merlin said, bravely.

"Heh, l like that sentence...i'll write that in the pages of history..." Gwaine said.

They shook hands and parted ways with a worried feeling for each other but pressed on.

Percival and Gwaine stood next to Arthur's chair as Arthur silently wrote letters on the page.

Gwaine looked out the window to see Merlin walking out of the castle.

"Be safe...my friend.." He whispered, Percival put his hand on Gwaine's shoulder for a moment.

"He's strong...have faith and i can feel if somethings wrong...if you get worried i'll go with you..." He whispered.

"What are you two talking about?" Arthur asked.

"Nothing my lord..." Percival said and stood tall.

"Good..." Arthur said.

There was a moment of silence when Gwaine suddenly spoke up.

"Do you...miss Merlin when he's not around?" Gwaine asked, which earned him a slap on the back of the head by Percival.

Arthur stopped writing.

"I don't know...if it's more than a week maybe but if you tell another soul-" Arthur said.

"-I won't...just..." Gwaine hesitated, he couldn't give Arthur any hints.

If Arthur would somehow want to go looking for Merlin, it would ruin everything.

"Just what, Gwaine?" Arthur asked as he carried on writing.

No, Gwaine had to say it, he knows its cruel but-

"What would you do if Merlin would die...?" He asked.

Arthur huffed.

"Did you have a bad dream or something?" Arthur giggled.

Percival eyed Gwaine.

"Y-Yess..." Gwaine hissed.
"Don't worry..." Arthur smiled and carried on writing.

Gwaine sifted nervously and looked at the window to see light blasts in the distance, his eyes widened and he gulped.

'Please Merlin be careful...' Gwaine thought to himself.

Percival put his arm around Gwaine's shoulder and brought him close, they both bowed their heads and closed their eyes and prayed for Merlin.

Merlin fell to the ground with a thud but jumped up and coughed as Morgana threw another fireball at him.

When it screamed past him, the man turned and quickly made it disappear before it reached nature.

He turned to Morgana, panting heavily.

"Your'e strong..." She noticed.

"You have no idea..." Merlin grit out and shot out two large flames from each hand, it nearly hit Morgana but she jumped high into the air and fell to the ground, the ground shot up.

Merlin cried out as he flew up into the air.

The ground normalized and Merlin was falling down, fast.

He didn't have time to protect himself and fell to the hard ground.

He was winded, badly.

Merlin slowly sat up, eyes closed and opening and closing his mouth, trying to let air in.

Morgana laughed and walked up to him and pinned him to the ground with her foot.

Merlin groaned in pain and used his magic to make Morgana fly back and hit a near by tree.

Merlin quickly stood up and readied himself for more attacks.

Morgana was clever and formed a rock behind him and fired it behind Merlin.

Merlin cried out in pain and fell to the ground.

He shook with shock but got back in his feet, sweat dripped down his face.

Morgana chuckled and used her magic to sharped rocks into daggers and fired them at Merlin's chest, Merlin's eyes flashed gold and made a shied but her magic was more powerful and it cut through the barrier impaling his armor.

Four stuck into his chest, two cut past Merlin's legs, blood gashed out.

Merlin couldn't stop shaking, his vision was blurry from the pain and tears.

He could feel the blood flowing from his wounds.

Merlin shaped his hand and extended them forwards, he closed his eyes and braced himself for pain, the daggers shot out of his chest, Merlin fell to his knees and aimed the bloody stone daggers at Morgana.

When he heard an impact he fell to the ground, his arms holding him up.

Merlin tried to catching his breath.

The metal of the chest plate cut into him from the holes.

He pulled it off and threw it to the ground.

He looked up to see Morgana laughing, the daggers were stuck in a tree.

Merlin groaned and slowly stood up.

"I..." he breathed as he grabbed his knee.

"Will..." He hissed as he stood.

"NOT!" He cried as he stood tall.

"GIVE UP!!!" Merlin screamed and shot an air slice at Morgana.

She bent her back, it flew and cut a tree in half.

Merlin growled with annoyance.

"Oh Merlin, your holding back aren't you?" She snickered.

Merlin gulped down blood that flowed out of his mouth.

"Yes..." He gasped.

"Oh come on, do your worst..." She smiled, arms parted.

"Isn't this a battle?" Merlin hissed.

"I pity you..." She pouted.

"How..how can you be stronger than me...i'm Emrys..." Merlin asked.

"Unlike you, i practice my magic openly, not bottle it up and rust it..." She said.

Merlin frowned and lifted his hands.

Morgana smirked.

Merlin let out a scream as he felt rain pour down.

Gwaine gasped as he saw lightning clash, rain poured heavily.

Gwaine grit his teeth and was about to walk out with Percival stopped him, with wide eyes he looked at the knight.

Arthur looked at the window.

"Wow, thats strange..." Arthur frowned.

"Yes...it is..." Gwaine hissed and pulled Percivals' arm off of him and stood in his spot.

He looked at the far away field, rain swirled around a certain spot.

Merlin moved his hands, making a water and air tornado, when it was at it's most powerful he moved it to Morgana, it tore up trees and grass.

Morgana couldn't move, fear lit her eyes.

Suddenly she flew in the air, the tornado moved around and when Merlin was sure she was unconscious he let it go.

Morgana fell to the ground.

Merlin sighed with exhaustion, that was too powerful for him in his state.

She moved and shot to her feet.

"HOW ARE YOU SO POWERFUL!?" She shrieked and shot two fire balls at him.

Merlin managed to extinguish one but the other blasted against his bloody chest, sending him onto the ground.

He tried to catch his breath, cold, wet and in shock he just couldn't get up.

"Get up...get up..." He hissed to himself as Morgana walked up to him.

The women laughed and extended her hand at Merlin.

Merlin couldn't breathe, he choked and lifted his hands to his neck.

Morgana smirked and lifted Merlin into the air.

Merlin hung into the air, he felt dizzy, light headed.

His eyes rolled back, his body calmed.

Using his last bit of energy, he lifted his hand and opened one eye and wordlessly said a spell.

Morgana screamed as she flew across the field.

Merlin could suddenly breathe, he opened his eyes to find that he fell to the ground.

He must have passed out.

Merlin rolled to his side and looked ahead to see Morgana struggling to get up.

A small tree branch impaled her side, bloody gruelingly gushed out.

Merlin closed his eyes in disgust and looked down and opened them to see his dagger.

He heard her come closer.

Merlin took it out and rolled onto his back and hid it behind his back.

When she was close, the women kneeled and took out  her own dagger.

Merlin gripped his handle and when she looked at him he took it out and held it against her back.

His hand shook as he moved it closer, he held tightly, hesitating.

Memories of their friendship flowed in.

"Why did it have to come to this?" He whispered.

"You...will....die..." She hissed, her dagger inches from his bloody chest.

Merlin looked into her lost eyes.

She looked regretful, conflicted and angry.

"I'm sorry..." Merlin whispered.

Suddenly he felt tired and weak.

Soon his arm fell, his hand opened, the dagger fell to the grass.

Merlin's breath was heavy with exhaustion.

his head moved to the side, his eyes fluttered closed.

He heard Morgana shriek and pain erupted in his chest, but more numbly.

Merlin slightly gasped.

he didn't even feel his magic backfire on Morgana, it was indeed Emrys's power, she fell back onto the grass.

A storm grew, clouds black as her hair.

Suddenly two large bolts of lightning screamed down, one cut into the ground next to her, the other bolted into her, the witch vanished.

Soon rain, pure rain gently fell, not enough to wash away a drop of blood but to wash away Merlin's sins.

Merlin turned to face Camelot, he looked into the hall window and saw Arthur writing, Gwaine was nervous but quiet, percival was looking at Gwaine.

Merlin smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry...Gwaine..." He whispered and closed his eyes, letting sleep take him.

(break)

"Alright i'm done...i'm going to retire to my chambers, so you can go..." Arthur said and stood up.

He looked at the window and hummed.

"It's normal..." He smiled and walked out.

Gwaine ran out of the hall, Percival was close behind.

"What are you going to do!?" Percival cried.

"SAVE HIM!" Gwaine yelled.

"Stop!" Percival cried, Gwaine strangely obeyed.

"Merlin told you...he asked you to promise not to go after him!" Percival said.

"Even if he's dying!?" Gwaine growled.

"You don't know that!" Percival shot back.

"I can't just leave him there!!" Gwaine cried.

Percival sighed.

"I'm sorry gwaine but i can't let you go...it's a promise, Merlin will never forgive himself if you interfered...and the battle might not be over...if it is Merlin would go straight to you...but...i can't let you go..." Percival said and walked up to Gwaine.

"What are you saying!?" Gwaine hissed.

Percival gave him an apologetic look before he knocked him out.

He carried Gwaine to his room and laid him in the bed and locked the door and went to his room.

Gwaine woke to birds.

He sat up and gasped.

Arthur was walking through the knights hallway.

Gwaine got dressed fast and ran to the door.

He cried out angrily as it didn't open.

Arthur passed Gwaine's room when he heard banging.

Arthur frowned and opened it.

gwaine ran out, pushing Arthur out the way.

"Gwaine!?" Arthur cried.

Percival suddenly ran out of his room.

"MERLIN COULD HAVE DIED!" Gwaine shouted at Percival and turned and ran.

"What?" Arthur frowned.

He followed Gwaine as well as Percival.

Soon they reached the field.

gwaine gasped and ran to see Merlin on the floor, bloody.

"NO!" He cried and ran to Merlin's side and kneeled.

He sobbed and pulled Merlin into his arms and rocked back and forth.

He looked up at Percival.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" He cried, tears falling down, eyes that could kill.

Arthur ran up and froze in shock.

"No..." He breathed.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!?"

No one answered, Arthur ran to gwaine's side and checked for a pulse.

"Is he alive?" Percival asked.

Arthur sighed.

"Yes...quick, lets get him to Gaius, quick!" He cried.

Gwaine lifted Merlin into his arms and ran to the castle.

People who were walking around froze in shock as Merlin was carried into the city.

All let him pass.

He ran into Gaius's study.

"Gaius, please help..." He wept.

Gaius looked up from his books and immediately was at Gwaine's side.

"Lay him on the bed..." Gaius said.

Gwaine ran to Merlin's room and gently laid Merlin down.

Arthur ran in with the bronze chest plate that was bloody and had large holes in it.

Gaius told all to leave, except for Gwaine.

All were told of Merlin's tragedy.

The knights, servants and king and Queen stood outside, waiting.

As night finally came Gaius walked in.

Wiping his bloody hands with a rag.

All stood up.

"He's lost a lot of blood, he has many injuries...but he's going to make it..." Gaius said.

All breathed a sigh with relief, all parted except for Arthur.

The man walked in to see Merlin.

He has a thin coat of sweat all over his body.

He wore his own pants, socks, the rest was bandaged, some spots were stained red.

It took months but on a cold christmas night Merlin opened his eyes.

He sat up and looked next to him to see Gwaine asleep in a chair.

He smiled.

"Gwaine..." He giggled.

The man opened his eyes and grinned.

"Merlin!" He cried and hugged the man.

Both laughed with joy.

Gwaine smiled and pulled back, he gently held Merlin's cheeks and leaned in, their lips met.

Gwaine parted the kiss and hugged him again.

"Thank god...thank god...Merlin, i love you!" He cried.

Merlin smiled and hugged him back.

"I love you too..." He whispered, feeling oh so safe in the knights' arms that he loved with all his heart.

"I won...i won for you..." Merlin whispered into Gwaine's ear.

"No Merlin...you won for all of us..." He smiled and kissed Merlin once more.

"I could really go for that drink now..." Merlin smiled when they parted.