Rabbit Heart - Merlin Fanfiction

Dog Days

Elaine stands in the crowded council chamber next to a table covered in scrolls and maps and pieces or parchment. Elaine reels with every breaking word that departs from Arthur's lips. She feels detached - having to get him to repeat the words again but she didn't let them sink in, she refused to believe it and now she found herself in a spot of bother.

"Elaine I'll ask you again - did you know anything about this, or God forbid have anything to do with this?"
Elaine doesn't see the flickering glances that Gwaine and Merlin share, Merlin could place her to the scene - almost certainly. Though the shock that has drained her already pale face should be enough of an answer, but they still had to ask.

"No - yes, I'm not sure" the words fall out of her mouth as a jumbled mess.
"Elaine" Arthur says sternly, her fractured gaze meets his own. She feels hazy, she can feel it gripping her, hugging her - a fuzzy kind of disbelief that made you want to laugh hysterically before screaming into an abyss in a desperate hope for it to all be lies. Alas it was far from lies, it was a long time coming, any of her efforts to stop it were in vain. The time was upon her, but she refused to believe it.
"It's Morgana for God's sake Arthur - when is it not about war?"
"Well then that settles it - the burning of the forest can only mean one thing - Morgana has declared war".
Elaine feels herself reeling again, amongst the gasps of the claustrophobic crowd she found herself drowning in. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the visions. She saw the flames licking the edge of the crystal, billowing smoke so thick she couldn't see, bubbling water and glints of gold. A figure, a lake and blood. It starts as a single drop and she refuses to think of it any more. She knew the vision was just fragmented pieces of a future not yet written, that there was some hope to escape it, but with every passing moment, the warnings that tormented her sleep were becoming reality.

"I bet it was due to our low crop supply - I did say it was a sign of weakness" a voice says from amongst the crowd. Arthur throws a frustrated hand to his head.
"How many more times, it's not about the crops"
The man goes to speak again but before he can talk Arthur gets there first, "or the grain" he states clearly.

Elaine looks at the man who was still stubbornly holding on to his beliefs. She couldn't quite tell if he was supposed to offer some form of comic relief at such a dire time but at least it took the attention off her, though Merlin was still keeping a close eye on her. He wanted to believe her, her genuine shock but after their conversation early he was convinced she was hiding something.

"We have no choice but to prepare for war" Arthur begins, "I do not know how long we have - but we best start to prepare ourselves now"
The council members nod in agreement, Gwen amongst them - it appeared she had been sent off to deal with breakfast only to come back to find her nicely laid table was strewn with paper work.
"I'll despatch small groups of Knights to watch the perimeter whilst other will make sure the citadel is in fully working order. I've already dispatched a group to put out the forest fire that appeared to catch light early this morning. Be vigilant and stock up on any supplies you can get"
And with that the members bowed and left the room, Elaine filters out with them lost in a world of her own.

Merlin waltzes over to Arthur, "it appears the dog days are well and truly over"
Arthur turns his head sharply to look at his servant, "what is that supposed to mean?" He asks incredulously.
"I...I have no idea - I just thought it would sound...intelligent?"
"Merlin"
"Yes Arthur?"
"What have I told you about being smart?"
"Not to...!"
"Exactly" Arthur intervenes -
"Because if I do I'll sound smarter than you" Merlin concludes.