Darkness

Returned

Merlin stood in the forest, soaking up the sounds all around him. The smells. The sights. It was night, but it wasn't as dark as that gods-forsaken prison he'd been kept in. He didn't know how long he stood there, but knew it must have been hours as light started creeping through the sky. He had to close his eyes from the brightness, though it was barely discernible for most. He took a step forward, intending to walk to Camelot, when his knees gave out and he crashed to the forest floor. His strength had not returned yet. Thinking of Morgana and how she could whisk herself away with a thought, he found himself wondering. His magic had brought him out here from that...place. Maybe it could get him all the way home. Merlin closed his eyes and thought of Arthur. Thought of Gwaine. Thought of the Knights of the Round Table and Camelot. He gasped and felt his feet crash down on a hard surface. There was silence, so he knew he wasn't in the forest anymore. He opened his eyes and saw everyone he cared about, all sitting around the Round Table Arthur had had constructed. There were many stunned faces looking back at him. He grinned seeing them all.

"Merlin?" It was a whisper from his King. As soon as he heard it he fell, losing consciousness. He had somehow landed in the middle of the table. There were hands on him, but he couldn't have said whose.

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"Merlin?" Arthur whispered looking at the gaunt, pale face that had appeared in the middle of the Round Table meeting. It was barely dawn but they were having a meeting to decide on further actions regarding their missing friend. The figure before them was thin, more so than before he'd gone missing, his clothes were torn and covered in dust, a beard adorned his normally clean shaven face, but the eyes. Though they were more haunted than before, those were still Merlin's dark cerulean eyes. Arthur saw relief flood the man's features before he fell unconscious on the table.

"Merlin!" Gwaine had yelled and pulled his still form from the table. "Merlin? Merlin, can you hear me?" Gwaine was frantic and couldn't stop touching Merlin's face trying to reconcile the man who had left with the man who was now lying in his arms.

"Fetch Gaius!" Arthur shouted and a servant ran from the hall. "Gwaine we need to get him to a bed. Quickly!" Arthur was next to Gwaine, a hand on Merlin's drawn cheeks. Gwaine nodded, but didn't seem to hear.

"Let me." Percival said as he came up beside them and carefully cradled the warlock's small frame. He turned and headed down the halls. Arthur directed Percival where to go. It was a prepared guest chamber that wasn't being used. When they arrived, Percival set him gently on the bed. Gaius had gotten there shortly after they arrived. The Knights all lined the corridor, anxious for news. Gwen had put herself on the other side of the bed and had begun wiping Merlin's brow with a warm wet cloth. Tears streamed down her face, though she made no noise. Gaius began trying to push people out of the room, but quickly found that to be futile. He then started making demands, sending someone for more blankets, for wood to get the fire going in the room, for water and bandages, and someone for soup from the kitchens. Gaius checked Merlin thoroughly from head to toe. He had stripped off his torn and ruined clothing and had redressed him in his old sleeping shirt, though it hung off of him. He did what he could for the scarring that was on his wrists, but as soon as he'd touched it and tried to bandage it, Merlin had cried out, pulling his hands to his chest as if he was trying to get away from him. He never opened his eyes, but they flicked restlessly under the lids. Gaius shushed him and murmured softly to him. Once he'd settled again he turned to speak to everyone gathered.

"He needs rest, and lots of nourishment. It doesn't look like he's eaten anything recently that I can tell. I've done what I can, but until he wakes up, I can't know the extent of his injuries. Though..." Gaius trailed off looking at Merlin's sleeping form.

"Yes?" Arthur asked agitatedly.

"I fear most of his injuries will be psychological. He was restrained for a long time. Dare I say, the entire time he's been missing. We need to prepare ourselves. This is not the same Merlin who disappeared two years ago."

Gaius left the gathered Knights and King and Queen to head back to his chambers. Arthur watched Gaius go. Gwen still sat on the bed next to Merlin, murmuring softly to him. Gwaine sat in a chair pulled up next to the bed and was clutching Merlin's hand as if he was afraid he would disappear again. Arthur knew that no one would be getting any work done this day so he spoke to the Knights in the hall and informed them they could each spend an hour or two speaking with Merlin or just sitting with him if they wanted. There would be no training sessions. Arthur sat in a chair pulled up on the other side of the bed next to his wife. They both loved Merlin and had shared many late nights talking about him. As the day wore on, Merlin showed no changes. Arthur had dinner brought to them and set at the table in the room. They ate one by one, not leaving Merlin unattended. As night fell, Merlin became restless, shifting constantly in the bed. When Gaius came back to check on him, he sent Arthur and Gwen off to bed, assuring them he'd let them know when Merlin woke. The only one left then, was Gwaine, who had simply growled when Gaius looked at him debating on telling him to leave as well.

As the night wore on, the fire slowly died, making the room darker and darker, until it was out completely. When it was out, Merlin was clenching and unclenching his fists, turning his head left and right as if trying to get away from something, and even whimpered. Gwaine was concerned and tried to comfort him, only for Merlin to flinch at his touch. Gaius watched and tried to reassure the Knight that it was a nightmare.

"'S dark...no...no...can' see...no please...no! No!" Merlin was shouting, begging, in his sleep sounding terrified.

"Merlin! Merlin it's just a dream! You're in Camelot now, you're safe!" Gwaine was holding on the Merlin's shoulders trying to get him to wake up.

"Let us go!" Merlin cried.

"Us? Merlin, who's with you?"

"You can't...can't...can't keep us...no...stop!"

"Gaius, there has to be some way to wake him up, to get him out of this place he's in. What can we do?" Gwaine looked at the physician, keeping his hands on his lover.

"This started when the fire went out. He's talking about being in the dark. Quickly light the fire back up and light some candles, maybe the light will help." Gaius directed. Gwaine moved through the chambers and got the fire stoked back up and candles going and rushed back to Merlin's side. The light seemed to have calmed him a bit.

"Gaius, do you know when he'll wake?" Gwaine asked. He decided to kick his boots off and lay in the bed next to his lover and try to be a comforting presence. When he sank in to the mattress beside Merlin, the warlock tensed for a minute, but rolled toward the warm body and clutched at his shirt.

"Gwaine." Merlin breathed out. Gwaine melted and felt a tear escape. He hadn't realized how much he had wanted to hear his voice speaking his name. He kissed the sleeping man's head and wrapped his arms around him. Merlin was back. He had returned. Now they just needed to figure out what happened in the two years he'd been missing.