The Safest Place to Hide

14. Divide and Conquer

Thorn was bloody.

He had a gash on his head, deep and painful, an injury he had acquired during a long night of battling bandits and sorcerers. He and the few warriors he had taken with him were tired, but Thorn knew if he had come back to Morgana empty­-handed it could mean his life. So they had scoured Odin's kingdom for a sorcerer to join her. Many of those with magic were hiding from Morgana because they did not wish to participate in her vendetta against King Arthur, but Thorn had lucked into a sorcerer anyway.

He and his men had found him down by the borders of Camelot. He was young, and just getting some water from the lake. He was the perfect prey. He had thrown a few of his men when they tried to approach him, but Thorn had come at him from behind. He knocked the boy out and now he was draped over his shoulders like some old rag doll.

Thorn trudged up the stone steps easily. With his massive muscles, the boy wasn't heavy at all. He burst through the doors of the ruins of the stone castle they were living in and immediately started his search for Morgana. He found her, where she always was, on the throne, but she wasn't alone. There was a man knelled on the floor in front of her. Thorn recognized him immediately. It was Hugh. He stopped dead in his tracks and waited patiently to see what news the sorcerer brought from Camelot. Morgana looked up at him, but he did not speak.

"I trust you bring me more news?" Morgana questioned. "And for you to make a trip all the way out here, it must be substantial."

"It is."

"I'll allow you to see you family in the dungeons as soon as you tell me and won't leave anything out."

Hugh cleared his throat anxiously. "Of course not. Magic has been permitted again in Camelot."

Morgana's eyes stretched in surprise. "What? What brought this on?"

"The young lady that saved Merlin's life is a sorceress. She saved Merlin again by healing him and Sir Leon. Her friend Cora is a sorceress too."

"The woman that stopped me from killing the knights," she muttered to herself. "Go on."

"There are three sorcerers though. That is the news I came here to deliver. There was a sorcerer already in the castle."

She leaned forward, slightly interested in what he was about to say next. "And was this sorcerer's name Emrys"

Hugh frowned. "No. It's the boy you poisoned in the woods. The sorcerer is Merlin."

"Merlin?" she echoed in disbelief.

He nodded. "Arthur made the three of them honorary knights and Gwaine tells me they are meant to help protect Camelot from you."

Morgana laughed out loud. She was powerful, more powerful than they could ever imagine. With the army she was building, she would crush them all. "Thank you, Hugh. Did your knight buddy happen to mention anything else?"

He thought for a moment. There was something else. Gwain had mentioned extra food for a ride of some kind. He contemplated not mentioning it, but if Morgana found out he knew and didn't tell her, she would kill his family. She was evil and ruthless. "He did, my lady. He mentioned a ride, a leisurely ride for the king and queen. They're leaving tomorrow."

"Where?"

He shrugged. "The same place they always go, I assume. I'm not sure."

She smiled. "I know where that is. Just about a half a mile from the Valley of the Fallen Kings. That is where we will wait for them. You have been a great help, Hugh. Only one more thing to do for me and I will release your family to you."