Another Way Out

The Help

Merlin stumbled across the thick shrubbery trying to get to the lake just ahead. The Lake of Mithras. One of the biggest lakes in the kingdom and also in the Sarrum of Amata's land. He had to get there in time, fearing he'd be too late to save her. Morgana.

Merlin was on one of his usual walks around in the forest, looking for some herbs for Gaius, when he found a suspicious-looking man wandering the forest and heading his way.

"Hello there, I am Shatas, are you from Camelot by any chance?", the man asked.
"Yes I am, my name is Merlin. Is there a specific reason why you ask?", Merlin replied with a polite smile.

"I was just hoping to send news that the Sarrum of Amata will finally be executing Morgana of Camelot! Good riddance I say. We don't need disgusting creatures like her in this world. We already have enough of them, what with Druids roaming through towns like they own them."

Merlin struggled to keep his emotions at bay. On one hand, he was furious about this man's obvious hatred for people of magic and on the other hand, shocked to find Morgana was alive.

"How long has the Sarrum had her with him, by the way?", Merlin questioned. "She's been his guest for 2 years, rotting like she should, in a well with her vile excuse of a dragon", the man grumbled, "well I shouldn't be keeping you from whatever it was that you were doing, I hope you can give this news to the King. The Sarrum would've invited him to see her executed personally, however he has other matters to tend to. You will tell the King won't you?". 

Crossing his fingers behind his back, Merlin simply smiled and replied, "Of course I will, don't you worry about a thing."

Shatas walked off after thanking him and Merlin got to work, thinking of a plan to get Morgana out of there. He thought about the dragon Shatas mentioned and realised it must've been Aithusa. He had to save them both and quick. Morgana may have done some bad things in the past but she didn't deserve this. That's what he wanted to believe. That it was nothing to do with the fact that he once loved her...Still loved her. He couldn't help it. Everything about her drew him in. She was like a drug and he was addicted. Even after everything, he remembered every detail about her. Her beautiful face, her luscious locks, her charm and a voice that could make your heart stop beating.

Merlin had nightmares plaguing him still, about him poisoning her. He could remember her look of hurt and betrayal as she realised what he had done. Tears blinded him as he watched her slowly dying in front of him. He regretted it in an instant, thinking it would've been easier if he killed himself. He wouldn't even need to witness everything around him. He wouldn't have to witness the death of the girl he loved.

It might not have even happened this way if Merlin had told her about his magic all those years ago. He knew better than anyone how it felt to be so alone and yet, just because of the advice of Gaius and Kilgarrah, he didn't tell her and allowed her to think that she was crazy. Merlin looked at the lake before him and sighed. He would not let her die again. If he had known earlier...who knew what she'd been through. Two years! Two years, she'd been here with Aithusa, both being tortured for fun probably, knowing the Sarrum. The Sarrum was a dark man, a man quite like Uther in the sense that he hated all things magical. Merlin was quite frankly disgusted by him and decided that if worst comes to worst, he would dispose of the Sarrum for good.

Spying a boat, Merlin started towards it and quickly got to rowing it. The more he rowed the boat, the closer he got to the Sarrum's castle and it's surrounding forest.

A few more rows later and he was finally on the shore. He made his way up the bank and only saw the forest ahead of him. 'The castle must be behind all of this forest', Merlin pondered to himself.

As he was trudging through the mud and leaves of the forest floor, he heard an inhuman screech and another person begging someone to stop. 'That must be Morgana and Aithusa!', Merlin started running towards the sounds, anger taking over him. Who could hurt his harmless baby dragon and who would dare touch his Que--Morgana... His anger subsided slightly must came back full force at him when he saw a man throwing huge rocks down a well, a well that they were in.

Fire lit up in his eyes as he muttered a spell too quick for the man to notice. Within a second, the man was thrown into a tree and was knocked out completely.

Merlin scampered towards the well as quick as possible and stopped at the edge.
"Morgana...", he questioned cautiously. "It's me...Merlin." He looked down to see her looking up at him with tears in her eyes and an injured Aithusa next to her. Emotions hit him and suddenly he had an urge to rip out the Sarrum's heart. Gods, he hated seeing her like this. He hoped he never would see this sight again and silently prayed to the gods to protect them all.