To Break a Curse

Chapter 21

A/N   Ah, we're nearly there, readers! Only a few more chapters to go after this one... 

***

Will groaned and opened his eyes. He became aware that he was lying on grass wet with rain. Thunder was rolling overhead and lightning flashed through the trees.

He propped himself up on his elbows and saw Merlin was already on his feet.

'The weather's better in Camelot!' Merlin shouted over the storm.

Will laughed and shook Rose and Oliver awake, 'we're home!'

'How is it still raining?' Oliver scrambled to his feet.

'It's only a few seconds after you left in the first place,' Merlin pushed his sodden hair out of his eyes. 'That's time travel for you, it's the same day as you left and you've only been gone for about five seconds.'

'Can you do the memory wiping spell so everyone forgets about Tom?' asked Rose.

Merlin nodded and began muttering and waving his arms around.

Will, Rose and Oliver looked at each other while he was doing this and laughed despite themselves. They were home. Completely soaked to the skin, but home all the same.

'All done,' Merlin said, feeling immensely relieved that everything had gone smoothly this time. 'I'll be going back, then.'

'Thanks for everything,' said Rose.

'Well, you were the ones who worked out how to lift the curse,' smiled Merlin.

'Any time,' said Oliver.

'Although preferably warn us in writing first,' said Will.

Merlin laughed, 'I'm sure Tom will come and visit soon, but goodbye for now.'

Will, Rose and Oliver stepped out of the circle, leaving Merlin inside. Lightning flashed again, illuminating the scene and the stone began to glow silver once more.

The lights surrounded Merlin until the three of them could no longer see him, and then, suddenly, there were no silver sparks, the stones were not glowing, the circle was empty and Oliver, Will and Rose were alone in the woods.

Rose looked at Oliver and Will, 'let's go home.'

***

Once they had left the woods, they staggered against the wind back towards Will's farm.

'Wait!' said Rose suddenly as they drew near to the cowshed where they knew people would be after they had found the cows.

'What?' Will shivered as the wind howled around them.

'We've still got our cloaks on and our Camelot clothes,' said Rose.

Oliver started to take off his cloak, 'where can we hide them?'

'In the stables?' suggested Rose. 'No one will look there until morning and we can move them by then.'

'Ok,' Will led the way to the stable block where they took off their cloaks and shoved everything under some hay.

That done, they ran back towards the cowshed.

'Did you find the cow?' Andrew looked up as the three of them flung open the door and piled inside.

The door banged shut behind them, muffling the sound of the storm. The cows lifted their heads lazily at the new arrivals and Andrew was finishing getting the food ready for their morning feed.

'What?' asked Will blankly

'The last cow,' said Andrew impatiently.

'Oh!' Rose remembered why they had been in the woods in the first place – to help Tom bring the final escaped cow back to the cowshed.

'What have you been doing?' demanded Andrew.

'Now, there's a question,' muttered Oliver so only Rose and Will could hear.

'How long have we been gone?' asked Will, his mind still struggling to keep up.

'About twenty minutes; why?'

'No reason,' said Will.

'What are you waiting for, then?' Andrew shooed them back out into the storm. 'Go and find that cow.'

***

'I don't believe it,' said Will as they trudged back up the hill towards the woods.

'That's gratitude for you,' Oliver joked. 'You save the whole of Camelot from a curse and get sent back out into a storm to find a cow as a reward.'

'Something's coming,' Rose peered into the darkness ahead of them.

The darkness began to show a form coming towards them at high speed. They stopped still and then threw themselves to the side as whatever it was thundered past them.

Picking themselves up, they looked at the retreating form.

'It's that sodding cow!' Will began to give chase.

Stumbling and sliding, they made their way back down the hill and managed to herd the cow towards the cowshed. Rose darted ahead and opened the door while Will and Oliver carefully got the cow to go inside.

Andrew was ready and herded the cow into its pen, shutting the door with a sigh of relief.

'Happy?' Will pretended to be grumpy.

Andrew just laughed.