A Warrior's Heart ( A Merlin fanfiction )

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I closed the door behind me once I left the chamber, and told the guards, "Please. Do whatever you can to keep her alive. If she refuses medication, do not listen to her."

Thankfully the guards nodded in understandment. I raced down the halls of Annis's castle, out the gates of her kingdom, finding Merlin waiting impatiently for me by our horses.

"What took you so long?" He complained.

I let out a sigh, "Queen Annis has fallen ill. When I asked her to follow me to the river, she refused. She said she could not make the long journey." I explained as I swung myself on the saddle.

Merlin continued leading me towards the western borders and once through the Valley of the Fallen Kings, we spotted a long stream once the sun was lowering, I began to fall weak.

"This is not it. This does not feel right." He said.

My leg began to throbble badly, and my vision started to blur up. I started slipping from the saddle, and fell on the ground, I heard distant voices like Merlin calling out to me and Javelin panicking, like rearing up on his hind legs and neighing loudly.

-

"Close the gates. We're under attack." Arthur orders.

"By whom?" Gwen asked worriedly.

"Bandits." Arthur replied.

"Arthur?" Gwen called as her husband turned, "Aurora..."

Arthur frowned, "What about her?"

Gwen played with her skirts, and sighed, "She went out with Merlin, she wants to seek her memories back from the riverbanks of the Western Borders. The princess Mithian told her to do so before she left the land of the living."

He cursed under his breath, "Sir Leon!" He bellowed.

The knight appeared rushing into the throne room, his red cape flapping behind his back, "Yes, my lord?"

"Prepare the knights and my horse." Arthur commanded.

"Right away." Leon executed a bow before leaving the room.

-

Arthur kicked his horse into a full trot out of the courtyard and into the meadows with his favored knights behind him ; Elyan, Percival, Leon and Gwaine.

Camelot is now under the protection of Guinevere, and the gates are to be locked and no one is to enter except them nor leave except if there is the permission of the Queen.

"We are to reach the western borders by dusk today." Arthur told his knights.

-

"Merlin," almost a hundred voices called softly, as soft as the blowing wind.
Merlin turned around, trying to find out who was talking to him in such soft voices.

Then he spotted a lady surfacing from underneath the banks, softly and gently approaching Aurora. She has this lightly blue-skin, and dripping hair.

"My name is Aqua.." the lady whispers, "And I am the guardian of the waters." She paused, taking in Merlin's expression, "I mean you no harm. Your friend is recovering."

"She has fallen ill. She will be gone by dawn." Merlin informed the water lady.
Aqua shook her head, her dripping hair lightly swishing back and forth, "She is well recovering...she is a strong woman.." she disagrees.

"She lost her memory. She does not remember who we are." Merlin protests.
Aqua places her wet hand on Aurora's forehead, "I see she has been through so much. Rest now. Your friends will come get you." She whispers melodiously, "I am healing her now. She will remember who she is and who she was then."

-

"Quickly! Through here!" Arthur shouted over his shoulder, leading a group of his favored knights behind him to rescue the stowaway Captain.

-

As soon as the sun rises, my eyes slowly fluttered open. I looked around to examine my surroundings, all I see were trees and some branches.

That's when realisation struck me. I'm in the meadows. But what was I doing all the way over here? I glanced over my shoulder to find Merlin up and at it, catching breakfast for us from the streams.

"Merlin?" I called, finally remembering his name, "Merlin!" I called again, trying to get his attention since his back was turned to me.
When he turned, I asked, "What are we doing here? Shouldn't we be heading back to Camelot now?"

Merlin came jogging towards me, a harpoon in his hands, and two fishes, "Aurora! You're alright!" He totally ignored my question. So what gives now.

"Yes but..." I mumbled, helping myself to stand. Which I did without struggling! Yes! One point scored! I also remembered everything.

"We should be going back now." Merlin says, munching on his fish that he had pierced through using a thin branch he found nearby. I packed my supplies up then saddled and reined Javelin before swinging myself up on its saddle.