Merlin: The Light of Eriador

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It was only when the noise and the green lightning ended that Gaius dared to look up.  The scene in front of him was absolute chaos.  The windows, the furniture, the hanging banners; everything had been blown to pieces.  There were dark spots on the stone walls where the lightning had crashed.  The white flowers had been ripped apart and were now lying on the bodies of those who had fallen to the ground.  A few minutes ago, there had been screaming.  Now he could hear only moaning and hysterical sobbing.

The only comprehensible sound was King Ulrik’s booming voice as he called to all of his men.

“Knights of Vallonia, those of you who can stand and hold a sword, we shall find the enemy and make them pay!  Join me!”

A few answers were heard, but not from the Knights of Camelot and not from Prince Arthur.  Amongst the slow movements and low groaning of the green-clad knights, Gaius saw the foreign king step close to his son and look upon him with a look of relief on his face, but also something else, something less likely to belong to a father.  Was it disdain?  The young prince was cradling one of his wounded knights in his arms, tears pouring down his face.  His father hesitated a moment, and then he moved on without a word.  Gaius could only watch as the knight drew his last breathes.  Prince Odran was crying when at last he closed the man’s eyes.

“Knights of Vallonia, to me!” cried out King Ulrik as he left the hall hurriedly.

The absence of reply from the knights of Camelot, Uther or Arthur filled Gaius with sudden dread.  His physician instincts kicked in immediately.  He had to keep a cold head, regardless of how he felt.  He had to work his way through the priorities.  Firstly, he appraised his own condition and found only a few cuts on his left arm.  He then did a rapid head count: more people were lying on the ground than left standing, but his first patient would be the most important one for Camelot.

Uther.

Struggling to get up in the pile of debris, Gaius took only one step before he found the king.  Uther was lying on his back, blood pouring out of a deep gash on his forehead.  His eyes were closed and he wasn’t moving.  Quickly, Gaius bent over his king and with a piece of fabric torn from his tunic he started to apply pressure on Uther’s wound.  The weak pulse and the blood loss were enough to confirm what Gaius feared: that he would have to remain at Uther’s side until the blood flow stopped and the king regained consciousness.  Who, then, would take care of the other victims?

Gaius’ eyes darted around the room again, searching for his priority number two.

Arthur.

He could see the prince now, at the other end of the hall, struggling to get up.  Lady Ursulla was seated on the ground besides him and she grabbed his arm pleadingly.  With a jolt in his stomach, Gaius saw Prince Arthur stumble down with a look of pain in his face.  He was clutching his shoulder and blood was trickling between his fingers.  But the old physician couldn’t get up; he still had to keep pressure on Uther’s wound.

“My Lord!  You saved my life!” squealed Lady Ursulla.

But Arthur didn’t seem interested in her at all.  He ignored her completely as he turned around and his eyes found Gaius.

“My father!” he yelled from across the room.

“I have to stay with him, my Lord, until he regains consciousness,” replied the physician.  “How is your own condition?  Arthur?”

Gaius was listening intently for the reply, but none came.

“I’ll go to him.  Stay with the king.”