Lady Knight Missione (Merlin fanfic)

Chapter Twenty Nine

I open my eyes and sit up much too quickly. I yelp in pain as the arrow in my leg becomes blindingly aware to all my senses. It is like I am swimming in dirty water and then jump in the clean, fresh water. Everything is clear and I am too aware.

I feel Lamorak's warm, gentle hands on my shoulders trying to push me back down but I only shrug them off and say, "The blood seems to have- to have stopped since you tied the blood supply off. I think you need to pull it out now. The longer it stays in there, the more exposure to infection, and that goes nowhere good."

"You want me to pull it out?" Lamorak asks looking slightly scared and shocked.

"Yes. As soon as you do... The blood. You're going to need to tie cloth around it, tightly and as fast as you can after the arrow gets dislodged."

"Shouldn't we wait...?"

"No." I respond as I look up at his doubtful face. I take a deep breath as the pain ripples through me and continue, "You were right. They need me."

He seems to understand as he kneels by my leg and begins to tear some cloth from his shirt. We have no supplies, so even if I want to put something on to prevent infection, I can't. There's not much time for me, or for Gwaine. Who knows what he is doing or even if... I can't think of that, so instead I focus on Lamorak as he finishes tearing the fabric and turns to me, revealing the right side of his neck. Blood. An arrow sliced though a few layers of his skin and now it looks like a jumbled mess of flesh and blood.

I choke down the bile that is threatening to come up and say to him, "Your neck..."

"It's alright." He says with a fake smile. "I'm fine."

It's not too deep and isn't bleeding anymore so he should be fine until we get out but still... It's not good to leave it out in the open air like this. So after examining it, I quickly look away and rip some of my own fabric off of my shirt and hand it to him. He takes it without a word and wraps it up tightly. Now it's my turn.

I try to think of Camelot, of Arthur, of Gwaine but the pain, oh the pain is horrible and terrible and everything in-between. I scream as he rips the arrow out as fast as he can and ties the cloth around the wound tightly. I fight against the waves of unconsciousness trying to pull me under, holding on tightly to the sides of my shirt and biting down on my bottom lip to help keep me grounded. Soon the pain dulls and is now aching furiously in rhythm. This is as good as its going to get, I realize, and time is wasting. We need to go and leave. Now.

I struggle to stand for a few moments before Lamorak helps me up and lets me lean on him. At first I try to stand slightly on my left leg but soon find that it is near impossible and it will only slow us down if I try so I stop. Lamorak becomes my left leg as we begin to walk towards the dark, unknown tunnels. He holds onto me with his right arm and with his left holds the small flame that is lighting our way.

I won't admit it to him, and it's hard enough to admit to myself because I'm not supposed to be, we aren't supposed to be... Scared. Knights aren't supposed to fear but I do and it's not for death nor for what lies in our path as we journey through the labyrinth. What I fear is what we are going to find, what is left and what no longer is. I fear the end for Gwaine or something far worse that has been done to him and that thought hurts me more than I will admit. If I had the luxury to worry or feel fear and face it, then I would, but I don't. So I walk on and let the pain of my leg fill and distract me, because that's more possible, more bearable... And then I hope... I hope and I pray to whatever God or Goddess that is up there that I am not too late.

...

"Do you admit your treachery as Sir Mordred claims, against Camelot...? And against me?" Asks Arthur to his cousin, Katherine as she stands in chains before him and kneels.