Fighting Fire With Fire

Chapter 4

Merlin didn't need to open his eyes to know what was in store for him... he could hear the slushing sound of the water before it hit.
The freezing Ice water seeped down his shirt and in his trousers leaving a faint musky smell of leather and horse dung.
Great on top of being burned to death I will smell like a barn, thought Merlin to himself.
How's that.... the last thing to remember me by will be the smell of dung lofting around the town square after they burn my body, seems like a fitting end smiled Merlin to himself despite the circumstances and for a moment he forgot about the two guards standing  in front of him.
"Watcha smiling at princess?" Ignorance seeped through every word the young guard said. Merlin kept his silence, for there is no point in engaging.
"I said... watcha smiling about princess?" This time he spat it out with even more venomous authority than before.
Merlin tried... but he couldn't help it. "I do have ears you know. In fact their quite large.... so trust me I heard you. Now if you don't mind I would like to spend these last few hours alone by myself," With my big ears, He thought to himself.
The young guard launched forward as predicted by the great Emerys himself. Merlin closed his eyes and braced himself for the hit, but none came, instead something far worse.
"You really know how to piss people off don't you Merlin. Especially people who really don't like to be pissed off".
It was Arthur.
Merlin looked at Arthur, standing there all princely like with one arm holding the guard back. Merlin knew what he was doing. He was waiting for a snarky remark back... but Merlin had none to give.
Arthur stepped further in and motioned for the guard to leave, reluctantly he did. "Listen Merlin....." his voiced stopped.
Merlin looked away for he knew the answer.... there is no getting out of this. He really fucked up this time.
Royally fucked.
Arthur sat down next to Merlin... perhaps he thought that would make the news lesser of a blow than it was. "I don't know what you did or if you did something to piss my father off enough to do something like this but-but you succeeded." His voice was strained behind the dry humor.
"Merlin... I don't understand. You need to talk to me so I can help."
Merlin didn't want to talk. This was his fault.
I never should of listened to Gauise..... I should of known better. I should of known.
"Mer-" he was cut off. "Arthur... please don't ask." Merlin knew that wasn't the end of it.
"Merlin please.... I'm trying to help!  Why won't you just let me help?! Surely your not dumbwitted enough to not want help!"
Even Arthur knew he sounded like a broken record.... he just needed to know. As much as they bicker and fight, Arthur doesn't think he could stand the lost of Merlin... his friend.  
Merlin turned to look at Arthur and for the first time he really looked.
Arthur's sun kissed skin seemed paler, his features duller like the concrete walls around them and the circles under his eyes deeper. He didn't sleep last night. He couldn't lie to Arthur.... especially not now. Maybe. Just maybe he could help. And suddenly a traitorous idea came to his head... but none the less, an idea. And he really needed an idea... for Arthur, his friend. 
"Arthur... I can't tell you why I'm here. I just need you to trust me. Can you do that? Can you trust me; no questions asked?"
Arthur nodded his head like a boy full of desperation.
"I need you to get me a pen, paper and an envelope. The sooner the better you know with the whole waiting for my death thing."
"Ok... for a second I was worried that you where as dumb as I thought you where." And he was off. 

Merlin looked up at his surroundings as if for the first time. The dark stone wall had etchings of numbers, stars and various dashes on them. The only light was that of the torch in the hall and the sun that shone sickly bright through the barred windows. Merlin looked away, for the sun was way to bright for what he was about to do.

----

Sure enough, Arthur promptly returned with a pen, a piece of paper and an envelope. 

But Merlin was no longer there. 

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Hi! Yah.... I know.... its been a while. oops! Ive been really busy and lately have been getting sick quite a few times this year so I just haven't had any time to update. I love reading the comments and the feed back that you guys give me. Some of them really make my day! I will try to be more active on here and write more frequently. This chapter was a teeny tiny bit of a filler but none the less I did try to make it good and hopefully it will tie into the big ideas I have for this story.... so stay tuned!