Goodbye Arthur

Chapter 10

Elyan walked back into the room to find Merlin slumped on one of the thrones and Gwen trying to help him stand. "What happened here?"

Elyan," said Gwen. "Help me." Elyan hurried over and picked up Merlin bridal style and followed Gwen out of the chamber and back to where they came in. She took Merlin's hand and placed it on the rune on the wall. 

The pair hurried along the corridors and somehow managed to avoid everyone. When they heard voices from the courtyard. They entered Arthur's empty room and Elyan put Merlin on bed and he and Gwen went to look out the window at the courtyard below. Gwen gasped when they saw what was going on below. Uther was being dragged towards the center of the courtyard where a pyre was setup.  Morgause walked out on the steps of the palace and held out her hand for silence. 

"His Majesty, King Uther of Camelot, has been found guilty of crimes against the old religion. He has put many of our kind to the sword, the gallows, or his personal favorite, burned at the stake. I saw that he die that same way that he killed us. She summoned a fireball in her hand and threw it at where Uther stood tied to a stake. Gwen and Elyan turned away from the view and stepped back from the view.

"We have to get out of here," said Elyan. Gwen nodded. 

"We have to get to the hidden gate." Elyan nodded and picked up Merlin. The pair hurried down the back staircase and along the servant passages unseen by anyone. Eventually they burst out of the hidden gate and ran towards the woods. 

"What happened?" asked Leon taking Merlin's body from Elyan. 

"Where are the others Leon?" asked Gwen. "We need to get with everyone else."

"This way." Leon headded off into the forest and the siblings followed him to a small cave where Morgana, Arthur, and Gaius sat around a fire.

"Leon," said Arthur. "What...?" He stopped talking as he saw Merlin in Leon's arms. 

"He is fine Arthur," said Gwen. "Just exhausted." Leon laid Merlin down by the wall of the cave and Arthur put his cloak under Merlin's head.

"Gwen, what happened? Where have you been?" 

"Arthur, I've been with Merlin. And honestly we have no idea what happened to Merlin, he just collapsed." They both turned and looked at Merlin who lay asleep.

"Gwen, what of the others?" asked Morgana. "The Knights?"

"Most of them are dead," said Elyan. "And..." He looked at Gwen and she nodded. "There is something else."

"Go on Elyan," said Gaius lowering himself to a sitting position next to Merlin. "What has happened." 

"Morgause, she killed Cendred and Uther." 

"We could see Cendred's body laying on the palace steps and they burned Uther at the stake."

Suddenly Merlin sat up straight. "You must leave this place. Danger is upon us. Beware, flee or die is our fate." He said loudly his eyes pure gold before he fainted back into Gaius' arms. 

"What is that?" said Arthur as he and Leon drew their swords. 

"Um, I think Merlin is possessed by his ancestor right now," said Gwen and everyone looked at her."

"It wouldn't be the strangest thing that has happened with him," said Arthur. 

"But regardless of who is giving the message we should leave," said Morgana. "It's not safe here."

Their small group moved slowly through the cave system and came out in the Valley of the fallen kings. "Ok we should..." started Leon when a shadow fell upon them.