Protected

Chapter 4

Gwen, somehow, had managed to stay standing throughout the torrent. She stood, barefooted and terrified, and so very brave. Arthur could see the white knuckle grip she had on her shoe. He could see the way her lips pressed together in a hard line. Arthur struggled anew against the stony hands holding him down.

"How dare you," Cor said, and the anger melted away, and he laughed, an even scarier tone, "You are brave, little one, but it will cost you your life."

Gwen took a deep, shaking breath, and began to walk towards the sorcerer. "Gwen, no!" Arthur yelled, "Guinevere! Stop!"

"Listen to your prince, Guinevere," Cor said, a slight sing-song lilting in his words, "Step away. This does not concern you."

Gwen continued forward. Cor stumbled back, apparently to shocked to do anything. She stopped when she stood in front of Merlin, and stared at Cor. When she spoke, there was winter and iron in her voice, "You have taken me from my home, and endangered my friends," she said, "You have tortured Merlin, one of the kindest, most wonderful...It concerns me, you foul monster."

"Stand aside," Cor repeated.

"Gwen!" Arthur bellowed.

Gwen swallowed, and said, "No."

"Fine," Cor snarled, and raised the staff, "On your head be it."

Lightening flew from the pulsating, glowing staff, straight for Gwen and Merlin. Gwen screamed, and threw herself in front of the bound warlock, wrapping her arms around his neck and covering his body with hers. The lightening slammed straight into her, sending dust and smoke flying and making it utterly impossible to see what was happening.

"No!" Arthur yelled, and his heart all but leaped from his chest. He stared, too scared to blink, too grief stricken, hoping, praying, wishing for some silly and stupid miracle to happen. The smoke began to clear. He couldn't believe his eyes at the sight that appeared - Gwen, clinging to Merlin, shaking like flower in a windstorm. Still standing, still protecting, still living.

"I...I don't understand," Cor was muttering, staring at the staff, "I have Emrys. I have him. Why are they not...how?"

"There is breath in him yet," Gwen said, her voice small but steely. She continued to cling to the front of Merlin's shirt. Both of their clothes were singed and blackened, Gwen's curls floating in the breeze and Merlin's face covered in ash. She glanced upwards at the sorcerer, "And you cannot have him."

Cor, apparently unready to deal with such a development, howled wordlessly and vanished with a loud bang.

Arthur pushed himself to his feet immediately, the stones' granite fingers disappearing back down into the floor.

He and Gwaine both dashed on unsteady legs to where Gwen stood, Merlin's forehead leaning against hers. "Cut him down," she whispered, eyes shut, crying quietly. All of the fight had drained out of her, and she looked like she may fall at any moment, "For God's sake, cut him down."

She reached into her sleeve and pulled out a rumpled and stained bit of fabric, and pressed it to Merlin's bleeding nose. Distantly, Arthur realized it was Merlin's neckerchief. Staring, Arthur couldn't move. He couldn't make his feet walk forward. Gwaine, however, jumped forward and began to saw at the ropes with gusto, using Cor's dropped dagger. Arthur swallowed thickly, "Is he...?"

He couldn't finish the question. Gwen, cupping a hand to Merlin's cheek and still not moving, said, "As I said, there is breath in him yet. B-but he won't wake up."

Of course, that was the point where they were all brutally reminded of the fact that they hadn't been alone in the courtyard. Luckily for them, Thom and his bandits had been equally stunned, which had given the three prisoners time to get Merlin free. However, they'd now regained their wits, and were less than pleased.