Chapter Eighteen, The Valley of the Fallen Kings

Merlyn could feel her heart beating erratically in her chest, and her breaths coming in short pants, as she ran through the woods with Arthur behind her. They were trying to escape the bandits that were on their tail. What was supposed to be a short trip has turned into a disaster. They had been separated from Sir Leon, Gwaine and the rest of the Knights and had no way of knowing whether any were hurt or if they were even alive.
'No! No, don't think that!' She mentally scolded herself.
All she could do was try and keep herself and Arthur alive and try to lose the bandits. She would've used magic to get rid of them but Arthur wouldn't let her stop long enough to cast a spell let alone go on without her. He said; he would not sacrifice her life for his, if he was going to be King she would be his Queen.

Since the whole issue with those thugs a few weeks ago Arthur, Sir Leon and Gwaine had been extremely overprotective and had barely let her leave their sights when they left Camelot. She stopped again allowing Arthur to overtake her when she saw the men were getting closer when she heard their yells becoming louder and closer. Just as her eyes started to turn gold as she faced the men Arthur shouted from behind her.
"Come on Merlyn!" Arthur shouted, fear gripping him tightly when he saw the woman he loved was going to sacrifice herself. Knowing he wasn't about to leave, she sighed and started running again. They ran through the underbrush, twigs whipping at their clothes and exposed skin but neither worries nor cared about that right now.

They ran until they came across a ravine they could hide in so they could catch their breath and think of a plan. They picked up the pace a little as they sped towards the ravine hoping they would leave the bandits behind and wouldn't know where they had gone.
"Arthur! Get down!" She hissed, when she spotted he was peering over the top.
"I'm just having a look." Arthur whispered. "I told you we'd outrun them." He said a moment later, with a smirk on his face when he saw no one around.
"Are you sure?" Merlyn asked, peering over the ledge. She had a feeling this was far from over.

"Why is it you never trust me, Merlyn?" Arthur asked teasingly, but with a slightly annoyed look on his face. A second later they heard yelling coming from just opposite them. It seems the bandits took another way around.
"That's why Arthur. That's why!" Merlyn hissed.
"Shut up Merlyn." Arthur grumbled, before they took off running again trying to escape their pursuers. They entered another rocky ravine only to pause for a moment as Arthur looked around them.
"Come on this way." Arthur said, before he took off again.
"Arthur, where are we going?" Merlyn shouted after him.
"Trust me!" was all Arthur said. Merlyn sighed and followed him only to pause when she was suddenly struck with a powerful wave of magic. 

"Arthur." Merlyn called, trying to keep her voice steady. She didn't know what that magic was but she knew it was cursed, and that certainly didn't mean anything good, and they certainly shouldn't go towards it.
"Merlyn! What are you doing?" Arthur shouted, worried and frustrated.
"You ask me to trust you, so trust me." Merlyn said, making no move to go towards that place. "We shouldn't go in there."
"Come on!" Arthur said, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the place that felt cursed. He knew by the look on her face that she could sense powerful magic, but what other choice did they have? As she passed the two stone statues she felt a humming in the air, a mix of a warning and something sinister. Looking behind her to make sure no one was there she took off after Arthur who had left her at the entrance and was staring at her with a confused and worried frown upon his face, but said nothing when she finally joined him.

"What is this place?" Merlyn asked.
"The Valley of the Fallen Kings." Arthur replied, as he led the way through it.
"Is it cursed?" Merlyn questioned, wondering what the story was of this place.
"No, not unless you're superstitious. Why, you can sense magic, can't you?" Arthur asked, but his voice had gone up an octave when he answered so Merlyn knew that wasn't the case or he either believed it was indeed cursed.
"It is. I can feel it." Merlyn muttered, looking around cautiously as she could feel the humming getting stronger and louder the further they went in.
"We had no other option open to us. We'll be safe." Arthur said, kissing her gently for a second. "Besides, everyone else believes it a myth. They'll never follow us in here. They won't dare." Arthur continued. "Trust me."
"If you say that one more time..." Merlyn threatened, getting a weird look from Arthur.

As they turned a corner they suddenly heard feet pounding on the ground behind them, followed by yelling once again.
"Do you get tired of being wrong?!" Merlyn asked, annoyed, as they took off once again. She was seriously fed up with today and just wanted to go home. As they entered an open clearing an arrow flew past Merlyn's ear before she could stop it, and hit Arthur square in the back in between his shoulder blades, knocking him to the forest floor.
"What was that?" Arthur mumbled, as Merlyn tried to help him up.
"An arrow." Merlyn said, as she wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"An arrow? Good. For a moment I thought it was something terrible." Arthur muttered dazedly.

Merlyn glanced at him concerned, she had a feeling the arrow may be poisoned with how quickly Arthur has been affected as he suddenly collapsed to the ground.
"Arthur!" Merlyn said, concerned. But there was no response. Looking around them she knew they couldn't stay out in the open, looking around them she found a ravine they could hide in until she could heal Arthur. Looking back at Arthur her eyes turned molten gold as she sent Arthur carefully into the ravine and quickly followed him. Just in time too. As the bandits passed by them not a second later, their feet stomped above them. Once she was sure they were gone Merlyn turned to Arthur to check on his wound. It wasn't good. She quickly made a fire and gathered all the herbs she needed to make a poultice that would hopefully heal Arthur if the poison wasn't too strong. Otherwise, she would need more than what she had around her and a stronger healing spell than she knew at this moment.

She prayed that wasn't the case as she took the poultice off of the fire once it was ready and pressed it to Arthur's forehead where he lay wheezing on her coat, leaving her in her brown corset, white shirt, brown boots and brown trousers.
"Arthur, come on." Merlyn pleaded with the man she loved. "Dollop head." She said, hoping that would get him to wake up as it has before, but still no such luck. "I need you to recover, Arthur. I love you. I can't lose anymore people I care about. I just can't." Merlyn said, with tears in her eyes as she tapped his face. Sighing she carefully rolled him over onto his side, supporting him with her knee as she covered his wound with her hand as her eyes turned gold.
"Þurhhæle dolgbenn." She said, but still nothing. Her head snapped behind her when she heard a twig snap but there was no one there.

"Come on Arthur." Merlyn cried. Her eyes turned gold once again as she incanted.
"Licsar gestapol nu!" But once again the spell did nothing and he was only getting worse and there was nothing she could do. She pulled him further into the ravine to protect him from the rain that had just started. Crying Merlyn headed over to a large puddle to wash Arthur's blood off her hands when she was confronted by an old Sorcerer making her jump out of her skin. She could feel his magic pouring off of him.
"Tell me, why are you so sad?" He asked kindly.
"It's... the man I love..." Merlyn sobbed. "He's dying— and I've tried everything. I can't help him."
"Then do not waste your tears, for I can tell you that the time for him to die is not yet upon us." He said, as he started walking past Merlyn.

"Wait!" Merlyn called after him, as she leapt to her feet and followed after him.
"Don't be afraid. My name is Taliesin." The man introduced.
"I'm Merlyn." She replied.
"I know who you are." Taliesin said, as he kneeled beside Arthur. "The moment of our meeting has been written for many, many years. You are Emrys." He said, before he copied Merlyn's actions and gently rolled Arthur towards him placing a hand over the wound.
"Welcenoul." He incanted, his brown eyes turning an amber gold colour. Immediately colour returned to Arthur's face and he was breathing much better now, and the bleeding had mostly stopped.
"Thank you." Merlyn said gratefully.

"You are welcome, Emrys." Taliesin replied, as he rolled Arthur back over who let out a little groan. "He is sleeping now. Within a few hours, he will be fully recovered."
"You're positive?" Merlyn asked worriedly.
"If my memory serves me well." He said offhandedly. "Come, I want to show you something, Merlyn."
"What is it?" Merlyn asked, casting a glance back at Arthur as Taliesin walked back the way they came.
"You must wait and see, and he will be fine. I assure you." Taliesin said, which only intrigued Merlyn further so she decided to follow him.

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Spells:

* Þurhhæle dolgbenn. Meaning = Heal thoroughly the wound.

* Licsar gestapol nu! Meaning = Behold, you support the mortal wound!

* Welcenoul. Meaning= Do good to the perforation.