Chapter Text
He swung his sword, moving and turning, successfully dodging his enemies' strikes. It was four against one, which were not the best odds. But one of the bandits was wounded, and neither of them were skilled fighters. Although they knew how to hold their own, they were still no match for King Arthur Pendragon. The best swordsman in Camelot, who under normal circumstances, would have been able to deal with them quickly.
But these were not normal circumstances. Instead of attacking and freely maneuvering to quickly dispose of his enemies, Arthur had to act as a barrier between the bandits and the tree behind him. The tree itself was big and old and magnificent, although Arthur couldn't care less about it. What he did care for was the person leaning against the tree.
"I could help, you know" said Merlin, his weakened voice barely making its way to Arthur's ears. "If you just ducked a bit, I could..."
"Don't you even think about using your little tricks now Merlin!" yelled Arthur, as he dodged one attack, and parried another "I'm not in the mood to carry your sorry back all the way to Camelot!". Merlin did as he was told, either because Arthur had looked very kingly and dignified while saying that, or simply because he didn't have the energy to argue. Arthur liked to think it was the former. Whatever the reason, that still left Merlin leaning against the tree, helpless, leaving Arthur to fight off the bandits alone.
He was getting desperate. Arthur's swordsmanship was leagues beyond that of the bandits, and he had the instincts and reflexes of a seasoned soldier. But even the worst of soldiers could best an exhausted enemy, and Arthur could feel the tiredness in his arms. He just needed a plan, something that would help him defeat the bandits, even for a short while. It was enough for him to grab Merlin and run away somewhere.
He dodged another attack from the tallest man, punched him in the face, then quickly turned to his left and hit the blond haired bandit on the head with the hilt of the sword. Both of them fell to the ground, and Arthur was left facing the two remaining men. They were finally starting to look tired, which gave Arthur hope.
And then he saw them. The two bandits he'd knocked down earlier were up and running towards him. 'No' Arthur thought to himself, panicking 'they can't get to Merlin, no'...
"I need your help, friend" he heard Merlin saying behind him, his voice light and airy. Turning around, he saw Merlin leaning against the old tree with his eyes closed, one hand on its bark, while the other was stretched towards the bandits. He was whispering in the Old Religion, and a terrifying cracking sound echoed in the clearing. Before Arthur could tell him to stop, Merlin opened his eyes and yelled out the final word of the spell.
Golden light shone from the Merlin's eyes, as a wave of pure energy shot out from his arm. It gently pushed Arthur to the ground, and it sent the four bandits flying through the air. The men landed some ten meters away, their bodies hitting the ground hard. They lay unmoving, and for a moment, Arthur wondered if they would ever get up again. The moment passed, and his mind was immediately flooded with worry.
"You idiot!" he yelled, getting up and walking towards Merlin. "I told you not to use magic, I was handling the situation just fine".
"Of course" Merlin answered him, panting and trying to catch his breath "You could have handled everything on you own".
"Exactly. I am the King, after all".
"That doesn't mean anything, you can't even dress yours…" Merlin started, but his sentence was cut short when his legs gave out and he was suddenly falling forwards, unable to balance himself. Arthur was there just in time, catching Merlin by his shoulders and holding him up.
"I've got you" he said, as he leaned his friend against the tree. Merlin's face was pale and he had a hard time catching his breath.
"You just had to go and be a show off, didn't you?" Arthur said, trying to sound normal, his voice betraying how stressed he really was "What was that terrifying sound anyway, just before you pushed them away?"
"You needed help" whispered Merlin, giving Arthur a weak smile "And seeing as how I'm not at my best... I asked the forest for help."
Arthur just stared at him blankly.
"You did what?"
"I asked the forest for help." said Merlin, his voice weaker "And the forest gave me some of her strength. But I think..."
He didn't finish his thought as his knees suddenly gave out again, and were it not for Arthur's strong grip on his shoulders, he would have likely face-planted onto the forest floor.
"Easy" said Arthur, gently lowering him into a sitting position. Merlin was trying to get his breathing under control. His wound hadn't started bleeding again, but he was exhausted, that much was clear. Whatever 'strength' the forest had granted Merlin seemed to be fading fast.
"What you did, with the forest... I didn't know you could do that. That anybody could to that" said Arthur, the terrifying cracking sound still fresh in his mind.
Merlin flashed him a tired grin, before closing his eyes and leaning his head on the tree "And you said I didn't have any talents."
Arthur glared at him for a moment "It was also incredibly stupid, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by that."
"You prat" said Merlin, his voice softer "you're never satisfied..."
Arthur let him be for a few moments. 'All that power'... he thought 'Enough to send men flying with a thought, to converse with the forces of nature itself. And it was given to a self-sacrificing idiot'. As Merlin rested with his eyes closed, Arthur was reminded of how dire their situation really was. 'If the bandits were a tad quicker, or maybe if they had more men, maybe Merlin would...'
"NO. Stop that. Merlin is here, he is alive."
Merlin had always been there to tend to Arthur's needs. Arthur had failed to be there for Merlin in the past. But he would not fail now.
Merlin" said Arthur, gently squeezing the warlock's shoulder "come on."
"What is it? Just let me rest..."
"It's not safe, come on." said Arthur, kneeling next to Merlin. He put his left arm around Merlin's back, and gently pulled the warlock into an almost-standing position.
The movement jostled Merlin's wound and he moaned, gripping Arthur's shoulder.
"I can't Arthur..." said Merlin, his voice a pained whisper "Please, just leave me…". He could barely stand, and he leaned heavily against Arthur.
"Shut up Merlin" said Arthur. He slowly started walking, keeping Merlin up.
They headed north, opposite from the main road, in search of a cave, hovel, or any safe place where they could rest and hide. After an agonizingly slow hour, they had made little progress. At this point Arthur was more or less carrying Merlin, seeing as the warlock seemed completely disoriented.
The sun was starting to go down, and the forest was getting colder and darker.
"Come on Merlin" said Arthur "stay with me, we're nearly there".
Merlin tried to answer, to reassure Arthur that he was still here. But he couldn't. He could barely see in front of him, and every step sent a wave of pain through his body. He couldn't go on... he didn't even know where they were, or how they even got there.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Merlin felt himself being lowered to the ground. Arthur was asking him to do something. His voice was muffled, but Merlin could sense the urgency in it. Arthur was saying something important, and Merlin wanted to listen and help. But his tired body had other plans, and Merlin slowly drifted to unconsciousness.