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Merlin was filling up the water-skins, feeling so whole and connected to the nature around him.
Maybe that's why he didn't sense them coming. And maybe thats why he sat there paralyzed instead of coming up with a way to escape.
His magic had never failed to warn him when something was about to hurt Arthur so why didn't it warn him of this?
The bandit held a blade to his neck, pushing it in just far enough to draw blood.
"Stand up slowly. And drop your things." The bandit holding him ordered.
He slowly followed the orders, for the first time in his life, before getting gagged by another bandit.
"That way you cant scream to your master for help."
The bandits walked towards where Merlin had left Arthur and the bandit holding him pushed him forward, still holding the blade to his neck.
"Merlin!" He heard the cry and then he saw Arthur. He made eye contact, both of them looking wide and fearful.
"What do you want." Arthur growled, holding his sword, his eyes giving away the fear and anger he felt on Merlin's behalf.
"I want you to drop your weapons and let us take your valuables, including your chainmail and swords."
If possible, Merlin's eyes grew wider as he tried to shake his head no, only succeeding in cutting himself further and steadying Arthur's resolve to head the bandits orders.
The knights slowly undressed from their armor and placed all their valuables in a pile at the bandit's feet.
The bandit henchmen grabbed all the valuables, leaving the knights defenseless before the head bandit dropped Merlin and ran off to whatever hole they crawled out of.
Arthur rushed to Merlin's side as he dropped to the ground and laid him up against a tree.
Merlin tried speaking but only succeeded in choking on his own blood.
"Shhh, don't talk." Arthur soothed, which was the most unusual part if this whole situation.
Lancelot brought some bandages and herbs over as he had the most medicinal knowledge of any of the knights there from all the times he helped Merlin while Guais was taking care of something in the town.
He told the knights to go grab the water-skins Merlin left as he needed water to make the paste for Merlin's neck.
Gwaine hurried to grab them and came back quicker than he runs whenever ale is mentioned.
When he came back, Lancelot had already wiped the excess blood off Merlin's neck before he grabbed the water from Gwaine and started making a paste.
He spread the paste as gently as he could before wrapping his neck in a bandage.
Merlin tried talking again but Lancelot interrupted saying, "Get some rest Merlin, I treated it as best I could but we need to get you to Guais as quickly as possible and we cant do that if you fall off your horse on the way back."