It Comes the Dawn (Merlin Fanfiction)

Chapter IX - Impostors

"Where do we even start?" asked Mordred as he and Vortimer were riding through the forest for about an hour after they left Kent's border.

"Caves," Vortimer answered, focused on the road.

"Caves?" the druid frowned. "Do you really think that the dragon hides in the caves?"

"Where else could it be? That's the best place a dragon can hide. Aithusa is lost and scared and caves are often in remote areas so she's not disturbed," he paused. "There are two places where we can search. Camelot and Essetir."

Mordred's head snapped to him. "Are you mad? I bet as soon as we take a step on Essetir's border we get killed and the king will be satisfied to have another two heads in his collection."

"I'll take the risk," said Vortimer without a beat.

"Why are you doing what your father tells you to?" Mordred gave him a questioning look. "Most of the time you disagree with him and then you are first to take a quest refusing to bring a party with you, but me."

"More men could get more attention and I would rather avoid a tail following me. It's safer this way," he replied calmly.

"But risking our lives to find some goddamn dragon because your father has a whim?"

Vortimer shot him a glare. "I know you think of it as a waste of time and I know of what you can't stop thinking," he said. "You're full of hate, Mordred. Besides, I'm not doing it for my father," he held a stare on Mordred for a second before he looked ahead.

The druid narrowed his eyes and watched Vortimer as he rode ahead of him. There's definitely something he's not telling him, so why would he take him on a hunt for the white dragon? For whom Vortimer is searching for Aithusa if not for his father? Mordred was just about to ask, but he restrained himself and decided not to piss him off. He's going to know anyway.

They were crossing the river when to Mordred's mind came another problem. "Camelot isn't safe either. It's not wise coming there especially after the battle."

Vortimer seemed not to hear the druid until he didn't stop his horse after they crossed the stream.

"Actually I thought about that," he said, dismounting the horse. He pulled something red out of his bag and threw it on Mordred who, still sitting on his horse, missed catching it and it found itself on his face. Vortimer laughed and took the same thing for himself, too. Mordred pulled a cloth off his head and looked at what was on it.

"You gotta be kidding me," he said, glancing at Vortimer.

"It's a perfect disguise," he replied; "and red did really suit you."

Mordred gave him a gloomy look. "One more word…"

"And what?" Vortimer chuckled. "Put it on and don't complain."

With new clothes they crossed Camelot's border and headed to the Forest of Balor. As they were going deeper into the woods it was getting darker and temperature dropped when the night finally fell. Mordred lit torches and handed one to Vortimer.

"We have to beware of strange creatures," said Vortimer when they were close to the cave.

"How do we know if the dragon is here? Maybe she's hunting at night," said Mordred, pushing a branch away with his hand.

"Better for us if that's so," Vortimer replied.

"Well, I thought you wanted to catch her," the druid gave him a suspicious look.

"Yes, but first we have to make a trap," said Vortimer, jumping off his horse. "Look for traces, any traces that might indicate the presence of a dragon."