Secrets in Disguise (Merlin Fanfiction)

Chapter 2

Darkness had fallen and the moon was high in the sky. A small army had gathered on the edge of the woods surrounding the outline villages. A hooded figure pushed their way through the men, as they raised their head up dark curls fell past their shoulders. Morgana pushed her hood back to reveal her pale face. By her side she was joined by Mordred. He had joined her when they found each other several months ago. He had last seen her nine year ago when he was a little boy and she had ventured in to the druid's camp. Mordred was wearing chain mail and armour, prepared to go into battle.

"Are you ready?" She asked, looking towards him.

"I am." Mordred smiles weakly back.

Morgana grabs hold of his gloved hand, squeezing it gently to offer encouragement. They both start chanting in a strange language: 'Thurh minum gewealde ond thinum maegen... geclippath we thone lieg the ealla awestath'. Slowly they start to rise their heads up, looking at the sky. When silence had fallen, Morgana let go of Mordred's hand. Her eyes were fixed to the sky, waiting for something to happen. Suddenly an orange haze filled the sky above illuminating everything. Mordred looked around seeing several fireballs flying through the sky in the direction of the castle and villages.

The first one fell with a thud landing in the street of a village causing devastation. Smoke rose in tight circle into the dark sky. More continued to drop with flames raging through the villages. Screams and cries of woman and children could be heard as they tried to run from the flames which burnt the wooden buildings to the ground. Men were shouting trying to put the flames out but the fire was too powerful for them. The warning bell in the castle had been sounded. The chimes were loud against the silence of the landscape.

"Elgan, you know what to do." Morgana said turning to a large, beefy man who held a mace.

He gestured at his army to follow him through the trees. A large group of men disappeared off into the darkness whilst some stayed with Morgana.

"What do we do now?" Mordred asked curiously, trying to block out the noise from below.

"We wait for the signal. Elgan and his men need to get into the castle before we can do anything." Morgana said raising an arm to stop the rest of her men from charging off.

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Ailidh was woken by the warning bell that shook the whole castle. She pushed herself up seeing that the two guards that guarded her cell had vanished taking the keys with them. She looked through the bars at the back of her cell seeing orange flames dancing around the courtyard. Eamont Guards were trying to hold off the army trying to ambush the castle. Heavy footsteps hurried down the stairs to the cells. Ailidh held her breath hoping that it wasn't someone from the other army. She let out a sigh of relief when she noticed her father fussing about with a set of keys.

"Father, what is happening?" She asked desperate to find out.

"We are under attack. You need to get somewhere safe. Find Tatiana and she'll take you to safety." Her father said unlocking the door.

"But I won't see you again." Ailidh said wrapping her arms round her father.

"Quick go." Her father sighed. "Ailidh, please don't get caught."

She had a feeling that her father was hiding something from her but there was no time to ask him what it was. She quickly ran up the stairs which led to the ground floor of the castle. She caught a glimpse out of the window. The courtyard was strewn with dead bodies, either Eamont guards or the enemies.

She had to get to her chambers but that was nearly impossible with the enemy patrolling the corridors. Luckily she found a break when an Eamont guard struck down the enemy with his sword. Ailidh ran past finally getting to the corridor where her chamber were situated but there were voices up ahead. She ducked into a dark alcove where she stayed to listen to the voices.