Arthur's sword clinks with a horrible grating sound against another. The bandit grits his teeth, fighting a losing battle against the king of Camelot.
"Arthur!" Elyan yells from somewhere to his right. "We need to get to cover!"
"On three!" Arthur yells, swiping at the bandit. He sidesteps and only narrowly avoids it.
"One!"
Leon knocks a bandit out with his elbow.
"Two!"
Percival hits one with the blunt side of his sword.
"Three!"
The knights scatter, and even in their chainmail and full armour they're faster and fitter than the bandits and soon evade them.
Arthur leans on a rock for support. His breath comes in short and sharp gasps. "Everyone here?"
"Merlin's not," Leon points out between breaths.
"What?" Arthur asks in alarm, temporarily forgetting about the fire in his lungs and scanning the area like a meerkat.
It was true. Merlin wasn't there.
LINE BREAK
The first thing Merlin registers is a bright, white light. Then a pinpoint of darkness, tunnelling through the wall of blinding bleakness.
He blinks several times and finally opens his eyes to see a castle towering above him. It's nearly as big as Camelot but not nearly as complex.
"Come on," someone grunts at him, and Merlin feels himself being tugged along by an impatient hand. He feels faintly nauseous, and it takes him a while to fit all the puzzle pieces together: teleportation.
"Gaius!"
"Where's Merlin?" the old physician asked immediately, striding out from behind his desk. "Well?" he demanded of the king.
Arthur looks abashed and mumbles in a monotone, "We lost him."
"You what?" Gaius shouts incredulously.
"We'll find him," Arthur says. He looks Gaius square in the eye. "We'll find him."
Once out, Gwaine catches Arthur's arm. "You didn't tell Gaius about Merlin being a sorcerer – or that he was injured."
"Such things can wait. Getting Merlin back is our immediate priority."
LINE BREAK
Please go check out the sequel, More Gained, None Lost!
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Battle Scars (Merlin)
FanfictionMerlin is injured unknowingly to the others during training and then is later shot by vengeful bandits on a hunt. Arthur is forced to take his shirt off to treat the wound but when Merlin wakes he's pelted by questions because of the scars. Friendsh...
