Forbidden Love - Merlyn [2]

Chapter Seventy-Four: Balinor

The next morning came quickly with Arthur and Merlyn heading out as early as possible. They had made their way swiftly through the forest, following the intruder's instructions. Thankfully, it did not take long to travel through the forest of Merendra, heading towards the foot of Feorre mountain. Once they were at the foot of the mountain they had decided to tie up their horses. Merlyn had easily gotten off her horse and tied Major's reigns to a tree, however, her actions were accompanied by the sound of something falling. Snapping around, Merlyn was horrified to see that Brutus, Arthur's horse, no longer had a rider.

"Arthur!" Merlyn called out before she ran around the horse to find Arthur kneeling on the ground. He clearly had managed to get off the horse before his knees had given way. "Arthur?"

At her voice, Arthur looked up and gave Merlyn a tired smile. However, his attempt at reassurance fell short as she darted forward and dropped down to his side, her hands immediately grasping his arm and rubbing his back.

"It's alright" Arthur said but Merlyn just looked at him with a look of utter disbelief.

"It's the wound. Let me have a look" Merlyn demanded. Just as Merlyn went to move behind him, the prince toppled over into her arms. Merlyn gasped in shock as she looked over his shoulder to find him out cold.

"No, no, no, come on, Arthur, please" Merlyn pleaded as she shook his shoulder. The prince was sweating profusely and now was unconscious which all indicated his wound had become infected. "Damn it." As Merlyn looked around she suddenly spotted the beginnings of the cave that they had believed Balinor was in. Merlyn knew she did not exactly have the equipment to treat his infection but perhaps Balinor did.

With a sigh and a snap decision, Merlyn lowered Arthur to the ground carefully before she began running towards the cave. Soon enough she was racing across the stones that lay beside the water which ran into the cave.

"Hello?! Anybody?" Merlyn called into the cave, her voice echoing around the structure. It wasn't long before someone answered.

"What do you want here, girl?" a voice suddenly asked from the shadows. Merlyn momentarily froze. That was the voice of her father, she just knew it was. Looking towards the voice she saw a figure whose face was hidden in the depths of the darkness.

"My friend is sick. He needs help, medicines I don't have" Merlyn eventually answered struggling to form her words when it was so hard to get passed the fact that this was her father. The man whom never had a face but was always in her mind, hidden in her past.

"Show me, girl." A gruff command ... as he stepped into the light. Merlyn froze in shock as her eyes took in the man she had only imagined as a child. He stood before her with long black hair that sat around his shoulders with a full thick beard on his face. Years of grief and torture were marred onto his face, in the deep creases of his frown. His face was one of stone not comfort - a wall he clearly put up between him and everyone else. But it was his eyes that shocked her more, brown eyes of great loss. Everything about this man said he had lost everything in his lifetime.

Remembering she had to help Arthur the young witch moved and had Balinor follow her the short distance to her master. The man Merlyn believed was Balinor moved forward towards Arthur upon seeing his still body. She saw the man stop for a moment with a flash of recognition run through his eyes before he bent down to pick up Arthur and move him into the cave's structure. Merlyn was glad that he was willing to help Arthur despite Arthur being a Pendragon.

Once Arthur was upon a makeshift bed, Merlyn removed Arthur's jacket and shirt before unravelling the new bandages she had placed on it the previous night. The man moved over to Arthur and examined the wound. He said nothing as he went to gather ingredients which could help fight off the infection that was taking a hold of Arthur's wound. Merlyn stayed back as the older man moved around and began making some sort of grey paste, Merlyn said nothing as he worked. She just stayed by Arthur's side trying to keep him cool as his body heated up in an effort to fight off the infection.