Turning Back Time (Merlin)

Chapter Nine

~~Arthur's POV~~

I see the sorcerer about to throw this red ball at me. I close my eyes, already knowing what's about to happen. Now, I can only hope that Merlin and my knights will be spared.

Ready for the spell to hit, I suddenly feel myself being shoved aside and I fall to the ground.

Opening my eyes, I see the sorcerer is gone and all the knights can move again. I feel a smile go across my face. We did it. We defeated the sorcerer.

All my happiness in that moment is drained when I hear Gwaine yell with pain in his voice.

"Merlin!"

I look behind me only to see Merlin laying flat on his back a few meters back. Suddenly, I find myself running to Merlin, yelling his name.

"Merlin! You stupid idiot."

It was him. He pushed me. He took the spell.

I finally reach Merlin.

"Merlin!"

I collapse onto the ground at Merlin's side and begin shaking his shoulders, trying to wake him up. I see his eyes flutter open and stare at me. Then, they begin to shut again.

"Come on Merlin, stay with me!"

His ocean blue eyes flutter open one more time before they completely shut.

"Merlin, you absolute idiot! What were you thinking! You can't die on me now."

I feel tears fall from my eyes, but I don't care. I put my head on Merlin's chest.

Thump.............Thump...........Thump.

There's still a heartbeat. He's still alive.

"Is he...."

I look up to see Gwaine standing there with his own tears in his eyes. I know what he is implying.

"No. He's alive. We'll head back to Camelot. We can ride the rest of the day to our camp spot from last night and we'll camp there again."

I pick up Merlin and walk back to my horse.

Merlin, the clumsy, idiot manservant, doesn't deserve this. He didn't even want to go on this stupid hunting trip anyways. Hopefully Gaius will be able to figure out what that sorcerer did to Merlin.

If he lives to get to Gaius.

No. I can't think like that. If Merlin is one thing is that he is a fighter and he will continue fighting whatever this is. Merlin will live.

When we reach my horse, I call out to Percival. We do the same routine as yesterday for getting Merlin attached to my horse. As we ride back, I keep my one arm wrapped around Merlin. If I didn't know that Merlin's heart was still beating, I would've called him for dead. He was as white as the snow and completely limp.

"You have to fight this Merlin. I know that you can and I demand that you do."

*A few hours later*

We finally reach back to the campsite. The sun has just set.

"Percival."

Percival comes over to my horse and unties Merlin's legs. He grabs Merlin while I dismount my horse.  I then grab Merlin and walk over to where he slept the previous night. I can't help but stare at him for a few minutes. He looks so peaceful just lying there.

"Princess."

I turn around to see Gwaine standing there.

"Gwaine."