Ember : Merlin's Sister

The Death Song of Uther Pendragon - The Horn of Cathbhadh

*Merlin's POV*

Arthur was very annoyed with me. Him, Ember and I were on a hunt, and we hadn't caught a single thing. I sneezed again.

"You're not still angry with him, are you Arthur?" Ember asked him.

"Yes. We spend the entire day hunting, and catch nothing, because he sneezes and scares everything away."

"When you put it like that..."

"Not last time." I said.

"You fell into a stream, Merlin." Ember laughed.

But Arthur wasn't laughing, "No one could accuse you of being predictable."

"I'm getting a cold!"

Then I heard something. I wasn't sure I wanted to know what...

"What was that?" Arthur asked, urgently looking around.

"Er... Probably... A bird?" I answered

Then, we heard it again.

"That? That was a woman, screaming!" Ember said, dismounting from her horse, and taking out her sword. Arthur did the same.

"It's never just a bird." I followed them through the trees, and saw a woman being dragged to be burnt. I went further down the hill, and Ember followed.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked.

"I'm assuming you'll want to risk our lives to find out what's going on." I said, matter-of-factly.

Arthur came past us, "I never thought I'd say this, Merlin, but you're learning."

We reached them, and there was an old woman, tied to the stake, which was about to be set alight.

"Let the woman go." Arthur instructed, pushing through the crowd.

"She has been sentenced to death. It is no concern of your's."

"I am Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot. Your village is in my lands, therefore is does concern me."

"Her sorcery has brought pain and suffering to our village. Your father would not have spared her."

"I am not my father. Cut her down."

"I will not endanger this village!" he went to light the fire, but Arthur put his sword to his throat.

"Cut her down."

*Arthur's POV*

That night, we had set up camp. Merlin was looking after the woman from the village.

"How is she?" Ember asked, sitting next to him.

"She won't make it through the night..."

I went and sat by them, too, "Make her as comfortable as possible."

She grabbed my wrist, startling me, "Thank you."

"You really should rest."

"I do not fear the journey to the next world... I have something for you..." she handed me something wrapped in cloth. I unwrapped it, and it was a kind of horn.

"It's beautiful." I said, looking at it.

"It has the power to summon the spirits of the dead." she began gasping for breath, but she couldn't, and her breathing slowly stopped.

The next day, we took the horn to Gaius.

"What is it?" I asked.

"The Horn of Cathbhadh."