Enemies Within - Merlyn [3]

Chapter Five: A Sentry Falls

The tolling of the warnings bells was always bad. It meant that something had happened, something that should make everyone alert. Once again they found themselves stationed in the council chamber. However, this time Arthur was stood in front of the group, his arms crossed in concern. An emergency meeting with Arthur was never a good sign but Arthur had to deal with it. So here he was waiting for the disastrous news that Gaius was bound to give him. With a nod, Gaius began. Arthur couldn't help the sigh that left his body as he heard about one of his sentries being attacked, stabbed in the abdomen and pushed over the side of the battlements.

"The sentry must've been attacked at some point during the night" Gaius finished. Arthur didn't need this right now. But he didn't have a choice.

"Who could have done this?" he asked. Gaius suddenly held forward a small thin blade, a dagger that was embroidered on the hilt.

"That is a sigil of the Blood Guard of the High Priestess" Gaius explained as Arthur took the weapon and studied the weapon. It was an elegant weapon but one Arthur had not seen before. Turning the blade in his hands he felt the sharpness of the blade.

"The Blood Guard?" Arthur asked as he looked up from the dagger. He vaguely felt like he had heard about them before.

"Warrior-priests in this case sworn to protect the High Priestess of the Old Religion" Gaius explained which was of great concern. To have the knowledge of warrior priests protecting someone of great magic was definitely concerning.

"But surely they were wiped out during the Great Purge." Arthur was praying they had been wiped out then so they were one less issue to deal with.

"Not all of them" Gaius replied sternly. Arthur felt the pressure of such a fact build on his shoulders. Would these guards come to Camelot in force? Were they plotting in Camelot? Were they going to attack? Taking a deep breath, Arthur pushed aside the worries and got back to the present.

"So you believe there's a traitor in Camelot?"

"It is possible, Sire. The sentry will be able to tell us soon enough." Arthur's head snapped around at the news.

"He's still alive?!" Arthur asked in utter surprise. He wouldn't have thought that someone could survive a fall like that.

"Indeed. Merlyn is with him now."

~8~

Merlyn was entirely on edge. The attempted murder of this sentry, Frank, was worrying beyond belief. Someone had been or was in the castle, someone dangerous carrying a dagger of the Old Religion ... someone Merlyn believed to be called Morgana. But the question was why did she kill him, or attempt to kill him? What had he seen?

As Merlyn occupied the seat beside the sentry's bed, she sat worrying her thumb. The poor man had been in the wrong place at the wrong time it seemed. Merlyn recognised the face as Frank. He was a young man with a bright future but he was looking after his mother. Merlyn did not want to have to watch as Arthur told the woman she had lost her son.

Suddenly, Merlyn was pulled out of her thoughts by a groan coming from the man on the spare bed, buried under a thin brown blanket. Merlyn shot forward and gently placed her hand on Frank's arm and began to talk to him to keep him calm.

"Hey, it's all right. You're all right." Frank's eyes were slightly glazed but they did land on the servant. The questions were all visible in his eyes. "Take it easy. You've got a nasty wound." Merlyn gave Frank an easy smile as she squeezed his hand in comfort.

"I-I..." his croaked voice told Merlyn that the man was needing some help. Quickly, she reached over and got the man a cool cup of water to drink.

"T-Thank you" he whispered as Merlyn finished helping him drink some cooling liquid. As she put down the cup, Merlyn knew she had to be careful in how she was going to ask this question.