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Challenges of the Heart	By : CrazyEyesChick Category: M through R > Merlin (BBC) > Merlin (BBC) Views: 8731 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: i do not make money or any profit from this. merlin and its charcaters are property of bbc. this is for fun only.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
**************
Previously...

'It seems that our prey has a brain, perhaps it is time to stop playing and get to the main event, what d'ya say boys?' the man's laughter echoed through the woods as he closed in on his victims.

*******************************
Merlin grunted. It was not his lucky day; he had wanted to blow up some steam; blast these bandits away with his magic, but not with Gwaine so close.

In every corner stood a few ruffians with their poor clothing and their rusty steel knives and swords, arrows and lances. The atmosphere was tense and numbers seemed on the enemy's side, that's for sure.

Merlin didn't doubt Gwaine's fighting abilities; after all, Arthur and him were equally matched " no matter what Arthur thinks" he thought smiling to himself. They had to be smart about this and think of a way to avoid bloodshed on their side. Gwaine seemed to come to the same conclusion, he noticed. Counting the enemy while pointing each and everyone of the thieves seemed to enerve the bandit leader.

' What u doin' heh?' Looking annoyed at the bearded knight, pointing his shaped swords at the man

Dropping the act, his hand lowered to the hilt of his sword, thus stopping his count. Gwaine shifted his weight pondering on the situation.

'What's it look like to ya mate? And yet you were assuming we're smart, guess the jokes on you ah!' Gwaine replied as if it didn't seem obvious. He chuckled.

Merlin sighed.

"Definitely stupid..." thought Merlin exchanging glances with the smirking Gwaine. He really didn't see how they would escape this time. Exasperated, he rolled his eyes at how could Gwaine possibly be confident about their predicament. That's Gwaine alright!

The next move surprised both young men. A rough laugh from the leader, echoed by those of his men, attacked their ears. They had not expected that answer.

' Hahahahah! Oh! I like your optimism', the dirty assailant moved forward a bit, leering at Merlin 'and for that, you will get to die knowing you didn't protect that little friend of yours' licking his upper split lip with his long moist tongue, showing his dirty crooked teeth to the knight, taunting him.

Drawing out his long steel blade out of his black sheath, gwaine looked ready to strike.

' YOU BASTARD! You better not touch him, or else you will feel the steel of my blade deep into your bones before you get to him, understand?' He spat at the chuckling man, who didn't look fazed at all.

His friend appeared ready to murder the entire group in front of them. He never saw Gwaine that pissed before. His worry was really touching though. He would make sure to protect himself and his friend as best he could. "No one hurts my friends if I am around" he had to calm him, or else this would get bad real fast. He stepped inside the personal space of the angered knight, posing lightly his left hand on his tense shoulders. That seemed to slightly do the trick.

'Calm down Gwaine. He's just taunting you, hoping you let your anger get the best of you, so Focus!' He said looking around for any sudden movements from the evil band. Gwaine glared at him, frustrated.

' I'M DAMN CALM!' He screamed in worry, then whispered close to Merlin's ear 'I just hate the way he's staring at you, just like a freaking object to own' and Gwaine placed himself in front of Merlin, pushing him backward with a light shove from his right arm.

' The little lamb speaks sense. I'm sure that me and my boys will enjoy the view of you screwing yourself on your own sword' Heavy laughters resonated through the rocks and branches of the forest once again, which pissed Gwaine even more. ' Now, why don't you save yourself and leave the servant to us, hmmmm. We'll take reaaaal good care of him, right boys?'

He laughed harder now, pumping the knight's anger. It took merlin all his strength, which isn't much to start with, to stop his friend from going out there and killing people unprepared.

'Why you dirty little...' Gwaine gritted between his clenched teeth, as he was held back by bony hands.

'GWAINE! Don't' Merlin said in anger.

Cheers and whistles mingled with the dirty expressions of these gross men. Merlin definitely didn't want to stay and find out. He didn't even get to do it properly once! Not a chance, will he let those perverts do anything to him. The how is still debatable, since he can't let his magic out in front of Gwaine. Why was it always the suspicious men attracted to him and not well, a blonde, muscular and royal prat of a King. Life was not fair, he concluded. The cheers went on for a minute, until he got tired of being the object of their laughters.

Merlin got past Gwaine's body and glared furiously at the big man.

' Look, we have nothing that you want; and I certainly don't feel like letting you anywhere near me. So, Back off and my friend will try not to kill you. You have no idea who you're messing with!'

'You heard the little guy' Gwaine replied,branding his sword, pointing it to the enemy 'Move along, or DIE AT MY HANDS!'

He ran towards the leader, his sharp weapon high in the air. Merlin barely had 2 seconds before he moved back to hide. He definitely did not expect Gwaine to race forward into battle that fast. The muscled, scarred man met Gwaine's sword with ease, surprising the knight. The both smirked at each other as their weapons clashed in front of them with force.

' Hmm, not bad for a scum like you.' Gwaine complimented, struggling to keep his balance. He spared a little glance to see if his friend was out of harm's way. It seemed he decided to avoid combat for now.

' Hmpf. I'll enjoy feeding your corpse to the rats'. The boss gave a low kick to the knight's knee, breaking his balance and allowing the enemy entry in his defenses.

Gwaine was pushed backed forcefully trying, as he fell back, knee hurt, to fight the incoming mob. He gritted his teeth as his foot touched the ground sending pain ruining through his leg. The knight kept on killing, beating the enemy in front of him. He got cut a few times, occupational hazard you see, but even with a hurt knee and a few bruises, he could still send a few of them to hell. Gwaine, in the midst of the battle, lost eye contact with the leader. Distractions kept blurring his sight, and clashes of metal kept ringing in his ears.

The enemy was relentless. Gwaine had a hard time tracking the movements around him and keeping an eye out for the young sorcerer. No matter what the princess thought, there was no doubt he would be sent into exile if something happened to Merlin. Distracted, he got smacked to the side of his head by a heavy mace.

Regaining his footing, Gwaine charged once again at the bastards in front of him.

' RRRAAHHHHR' and he knocked out soldiers that tried to block his path. He striked to the left, piercing enemies through their stomachs, letting them bleed on the dry leaves of the forest.
The leader took this opportunity to jump behind his falling brothers to strike Gwaine to the side of his face. That's what he was planning, the coward.

'Arg..DAMN!' His empty hand made its way to his cut face, blood flowing freely from its wound. A clear line crossed from below his eye to the bottom of his squared jaw. His beard coated with blood, and dirt covering his face, gwaine looked like an angry ferocious tiger. The wound did not stop him. He pounded his fair share of flesh with his knuckles and hilt. Most bandits were on him and Gwaine kept on fighting. He headbutted one, impalled another through the chest, cut the head right through of annoying one; still while battling the opponent with all the power of his guild. He would end him, he was sure; he would not let him get Merlin

**************************

On his side, Merlin wasn't faring well. These goons really were everywhere. The passage way towards Camelot was blocked, it was starting to get dark and it was hard to make up the figures hiding in the woods. Gwaine looked like he was arse kicking as usual.

Luckily for him, it seemed like they wanted him alive and not dead. " They are missing me on purpose" he realized as the men gathered around him, using their weapons more as a threat than a death sentence. They advanced forward. Merlin evaded the first man who made a move towards his left arm with his huge hands. He kicked one in the stomach with the little strength he had, which sent the man down, knocking the wind out of him.

' Take ThAT you big oaf! Ah!' He said, happy with the shot, almost surprised at his strenght himself. As the man who attacked fell, Merlin jumped to pick up the sword impaled in the ground. He smirked with confidence. He could last a little bit longer to figure out a way out of this.. Now protected, and the men reassessing their plan of attack, he could finally think.

"There's no way, this was a random bandit raid." He processed while looking his surroundings " The place is too convenient and there are too many of them". His eyes grew wide at the implication it led to, forgetting an evil dirty scum at his back.

'You piece of shit!' Another bandit yelled from behind, lunging at his back with his fist, managing a hit straight to his face.

'Wha....ah!' Startled, it sent him directly on his butt, on the ground, dizzy, struggling to get up.
A callused hand pulled him up by the cheap fabric of his leather coat. That motion got him awake enough to remove his jacket as fast as he could to avoid the grabby hands. His jacket fell quickly, surprising the enemy enough so he could slip between the legs of someone else, and turn and to cast a quick spell. The golden color in his eyes caused some of the men near him trip when roots on the leafy floor tangled in their feet, tripping them, rendering them unconscious. In the commotion, he ran as fast as he could towards a secluded spot next to the rocky passageway under a rocky formation close to a large tree trunk.

"Great, now i can focus on taking them down with magic" he thought, looking for the confused irritated enemy.

He turned in time to see Gwaine take a swing of a sword to the face by the leader. That coward was not fighting fair, well that didn't stop the sorcerer from fighting fair either.

Suddenly, he noticed that on the top of the massive grey wall, an arrow head was pointed at his friend. Gwaine was still struggling against all the opponents, sweat, cuts and blood on his rough features. Beaten bodies lay around Gwaine; Merlin had to think rapidly before The knight got hit and became part of the massive body count.

He whispered words as the arrow left the owner's bow. A scream echoed in the battlefield as the pointy head embedded itself in the thigh of the assailant fighting Gwaine, making glimpse at the back in shock. Once he saw the bleeding thigh in front of him, the leader recoiling in anger holding tightly his wounded leg as he cursed whoever shot this damn arrow. Gwaine smirked at the opening.

"Guess Merlin found a place to hide and worked his magic" he thought

Gripping his sword hilt tighter swinging his sharp tool cockily, he pointed it at the disgusting bandit leader.

' It seems your boys did the work for me heh? Give up now!'

Warm red liquid squirted from the deep cut, splashing the brown rags of the older man as he retracted in a quick move the object in his thigh. He got up, spat blood and perhaps a tooth, retrieving a sword impaled in another one of his mate, to charge like a wild enraged beast.

' You piece of shit! I'm gonna rip that stupid smile off your face!'

'I'd like to see you try big guy, your friends are mostly lying on the ground dead, some escaped and even my servant friend seemed to have been a challenge.' Gwaine laughed out loud while containing the enemy: clashing metals, blood dripping and hits and insults exchanged.

While fighting his own battle, Merlin took care of the rest of the bandits, staying undercover watching for sudden attacks on gwaine and himself. His magic flared, sending the goons on the floor, tripping on roots, face in the muds, flying through the air, swords flying through the air; subtlely so no one would notice what happened. There seemed to be only the leader left, still standing strong against the dark haired male, who enjoyed playing with him a bit too much.

The battle didn't last long. Gwaine kicked the soldier in the chest, sending spiralling in the dirt, gasping for breath, ribs cracked internally probably due to the fall. Yet, the bastard wouldn't stay down. He rolled his eyes. Not a noise was heard. Merlin observed the proceedings expecting Gwaine to finish this, so they could finally go home. Gaius would be worried and Arthur probably waiting his servant to put him to bed, complaining about his inaptitude. Thus, leaving unprepared for the unexpected shadows that crept above him.

'You just won't die, don't you?' He advanced on the now kneeling mess in front of him, too confident in his victory, and he finished by saying' Your luck was doomed to run out, mate.' Forgetting his surrounding, too focused on the fight and adrenaline pumping up in his system; it made him careless, as he forgot about Merlin; that is until he heard a high pitch scream.

'MERLIN!' Gwaine screamed.

He knew Merlin could handle himself, after all, his friend had magic. He still worried.

'Aaaaaahhhh!That hurts!'

Wow, Merlin can have such a girly scream sometime, no wonder Arthur called him a girl, but there was no time for reminiscing about that, he was needed.

'Don't touch me!' Yelled Merlin has he was dragged towards where their boss was.

He moved his upper torso, showing his back to his enemy to assess the situation, which turned out to be a mistake; a costly one at that.

'Guess it's you who pulled the short straw, you piece of shit'. His creepy face grew a lecherous smile on and darkened his features, making him look like an old, badly shaven gangster who hadn't showered for a week. All the dried blood and cuts did not add anything sexy to it either.

At that moment, Gwaine was truly fucked as he felt his long hair being pulled from behind. A coward's move. "Never turn your back to your enemy in a fight, or you'll end up dead, they said in sword training".

It all happened very quickly. Gwaine lost his footing, surprised. His heavy sword dropped to the mud and leaves. Leaving a huge imprint behind it, sinking into the layers of the earth. He slowly saw the shocked look of his captured friend as he realized what would happen. Merlin gasped and fought harder the mercenaries, as if to stop the blow from piercing the knight from his muscled back. It was as if time had stopped. The boss looked psychotic, a grin wide enough to make up all his face. He laughed crazily at his exploit.

'NNOOOOOOOOOOOO!' Merlin choked on his voice, tears falling on his bruised and dusty cheeks ' Gwaine...no' he said as a sword went right through his chest, chainmail destroyed along the way. Gwaine winced at the pain, and started to stumble down, making his way at the ruffian's feet, choking on his own blood.

"Damn... That stings" he thought, trying to remain conscious . He spares a glance to his incoming, immobilized companion " I'm sorry... I failed you Merlin" grasping the gaping hole in his chest. The blood left his body quickly. He coughed out blood when he touched the floor of the forest.

'Was about time you learned your place....pathetic...' the boss looked at the body at his feet, to slowly get to his mates who were bringing Merlin over. He stepped over it like it was nothing. He raised his head to look at his beautiful price. 'How about i get the reward i was promised, hmmm'

Merlin was hysterical. He was forced on his knees by the 2 goons holding him by his shoulders; close to his dying brother, and in front of the son of a bitch who dealt Gwaine the blow, because of him. Angrily, he ragged at the remaining bandits.

' Don't you have any honor! You'll pay for this!'

' We mercenaries, we don't care about rules. As long as it gets the job done, I could piss on his rotten corpse and nobody here would give a crap'

Merlin was taken aback by the answer. Confused, he asked:

'Job? I knew there was something wrong. Who paid you to do this! WHAT DO YOU WANT?' He was losing his calm, his magic wanted to kill all of them. It took all of Merlin's energy to not wreck havoc on those bad guys. Gwaine would not last long.

' Darling, I'm not paid to ask questions. Although, I was promised a good reward. Ahaha!'

' Get away from me! Stop! You're hurting my damn arm, ouch'

One of the survivors securely locked his arms behind his back. He was afraid they would dislocate his shoulders. The bandits kept pushing him into submission, but he held on. " I don't submit to Arthur, I'm certainly not doing it for them. Watch me!" He resisted, but his legs were getting numb. His head throbbed. He was alone, with a near dead knight. Soon to be witness to what he knew could happen. Rape. He panicked, once his blue eyes set on the little hunting knife grazing his exposed throat. Where was his neckerchief? "Probably lost it while running away like a girl" he guessed. He hoped they wouldn't cut his throat open.

Out of breath, a rasped voice tried to plea.

'...(cough)..you..leave him...(cough, more blood)..Please, don't' Merlin broke upon hearing his friend speak. His friend could barely breath; talking was sapping all his strength. They shared a look, ignoring the others next to their positions.

'My friend...I'll be fine, so stop talking..please..Don't die, ( pause)..not for me..' Gwaine graced him with one last huge grin. Merlin renewed his struggles as if to reach his dying buddy in vain.

' ah..damn...sorry Merlin...I always knew i would my life would end by either a sword or too much ale at a tavern' Merlin laughed at this, softly, his eyes watering again.

'No..' he said, denying the inevitable.

The goons stayed silent. Gwaine forced his voice to be heard, one last time.

' I'm...(cough, cough) just glad I fought for you; that my death... meant something. I care for you Merlin, and..' he stopped to catch his breath, his voice sounded strained. He was losing so much blood, that it soaked merlin's linen trousers and pooled at the the boss's boots.

' Mate?'

' yeah Gwaine?'

' Don't wait like me...' his eyes fluttered close 'to reveal how you feel. Please forgive me for failing you and remember....' Merlin was crying at this point, his heart clenched at the sight. Gwaine's arm reached for something invisible in the air, and suddenly fell limp on the blood drenched earth.

' I accept you as you are... I lov -'

(Slash)

Merlin was wide eyed at what just happened. The shock was too much; the sight was too. His brain didn't yet register what just happened in front of him.

' Well that was touching.... ahahhahaha! Pathetic, really...' the boss smirked at the unmoving figure, bathing in its own blood, it eyes closed and mouth slightly opened. A wet pearl glistened in the light rays of the night in the corner of the older man's tired eyes.

The boss had left his side to cut Gwaine's throat with his small blade. He could not hold it in anymore. The rage he felt, the pain. It needed to get out, the only way it knew how. But he was still paralyzed in fear and shock, yet his natural magic inside him was building up in rage.

' Now, it's time to get my little pretty lamb' he said leering at Merlin's tense form. The sharp blade ripped through the front of his blue shirt, careful cutting the soft fabric. It nicked the skin, leave a few droplets of red in its path. The other villain, who was free, grabbed his chin forcefully, tilting his head painfully to the side. The smell of the now approaching man was foul and disgusting; it became worse when a mouth enclosed upon his, forcing entry. He finally got back to tue present, out of his state of paralysis.

'Hmmmmft...Ah!'

A wet appendage pushed past his lips, to explore his wet cavern. Sloping noises were heard, his shirt was being torn apart by a slowly teasing pointy edge and all in front of his dead friend. He was afraid. The disgusting individual finally let him go as he bit the tongue probing his mouth open. The man reeled back, both his hands over his bleeding tongue.

' Aaaarggggggg' the guy yelled, making Merlin smile.

The boss smacked him for his trouble. His body was vulnerable in this position, his shock state made him gasp for air, focus all gone trying to fight off the remaining offender. His back was flat on the ground, splashing the red liquid under his frail injured body.

' Look..you don't want to do this..I'm...sure (tremble) whoever hired you did not want this. Just let me go, before you get hurt' he tried appealing to their sense of reason. Which was stupid, because, well they were mercenaries. He struggles ended when he was pinned by his arms by the one holding him captive. Oh no..no..no..no it was going to happen. The perverted boss leaned close to him and placed his fat hands on the hem of his pants, about to remove them.

The sorcerer's mind blanked. He had to think about something else. He would not let his opponent know this was affecting him.

An inhuman growl whispered: ' You'll see boy, I'll make you enjoy my cock like the little slut you are. With your guard dog dead, i can finally taste your sweet perky ass. All mine!' The laughter following made him cringe and close his eyes. As he thought about what the man said, a blonde haired king appeared in his mind, sad.

" I guess I might feel more towards Arthur than I thought" his pants loosened, his magic still building up, yet unable to get out, awaiting a trigger of some sort. " I'm just sorry I won't get to love you; not that you would have before anyways, especially not after this. You are supposed to share this moment with the one you love" he thought to himself, giving up.

As the leader poised his hand on his dick, his eyes turned gold, the shock gone and his magic out.

The vision of Arthur in his head, turned angry and yelled:

' Don't you give up Merlin! Fight, you're stronger than this! So...FIGHT HIM OFF YOU IDIOT!

'I said: GET OFF!' He screamed his blue eyes, now a fierce golden color. Vision Arthur was right, he was stronger than these bastards. He was the strongest sorcerer to ever live; there was no way he would lose his virginity to some vulgar bandit. He would fight and crawl his way out.

At that moment, his magic freed itself from the confine of its shell and burst out, propelling the leader off of him. The bandit holding him, fell on his ass, blocking his face from the debris flying around. Merlin propped himself on his elbows to see the damage.

Flown across the opposite way of the passageway, the body impaled itself on a thick tree branch. It hanged freely on the side of the huge tree, blood dripping from its mouth and eyes open, blanked. Merlin sighed in relief, he didn't like killing, but this man had deserve it for killing gwaine.

"Gwaine!" He remembered. Thinking himself safe, he crawled next to the corpse. He put his hands on the throat to help him heal. He didn't care now, his magic had been revealed to the bad guys, saving Gwaine was the priority. After all, he was pretty sure Gwaine had known; especially after his heartbroken speech of acceptance.

'Please Gwaine, come back!' He fumbled with his thoughts to find a spell.

'Gestepe hole! Þurhhæle!' Nothing happened. He tried again screaming it.

'GESTEPE HOLE! PURHHAELE!' Still nothing. Why did he have magic, if he could not use it to save the ones he loved. Damn, his rubbish skills at healing spells.

" I have to get back to Camelot, tell Arthur about the bandits, about Gwaine," he thought to himself as he turned around to be face to face with the surviving mercenary. He didn't have time to use his magic, before he got hit across the head with a baton, knocking him flat out, unconscious and to the mercy of the gross man.

The man took the baton, raising it in the air to strike at merlin for a killing shot.

' You fucking piece of shit wasn't worth it! I'll kill ya for what ya done, mission be damned!Good night darlin''

Suddenly, his stick flew out of his hands, out his reach.

'What the-' he proclaimed, but not before sighting something he defenitly did not want to piss off. His face blanched at the view.

' This is not what it looks like! I...We got him, like you asked, I wanted to make sure he was unconscious. Please, I beg -' he was cut short when his neck turned backwards, snapping it. He fell limp on the floor, a look of horror in his face.

A feminine call, yet full of evil intent, projected itself, chuckling in the dark

' Shut your mouth! Spare me the semantics. One boy, Arthur's servant, untouched; it's all I asked. He was mine to torture. Look at what you've done' the figure looked at the bloody mess, pleased 'At least, their incompetence got them killed, one loose end gone '

The shadow stepped forward into the light of the now high moon. She shadowed the young body on the floor, bruised. She sighed, a bit angered and amused at the sight. She kicked Gwaine's corpse out of her way like garbage. All of Arthur's knight would soon be reunited with this one.

' Well, Well. I believe when you want something done properly, you do it yourself.'

Morgana's beautiful face lit in the light as she crouched next to her ex friend. She smiled softly at the sight. She could not wait for her plan for revenge against Arthur begin. Merlin would be the first step; they had a score to settle. Arthur's demise and death was her ultimate goal, though Merlin's capture was an added bonus to vent her frustrations.

' Now, let the fun begin!' She chuckled darkly, waiting for Camelot's downfall.
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Challenges of the Heart