The witch lay enervated and helpless on the pine covered ground. Her frail body quaked not just from the chill in the air, but from the thought of how she had just narrowly avoided death. Her elated expression of seeing the baby dragon had long since vanished. Morgana's face was not as white as it had been but it was still abnormally pale (even for Morgana).

Morgana was intelligent; there was no denying that. She had tricked people into thinking she was her friend while she was actually their foe, taken the throne of Camelot twice and was only ever thwarted by Emrys. Yet she could not explain how a dragon had found her and healed her. Was it even a dragon or had her eyes deceived her? Well it defiantly had the power and magic of a dragon as she had felt herself leaving this world and had miraculously regained her conscience. She couldn't understand how her magic had been drained from her either. Maybe Emrys had not just come back to taunt her as she previously thought but had somehow managed to drain her magic. She had never felt more confused or bewildered in her life. Morgana couldn't come to any conclusions that she thought were possible. The only thing she was sure about was that there was only meant to be one dragon left which just made her brain more agonisingly painful and traumatised. The nearest conclusion to possible she had come up with was that Emrys had somehow come across a dragon's egg and hatched it. After all, he had been able to command the great dragon to kill Agravaine and his men so why would he not be able somehow to hatch a baby one. She still seriously doubted this as she was sure that there were not many places where a dragon egg could be hidden for over 25 years without being discovered. Morgana tried to snap out of thinking about this however much it intrigued her. She needed to get out the boundaries of Arthur's Kingdom before the Camelot patrol found her and captured her as she would be sentenced to death just because she had magic.

Morgana put on a brave face and gradually pushed herself up but she let her aching legs collapse. Trying again, she managed to stand up and hobble a few steps but stumbled and collapsed again, inflicting pain which she didn't have the energy to cope with. Morgana gave up hope and decided to rest on the soft, earthy ground. She didn't even bother moving the spiky pine needles that were jabbing into her. Morgana's side where she had been stabbed was still throbbing as Aithusa's magic was taking a while to fully heal it. Her eyelids shut and her face became vacant and peaceful. At times like this, she looked so vulnerable and delicate that it was almost impossible to realise that she was a witch despite the clothing.

Crack.

A twig behind Morgana snapped and woke her up with a jolt which caused her green eyes to widen in fear. It was jet black like the night sky everywhere except from the pool of light which made the forest haunting beautiful as it glowed through the trees. It took seconds for Morgana's eyes to adjust to see in the darkness and make out several silhouettes. The witch embraced herself for the Camelot knights to strike and tried her best to empty her face from all emotions. If she was going to die she didn't want to appear weak. The only positive thing for Morgana about this situation was her wound had fully healed and looked a couple of months old.

"Forbaernan," Morgana muttered. It was her last hope. The flickering light that usually appeared didn't come. She was doomed as her magic hadn't returned. Without any struggle or commotion she let the Camelot patrol take her captive...

The hall looked captivating as it was ready for a magnificent banquet and celebration to begin. Royal red cloths were draped from the tables with platters of food fit for kings and queens. Arthur and Gwen were deep in talk, the knights were having the time of their life's with the exception of Gwaine who was no where to be seen. Gaius was sitting making conversation with Geffory of Monmouth and Merlin, like Gwaine was nowhere to be seen.

By standing up, Arthur had enough authority to silence the room. "May the celebrations for our marriage and Queen Guinevere's coronation begin!" Arthur's announcement was greeted by cheers and a great round of applause. Gwen's radiant smile lit up the room as Arthur sat down. She had waited what seemed like a century for the moment where she knew that she could spend the rest of her life with Arthur without it being secret.

"Sire?" Merlin had just slipped into the room slyly but Arthur had noticed that he was late.

"You complete fool, Merlin. What have I told you about not ruining the best night of my life. Were you at the tavern again? A feast is not the best place to sober you up." Arthur did look a bit annoyed but Merlin knew him too well to take him seriously.

"Sorry, Gwaine reported about the search for Morgana. There is no sign of her. They are searching the forests," reported Merlin. Arthur had decided to hunt Morgana while her magic could not be used. "Sire, she is probably dead." Arthur even at the sound of his nemesis, the person whom he had felt like a brother to and then had betrayed him, dying felt remorseful. He managed to blackout his emotions extremely well but Merlin, knowing him, could tell that Arthur was trying to deceive him.

"Tell them I will ride out with them tomorrow to look for her." Arthur then turned round to make conversation with Gwen.

"Will you still be sober then" Merlin couldn't restrain a smile.

"Don't be a simpleton Merlin," Arthur deviously said.

"Dollop head!" Merlin said in an undertone so that no-one but Arthur could hear him. Merlin strolled away to collect a jug of water from the nearby waiter but his main reason to walk away was to leave Arthur and Gwen to talk to each other. After all they deserved it. They had waited a few years before they could even admit their feelings for each other.

Merlin felt sorry for Gwaine as he would have given anything to be here, getting drunk with the rest of them. Arthur had instructed him to lead the search for Morgana. He had only accepted it so whole heartedly because Arthur had told Gwaine that he was one of the few people he could trust with his life.

Merlin had been very depressed since Morgana had vanished through the dust as he thought that he had most likely killed her. He didn't know why he felt this way because really he should be celebrating that such an enemy was dead. Well this is what the Great Dragon had him believe. Merlin wiped a tear from his eye and continued to be lost in his thoughts until…

CRASH!

Gwaine burst through the doors, not caring that the room had gone deadly silent and were staring at him shocked at his rudeness and attitude. His face was flushed and looked very stressed. He was also panting as he had galloped to Camelot at full speed, flung himself off his horse, ran along corridors and up a few flights of stairs before then bursting through the doors.

"We've found Morgana!" He gasped dramatically, emphasizing Morgana's name to make it every bit more dramatic. The eerie silence broke people were gasping in shock. Everybody in the room felt impacted by these words even if they had no reason to be. "She was unconscious when we found but apart from that and a couple of wounds she'll recover." Gwaine approached Arthur and spoke in a voice which was just audible to Arthur, Gwen and Merlin. "I would have taken her to Camelot but the other soldiers were scared of her and it wouldn't have been easy." Gwen gave him a reassuring smile agreeing that he had done the right thing.

"Merlin, ask for two horses to be prepared. We need to set off right away. She must have her magic back to heal a mortal wound if the wound was a bad as Gwen made it be. Arthur spoke quickly but clearly. Gwaine and Merlin set off running to grant his request. Before Arthur had time to leave Gwen grabbed his hand and turned him around so that their faces were inches away.

"Arthur, promise me you'll be careful," Gwen whispered rapidly. Gwen's eyes pierced into Arthur's clearly stating that if he wasn't cautious then he would have to deal with her. Arthur reassuringly kissed her in reply and he saw her stiffened body relax a bit.

"Don't worry I will." He turned round and strode out the door.

The witch was confined with manacles which were chained to an ancient oak tree and surrounded by several soldiers pointing glistening swords at her.

"Lower your swords a bit," Morgana ordered with an air of authority none of the soldiers liked.

"Sorry milady Sir Gwaine's orders," replied a soldier with long wavy dark hair who was clearly a bit afraid of her as he would not meet her icy gaze.

"Ah... Yes he is so handsome," Morgana sneered in her mocking voice. "But this is completely unsuitable way to treat a lady and a very unsuccessful way to restrain her."

"What do you mean?" The dark haired soldier's sword quivered. Morgana's lip curled with satisfaction at how terrified she was making them all.

"You're all forgetting that I have magic and can blast you all out my way any second I want to but I think I should wait a while so I can confront my dear brother and kill him for persecuting my kind." She pretended to rejoice at her last few words as though knowing that it would happen soon. How gullible were these soldiers. Morgana felt she could have spent the whole day merely mocking and taunting them. No doubt Arthur had kept his most courageous soldiers in Camelot to protect the city from her if she returned.

"B-But S-Sir Gwaine told us your magic had stopped working."

"Magic can never stop working once you have the gift it is in you forever and you can't do anything about it," Morgana said in a very tranquil way.

The witch was completely unnerved by her fear of execution but her face told a completely different story. Morgana's expression clearly read 'I am tired of being restrained, please release me'. She racked her brains for an escape plan. None came so she decided to keep on attempting to use magic without incantations as it was the only way to regain her liberty. Morgana began to clear her mind of everything. The witch then focused all her energy and strength on a tree branch. Then-

SNAP!

The branch feebly split and glided slowly down to the soft ground. This was a start to redeeming her magic, Morgana told herself. Unfortunately the witch had completely forgot about the twenty odd soldiers that had just witnessed her eyes flickering gold while staring at the branch which had broken off the tree. Morgana watched helplessly as the dark haired soldier hastily positioned his sword inches from her heart ready to strike. None of the soldiers tried to protest as they were completely terrified as to what their fate would be if they let her live. She couldn't manage conceal her emotions and her sheet white shell-shocked face looked insanely petrified. Her green eyes were sunken and her mouth was slightly open in desperation. A second felt like a century to Morgana. Nano seconds before the sword could pierce her heart the black haired soldier was knocked off his feet surging into Morgana his sword lacerating her.

"NO!" yelled a figure in the distance. "Morgana!" wailed the figure sprinting towards her. As the figure approached Morgana all the soldiers were knocked off their feet and either knocked unconscious or killed. The figure carefully pulled the dead dark haired soldier off Morgana. Her breath was rattling perilously but that was not the only thing breaking the silence. Pounding the ground as they galloped along at an alarmingly fast and dangerous rate came Merlin, Arthur and Gwaine. Muttering an enchantment, the figure and Morgana vanished.

A/N- Thanks for reading the chapter. There will be a huge time jump between this chapter and the next but don't worry the mysterious figurer's identity will be revealed. If you write a review I will try and use the constructive criticism to improve my story and also use the compliments to continue writing that part well.