Lost and Found

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur took another look at the dead. It was a horrid sight but it was the reality of war. They could not expect to fight Cenred without losing a few men of their own. Still . . . it did not make it any easier to see them lying there. But knowing they had given their lives for their kingdom, for their king . . . it was an honor and Arthur would make sure they were remembered for it. He had decided to follow the trail and try to find the men who had attacked his own. Not because he was overly vengeful, but because he wanted to prevent them from killing any more people . . . and the thought that he would be bringing those who were dead to justice was good motivation as well.

Before he mounted on his horse again, he heard someone in the woods. Quickly drawing his sword, he silently motioned for the other men to back him up. Were they still here, lurking behind the trees? Arthur was on full alert, waiting for them to jump out so that they could end this one small fight, for he knew there would be many others to come. A single figure began to emerge from the mist. They did not look armed, but still, Arthur kept a defensive stance, ready to attack . . . ready to strike . . . ready to--

His eyes widened with shock as the figure began clear, standing right in front of him. How could it be? He had spent the entire year searching with no luck, and he had almost given up hope . . . but here they were. Arthur was too shocked to lower his sword, but he managed to speak one word, one question, because he was in complete disbelief. "Morgana?"


_{Setting: The Woods
Time of Day: Early morning
Timeline: When they find Morgana in Tears of Uther Pendragon
Tag: Lady Morgana}

[coconut]

It had been a long year. But the time had come for Morgana to return to Camelot one way or another. After being gone for so long, she couldn't just walk up to the kingdom as if there wasn't the slightest thing wrong with that picture. No. She would let them find her. Morgana had to be a little creative with her return and how they found her. Morgose set everything up with the bandits whom would most likely perrish at the hands of the Camelot knights — which they intended to have happen — and the rest was up to the Lady. How strange it would be... being the Lady Morgana again. No one had adressed her as such in the longest time... But she wasn't really who she used to be, now, was she?

Taking a small dose of a strange brew her sister had made, Morgana would soon feel its effects and it would make their finding her much more... theatrical. If she was going to be the center of attention why not put on a show. Smudging her face with a little dirt and butchering her hair, the drowsy, unbalanced effects of the brew wore in and it was time to say goodbye to Morgose who wished her luck. This was not a sad occasion, they would meet again soon.

Walking closer to the battle feild, walking clumsly through the forest and tripping over several branches, Morgana could hear the fight slowly come to an end until there was no more yelling or sword song. Show time. Stumbling towards the makeshift camp they had set up, Morgana stumbled through the fog feeling really lost the its thickness. She looked around for the knights, they wouldn't be too far now. She hadn't heard them leave yet either so thy were there. Somewhere. Stumbling a little farther, she looked over and froze at the sight of them... at the sight of Arthur... at the sight of Merlin.

"Morgana?" She had missed Arthur, no matter how much dislike she had toward Uther. He was still like a brother to her but he would never be her true kin like Morgose. She gave the faintest grin. "Arthur... ?" She said with a certain breathlessness. And she 'fainted'.

(isn't she just something? Lol drama queen)
(( and yes, I said sword song lol. So poetic. Haha. ))

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur was still paralyzed with shock. It was only when she began to faint that he had the ability to move. It was reflexive and quick, and he rushed to her side right before she hit the ground, falling in his arms instead. He slowly lowered her so that he was crouching on the ground, holding her in his arms and the upper half of her body nearly touching his knees. "Get me my cape!" He demanded, as he had left it on his horse instead of wearing it. He looked down at Morgana, unable to explain in words the relief he felt in that moment. She was alive! She was safe again! And he would never let any more harm come to her.

When one of the knights scrambled over to him, he took the cape and wrapped it around her. He wanted to get her back as soon as possible so that Gaius could examine her to see if there was any extensive wounds. But he also wanted to try and see if she would wake up from her unconscious state. "Morgana?" He asked in a low, very concerned voice. "Can you hear me?" He asked again desperately.

[ Hahaha I love her histrionics! Its how she is managing to play and manipulate everyone so well Wicked post!! Sorry that mine is a bit on the shorter side . . . ]

[coconut]

Morgana could not have pulled off such a believable fainting spell without the effects Morgause's drought. And judging by Arthur's reaction it was all too believable. 

Morgana had expected to feel the hard hit and sharp pain of her petite body falling onto the forest's untamed, used soil. She had braced herself for it but she felt no rocks, no branches, nothing that she had expected; Arthur had always been quick on his feet which could prove to be an obstacle in the future. Morgana didn't move, her body lay limply in his arms as he requested his cape and wrapped it around her. A sweet gesture. He cared. It made her almost want to be sick had she not still cared a little bit about him. Yes, she despised Uther and still planned to help her sister take Camelot but Arthur was practically her brother. But Morgause was her own kin, she was more important than Arthur. 

Morgana opened her eyes slowly, almost as if she were waking for a short night of sleep. She was quite the actress and it far from her final scene. The show must go on. "Arthur." She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close. "You can't imagine how happy I am to see you." She told him while she fake-sobbed into his armor.

(your post was great! Honestly. And thanks)

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur was even more relieved when she regained concsiousness. He wanted to find out so many things from her; where she had been, what had happened, who had taken her . . . he wanted to tell her so many things, how much Uther missed her, how much he himself had missed her -- even though he was rather terrible and vocalizing his emotions -- . But right now, there was just one important question that could perhaps not be so easily answered: was she alright? He could not imagine the mental and emotional trauma, if not physical, she had suffered in the past year.

So when she hugged him, he wrapped his arms around her, still filled with shock over her sudden appearance. He made sure not to squeeze too tightly as he was still clad in his armor and did not want to crush her. It only meant that he would have to control his relief and excitement over having found her, and able to see her again. She was his sister, blood related or not and all that fear over never seeing her again could finally subside. "I am so sorry Morgana," he whispered in a soft voice. He would take the blame for whatever she was forced to endure. He had not found her sooner, and felt responsible for allowing this to happen. He slowly pulled away from the embrace, though he did not want to. He began to search her face for injury, still noticing how disheveled she looked. "Are you alright?" It was not a question he expected her to easily answer, nor answer with positivism but he needed to know if she had any immediate life threatening injuries since they still had to journey back to the city.

[ HAHAH I laughed so much at parts of your post . . . she's so funny overplaying the victim! I love it! ]

[coconut]

They ate it up. Every single knight there just ate up her act, perhaps even Merlin, she thought for a second. They truly believed her sherade. She smirked into Arthur armor as she 'sobbed' some more. They would a grow fat if they kept eating it up and it was exactly what she intended to happen. No one would ever find out. And if anyone ever did, they could not accuse her infront of Uther. Fool proof. That's what it was. The plan would work out perfectly.

Arthur was even taking on a few pounds. The hard armor that covered his fragile body wrapped around her in a returning embrace. It felt good to be with him again after so long, to be able to hold him and see him... But he was an obsticle. He was worthless to her. Morgana only needed Morgause and no one else. Camelot would grew large with the slow digestion of Morgana's staged return and then it would be all too easy.

"No. Don't be sorry." She chuckled lightly through her sobs as she usually would. "It wasn't your fault." It was Merlin's! She wished she could add. But with that would come an explanation at length... Morgana was not going to come up with a story quick enough. Though the thought of seeing Merlin being killed or poisoned made her feel as if things would be even and balanced.

He pulled away and Morgana put on her mask again. She gave him a smile and her hands caressed his face, lightly feeling his cheeks and forehead as if she were trying to compare it now to how she remembered him. "I'm a lot better now. I'm just so glad to see you!"

((thanks! Ya I love it too lol!!!! ))

[Arthur Pendragon]

Despite her objections to his guilt, he would forever feel it. A year had been far too long, and he would never believe that he had not tried hard enough to find her. He rested a hand on the back of her head as she cried into his armor. He would never let any harm come to her again, and was eager to hear about what had happened the past year. . . no matter how painful it would be to hear Morgana in such a horrible situation. He hoped that time would heal whatever physical and emotional wounds her kidnapping left.

He gave her a bit of a smile as she looked at him, gently touching his face. He leaned his, lightly kissing her forehead. "Everyone will be so relieved to see you back and safe. Especially the King." Knowing his father, he would have a large ceremony to celebrate Morgana's return, but would of course have to wait until she regained her strength. She still seemed to weak, dirty and frail. "Are you ready to ride? Or would you like us to remain here for a bit?" He did not want to push her if she was too weak. But he was no longer planning on following the men who attacked his knights. And he could not blindly send those who remained after them without leading. They would return to Camelot with the safe retrieval of Morgana.

[coconut]

Especially the King. Morgana smirked to herself on the inside. Uther would be happy to see her but she would be far more pleased to see him. The King should enjoy his kingdom while he still had it because it wouldn't be his for long. "Oh! Uther! How I have missed him." She smiled through it. But oh how she loathed Uther. He killed her people. Her people who used magic. Would he kill her if he found out about her magic? She would not put it past him. Arthur on the other hand... she did not know. Being in the comfort of his arms right now she would like to believe that he wouldn't, but he was Uther's son.

"Please, I don't want to stay here! Not anymore. Please, take me away!" Morgana started to get frantic, playing her part well, gripping speraticly at Arthur's armor with little hope of finding grip. "Please." She repeated in a whisper, her eyes big with fake plea.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Her enthusiasm to see Uther surprised him, and then he felt a bit bad for being surprised about it. He knew that there had been building tension between her and the king. Despite her being raised by him, she did not agree with many of his laws and policies and had been slowly becoming more vocal about her opposition to them. It displeased his father, he knew that much. While Arthur disagreed with him at times, he would find alternate ways to do what he believed was right. But then . . . maybe she had been through too much. Maybe she really did miss his father after being god knows where for so long. It was nothing he should be surprised by. It should be expected, for Uther regarded her as a daughter, and she must have therefore, see him as a father.

Seeing her get all worked up continued to worry Arthur thinking about what she had been through. She was usually such a strong, brave woman and to see her this desperate . . . it was devastating. "Don't worry," Arthur said in a voice that was meant to calm her down. "I will take you back to Camelot, where no harm will come to you again." He felt the need to continuously assure this to her. That he would not make this same mistake twice. "Come on," he said as he helped her up, putting his arms around her as he walked alongside her, giving her the support she needed and ensuring his cape stayed in place to keep her warm.

[coconut]

Playing the damsel in distress was new to Morgana. She didn't need anybody's help, she could fight as well as any man. But this was mandatory. Arthur had to be convinced that she was unstable, fragile, shooken, terrified and exhausted. No one could be able to guess that she had spent the last year living a good life.

Morgana gave him a few nervous nods before her helped her up to her feet. He wouldn't let any harm come to her. Sadly, she couldn't promise that for him in the future. She held onto him, resting her weight against him as she walked feebly along his side. He tried to keep his cape around her as they walked and she held onto it with shakey hands. Things were absolutely perfect and were going according to plan.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur continued to lead her, until they got to his horse. It was not too far to walk, but knowing her current weakened state, it may seem like quite a distance for her. He kept his arm firmly and protectively around her, until they got to his animal. He slowly released it and began to help her mount onto it, lifting her a bit so that it would be easier for her to position herself. The other knights followed his lead and got on their own horses. Once Morgana was securely on, Arthur hopped on the horse, placing himself in front of her. She did not need to be burdened with steering. She should rest as much as she could, until he could take her home and make sure she's alright.

He didn't waste any time. He lightly kicked the side of the horse, leading it into a fast gallop, as he wanted to get back as quickly as he could. She needed fresh clothes, warm food, and a comfortable bed. She did not deserve whatever conditions she had survived in during the past year, and Arthur wanted to provide everything that she had been seriously lacking, so he rode as speedily and as swiftly as he ever had.

[Whenever you like, we can do a time lapse to when she's in her room and they have their little conversation on her bed or something! If that sounds alright with you! ]