A/N: Hi, so this story is a bit of a dark one. I'm warning you now that there is torture and whump, and there is some in this chapter. So, read at own risk! But I hope you enjoy. This isn't a reveal fic, sorry. Also, I know that there are already a lot of scar reveal fics but I hope you still enjoy this one :)

Summary: Merlin's missing-again. Morgana is in her endless pursuit of finding out who Emrys is and will stop at nothing to uncover his identity. Truths are revealed, as well as some scars and tales to go with them. Merlin is running out of time; will Arthur be able to save him in time?

It takes place a month after the events of the secret sharer unfurl. So Arthur still trusts Agravaine etc.

Disclaimer: Merlin doesn't belong to me. The only thing that is mine is the plot of this story and some oc's. Sorry for any ooc.

Okay enough from me, Enjoy!


Arthur was really starting to get fed up with that lazy servant of his. Merlin was always late, often bringing Arthurs food cold. He seemed to be spending most of his time in the Tavern, the king really needed to have words with Gwaine about that. Not to mention that the boy just disappeared for days on end, with no trace of him. It was really starting to annoy Arthur.

Whilst thinking all this, the King was getting ever more impatient, because surprise, surprise, He was still waiting for Merlin to bring him breakfast, and he had already been waiting for the servant for over one hour. And yes, he was annoyed with the boy, not worried. That would be absurd, he was not worried. Although, it wasn't exactly normal for Merlin to be this late, yes maybe he would barge in with the food forty-five minutes late, but never any longer.

After waiting another twenty minutes and still no sign of that idiot, Arthur decided to go down to Gaius and Merlin' chambers to find out where that insufferable servant of his was.

Upon reaching the door he strode in, not bothering to knock. Once inside he noticed the old physician over a table with some bottles full of strange and foul liquids that Arthur had no doubt would taste ghastly. Gaius looked up from a bottle he was working on to look at the king.

"Sire, what can I do for you?" The physician asked a little curiously. "I was just wondering if you happen to know where that good for nothing servant of mine is?" Looking at Gaius, he noticed a little bit of worry in the physician's eyes. "I thought he was with you sire; I haven't seen him since last night."

Now, Arthur was getting a little-edgy, he refused to be worried, his pride would not allow it. But deep down he knew that he was indeed worried about that servant of his.

"If you happen to see him, send him straight to my chambers." Gaius nodded his head before getting back to the potion of his table, which had started to bubble.

Closing the door behind him, Arthur sighed. Where was that idiot?

~0o0~

The night prior.

"Can you please, for once, just give me a straight answer! Arthur give's me enough of a headache as it is, I don't need your riddles on top of that!"

Merlin looked up at Kilgarrah. He had come to ask the dragon for advice but nooo, the infuriating beast decided that now would be the perfect time to twist his words of wisdom into riddles that Merlin had no time to solve.

Letting out a chuckle, the dragon peered down at his dragon lord, "Come now young Warlock, you know of the King's Uncle, his words a sugar-coated trap. What you ask of me, as much as I wish to help, even my knowledge isn't of all things beneath the sun." The dragon did look a little sorry at the lack of help he was able to give, "I truly wish I could help, or at least tell you what you seek, but I am in the dark as much as you."

Merlin felt as though he had been struck a blow. "So, there is nothing? Nothing at all you could tell me that may help in any way?" Kilgarrah bowed his head, "If there was any guidance, I could give you, I would. I am sorry young Warlock, but this time you must figure it out yourself."

His heart plummeted at that. Soon he was walking back through the forest towards Camelot, his head trying to think of a way he could help Arthur. He knew Agravaine was up to something, what with the way he had been skulking around the castle.

Merlin had even followed him into the forest the night before and listened as the lord and Morgana had discussed their newest plan. He hadn't been able to understand it fully, but from what he could make out, they were planning to strike in the near future. But something about it had seemed off. Merlin could feel his magic become agitated as they had spoken, almost as if it knew what they were planning, and it was telling Merlin to run.

Merlin was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't sense the presence of dark magic until it was to late. He wandered through the shrubs when a strong pair of arms grabbed him from behind. He started to struggle when a rag was pressed against his mouth and nose. It smelt horrible, and he tried his best not to breath in the obnoxious fumes but failed miserably.

He felt himself become a dead weight before being swallowed up by the darkness.

~0o0~

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Merlin woke up slowly. He nearly screamed at the pain in his head, but managed to hold it in. His arms were aching and he could barely feel his fingers, that was not a good sign. Carefully and painfully, he pried his eyelids open. From what he could see he was in a small room, the floor and walls made of stone. Across from him was a door with a small window at its top, metal bars crossing the glass. Lifting his head to look up he realized that his arms were chained to the ceiling and his legs to the floor. That explained the pain in his arms.

He tried to struggle against his restraints but to no avail. He even tried using his magic but it seemed that the chains were enchanted to keep him there. Great, just what he needed.

There was no window in the room, other than the one in the door, nor were there any torches, so the only light came from beyond the door. Looking down at himself he saw that someone had changed his clothes. He was barefoot, wearing knee length shorts and a white shirt, which had rips and tares all over it.

After hanging there for quite some time, he heard footsteps slowly making there way towards his cell. The door opened to reveal Morgana. She smirked upon seeing him, entangled in chains. She stepped into the room, not taking her eyes off of Merlin. The way she looked at him reminded Merlin of the way a hunter looks at its prey.

"My Merlin, you really don't look to good." She said, the smirk only growing more menacing. Merlin lifted his head and looked straight into her eyes, "What do you want Morgana?" Putting a fake pout on her lips she replied, "Come now, that's not any way to treat an old friend, now is it?" Not saying anything he opted to just glare at her. She chuckled a little, although there was no humor in it, "Oh but I forget, we stopped being friends the second you decided to poison me." She was practically spitting the words at the end and Merlin couldn't help but flinch.

"Well Merlin, in answer to your question there is an awful lot that I want." Fixing him with her cold eyes she continued, "I want Camelot, I want to watch Arthur die, I want you to suffer for all you have done to me. But I also want information." Merlin swallowed, "I won't tell you anything Morgana." Her eyes glinted evilly, "We will see."

She walked over to somewhere behind Merlin that he could not see, before returning with a box clasped in her hand. "Now Merlin, what I would like to know," She paused for a second before gazing cruelly at him, "I want to know who Emrys is."

Merlin felt as if he had been slapped. She had taken Gaius for this very reason not one month before. He couldn't tell her, if he did then it would be all of Camelot that would pay the price. He knew that she would kill him the second she found out, and should that happen then he would be unable to protect Camelot and Arthur.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Morgana looked at him, clearly showing how she didn't believe him. "Don't lie to me, Merlin. It will only make your time here worse." Slowly, Morgana opened the chest to reveal a small dagger. Merlin could sense the dark magic coming of it in waves, and it made his own magic curl up in itself in disgust.

Smiling at him, Morgana took the blade out of the box and made her way towards Merlin, stalking like a predator would its prey. She placed the cool blade against his chest, "I will ask you once more Merlin, who is Emrys?" Merlin merely shook his head defiantly, when he felt the cold bite of the metal pierce his skin.

It felt as though his insides were burning, as though it was fire that ran through his veins. He let out a scream, full of pain, and his cries were heard all throughout the night where he was being held, as Morgana continued the torture.

~0o0~

Merlin had been missing for three days now. Arthur had admitted to himself that he was worried, if a little grudgingly. He was sitting at his desk, looking out the window in the hopes of seeing a certain manservant enter the courtyard, none the worse for wear, but unfortunately no such luck.

A knock on the door brought the King back to awareness.

"Come in!" He called out, a small flicker of hope that it was Merlin, which he quickly quelled realizing that his servant would never knock. Instead of Merlin, his uncle entered, dressed in his usual dark attire.

"Agravaine, what brings you here?" Agravaine stopped in front of Arthurs desk. Giving a quick bow with his head he replied, "Sire, forgive my intrusion, it's just that there have been reports of a beast on the outskirts of one of the villages. They say it has already killed many men, women and children, and that it shows no intention of stopping."

Arthur looked at his Uncle, "Go with ten of our best knights and as many soldiers as need be to get rid of it." Bowing once more and with a quick "Sire." Agravaine turned and walked out the door. Arthur missed the look that had crossed his uncles face when the lord had realized his nephew wasn't going to face the threat, a look of panic, as he was too busy thinking about where Merlin could be.

A while after Agravaine left, and still no sign of Merlin, Arthur decided that he and some of his closest knights would go out looking for Merlin. He quickly sent for Sir's Leon, Percival, Elyan and Gwaine to quickly come to his chambers, as well as Sir Oswald and Sir Gideon, whom he also trusted.

Once they were all in his chambers Arthur told them to be ready to leave within an hour in order to search for Merlin. The knights nodded before going off to get the provisions they would need, though not before Gwaine shot Arthur a surprised look at the fact he was willing to send a patrol to look for his friend.

An hour later and he and the other knights were just saddling up and preparing to leave when he spotted Gaius across the courtyard. He handed his horse to one of the stable hands before making his way over to the elderly physician. "We'll find him Gaius." Gaius simply nodded before turning around, and Arthur swore he saw a tear escape the physician's eye.

~0o0~

They had been trekking for hours, and hadn't found anything. That was until they came across an area fairly close to Camelot where it seemed some sort of struggle-however minor-had taken place.

Looking around, Arthur spotted something on a bush. He stepped closer and found a piece of blue fabric that looked all to familiar. "Over here!" Soon enough all the knights were looking at the piece of fabric snared in the brambles, grim looks on all there faces.

It was Merlin's and they all knew it. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Percival bending down to pick something up off the ground. He held it out for the King to see. It was a piece of grey fabric, a little tatty. Taking it from Percival he lent in for a closer inspection, when he smelt it. The rag was soaked in something foul that made Arthur gag. He lifted it up closer to his nose and breathed in strongly. His eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he would have fallen had it not been for Sir Leon, who managed to catch him in time.

Leon carefully placed him on the floor so as not to drop him. Arthur shook his head and looked up at the worried faces of his knights. He gestured towards the rag which was now being held be Elyan, if a little reluctantly, before saying "That could knock a man out!" They all shared a grim look, knowing that without a doubt, Merlin had been taken.

~0o0~

Agravaine rode fast through the trees till he came to the clearing that he was supposed to meet Morgana at. Once there, he dismounted his steed and walked over to a tree on the outskirts of the clearing. Out of the shadows, Morgana walked. Her eyes were wild and her dress had spots of blood all over it.

"My lady." Said Agravaine as he bowed deeply. "What news do you have, Agravaine?" He watched her a little wearily. "Arthur isn't joining the patrol to fight the beast, but he has sent me with them." If possible, Morganas eyes became wilder. "What of the boy?" He asked her, in the hopes of hearing some good news.

Immediately he realized that there was no good news. "He refuses to talk, although I have enjoyed to make him bleed, make him suffer as I have suffered, I am getting fed up with his resistance. I've been working on him for three days now, anyone else would have broken within the first hour!" Agravaine could see the anger rising but decided to stay silent, so as not to enrage her further.

"Arthur will no doubt be worried about Merlin by now, but you need to ensure he doesn't find the boy." Agravaine looked at her questioningly, "But my Lady, if I may, how am I to ensure Arthur doesn't find the boy if I am to be with the patrol to fight the beast?" She looked at him as if he were stupid, "Agravaine, the beast is easy to defeat with the right weapon." She handed him a leather pouch, "Use this when no one is looking. The beast will be defeated and then you can return to Camelot to keep Arthur from finding Merlin, and before you leave you can set up a false trail for Arthur to follow. He will not find Merlin until it is to late, he will be dead, I will know who Emrys is and Arthurs doom will finally be nigh."

Agravaine had to admit, it sounded quite easy, but he also thought it would be harder than it sounded, which wasn't great for himself. "Now you must go, before you arouse suspicion, but ensure you lay a false trail for Arthur to find before you return." He bowed to her before heading over to his horse. He rode off into the forest, with the intent to set a trap for Arthur that would no doubt please Morgana.

Watching him go, Morgana couldn't help the smirk on her face. The spider, going back to it's web. It's web it spun from lies to entrap Arthur. The fly in the web. But Morgana was pulling the strings, she was directing the web, and when the time came, she would be both the fly and spider's doom. But first she had to get back to the one that kept unravelling that web, the one that hid in the shadows. The wind that blew the web away. She had to destroy Emrys, but before she could do that, she would have to destroy Merlin.


A/N: Sorry about the length, and I hope to make chapters longer throughout the story, I hope to at least :P

So I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please let me know what you think!