The year: 921

[Sixty-nine miles west of Avalon Lake]
Camelot,
Albion

[Merlin's POV]

"Your hideout!?" It was the third time Morgana had yelled the phrase in my face. 

"Yes, Morgana," I replied as calmly as my veining patience allowed. 

So what if I trapped us in my hideout? Why did it matter?

Morgana rubbed her temples and closed her eyes. When she spoke next, her voice was calm. "It matters, Merlin," she said; I couldn't understand why her anger had dissipated so quickly. 

"Look around. Do you see our bodies?" She demanded. 

When I shook my head, she elaborated. "That means our bodies are still where we encountered each other." Her condescending tone reminded me of times when my mother used to ask me if I had washed my hands before starting my meal. 

Morgana searched my eyes, and probably not finding what she was looking for, she groaned, "Merlin, how will we get back into our bodies when they are not even here!"

'God's bones! Why didn't I think of that!?' From there, my thoughts took a more sinister but not completely baseless turn. 'Did our bodies survive the spell? After all, I still don't know what kind of spell Morgana used. What was her intention? Did she want to kill me, maim me, or something else entirely?'

"Merlin!" Morgana's fingers went through my shoulders; I suppose it started her. Her eyes widened for a moment. She studied her fingers. "It felt cold. Did you feel it too?"

I was sure that was not what she intended to say, yet I could relate to how she was probably feeling. I nodded. 

"I want my body back, Merlin." She demanded like she was asking me to fetch a pail of water. "How should we go about doing that?"

I had no clue. 

Damn it! Did she hear that? 

"Merlin, why are you staring at me? Please, tell me you have a plan." The more she spoke, the more desperate she sounded. I felt a pain in my heart, or rather, where my heart used to be when I saw how scared she looked and how pale her misty form had grown. 

Wait! She hadn't heard my thoughts just now. How come? 

'Morgana, I like you a lot. If I could, I would go back in time and at least steal a kiss from you.' I thought as loud and clear as I could. 

Morgana kept staring. She kept waiting. Unfortunately, I didn't have any answers. If anything, I had more questions. If we were to return to our bodies, I needed answers.

"Morgana, we will get our bodies back," I said with much more conviction than I felt. It cheered her up at once. "But, before that, I need you to tell me what spell you cast on me. What were you planning to do?"

The edges of her lips turned down. The spark my promise had ignited in her gray eyes dimmed. "I...I don't remember." She replied. It wasn't hard to tell that she was lying. 

"Morgana, however bad it is, trust me, I can take it. If you lie to me or don't tell me everything, I won't know what happened to us. You are aware that some spells complement each other and some don't. Some, if cast together, can obliterate the casters' souls. And at other times, they can nullify each other. Our spells definitely did not nullify each other since we did get trapped. That was the one I used. How about you?"

Morgana seemed reluctant but left with no choice- for I had spoken nothing but the truth- she came clean. "Initially, I just wanted to block your trapping spell, but then you jumped at me-"

That is not what happened! 

"I didn't jump at you. On the contrary, I saw the flaming whip and thought it might hurt you-" I snapped my mouth shut and cleared my throat, belatedly realizing that it would look odd because we didn't have vocal cords anymore, "Anyway, what did you do next?"

"I think my tongue slipped. I am not sure what I said, but the way it reacted-" I paused, "I think it latched on your spell somehow. I remember it circling the both of us before everything went dark." I could sense traces of guilt in her confession but knew nothing I said would alleviate it. I waited for her to go on, but she fell silent. 

A pained expression crossed her angelic features as her eyes locked with mine. It reminded me of when, years ago, Morgana was captured by bandits, and tortured. They had whipped her till they drew blood and tried to have their way with her. Thankfully, Arthur arrived just in time and rescued her before it was too late. Guin later revealed that Morgana used to wake up in cold sweat at night for months after the ordeal. 

The incident taught me that Morgana hated appearing weak, and right now, she was hurting. 

"What's wrong?" I reached for her, but my fingers went through her shoulders. I stepped away to give her a proper once-over. She was paler than before. It was like she was gradually disappearing. 

I could see her lips move, but I couldn't hear a thing. It was frustrating and scary all at once.

"Let me in, Morgana," I suggested. Morgana had always been a private person by nature, never expressing her wishes and desires clearly. "Lower your defense. I promise I will never harm you again. I swear on my mother's soul."

I watched understanding dawn in her gray eyes. "I think someone is hurting Skarla. She is scared."

"Skarla?" I repeated, and Morgana nodded. I believed the young ussa to be dead. Obviously, that was not true. 

The creature, just like Akurra, was an ancient species that had the upper body of a horse and the lower of a dragon. Its body shimmered as if made of specks of gold and silver. Unlike Akurra, though, it could fly. It was a fact that had missed my notice the first time I had laid eyes on it. 

"She was with me when I intercepted you. We are connected. Her life force runs through me." Morgan's eyes teared up. "I had cloaked her. That's why you couldn't see her. Merlin, help her!"

The gravity of what she had revealed sunk in; Morgana had survived my killing curse because of Skarla, and if any harm befell the ussa, Morgana would have to pay the price too, and so would I.

I had to think of something fast. I took stock of what I had and what I could work with. The answer came to me an instant later: Arnica. 

Snapping my eyes shut, I connected my mind with my eagle. A moment later, I was soaring over a forest. Soon she was flying over where I had cast the trapping spell on Morgana. "Lower," I muttered, commanding the eagle to descend and inspect the place for clues. 

As always, Arnica obeyed. She swooped low all of a sudden, disorienting me in the process. Soon, I was staring at my primordial body; a few feet away lay Morgana's still as mine, with a ring of fire encircling us. The heat made my eyes burn, but try as I may, I couldn't look at what lay beyond. 

I urged the mighty eagle to move closer, but it stayed put. I couldn't blame her. An ussa's breath is poisonous; though Arnica was loyal, she was not stupid. However, she read my mind and used her own. She took flight once more and turned left before swooping down again. 

This time I saw what I was hoping for, and if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes (well, almost), I would never have believed it.