Sewing Skills
Author: archaeologist_d
Title: Sewing skills
Rating: G
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Hunith, Will
Summary: Merlin and Will were always getting into trouble. Sometimes Hunith could barely keep a straight face because they were so ridiculous. But most times, she just worried.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1054
Camelot_drabble prompt 544: Thoughtful
Disclaimer: I do not own the BBC version of Merlin; They and Shine do. I am very respectfully borrowing them with no intent to profit. No money has changed hands. No copyright infringement is intended.
o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/
“Shut it, Will, you don’t want us to get caught, do you?” Merlin grumbled, his voice carrying across the night air.
“We won’t get caught. Old Man Simmons never comes out after dark, the stupid old crow. He won’t find out ‘til morning and by then, we’ll be in bed. Innocent as babies.” Will laughed, then he must have realised that people might overhear, murmured, “Do you have it? It’s not like it’s a bad thing. Just a bit of fun.”
“If Mum finds out, she’ll give me that look. You know the one,” Merlin insisted.
Hunith knew the one. She’d used it often enough over the years. It was only by coincidence that she’d even stumbled over their whispering, what with the two of them thick as thieves and getting into trouble more often than not.
Luckily, she’d run out of wood for the night fire and needed more.
“And what were you planning on doing, then?” Hunith said, coming around the corner and staring down at them both. She hated to be the tyrant. Merlin was such a free spirit, and their life was hard enough but she couldn’t let the village’s headman grow suspicious.
Merlin’s magic was a constant fear in her heart, but with Will egging him on, it was only a matter of time before the whole thing came crashing down. If the king found out, he’d capture Merlin and make him do awful things: destroy the minds of his enemies, torture those who had crossed him, obliterate entire villages just because it was fun. The man was a monster and he’d turn Merlin into one as well.
Hunith would never let that happen.
“Mum?” Merlin said, his eyes round as saucers. “I… umm… Will and I were just-.”
“Don’t you dare lie to me, Merlin,” Hunith said, suddenly furious.
Will, troublemaker though he was, had a good heart. “It’s not Merlin’s idea. It’s mine. That old fusspot has been on Merlin’s case for days now, ever since Merlin let out his pig. By accident,” Will stammered, then straightened up, his face mulish. “He got the pig back.”
“Yes, and Mr Simmons shouldn’t have had to chase the pig in the first place,” Hunith said, her voice stern. She didn’t want to admit that it had been hilarious, so much so that she’d had to go inside and stuff her fist into her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.
“Mum, it really was an accident. I just wanted to give her an apple I’d found,” Merlin muttered, looking contrite.
“I am not upset about that. But you keeping secrets from me is a problem,” Hunith said, frowning at them both. She had to make sure that Merlin would be more circumspect in future, more thoughtful about the consequences of his actions.
“You’d have found out anyway,” Merlin mumbled, so softly that Hunith could hardly hear him.
He shoved what looked like a small dress into her hands. The thing was full of patches, as if they’d cobbled together rags that couldn’t even be used for cleaning. The tiny stitches were perfect, though, and for a second, her heart wanted to stop. Merlin had used magic to make it.
All she could do was pray that Will hadn’t noticed.
She hummed her annoyance at them. “And I assume someone was going to wear this? It’s too small for either of you.”
“Mum, no, not us,” Merlin whined, pulling a face as though embarrassed.
“It’s for the pig,” Will said, looking both horrified that she would ever think it was for him and defiant. “Simmons is always going on about how she’s the best sow in all of Ealdor. We were just… umm… dressing her the part.”
Hunith didn’t want to laugh, she struggled hard against it and only by shear force of will, did she keep her face stern. “I see. And did you think the pig might object?”
“Nah, I measured her and everything. It would fit. She’d be nice and warm, too,” Merlin said, Will nodding. “We thought it might be a nice gift. Maybe.”
“And you were going to put it on her in the middle of the night?” Hunith pointed out.
Merlin said, “She’s cold. I know you wouldn’t want her to get sick.” As if he thought she’d ignore everything and let him dress a pig at night. In the dark. Without Mr Simmons’s permission.
Wanting to roll her eyes at the ridiculousness of it, instead, Hunith bundled up the dress, and looking at Will, she said, “Go home, William. The pig is off-limits.”
“You won’t tell my mum, will you? It was just a bit of… fun?” Will squeaked.
Taking pity on him, it had been a rough year with Will’s father killed and poor Eloise only scraping by, she said, “I will let it be, but if Mr Simmons’s pig is harassed in any way in future, I’ll be having a word or two with your mum.”
“Thanks, you’re the best,” Will said, giving her a grin, then scampering away. “See you tomorrow, Merlin.”
“As for you, my wayward hawk, whatever possessed you to use magic on this?” Hunith whispered, nodding toward the dress. “It’s dangerous and foolish. Will doesn’t know, does he?”
Looking both scared and defiant, Merlin shook his head. “No, no, I know I’m supposed to keep it secret, and I did and I hate that I have to. Will’s my best friend and I… sorry, Mum.”
“Oh, Merlin, my love, you know better. You know how it is. I couldn’t bear to lose you,” Hunith said, her throat tight with worry.
Merlin hugged her then. “I promise. No more magic.”
Hunith hugged him back. She knew he wouldn’t be able to keep his word. Magic was as much a part of him as the air and sky. “Come inside. Supper’s ready.”
Scampering away-Merlin was always hungry, as Hunith followed him in, she knew she’d had to start planning for the future. She’d write to her Uncle Gaius tonight. Not that Merlin could leave just yet. He was just a little boy. But when he was grown, when things became impossible in Ealdor, she would want a safe haven for him to learn to control his gifts.
Hunith just hoped it was the right thing to do.
Title: Sewing skills
Rating: G
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Hunith, Will
Summary: Merlin and Will were always getting into trouble. Sometimes Hunith could barely keep a straight face because they were so ridiculous. But most times, she just worried.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1054
Camelot_drabble prompt 544: Thoughtful
Disclaimer: I do not own the BBC version of Merlin; They and Shine do. I am very respectfully borrowing them with no intent to profit. No money has changed hands. No copyright infringement is intended.
o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/
“Shut it, Will, you don’t want us to get caught, do you?” Merlin grumbled, his voice carrying across the night air.
“We won’t get caught. Old Man Simmons never comes out after dark, the stupid old crow. He won’t find out ‘til morning and by then, we’ll be in bed. Innocent as babies.” Will laughed, then he must have realised that people might overhear, murmured, “Do you have it? It’s not like it’s a bad thing. Just a bit of fun.”
“If Mum finds out, she’ll give me that look. You know the one,” Merlin insisted.
Hunith knew the one. She’d used it often enough over the years. It was only by coincidence that she’d even stumbled over their whispering, what with the two of them thick as thieves and getting into trouble more often than not.
Luckily, she’d run out of wood for the night fire and needed more.
“And what were you planning on doing, then?” Hunith said, coming around the corner and staring down at them both. She hated to be the tyrant. Merlin was such a free spirit, and their life was hard enough but she couldn’t let the village’s headman grow suspicious.
Merlin’s magic was a constant fear in her heart, but with Will egging him on, it was only a matter of time before the whole thing came crashing down. If the king found out, he’d capture Merlin and make him do awful things: destroy the minds of his enemies, torture those who had crossed him, obliterate entire villages just because it was fun. The man was a monster and he’d turn Merlin into one as well.
Hunith would never let that happen.
“Mum?” Merlin said, his eyes round as saucers. “I… umm… Will and I were just-.”
“Don’t you dare lie to me, Merlin,” Hunith said, suddenly furious.
Will, troublemaker though he was, had a good heart. “It’s not Merlin’s idea. It’s mine. That old fusspot has been on Merlin’s case for days now, ever since Merlin let out his pig. By accident,” Will stammered, then straightened up, his face mulish. “He got the pig back.”
“Yes, and Mr Simmons shouldn’t have had to chase the pig in the first place,” Hunith said, her voice stern. She didn’t want to admit that it had been hilarious, so much so that she’d had to go inside and stuff her fist into her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.
“Mum, it really was an accident. I just wanted to give her an apple I’d found,” Merlin muttered, looking contrite.
“I am not upset about that. But you keeping secrets from me is a problem,” Hunith said, frowning at them both. She had to make sure that Merlin would be more circumspect in future, more thoughtful about the consequences of his actions.
“You’d have found out anyway,” Merlin mumbled, so softly that Hunith could hardly hear him.
He shoved what looked like a small dress into her hands. The thing was full of patches, as if they’d cobbled together rags that couldn’t even be used for cleaning. The tiny stitches were perfect, though, and for a second, her heart wanted to stop. Merlin had used magic to make it.
All she could do was pray that Will hadn’t noticed.
She hummed her annoyance at them. “And I assume someone was going to wear this? It’s too small for either of you.”
“Mum, no, not us,” Merlin whined, pulling a face as though embarrassed.
“It’s for the pig,” Will said, looking both horrified that she would ever think it was for him and defiant. “Simmons is always going on about how she’s the best sow in all of Ealdor. We were just… umm… dressing her the part.”
Hunith didn’t want to laugh, she struggled hard against it and only by shear force of will, did she keep her face stern. “I see. And did you think the pig might object?”
“Nah, I measured her and everything. It would fit. She’d be nice and warm, too,” Merlin said, Will nodding. “We thought it might be a nice gift. Maybe.”
“And you were going to put it on her in the middle of the night?” Hunith pointed out.
Merlin said, “She’s cold. I know you wouldn’t want her to get sick.” As if he thought she’d ignore everything and let him dress a pig at night. In the dark. Without Mr Simmons’s permission.
Wanting to roll her eyes at the ridiculousness of it, instead, Hunith bundled up the dress, and looking at Will, she said, “Go home, William. The pig is off-limits.”
“You won’t tell my mum, will you? It was just a bit of… fun?” Will squeaked.
Taking pity on him, it had been a rough year with Will’s father killed and poor Eloise only scraping by, she said, “I will let it be, but if Mr Simmons’s pig is harassed in any way in future, I’ll be having a word or two with your mum.”
“Thanks, you’re the best,” Will said, giving her a grin, then scampering away. “See you tomorrow, Merlin.”
“As for you, my wayward hawk, whatever possessed you to use magic on this?” Hunith whispered, nodding toward the dress. “It’s dangerous and foolish. Will doesn’t know, does he?”
Looking both scared and defiant, Merlin shook his head. “No, no, I know I’m supposed to keep it secret, and I did and I hate that I have to. Will’s my best friend and I… sorry, Mum.”
“Oh, Merlin, my love, you know better. You know how it is. I couldn’t bear to lose you,” Hunith said, her throat tight with worry.
Merlin hugged her then. “I promise. No more magic.”
Hunith hugged him back. She knew he wouldn’t be able to keep his word. Magic was as much a part of him as the air and sky. “Come inside. Supper’s ready.”
Scampering away-Merlin was always hungry, as Hunith followed him in, she knew she’d had to start planning for the future. She’d write to her Uncle Gaius tonight. Not that Merlin could leave just yet. He was just a little boy. But when he was grown, when things became impossible in Ealdor, she would want a safe haven for him to learn to control his gifts.
Hunith just hoped it was the right thing to do.