No one and nothing part 5B
Author: 
archaeologist_d
Title: No one and Nothing part 5B
Rating: R
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Gwen
Summary: Merlin saves Arthur’s life in front of the whole court and has to run for his life. But when Arthur shows up, asking for help, what was Merlin to do, say no?
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1003
Camelot Drabble Prompt: 550 Student
Author’s Notes: The other chapters are found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/46585663/chapters/117313327
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.
-----------------
Getting the dead pig into the dungeon was hard enough. Heavier than a man’s body, there was no real place to grab onto, but Merlin was finally able to hoist it onto his back as he stumbled his way down. There was a back entrance to the dungeons, close by the cesspit, with thick iron bars blocking the way in but open enough to throw out trash and vomit buckets full of noxious waste into the sewer.
It stank, the odours clamouring for attention, and Merlin was hard-pressed not to spew out his dinner from the smells. But it was easier than trying to get past the guards. And more importantly, using magic and a saw blade, Merlin had already cut through the iron bars and reattached them with magic, covering them with paint so that no one was the wiser. Hopefully, it would work. Otherwise, Merlin didn’t really want to think about what could go wrong.
At least, Rolf was in a cell all by himself, as far away from others as they could put him. The taint of magic, to be avoided at all costs. But that was an advantage here.
When Merlin arrived, Rolf was huddled in the corner, his face buried in his knees, the sounds of his quiet grief muted in the darkness. Putting the carcass down, Merlin whispered, “Rolf, don’t say anything. I’m here to get you out of here.”
The teen looked up, his pale face screaked with tears. Sniffing, he frowned at Merlin, looking at the kirtle and the smeared paint on Merlin’s face. “He’s… I’m… I didn’t do anything.”
“We know, but Uther won’t listen to reason. We can help you escape but you’ll have to do what I say. Otherwise, it might be worse for you. And me.” Merlin watched Rolf’s face change, from fear to yearning to wariness. All Merlin could do was plod on and hope Rolf wasn’t too afraid to accept his offer. “Listen, magic isn’t all bad. Sometimes it can be used for good but-.”
Rolf’s face turned shroud-white. “I can’t… magic is… it’s forbidden.”
“In Camelot, yes,” Merlin said, trying not to frighten the poor kid but he didn’t have much time. “But things can always change. Besides, there are other kingdoms. If you stay here, you will die. Uther’s fury is up and he’s collecting dry wood so he can watch you burn. He likes to hear people scream as they die. I can help you escape but we need to go now.”
Rolf shook his head. “I don’t understand. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“It doesn’t matter. Either we leave now or you’re dead. What’s it to be?” Merlin waited to see what Rolf would do, but it had to be soon. The minutes were already ticking fast and soon the guards would go on their rounds.
“I’m… all right, yes,” Rolf whispered, getting up, wiping his fingers across his face to dry his tears.
Merlin brought out a key, unlocked the door and dragged the pig inside. As Rolf frowned, eyeing the door, Merlin pulled out one of the blood crystals, then taking out a knife, he stepped closer. “I need a drop of your blood. I won’t hurt you but it’s for the disguise.”
Rolf looked like he was about to say no, but in the distance, he must have heard the guards laughing, and he put out his hand. “Please, hurry.”
Nodding, Merlin cut one of Rolf’s fingers, a little slice, and rubbed the crystal across the bloody cut, then hung the stone around the pig’s neck.
Rolf let out a gasp as the pig turned into a dead body with Rolf’s face. But Merlin didn’t let him think about what was going on, just yanked on his hand and pulled him out into the corridor, then shut the cell door behind them. “Follow me and keep quiet.”
They ran down into the access tunnels, weaving through some of the debris stored there, Rolf’s hard breathing close behind him, and shoved the bars aside with a soft “Tospringe.”
There was a gasp behind him, Rolf muttering about sorcerers and magic and terror. But Merlin didn’t stop, just pulled him through it all, past the bars that swung closed behind them, sloughing through the muck of the cesspit and out into the cleaner night.
Finally, Rolf pulled out of Merlin’s grasp. “You have magic. You… this is worse. Now, magic is… you are a witch. What have I done?”
“You have a choice, Rolf. You can wait here until you are found again. They will kill you, by fire or sword but then you were already condemned.” Rolf’s face scrunched up as if he were about to cry again. “Whether I had rescued you or not, innocent or not, you were going to die if you stayed. Or,” Merlin whispered. “You can come with me to a new life. I can’t promise it won’t be hard. You won’t be able to come back to Camelot for a long time and you certainly can’t let Gwen or anyone else know that you are still alive, but you will have a chance to be free.”
Merlin reached over, thinking to comfort him but he flinched away. Nodding, Merlin stepped back and pointed toward the woods. “It will be a long journey, sometimes using magic, sometimes not, but you have to decide now. I cannot wait. My life is at risk as it is. Others will be risking theirs for yours as well.”
“I can’t tell Gwen?” Rolf said, his voice rough with grief.
“No, to do so would endanger her. But maybe someday you can come back. But we have to go now,” Merlin said, taking a step toward the dark pathway and freedom beyond.
Behind them, the bells began to toll, urgent as if danger were nearby. More likely, they had discovered the dead body in Rolf’s cell. Rolf jerked at the sound, then, his eyes hardening, he stepped toward the woods. “Let’s go.”
archaeologist_d
Title: No one and Nothing part 5B
Rating: R
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Gwen
Summary: Merlin saves Arthur’s life in front of the whole court and has to run for his life. But when Arthur shows up, asking for help, what was Merlin to do, say no?
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1003
Camelot Drabble Prompt: 550 Student
Author’s Notes: The other chapters are found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/46585663/chapters/117313327
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.
-----------------
Getting the dead pig into the dungeon was hard enough. Heavier than a man’s body, there was no real place to grab onto, but Merlin was finally able to hoist it onto his back as he stumbled his way down. There was a back entrance to the dungeons, close by the cesspit, with thick iron bars blocking the way in but open enough to throw out trash and vomit buckets full of noxious waste into the sewer.
It stank, the odours clamouring for attention, and Merlin was hard-pressed not to spew out his dinner from the smells. But it was easier than trying to get past the guards. And more importantly, using magic and a saw blade, Merlin had already cut through the iron bars and reattached them with magic, covering them with paint so that no one was the wiser. Hopefully, it would work. Otherwise, Merlin didn’t really want to think about what could go wrong.
At least, Rolf was in a cell all by himself, as far away from others as they could put him. The taint of magic, to be avoided at all costs. But that was an advantage here.
When Merlin arrived, Rolf was huddled in the corner, his face buried in his knees, the sounds of his quiet grief muted in the darkness. Putting the carcass down, Merlin whispered, “Rolf, don’t say anything. I’m here to get you out of here.”
The teen looked up, his pale face screaked with tears. Sniffing, he frowned at Merlin, looking at the kirtle and the smeared paint on Merlin’s face. “He’s… I’m… I didn’t do anything.”
“We know, but Uther won’t listen to reason. We can help you escape but you’ll have to do what I say. Otherwise, it might be worse for you. And me.” Merlin watched Rolf’s face change, from fear to yearning to wariness. All Merlin could do was plod on and hope Rolf wasn’t too afraid to accept his offer. “Listen, magic isn’t all bad. Sometimes it can be used for good but-.”
Rolf’s face turned shroud-white. “I can’t… magic is… it’s forbidden.”
“In Camelot, yes,” Merlin said, trying not to frighten the poor kid but he didn’t have much time. “But things can always change. Besides, there are other kingdoms. If you stay here, you will die. Uther’s fury is up and he’s collecting dry wood so he can watch you burn. He likes to hear people scream as they die. I can help you escape but we need to go now.”
Rolf shook his head. “I don’t understand. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“It doesn’t matter. Either we leave now or you’re dead. What’s it to be?” Merlin waited to see what Rolf would do, but it had to be soon. The minutes were already ticking fast and soon the guards would go on their rounds.
“I’m… all right, yes,” Rolf whispered, getting up, wiping his fingers across his face to dry his tears.
Merlin brought out a key, unlocked the door and dragged the pig inside. As Rolf frowned, eyeing the door, Merlin pulled out one of the blood crystals, then taking out a knife, he stepped closer. “I need a drop of your blood. I won’t hurt you but it’s for the disguise.”
Rolf looked like he was about to say no, but in the distance, he must have heard the guards laughing, and he put out his hand. “Please, hurry.”
Nodding, Merlin cut one of Rolf’s fingers, a little slice, and rubbed the crystal across the bloody cut, then hung the stone around the pig’s neck.
Rolf let out a gasp as the pig turned into a dead body with Rolf’s face. But Merlin didn’t let him think about what was going on, just yanked on his hand and pulled him out into the corridor, then shut the cell door behind them. “Follow me and keep quiet.”
They ran down into the access tunnels, weaving through some of the debris stored there, Rolf’s hard breathing close behind him, and shoved the bars aside with a soft “Tospringe.”
There was a gasp behind him, Rolf muttering about sorcerers and magic and terror. But Merlin didn’t stop, just pulled him through it all, past the bars that swung closed behind them, sloughing through the muck of the cesspit and out into the cleaner night.
Finally, Rolf pulled out of Merlin’s grasp. “You have magic. You… this is worse. Now, magic is… you are a witch. What have I done?”
“You have a choice, Rolf. You can wait here until you are found again. They will kill you, by fire or sword but then you were already condemned.” Rolf’s face scrunched up as if he were about to cry again. “Whether I had rescued you or not, innocent or not, you were going to die if you stayed. Or,” Merlin whispered. “You can come with me to a new life. I can’t promise it won’t be hard. You won’t be able to come back to Camelot for a long time and you certainly can’t let Gwen or anyone else know that you are still alive, but you will have a chance to be free.”
Merlin reached over, thinking to comfort him but he flinched away. Nodding, Merlin stepped back and pointed toward the woods. “It will be a long journey, sometimes using magic, sometimes not, but you have to decide now. I cannot wait. My life is at risk as it is. Others will be risking theirs for yours as well.”
“I can’t tell Gwen?” Rolf said, his voice rough with grief.
“No, to do so would endanger her. But maybe someday you can come back. But we have to go now,” Merlin said, taking a step toward the dark pathway and freedom beyond.
Behind them, the bells began to toll, urgent as if danger were nearby. More likely, they had discovered the dead body in Rolf’s cell. Rolf jerked at the sound, then, his eyes hardening, he stepped toward the woods. “Let’s go.”