No one and nothing part 6A
Author: 
archaeologist_d
Title: No one and Nothing part 6A
Rating: R
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Iseldir, Tristan, Isolde
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: 890
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.
---------------------
Arthur had kept his word. There were horses saddled for a long journey, hidden in the woods.
Hiking up the dreaded skirts, Merlin urged Rolf onto the other horse, then they both took off for the Valley of the Fallen Kings. It was dark, past midnight and Merlin didn’t dare urge the horses into a gallop for fear of accidents, but they made good time. Merlin sent out pulses of magic ahead of them, conjuring up a series of sparkling fairy-lights as those in Ealdor might call them, to show them the way. Once in a while, he turned, whispering a spell, to hide their tracks.
Rolf didn’t protest or ask questions or do anything but watch Merlin with fear in his eyes. It couldn’t be helped. Had their first escapee been blessed with magic, it might have been different. They might have been more understanding, even curious at Merlin’s spells but Rolf had grown up with the propaganda of magic as evil.
All Merlin could do was hope that Rolf would see that magic wasn’t always bad, that it could be beautiful, too.
-------------
It was nearly morning when Iseldir appeared. The man was amazing. One moment, there was nothing, the next, the Druid stood there in their path, calm as always, and greeted Merlin with a nod. The horses weren’t happy, skittish as his sudden appearance, but Merlin was. At least, the first part of their journey was over.
Rolf had been nodding off, clearly exhausted, when Iseldir said, “Welcome, young one. Come, we have food and drink, and you can rest while Emrys tells me of news.”
Merlin relaxed. He had forgotten to warn Iseldir not to call him Merlin, but the name Emrys would not make any sense to Rolf so it was all good.
Sliding off the horse, Rolf grimaced as he began walking toward the cave Iseldir had indicated. Merlin’s legs weren’t much better.
But it couldn’t be helped. Any hesitation, even to refresh the horses, would have given Camelot’s knights an edge in finding them. At least in the Valley of the Fallen Kings, superstition about ghosts and evil doings kept the knights from investigating every nook and cranny and there were lots of hiding places. The Druids used it to their advantage.
The cave Iseldir had chosen was well-situated. Fairly small, easy to defend, and hidden from prying eyes with vines and an outcrop of fallen stone, it was still warm inside. A small fire sent smoke up into the ceiling and out, and there were tubers nestled in the coals. A spring was off to one side and Rolf made for it, scooping up the cold water and drinking several handfuls.
Merlin pretended not to watch Rolf struggling to keep awake, instead talking to Iseldir of medicines and herbs he’d spotted on the way and asked after Iseldir’s youngest. It was only when Rolf began to snore, softly, deep in the sleep of the exhausted, that Merlin told Iseldir what had happened.
“So the crystal worked. I assume that umm… our partner,” Merlin murmured, glancing toward Rolf to make sure he was still asleep. “will be cleaning up after us. Knowing Uther, he’ll throw the body onto the pyre anyway, just for revenge at being thwarted of a good show, and that will be that. They won’t know it was a pig’s carcass, and they certainly won’t be looking for the boy.”
“I have arranged for transport for him.” Iseldir gave Merlin a slight smile, then nodded toward Rolf. “I assume that our partner has prepared the way once the boy reaches Nemeth.”
Merlin pulled out a letter of safe conduct, not in Arthur’s hand but looking official enough that it should pass casual muster. “Rolf will give this to a friend in Gedref, then he’ll escort Rolf to a small town just inside Nemeth’s border. We didn’t have time to arrange for work for him, but he’s quite a good blacksmith. He should have no trouble finding another apprenticeship. And Nemeth will look the other way. That way, they can plead ignorance if needs be.”
“And the boy? Will he betray us?” Iseldir asked, glancing at Rolf.
“I doubt he could find this place again and my disguise,” Merlin muttered, shaking the skirt of the wool kirtle. “Seems to have worked. Rolf thinks me a maidservant. Our… partner never went near him so it should all be good.”
“Do you trust our partner? There are many ways this could all go wrong. If he turns back to his old ways, I can’t think of how it would affect my people.” Iseldir looked as unsettled as Merlin had ever seen him.
“Have you Seen something?” Merlin asked, knowing that his skills were not in reading the future.
“No, Emrys, I am just being cautious. These last few years have been hard for my people, with the constant threats from Camelot’s king.” Iseldir gave a sigh, a sad little thing. “I am weary of it. I’ve lived with this for too long.”
Merlin nodded. He, too, had been terrorized by Uther for years and hiding himself from everyone since he was old enough to walk. “I just hope that this will be a new dawn for us all.”
Nodding, Iseldir reached over and gave Merlin a little shake. “I hope so, too.”
archaeologist_d
Title: No one and Nothing part 6A
Rating: R
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Iseldir, Tristan, Isolde
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: 890
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.
---------------------
Arthur had kept his word. There were horses saddled for a long journey, hidden in the woods.
Hiking up the dreaded skirts, Merlin urged Rolf onto the other horse, then they both took off for the Valley of the Fallen Kings. It was dark, past midnight and Merlin didn’t dare urge the horses into a gallop for fear of accidents, but they made good time. Merlin sent out pulses of magic ahead of them, conjuring up a series of sparkling fairy-lights as those in Ealdor might call them, to show them the way. Once in a while, he turned, whispering a spell, to hide their tracks.
Rolf didn’t protest or ask questions or do anything but watch Merlin with fear in his eyes. It couldn’t be helped. Had their first escapee been blessed with magic, it might have been different. They might have been more understanding, even curious at Merlin’s spells but Rolf had grown up with the propaganda of magic as evil.
All Merlin could do was hope that Rolf would see that magic wasn’t always bad, that it could be beautiful, too.
-------------
It was nearly morning when Iseldir appeared. The man was amazing. One moment, there was nothing, the next, the Druid stood there in their path, calm as always, and greeted Merlin with a nod. The horses weren’t happy, skittish as his sudden appearance, but Merlin was. At least, the first part of their journey was over.
Rolf had been nodding off, clearly exhausted, when Iseldir said, “Welcome, young one. Come, we have food and drink, and you can rest while Emrys tells me of news.”
Merlin relaxed. He had forgotten to warn Iseldir not to call him Merlin, but the name Emrys would not make any sense to Rolf so it was all good.
Sliding off the horse, Rolf grimaced as he began walking toward the cave Iseldir had indicated. Merlin’s legs weren’t much better.
But it couldn’t be helped. Any hesitation, even to refresh the horses, would have given Camelot’s knights an edge in finding them. At least in the Valley of the Fallen Kings, superstition about ghosts and evil doings kept the knights from investigating every nook and cranny and there were lots of hiding places. The Druids used it to their advantage.
The cave Iseldir had chosen was well-situated. Fairly small, easy to defend, and hidden from prying eyes with vines and an outcrop of fallen stone, it was still warm inside. A small fire sent smoke up into the ceiling and out, and there were tubers nestled in the coals. A spring was off to one side and Rolf made for it, scooping up the cold water and drinking several handfuls.
Merlin pretended not to watch Rolf struggling to keep awake, instead talking to Iseldir of medicines and herbs he’d spotted on the way and asked after Iseldir’s youngest. It was only when Rolf began to snore, softly, deep in the sleep of the exhausted, that Merlin told Iseldir what had happened.
“So the crystal worked. I assume that umm… our partner,” Merlin murmured, glancing toward Rolf to make sure he was still asleep. “will be cleaning up after us. Knowing Uther, he’ll throw the body onto the pyre anyway, just for revenge at being thwarted of a good show, and that will be that. They won’t know it was a pig’s carcass, and they certainly won’t be looking for the boy.”
“I have arranged for transport for him.” Iseldir gave Merlin a slight smile, then nodded toward Rolf. “I assume that our partner has prepared the way once the boy reaches Nemeth.”
Merlin pulled out a letter of safe conduct, not in Arthur’s hand but looking official enough that it should pass casual muster. “Rolf will give this to a friend in Gedref, then he’ll escort Rolf to a small town just inside Nemeth’s border. We didn’t have time to arrange for work for him, but he’s quite a good blacksmith. He should have no trouble finding another apprenticeship. And Nemeth will look the other way. That way, they can plead ignorance if needs be.”
“And the boy? Will he betray us?” Iseldir asked, glancing at Rolf.
“I doubt he could find this place again and my disguise,” Merlin muttered, shaking the skirt of the wool kirtle. “Seems to have worked. Rolf thinks me a maidservant. Our… partner never went near him so it should all be good.”
“Do you trust our partner? There are many ways this could all go wrong. If he turns back to his old ways, I can’t think of how it would affect my people.” Iseldir looked as unsettled as Merlin had ever seen him.
“Have you Seen something?” Merlin asked, knowing that his skills were not in reading the future.
“No, Emrys, I am just being cautious. These last few years have been hard for my people, with the constant threats from Camelot’s king.” Iseldir gave a sigh, a sad little thing. “I am weary of it. I’ve lived with this for too long.”
Merlin nodded. He, too, had been terrorized by Uther for years and hiding himself from everyone since he was old enough to walk. “I just hope that this will be a new dawn for us all.”
Nodding, Iseldir reached over and gave Merlin a little shake. “I hope so, too.”