No one and nothing part 13A
Author: archaeologist_d
Title: No one and Nothing part 13A
Rating: R
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Gaius, Leon, Iseldir, Tristan, Isolde, Uther
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: 739
Camelot Drabble Prompt: 570: pursue
Author’s Note: Okay, so I started this story some time back with prompt 545, then let it go a while, mainly because I was working on another story that was taking up all my time. But now that it's done, I'm going to be working on this one again. if you want to catch up, the other chapters are found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/46585663/chapters/117313327. This story starts after things have been going well with getting those accused of magic out of Camelot, but Uther is growing increasingly suspicious.
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.
----
Merlin waited until darkness fell. He could tell by the firelight shining through the smaller dining room window that Uther was already being served supper. Arthur, much as Merlin was always teasing him about intelligence and how the royal line had lost it some time ago, was pacing by the mullioned glass there, occasionally looking out as if impatient to be elsewhere but he finally settled further into the room. A signal that Arthur’s alibi was holding fast.
And Gaius had already promised him that he’d be talking to Uther sometime in the next candle mark.
Merlin wasn’t happy about wearing the damn dress but at least he knew he’d be changing it up afterwards, disguising the thing in new dyes or maybe unpicking the seams and selling the cloth to the rag merchants. He’d joked to Arthur about burning it, but he grew up in Ealdor and everything there was used and reused until it fell apart and even then, used for hut construction and plugging up draughty holes in walls. He wasn’t going to waste it just because he loathed the thing.
Adjusting the kirtle, putting a scarf around his hair and across his throat, he picked up a basket full of laundry, then scurried his way down toward the courtyard. No one stopped him. No one even looked in his direction.
Uther really did need to hire better guards but Merlin wasn’t going to complain.
A few steps closer to the cell window, and Merlin tripped, deliberately, and muttered something about masters and laundry and overwork as he gathered up the dirty clothes. But no one glanced in his direction, thank the gods. With a quick flick, he tossed the cell key, wrapped in rags, into Rhain’s cell, then hurried away.
He was sure he’d got away with it. No clink of metal as the key fell into the straw, no guards calling after him, and as he looked up, he could see Gaius and Arthur talking above in the window.
It was all going to plan.
--------------
It was close to midnight when Rhain finally appeared.
Merlin had been nodding off, the night quiet with only an owl hooting in the distance and the sound of leaves whispering in the wind. Once in a while, he could hear the clomp of feet as the guards went about their nightly patrols.
Tucked into an alcove, with a clear view of the dungeon entrance, Merlin was beginning to think that he’d misjudged the situation, that maybe Rhain really had magic and was too afraid to use the key Merlin had dropped into his cell or else was waiting for rescue.
But then, out of the corner of his eye, Merlin saw a shadow move through the stone entryway, a man cloaked in black wool and stealth. It didn’t help that the smoking torches sent flickers of light and darkness against the walls, hiding more than exposing anything that moved. It was only because Merlin was watching for him that he even knew Rhain was there.
Moving like a ghost, more like a practiced assassin than a foolish sorcerer trying to escape, Rhain followed along the twists and turns of alcoves and hidden places, watching the guards as they stomped through the courtyard, then slipping out past the gate and into the forest beyond.
Merlin wasn’t far behind.
Surprisingly, there was no outcry, no warning bells, no loud clap of sound echoing off the stone walls, no calls for capturing an escaped prisoner, nothing. It was very odd. Usually there would be a hue and cry if even one prisoner escaped, never mind a hated sorcerer.
Perhaps, Rhain had killed the guards. Or drugged them or else they were in on his escape.
In any case, Merlin didn’t have time to check. Rhain was moving fast, looping around the castle, using the bushes and tree line to keep from being seen, but still, Merlin almost lost him in the darkness. Luckily, as Rhain came around to the far side of the citadel, he opened the postern gate with a key and went inside.
Shit. Rhain had a key, he had an ally and Merlin was willing to bet anything that Uther was pulling the strings this time.
But Merlin wasn’t about to be thwarted by anyone, least of all by some pretender. He waited a few moments, then opened the gate with a whispered command and slipped inside.
Title: No one and Nothing part 13A
Rating: R
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Gaius, Leon, Iseldir, Tristan, Isolde, Uther
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: 739
Camelot Drabble Prompt: 570: pursue
Author’s Note: Okay, so I started this story some time back with prompt 545, then let it go a while, mainly because I was working on another story that was taking up all my time. But now that it's done, I'm going to be working on this one again. if you want to catch up, the other chapters are found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/46585663/chapters/117313327. This story starts after things have been going well with getting those accused of magic out of Camelot, but Uther is growing increasingly suspicious.
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.
----
Merlin waited until darkness fell. He could tell by the firelight shining through the smaller dining room window that Uther was already being served supper. Arthur, much as Merlin was always teasing him about intelligence and how the royal line had lost it some time ago, was pacing by the mullioned glass there, occasionally looking out as if impatient to be elsewhere but he finally settled further into the room. A signal that Arthur’s alibi was holding fast.
And Gaius had already promised him that he’d be talking to Uther sometime in the next candle mark.
Merlin wasn’t happy about wearing the damn dress but at least he knew he’d be changing it up afterwards, disguising the thing in new dyes or maybe unpicking the seams and selling the cloth to the rag merchants. He’d joked to Arthur about burning it, but he grew up in Ealdor and everything there was used and reused until it fell apart and even then, used for hut construction and plugging up draughty holes in walls. He wasn’t going to waste it just because he loathed the thing.
Adjusting the kirtle, putting a scarf around his hair and across his throat, he picked up a basket full of laundry, then scurried his way down toward the courtyard. No one stopped him. No one even looked in his direction.
Uther really did need to hire better guards but Merlin wasn’t going to complain.
A few steps closer to the cell window, and Merlin tripped, deliberately, and muttered something about masters and laundry and overwork as he gathered up the dirty clothes. But no one glanced in his direction, thank the gods. With a quick flick, he tossed the cell key, wrapped in rags, into Rhain’s cell, then hurried away.
He was sure he’d got away with it. No clink of metal as the key fell into the straw, no guards calling after him, and as he looked up, he could see Gaius and Arthur talking above in the window.
It was all going to plan.
--------------
It was close to midnight when Rhain finally appeared.
Merlin had been nodding off, the night quiet with only an owl hooting in the distance and the sound of leaves whispering in the wind. Once in a while, he could hear the clomp of feet as the guards went about their nightly patrols.
Tucked into an alcove, with a clear view of the dungeon entrance, Merlin was beginning to think that he’d misjudged the situation, that maybe Rhain really had magic and was too afraid to use the key Merlin had dropped into his cell or else was waiting for rescue.
But then, out of the corner of his eye, Merlin saw a shadow move through the stone entryway, a man cloaked in black wool and stealth. It didn’t help that the smoking torches sent flickers of light and darkness against the walls, hiding more than exposing anything that moved. It was only because Merlin was watching for him that he even knew Rhain was there.
Moving like a ghost, more like a practiced assassin than a foolish sorcerer trying to escape, Rhain followed along the twists and turns of alcoves and hidden places, watching the guards as they stomped through the courtyard, then slipping out past the gate and into the forest beyond.
Merlin wasn’t far behind.
Surprisingly, there was no outcry, no warning bells, no loud clap of sound echoing off the stone walls, no calls for capturing an escaped prisoner, nothing. It was very odd. Usually there would be a hue and cry if even one prisoner escaped, never mind a hated sorcerer.
Perhaps, Rhain had killed the guards. Or drugged them or else they were in on his escape.
In any case, Merlin didn’t have time to check. Rhain was moving fast, looping around the castle, using the bushes and tree line to keep from being seen, but still, Merlin almost lost him in the darkness. Luckily, as Rhain came around to the far side of the citadel, he opened the postern gate with a key and went inside.
Shit. Rhain had a key, he had an ally and Merlin was willing to bet anything that Uther was pulling the strings this time.
But Merlin wasn’t about to be thwarted by anyone, least of all by some pretender. He waited a few moments, then opened the gate with a whispered command and slipped inside.