That Feeling Inside
Merlin sighed as he watched the other children go home with their families. He would give anything to be able to ride home on his father’s shoulders, just as Will was doing now. It just wasn’t fair, he thought has he kicked the dirt and started following his mother home. He knew his mum wouldn’t carry him home, even if he was tired from the days harvesting. At 5 he was just too big now, and he had to help carry things back and be grown up about it. He also knew that complaining wouldn’t work either, she would hug him and tell him that this feeling he had that made him sad was called envy, that it was normal but she couldn’t change anything . Even when he told her what some of the older children had called him made her purse her lips and hug him tighter and tell him he was special, still didn’t change the fact that he didn’t have father like the others. If he asked questions she would find him chores to do, or send him to bed. He really didn’t want to do chores tonight.
He watched the other children a bit longer, he wanted to make them feel envious of him, he wanted to stand up before everybody and give them an awesome display of magic, leaving them all with their mouths agape, and that feeling of envy in their stomachs, he knew he couldn’t and wouldn’t though - “ too dangerous”he told himself, as his mother has told him countless times. It was best to leave it be, he could never make them envious of him.
At the end of harvest came celebrations and story-telling. One of the villagers, Rhiannon, who was as old as the hills would gather the children and tell them their fortunes, or perhaps interpret the meaning of their dreams. Not magic, most definitely not magic, the villagers would reassure the young ones, and each other. Just a bit of fun, and besides, it was always a tradition that Rhiannon would carry out, it wasn’t hurting anyone. When it came to his turn, she asked him what he dreamt about most of all. “Flying on the back of a dragon, high above the ground” he answered promptly. He blinked, why had he said that? It wasn’t what he had planned to say at all. The older boys sniggered and one said “There are no dragons silly, Uther of Camelot has slaughtered them all”
Rhiannon looked sternly at the boy, her old eye’s sparkling “ Not at all” she admonished “ There are still dragons alive in this realm, and in others”. She often spoke like this, nobody was quite sure if they could believe her or not. But what she said often had a way of coming true in some way or another.
“ Your dream will come true Merlin, upon the Goddess herself, it will happen, mark my words. “
She smiled at him and handed him a token to throw in the fire for good luck, which he did, He smiled to himself as everybody watched the fire turn blue for a few minutes, he could feel the others looking at him, with their mouths open, and he was sure, a feeling of envy in the pit of their stomachs
He watched the other children a bit longer, he wanted to make them feel envious of him, he wanted to stand up before everybody and give them an awesome display of magic, leaving them all with their mouths agape, and that feeling of envy in their stomachs, he knew he couldn’t and wouldn’t though - “ too dangerous”he told himself, as his mother has told him countless times. It was best to leave it be, he could never make them envious of him.
At the end of harvest came celebrations and story-telling. One of the villagers, Rhiannon, who was as old as the hills would gather the children and tell them their fortunes, or perhaps interpret the meaning of their dreams. Not magic, most definitely not magic, the villagers would reassure the young ones, and each other. Just a bit of fun, and besides, it was always a tradition that Rhiannon would carry out, it wasn’t hurting anyone. When it came to his turn, she asked him what he dreamt about most of all. “Flying on the back of a dragon, high above the ground” he answered promptly. He blinked, why had he said that? It wasn’t what he had planned to say at all. The older boys sniggered and one said “There are no dragons silly, Uther of Camelot has slaughtered them all”
Rhiannon looked sternly at the boy, her old eye’s sparkling “ Not at all” she admonished “ There are still dragons alive in this realm, and in others”. She often spoke like this, nobody was quite sure if they could believe her or not. But what she said often had a way of coming true in some way or another.
“ Your dream will come true Merlin, upon the Goddess herself, it will happen, mark my words. “
She smiled at him and handed him a token to throw in the fire for good luck, which he did, He smiled to himself as everybody watched the fire turn blue for a few minutes, he could feel the others looking at him, with their mouths open, and he was sure, a feeling of envy in the pit of their stomachs