Merlin Drabbles
Drabble Challenge -- Gawain the Green Knight
Amazement seized their minds,
no soul had ever seen
a knight of such a kind -
entirely emerald green.
"Green as grass and half as fast," said Arthur, smiling as he whirled to the right in a dodge, then tapped the warrior's neck with his practice blade.
"Come on, Greenie!" shouted a guardsman. "Must do better than that for his Highness!"
Gwaine paused, and leaned against the fence. He waited for the bout the end. It did not take long. He followed the trounced knight as he stalked off the field.
"Hello," said Gwaine, stretching his long legs to keep pace with the flustered fighter.
"'Allo," said the knight shortly.
"Looks as though you could use a little help."
so bore that badge on both
his shawl and shield alike.
A prince who talked the truth.
A notable. A knight.
"You don't have to," Gwaine murmured.
Merlin met his eyes, then reached up, unclasping the red riding cloak from his shoulders. "It's my task, Sir."
"Merlin..." Gwaine put his hands over Merlin's. Merlin jumped, snatching his hands down to his sides. He blushed and looked away.
"Merlin?"
"If you'd prefer someone else..."
"Aren't we friends?" said Gwaine, and when Merlin glanced up, he was caught in the desperate cast of Gwaine's gaze.
"Of course," said Merlin. "But this is my work. You're a knight, Gwaine."
Gwaine brushed his fingertips against the back of Merlin's hand. "Does it matter so much?"
The lord’s heart leaps with life.
Now on, now off his horse
all day he hacks and drives.
And dusk comes in due course.
Pain. Arthur's pain. Yeah. That sounded good.
"Come on, Merlin," Arthur shouted. He drove forward through the dense underbrush, leading his horse by the bridle. Merlin glared, but hadn't the breath to respond.
"You're lagging!"
You're eating stick soup this evening, Merlin thought. There was, of course, no path, and hadn't been for what seemed like miles.
"We're almost there," Arthur tossed over his shoulder. "Keep heart!" he said, and he turned briefly to flash Merlin a wide, toothy grin. Merlin blinked, then looked down at his feet. Keep heart, he thought.
Oh, pain. Yeah. That sounded good.
Golden pain.
Our man then sleeps, a most
reposed and peaceful rest.
As hunters must, his host
is up at dawn and dressed.
Arthur watched them through slitted eyes.
"It'll burn," said Merlin, brushing Gwaine's hand away.
"Oh, it'll burn. We mustn't burn the Prince's breakfast."
Arthur's lips pursed. Gwaine and Merlin traded looks--Merlin's long-suffering, Gwaine's sly.
"How do you like it?" Gwaine leaned a little closer to Merlin, ostensibly to peer over his shoulder.
"Me?"
"Yes, you." Gwaine chuckled.
"Oh," said Merlin. "I suppose...I suppose I like it burnt, actually."
Gwaine reached across Merlin's forearm, obviously about to wreak havoc on Arthur's breakfast.
That was definitely why Arthur chose that moment to sit up, yawning noisily. Merlin turned, smiling. Arthur glared.
‘Green church!’ chunters the knight.
‘More like the devil’s lair
where, at the nub of night,
he makes his morning prayer.’
"This place smells," said Arthur, his lip curling.
Gwaine rolled his eyes, then pushed his way into the tavern. The Green Church, the sign read. When Arthur pushed past the door, he could see why. The interior was coated in leaf green paint, every inch unfaded and unchipped. Arthur's lips thinned.
Enchanted? he thought, eying the walls.
"Come on, Highness, let's mingle, shall we?" Gwaine smiled a patently fake smile and gestured towards an empty table.
Arthur couldn't help but remember how the two of them had met. Arthur had a feeling he wasn't leaving this tavern without a fight.
Amazement seized their minds,
no soul had ever seen
a knight of such a kind -
entirely emerald green.
"Green as grass and half as fast," said Arthur, smiling as he whirled to the right in a dodge, then tapped the warrior's neck with his practice blade.
"Come on, Greenie!" shouted a guardsman. "Must do better than that for his Highness!"
Gwaine paused, and leaned against the fence. He waited for the bout the end. It did not take long. He followed the trounced knight as he stalked off the field.
"Hello," said Gwaine, stretching his long legs to keep pace with the flustered fighter.
"'Allo," said the knight shortly.
"Looks as though you could use a little help."
so bore that badge on both
his shawl and shield alike.
A prince who talked the truth.
A notable. A knight.
"You don't have to," Gwaine murmured.
Merlin met his eyes, then reached up, unclasping the red riding cloak from his shoulders. "It's my task, Sir."
"Merlin..." Gwaine put his hands over Merlin's. Merlin jumped, snatching his hands down to his sides. He blushed and looked away.
"Merlin?"
"If you'd prefer someone else..."
"Aren't we friends?" said Gwaine, and when Merlin glanced up, he was caught in the desperate cast of Gwaine's gaze.
"Of course," said Merlin. "But this is my work. You're a knight, Gwaine."
Gwaine brushed his fingertips against the back of Merlin's hand. "Does it matter so much?"
The lord’s heart leaps with life.
Now on, now off his horse
all day he hacks and drives.
And dusk comes in due course.
Pain. Arthur's pain. Yeah. That sounded good.
"Come on, Merlin," Arthur shouted. He drove forward through the dense underbrush, leading his horse by the bridle. Merlin glared, but hadn't the breath to respond.
"You're lagging!"
You're eating stick soup this evening, Merlin thought. There was, of course, no path, and hadn't been for what seemed like miles.
"We're almost there," Arthur tossed over his shoulder. "Keep heart!" he said, and he turned briefly to flash Merlin a wide, toothy grin. Merlin blinked, then looked down at his feet. Keep heart, he thought.
Oh, pain. Yeah. That sounded good.
Golden pain.
Our man then sleeps, a most
reposed and peaceful rest.
As hunters must, his host
is up at dawn and dressed.
Arthur watched them through slitted eyes.
"It'll burn," said Merlin, brushing Gwaine's hand away.
"Oh, it'll burn. We mustn't burn the Prince's breakfast."
Arthur's lips pursed. Gwaine and Merlin traded looks--Merlin's long-suffering, Gwaine's sly.
"How do you like it?" Gwaine leaned a little closer to Merlin, ostensibly to peer over his shoulder.
"Me?"
"Yes, you." Gwaine chuckled.
"Oh," said Merlin. "I suppose...I suppose I like it burnt, actually."
Gwaine reached across Merlin's forearm, obviously about to wreak havoc on Arthur's breakfast.
That was definitely why Arthur chose that moment to sit up, yawning noisily. Merlin turned, smiling. Arthur glared.
‘Green church!’ chunters the knight.
‘More like the devil’s lair
where, at the nub of night,
he makes his morning prayer.’
"This place smells," said Arthur, his lip curling.
Gwaine rolled his eyes, then pushed his way into the tavern. The Green Church, the sign read. When Arthur pushed past the door, he could see why. The interior was coated in leaf green paint, every inch unfaded and unchipped. Arthur's lips thinned.
Enchanted? he thought, eying the walls.
"Come on, Highness, let's mingle, shall we?" Gwaine smiled a patently fake smile and gestured towards an empty table.
Arthur couldn't help but remember how the two of them had met. Arthur had a feeling he wasn't leaving this tavern without a fight.