Here is a Brighter Garden (2/3)
Never mind faded forests, Austin,
Never mind silent fields -
Here is a little forest,
Whose leaf is ever green;
They had been walking for some time, dragging the unicorn behind their caravan, when Alvarr stopped them. Halig and Hengist scowled at him - "There's only so much darkness left, Alvarr, and we still haven't cleared Camelot's woods--" - but Alvarr ignored them. Staring speculatively at the unicorn, he drew his knife.
Hengist stepped forward, hand on the hilt of his own. "Alvarr?"
Rolling his eyes, Alvarr waved him aside. "I'm not going to kill it. But why should Nimueh have all its power? She won't notice until after she's paid that some of it is gone." His teeth gleamed as he smiled charmingly. "I only want a taste to see if what they say of unicorn blood is true."
Emrys pulled uselessly at the chains that bound him, shying away from a swing of Alvarr's knife.
Halig snorted and reached into the caravan for a blade.
Alvarr raised his arm again. As he lowered it toward the unicorn, he screamed. The other two gaped at the arrow protruding from his forearm and looked around wildly.
"Up here," said a voice coldly, and they looked up at the trees. In the dark, they could barely make out a figure. "I have enough arrows and time to take all of you out. I must warn you - I've been trained to kill since birth."
Hengist moaned. "Oh, gods, the king--"
Not taking the time to speak, Halig dropped his knife and ran. Cursing filthily, Alvarr followed, holding his arm before him and trailing blood. Hengist stared at the unicorn, unable to move.
An arrow barely grazed his face and he yelped as he ran away.
When he was sure they had gone, the king climbed down. He stared in surprise for a moment at the unicorn, but bent by the caravan to unchain it.
As the chains fell, the unicorn blazed with light. The king shielded his eyes but, looking at the unicorn's legs, caught his breath. He should have killed those three - one of its legs was shredded, blood oozing slowly from the trap wound.
"You shouldn't walk on--"
The unicorn started at his voice and stumbled away. As the light no longer blinded him, the king rose and followed it, eyebrows knitted in concern.
Though it moved too quickly, he ran after it. His heart sank as the light faded and he was left with no trail. Sighing, he turned to pick up his bow from where it had dropped.
A soft thump up ahead made him pause. Slowly moving forward, he made his way toward the noise and thanked the rising sun for its light.
When he reached the clearing, he stopped again in surprise, staring at the prone figure of a young man with a red kerchief tied around his neck. He checked his pulse and was oddly relieved when he found the man was still alive.
"Not quite the end to the hunt I was hoping for when I left the castle," he said roughly as he heaved the man over his shoulders.
"To be honest," he said conversationally even though the young man on his shoulders was unconscious, "I'd have preferred saving the unicorn."
He grinned to himself and everything shifted.
Guinevere giggled behind her hand as Morgana gave the king a disbelieving look.
"Rescuing maidens I understand. If you hadn't done it years ago, I wouldn't have Gwen. But why did you rescue this man? He's likely drunk or out of his mind to be so far from any of the villages."
The king turned slightly red but answered, "I was distracted by the unicorn. Gaius, there must be something wrong with him - tell me it wasn't a drunkard I carried all the way here."
Morgana snorted inelegantly, but that was to be expected of a pirate, the king thought. He was surprised at that thought - he hadn't felt so light-hearted for a long while.
Gaius frowned. "There is something off about--"
They all jumped when the young man on the table gasped, jerking up and rolling off the table to fall heavily on the floor.
The king winced and leaned down. "Are you hurt?"
Emrys flinched, crawling away clumsily.
Above him, Morgana and Guinevere exchanged glances. "Should I--" the latter began. She paused when she saw the king reach out toward the young man.
Emrys blinked at him, staring at the outreached hand. Eyes trailing up and landing on the king's face, they widened slightly in recognition.
"That's right," the king said encouragingly, hiding his bewilderment. "I'm the king - you recognize me?"
Turning his head away, Emrys nodded. He avoided the others' gazes.
"You must have seen me before, then," the king continued. "I visit the surrounding villages often. You're safe here," he added when the other man stiffened. "You don't need to return to whatever village you came from."
Emrys glanced back up at him.
"What is your name?" the king asked.
Emrys, he was about to answer, but what came from his mouth was, "Merlin." The name his mother had whispered to him before she passed.
The name she had hidden in her heart until she could keep it safe for him no longer.
The king smiled at him. "Good. And I'm, as you already know, King Arthur."
"This will be your room," Arthur told him, leaning against the doorway and watching Merlin look around. "It's next to mine - already ready for you since I haven't needed a manservant in so long."
Merlin nodded. He reached out and trailed a finger along the quilted blanket on the bed.
Clearing his throat, Arthur waved vaguely in the direction of the door at the side of the room. "That leads to my chambers - it probably won't be used at all, but it's there if needed. If you - if you have an emergency, just knock. If there are any important messages that come for me at night, it's better to use that door. You never know who is listening in the hallways."
Merlin glanced at the door and then at Arthur. His gaze dropped to the floor.
"Do you have any questions about your duties?"
Shaking his head, Merlin looked back up at him.
"Well, then," Arthur said with a small smile.
Slowly, Merlin adjusted to his life at the castle. It was easy, he thought, and easy life full of duties that kept him from thinking of his mother and Nimueh and prophesies and magic.
It amused Arthur to have Merlin near him all the time, and so he was there during the small banquet held in celebration of the coming spring. Standing behind Arthur with a pitcher of wine, he noticed one of the court magicians busily summoning power for a spell. He watched him, curious, as he stood and smugly called attention to himself.
"My king, a gift - I have created a spell to ward off pollen and dust. As the new season approaches, it would be wise to keep you in best health, and I have created exactly what is needed."
Arthur pressed a finger to his lips to keep from laughing at the wizard's grandiose proclamations, nodding instead. "Wonderful, Kendrick."
The magician extended his hand toward the king and intoned gravely.
At the man's third syllable, Merlin jerked, moving before he knew what he was doing. As the last word fell from Kendrick's lips and the spell left his hand, Merlin pulled Arthur's chair back - "What in the--" - and twisted in front of him.
As Merlin's eyes held Arthur's confused and highly amused ones, he smelt a moment's breath of smoke, heard the crackle of fire, and then merely felt cold.
Arthur's eyes widened at Merlin, darting down and up, then down and quickly back up again. Merlin carefully unclenched his hands from the sides of Arthur's chair and stood straight, causing the king to redden and hastily pull off his cloak.
From behind him, Merlin could hear women gasping and silverware dropping.
Throwing his cloak over Merlin, Arthur wrapped it tightly around him. Sticking his head to the side and looking past him, he took a steadying breath. "Kendrick, was the purpose of your spell to unclothe me completely?" he asked dryly.
Kendrick could only splutter in astonishment.
"Interesting," Arthur said later as he rummaged around for clothes in his wardrobe that would fit Merlin. "That kerchief around your neck didn't disappear."
Merlin's hand reached up to touch it protectively while his other remained holding the cloak around him together.
"Here." Tossing a few clothes at Merlin, he turned his back as he unwrapped the cloak.
"I have other clothes," Merlin said quietly as he changed.
Arthur couldn't help the small smile at his words. Merlin spoke so rarely. "I know, but your clothes disappeared in place of mine in a highly embar--. Well. I might as well give you something to repay you a little for it."
Tapping the wood he leant against, he began carefully, "Gaius was able to study the spell a little. Kendrick made a very large error while creating his spell - it should have burnt you completely." He turned and stared at Merlin, who sat on the bed, fully clothed, with Arthur's cloak bunched in his hand and his eyes focused on the bed post.
"You know magic, then. Otherwise you wouldn't have known to shield me," Arthur said, watching him. "And you must be very good at it, because it only burnt your clothes, even though I know you didn't have time for a counterspell."
Merlin rubbed his arm.
"Would you--"
"No."
Arthur blinked.
"Please," Merlin added, looking up at Arthur. The quiet despair in his eyes made Arthur hold his breath. "Please. I don't want to do any magic. I can't be a court magician, not - not now. I just want to be your servant."
Staring at him for a few moments in silence, Arthur finally sighed. "I think you'd be the best court magician Camelot has ever had," he said, "but I believe I understand. And you saved my life even feeling that way about magic." He straightened and approached him, laying a hand on Merlin's shoulder.
"Thank you."
Merlin looked up at him, surprise evident on his face. And then, relaxing, he closed his eyes and smiled.
Warmed, Arthur smiled down at him, entranced by--
Knocks on the door interrupted his thoughts and he frowned as he moved quickly to open the door. "What is it?" he asked the frightened page as guards bustled past at a run.
"Your highness, it's - it's the lady of the isle. Nimueh has come to Camelot."
Part 3