TSitS - The Kelpie
Title: The Sword in the Stone Series
Pairing: Pretty Gen. Kind of one-sided Merlin/Arthur, Gwen/Arthur, hinted Gwen/Lancelot. It’s about as gay as the series is, which is pretty gay.
Disclaimer: I do not own BBC’s Merlin. If I did, I’d be pretty happy because I’d know Colin and Bradley personally.
Summary: The legend of Excalibur is not as simple as everyone thinks. Arthur pulls a sword from a stone, beginning a chain of events that will lead him to his destiny and the sorcerer prophesied to stand beside him.
Chapter Summary: Morgause summons a Kelpie, a magical horse creature, from a lake. In the form of a beautiful woman, the Kelpie steals Arthur away in the dead of night. Uther charges Merlin with an ultimatum: retrieve his son or die on the pyre in the morning.
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Part IV - The Kelpie
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…
The water parted and the forest grew still as the being of black and silver emerged from the lake to stand tall and proud on the shore. The great horse shook its head wildly and whinnied, deep green fragments of lake-bed plants slipping slickly from its wet mane. No matter how long it stood there, water continued to drip from its very being and onto the soft ground around it. A woman dressed in a dark blue cloak with the hood up calmly walked over to it, her hand held up to touch its face. She pet the hair there gently and then turned around to face back the way she'd come from.
"It's beautiful," Morgana admitted with a smile, which quickly dissolved into an uneasy frown. "But it's cold as death to the touch."
Morgause meandered over to stand beside her sister and pet the horse just as gently as Morgana had. "It will not matter how cold it is. Arthur will be in our grasp before he notices the difference." She breathed gently on the horse's nose and it let out a huff before turning and walking away into the forest, dripping the whole way.
…
…
Arthur was crouched on the ground in the forest, peering through the underbrush at the deer poised twenty feet away. He lifted his crossbow and aimed carefully. Just before he loosed the arrow, the deer's head snapped up, alert, and it bounded off into the forest beyond Arthur's sight. He sighed angrily, standing up and turning around to look where the deer had before it ran off.
"Merlin," he grumbled. "I thought I told you to-"
He cut himself off when he saw what was behind him. Not ten feet away stood a great, mighty stallion. Its body was pitch dark, like a starless night, and its mane matched its body except for the glints of silver hairs that flickered throughout in the late afternoon sun. Its eyes were dark but shone with a special power and there was a silver diamond on its forehead between the eyes.
"Oh my….," Arthur breathed out. The horse was so close he could practically touch it. All he would have to do is take one step and lift his hand…..The horse let out a breath and tapped its foot against the ground, swinging its head toward Arthur and then away, as if telling him to follow. Arthur nodded, his face the perfect picture of awe.
The horse bent its head down a minute amount, like it was nodding its head at Arthur, and then turned and began walking away. Arthur felt a part of him panic. Why was it leaving? Where was it going? He had to know! He took a step after it, reaching his hand out as if to take hold of the horse's mane….
"Arthur?"
Arthur's vision cleared. He blinked forcefully and shook his head, lifting his left hand to hold his head. Looking around, Arthur saw the horse….or whatever it had been, had vanished. Looking at the ground at his feet, Arthur narrowed his eyes at the puddle of water in the soft dirt and leaves. Water? But there were no lakes nearby….
"Arthur!"
Arthur grumbled, lowering his hand and turning back around as Merlin came tumbling through the bushes, carrying his arrows and a spear along with two dead rabbits strung up on a line. "What?" Arthur practically snapped, glaring.
Merlin looked relieved to see him. It only lasted a moment before Merlin was glaring right back at him. "You left me!" he accused, shaking the rabbits at Arthur angrily.
Arthur sighed heavily, placing his hand on his hip. "What ever gave you that impression, Merlin?" he asked sarcastically.
Merlin almost dropped the spear he was carrying in his left hand at that, his mouth gaping open. "Were you really trying to lose me?" he asked, almost sounding hurt.
"Only long enough to kill the deer," Arthur explained off-handedly, like it didn't matter in the least. He motioned to where the deer had been. Merlin turned to look and then turned back with a confused look on his face. "Another animal scared it off before you managed to, don't worry," Arthur teased cruelly, frowning.
He felt bitter that the horse had gotten away, more so than the deer. It was strange. He really didn't know why he was so angry with Merlin right now….he just was.
"Let's move on. I saw some tracks heading east and we should be able to find something worthwhile to kill before dinner," he half-sighed before moving on. He gave the puddle a wide berth.
…
…
Morgause frowned at the image of Merlin's face in the glass. He was always ruining things, even when he had no idea they were happening! She lifted her eyes from the crystal, the image fading, and watched as the black horse stepped into view in the cave. Morgana was next to it, but making sure not to touch it.
"It didn't work," Morgana pouted.
Morgause made her way over to the horse and gently laid her hand on its nose. It nickered softly but didn't move and Morgause smiled over at her sister. "Arthur is a wonderful hunter and a collector of marvelous things. If the beast could not sway him….perhaps there is another way." She looked back at the horse. "The Kelpie is a magnificent creature in that it can lure any man into its trap."
A look of understanding overcame Morgana's features and she nodded with a sick smile. "Arthur has never been able to resist a beautiful woman before."
Morgause nodded, almost to herself. "You should return to Camelot. With all that is happening right now, I have no doubt they are on the alert. You are my dear sister," she said softly, moving her hand from the Kelpie's nose to caress Morgana's cheek. "They cannot know about you."
Morgana smiled sweetly, placing her hand over Morgause's on her left cheek, and leaned into the touch. "No one will ever know," she assured her half-sister softly. "Only Merlin knows, but no one would believe him if he told anyone….and we've got his secret against him too. So there is nothing to worry about from him and no one else is smart enough to find out."
A little smile graced Morgause's lips. "Be that as it may….please be careful, Morgana."
"I will be."
Morgause pulled her hand gently from its place against Morgana's skin and moved back toward the crystals. "I'll take care of everything outside the castle walls, but I need you to make sure no one can find Arthur once he is out. This will not be a fast process and we'll need time to see it done. Once he is dead we can lead the knights to his cold body and let Uther's soul go with him to the afterlife in agony."
Morgana nodded in agreement with her sister's fanatical words and turned to leave the cave. Morgause watched her leave with a contemplative frown on her face. Once she was gone, Morgause turned to the Kelpie, the frown still on her face.
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…
There was a minor 'bump' on the door, almost a knock, before Merlin entered the room. The noise had been his shoulder hitting the wood so he could push the door open without dropping the tray holding Arthur's breakfast. Just before he could go and set it on the table, Merlin noticed how light the room was. Looking over the room, Merlin noticed the curtains were drawn and Arthur was standing, fully dressed, staring out the window. He nearly dropped the tray. Nearly.
Clearing his throat and heading for the table, Merlin said, "You're up early, sire." It was odd. Merlin was even on time this morning! Why was Arthur up so early? Arthur didn't move or act like he'd even heard Merlin speak. "Sire?" Again, Arthur didn't even respond as Merlin loudly arranged the tray of food just how Arthur preferred it. Frowning, Merlin stepped over to where Arthur stood and reached out, placing a hand on Arthur's left shoulder with a concerned, "Arthur?"
Arthur visibly jumped, his head snapping to look at Merlin. "What are you doing here?" he snapped, glaring.
Merlin pulled his hand back in shock and Arthur glanced at his own shoulder like he has just noticed there was something touching him in the first place. Merlin nodded and motioned toward the table. "I brought your breakfast. Is something wrong?"
Arthur shook his head and made for the table. "It seems you're on time today," he said, not answering Merlin's question. "For once," he added bluntly, setting down in his chair and picking up his knife, cutting into the light meat on his plate and practically jamming it into his mouth.
"Um….," Merlin let out, slowly walking back over to the table to stand before Arthur. He fiddled with his hands nervously.
"What?" Arthur asked contritely between bites.
Merlin shook his head. "Nothing. Is there anything you need me to do?"
Arthur took several more bites of his breakfast before, "No. You can go." He never even looked at Merlin.
Merlin's expression was one of complete and utter befuddlement. What? What did Arthur just…..? Turning on his heel, Merlin scurried from the room.
…
…
"Something's wrong with Arthur," Merlin blurted immediately upon entering Gaius' chambers.
Gaius looked up from mixing a potion, as if to clarify that it was indeed Merlin walking in on him, before looking back down and stirring the mixture again. "What makes you say that?"
Merlin shrugged. "I went to give him his breakfast and he was already up and dressed and staring out the window hopelessly. He didn't even notice I was in the room until I physically touched him," he said, worry etched into every word he spoke. "And then I asked him what my duties were for the day and he said there were none and dismissed me!" He flung his arms out to the sides and let them drop noisily back to his sides.
Gaius didn't respond immediately. He stirred his potion a few more times, lifted it from over the small flame it had sat above, and poured the mixture into a little bottle. The concoction was dark purple in color and smelled sort of like an old, half-rotten plum. Corking the bottle, Gaius held it out for Merlin, who took it warily with a confused expression on his face.
"I need you to take this to a man name Elsens in the market," he said in an unconcerned tone of voice. "He needs it for his joint."
"Alright," Merlin agreed slowly, pocketing the delivery. "But what should we do about Arthur?" he pressed.
Gaius put out the flame and began cleaning his utensils. "I don't know that there's anything to be done," he said easily.
"What?" Merlin just about shouted. "Gaius!"
"I'm serious, Merlin," Gaius continued. "What you've described could be nothing at all. Maybe he had a bad night. Maybe he had a lot on his mind. Maybe he really had nothing for you to do."
"He didn't even tell me to make his bed," Merlin deadpanned. "Or do his laundry. Or anything."
Gaius waved his hands at Merlin like he thought the boy was being silly. "He's just preoccupied, Merlin. I'm sure it's fine. Now if he starts doing handstands or his hair turns purple, then we can start worrying about something magical being the cause of his odd behavior. For now, just let him be. He's the crowned prince of Camelot. He's got a lot to deal with and sometimes it gets overwhelming." He paused a moment to place something high on a shelf, then turned to face Merlin again. "You should worry about getting that potion to Elsens as soon as possible. As in now, Merlin."
Merlin sighed heavily, obviously upset that Gaius didn't believe him, and practically stormed out the door.
…
…
Morgana stood staring out her window. Arthur had told Uther that he wouldn't be attending to his usual duties today, that he was going for a ride instead. Uther had almost contradicted the decision but Arthur had appeared so out of it that Uther thought perhaps the ride would do Arthur some good, so he'd agreed and dismissed Arthur without much of a second thought. Now Arthur was outside, Merlin beside him as always, getting settled in the saddle and preparing for a nice long afternoon in the forest.
Her chamber doors opened and Gwen walked in. "My lady," Gwen began with a curtsy. "You called for me?"
"Yes," Morgana breathed out before turning from the window and smiling at her chambermaid. "I wanted to apologize." Gwen narrowed her eyes in confusion. "I realize that, since I've returned to Camelot…I haven't been particularly kind to you. In fact, on multiple occasions I've been extremely rude to you instead."
"Oh, no, my lady. You-" Gwen tried, but Morgana shook her head and interrupted.
"No. It's the truth," she insisted. She gave a flickering smile. "I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate all you do for me and….no matter what….I will always care for you."
Morgana knew how her maid cared for her half-brother. When Arthur died, Gwen would be heartbroken. Morgana would console her like Gwen had consoled Morgana after nightmares, until the image of Arthur's face faded from her mind. Perhaps a spell would be necessary. No matter what though, Gwen was a rock in Morgana's world here in the castle, something keeping her bound and sane under all the pressure from every side, and Morgana would not lose her.
Gwen smiled shyly. "I'd do the same for you," she said gently.
Morgana smiled too, hers bolder than Gwen's, and held out her arms in an invitation for a hug. Gwen walked into Morgana's arm and Morgana wrapped her up tight. "You're so sweet, Guinevere. You'll make someone very happy someday."
Gwen frowned briefly before clearing her throat and pulling back. "Thank you. Is there anything else, my lady?" she asked with a short curtsy.
Morgana shook her head, still smiling. "No. That's all. You can go back to whatever you were doing before. I won't keep you."
Gwen curtsied one last time in goodbye before retreating from the room. Morgana's smile dropped and she moved back to the window, looking out just in time to see Arthur and Merlin ride off out of the courtyard and beyond her line of sight. Her frown deepened. Arthur had been affected by his meeting with the Kelpie. It was only a matter of time before the creature would have him in its grasp, and then Arthur would be dead. She wasn't sure how she felt about that.
He was supposed to be the future king of Albion, after all.
…
…
That night, lightning flashed outside the castle even though there was no rain. Arthur's chamber door creaked open slowly, a pale hand wrapping around the wood in a light grip and pushing it further open. The hand was connected to an equally pale woman with fair skin, black hair, and dark eyes. She ghosted into the room and over to Arthur's bedside, dripping water as she went.
"Arthur...," she breathed out, her voice melodious and soft like a gentle breeze.
Arthur's eyes snapped open and he sat up in bed. His eyes were smoky white instead of their normal blue. The woman began ghosting back toward the door and Arthur got out of bed and followed her, possessed of some unknown power. They walked, almost as one but never touching, through the corridors and out of the city, slipping past guards like ghosts.
Soon, they vanished into the forest like they had never existed.
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…
The alarm woke Merlin the next day. It blared in through his open window and he wished he closed it at night like a sensible person. Still, at least he was awake on time and could get Arthur his breakfast earlier than usual. He was just finishing slipping on his jacket when his bedroom door burst open and Uther stormed in.
"Where is he?" Uther demanded, stalking up to Merlin with intent to harm.
Merlin backed himself up trying to escape it and soon found himself pressed between the wall and the King: a rock and a hard place. "Who?" he asked almost meekly.
Uther's face contorted evermore into rage beyond imagining. "My son, you traitorous worm!"
Merlin's eyes widened. "Arthur's missing?" he said, the fear of Uther gone from his voice, replaced by worry for Arthur. "When? How?"
"Sire, please," Gaius began from where he stood in the doorway, before Uther could scream anymore. "I've been here all night and Merlin never left his room. Besides which, he'd be a bigger fool than anyone has ever thought if he kidnapped Arthur so soon after his secret was revealed."
Uther gave Gaius a hard look for a long moment before turning back to Merlin. "I will spare your life on one condition," he practically hissed out. "Bring my son back from wherever he is. Do that and I will not burn you at the stake."
Merlin nodded, all he could manage from the fear that rewound itself around his chest from Uther's proximity and tone. "Yes, sire." Uther huffed, turned, and left the room. Merlin sighed deeply, once, before turning to business. "What happened, Gaius?"
Gaius shrugged. "I'm not sure. Uther went to see Arthur this morning and found he was missing and no one has any idea where he is. I went and looked at it myself earlier. It was very strange," he trailed off.
"What was?" Merlin asked curiously.
Gaius took a breath. "There was water on the floor from the door to the bed, and then down the hall and outside. I thought maybe someone was out in the rain but-"
"But it didn't rain last night," Merlin interrupted. Gaius gave him a disapproving look momentarily before brushing it off.
"Exactly," he said. "And there's no other evidence that anything at all happened."
Merlin waved his finger around and shook his head. "No…No, Arthur's been acting strange. I told you something was wrong," he said. "Arthur wasn't himself yesterday; from the whole breakfast incident to that long ride we took in the woods to 'clear his head.' He wandered around near where we went hunting the other day and sat and stared, but we didn't do much actual riding." He snapped his fingers. "He mentioned a horse. A great black horse. He said it had scared the deer off when we were hunting and he was trying to see if we could find it. Maybe that has something to do with this."
"A horse?" Gaius clarified. He shook his head. "I'm not sure about that. But pack your bags; you've got a prince to save. I'll see if I can't find out what the water means, and if maybe this black horse means anything, or Arthur's behavior."
…
…
Merlin walked into Gaius' chambers again fifteen minutes later, his horse all packed and ready to go. Now all he needed was a place to go.
"Gaius!" he called as he raced through the door. "You find anything?"
Gaius pulled himself from a book. "Not much, I'm afraid. There are many myths and legends pertaining to water creatures of magic, many of them horses, but all I can tell you is that it probably took him to the lake or river it came from."
"You don't know what it is?"
Gaius shook his head solemnly. "I'm sorry, Merlin. I don't want to say 'guess' but there really is no way of knowing where it, if it was a magical creature, took him."
Merlin frowned. Then he had an idea and a smile jumped to his face. "I read about this in my magic book," he began, already heading for his room. "There's a spell for searching for things you can't find." He vanished for a few moments and then returned with his book. "If I just put Arthur's name in the spell in place of the object...it should tell me where he is."
Gaius looked so proud.
…
…
Morgause smiled as the beautiful woman neared the lake, Prince Arthur in tow. His eyes were glazed over and his movements were slow, just the way she wanted him.
"Very good," Morgause complimented the woman. "Now, take him into the water and do with him as you wish."
The woman nodded. She seemed to fade away for a moment and then suddenly in her place stood the great water horse once more. It moved a step to the right and Arthur's left hand hit its right flank. The glaze left his eyes, replaced by an almost repulsed look.
"Ugh!" he let out. "It's clammy. Why is it-" He stopped midsentence and looked around, the confusion in his eyes and on his face growing with each new tree he saw until his eyes came to rest on Morgause. "Morgause," he let out lowly, glaring at her.
Morgause smirked. "Hello, Prince Arthur," she greeted evenly, inclining her head minutely as if bowing to him. "So nice to see you again."
Arthur glared. "You tried to destroy my kingdom. You tried to kill my father. Forgive me if I don't share the sentiment."
Morgause shrugged, uncaring. "It matters not. You won't be around for much longer anyhow." She nodded toward the lake to her right and Arthur's left.
Before Arthur could ask her what she meant, he felt his arm tugged and became suddenly and intensely aware of the horse beside him. It began walking toward the lake at an unconcerned pace.
"What?" Arthur gasped. "What is this?" He dug his feet into the Earth but found that did nothing to slow the progress of the horse or to remove his hand from its back. "Release me!"
"You may have pulled the sword from the stone, but there is no way to pull your hand from the Kelpie's touch," Morgause informed him, sounding almost pleased.
Arthur turned to her even as he stumbled along after the horse. "Make it release me. Why would you do this to me?"
"Uther must suffer," Morgause began. "After so many failed attempts, I realized what truly motivates your father is family." Arthur's bare feet hit the water and he physically jumped in surprise, renewing his efforts to pull his hand away from the Kelpie. "Losing you, his beloved son, will probably drive him mad," Morgause finished almost gleefully.
"ARTHUR!"
"What?" Arthur asked, turning to the line of trees around the lake.
"What?" Morgause agreed, also searching for the source of the voice.
Merlin burst through the trees on a brown horse, looking every bit like a knight showing up in the nick of time - sans armor. Merlin's eyes landed on Morgause first but quickly veered to Arthur, now thigh deep in the water and going down.
"Merlin?" Arthur gasped. "What on earth-"
"No time," Merlin interrupted. "Use this!" He tossed Arthur's sword into the air toward the prince and Arthur caught it perfectly in his right hand, even though he was almost backwards.
"You-!" Morgause cursed. She stopped herself short and instead focused on Arthur as he attempted to unsheathe his sword with one hand. "Go faster!"
The horse faltered one step before pretty much galloping the rest of the way in to the lake. Arthur gasped in a breath of air just before his head went underwater. Several seconds passed and Morgause smirked, turning back to Merlin.
"It was thoughtful of you to bring him a weapon, but too late," she informed him, taking a step away from the water. She walked all the way over to stand next to Merlin on the horse and looked up at him curiously. "I still wonder what it is that keeps you so loyal to him."
Merlin didn't look at her. He kept his eyes on the water where Arthur went under. "There are many reasons," he said evenly, "but I doubt you would understand even if I told you." He smiled. "Arthur is Arthur, and that is enough."
The surface of the water broke then, and Arthur gasped for air. Morgause's face fell while Merlin's smile widened. He dismounted and hurried to the edge of the lake to help Arthur out of the water. His white night shirt and black sleep pants were soaked through, but he still held both his sword and its sheath in his hands as he half-stumbled on shore. Merlin took him by the shoulders and hefted him away from the water and towards the horse. He looked around on the way there and noticed that Morgause was nowhere in sight. Setting Arthur on the ground near the horse, Merlin opened his pack and pulled out a blanket - his personal traveling blanket - to set around Arthur's shoulders.
"God," Arthur was gasping, dropping the sword and sheath to the side. "You couldn't give me the sword by itself?" he complained.
Merlin frowned. "Sorry, I think you'd be more upset if you'd cut your hand catching it than having a bit of water in your mouth," he stated almost angrily.
Arthur shook his arms, flinging water everywhere. After a few more breaths, he cast a curious look Merlin's way. "How did you know it would release me if I attacked it with my sword?"
Merlin shrugged. "That sword marks your destiny. If it was any other sword I wouldn't be sure, but that sword is magic. If nothing else, it would probably kill the beast and you'd be set free then."
Merlin's goofy smile offset his almost-wise reasoning. Arthur shook his head and huffed a breath. "Sometimes you amaze me, Merlin." He laughed and then dropped his head, still recovering from nearly drowning. A few laughs later he stopped abruptly and looked around with a glare. "Where's Morgause?"
Merlin shrugged, looking around as well. "She vanished when you came back out of the lake."
Arthur turned his glare on Merlin. "You let her go?"
Merlin glared back. "I was trying to save you!" His glare ended abruptly and he instead shoved Arthur in the arm. Still off balance from the whole ordeal, Arthur fell completely over.
Arthur stared at Merlin in wide eyed shock for several moments before grinning evilly and tackling Merlin to the ground. Merlin sqawked when Arthur hoisted him up by the neckerchief and tugged him toward the lake.
"What are you doing?" Merlin squeaked. "What about the water horse?" He didn't want to drown!
Arthur smirked. "Oh I'm sure you'll be fine. You're too small to eat and you're useless at everything else. Don't worry so much, Merlin," he said teasingly before lifting Merlin into the air and tossing him into the water.
Merlin let out a yell, not girly but still a tad higher than normal, before hitting the water with an angry sounding splash. He jumped up and scrambled back to shallower waters like death itself was chasing him and coughed out the water he'd swallowed.
"Oh god, you're such a prat," he wheezed.
Arthur grinned, arms crossed against his soaked chest. "And you're a girl, which makes us even I think. Now," he uncrossed his arms and made his way over to the horse, "let's get back and change out of these clothes before we both catch something." He sniffed himself and groaned. "Uck. And I definitely need a bath."
Merlin shook his head, sending water flying in every direction, before huffing and hurrying over to where Arthur was mounting the horse. He grabbed the blanket off the ground on his way and they began the trek (in Merlin's case) back to Camelot.
In the shadows, Morgause frowned at the scene. Uther was still alive and well and Merlin...Merlin was becoming a problem.
…
…
Next Time: Proof of Loyalty
It's Uther's birthday and Camelot is hosting a great feast in his honor. The festivities are brought to an abrupt end when an assassin appears and attempts to take Uther's life. Merlin saves the King but may have ended his own life in the process. With Merlin teetering on the brink of death and Arthur out hunting his attacker, Uther makes a final decision at last: let Merlin live and keep the knowledge of his magic secret….or let him die and have one less sorcerer to deal with.
Pairing: Pretty Gen. Kind of one-sided Merlin/Arthur, Gwen/Arthur, hinted Gwen/Lancelot. It’s about as gay as the series is, which is pretty gay.
Disclaimer: I do not own BBC’s Merlin. If I did, I’d be pretty happy because I’d know Colin and Bradley personally.
Summary: The legend of Excalibur is not as simple as everyone thinks. Arthur pulls a sword from a stone, beginning a chain of events that will lead him to his destiny and the sorcerer prophesied to stand beside him.
Chapter Summary: Morgause summons a Kelpie, a magical horse creature, from a lake. In the form of a beautiful woman, the Kelpie steals Arthur away in the dead of night. Uther charges Merlin with an ultimatum: retrieve his son or die on the pyre in the morning.
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Part IV - The Kelpie
…
…
The water parted and the forest grew still as the being of black and silver emerged from the lake to stand tall and proud on the shore. The great horse shook its head wildly and whinnied, deep green fragments of lake-bed plants slipping slickly from its wet mane. No matter how long it stood there, water continued to drip from its very being and onto the soft ground around it. A woman dressed in a dark blue cloak with the hood up calmly walked over to it, her hand held up to touch its face. She pet the hair there gently and then turned around to face back the way she'd come from.
"It's beautiful," Morgana admitted with a smile, which quickly dissolved into an uneasy frown. "But it's cold as death to the touch."
Morgause meandered over to stand beside her sister and pet the horse just as gently as Morgana had. "It will not matter how cold it is. Arthur will be in our grasp before he notices the difference." She breathed gently on the horse's nose and it let out a huff before turning and walking away into the forest, dripping the whole way.
…
…
Arthur was crouched on the ground in the forest, peering through the underbrush at the deer poised twenty feet away. He lifted his crossbow and aimed carefully. Just before he loosed the arrow, the deer's head snapped up, alert, and it bounded off into the forest beyond Arthur's sight. He sighed angrily, standing up and turning around to look where the deer had before it ran off.
"Merlin," he grumbled. "I thought I told you to-"
He cut himself off when he saw what was behind him. Not ten feet away stood a great, mighty stallion. Its body was pitch dark, like a starless night, and its mane matched its body except for the glints of silver hairs that flickered throughout in the late afternoon sun. Its eyes were dark but shone with a special power and there was a silver diamond on its forehead between the eyes.
"Oh my….," Arthur breathed out. The horse was so close he could practically touch it. All he would have to do is take one step and lift his hand…..The horse let out a breath and tapped its foot against the ground, swinging its head toward Arthur and then away, as if telling him to follow. Arthur nodded, his face the perfect picture of awe.
The horse bent its head down a minute amount, like it was nodding its head at Arthur, and then turned and began walking away. Arthur felt a part of him panic. Why was it leaving? Where was it going? He had to know! He took a step after it, reaching his hand out as if to take hold of the horse's mane….
"Arthur?"
Arthur's vision cleared. He blinked forcefully and shook his head, lifting his left hand to hold his head. Looking around, Arthur saw the horse….or whatever it had been, had vanished. Looking at the ground at his feet, Arthur narrowed his eyes at the puddle of water in the soft dirt and leaves. Water? But there were no lakes nearby….
"Arthur!"
Arthur grumbled, lowering his hand and turning back around as Merlin came tumbling through the bushes, carrying his arrows and a spear along with two dead rabbits strung up on a line. "What?" Arthur practically snapped, glaring.
Merlin looked relieved to see him. It only lasted a moment before Merlin was glaring right back at him. "You left me!" he accused, shaking the rabbits at Arthur angrily.
Arthur sighed heavily, placing his hand on his hip. "What ever gave you that impression, Merlin?" he asked sarcastically.
Merlin almost dropped the spear he was carrying in his left hand at that, his mouth gaping open. "Were you really trying to lose me?" he asked, almost sounding hurt.
"Only long enough to kill the deer," Arthur explained off-handedly, like it didn't matter in the least. He motioned to where the deer had been. Merlin turned to look and then turned back with a confused look on his face. "Another animal scared it off before you managed to, don't worry," Arthur teased cruelly, frowning.
He felt bitter that the horse had gotten away, more so than the deer. It was strange. He really didn't know why he was so angry with Merlin right now….he just was.
"Let's move on. I saw some tracks heading east and we should be able to find something worthwhile to kill before dinner," he half-sighed before moving on. He gave the puddle a wide berth.
…
…
Morgause frowned at the image of Merlin's face in the glass. He was always ruining things, even when he had no idea they were happening! She lifted her eyes from the crystal, the image fading, and watched as the black horse stepped into view in the cave. Morgana was next to it, but making sure not to touch it.
"It didn't work," Morgana pouted.
Morgause made her way over to the horse and gently laid her hand on its nose. It nickered softly but didn't move and Morgause smiled over at her sister. "Arthur is a wonderful hunter and a collector of marvelous things. If the beast could not sway him….perhaps there is another way." She looked back at the horse. "The Kelpie is a magnificent creature in that it can lure any man into its trap."
A look of understanding overcame Morgana's features and she nodded with a sick smile. "Arthur has never been able to resist a beautiful woman before."
Morgause nodded, almost to herself. "You should return to Camelot. With all that is happening right now, I have no doubt they are on the alert. You are my dear sister," she said softly, moving her hand from the Kelpie's nose to caress Morgana's cheek. "They cannot know about you."
Morgana smiled sweetly, placing her hand over Morgause's on her left cheek, and leaned into the touch. "No one will ever know," she assured her half-sister softly. "Only Merlin knows, but no one would believe him if he told anyone….and we've got his secret against him too. So there is nothing to worry about from him and no one else is smart enough to find out."
A little smile graced Morgause's lips. "Be that as it may….please be careful, Morgana."
"I will be."
Morgause pulled her hand gently from its place against Morgana's skin and moved back toward the crystals. "I'll take care of everything outside the castle walls, but I need you to make sure no one can find Arthur once he is out. This will not be a fast process and we'll need time to see it done. Once he is dead we can lead the knights to his cold body and let Uther's soul go with him to the afterlife in agony."
Morgana nodded in agreement with her sister's fanatical words and turned to leave the cave. Morgause watched her leave with a contemplative frown on her face. Once she was gone, Morgause turned to the Kelpie, the frown still on her face.
…
…
There was a minor 'bump' on the door, almost a knock, before Merlin entered the room. The noise had been his shoulder hitting the wood so he could push the door open without dropping the tray holding Arthur's breakfast. Just before he could go and set it on the table, Merlin noticed how light the room was. Looking over the room, Merlin noticed the curtains were drawn and Arthur was standing, fully dressed, staring out the window. He nearly dropped the tray. Nearly.
Clearing his throat and heading for the table, Merlin said, "You're up early, sire." It was odd. Merlin was even on time this morning! Why was Arthur up so early? Arthur didn't move or act like he'd even heard Merlin speak. "Sire?" Again, Arthur didn't even respond as Merlin loudly arranged the tray of food just how Arthur preferred it. Frowning, Merlin stepped over to where Arthur stood and reached out, placing a hand on Arthur's left shoulder with a concerned, "Arthur?"
Arthur visibly jumped, his head snapping to look at Merlin. "What are you doing here?" he snapped, glaring.
Merlin pulled his hand back in shock and Arthur glanced at his own shoulder like he has just noticed there was something touching him in the first place. Merlin nodded and motioned toward the table. "I brought your breakfast. Is something wrong?"
Arthur shook his head and made for the table. "It seems you're on time today," he said, not answering Merlin's question. "For once," he added bluntly, setting down in his chair and picking up his knife, cutting into the light meat on his plate and practically jamming it into his mouth.
"Um….," Merlin let out, slowly walking back over to the table to stand before Arthur. He fiddled with his hands nervously.
"What?" Arthur asked contritely between bites.
Merlin shook his head. "Nothing. Is there anything you need me to do?"
Arthur took several more bites of his breakfast before, "No. You can go." He never even looked at Merlin.
Merlin's expression was one of complete and utter befuddlement. What? What did Arthur just…..? Turning on his heel, Merlin scurried from the room.
…
…
"Something's wrong with Arthur," Merlin blurted immediately upon entering Gaius' chambers.
Gaius looked up from mixing a potion, as if to clarify that it was indeed Merlin walking in on him, before looking back down and stirring the mixture again. "What makes you say that?"
Merlin shrugged. "I went to give him his breakfast and he was already up and dressed and staring out the window hopelessly. He didn't even notice I was in the room until I physically touched him," he said, worry etched into every word he spoke. "And then I asked him what my duties were for the day and he said there were none and dismissed me!" He flung his arms out to the sides and let them drop noisily back to his sides.
Gaius didn't respond immediately. He stirred his potion a few more times, lifted it from over the small flame it had sat above, and poured the mixture into a little bottle. The concoction was dark purple in color and smelled sort of like an old, half-rotten plum. Corking the bottle, Gaius held it out for Merlin, who took it warily with a confused expression on his face.
"I need you to take this to a man name Elsens in the market," he said in an unconcerned tone of voice. "He needs it for his joint."
"Alright," Merlin agreed slowly, pocketing the delivery. "But what should we do about Arthur?" he pressed.
Gaius put out the flame and began cleaning his utensils. "I don't know that there's anything to be done," he said easily.
"What?" Merlin just about shouted. "Gaius!"
"I'm serious, Merlin," Gaius continued. "What you've described could be nothing at all. Maybe he had a bad night. Maybe he had a lot on his mind. Maybe he really had nothing for you to do."
"He didn't even tell me to make his bed," Merlin deadpanned. "Or do his laundry. Or anything."
Gaius waved his hands at Merlin like he thought the boy was being silly. "He's just preoccupied, Merlin. I'm sure it's fine. Now if he starts doing handstands or his hair turns purple, then we can start worrying about something magical being the cause of his odd behavior. For now, just let him be. He's the crowned prince of Camelot. He's got a lot to deal with and sometimes it gets overwhelming." He paused a moment to place something high on a shelf, then turned to face Merlin again. "You should worry about getting that potion to Elsens as soon as possible. As in now, Merlin."
Merlin sighed heavily, obviously upset that Gaius didn't believe him, and practically stormed out the door.
…
…
Morgana stood staring out her window. Arthur had told Uther that he wouldn't be attending to his usual duties today, that he was going for a ride instead. Uther had almost contradicted the decision but Arthur had appeared so out of it that Uther thought perhaps the ride would do Arthur some good, so he'd agreed and dismissed Arthur without much of a second thought. Now Arthur was outside, Merlin beside him as always, getting settled in the saddle and preparing for a nice long afternoon in the forest.
Her chamber doors opened and Gwen walked in. "My lady," Gwen began with a curtsy. "You called for me?"
"Yes," Morgana breathed out before turning from the window and smiling at her chambermaid. "I wanted to apologize." Gwen narrowed her eyes in confusion. "I realize that, since I've returned to Camelot…I haven't been particularly kind to you. In fact, on multiple occasions I've been extremely rude to you instead."
"Oh, no, my lady. You-" Gwen tried, but Morgana shook her head and interrupted.
"No. It's the truth," she insisted. She gave a flickering smile. "I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate all you do for me and….no matter what….I will always care for you."
Morgana knew how her maid cared for her half-brother. When Arthur died, Gwen would be heartbroken. Morgana would console her like Gwen had consoled Morgana after nightmares, until the image of Arthur's face faded from her mind. Perhaps a spell would be necessary. No matter what though, Gwen was a rock in Morgana's world here in the castle, something keeping her bound and sane under all the pressure from every side, and Morgana would not lose her.
Gwen smiled shyly. "I'd do the same for you," she said gently.
Morgana smiled too, hers bolder than Gwen's, and held out her arms in an invitation for a hug. Gwen walked into Morgana's arm and Morgana wrapped her up tight. "You're so sweet, Guinevere. You'll make someone very happy someday."
Gwen frowned briefly before clearing her throat and pulling back. "Thank you. Is there anything else, my lady?" she asked with a short curtsy.
Morgana shook her head, still smiling. "No. That's all. You can go back to whatever you were doing before. I won't keep you."
Gwen curtsied one last time in goodbye before retreating from the room. Morgana's smile dropped and she moved back to the window, looking out just in time to see Arthur and Merlin ride off out of the courtyard and beyond her line of sight. Her frown deepened. Arthur had been affected by his meeting with the Kelpie. It was only a matter of time before the creature would have him in its grasp, and then Arthur would be dead. She wasn't sure how she felt about that.
He was supposed to be the future king of Albion, after all.
…
…
That night, lightning flashed outside the castle even though there was no rain. Arthur's chamber door creaked open slowly, a pale hand wrapping around the wood in a light grip and pushing it further open. The hand was connected to an equally pale woman with fair skin, black hair, and dark eyes. She ghosted into the room and over to Arthur's bedside, dripping water as she went.
"Arthur...," she breathed out, her voice melodious and soft like a gentle breeze.
Arthur's eyes snapped open and he sat up in bed. His eyes were smoky white instead of their normal blue. The woman began ghosting back toward the door and Arthur got out of bed and followed her, possessed of some unknown power. They walked, almost as one but never touching, through the corridors and out of the city, slipping past guards like ghosts.
Soon, they vanished into the forest like they had never existed.
…
…
The alarm woke Merlin the next day. It blared in through his open window and he wished he closed it at night like a sensible person. Still, at least he was awake on time and could get Arthur his breakfast earlier than usual. He was just finishing slipping on his jacket when his bedroom door burst open and Uther stormed in.
"Where is he?" Uther demanded, stalking up to Merlin with intent to harm.
Merlin backed himself up trying to escape it and soon found himself pressed between the wall and the King: a rock and a hard place. "Who?" he asked almost meekly.
Uther's face contorted evermore into rage beyond imagining. "My son, you traitorous worm!"
Merlin's eyes widened. "Arthur's missing?" he said, the fear of Uther gone from his voice, replaced by worry for Arthur. "When? How?"
"Sire, please," Gaius began from where he stood in the doorway, before Uther could scream anymore. "I've been here all night and Merlin never left his room. Besides which, he'd be a bigger fool than anyone has ever thought if he kidnapped Arthur so soon after his secret was revealed."
Uther gave Gaius a hard look for a long moment before turning back to Merlin. "I will spare your life on one condition," he practically hissed out. "Bring my son back from wherever he is. Do that and I will not burn you at the stake."
Merlin nodded, all he could manage from the fear that rewound itself around his chest from Uther's proximity and tone. "Yes, sire." Uther huffed, turned, and left the room. Merlin sighed deeply, once, before turning to business. "What happened, Gaius?"
Gaius shrugged. "I'm not sure. Uther went to see Arthur this morning and found he was missing and no one has any idea where he is. I went and looked at it myself earlier. It was very strange," he trailed off.
"What was?" Merlin asked curiously.
Gaius took a breath. "There was water on the floor from the door to the bed, and then down the hall and outside. I thought maybe someone was out in the rain but-"
"But it didn't rain last night," Merlin interrupted. Gaius gave him a disapproving look momentarily before brushing it off.
"Exactly," he said. "And there's no other evidence that anything at all happened."
Merlin waved his finger around and shook his head. "No…No, Arthur's been acting strange. I told you something was wrong," he said. "Arthur wasn't himself yesterday; from the whole breakfast incident to that long ride we took in the woods to 'clear his head.' He wandered around near where we went hunting the other day and sat and stared, but we didn't do much actual riding." He snapped his fingers. "He mentioned a horse. A great black horse. He said it had scared the deer off when we were hunting and he was trying to see if we could find it. Maybe that has something to do with this."
"A horse?" Gaius clarified. He shook his head. "I'm not sure about that. But pack your bags; you've got a prince to save. I'll see if I can't find out what the water means, and if maybe this black horse means anything, or Arthur's behavior."
…
…
Merlin walked into Gaius' chambers again fifteen minutes later, his horse all packed and ready to go. Now all he needed was a place to go.
"Gaius!" he called as he raced through the door. "You find anything?"
Gaius pulled himself from a book. "Not much, I'm afraid. There are many myths and legends pertaining to water creatures of magic, many of them horses, but all I can tell you is that it probably took him to the lake or river it came from."
"You don't know what it is?"
Gaius shook his head solemnly. "I'm sorry, Merlin. I don't want to say 'guess' but there really is no way of knowing where it, if it was a magical creature, took him."
Merlin frowned. Then he had an idea and a smile jumped to his face. "I read about this in my magic book," he began, already heading for his room. "There's a spell for searching for things you can't find." He vanished for a few moments and then returned with his book. "If I just put Arthur's name in the spell in place of the object...it should tell me where he is."
Gaius looked so proud.
…
…
Morgause smiled as the beautiful woman neared the lake, Prince Arthur in tow. His eyes were glazed over and his movements were slow, just the way she wanted him.
"Very good," Morgause complimented the woman. "Now, take him into the water and do with him as you wish."
The woman nodded. She seemed to fade away for a moment and then suddenly in her place stood the great water horse once more. It moved a step to the right and Arthur's left hand hit its right flank. The glaze left his eyes, replaced by an almost repulsed look.
"Ugh!" he let out. "It's clammy. Why is it-" He stopped midsentence and looked around, the confusion in his eyes and on his face growing with each new tree he saw until his eyes came to rest on Morgause. "Morgause," he let out lowly, glaring at her.
Morgause smirked. "Hello, Prince Arthur," she greeted evenly, inclining her head minutely as if bowing to him. "So nice to see you again."
Arthur glared. "You tried to destroy my kingdom. You tried to kill my father. Forgive me if I don't share the sentiment."
Morgause shrugged, uncaring. "It matters not. You won't be around for much longer anyhow." She nodded toward the lake to her right and Arthur's left.
Before Arthur could ask her what she meant, he felt his arm tugged and became suddenly and intensely aware of the horse beside him. It began walking toward the lake at an unconcerned pace.
"What?" Arthur gasped. "What is this?" He dug his feet into the Earth but found that did nothing to slow the progress of the horse or to remove his hand from its back. "Release me!"
"You may have pulled the sword from the stone, but there is no way to pull your hand from the Kelpie's touch," Morgause informed him, sounding almost pleased.
Arthur turned to her even as he stumbled along after the horse. "Make it release me. Why would you do this to me?"
"Uther must suffer," Morgause began. "After so many failed attempts, I realized what truly motivates your father is family." Arthur's bare feet hit the water and he physically jumped in surprise, renewing his efforts to pull his hand away from the Kelpie. "Losing you, his beloved son, will probably drive him mad," Morgause finished almost gleefully.
"ARTHUR!"
"What?" Arthur asked, turning to the line of trees around the lake.
"What?" Morgause agreed, also searching for the source of the voice.
Merlin burst through the trees on a brown horse, looking every bit like a knight showing up in the nick of time - sans armor. Merlin's eyes landed on Morgause first but quickly veered to Arthur, now thigh deep in the water and going down.
"Merlin?" Arthur gasped. "What on earth-"
"No time," Merlin interrupted. "Use this!" He tossed Arthur's sword into the air toward the prince and Arthur caught it perfectly in his right hand, even though he was almost backwards.
"You-!" Morgause cursed. She stopped herself short and instead focused on Arthur as he attempted to unsheathe his sword with one hand. "Go faster!"
The horse faltered one step before pretty much galloping the rest of the way in to the lake. Arthur gasped in a breath of air just before his head went underwater. Several seconds passed and Morgause smirked, turning back to Merlin.
"It was thoughtful of you to bring him a weapon, but too late," she informed him, taking a step away from the water. She walked all the way over to stand next to Merlin on the horse and looked up at him curiously. "I still wonder what it is that keeps you so loyal to him."
Merlin didn't look at her. He kept his eyes on the water where Arthur went under. "There are many reasons," he said evenly, "but I doubt you would understand even if I told you." He smiled. "Arthur is Arthur, and that is enough."
The surface of the water broke then, and Arthur gasped for air. Morgause's face fell while Merlin's smile widened. He dismounted and hurried to the edge of the lake to help Arthur out of the water. His white night shirt and black sleep pants were soaked through, but he still held both his sword and its sheath in his hands as he half-stumbled on shore. Merlin took him by the shoulders and hefted him away from the water and towards the horse. He looked around on the way there and noticed that Morgause was nowhere in sight. Setting Arthur on the ground near the horse, Merlin opened his pack and pulled out a blanket - his personal traveling blanket - to set around Arthur's shoulders.
"God," Arthur was gasping, dropping the sword and sheath to the side. "You couldn't give me the sword by itself?" he complained.
Merlin frowned. "Sorry, I think you'd be more upset if you'd cut your hand catching it than having a bit of water in your mouth," he stated almost angrily.
Arthur shook his arms, flinging water everywhere. After a few more breaths, he cast a curious look Merlin's way. "How did you know it would release me if I attacked it with my sword?"
Merlin shrugged. "That sword marks your destiny. If it was any other sword I wouldn't be sure, but that sword is magic. If nothing else, it would probably kill the beast and you'd be set free then."
Merlin's goofy smile offset his almost-wise reasoning. Arthur shook his head and huffed a breath. "Sometimes you amaze me, Merlin." He laughed and then dropped his head, still recovering from nearly drowning. A few laughs later he stopped abruptly and looked around with a glare. "Where's Morgause?"
Merlin shrugged, looking around as well. "She vanished when you came back out of the lake."
Arthur turned his glare on Merlin. "You let her go?"
Merlin glared back. "I was trying to save you!" His glare ended abruptly and he instead shoved Arthur in the arm. Still off balance from the whole ordeal, Arthur fell completely over.
Arthur stared at Merlin in wide eyed shock for several moments before grinning evilly and tackling Merlin to the ground. Merlin sqawked when Arthur hoisted him up by the neckerchief and tugged him toward the lake.
"What are you doing?" Merlin squeaked. "What about the water horse?" He didn't want to drown!
Arthur smirked. "Oh I'm sure you'll be fine. You're too small to eat and you're useless at everything else. Don't worry so much, Merlin," he said teasingly before lifting Merlin into the air and tossing him into the water.
Merlin let out a yell, not girly but still a tad higher than normal, before hitting the water with an angry sounding splash. He jumped up and scrambled back to shallower waters like death itself was chasing him and coughed out the water he'd swallowed.
"Oh god, you're such a prat," he wheezed.
Arthur grinned, arms crossed against his soaked chest. "And you're a girl, which makes us even I think. Now," he uncrossed his arms and made his way over to the horse, "let's get back and change out of these clothes before we both catch something." He sniffed himself and groaned. "Uck. And I definitely need a bath."
Merlin shook his head, sending water flying in every direction, before huffing and hurrying over to where Arthur was mounting the horse. He grabbed the blanket off the ground on his way and they began the trek (in Merlin's case) back to Camelot.
In the shadows, Morgause frowned at the scene. Uther was still alive and well and Merlin...Merlin was becoming a problem.
…
…
Next Time: Proof of Loyalty
It's Uther's birthday and Camelot is hosting a great feast in his honor. The festivities are brought to an abrupt end when an assassin appears and attempts to take Uther's life. Merlin saves the King but may have ended his own life in the process. With Merlin teetering on the brink of death and Arthur out hunting his attacker, Uther makes a final decision at last: let Merlin live and keep the knowledge of his magic secret….or let him die and have one less sorcerer to deal with.