Fic: Death Cannot Stop True Love - Part 3
Part 2
Arthur caught Merlin looking at him for the fifth time. He rolled his eyes. They’d been traveling for several hours and Merlin hadn’t said a word to him. “I know that you may not be used to the way normal people behave, but usually when two people are together for this long, they converse.”
Merlin briefly gave him a sideways glance. “Trust me, you don’t want to hear what I have to say.”
“I’m not expecting you to know any big words, Merlin. Just try not to sound like a jabbering moron and that should be fine.”
“How’s this for a big word: hypocrite!” Merlin shouted, stopping in his tracks.
Arthur sighed. “I’m guessing there’s supposed to be some kind of meaning behind that?”
“You and your father are hypocrites.” Merlin explained. “You talk about how evil magic is, but you have no objection to using it for your own ends.”
“‘Our own ends’? The only reason I need your father is because this dragon is unleashing chaos on Camelot.”
“And have you bothered to ask why that is?”
“It’s killing people. Do you actually expect me to stop and ponder why?” Arthur demanded.
“I’m not trying to excuse what he’s doing. But my father told me what happened. Your father tricked my father into thinking he wanted to make peace with the dragon. After he got my father to bring the dragon to Camelot, he trapped the dragon in a cave under the castle. Then he had every last dragon lord rounded up and slaughtered. My father managed to escape. He left Camelot and still your father pursued him.” Merlin finished, breathing heavily. “You don’t need magic to be evil.”
Merlin began to walk away, but Arthur grabbed his hand. “You want a history lesson. I’ll give you one. When I was eight a group of sorcerers broke into the castle to steal a special stone. They used it to unleash a spirit that set about trying to destroy the city. Many people lost their lives. On my sixteenth birthday, another sorcerer decided to try and teach my father a lesson. He destroyed all the crops in the kingdom, all the livestock died, and he turned the water into sand. Do you know what it’s like to watch hundreds of people starve?” Merlin turned away from Arthur. Arthur followed him and got into his face. “Or how about this? A sorcerer killed my mother.” Merlin looked up at Arthur sharply. “I don’t need my father to tell me that magic is evil.”
Merlin worried his lip. He couldn’t look Arthur in the eye. “Arthur, I’m sorry about your mother. But-
“Don’t say a word.”
“Arthur, I’m trying to apologise. Can you not even allow someone to apologize without-
Arthur tackled Merlin to the ground, just in time to avoid a spear aimed at Merlin’s head.
“What the hell...?” Merlin exclaimed.
“Cenred’s men.” Arthur slapped his hand down angrily. “Damnit, they must realize I’m here.” Arthur explained.
As soon as the words left his mouth, a man came running towards them, knocking Arthur off Merlin. Arthur kicked the man backwards and jumped up, grabbing his sword. The two men fought, while Merlin scrambled up. He heard hoof beats, and saw another of Cenred’s men, rapidly approaching them on horseback. He looked over and saw Merlin scramble behind a tree. The tall man dismounted his horse quickly and chased after Merlin.
Arthur fended off his attacker, blocking a kick. He grabbed the man’s leg, and pushed him backwards. The burly man fell over. Before he had a chance to reach for his sword, Arthur speared the man in his chest. Arthur quickly turned around and saw Merlin on the ground, being choked with the hilt of Cenred’s man’s sword. Arthur rushed over and ran the man through. The man’s grip on Merlin’s neck loosened and he slowly slumped over.
Merlin grabbed at his neck, coughing violently. Arthur clutched Merlin’s hand, lifting Merlin to his feet. Arthur put his hand on Merlin’s shoulder, staring at him in concern. “Are you alright?” Arthur asked, after Merlin’s cough died down.
“I will be.” Merlin coughed one last time. He gazed at Arthur. “You saved me.”
Arthur shrugged. “Seemed like the decent thing to do.”
Merlin smiled briefly at him.
“So other than setting moderately elaborate traps, you have no idea how to defend yourself?” Arthur inquired.
Merlin scoffed. “I know how to protect myself. That guy was just really, really big.”
Arthur shook his head. “I would call you a big girl, but even my sister could have incapacitated that man.”
Merlin rolled his eyes. “So, I don’t know how to fight. Growing up in a cave with my father, hand to hand combat wasn’t something that was really necessary.”
“You were living in a cave. He never thought that anything bad might happen? He never thought you might need to know how to protect yourself?”
Merlin sighed. “Yes, he thought about that. He did try to teach me some things, but I was always a bit clumsy.” Arthur opened his mouth to say something, but Merlin put a finger up to silence him. “Don’t say anything. He taught me how to use my brain and come up with other ways to protect myself.”
“Well, the time for using your brain is over.” Merlin wrinkled his nose. Arthur thought over what he said. “That came out wrong. What I mean is it’s time to learn how to fight.”
Merlin shook his head. “Do we really have time for this? I think we have more pressing concerns.”
“Look, Merlin this isn’t just about your safety. I may be able to defend myself, but if something like that attack happens again, and I have to spend half my time worrying about you, I could end up killed.”
Merlin looked up at Arthur, a slow smirk spreading across his face. “You would worry about me?”
Arthur’s eyes widened. “I didn’t mean...I....” Merlin’s smirk grew wider. “Oh, shut up Merlin!”
~*~
Arthur put his head in his hands and groaned. His impromptu training session with Merlin wasn’t going well. He’d tried to teach Merlin some basic moves with his sword, but when that ended up with Merlin nearly spearing his own eyeball, he tried for more simplified hand to hand combat training. He’d merely asked Merlin to get into a fighting stance and was graced with Merlin hunching forward with his palms out and held awkwardly in front of him. “Are you serious?”
Merlin shrugged. “What?”
“That’s not a fighting stance. That’s a ‘please, please come and kill me’ stance.” Arthur put his fists up. “Just stand like me.”
Merlin sighed in annoyance, but did as Arthur asked.
“That’s better. Now I want you to try and hit me.”
Merlin’s eyebrows shot up so high, Arthur thought they would lift off his face. “What?”
“You heard me?”
Merlin grinned before charging at Arthur and swinging wildly. Arthur easily grabbed his hand, twisting Merlin’s arm behind him.
“Ow!” Merlin shouted.
Arthur let go of his arm. “Okay, I just wanted to see if you had any natural ability. Clearly not.” Merlin whirled around and shot Arthur a withering glare. “Let’s try this again. Get back in your stance.” Merlin did as he was told. “In any fight, you want to try and catch your opponent by surprise. If you get the upper hand, even someone like can win in battle.” Arthur put up his fists. “So...surprise me.”
“You can’t demand that I surprise you and expect me to do it.”
“Why not?”
“Because now you’re expecting it.”
“If you do something I won’t expect, then I won’t be expecting it.”
Merlin opened his mouth and sputtered. “That makes absolutely no sense.”
“Would you just think of something?”
“Your eyes are really beautiful.”
Arthur’s eyes tripled in size. “What?”
Merlin quickly moved forward and hauled back, punching Arthur in the stomach.
Arthur doubled over gasping for breath.
Merlin looked at his fist and laughed. “What do you know; it worked.”
Arthur glowered up at him.
~*~
As the sun began to set, Arthur and Merlin found a spot to set up camp. Arthur was surprised when Merlin took charge by finding them dinner and cooking it himself. They ate in silence. Merlin stared pensively at the fire. Arthur let out a long sigh, trying to get Merlin’s attention. When that didn’t work, he kicked Merlin in the shin.
“Ow!” Merlin rubbed his shin. “What is the matter with you? Can’t you just sit in silence without having to prattle on or act like a giant prat?”
“The silence feels awkward. I don’t like feeling awkward.”
“Well, that’s too bad.” Merlin replied, lying down on the ground.
Arthur pursed his lips as he regarded Merlin. “You’re thinking about your father?”
Merlin didn’t answer for several moments. Arthur was about to ask again when Merlin responded. “Yes...I’m really worried.”
“You don’t have any idea what could have happened to him?”
Merlin shrugged. “I don’t know. I should be relieved that your father hasn’t captured him, but now I really have no idea where he could be. The only thing I know is he wouldn’t be away for this long if there wasn’t something seriously wrong. He wouldn’t leave me alone like that.”
Arthur lay down on the ground, his head not too far from Merlin’s. “How did you end up living in a cave?”
“I told you how.” Merlin responded, a hard edge to his voice.
“Because of my father?”
“Yes.”
“So you were born in the caves?”
“No. I was born in Ealdor. The man who helped my father escape from Camelot brought him to Ealdor and to my mother. She offered to help him.”
“That was very brave of her.”
Merlin smiled. “Yeah. I was born soon after that. But when your father found out where my father was, he had to leave again. He wanted to leave me and my mother behind, but she wouldn’t hear of it. She refused to be separated from him or let him be separated from us. They found somewhere safe and secluded to protect me.”
“What happened to your mother?” Arthur practically whispered.
“She died.”
Arthur swallowed thickly, fidgeting slightly before asking his next question.
“Was it because of...?”
Merlin twisted his head around to look at Arthur. “Your father?”
Arthur nodded. He looked up at Merlin briefly.
Merlin shook his head. “No. She got sick, very suddenly. There was nothing my father could do for her.”
“How old were you?”
“I was five.”
“My mother died when I was born.” Arthur bit his lip. “She died giving birth to me.”
Merlin sat up and looked over at Arthur. “I’m sorry.”
Arthur sat up and cleared his throat. He didn’t know why he was sharing this with Merlin. He knew Merlin didn’t like him and probably didn’t care. Arthur changed the subject. “Growing up, just you and your father, that couldn’t have been easy.”
“It wasn’t really as bad as you may think. I lived in the cave as long as I could remember, so I don’t know any other way to live. My father always protected me. He made sure to teach me everything that he knew. He taught me how to cook and taught me how to make wood carvings. He even taught me how to make cider, got drunk for the first time when I was 12.” Merlin laughed.
Arthur chuckled too, but when he and Merlin shared amused glances, Arthur looked away quickly.
“We talked a lot.” Merlin continued. “He would tell me that I had this great destiny.”
“What do you think he meant by that?”
Merlin shrugged. “I don’t know. He just said when the time was right, that I’d know.” He shrugged again. “He was...” Merlin shook himself. “He is so patient, which isn’t easy with me. I get so impatient and restless. And I’m always asking him questions.”
“Did you ever ask him about your mother?”
“All the time. I never really had to ask. He talked about her all the time. He wants to make sure that even if I don’t remember her that I’ll always have some kind of picture of her in my head.”
Arthur took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You’re lucky.”
Merlin’s eyes widened as he looked over at Arthur. “What?”
“My father never talks about my mother. He rarely talks to me about anything, unless it has to do with royal business. I wish he were more open with me the way your father is.”
When Arthur’s gaze drifted over to Merlin, he was surprised to see the other man smiling at him with what some, though definitely not Arthur, would call a tender look. Arthur’s face reddened. He quickly got up and moved closer to the fire, warming his hands.
Merlin wrung his hands briefly and fidgeted. “You said before that a sorcerer killed your mother. What did you mean-”
“I’d rather not talk about that.” Arthur cut Merlin off. He lay back down, his back to Merlin. “We have a long day tomorrow. We need to get some sleep.”
Merlin sighed and lay back down. Sleep didn’t find him for a long time. His worry over his father increasing every minute.
~*~
When Merlin awoke the next day, Arthur was already up and prepared for their journey. He told Merlin that they should arrive in Ealdor by nightfall. The silence hung thick between them, but for once Arthur did nothing to fill the silence. Merlin found himself staring at Arthur more and more, surprised to find that he missed Arthur’s annoying insults and chatter.
“Are you alright?” Merlin asked suddenly.
Arthur’s step faltered slightly, but he continued. “Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Merlin shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re not pestering me to talk or prattling on yourself. It’s not like you.”
“You don’t know me at all, so how could you presume to say what is or isn’t like me?” Arthur argued, refusing to look at Merlin.
Merlin rolled his eyes, stopping completely. “Oh God, we’re not going to fight about this, are we? I really should learn to leave well enough alone.”
Arthur growled lightly, walking over to Merlin. “I just don’t want you thinking that you know me or that we’re friends now.”
Merlin let out a short laugh. “Don’t worry about that. I know exactly what we are and I know exactly who you are.” Merlin marched ahead of Arthur, leaving him behind.
Arthur just closed his eyes and blew out a breath.
Merlin walked ahead, but stopped when he noticed something on the ground. He kneeled down and picked up the object, staring at it in surprise.
He hears Arthur walk up behind him. “What’s that?”
“It’s a knife.” Merlin said without looking up at Arthur. Merlin showed it to Arthur. It was a very small knife and it had a circular wooden handle. “It was my father’s.”
Arthur crouched down beside Merlin. “Are you sure?”
“He used this every day. I’m sure.” Merlin turned to Arthur. “I don’t know what it could be doing here.”
“Perhaps...”
Arthur trailed off when he heard a branch snap. He was up in instant, sword in hand. There were two men approaching from opposite sides of the clearing. “Well, Merlin looks like you’re going to get to try out those moves I showed you.”
Merlin gaped at Arthur. “I don’t think either of these guys is going to fall for a line about their eyes.”
“I trust you, Merlin. You’ll think of something.” And with that, he charged at the man to his left.
Merlin backed up slowly as the other man pulled out his slow, smiling menacingly at Merlin.
Arthur blocked a blow from his adversary’s sword with the flat end of his sword. The man with the long, straggly hair barreled into Arthur with his stout body. As he attempted to strike Arthur with his sword, Arthur blocked it.
~*~
“Look, I really don’t want any trouble.” Merlin told the swordsman he was facing. The man just growled at Merlin. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll back away. I’ve been taught by...” Merlin rolled his eyes before continuing. “...the greatest warrior to ever live.” The man stopped coming toward Merlin. Merlin looked taken aback. Before he had time to really wonder if that actually worked, the other man screamed, running forward and lunging at Merlin.
Merlin screeched and managed to avoid his blow.
~*~
Arthur looked over when he heard Merlin’s cry. His attacker took that opportunity to push him to the ground. He raised his sword to impale Arthur. Arthur’s eyes widened. He rolled away before he could be pierced with the sword. Arthur jumped up in time to block another swipe of the man’s sword, and then countered with a strike of his own.
~*~
As Merlin’s foe struck out again, Merlin managed to grab his hand, trying to fight him off. The man was twice Merlin’s size, so Merlin wasn’t having much luck. He thought about Arthur’s advice about surprise. He suddenly let go of the man’s hand and spit in his face. The man spluttered in surprise. Merlin took advantage, kneeing the man in the stomach, backing up and punching the man in the face.
~*~
The man roared and brought his sword up to try and hit Arthur. Arthur caught him by surprise with a kick to his mid-section. The man fell down. Arthur capitalised quickly, piercing the man in his stomach. He turned around to check on Merlin. He blinked when he saw Merlin standing victoriously over the other man. Merlin was smiling widely and Arthur found himself feeling weirdly giddy over Merlin’s triumph and the look on his face.
Merlin turned fully to face Arthur. His smile dropped immediately. “Arthur, look out!”
Arthur was too late to stop the man behind him from getting up and stabbing his shoulder. Arthur fell to his knees. Merlin quickly leaned over and picked up the sword from the man at his feet. Arthur’s foe was about to stab him again when the sword came hurtling forward and struck his chest. He fell over dead.
Merlin opened his mouth in shock. He ran over to Arthur, skidding on his knees in front of him. “Arthur, are you okay?”
Arthur looked at him strangely, and then clutched the wound on his shoulder. He shook himself and peered back at Merlin. “It’s alright. I’ve had worse wounds.” Arthur tried to stand up, and wavered on his feet. He blinked at Merlin. “Is it just me or is it getting dark way too early?” He immediately fainted after that.
~*~
Arthur blinked awake very slowly. His grasp on consciousness was tenuous. He was struggling to focus. When he was finally able to keep his eyes open for longer than five seconds, and able to focus his eyes he realised someone was sitting next to him and touching his chest. He looked over and saw Merlin. He peered down and saw that he was shirtless. “What-what...are you doing?”
“You’re finally awake.” Merlin smiled down at him. “I am applying a poultice that should heal your wound. My father taught me how to make this. I told you he taught me how to protect myself.”
Arthur coughed. “Are you sure this will work?”
“I guess we’ll know by morning.” He grinned at Arthur. “I have to warn you that the effects of the poultice can make you feel...a little out of sorts.”
“I do feel a little...” Arthur swallowed, his mouth feeling impossibly dry. “....A little hazy. That was just because of the wound.” Arthur stared up at Merlin. Merlin was still hovering above him, finishing up covering Arthur’s wound.
When Merlin was finished, he leaned back. He closed his eyes and waved his hand above Arthur’s head and started speaking in a language Arthur didn’t recognize. When Merlin was done he looked down into Arthur’s eyes and smiled.
Arthur stared back at him. “What did you just say?”
“It’s an ancient prayer, wishing you a fast recovery.” Merlin lifted his hand to run it through Arthur’s hair. He stopped himself midway, clenching his fist, bringing it slowly back to his side. He cleared his throat. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving.”
Merlin got up and brought a bowl of food for him. Arthur tried to sit up but was having difficulty. “Just sit back. I’ll feed it to you.”
Arthur raised an eyebrow at him, but lay back against the makeshift pillow Merlin had made. Arthur took the first spoonful hesitantly. As he swallowed, he gazed up at Merlin. “You saved my life.”
Merlin shrugged slightly. “Seemed like the decent thing to do.”
Arthur smiled at his words being repeated back to him. He swallowed another bite. “I think you’re right about this poultice. I am starting to feel a little weird. I’m starting to think of you with words like ‘brave’ instead of ‘daft sod.’
Merlin laughed lightly. “I still think of you with words like ‘condescending’ and ‘arrogant’ and ‘wanker.’
“Hang on! You are completely wrong about me.”
“Oh, really?”
“I am not arrogant. Just because I know how good I am, does not make me arrogant.”
Merlin wrinkled his nose. “I think that’s pretty much the definition of the word.”
Arthur rolled his eyes. “That’s not fair. I was trying to be nice.”
Merlin sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I know that being nice must take a lot out of you.” He stared at Arthur thoughtfully. “You are brave, Arthur. You may be less than charming and I may not like what you have to say all the time, but I appreciate your honesty.”
Arthur nodded. “Thank you. Now was that so hard?”
“Extremely.”
Arthur surprised Merlin by letting out a big laugh, throwing his head back. Merlin couldn’t help laughing himself. Watching Arthur let himself go, Merlin felt that maybe he was seeing the real Arthur for the first time. And he hated to admit it, but he really, really liked it.
As Merlin finished feeding him, Arthur looked up and suddenly chuckled. Merlin raised his eyebrow in question. Arthur shook his head. “Sorry. I just remembered this fantasy I had every time I was sick as a child. The servants would always feed me, but I always wished that it could be my mother there instead. I used to miss her the most when I was sick.” He pursed his lips. “I don’t even know what she was like. The only thing I know about her is that I look so much like her.”
Merlin put the bowl down next to his feet. “I used to miss my mother when I was sick, too. My father used to read me her favourite book when I was sick. He had so many of her things.”
Arthur reached down to a pouch attached to his belt. He pulled out a small grey piece of metal.
“This is the only thing of my mother’s that I have. It bears her sigil.” He handed it to Merlin. It looked like a small brooch, with a bird in the center. “I take it with me everywhere for good luck. I plan to give this to the woman that I marry.”
Merlin stared at the sigil, feeling that the bird was familiar. He handed it back to Arthur. “That will be a very lovely gesture.”
“Glad you approve.” Arthur smiled.
Merlin stood up. “You need your rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Before he could walk away, Arthur grabbed his hand. “Thank you again, Merlin.”
Merlin looked down at their joined hands, before smiling brightly. “You’re welcome...your highness.” He chuckled before letting go of Arthur’s hand.
~*~
When Arthur awoke the next morning, he was all smiles, saying that he’d never felt better. They set off for Ealdor, Arthur doing most of the talking, prattling on about his knights and training technique.
They finally reached small village of Ealdor a few hours later. It was a quaint little place, with several small wooden houses, many grouped very close together. A few people milled about; smiling and greeting everyone they passed. As they walked through the town, Merlin couldn’t help but feel a little wistful, thinking of the life he could have had growing up here.
“What’s the name of this friend of your father’s?” Arthur asked, turning to Merlin.
“His name is Will. I’m not sure where to find him. I think we should-
“Oy! What are you doing here?”
Arthur and Merlin whirled around to find a young man with short, light brown hair stalking toward them. By the frown on his face and tone in his voice, they could tell he was not the least bit happy to see them. “Are you talking to me?” Arthur asked.
The boy rolled his eyes. “Clearly, since you’re the only two strangers here right now.” He looked at Arthur. “Don’t you have more important things to be doing?”
“Uh...I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Perhaps you could allow us to introduce ourselves.”
“I don’t care what your name is.” The young man interrupted. “You’re a knight of Camelot.”
Arthur puffed out his chest. “I’m the prince of Camelot.”
The boy shook his head, curling his lips into a sneer. “I should have known. All you nobleman are all the same. You guys must have been born with that arrogant look on your faces.”
“Hey!” Merlin shouted. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t even know him.”
Arthur gaped at Merlin, shocked at his defense.
“I wasn’t talking to you.” The angry boy turned to Merlin. “Why don’t you...” The sneer on his face went away. He did a slight double take. “Are you Merlin?”
Merlin blinked back at him. “Y...yes. How did you know?”
The boy laughed. “Balinor said I would probably recognize you, if I ever saw you. He mentioned your...” He pointed to Merlin’s ears. “I thought he was kidding. Those are the biggest things I’ve ever seen.”
“Oy!” Arthur practically stepped in the boy’s face. “Leave it!”
It was Merlin’s turn to stare at Arthur. “Thank you, Arthur. It’s alright.”
“I didn’t mean anything by it,” the boy said. He sounded sincere, but was still glaring daggers at Arthur.
Merlin stepped between the boy and Arthur. “How do you know my father? Who are you?”
“I’m Will.”
Arthur and Merlin both gaped at him. “You’re Will?” Merlin asked.
Will nodded.
“But he said that he’d known Will since he was a boy.” Merlin explained.
“That was my father. His name was Will, too. Your father and mine were friends. He was one of the ones that helped your father escape from the king.” Will looked at Arthur pointedly.
“Where’s your father now?”
“He’s dead. He worked for Cenred. One day when the work was not done to his satisfaction, Cenred had his men kill my father.” Will took a deep breath before continuing. “That is what men of nobility do. They are liars, cowards, and murderers.”
Arthur clenched his fists but didn’t say anything. Merlin looked over at him briefly. “I’m really sorry about your father, Will. I truly am.”
“Thank you.” Will motioned for Merlin and Arthur to follow him. He took Arthur to a small, more private barn.
“I guess my father didn’t know what happened to yours.” Merlin said.
Will shook his head. “He was just as surprised as you were. Why hasn’t he told you this himself?”
“Because I haven’t seen him since he left me to come here. That’s why I came. I was hoping someone here would be able to tell me where he might have been going when he left.”
“Why don’t you ask your friend?” Will said, pointing at Arthur with a sneer.
“How would I know?” Arthur yelled.
“Because when I talked to Balinor, I told him about what was happening with the dragon in Camelot. He got really upset and mentioned heading there.”
Arthur thought this over. “I guess he went over to help.”
Will laughed mirthlessly. “I wouldn’t count on it. If anyone hates noblemen more than me, it’s Balinor. I think he just went over to see the destruction up close. I know that’s what I would do.”
Arthur glowered at Will.
Merlin offered his hand to Will. Will eyed it for second, before taking it. Merlin shook his hand. “Thank you so much, Will. This has been really helpful.”
“Are you leaving?” Will asked, gripping Merlin’s hand harder.
Merlin extracted his hand from Will’s. “I have to find my father.”
“I wouldn’t go anywhere with him.” Will jerked his head in Arthur’s direction. “Camelot is crumbling to the ground. Your father would not want you there.”
Merlin shrugged. “I don’t care. I have to find him. If it was your father, would you do any different?”
Will didn’t answer, just looked down.
“Thank you again, Will.”
Arthur turned to leave. He turned back when he realized Merlin wasn’t following him. “Merlin?”
Merlin faced him briefly. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
Arthur hesitated, glaring at Will. After a second, he left.
Merlin looked at Will. “I really am sorry about your father. When I find mine, I hope we can come back here. I’d like to get to know the place where I was born.”
Will patted Merlin’s shoulder. “I hope you can come back. If his highness doesn’t get you killed. I’m warning you, Merlin. Don’t trust that man.”
Merlin didn’t respond. He nodded at Will before leaving. Arthur looked at Merlin when he stopped beside him. “Are you ready?”
Merlin looked around one last time. “Yeah.”
Part 4
Arthur caught Merlin looking at him for the fifth time. He rolled his eyes. They’d been traveling for several hours and Merlin hadn’t said a word to him. “I know that you may not be used to the way normal people behave, but usually when two people are together for this long, they converse.”
Merlin briefly gave him a sideways glance. “Trust me, you don’t want to hear what I have to say.”
“I’m not expecting you to know any big words, Merlin. Just try not to sound like a jabbering moron and that should be fine.”
“How’s this for a big word: hypocrite!” Merlin shouted, stopping in his tracks.
Arthur sighed. “I’m guessing there’s supposed to be some kind of meaning behind that?”
“You and your father are hypocrites.” Merlin explained. “You talk about how evil magic is, but you have no objection to using it for your own ends.”
“‘Our own ends’? The only reason I need your father is because this dragon is unleashing chaos on Camelot.”
“And have you bothered to ask why that is?”
“It’s killing people. Do you actually expect me to stop and ponder why?” Arthur demanded.
“I’m not trying to excuse what he’s doing. But my father told me what happened. Your father tricked my father into thinking he wanted to make peace with the dragon. After he got my father to bring the dragon to Camelot, he trapped the dragon in a cave under the castle. Then he had every last dragon lord rounded up and slaughtered. My father managed to escape. He left Camelot and still your father pursued him.” Merlin finished, breathing heavily. “You don’t need magic to be evil.”
Merlin began to walk away, but Arthur grabbed his hand. “You want a history lesson. I’ll give you one. When I was eight a group of sorcerers broke into the castle to steal a special stone. They used it to unleash a spirit that set about trying to destroy the city. Many people lost their lives. On my sixteenth birthday, another sorcerer decided to try and teach my father a lesson. He destroyed all the crops in the kingdom, all the livestock died, and he turned the water into sand. Do you know what it’s like to watch hundreds of people starve?” Merlin turned away from Arthur. Arthur followed him and got into his face. “Or how about this? A sorcerer killed my mother.” Merlin looked up at Arthur sharply. “I don’t need my father to tell me that magic is evil.”
Merlin worried his lip. He couldn’t look Arthur in the eye. “Arthur, I’m sorry about your mother. But-
“Don’t say a word.”
“Arthur, I’m trying to apologise. Can you not even allow someone to apologize without-
Arthur tackled Merlin to the ground, just in time to avoid a spear aimed at Merlin’s head.
“What the hell...?” Merlin exclaimed.
“Cenred’s men.” Arthur slapped his hand down angrily. “Damnit, they must realize I’m here.” Arthur explained.
As soon as the words left his mouth, a man came running towards them, knocking Arthur off Merlin. Arthur kicked the man backwards and jumped up, grabbing his sword. The two men fought, while Merlin scrambled up. He heard hoof beats, and saw another of Cenred’s men, rapidly approaching them on horseback. He looked over and saw Merlin scramble behind a tree. The tall man dismounted his horse quickly and chased after Merlin.
Arthur fended off his attacker, blocking a kick. He grabbed the man’s leg, and pushed him backwards. The burly man fell over. Before he had a chance to reach for his sword, Arthur speared the man in his chest. Arthur quickly turned around and saw Merlin on the ground, being choked with the hilt of Cenred’s man’s sword. Arthur rushed over and ran the man through. The man’s grip on Merlin’s neck loosened and he slowly slumped over.
Merlin grabbed at his neck, coughing violently. Arthur clutched Merlin’s hand, lifting Merlin to his feet. Arthur put his hand on Merlin’s shoulder, staring at him in concern. “Are you alright?” Arthur asked, after Merlin’s cough died down.
“I will be.” Merlin coughed one last time. He gazed at Arthur. “You saved me.”
Arthur shrugged. “Seemed like the decent thing to do.”
Merlin smiled briefly at him.
“So other than setting moderately elaborate traps, you have no idea how to defend yourself?” Arthur inquired.
Merlin scoffed. “I know how to protect myself. That guy was just really, really big.”
Arthur shook his head. “I would call you a big girl, but even my sister could have incapacitated that man.”
Merlin rolled his eyes. “So, I don’t know how to fight. Growing up in a cave with my father, hand to hand combat wasn’t something that was really necessary.”
“You were living in a cave. He never thought that anything bad might happen? He never thought you might need to know how to protect yourself?”
Merlin sighed. “Yes, he thought about that. He did try to teach me some things, but I was always a bit clumsy.” Arthur opened his mouth to say something, but Merlin put a finger up to silence him. “Don’t say anything. He taught me how to use my brain and come up with other ways to protect myself.”
“Well, the time for using your brain is over.” Merlin wrinkled his nose. Arthur thought over what he said. “That came out wrong. What I mean is it’s time to learn how to fight.”
Merlin shook his head. “Do we really have time for this? I think we have more pressing concerns.”
“Look, Merlin this isn’t just about your safety. I may be able to defend myself, but if something like that attack happens again, and I have to spend half my time worrying about you, I could end up killed.”
Merlin looked up at Arthur, a slow smirk spreading across his face. “You would worry about me?”
Arthur’s eyes widened. “I didn’t mean...I....” Merlin’s smirk grew wider. “Oh, shut up Merlin!”
~*~
Arthur put his head in his hands and groaned. His impromptu training session with Merlin wasn’t going well. He’d tried to teach Merlin some basic moves with his sword, but when that ended up with Merlin nearly spearing his own eyeball, he tried for more simplified hand to hand combat training. He’d merely asked Merlin to get into a fighting stance and was graced with Merlin hunching forward with his palms out and held awkwardly in front of him. “Are you serious?”
Merlin shrugged. “What?”
“That’s not a fighting stance. That’s a ‘please, please come and kill me’ stance.” Arthur put his fists up. “Just stand like me.”
Merlin sighed in annoyance, but did as Arthur asked.
“That’s better. Now I want you to try and hit me.”
Merlin’s eyebrows shot up so high, Arthur thought they would lift off his face. “What?”
“You heard me?”
Merlin grinned before charging at Arthur and swinging wildly. Arthur easily grabbed his hand, twisting Merlin’s arm behind him.
“Ow!” Merlin shouted.
Arthur let go of his arm. “Okay, I just wanted to see if you had any natural ability. Clearly not.” Merlin whirled around and shot Arthur a withering glare. “Let’s try this again. Get back in your stance.” Merlin did as he was told. “In any fight, you want to try and catch your opponent by surprise. If you get the upper hand, even someone like can win in battle.” Arthur put up his fists. “So...surprise me.”
“You can’t demand that I surprise you and expect me to do it.”
“Why not?”
“Because now you’re expecting it.”
“If you do something I won’t expect, then I won’t be expecting it.”
Merlin opened his mouth and sputtered. “That makes absolutely no sense.”
“Would you just think of something?”
“Your eyes are really beautiful.”
Arthur’s eyes tripled in size. “What?”
Merlin quickly moved forward and hauled back, punching Arthur in the stomach.
Arthur doubled over gasping for breath.
Merlin looked at his fist and laughed. “What do you know; it worked.”
Arthur glowered up at him.
~*~
As the sun began to set, Arthur and Merlin found a spot to set up camp. Arthur was surprised when Merlin took charge by finding them dinner and cooking it himself. They ate in silence. Merlin stared pensively at the fire. Arthur let out a long sigh, trying to get Merlin’s attention. When that didn’t work, he kicked Merlin in the shin.
“Ow!” Merlin rubbed his shin. “What is the matter with you? Can’t you just sit in silence without having to prattle on or act like a giant prat?”
“The silence feels awkward. I don’t like feeling awkward.”
“Well, that’s too bad.” Merlin replied, lying down on the ground.
Arthur pursed his lips as he regarded Merlin. “You’re thinking about your father?”
Merlin didn’t answer for several moments. Arthur was about to ask again when Merlin responded. “Yes...I’m really worried.”
“You don’t have any idea what could have happened to him?”
Merlin shrugged. “I don’t know. I should be relieved that your father hasn’t captured him, but now I really have no idea where he could be. The only thing I know is he wouldn’t be away for this long if there wasn’t something seriously wrong. He wouldn’t leave me alone like that.”
Arthur lay down on the ground, his head not too far from Merlin’s. “How did you end up living in a cave?”
“I told you how.” Merlin responded, a hard edge to his voice.
“Because of my father?”
“Yes.”
“So you were born in the caves?”
“No. I was born in Ealdor. The man who helped my father escape from Camelot brought him to Ealdor and to my mother. She offered to help him.”
“That was very brave of her.”
Merlin smiled. “Yeah. I was born soon after that. But when your father found out where my father was, he had to leave again. He wanted to leave me and my mother behind, but she wouldn’t hear of it. She refused to be separated from him or let him be separated from us. They found somewhere safe and secluded to protect me.”
“What happened to your mother?” Arthur practically whispered.
“She died.”
Arthur swallowed thickly, fidgeting slightly before asking his next question.
“Was it because of...?”
Merlin twisted his head around to look at Arthur. “Your father?”
Arthur nodded. He looked up at Merlin briefly.
Merlin shook his head. “No. She got sick, very suddenly. There was nothing my father could do for her.”
“How old were you?”
“I was five.”
“My mother died when I was born.” Arthur bit his lip. “She died giving birth to me.”
Merlin sat up and looked over at Arthur. “I’m sorry.”
Arthur sat up and cleared his throat. He didn’t know why he was sharing this with Merlin. He knew Merlin didn’t like him and probably didn’t care. Arthur changed the subject. “Growing up, just you and your father, that couldn’t have been easy.”
“It wasn’t really as bad as you may think. I lived in the cave as long as I could remember, so I don’t know any other way to live. My father always protected me. He made sure to teach me everything that he knew. He taught me how to cook and taught me how to make wood carvings. He even taught me how to make cider, got drunk for the first time when I was 12.” Merlin laughed.
Arthur chuckled too, but when he and Merlin shared amused glances, Arthur looked away quickly.
“We talked a lot.” Merlin continued. “He would tell me that I had this great destiny.”
“What do you think he meant by that?”
Merlin shrugged. “I don’t know. He just said when the time was right, that I’d know.” He shrugged again. “He was...” Merlin shook himself. “He is so patient, which isn’t easy with me. I get so impatient and restless. And I’m always asking him questions.”
“Did you ever ask him about your mother?”
“All the time. I never really had to ask. He talked about her all the time. He wants to make sure that even if I don’t remember her that I’ll always have some kind of picture of her in my head.”
Arthur took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You’re lucky.”
Merlin’s eyes widened as he looked over at Arthur. “What?”
“My father never talks about my mother. He rarely talks to me about anything, unless it has to do with royal business. I wish he were more open with me the way your father is.”
When Arthur’s gaze drifted over to Merlin, he was surprised to see the other man smiling at him with what some, though definitely not Arthur, would call a tender look. Arthur’s face reddened. He quickly got up and moved closer to the fire, warming his hands.
Merlin wrung his hands briefly and fidgeted. “You said before that a sorcerer killed your mother. What did you mean-”
“I’d rather not talk about that.” Arthur cut Merlin off. He lay back down, his back to Merlin. “We have a long day tomorrow. We need to get some sleep.”
Merlin sighed and lay back down. Sleep didn’t find him for a long time. His worry over his father increasing every minute.
~*~
When Merlin awoke the next day, Arthur was already up and prepared for their journey. He told Merlin that they should arrive in Ealdor by nightfall. The silence hung thick between them, but for once Arthur did nothing to fill the silence. Merlin found himself staring at Arthur more and more, surprised to find that he missed Arthur’s annoying insults and chatter.
“Are you alright?” Merlin asked suddenly.
Arthur’s step faltered slightly, but he continued. “Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Merlin shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re not pestering me to talk or prattling on yourself. It’s not like you.”
“You don’t know me at all, so how could you presume to say what is or isn’t like me?” Arthur argued, refusing to look at Merlin.
Merlin rolled his eyes, stopping completely. “Oh God, we’re not going to fight about this, are we? I really should learn to leave well enough alone.”
Arthur growled lightly, walking over to Merlin. “I just don’t want you thinking that you know me or that we’re friends now.”
Merlin let out a short laugh. “Don’t worry about that. I know exactly what we are and I know exactly who you are.” Merlin marched ahead of Arthur, leaving him behind.
Arthur just closed his eyes and blew out a breath.
Merlin walked ahead, but stopped when he noticed something on the ground. He kneeled down and picked up the object, staring at it in surprise.
He hears Arthur walk up behind him. “What’s that?”
“It’s a knife.” Merlin said without looking up at Arthur. Merlin showed it to Arthur. It was a very small knife and it had a circular wooden handle. “It was my father’s.”
Arthur crouched down beside Merlin. “Are you sure?”
“He used this every day. I’m sure.” Merlin turned to Arthur. “I don’t know what it could be doing here.”
“Perhaps...”
Arthur trailed off when he heard a branch snap. He was up in instant, sword in hand. There were two men approaching from opposite sides of the clearing. “Well, Merlin looks like you’re going to get to try out those moves I showed you.”
Merlin gaped at Arthur. “I don’t think either of these guys is going to fall for a line about their eyes.”
“I trust you, Merlin. You’ll think of something.” And with that, he charged at the man to his left.
Merlin backed up slowly as the other man pulled out his slow, smiling menacingly at Merlin.
Arthur blocked a blow from his adversary’s sword with the flat end of his sword. The man with the long, straggly hair barreled into Arthur with his stout body. As he attempted to strike Arthur with his sword, Arthur blocked it.
~*~
“Look, I really don’t want any trouble.” Merlin told the swordsman he was facing. The man just growled at Merlin. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll back away. I’ve been taught by...” Merlin rolled his eyes before continuing. “...the greatest warrior to ever live.” The man stopped coming toward Merlin. Merlin looked taken aback. Before he had time to really wonder if that actually worked, the other man screamed, running forward and lunging at Merlin.
Merlin screeched and managed to avoid his blow.
~*~
Arthur looked over when he heard Merlin’s cry. His attacker took that opportunity to push him to the ground. He raised his sword to impale Arthur. Arthur’s eyes widened. He rolled away before he could be pierced with the sword. Arthur jumped up in time to block another swipe of the man’s sword, and then countered with a strike of his own.
~*~
As Merlin’s foe struck out again, Merlin managed to grab his hand, trying to fight him off. The man was twice Merlin’s size, so Merlin wasn’t having much luck. He thought about Arthur’s advice about surprise. He suddenly let go of the man’s hand and spit in his face. The man spluttered in surprise. Merlin took advantage, kneeing the man in the stomach, backing up and punching the man in the face.
~*~
The man roared and brought his sword up to try and hit Arthur. Arthur caught him by surprise with a kick to his mid-section. The man fell down. Arthur capitalised quickly, piercing the man in his stomach. He turned around to check on Merlin. He blinked when he saw Merlin standing victoriously over the other man. Merlin was smiling widely and Arthur found himself feeling weirdly giddy over Merlin’s triumph and the look on his face.
Merlin turned fully to face Arthur. His smile dropped immediately. “Arthur, look out!”
Arthur was too late to stop the man behind him from getting up and stabbing his shoulder. Arthur fell to his knees. Merlin quickly leaned over and picked up the sword from the man at his feet. Arthur’s foe was about to stab him again when the sword came hurtling forward and struck his chest. He fell over dead.
Merlin opened his mouth in shock. He ran over to Arthur, skidding on his knees in front of him. “Arthur, are you okay?”
Arthur looked at him strangely, and then clutched the wound on his shoulder. He shook himself and peered back at Merlin. “It’s alright. I’ve had worse wounds.” Arthur tried to stand up, and wavered on his feet. He blinked at Merlin. “Is it just me or is it getting dark way too early?” He immediately fainted after that.
~*~
Arthur blinked awake very slowly. His grasp on consciousness was tenuous. He was struggling to focus. When he was finally able to keep his eyes open for longer than five seconds, and able to focus his eyes he realised someone was sitting next to him and touching his chest. He looked over and saw Merlin. He peered down and saw that he was shirtless. “What-what...are you doing?”
“You’re finally awake.” Merlin smiled down at him. “I am applying a poultice that should heal your wound. My father taught me how to make this. I told you he taught me how to protect myself.”
Arthur coughed. “Are you sure this will work?”
“I guess we’ll know by morning.” He grinned at Arthur. “I have to warn you that the effects of the poultice can make you feel...a little out of sorts.”
“I do feel a little...” Arthur swallowed, his mouth feeling impossibly dry. “....A little hazy. That was just because of the wound.” Arthur stared up at Merlin. Merlin was still hovering above him, finishing up covering Arthur’s wound.
When Merlin was finished, he leaned back. He closed his eyes and waved his hand above Arthur’s head and started speaking in a language Arthur didn’t recognize. When Merlin was done he looked down into Arthur’s eyes and smiled.
Arthur stared back at him. “What did you just say?”
“It’s an ancient prayer, wishing you a fast recovery.” Merlin lifted his hand to run it through Arthur’s hair. He stopped himself midway, clenching his fist, bringing it slowly back to his side. He cleared his throat. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving.”
Merlin got up and brought a bowl of food for him. Arthur tried to sit up but was having difficulty. “Just sit back. I’ll feed it to you.”
Arthur raised an eyebrow at him, but lay back against the makeshift pillow Merlin had made. Arthur took the first spoonful hesitantly. As he swallowed, he gazed up at Merlin. “You saved my life.”
Merlin shrugged slightly. “Seemed like the decent thing to do.”
Arthur smiled at his words being repeated back to him. He swallowed another bite. “I think you’re right about this poultice. I am starting to feel a little weird. I’m starting to think of you with words like ‘brave’ instead of ‘daft sod.’
Merlin laughed lightly. “I still think of you with words like ‘condescending’ and ‘arrogant’ and ‘wanker.’
“Hang on! You are completely wrong about me.”
“Oh, really?”
“I am not arrogant. Just because I know how good I am, does not make me arrogant.”
Merlin wrinkled his nose. “I think that’s pretty much the definition of the word.”
Arthur rolled his eyes. “That’s not fair. I was trying to be nice.”
Merlin sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I know that being nice must take a lot out of you.” He stared at Arthur thoughtfully. “You are brave, Arthur. You may be less than charming and I may not like what you have to say all the time, but I appreciate your honesty.”
Arthur nodded. “Thank you. Now was that so hard?”
“Extremely.”
Arthur surprised Merlin by letting out a big laugh, throwing his head back. Merlin couldn’t help laughing himself. Watching Arthur let himself go, Merlin felt that maybe he was seeing the real Arthur for the first time. And he hated to admit it, but he really, really liked it.
As Merlin finished feeding him, Arthur looked up and suddenly chuckled. Merlin raised his eyebrow in question. Arthur shook his head. “Sorry. I just remembered this fantasy I had every time I was sick as a child. The servants would always feed me, but I always wished that it could be my mother there instead. I used to miss her the most when I was sick.” He pursed his lips. “I don’t even know what she was like. The only thing I know about her is that I look so much like her.”
Merlin put the bowl down next to his feet. “I used to miss my mother when I was sick, too. My father used to read me her favourite book when I was sick. He had so many of her things.”
Arthur reached down to a pouch attached to his belt. He pulled out a small grey piece of metal.
“This is the only thing of my mother’s that I have. It bears her sigil.” He handed it to Merlin. It looked like a small brooch, with a bird in the center. “I take it with me everywhere for good luck. I plan to give this to the woman that I marry.”
Merlin stared at the sigil, feeling that the bird was familiar. He handed it back to Arthur. “That will be a very lovely gesture.”
“Glad you approve.” Arthur smiled.
Merlin stood up. “You need your rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Before he could walk away, Arthur grabbed his hand. “Thank you again, Merlin.”
Merlin looked down at their joined hands, before smiling brightly. “You’re welcome...your highness.” He chuckled before letting go of Arthur’s hand.
~*~
When Arthur awoke the next morning, he was all smiles, saying that he’d never felt better. They set off for Ealdor, Arthur doing most of the talking, prattling on about his knights and training technique.
They finally reached small village of Ealdor a few hours later. It was a quaint little place, with several small wooden houses, many grouped very close together. A few people milled about; smiling and greeting everyone they passed. As they walked through the town, Merlin couldn’t help but feel a little wistful, thinking of the life he could have had growing up here.
“What’s the name of this friend of your father’s?” Arthur asked, turning to Merlin.
“His name is Will. I’m not sure where to find him. I think we should-
“Oy! What are you doing here?”
Arthur and Merlin whirled around to find a young man with short, light brown hair stalking toward them. By the frown on his face and tone in his voice, they could tell he was not the least bit happy to see them. “Are you talking to me?” Arthur asked.
The boy rolled his eyes. “Clearly, since you’re the only two strangers here right now.” He looked at Arthur. “Don’t you have more important things to be doing?”
“Uh...I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Perhaps you could allow us to introduce ourselves.”
“I don’t care what your name is.” The young man interrupted. “You’re a knight of Camelot.”
Arthur puffed out his chest. “I’m the prince of Camelot.”
The boy shook his head, curling his lips into a sneer. “I should have known. All you nobleman are all the same. You guys must have been born with that arrogant look on your faces.”
“Hey!” Merlin shouted. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t even know him.”
Arthur gaped at Merlin, shocked at his defense.
“I wasn’t talking to you.” The angry boy turned to Merlin. “Why don’t you...” The sneer on his face went away. He did a slight double take. “Are you Merlin?”
Merlin blinked back at him. “Y...yes. How did you know?”
The boy laughed. “Balinor said I would probably recognize you, if I ever saw you. He mentioned your...” He pointed to Merlin’s ears. “I thought he was kidding. Those are the biggest things I’ve ever seen.”
“Oy!” Arthur practically stepped in the boy’s face. “Leave it!”
It was Merlin’s turn to stare at Arthur. “Thank you, Arthur. It’s alright.”
“I didn’t mean anything by it,” the boy said. He sounded sincere, but was still glaring daggers at Arthur.
Merlin stepped between the boy and Arthur. “How do you know my father? Who are you?”
“I’m Will.”
Arthur and Merlin both gaped at him. “You’re Will?” Merlin asked.
Will nodded.
“But he said that he’d known Will since he was a boy.” Merlin explained.
“That was my father. His name was Will, too. Your father and mine were friends. He was one of the ones that helped your father escape from the king.” Will looked at Arthur pointedly.
“Where’s your father now?”
“He’s dead. He worked for Cenred. One day when the work was not done to his satisfaction, Cenred had his men kill my father.” Will took a deep breath before continuing. “That is what men of nobility do. They are liars, cowards, and murderers.”
Arthur clenched his fists but didn’t say anything. Merlin looked over at him briefly. “I’m really sorry about your father, Will. I truly am.”
“Thank you.” Will motioned for Merlin and Arthur to follow him. He took Arthur to a small, more private barn.
“I guess my father didn’t know what happened to yours.” Merlin said.
Will shook his head. “He was just as surprised as you were. Why hasn’t he told you this himself?”
“Because I haven’t seen him since he left me to come here. That’s why I came. I was hoping someone here would be able to tell me where he might have been going when he left.”
“Why don’t you ask your friend?” Will said, pointing at Arthur with a sneer.
“How would I know?” Arthur yelled.
“Because when I talked to Balinor, I told him about what was happening with the dragon in Camelot. He got really upset and mentioned heading there.”
Arthur thought this over. “I guess he went over to help.”
Will laughed mirthlessly. “I wouldn’t count on it. If anyone hates noblemen more than me, it’s Balinor. I think he just went over to see the destruction up close. I know that’s what I would do.”
Arthur glowered at Will.
Merlin offered his hand to Will. Will eyed it for second, before taking it. Merlin shook his hand. “Thank you so much, Will. This has been really helpful.”
“Are you leaving?” Will asked, gripping Merlin’s hand harder.
Merlin extracted his hand from Will’s. “I have to find my father.”
“I wouldn’t go anywhere with him.” Will jerked his head in Arthur’s direction. “Camelot is crumbling to the ground. Your father would not want you there.”
Merlin shrugged. “I don’t care. I have to find him. If it was your father, would you do any different?”
Will didn’t answer, just looked down.
“Thank you again, Will.”
Arthur turned to leave. He turned back when he realized Merlin wasn’t following him. “Merlin?”
Merlin faced him briefly. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
Arthur hesitated, glaring at Will. After a second, he left.
Merlin looked at Will. “I really am sorry about your father. When I find mine, I hope we can come back here. I’d like to get to know the place where I was born.”
Will patted Merlin’s shoulder. “I hope you can come back. If his highness doesn’t get you killed. I’m warning you, Merlin. Don’t trust that man.”
Merlin didn’t respond. He nodded at Will before leaving. Arthur looked at Merlin when he stopped beside him. “Are you ready?”
Merlin looked around one last time. “Yeah.”
Part 4