Hello and thank you for reading! This is, as you saw, based off 4.06 and is set in the same general time frame. I'm still debating on whether or not to have actual slash, or just hints at it. You can tell me your opinion via reviews. Speaking of reviews, I always love to know what my readers think, so feel free to leave one.
(Sorry if there are any errors. My beta is busy with school.)
Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.
Enjoy!
The battle raged around the Knights of Camelot. Swords swung, armor clanged, and men screamed as they fell to their deaths. Arthur Pendragon stood in the center of the fray, his incredible skill causing him to take down opponent after opponent. His sword always hit its mark and he was wreaking havoc on the foolish bandits that had dared to challenge him and his knights.
But more and more kept coming. They seemed endless, blossoming out of the trees and the rocks, never ceasing, outnumbering the Knights 10 to 1. Not only that, more than one group of mercenaries had appeared, and they were fighting each other for the rights to their prize.
Arthur paused, panting, sweat on his brow. He assessed the battle, and his face fell. His men were losing, They had moments before they were completely overrun.
"RUN!" Arthur screamed. His men looked at him in shock, and he screamed the order again. They stowed their swords and took off without question, dashing into the woods. The bandits began to follow, but Arthur drew their attention back to himself. He wasn't going anywhere. He would die if it meant his men could live.
"COME ON!" he yelled, eyes flashing dangerously. He twirled his blade and launched into battle once more.
These bandits were no match for Arthur. He had been trained his entire life for battle, and it almost seemed as though he could win it, if he could only take a small rest. He'd never fought so many men for so long in all his life.
"ARTHUR!" A familiar voice called out to him.
"MERLIN?" Arthur cried, shocked.
"ARTHUR, RUN!" Merlin begged, fighting off attackers.
"Don't be an idiot, Merlin! Get out of here!"
"Never."
Merlin appeared beside him. The setting sun set his blue eyes ablaze. He didn't look like a silly servant boy. He looked like a man, a warrior.
"I'm going to save your life, and you are going to like it!" Merlin swung his blade, and three enemies fell.
Arthur laughed bitterly. Merlin was a fool, but he was the best friend Arthur had ever had. If he was going to die with anyone, he was glad it was the dark-haired boy beside him.
The two men fought bravely, valiantly, but they just couldn't hold out. Arthur was injured, and Merlin was getting dizzy, his sword too heavy in his hands. The situation was desperate. Merlin was terrified. He was failing. The young king was going to die, and Merlin wouldn't be able to do anything.
Merlin, you know the answer. A voice spoke in his mind, soft and gentle. Use your gift, Merlin.
Arthur will kill me, Merlin whimpered.
Then die, the voice said coldly, and then it vanished.
Arthur fell to the earth, gasping for breath. Merlin had seconds.
Anger and hatred boiled in Merlin's stomach, coursing through his veins like a wild fire. These men would pay for what they had done. No one would hurt his friend, his king.
Merlin roared in fury, dropping his sword. He lifted his hands into the air and screamed in the Ancient Language. His blue eyes glowed in the dark as Arthur watched in astonishment. The entire world seemed to fall silent, the battle freezing. Merlin no longer spoke, his entire face contorted in concentration, eyes squeezed shut.
Merlin bellowed furiously, shattering the silence. His eyes flashed open, brilliant gold, and a power with the force of an atomic bomb burst in the air. The men went flying like rag dolls, slamming into trees and rocks, some dying on contact, others just knocked unconscious. Weapons were sent spiraling in all directions.
And then all was still.
"Merlin..." Arthur trailed off, unable to form words after what he'd just seen. "You're a... a sorcerer."
Merlin's eyes were wild, his heart pounding in his chest. Adrenalin surged through his body, making it hard to think properly. When he spoke it was without thought, a burst of energy in the heat of the moment. "You bet, you stupid prat."
He extended a hand, helping Arthur to his feet. The young man couldn't take his eyes off his best friend, unsure of his feelings, trying to absorb it all and failing miserably. It was a bit much and Arthur was still stuck on the fact that Merlin, of all the people, had performed magic.
Merlin looked about, admiring his handy work. He'd taken down the likes of an army, all by himself.
But poor, silly Merlin had forgotten about the men in the woods.
"YOU BASTARD!" The roar of a man lost in grief made the two boys jump. They wheeled around towards the sound, finding a scraggly man with a crossbow aimed right at Merlin.
"Wait-no!" Arthur cried.
But he was too late. The rope twanged, and the arrow flew. Merlin froze in terror, watching as the sharpened tip raced toward his chest.
Finally, his legs responded, but they barley shuffled to the side, his mind overwhelmed with everything that had happened.
Arthur watched in horror as the arrow ripped through Merlin's tunic, tearing his side like it was no more than tissue.
"MERLIN!"
The man should have taken his chance then and run, but he was too busy smirking as the boy fell to the ground, blood seeping from his wound, his face contorted in pain, pathetic cries pouring from his lips.
He didn't get to enjoy it for long. Arthur jumped at him, swinging his sword in an arc of death. The man gasped, and then his head was separated from his body and thumped against a tree.
"That's going to hurt in the morning," Arthur smirked.
"A-Arthur..." Merlin whimpered on the leaf-strewn forest floor.
Arthur turned around, and his face blanched. He no longer cared what Merlin was or what he'd been hiding. All he knew was that he needed help, now. They had to get out of here, quickly.
Arthur ran to him, trying to help him to his feet, but Merlin couldn't stand. He would have fallen again if Arthur hadn't grabbed him in time. His eyes rolled, and Merlin slumped in Arthur's arms, dead to the world.
Arthur lifted the boy into his arms, cradling him gently like a small child. It felt wrong to sling him over his shoulder like a sack of meat, especially in light of what had just happened. He didn't weigh that much anyway, and it was Arthur's job to keep him safe, no matter what.
