CHAPTER ONE
"Stop," King Arthur raised my hand to signal to his knights, "We make camp for the knight here."
King Arthur and the noble Knights of Camelot had ridden out for a week to clear up a minor quarrel on Camelot's eastern borders. It was no only a day's ride back to the great city Arthur ruled over.
The men dismounted their horses and Merlin tied their reins to a tree. "Leon, Elyan, and Merlin, start setting up camp. Gwaine and Percival, with me to do a sweep of the area."
While Leon and Elyan set up the tents and Merlin made dinner, Percival, Gwaine, and Arthur set out on foot to do a quick patrol.
The three had been circling in ever enlarging circles around the camp for about a half and hour when Arthur signaled the other two to arm themselves and follow him.
"What is it, Arthur?" Gwaine whispered?
"It's too quiet," Arthur whispered back.
"It's always to quiet for you Arthur," Gwaine commented.
"Yes, and look how often I'm right."
They continued forward. "Look!" Percival said, and pointed to a tree on their left. Gwaine and Arthur turned, looking toward the tall oak. But it wasn't at the beautiful fall leaves that their attention was caught on; it was the girl at the bottom of the tree.
She was unconscious and tied to the tree. She was the most beautiful woman Percival had ever laid eyes upon. She had pale white skin and hair so black that it looks almost a shimmery purple. And was it long! Indeed, it was so long, that her own hair was binding her to the tree. They could not see her eyes, given the fact that she was unconscious. Ropes bound her arms and chest to the tree, and her feet were tied in an uncomfortable looking position underneath her.
And she was half naked. She wore only white gauze binding her chest and her underwear.
"Men, avert your eyes." Percival, Gwaine, and Arthur did so gladly.
Slowly, without look at her bare skin, they drew closer to her and Percival bent down to feel her pulse.
"She's breathing, but her skin is awfully cold and she's got some bad slashes on her arms," He told the other two.
"Than drape your cloak around her, and Gwaine, untie her hair, but don't cut it."
Gwaine went around the other side of the tree and started carefully untying the knot that tied her hair around the tree. Arthur cut the ropes binding her arms and feet, while Percival took off his cloak and wrapped it around her.
"We should get back to camp and quickly." Arthur said.
Percival gently picked up the cold girl and held her sweetly, but was careful not to touch her bare skin.
Merlin had gone out to collect firewood, so when Arthur, Gwaine, and Percival burst into camp, it was just Leon and Elyan.
"Leon! Elyan! Where's Merlin?" Gwaine cried, "We need him to make sure she's hasn't got any broken bones."
"He went out to collect more firewood," Leon replied at the same time Elyan said, "Who is she?"
Before anyone responded, Percival set the woman down next to the small fire. As she was laid upon the ground, Percival's cloak slipped off her shoulders and chest, revealing her bare skin.
"Oh," Leon said.
"We found her tied to a tree." Came Arthur' reply.
"She has really long hair," Elyan commented thoughtfully.
Everyone stared at him oddly.
"What? It's true!"
"It is," Percival responded, "When we found her, she was tied to it by her own hair."
"Who was tied by their own hair?" A voice came from behind them. They whirled but it was only Merlin.
"This girl. We found her tied to a tree by her own hair. She's cold but still breathing. Can you see what you can do for her?" Arthur said.
"Let me see her," Merlin started toward the unconscious girl on the forest floor, but when Percival moved out of Merlin's line of sight and the boy caught glimpse of his patient, he stopped dead, dropping the firewood he had been holding.
"What's wrong?" Arthur said.
"Merlin?" When Percival's voice boomed Merlin's name, the girl stirred on the floor. She turned towards Merlin's general direction, muttering "Merlin? Is that really you?" And then she fell back asleep.
When he heard her voice saying his name, Merlin sprung back into action. The knights watched curiously as the boy ran towards his patient, dropped to his knees beside her, and felt her pulse.
"Elyan, put the fire wood I collected into the fire. Gwaine, go get my medicine bag from atop my horse. Leon, get some more blankets."
Arthur and Percival watched as Merlin took charge, ordering the knights about. In situations like these, Merlin is actually quite a leader, Arthur thought to himself but swore he would never tell anyone.
Percival was restless and clearly worried about the girl. He joined Merlin kneeling next to the girl.
"How did she know you?"
Merlin ignored the question.
"Is she alright?" Percival asked instead as Merlin felt along under the bindings across her chest and across her rib cage.
"She's fine. No broken bones. She's just cold, is all. We just need to warm her up and she'll be good as new."
"Anything I can do?"
Merlin shook his head.
Elyan finished stoking the fire, Gwaine had finally come back with Merlin's medicine bag, and Leon had brought the blankets.
Merlin moved the girl closer to the fire and gingerly wrapped her in blankets. He opened his medicine bag and removed a small vile.
"What's that?" asked Gwaine.
"It should increase the blood circulation and give her some energy so she can talk to us, tell us where she was headed, and what happened to her."
"Merlin, how did she know your name?" Arthur asked the much-wondered question. Merlin ignored him.
The curious knights watched as Merlin started to rub her arms and legs and stomach.
"What are you doing?" Gwaine wondered.
"I'm keeping her warm; helping the blood flow."
Percival moved closer. "Can we help?" he asked.
"No!" Merlin cried, "Don't touch her while she's undressed like this!"
Merlin sounded so distraught that Percival moved away. "And you can?" This came from Arthur. And again, Merlin ignored it.
Pretty soon, the girl started moaning and shifting about on the forest floor.
Arthur and his knights immediately crowded around her and pushed Merlin out of the way so they could question her.
"Hey!" he cried. But this time, it was the knights' turn to ignore Merlin.
"Where am I?" the girl muttered? Her voice, though weak rang out clearly, musical as little chiming bells.
Then her eyes fully opened and she saw the men clustered around her. She bolted up, faster than someone so weak should have and, consequently, fell back to the forest floor. Having learned her lesson, she scrambled away from them, hitting her back against a tree, her blankets left forgotten
She looked, not scared, but horrified. "Who are you?"
The she noticed the bright red cloak that was wrapped around her. She took note of the emblem on it. "Ah, I see."
"Don't be afraid. We're not going to hurt you. I'm King Arthur, and these are my knights: Gwaine, Percival, Elyan, and Leon."
The poor girl visibly relaxed. The Merlin came into her line of sight. She slowly stood up. "Merlin?" she whispered, "Is that you?"
"Of course it's me! Who else could it be?" Merlin replied smiling, but he seemed a little unsure.
The knights looked between the two as the girl hesitated and then ran toward Merlin.
The embraced each other. Merlin picked her up, her feet lifting off the ground. He twirled her around in the air a couple time before setting her down again.
Merlin's was stronger than he looks, thought Gwaine.
"Merlin, what's going on?" Arthur demanded, "Answer this time."
"Erin, meet the knights of Camelot," Merlin, holding the girl close to him, "Guys, meet Erin. My sister."