First ever fanfiction, it's really just to see if this works or not, and I must say that I don't own Merlin that joy belongs to another.
Sorry about any spelling mishaps, I'm dyslexic. but I read through it and hopefully, you can actually understand it.
Enjoy
Merlin was at home with his mother, Hunith, after an exciting day playing in the fields, hiding from the farmers, and celebrating his fifth birthday Merlin was ready for sleep. He laid on the floor cushioned by rough blankets and began to doze off with a quick goodnight to Hunith, Merlin fell into a quiet slumber.
Merlin was laid back in a large field on a dirt road, he began to sit up stretching. The sky was bright and the world in front of him was blurry but as he turned to look behind him, which was strangely clear, he saw a figure in a cloak sat down near him on the side of the road staring into the sky.
"um, h-hello" Merlin spoke slightly confused by the figure. The figure jumped with a start
"Ah. Goodness," the figure turned as the cloak fell and revealed a young startled lady. Her hair a dark and silky brown that fell in a slight wave around her angular pale face, her eyes a dark green and expressive, she wore a dark dress and grey fur-lined coat with a single thick golden bracelet. She looked to the boy with a confused countenance,
"Um…Who are you little boy?" she questioned. Merlin still nervous by the dream and the woman now staring at him stuttered
"I-I'm Merlin. Who, who are you, lady? Where am I?" slightly taken aback by the question the woman's eyes widen minutely and then her face settles into an amused grin.
"well. Merlin, that is indeed the question isn't it… well, my name is Amice. And we are currently in a dreamscape? … well, I think. Now Merlin tells me. what's a little boy like you doing with such powerful raw magic?" Amice's eyebrow raises in expectation, grin still stretching across her face.
"wha-what N-NO! I don't know what you're talking about lady, I mean lady Amice!" Merlin in a panic cried hurriedly. Merlin began to shake and back away, as Amice looks at him incredulously as she huffs a laugh she can't quite stop and suddenly begins to giggle while clutching her stomach. Merlin found himself unable to go any further into the field like there was an invisible wall stopping his progression, he begins to panic again breathing hurried breaths. Amice seeing this sobers immediately and softly says
"Merlin, hey merlin! Calm down, boy. Ok, breath in. yes, that's it now out. Good," she shuffles over to Merlin without standing getting dust and stains on her dress.
"Merlin you are the worst liar I have ever met, and I've been unfortunate to meet many. Calm down would you, I'm not going to hurt you boy, I was just asking." Amice slowly places her hand on Merlin's shoulders moving him to sit in front of her.
"so, Merlin." Amice begins "why are you so scared?" once Merlin was able to relax on the dirt it was his turn to look at Amice incredulously and exclaim
"what! Of course, I'm scared, mother said that if anyone found out they would take me away! She cried and wouldn't let me go. She even makes me watch the firewood we collect burn sometimes and when it's ash, then mother tells me that is what they'll do to me if anyone finds out!" Amice quickly sucks in a breath and her eyes widen as she pales; she shouts
"what! I've only been gone for 25 years or so! What changed, wait who's killing everyone, or is it only people with magic!" she quickly sits properly on the dirt and grabs Merlin and pulls him fully into her lap as she stares at him, willing the answers to come. Merlin looks at her confused
"wait what do you mean 25 years! What's going on?!" Merlin starts to become dizzy with confusion,
"I mean I've been cursed, don't worry about that! Tell me what's happened?" amice tries to say more softly. Merlin looks up at her with a flash of concern but then remembers this is just a dream. A weird dream that he doesn't get. But it'll all be better when he wakes up. So, with renewed vigour merlin begins
"it was 20 years ago my mother told me it happened, they called it the purge…" amice flinches at the words
"the big mean king of Camelot tricked all his people to come to the kingdom for a celebration for his son and then he started saying that magic is only for bad people and that he was going to kill everyone with magic, so when everyone was running to leave, all the knights started killing and grabbing everyone, and mother said that he burned everyone who knew people with magic or did magic." Merlin stared at the dirt waiting for the lady's reaction, tense in her lap. Meanwhile, Amice was trying to understand the absolute stupidity of the words said to her 'magic is for only evil' what ignorance is that magic is but a tool to wield, like a sword or a shield it can cause harm and it can save lives. She realised that she hadn't spoken and was staring into the sky.
"well… that's a load of horse manure isn't it." She almost whispered her voice was so quiet.
"Merlin," Amice said looking down at Merlin still tense in her lap, but he didn't look up her eyes softened as she thought she must have made him terrified earlier.
"Merlin, look at me… please." Amice pled as merlin finally started to lift his head to look up at her.
"Better" amice smiled at him
"now Merlin for you to be so scared and powerful… you obviously didn't learn magic, after all, if you did you would be using it to try to get away. So, you are a warlock then?" Amice questioned softly to not scare the boy. Merlin flinched at her words and looked down again while murmuring words out.
"Merlin, don't worry I said I wasn't going to hurt you, I myself am a sorceress and seer." Amice began to grin proudly.
"in fact, I'm classed as the best and most knowledgeable though I am not even a witch," her grin then turned suddenly into a grimace
"but many believe me dead in this day and age," Amice sighed and her shoulders sagged thinking of how she worked for so long to become so knowledgeable and proficient in as many arts and skills as possible, but then with her ability, it isn't that hard to become proficient after a time. Even if she was not one to work with other more preferring to stay alone and with the company of a happy few, it still hurt for her to be so alone and knowing that many believed her dead, and even tried to find her body to find a way to take her knowledge. Though she worked so hard to help so many!
"but even then, you have much rawer untapped power than me, boy" she smiled sadly at the boy,
"it is unlucky for you if I am right in believing you are a warlock…" She begins only to be interrupted by the boy who was staring up at her with complete interest and unblinking eyes,
"wait! What? What's a warlock? What do you mean a seer? What's the difference?!" Merlin shouted in almost desperation, he needed to know he thought 'does she know why I have this power; does she know what I need to do?'.
"the difference! Well, my boy, there is a large one indeed. You see the magic for humans is actually very rare…" Amice began only to stop Merlin from interrupting.
"ah, no more interruptions, you may wake up at any time, and I do not have knowledge of if you will return, if you wish for this knowledge you must be patient and though it is always good to be curious you must be cautious if you continue to be as such to others, your curiosity may be unwelcome." Amice stated
"now, where was I… oh yes magic in humans is rare, not because we cannot learn to harness and use magic but because those who are born with the power are few and far between. You see, Merlin, a warlock and a witch are born with magic in their veins, and they will naturally absorb magic from the area around them, the more powerful the warlock or witch the larger the area and if the warlock in your case settles in that area the magic will attempt to balance this by making that area have more magic than others, so it doesn't see any decrease in the plants or animals around it, but this is only for untrained witches and warlocks as they have yet to understand the balance of the world. Anyway, a warlock and witch can only hold so much magic in their body before it begins to cause them pain and then death…oh, Merlin don't look so scared, all it means is that magic has chosen you and you must perform magic or you will fall ill." Amice looked over to the petrified look on Merlin's face and sighed
"sometimes when a powerful being decides not to use their power for a while magic decides to act up around them because it's metaphorically bursting out of it seems. So Merlin it is important that you understand that by not doing magic you are actually more likely than ever to get found out" Amice pats merlin's head to try and make him relax but the look of dread continues to loom over him growing as time passes, Amice decides that she'd do a good deed after all being alone for so long is so boring, she might be able to have a good memory after this young boy leaves.
"Merlin, may I ask a question?" Amice said softly, and Merlin starts realising that he needs to focus.
"lady Amice you just did?" Merlin stated confused by what she might say, whilst amice raised her eyebrow,
"Merlin, it seems as though you will in the future fight well with words, but I am not one to trifle with in such cases and my name is just Amice, not lady Amice. I've been here too long to care for such formality, now my question Merlin is simple, your magic how do you do it?" Amice huffs.
"How I do it? I don't know it just happens sometimes I don't really control it, so mother makes me stay inside most of the time, but." Merlin begins growing excited
"mother allowed me to go into the fields today because I'm. 5 YEARS OLD!" Merlin yells obviously very proud. Amice grins amused he feels so proud at the young age he has lived till.
"I see… well, Merlin, I will tell you how to make your magic work yes, that way you can go out all the time. Yes", Amice grin widened at Merlin's intense stare as he hurriedly grabbed her.
"WHAT! You will, yesyesyesyes please! I what to go outside I want to make friends please!" Merlin shouts ecstatically. Amice grin turns down slightly at the thought of her friends and merlin's likelihood of making any true friends with his powers.
"ok, ha-ha ok, calm down" Amice looked at the boy who now seemed to glow slightly golden, her eyebrow raised again slightly.
"now listen. It looks as though you don't have long so I may only be able to say this once… ready" Merlin nods his head being as quiet as possible.
"all you have to do is really want something to happen… that's it, Merlin. I can't teach you any spells because you will have no one to help you if it goes wrong now, will you? All you need to do is really want something, then because you use magic trying to do that any other magic you do will be completely instinctual so only when you're in danger or your surprised, so you might want to work on that." Amice sighs this is the most talking she's done in 25 years after all. Merlin just looked at her then at himself once he started to feel a tingling sensation and found himself glowing even brighter but before he puffed out of existence he yelled.
"that doesn't make any sense, but thanks, lady!"
Merlin gasped as he sat up in his blanket bed and grinned. Running to Hunith merlin shouted
"Mother! Mother! Listen to this!"
Meanwhile, in the dreamscape
"that brat did not, he did, he called me lady again! Oh well, let's hope he makes it." Amice sighed