When On a Hunt
As Merlin followed Arthur through the undergrowth he could sense his friend was in another world. From the moment Arthur had brought his horse to a sudden stop Merlin knew immediately something had caught Arthur's attention. He could see the way his friend's body had tensed, that all his concentration was on what lay ahead in the forest. Merlin took a deep breath knowing that some unfortunate creature's life was now hanging in the balance.
Arthur had silently dismounted hiding himself in the bushes around him, he signalled to Merlin to join him. Merlin with two days of tiredness already dominating his aching limbs did his best to follow his master. But just as he jumped off his horse he mistimed the jump, before he knew it he was sprawled face first by a puddle of water. He didn't have to lift his face up to catch the mocking look of his friend.
Merlin slowly got up trying to apologise but Arthur stopped him with a glare. It seemed as if the animal must have been tone deaf as it still appeared to be in Arthur's eye line. On Arthur's signal Merlin turned around and fetched Arthur's spear from his horse. Arthur angrily took the spear from his friend and turned back to the face the soon to be dead creature.
At this stage Merlin would usually try and look somewhere else. In all the years of accompanying Arthur on numerous hunts, the end was still something the young sorcerer found hard to take. As far as he was concerned killing should only be for eating, he could not understand how anyone could get any pleasure from killing any animal for sport. On cue he turned away, but out of the corner of his eye he could see the arrow fly across into the woods. Merlin braced himself for the end, but all he could hear was Arthur cursing.
"Another hunt, and yet again I have come back empty-handed." Arthur grumbled. "Sometimes Merlin I wonder why I take you along with me at all!"
"Well that makes the two of us." Merlin agreed, rolling his eyes. "I don't know why you are blaming me anyway."
"Oh well maybe it had something to do with you falling down from your horse just now." Arthur fumed. "I don't think I have ever met anyone as clumsy as you on a horse."
"Well maybe it is because I am tired after spending day after day trawling around after you, going to god forsaken places, in the hope that you can spear some poor unfortunate creature." Merlin grumbled back.
"Poor unfortunate creature?" Arthur asked in disbelief. "You make them sound as if they are human. They are animals Merlin, they are put here for a reason."
"Yes I know but it still doesn't explain why you get such endless enjoyment out of killing them." Merlin argued.
"That is because Merlin you are a softy, you are not a hunter primed like me." Arthur began beginning to enjoy himself. "You do not have the instinct of a natural killing machine flowing through your veins!"
"Thank the lord for that." Merlin murmured. "There are far more interesting things to be doing with my time."
"Name one." Arthur demanded.
"Sorry?" Merlin asked suddenly trying to cover for time. He attempted to make himself busy in order to avoid Arthur's sudden interest in him.
"Come on these more interesting things that you go on about Merlin." Arthur grinned confident he had him where he wanted him. "I mean I don't think I've seen you do anything interesting since your arrival in Camelot."
"That is nonsense, it is not like you are with me all the time, you have no idea what I do most of my spare time." Merlin argued trying to think of something that he could impress him with, but in truth he was struggling to think about anything that would impress Arthur.
"Admit it Merlin even you are struggling to think about anything." Arthur laughed in triumph confident he had Merlin boxed into a corner.
"I make potions that save people's lives." Merlin began even though he felt it was not an especially interesting, and it certainly wouldn't impress all action Arthur.
"Potions?" Arthur exclaimed. "Yes I am sure it does help people Merlin, but it is hardly the most exciting past-time is it?"
"In comparison to what exactly, oh killing some wild creature." Merlin muttered rolling his eyes. "Well I think most people would admit that helping some person was more impressive than attempting to spear a Deer at five paces!"
"It wasn't five paces; I was much further back than that." Arthur snapped. "Also I was not helped by the fact that you made such a noise falling from your horse."
"I knew it would be my fault of course." Merlin admitted.
"Naturally Merlin, it is always your fault." Arthur smiled as he jumped onto his horse. "Now if you could manage to mount your horse and avoid falling down the other side, we can make our way back to Camelot."
"Ah Home." Merlin sighed to himself a big loopy smile on his face.
Arthur rolled his eyes at his friend as he viewed his soppy smile. "Honestly Merlin sometimes I wonder if I will ever make a man out of you!"
"I'm happy the way I am thank you." Merlin replied grinning. "It's you that we need to work on."
Merlin pushed his horse onwards leaving Arthur lagging behind, he laughed as all he could hear was his friend's voice echoing around the woodland.
"Merlin!"