Hello Everyone! this is my second fanfiction- im really sorry I didn't have an editors note for my other fanfiction "When things go dark", this is my first time and still getting use to it :) any reviews would be lovely! this is one of my favourites that I have written as I love the idea of young Merlin, something which I hope the writers will get into in series 5. he must have been a strange and lonely child :(
Hope you like it!
Will ran as fast as his short legs could carry him through the dense wood. Taking care not to trip on any protruding branches, he followed the other boy as closely as he could through the jade trees.
"Give it back!" he shouted- but the other boy said no response but to run a bit faster. Will did not know the name of the strange quiet boy who lived at the other end of his village, all he did know was that he was very very fast. Panting sharply, he followed the other up a steep earthy bank, and catching up slightly, he could make out vaguely that he was about the same age as Will. He had the look and quality of a gangly puppy that was growing at a considerable amount, much due to the nature of boys in their adolescent years.
Will followed him into a small clearing. The ground was wet and slippery because of the mossy humps and cover of wet leaves, causing the other boy to slip and fall in an ungainly manner onto the wet ground.
"Gotcha!" Will shouted, and was about to run straight into the boy when he turned and looked up at him with terror. Suddenly, and without warning, the world spun and Will found himself flung backwards through the air as if hit by a stone wall. Fortunately for him he landed with a mighty huff in one of the collective leaf piles dotted around. Landing in it with such force felt like being forced down the mouth of a wet, leafy monster.
There was a moment of stunned silence as Will unceremoniously struggled out of the leaves, spitting bits of brown leaf from his mouth. He looked at the other boy in astonishment, much as the other boy was gaping at him. The two boys stared at each-other, Will standing now not moving ten meters away from him, and the other just lay there frozen, mouth agape as if in horror.
The other boy must have been about a year older than Will. Thin gangly body covered in layers of brown sack like clothes, obviously handmade and not good quality. Painfully pale skin stretched taught like a fragile shell over his long bones, making his wrists and cheekbones stick out awkwardly. Sky blue eyes open wide with fear and astonishment were surrounded by dark thick lashes, and massive ears, round and pale, framed his face as his most striking feature.
"How did you do that?" Will asked. The other boys frozen expression changed for a second, his dark brows furrowed his forehead.
"Wh-what?" he spluttered. Will moved closer to him, but the strange boy struggled backward until pressed to the back of a tree. Will realized with a start that he was scared of him. That was strange; Will had never had anyone scared of him before. He never scared anyone ever, not even when he and the other children of the village played sword-fighting with sticks. If what Will thought was true, then if anything, it was Will who should be scared of this awkward boy cornered on the floor. Will suddenly had a great thought:
"Can you teach me? He said.
"Teach you what?" the boy said, a little too quickly. He obviously knew exactly what Will was talking about.
He dared himself to say it; "Magic!" the sudden enormity of what he had just said hit him. Will had been taught that magic was evil, everyone said. Even the knights who rode to the village on rare occasions said so, and Wills mother told him that the clever brave knights were always right. The best thing to do was to go and tell his mother and one of the village elders that this strange boy had magic, and then…what? Will was puzzled for a moment. He was 7 now, a grown up boy, but what do they do with sorcerers? His mother had told him all about how it was bad and such, but what did people do with sorcerers? Will had the strangest feeling that he didn't want to know. He decided that actually it probably wasn't a good idea after all. In fact, Will felt strangely sorry for the boy.
" I don't have magic" the boy squeaked. Will looked down at him and could see that he was very afraid.
"Sorry" Will mumbled "I didn't mean to scare you" they stood there awkwardly for a moment, and remembering how his mother had always told him to be polite in every situation, he held his hand out, to help the other boy up. The boy hesitated for a moment, and then grudgingly allowed Will to help him. "I'm Will by the way."
"Merlin." The boy muttered avoiding Wills eye and casually brushing off the leaves stuck to his brown jerkin. Will waited for a moment hardly daring that he was saying such a thing.
"I'm just curious- really, but how do you do that?" Merlin eyed him suspiciously and said nothing. "I'm not going to tell anyone." Will promised. Merlin held his gaze for a second and decided seemed to decide he could trust him.
"I don't know." But Merlin could see Wills hungry expression. He sighed. "Honestly I don't know- it happens when im scared and stuff..." his voice trailed off awkwardly.
"Is that why your Mother and Father don't like you talking to other people? Will asked quietly. Merlin fixed his eyes on Wills. From this close Will could see flecks of grey and even deeper blue in them. Merlin didn't say anything, but Will could see he had hit upon a truth.
"My mothers scared that someday someone will find out. Guess now they have." He smiled sadly "and ive never met my Father."
"Oh. I'm sorry." He said, with surprising feeling. It was not uncommon to have lost a parent around these parts, but to have never met one was indeed unfortunate. It must have been just over a year since Wills father was killed in the wars to the south, and not a day passed when he didn't miss him.
"In all seriousness, please don't tell anyone about…" he gestured vaguely towards where he had fallen, and giggled nervously.
Will laughed as-well. "Don't worry- I promise I wont. This is great! Imagine the pranks we could get up to!"
Merlin gave him a gangly awkward lopsided grin which you couldn't help be infected by. It looked like Will had found a new friend today.