Author's Note: I've read a couple fics that fill in the gap about what happened to the dog after Merlin exposed Valiant. I'd always wondered that myself and decided to take a shot at it.
Merlin careened down the hallway towards Gaius' chambers, grinning from ear to ear. The door slammed open and he shouted, "I did it, Gaius! The snakes came alive!" His guardian didn't budge from the table he occupied, and Merlin chattered on, pacing back and forth, arms gesticulating in his excitement. "I cast the spell and just like that, they appeared, slithering out of it! Arthur'd lost his sword, but Morgana threw him one and he cut off both their heads in one slash! And then Valiant went down. He's dead. You should have seen it!" He halted, turning to his guardian, and his broad smile faltered.
Gaius stared at him, clearly vexed.
"I thought you'd be glad."
Gaius slowly stood. "I couldn't be more pleased about Arthur and proud of you."
Merlin looked askance at him. "Then what's wrong?"
"You run out of here without so much as an explanation what's in your room."
"You knew I was trying to bring the statue to life," Merlin protested.
"But I didn't know it would turn out to be an angry hellhound!"
"A what?"
"Go see."
Merlin strode to the steps and climbed them two at a time, but hesitated before opening the door. "It's quiet."
"Hm."
"Why is it quiet?"
"Go on." Gaius had sidled up behind him.
Merlin carefully pushed the door open. He gasped and dashed inside. "What happened?" His room was a shambles―mattress chewed up and straw strewn about, storage supplies overturned and spilled, his clothing chest splintered along one edge. His heart pattered anxiously until he spotted the grimoire intact.
"That did it."
Merlin followed Gaius' accusing finger to a black dog sprawled out next to a crate positioned underneath the window. "It's dead?" he asked incredulously. Did that happen if you messed with statues? Did they die soon after the enchantment took them? If so, good riddance.
"You think I'd do that?" Merlin looked back to a horrified Gaius. "It's not dead, but it would have destroyed your entire room and come for my chamber next. It was throwing itself at the door!"
"Sorry, Gaius, but what did you do?"
"Fed it your dinner."
"My dinner?"
"What else was I to do? I concealed a sleeping powder in the meat and just managed to throw it through the door without getting my hand bitten off."
"It's just asleep," Merlin confirmed.
"Yes, and you'd better change it back, then clean up this mess."
"Right." Merlin sucked in a long breath in preparation, tossing aside a torn bed-sheet as he retrieved the grimoire. "No."
Gaius, who had made to leave, spun on his heel.
Merlin stared helplessly at the grimoire for another second, then held it up and open for Gaius to view. The bottom half of a page had been ripped away.
"I give you that and you tear it up?" Gaius criticized.
"I didn't. It must have. And that part had the counter spell."
Gaius let out a huff. "How can you have gotten into so much trouble in only a week?" Merlin shrugged. Gaius gestured around the room. "Start looking."
They searched the better part of an hour before both sat on the bed staring miserably at the sleeping dog. They shared a glance, Merlin's contrite and Gaius' chastising, as they came to the same conclusion.
"You know where it is," Gaius prompted.
Merlin groaned. "Inside it." He scowled at the dog. Stupid living statue, eating his grimoire! He met Gaius' stern gaze. "Maybe it didn't want to be a statue again?" he suggested.
The dog suddenly jerked, and both the boy and the physician jumped. It settled again. Gaius stood. "Get it out of here."
"But it's still alive."
"I won't have it destroying more of our chambers. Take it away from here and change it back."
"I don't have the counter spell."
"Then use the great skill you have to work it out."
Merlin stood, hands perched on his hips. "I thought you were supposed to be teaching me."
"I have no idea how to fix it. You said you'd deal with it, then deal with it."
Gaius left him and Merlin stared. He'd look suspicious hauling around an unconscious dog over his shoulder. He hurried away, knowing exactly what he needed.
When Gwen answered her door, Merlin smiled nervously. "Gwen."
"Merlin. You can come in, but I was about to get back to the castle to prepare for the feast." She looked apologetic, then her brows met in confusion. "Aren't you happy?"
"Eh, yeah?"
"You were right. Valiant was using magic. Did you see what happened at the tournament?"
Merlin's cheeks warmed and he ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah. Lucky for Arthur. I mean, to see the truth and kill them."
"And you didn't have to do anything after all."
"I guess not."
Gwen looked thoughtful. "I wonder why they appeared right when everyone could see?"
Merlin shrugged. "Maybe the enchantment went wrong. Hey, eh, I need to borrow that wheelbarrow again."
"It's actually a friend's."
"Oh."
"But I still have it. You can use it. It's where you left it last night."
"Great." Merlin turned to dash away around the back of the house.
"Merlin!"
"Huh?" He looked back.
"Why did you take that statue anyway?"
Merlin stared at her knit brow and worried his lip. "I...thought...maybe I could make the snakes come alive again...scare them out...with the statue. Snakes have a mortal fear of dogs, right?"
Gwen stared, then laughed. "Really? You took a whole statue for that?"
"I couldn't steal the shield. It was a dumb idea." Dumb excuse. Heaven preserve him if Gwen didn't figure out his secret.
"What do you need the wheelbarrow for now?"
"Gaius needs some...herbs."
"Herbs?"
"Yeah, lots of herbs. Big ones. Whole plants actually. More like bushes. I've got to go." He gestured towards the street.
Gwen smiled at him again. "Just bring it back soon."
Merlin pushed the wheelbarrow over bumpy terrain, coming to a stop in a small copse of trees and setting it down. He whisked away the sheet concealing its cargo―a black dog with tan accents that was twitching a leg now and then.
Merlin stared at it. Maybe if he thought really hard. His eyes glowed. Nothing happened. Merlin put a hand to his head, trying to remember the counter spell. He'd only glanced over it, and he'd been so excited to have turned the stone into a real dog that he didn't think to speak the counter spell right after. He huffed in frustration. He couldn't recall one word of it.
The dog whined, all four of its legs moving in tandem. Merlin backed away when its eyes shot open. It trembled, raised its head, shook itself and struggled to its feet. Its eyes locked onto Merlin. It immediately growled and bolted towards him. Merlin yelped and turned tail.
Gaius looked up when Merlin entered his rooms, disheveled, dirt caked on his elbows and knees. "What happened?"
"I dealt with it," Merlin grumbled, making a beeline for his room. He threw himself down onto his bed and groaned when Gaius' voice drifted up the stairs.
"You need to prepare for the banquet."
"Gaius."
"Up now."
Merlin moaned as he dragged his aching muscles back out of bed.
Merlin traipsed down the hall, happy as a lark. Yesterday had been both victory and failure, but the failure couldn't overshadow the victory. Arthur had rehired him, even admitted he'd been wrong, albeit backhandedly and with a list of chores. Still, he'd made the snakes come alive. Everyone knew he'd been right after all. This was a good morning.
Merlin pushed open the door to Arthur's chambers and was surprised to behold him standing at the window. Last night he'd seen the prince safely to his rooms as he'd spent a little too much time in his goblet. Arthur had slept late every day this week, and Merlin expected the prince to hardly wake the day after a feast.
"Sire?" Merlin set down the tray he was carrying. "You're up early."
"You're a genius, Merlin."
"I am?" More compliments?
Arthur turned, his entire face a dismissive scowl. "It's early. I'm not in bed. That means, of course, I'm up early."
"And in a mood," Merlin muttered under his breath.
"What was that?"
Merlin met Arthur's eyes. "Sire, you aren't usually up so early."
"I don't want to be. I was woken to take charge of a search."
"Why?" Merlin inquired as he pulled out Arthur's chair so he could sit down to breakfast.
Arthur sank into the chair, picking up a knife. "A statue was stolen from the courtyard."
Merlin, who had procured the pitcher of wine, missed Arthur's goblet, red liquid hitting the table and spreading over its side.
"Merlin!" Arthur shouted. "Pay attention!"
"Sorry, Sire," Merlin fumbled as he grabbed a cloth and wiped at the edge of the table. "Statue you said?"
Arthur glared at him for another moment, then dug into his meal as Merlin continued to mop up the mess. "You know the one of the dog in the courtyard?"
"Erm, I've noticed it."
"It's gone."
Merlin nodded absently. Why did anyone care? "It never seemed that important."
"Tell that to my father," Arthur spoke around a bite of sausage. "He had it commissioned after his favorite dog died."
"Favorite?" Merlin queried as he tossed the soaked cloth in the laundry basket and poured the wine carefully this time.
Arthur grunted. "He adored it. Found it dying when he was a youth. Nursed it back to health himself. It went everywhere with him afterwards. Sometimes I think he loved it more than anyone else."
"Loved it?"
"You know how many stories I've endured about that dog even though it died years ago?"
A mental image popped into Merlin's mind. He tried to suppress a snicker and failed.
"I don't see what's funny," Arthur challenged. "Why are you laughing?"
Merlin coughed, clasping his hands behind his back. "I was thinking of the king."
"Y-es?"
Merlin looked down. "Cuddling a dog."
"He didn't cuddle it," Arthur returned. "He trained it."
"You said he loved it." Merlin peered up from under his raven fringe.
"So?"
"You're sure he didn't give it a scratch between the ears now and then?"
"Watch it, Merlin," Arthur warned, pointing the knife at him. "You'll be in the stocks again."
"Over a dog?"
"This is serious. Someone stole that statue right under our noses!"
Merlin bit the inside of his cheek and moved to the laundry basket.
"They're searching everywhere. Talking to people. My father's threatened to publicly flog the thief when he's discovered."
Merlin's stomach dropped. Searching. Talking to people. Flogging. Gwen knows.
"Merlin. Back again."
Merlin shifted back and forth anxiously on his feet at Gwen's door. He'd meant to drop the wheelbarrow off without notice, but the maid appeared the moment he set it down. "I brought it back. I thought you'd be up at the castle."
"Morgana gave me a day off after the feast."
"Ah. Good."
Her expression grew suddenly grave. "Merlin?"
"Yeah?"
"That dog statue is still missing."
Merlin swallowed hard, looking away from her penetrating gaze.
"What happened to it?"
Merlin bit his lip, his eyes swiveling back to her. "They didn't ask you about it, did they?"
"Not yet. I wouldn't tell even if they did." The defiance on her face eased the young warlock's nerves.
Merlin leaned in close to whisper. "I broke it."
"What?"
"It was an accident."
Gwen looked worried. "Did anyone else see you?"
Merlin shook his head. "I threw the pieces away. Don't worry. There's no evidence."
"Stocks and then this? I like you, Merlin. I mean, not like like you. As a friend you know. Just a friend."
Merlin grinned at her sweet awkwardness.
"Just, I mean, you need to be more careful."
"I will."
"Promise?"
"Yeah."
Merlin meandered back towards the castle. He trusted Gwen to not tell a soul about the statue, and he was certain no one else had seen him take it. Things would calm down when Uther gave up the search, forced to accept the fact someone made off with his beloved dog.
Merlin felt confident and assured...until he reached the gate into the courtyard and heard a harried barking. The hairs on the back of his neck lifted as he slowed his gait and entered. A black dog with tan markings was running hither and thither all over the courtyard, avoiding guards who were attempting to grab it or corner it.
Merlin slapped a hand to his forehead, a gesture of amazement and horror at the same time. This couldn't get worse. But then the king appeared at the top of the entrance steps, and the dog, in the process of swinging around after narrowly being nabbed by a guard, sprinted towards the stairs.
Merlin's chest ached as his heart thumped wildly. The dog whined and bounded up to the king. Merlin could see it all before it happened: the king bitten, the dog slaughtered, all because he had to choose that particular statue to enchant.
Arthur had appeared behind his father. Merlin wanted to cry out something, but his breath caught in his throat. King and dog met...and the dog went silent, wagging its tale, pressing into the king's legs, then jumping up to lick at his hands. Uther had taken a step back, but as the guards ran up to him, he waved them away. He motioned with his hand and the dog settled back on its haunches, tail still wagging so hard its rear end should have detached.
"Whose dog is this?" Uther asked, his voice quiet.
Merlin had managed to move towards the stairs now that the crisis had passed and heard the question.
"We don't know, my lord," a guard replied between panting breaths. "Came out of nowhere."
Uther cocked his head, then bent over tentatively, reaching out. The dog stayed still. Uther put a gloved hand between its ears and scratched. Arthur gaped.
"It looks so similar to..." Uther muttered, then cut off, yanking his hand back.
"Sire. I'll remove it."
Uther raised a hand. "No. Put it in the kennels, separate from the other dogs." Another guard had secured a rope and looped it around the dog's neck. When he tugged, it submitted obediently, tongue lolling happily as it headed towards the kennels.
Merlin returned to his room, utterly spent and completely confused. He was just trying to save Arthur. That's all. He pitched onto his bed, arm draped across his face.
"Merlin!"
He groaned. Not Gaius. Not again. The physician's heavy steps sounded on the stairs and then in his room.
"Do you know what the king thinks?"
Merlin didn't speak, but shook his head in response
"He thinks a dog has shown up that reminds of him of one he rescued as a youth."
Merlin kept his mouth shut.
"He says it looks exactly like his old dog. You wouldn't know anything about this, would you?"
Merlin lowered his arm, and he guessed by Gaius' severely raised right eyebrow his guilty expression revealed all.
"You said you dealt with it."
"It woke up and ran away. I didn't think it would come back." Merlin pulled himself up.
"Uther thinks there's a sorcerer somewhere in his kingdom. An accomplice of Valiant's who enchanted his shield and a statue!"
Merlin stared up at Gaius. "He thinks the dog is magic? Will he kill it?"
Gaius exhaled loudly. "He probably would if he didn't have a heart for it. It seemed to me he was reluctant to order its death, instead commanding the search continue and he'd make further decisions if the statue isn't recovered."
"Well, then," Merlin started, scooting over as Gaius joined him on the bed, "he won't find the statue and he'll own a dog like his old one."
Gaius' fierce gaze was so intent, Merlin quailed, slumping down a bit more. "And what if he accuses someone innocent? What if he asks about rumors of sorcery and follows them up? What then?"
"He wouldn't have evidence."
"He's never needed much evidence."
Merlin stared into Gaius' eyes and shook his head. "I didn't mean any of this to happen."
Gaius' expression lost the ferocity and he sighed, then laid hand on Merlin's knee. "Of course, my boy, but I fear more ill will come of it."
"I don't know how to turn the dog back."
"You can't do that anymore," Gaius declared. "If the dog disappears and then the statue returns, that will be all the evidence Uther needs to drag in anyone he thinks capable of sorcery."
Merlin propped his elbows on his knees, head in his hands. This was the price he paid for following his destiny? Perhaps he should talk to the dragon again, but no. When he'd gone last, the giant lizard had spoken in riddles and said nothing helpful at all. And that had been when Arthur really was in trouble. He couldn't imagine approaching the ominously large creature over a transformed dog statue.
"There's nothing it seems you can do," Gaius spoke softly. "You don't dare turn it back even if you could."
A light flamed in Merlin's mind. He straightened. That's it. He couldn't turn it back, but he could do something else. He jumped up, wrenching up his loose floorboard and pulling out the hidden grimoire, flipping through it.
"You have an idea?" Gaius inquired.
"Maybe," Merlin replied uncertainly. Please, please, let there be something in here.
Gwen tilted her head when she opened her door. "Merlin?"
"Gwen. Hey."
She narrowed her eyes. "Why are you here?"
"I, eh, need something."
"Don't tell me. A wheelbarrow."
"Just once more?"
"I meant to return it today, but started working on a dress for Morgana. Take it."
"Thanks."
"And Merlin?"
"Yeah?"
"What's it for this time?"
"Night fishing."
"What?"
"Some fish are more active at night." He bolted away trying to pretend he didn't hear her last question.
"Why do you need fish?"
Merlin's heart pounded his ribs to be out in the dead of night. If any guards came along, it would be his head. He entered the kennels from a locked side door. He'd already lured away the guard on duty who had wandered off to investigate a suspicious rustling amongst the trees. He pushed the wheelbarrow down rows of stalls until he found one containing a single occupant.
The black dog was curled up content until it saw him. It leaped up and growled.
"Shhhhh."
It continued to growl as Merlin set the wheelbarrow down, grateful for the torch in a stand nailed into a support that provided enough light to work by. "Okay, I'm sorry. So sorry you get to live rather than be stone forever." Thankless mangy cur. Merlin reached into his satchel and withdrew a piece of parchment and a large hunk of meat. He flattened the parchment, holding it in one hand and shook the piece of meat at the dog with the other. It quieted. "You want it?"
The dog twisted its head left, then right.
"I'll give it to you, but you need to do something for me." He dangled the meat over the stall door. "Beg. Come on. You can do it."
The dog slowly rose up on its haunches.
"Beg." Merlin shook the meat again.
The dog stuck one paw out and the other hung down as it balanced.
"Yes!" Merlin quickly intoned a spell, golden eyes darting between the dog and the chunk of stone in his wheelbarrow. Even he was amazed when the stone warped and shifted into a perfect copy of the animal, though the shield it was supposed to hold had to be recreated from the drawing on the parchment. Gaius had kindly provided a sketch of Uther's old coat of arms. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Catch." He threw the meat to the dog.
Merlin paced towards the stables next to Arthur. The morning had been pleasant until Arthur informed him his father wanted to go on a hunt. Then it was all work as he prepped Arthur's weapons, organized his bags, and saddled his horse. He'd inquired into the king's sudden change of mood, and Arthur informed him the statue thief had apparently feared being caught and returned it to the courtyard. It seems no magic had been involved at all.
Merlin followed Arthur to the waiting hunting party with relief. The prince suddenly stopped and Merlin bumped into his shoulder. "Sire?" He followed Arthur's eyes to the sight that had halted him in his tracks. King Uther knelt on the ground, scratching the ears and then chin of a black dog with tan markings. When it nestled into him, the king slipped an arm around it, pulling it close and patting its side.
Merlin leaned close to Arthur. "What would you call that, sire?" he asked, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards.
Arthur didn't answer.
"I think I might call that a cudd—"
"So help me, Merlin, if you don't shut it, you're mucking out the latrines for a week."
Merlin stumbled down the lane, worn out, feet throbbing from all the running and beating he'd done during the hunt, face and hands scratched up from digging into branches and bushes. He'd wanted to wash up and tumble into bed, but Gaius insisted he complete one more task. He rapped wearily on a door. It opened.
"Merlin. Again."
"Gwen."
"You look miserable."
"Hunting."
"Ah."
"I brought it back."
"The wheelbarrow. Thank you."
He nodded tiredly, moving away, but Gwen spoke on.
"How many fish did you catch?"
He turned back confusedly. "What?"
"Night fishing."
Merlin rubbed at his forehead. Night fishing? Oh. Yeah. He lowered his hand. "Lots."
"Why did you need them?"
"Eh..."
Gwen smiled and stepped outside the door. "I know the truth and you could have just told me."
Merlin's heart skipped a beat. "Truth?"
"You had a stone carver make a new dog."
Merlin about collapsed in relief.
"Though I don't know how he managed to make it so quickly whoever you hired."
He'd lied so much by now, the next rolled easily off his tongue. "He had something already started. Just modified it. And I can't tell you his name."
"I understand. He'll keep your secret, too. Must be a good friend."
"Yeah."
"Well, he's not your only friend who can do something quickly. Follow me."
Gwen marched around the side of the house, Merlin following. She grinned and held out both hands. "It's for you."
"What this time?" Gaius asked when Merlin appeared in their chambers pushing a wheelbarrow.
Merlin set it down in the middle of the room. "It's a gift. From Gwen."
"A wheelbarrow?"
"She thinks I need my own." Merlin stumbled towards the steps to his room.
"You can't leave it here! Where are you going to keep it?"
"I'll deal with it. Later." Merlin made it to the top step.
"That's what you said about the dog!"
Merlin shut the door, leaned against it for a moment, then fell face first into his bed. One week in Camelot. Surely destiny wouldn't always be so exhausting.
A laugh only he could hear cackled in his ears. He drifted off to sleep, cursing blasted dragons and infernal destinies.
Author's Note: Even I think Merlin's excuse to Gwen about why he took the dog statue is lame, but a lot of his excuses are lame in the show, so I figured that was okay. Besides, how in the world do you explain that you had to run off with a dog statue to save Arthur? Gwen must have been really naive or secretly knew Merlin had magic.
