Within the Keep
Prompt 095: Origin
No me digas nada. Mírame en silencio y muchas gracias por pensar en mi…
-Gracias Por Pensar En Mi, Ricky Martin
Merlin had been passing by, during a heavy rain, and the family had offered sanctuary for the old master. The powerful sorcerer wondered if they had noticed who he was, but he doubt it; he wasn't the old man described by Arthur's court, he still had some color in his beard and hair, not as many wrinkles. And the moment he stepped into the small hut he felt the crackle of magic. It flew from one side of the small home to enter the healthy looking mother, who was cooking and humming softly with her back to Merlin. His seat was close to the woman, who kept talking softly about the weather's pattern in this particular but Merlin was only half listening; he was most focused on finding the sufferer of suction spell she was currently casting. Who was she killing to keep her beauty and power?
Merlin stood, frowning slightly and making her turn, large wooden spoon in hand, and started to physically search the small hut. "I have little to offer, my lord, but you are welcome to take anything you like." She didn't actually mean items, more like herself, and that was when Merlin realized she knew his power, but not his identity. He used his senses to find the source, hiding in a trunk and covered with several sheets of warm wool.
A boy, barely five, looking pale and sickly, he was sweating too weak to even acknowledge the man's help as he was lifted. "Let the boy down, my lord!" said the woman suddenly, violently trying to cross the hut towards Merlin – who casted a quick paralization spell at her and broke the suction spell. The boy let out a little moan of relief, a thick blush creeping back into his small pale features and finally opening his big blue eyes.
"You consume your own son, in order to maintain healthy? What kind of demon are you?"
"He was abandoned here long ago, lord Merlin. Why should I care for a child that is not my own?"
"And where are your own children?" The woman stared at him, unable to answer. Merlin left the hut, boy wrapped securely in his arms and knowing that even under the torrential rain the child would be safer than inside. Merlin swiftly mounted his horse, even with the little load, and hurried away. The boy did nothing but sleep, regaining his strength, for the next three days of travel, while Merlin considered families to take him on.
The Hunters already had five children, the Scotts had an even bigger litter, and Darwin had only recently married so a child would be an inconvenience to them. Merlin thought, over and over, families from all over the towns close to his keep, and could not seem to remember someone good enough to take on the boy's care. So for now he decided to take him to the Keep, and rest. Once there he would talk to some of the maids, probably one of them would either take the boy in or know someone who wished for a child.
The four maids were taken with the boy's cuteness. He had big blue eyes, they all doubted he'd ever seen rain or sun before, and had small yet strong hands. The child spoke in his feverish dreams, opening his eyes now and then and worrying the master. Merlin left the child under the maids care, he didn't have much patience to deal with children, and told them feed and dress him when he woke up. It took two days for the child to recover, days in which Merlin rested, gathered materials for several alchemy spells and wrote to several court members including Arthur, about the child. He had not yet sent the letters when the head maid, Greta, knocked and entered his studio. "Master, the child is awake."
"Dress and feed him, I shall take him to town to find a proper foster home."
"But Master…" The woman's word made him turn, eyebrow arched. "You should come see this." She slid out of the room, and Merlin with a heavy sigh stood to follow.
The other three maids were standing outside the room whispering hurriedly to one another, falling silent only when Merlin made his presence known. Greta nodded at the door, the younger maids hiding behind her as the master neared the wood door and pushed. Rivulets of water flew around the room, their source the bathing tin, and circled all around the empty space. Merlin's mouth opened, in surprise, and through the thin lines of water he saw the boy, huddled in the furthers corner of the bed, looking at him with big blue scared eyes. Merlin gave a step towards the child, making him cry out and hide his face between his small knees; the water splashed all over the furniture and floor, as the boy cried in fear.
Merlin, who was now slightly wet, sighed again and moved slowly towards the bed, sitting across from the child's huddled form. His hand found the soft wet fabric of the sheets, and pulled them slowly, making the child huddle even deeper into the corner of the room.
"Well, it seems our visitor is wet. Girls, find him something warm and dry to wear." Two maids hurried to obey, while Greta stood in the doorway, one more maid behind her, still curious. "Are you hungry child?" the boy didn't answer, face still hidden. "The apple trees in my yard are heavy with fruit, would you like some apples?" After a few moments, the child lifted his eyes, seeing Merlin's hand extended towards him, a smile on the old man's face. "The apples are green, a little bitter, but very juicy. If you help me pick some from the tree, I'm sure Greta would make us some pie. Will you help me? You can eat as many as you want while we pick them."
The prospect of food had always been strong for any child, no matter the situation, but more specially for one as poor as this one. IT took several minutes for the child to uncurl from around himself, staring at Merlin with big scared eyes. "I won't hurt you as a matter of fact I want you to be safe, here, in my home."
The boy didn't say a word, but stared at his hand for a moment, as if doubtful of his words. His little belly rumbled, but he remained at the corner of the bed, afraid. Merlin smiled and lowered his hand for the moment. The maids arrived with the items to clean the room and bed, making the child huddled closer to the corner again, his eyes lowered to stare at the mattress. Still smiling Merlin stood. "Well then, if you wish to stay in I understand. I shall come later with some food, alright?"
The boy didn't acknowledge the words, but didn't scream or cried when the girls started to clean about the room. He didn't' let them touch him either.
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Merlin took lunch just outside the child's window, in the gardens. Done with the purpose of coaxing the child into the open field, or at least getting him to wish he was out there. The maids set the boy's lunch over the bed smiling and coaxing him to eat, even if they were out, and left the room. When they returned the food was gone, but the plates didn't seem to have moved from place and the child had changed his clothes for the dried ones they had set across the room. He didn't look at them as they gathered the dishes, happy he'd at least eaten, and changed.
The old master dropped by mid afternoon, carrying a basket and biting on a juicy looking apple. "Would you like one?" He asked showing the apple to the boy. Merlin could see the longing on the boy's eyes, but he didn't dare move from bed. "It's sweet, not bitter as I described. And they are very juicy." He turned to the basked, pulling out a plump green apple, and turned to see the boy crawling over the bed towards him. Joy leaped at Merlin's heart, for some odd reason, and he gave a step forward so the child could reach for the apple with his small hands. Their fingers met, and the boy took the apple and knelt over the bed staring down at the large fruit. "Your welcome." Said Merlin taking a large bite off his own apple.
The boy took a bite from the apple, eyes shinning as the fruit of the fruit invaded his small mouth, a soft cry that ended in a giggle followed and he ate the fruit hungrily. He seemed amazed by the simple delight of an apple.
To Merlin's surprise several of the drawers shook and opened, closing quietly as the boy hummed with the delight of the fruit. The boy had potential, and it would be a waste to hand him over to any farmer's family so he could grow as nothing but a farmer. Merlin had never thought of taking an apprentice, actually he'd wished deep in his heart the arts would die with him; but he knew they wouldn't. Dark times approached and although many were already standing to protect the humans he couldn't do much to help them.
Unless he took on an apprentice.
"Do you know your name?" He asked the child, who looked up at him with big blue eyes, biting his apple.
Through a juicy mouthful he smiled, creating an unusual connection that had Merlin surprised; who would have thought such small thing, with blue innocent eyes could connect easily with powerful Merlin? "Balthazar." Said the child, after swallowing.
"Well, Balthazar, do you like magic?"
The boy seemed scared, and shook his head. "Scary." Merlin thought on the child's answer, knowing why he'd been so scared of magic after spending his entire life trapped inside a trunk, his potential been stolen by a greedy witch.
"I can make safe magic, just for you." The boy stared, amazed at the man. "Magic can protect and help you. Would you let me show you?"
The child, hesitantly, nodded. Merlin waved his hand over thin air, and out of mist created small puppy, it moved through the air and licked Balthazar's cheek, making the boy drop the apple and stare at the little thing. It yapped at Balthazar and hurried to snuggled between his knees. The child touched the puppy, making it lick his hand, and turn to nuzzle his neck. For the first time in the whole week Merlin had known the child he heard Balthazar giggle. "Puppy!"
"Yes, I made him so he can guard you. He is yours." Balthazar's eyes filled with light, the childish innocence that had been stolen by his mother, and looked up at Merlin; grateful. "I can teach you how to make them, if you want."
"I can?"
"Yes, if you become my apprentice, I will teach you." The puppy yapped at the boy, who looked up at the master. "Do you want to be my apprentice?"
"Yes! Teach me!" Cried the boy, learning something good out of all the bad thing's he'd learned. Merlin smiled, extending his hand so the boy could shake it. At first the boy just stared at the limb, unsure.
"Come, let us shake hands and seal our deal." The boy smiled, shyly, and extended his small hand towards Merlin's bigger hand. The circle beneath them, carefully crafted while the boy slept his nap after lunch, glowed deep green as their hands shook.
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Author's Ramblings: I wanted to post something that had to explain the origins of Balthazar and although I do think this is quite clear as how he came to be with Merlin I feel I need to make a piece explaining his four years at his real home. Anyway I will be playing with the leyend, probably mixing them up, along with myself, and hopefully by the end of things you'll undrestand a lot.
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