Disclaimer: King Arthur, the rest of the knights, the horses, the castle, etc. are all owned by whoever came up with the legends in the first place (or King Arthur himself if he actually existed). The movie belongs to Antoine Fuqua, Touchstone Pictures, and Jerry Bruckheimer Films. I only own Merrin. This is for entertainment purposes only.
Author's note: I watched King Arthur for the first time in forever a few months ago, and this was the outcome. I had originally planned it as an entire story, but I never wrote anything besides this down (how surprising, I know). I finally got around to editing it a bit and figured I would post it. It takes place a few days/weeks after the Sarmatian boys arrive at the fort. Gawain would be about sixteen or seventeen and Merrin would be roughly seven. Excuse any mistakes in history; call it creative license if it makes you feel better. Hope you enjoy!
It was the first week of spring, and a little girl found herself in the same position as she had the past few days. She was hiding behind one of the stable doors, watching the horses and their masters. The stable was mostly void of humans because of a large training session, but there were currently two knights with their horses, having just arrived back from a scouting expedition. One was a dark haired boy, maybe fifteen years of age, with weird markings across his cheeks and a wild look in his eyes. He appeared very intimidating, especially when she could have sworn that he had glanced in her direction multiple times, like he knew she was there. He was standing next to an incredible horse that she was very interested in getting a better look at. The boy put the brush down and turned to leave, not bothering with a salutation to the other person. Just as he was about to exit her sight, his head turned in her direction once again and he raised an eyebrow.
She stared wide-eyed after him, before shaking her head and turning her attention to the blonde that she had been following around. He spent a lot of time with his horse, which gave her easier access to view him in secret. She had just stepped forward a few inches when she saw him stiffen, obviously realizing he wasn't alone. "Have you finally decided to show yourself, little one?" His voice was deep and rough, startling a gasp out of her. She took a quick step back, not sure if he would be angry at her like most of the Romans that were housed here. He didn't turn to look at her, but she could see that a playful smirk graced his lips under a small amount of hair that adorned the lower half of his face. She stood there, making no move to answer his question. When he didn't hear anything, he turned slightly to look at the small girl who he had seen following him the first day he arrived. He mistook the look on her face as fear of the horse, instead of uneasiness around him. "He won't bite." He gestured to the large white stallion next to him. "And nor do I on most occasions." This was mumbled to himself, for he doubted she would understand his jest. Her only response was to move farther towards her exit. "What is your name? For I cannot call you 'girl-who-follows-me-on-a-daily-basis' without raising a bit of suspicion from the rest of the world."
"I am Merrin," she said hesitantly after a few moments. "I did not mean to bother you, sir. It is just that I like to watch the horses."
He smiled and nodded. "I watched my father with the horses many a day when I should have been doing chores." He laughed softly at the memory."I am Gawain, proud knight of Sarmatia. It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady." He gave her a grand bow causing her to giggle and return it with a clumsy curtsy.
Her face sobered as she studied him. "I do not mean to give offense, sir. I am simply curious. You do not seem as upset about your circumstances as the rest of your comrades."
His jaw tensed and he moved back to his horse. "It is not that I am happy to be here. I have just accepted that there is not much I can do to fix the situation. My brother Gareth travels with us. He trains to be a knight as well. He is here by choice though, not forced as first born to serve Rome." He rubbed his hand along his horse, deep in thought. "It is not so bad, anyways. I am here with friends, future brothers-in-arms. I can think of worse places to be." He gave her a small smile and walked back in her direction. "And do you not have responsibilities to attend to, little one?"
"I have none more interesting than watching horses and knights." He grinned at her response. "But I should probably be getting to the laundry house. My mother would be most upset if I did not finish washing the clothes."
"So you are the little sprite that has been sneaking into the Knight's quarters and stealing our clothes."
"Would you prefer to wear dirty clothes, sir?"
He laughed and walked towards the door of the stables. "I suppose not, though it does not really bother me much. I am sure the ladies would not find it pleasant." She giggled at his boyish statement. "Come, I shall deliver you safely to your destination. That is what knights do, is it not?"
She smiled brightly at the thought of being escorted by a knight and skipped merrily to his side, then out the door. They passed through the market square, receiving a few odd looks every now and again. Gawain stopped at a fruit cart, grabbing two apples and tossing a coin to the man. He handed one to her with a wink and bit into his own with a loud crunch. They made their way up the twisting cobbled street in the direction of the laundry house, which was located not far from the knight's sleeping quarters. They stopped outside of a small building with a thatched roof and steam-covered windows. Two young women with cloth-filled baskets came out as they approached. They silenced as they saw Gawain, who bowed politely at them as they passed. They giggled with delight and continued on their way, whispering behind their hands and glancing back at him.
He turned his attention back to the small girl in his company. "I shall take my leave and let your return to your work." He bowed once again and she replied with another messy curtsy. "I am sure I will be seeing you again at the stables in the near future," he said as he smirked and turned in the direction they had just come from. She watched him go until she could see him no more, then hurried inside to catch up on the work she had been neglecting all day.