Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.
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No Stone Unturned
Daegan was traveling to a nearby village with several of his men and one servant when they came across slave traders conducting business in a field. Though finding the trafficking in human beings personally abhorrent, he saw a noble that he recognized and wished to further the acquaintance. The man, though living a considerable distance from Drachenfels, was in fact his closest neighbor.
"I see someone I wish to speak to," Daegan said to his men. He dismounted and hailed the man in question as he approached. "Conall! Hold up. Don't tell me you're in the market for a slave."
The noble turned to see who spoke. Conall was a well-fed man with the florid complexion and ample waistline of someone who enjoyed his meat and wine only too well. "Ah, Daegan. No, just morbid curiosity, I'm afraid. Yourself?"
"Just traveling through. And no, I myself have no desire to purchase a human being. I find the whole notion disgusting."
"With your fortune," Conall agreed, "you can well afford to hire servants." He started to laugh then stopped short, the sound jarring in the midst of so much human misery. He and his companion looked around, seeing mostly men and a few women chained at the wrists, a few at the ankles. There were no children, thank the gods.
"Well, I think I'll resume my journey," Daegan said awkwardly, regretting the impulse to dismount and chat up the noble. "Maybe next time we'll meet under more auspicious…." He was interrupted by a desperate-looking woman, a look of terror in her eyes, grabbing at his arm.
"Help me, milord!"
A heavyset hulk of a man rushed over and caned the back of her legs, causing her to fall to the ground. "Apologies, milord," the man said, touching his forelock. "The woman will be disciplined."
"No, that won't be necessary. I have taken no harm." Despite his vast wealth, Daegan was not titled, but he saw no reason to point that out. He had at one time been in line to inherit a title, but all that changed when his noble cousin chose to acknowledge a son born out of wedlock to a servant in his employ. By this time, thoroughly creeped out, Daegan turned in the direction of his horse and his men, Conall still walking beside him. He passed a cart and stopped short, his companion nearly walking into him. There was a body lying in the back of the cart completely covered up with a threadbare blanket. He could faintly make out the gleam and shape of chains around the waist and wrists. Surely a dead body would no longer require chains. Overcome by curiosity, he reached down to pull back the blanket from the face.
"Daegan…," Conall said, uneasily. "What are you doing? He's probably dead."
He was not dead. Daegan could see barely perceptible movement of the boy's chest and hear his faint raspy breathing. He had skin as pale as marble and tousled hair the color of a raven's wing. There was something familiar about him. Daegan reached down and, grasping the boy's chin, turned his face toward him. The slave half-opened eyes that were of a deep blue color framed with dark lashes. He had been drugged, and the side of his face was bruised. Daegan eased his torn and bloody shirt up over his ribcage on one side. He had recently been badly beaten, possibly that very day, and the man wondered if some of his ribs were broken or cracked.
"Milord!" It was the large, rough-looking man that had struck the woman. He hurried over to the cart. "You don't want that one. He's damaged goods. We have several fine-looking specimens. Very strong. Let me show you."
Daegan suddenly remembered where he had seen the boy before. His name was Merlin and he was the personal servant to Prince Arthur. He had accompanied the prince, Lord Torr, his son (and Daegan's cousin) Justin, and the knights of Camelot to Drachenfels where they had stolen the firebird from him. Okay, freed the firebird if you wanted to get technical about it.
He dropped the thin blanket back over the boy's face and turned toward the rough-looking man. "What will happen to this one?" he asked in a bored tone, like the subject barely interested him.
"That one?" the man said, a sly look in his eye, "He'll be taken care of."
Daegan repressed a shudder. Impossible to mistake the man's meaning. They would kill him, possibly slitting his throat, and bury him in a shallow grave. He thought rapidly. He did not know the prince that well. If enraged, was the man ruthless enough to sell, possibly even give his servant to slave trafffickers? He had no idea, and he owed the prince no favors. But one thing he remembered, Justin had been on friendly terms with the servant, and he (Daegan) wanted the artisan's good will.
"He is young," Daegan said, as if mulling over a thought. "What are his injuries?"
The large man looked as if he wanted to argue. "Let me show you others in excellent condition."
"His injuries?" Daegan repeated coldly. He raised his hand to summon his men to him. They rode in his direction.
"His ribs are cracked, maybe broken. I don't know." the man said reluctantly, with a glance at the approaching men. "And one of his kneecaps was shattered."
"Why was he beaten?"
"He kept mouthing off, and he wouldn't do as he was told. You don't want him."
"Personally, I feel up for a challenge." Daegan allowed a sneer to appear on his face. He felt Conall glance at him in surprise.
"Ah, I catch your meaning, milord," the rough-looking man said, suddenly more agreeable to the proposition.
"You'll be giving me your bargain rate seeing as how he's - how did you put it? - damaged goods."
There was a bit of haggling over the price just for form's sake. The thug had no idea that Daegan would have paid nearly any amount to gain possession of the boy.
"Done!" Daegan said with satisfaction. He had the chains removed but kept the blanket wrapped around the servant as much as possible - probably half his men would recognize him, and he wanted no questions, no startled gasps of recognition. "Careful, he's badly injured." Two of his men lifted Merlin up to a third to ride slumped against the man's chest.
Conall was left staring thunderstruck at them as they rode off.
a/n: This story contains a number of original characters from my previous stories.
