A/N: Another old Merlin BBC drabble I found on my laptop and wanted to put out there. Was inspired by "Arrival of the Birds" melody. Hope you'll like it :)
Summary: He couldn't move. His eyes stared forward, but he couldn't see. A face flashed before his eyes. Blue eyes. Blond hair. Memories of his youth, of his time in Camelot. Of his king.
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The moment he woke up that morning, he knew.
The air had changed. The earth was vibrating beneath his feet and no one else seemed to notice, but he knew.
He made his way quickly from his small hut at the edge of the town to the lake. He ran along the sidewalk as fast as his weak, shaky legs allowed him, never stopping to give his lungs a chance to regain his breath. His mind was full of scenarios and emotions. What would he say when he sees him? Would he recognize him? So many years had passed, and Merlin was old, so old.
He stopped near a small pile of large, wind-washed rocks by the shore, leaning heavily against it and panting as his old, aching body tried to recover. He glanced at the water expectantly, but the surface was calm. A bird was singing somewhere near, leaves and branches vibrating, the earth buzzing with energy... and Merlin smiled. The whole universe was expecting with him.
He reached his shaking hand up to wipe his brow from the sweat, and his fingers felt the familiar long, white hair on his head.
He sighed sadly.
"So old..." He muttered to himself.
Then, an idea, an insane idea, one that probably wouldn't work anyway, flashed in his mind.
"Edniwe min geoguð."*
The spell was too strong for him before, and he wasn't even sure it was the right one. But he tried anyway, pouring all of his longings and love into it, drawing his power from the earth beneath his feet, using everything he had in him to make it work.
And it did.
He stared at his hands, fascinated by the way they slowly smoothed out, skin turning young and soft and oh so familiar. He felt his bones and muscles changing and becoming stronger. His hair shortened and darkened, and when he touched his face he felt no wrinkles and no weariness. Just soft skin stretched over high cheekbones.
He smiled.
He was ready for him now.
Staring at the calm water of the lake, Merlin took a seat on one of the large rocks, closing his eyes and trying to calm his racing heart. All those years of waiting, all the pain and sorrow he went through, every single day... all of that was finally coming to an end. He just had to wait a little bit longer. Just a little bit more, and watch.
The sound of the gentle wind made him open his eyes again. And when he saw the small waves that began spreading in circles not so far from the shore, he jolted from his place on the rock, nearly tripping over his feet. His lips parted and his blue eyes widened as the movement in the water grew.
He couldn't move. His eyes stared forward, but he couldn't see. A face flashed before his eyes. Blue eyes. Blond hair. Memories of his youth, of his time in Camelot. Of his king.
A hand that reached to pull him up, accompanied by a wide, arrogant smile.
A hand on his shoulder, trying to get him to smile again.
A gloved hand pulling him into a hug. They shouldn't. He's covered in mud.
A hand running down his waist.
He tried to ignore the images in his head, but they grew harder to shake off. Memories... memories of Camlann.
A hand cupping his neck.
A hand. Holding a sword. Dripping with water.
Burning. Burning in the lake.
He let out a choked whimper, closing his eyes shut in pain. He didn't want to remember that. Not now. He hesitantly opened them again, and his gaze wondered back to the water. A soft gasp escaped his parted lips and he blinked the tears away, smiling softly.
Blond hair.
*"Edniwe min geoguð" = "Restore my youth". Used by Merlin in 3x10 "Queen of Hearts".
A/N: Don't forget to leave a review and tell me what you think, eh? :)