I Will Protect You

Summary: How did Ayden meet Garrett? This is what I think happened.

Note: LOVE this movie. Probably one of my favorite animated ones. It's right up there with Anastasia, Pocohontas, The Hunchback and Notre Dame and Wall-E (I love Wall-E!) Anyway, I think this movie deserves more credit and the only way I see to do that is to...you know...right a story.
BTW - I watched West Side Story yesterday. Awesome movie. So cool. Love it. Love the songs. Sorry, Ijust had to say that. You can read my story now...

"Master Merlin? MASTER MERLIN!" I called. Most people feared the old wizard, and never called him anything except, well, "the wizard." I was never really afraid of him. He seemed to like me, for some odd reason unbeknownst to me. He asked me to call him simply Merlin, but I couldn't do that. Even Sir Lionel, who I had known for years - who constantly requested that I call him Lionel - I still called Sir Lionel.

I listened to the noises around me, hoping to hear Master Merlin's swishing robes. I caught them to the left of me, and moved towards the sound. I didn't feel a single person brush against me. It was my walking stick. They treated it like it had leprosy, no, like I had leprosy.

"Master Merlin?" I asked. The old wizard put a hand on my shoulder to let me know he was within earshot. "What's going on? I keep hearing people cry. I heard Sir Ruber-" I hesitated there. I didn't like the cranky knight anymore than I liked Medraut. Something was very suspicious about him. I didn't say anything aloud though. Who would believe a blind stable boy, anyway? I had heard some whisperings about him and Sir Lionel. I didn't like Ruber, but I didn't think he'd do something like that.

"What did you hear about Ruber, my son?" he asked.

"That…that he hurt Sir Lionel…badly," I said, hoping I was just overreacting.

"Ah…" I heard him lean against the wall.

"Mr. Merlin?" I tried to keep the fear from my voice, but that didn't work out so well.

"I'm afraid the rumors are true. Sir Lionel is…" Master Merlin hesitated. I knew it was coming. "…dead."

The one rumor I hoped was not true was true. I reached a hand out, trying to find the wall, but for once, my senses failed me. I fell to the ground, trying to catch my breath. I felt strong yet fragile hands help me up.

"Easy Garrett, easy," Master Merlin said. I put my hands on the cool wall. "I wish you the best of luck in recovering from this blow. I must talk to Arthur," he said, putting his hands on my shoulders, squeezing briefly, then walking away. I stayed there for a bit, trying to regain my composure. I knelt to the ground after a while, feeling around for my waling stick. I finally found and it and felt my way back to my room.

"Garrett? Did you hear?" my landlady, Lady Cassandra, asked.

"About Sir Lionel?" I asked.

"Yes. Oh, isn't it dreadful?" she sobbed. I heard her sit down. I put my walking stick down and reached out for her. Her hand grabbed mine and pulled to sit in front of her. I patted her hand, hoping to comfort her in any way. Lady Cassandra had been the closest thing I had to a mother since my own died years before.

"What's going to happen, Lady Cassandra?" I asked.

"I don't know. But Garrett…I don't know if I can keep you," she whispered. I looked up in shock.

"What? Why not?"

"The only reason my husband let you stay here is because Sir Lionel asked him to. Now that Sir Lionel is gone…" she didn't need to finish. I understood. Who would want another mouth to feed when the odds of him being able to eventually pay you back was little to none?

"Where will I go?" I asked.

"I don't know, but I will find a place for you," she said firmly. "That much I can promise." I laid my head on her knee, suddenly tired. "Sleep for now, my young one. We will decide everything in the morning." She started to hum, a morose melody, to match our mood. I fell asleep quickly.

"Boy! Do you think you can find some work?" Lord Marcus asked me the next morning. I shook my head. "Then…I'm afraid-"

"Not now Marcus! Wait until the boy's finished eating! I will find him somewhere to go! You go do your work and don't worry about what goes on at home!" Lady Cassandra snapped. I tried not to laugh. It was traditional for the man to be in charge and to an onlooker, it may seem just that in this household, but when no one was looking, the three of us knew who was really in charge. Lord Marcus made a face, but listened to his wife and left.

"Lady? Where will you take me?" I asked.

"I do not know, but I will find someone."

"Someone? Who? Who would want a blind boy to take care of?" I asked.

"Just because you are blind does not mean you are useless! Now eat!" she said, putting an end to the conversation. After breakfast she took me to the town and we ran into Master Merlin.

"Good day Lady Cassandra, Garrett," he said.

"Wizard? Is it possible you can help me find a place for Garrett to live?" Lady Cassandra asked.

"I think I know just the place," he said. "I will be at your home later on today," he promised and Lady Cassandra grabbed my arm, signaling that we were moving on.

Later on that day, true to his word, Master Merlin came to our home.

"Are you all packed, my son?" he asked. I nodded. "Then we must be off."

"Goodbye Lady Cassandra," I said. She pulled to her, hugging me close.

"I hope to see you again," she said. Merlin took my arm and we walked to the place he had found.

"I am sorry to say that I could not find a family for you," he said. "But, I have noticed that you do very well on your own. I came across a small hut in the forest that you can stay in until you feel comfortable finding a bigger place," he explained quickly.

"In the forest? Is it safe?" I asked him, not trying to hide the fear in my voice.

"Yes. I will send someone later on for you," Merlin said. When we got to the forest he helped me crawl around all the branches and trees. He sat me down in the hut. "There is food for you when you get hungry. Your companion should be here soon," he said, and I heard him leave. I was alone. I found my way to the bed, laid and down and thought about Sir Lionel. Knowing I was alone and no one would see me, I cried.

I hadn't left the house. I was too terrified. It had been two weeks and no one had come. I was beyond worried. I could hear everything in the forest. I knew every most of the birds. Every sparrow, raven, dove, and quite a few forest birds I had never heard. They were calming.

Wait. That was a new bird. I walked to the window, trying to place the sound. It sounded…was that a falcon? I didn't know falcon's lived I in the forest.

"Garrett?" a voice called. I looked around.

"Who's there?" I called.

"My name is Ayden. Merlin has sent me to help you," the voice said. It sounded just as wise as Master Merlin was.

"Come here," I called. I heard something land on the windowsill. I reached my hand out to find soft feathers beneath my fingers. "Ayden? The magician's falcon?" I asked.

"Yes." I wanted to say I didn't believe him, but really, it didn't surprise me. The falcon had been around for as long as I could remember. He was Master Merlin's closest friend.

"How is it that I can understand you?"

"I am the magician's falcon, after all," he laughed...er...cooed.

"How can you help me?"

"The forest trusts me. I am one of its creatures, after all. If you let me help you, it will accept you as one of its creatures as well," Ayden explained. I nodded.

"If Master Merlin really did send you, then I believe you," I said. I don't know why I trusted him, just that I did.

"I will protect you," Ayden vowed.

"And I you."

So...? I love this movie and I wish it was more popular, so I decided to write something for it. Hopefully a lot of ya'll will read it.