Oops I've started another story
I'm so sorry
This is my first Merlin fic, though
I have about 20 stories & NaNoWriMo, so update will be slow, but bear with me
I just really wanted to do this story because it's a story I wanted to read and I couldn't find it
(Apologies for pacing and general writing quality)
Arthur was flying.
He wondered if he was going to die. He wondered if Merlin was going to die.
He wondered if Merlin was flying.
Soon, he supposed, he would hit the water of the river. It was taking longer than he had supposed it would. And then, as soon as he had thought it, Arthur hit the ground.
Merlin winced as he woke up. Usually, one hears of memories trickling in slowly while regaining consciousness, but Merlin remembered it all straight away. He remembered Morgana finding them in the woods, making some speech about 'testing a spell'. He remembered Arthur pre-empting his inevitable self-sacrifice, throwing out an arm to stop him. They must have been right next to each other when the spell had hit. An even blast. So Arthur would be alright too. Hopefully.
He propped himself up on his elbows, and sure enough, Arthur was just stirring beside him.
"Arthur?"
"Where's the river?" said Arthur, face screwed up, eyes still shut.
Merlin rolled onto his front. "What?"
"The river, Merlin." He opened his eyes, still wincing against the sun, and sat up. "There was a river. Behind us. We should have landed in it."
Merlin didn't remember seeing a river, but that wasn't what was bothering him. He got up quickly and looked around. "Where's she gone?"
Arthur looked around too. He swallowed. Hard. "Merlin."
The worry in his voice was evident. Merlin waited.
"This… this is a completely different wood. I've never seen this place."
"Oh, and I suppose you know all the woods of Albion, do you?" But his voice, too, was masked unease.
Arthur gave him a condescending look, but grew suddenly alert. "Shut up and listen for a sec."
They both did.
"What?"
"Shh," hissed Arthur, putting his hand up in the direction of Merlin's face from his position on the floor. "The birds."
"What about them?" Arthur didn't answer, so Merlin listened, really listened. He understood.
"They're so quiet." He strained his ears. There was something else, underneath the somehow quiet wood. It was like no sound he had ever heard. He caught Arthur's eye, who nodded and got up.
"Come on, Merlin. Let's go figure this out."
"Well, at least we have the same sky," said Arthur, as he spread himself out beside Merlin. They had spent what remained of the daylight walking, just walking through the sparse, odd, quiet wood, and had still found nothing. And now it was night, and time to rest.
"Not necessarily."
The young king glanced over at his companion. Merlin was lying on his back, as Arthur was, his eyes staring straight above him, the corners of his mouth tugging deeply down.
"Merlin?"
"I mean, you said it yourself, this isn't Albion." His gaze flicked to the side, meeting Arthur's. "This is a whole 'nother world. We might never get home."
Arthur scoffed, looked up to the sky again. "Of course we'll get home, Merlin. Don't be an idiot."
"But how would we?" He sprang into a crouched position. His voice tightened. "It took magic to get us here, it'll take magic to get us back. I don't even think they have magic here."
Arthur sat up too, rolling his eyes. "Merlin -"
"I mean we'll never see anyone again. Not Gwen, or Leon, or Gwaine, or Percival -"
"Merlin -"
"Or Gaius -"
"Merlin, stop."
Merlin stopped. He looked silently at Arthur, trembling. He was crying. Arthur sucked his teeth for a moment, looking at the ground. He looked back at Merlin, leaning forward, but could find nothing to say.
"I'm scared, Arthur. I mean I am really, really scared." There was no shame in his voice. Just a slight tremor as the tears fell unchecked.
"Merlin…" But for once, Arthur knew that 'it's going to be fine', or 'stop worrying', or any of his usual phrases wasn't going to be enough. Still words eluded him. Merlin seemed to sense this, and looked down, away from Arthur. A broken sob sounded, though it had obviously been stifled.
Arthur looked around uncomfortably. He sighed. He put a hand on Merlin's shoulder, trying to comfort him. Merlin leaned into this touch, until his head rested on the king's shoulder. He was shaking. Still crying. Unsure what else to do, Arthur brought up his other arm, enfolding Merlin into an awkward hug. Within the hug, Merlin sat stone-like, and Arthur patted his back stiffly, and looked around at a loss.
So yup, R&R, I already have half of the next chapter written, so :P