Author's Note: This is a sort of prequel to the play Camelot. In the play in one of his conversations with Gwenevere, King Arthur mentions that the way Merlyn taught him was by turning him into different animals. I took that conversationas my inspiration and wrote about it. It's different from the norm, but I hope you like it. Feedback please! Let me know what you think!
King Arthur: Lessons
Running, more running, it seemed like everywhere he went he was running. He hated these short legs. His lungs were gasping, greedily trying to take in as much air as they could possibly hold. Everything looked so big! The blades of grass were even taller than he was. It was scary. He hadn't been a tall lad to begin with; he was actually a bit on the short side, but lord, an ant! That old wizard is probably just still angry over finding me dressed in his robe, Arthur thought. I would have never done it if it weren't for losing that bet. How did Lancelot know that that was going to happen? I thought I was dead when the old man caught me. Though it was a might funny at the time. Lord, the look on his face when he saw me…no amount of gold or riches would seem as precious as that! But now, he was starting to regret doing it. He had to pick an ant. A petty, small, puny, useless ant to change me into. At least the fish had potential to be amusing. But an ant, for weeping in front of an audience, he whined to himself.
Thump! Thump!
Thump! Thump!
Uh oh…
Someone was coming up behind him, but being at the size he was, even the slightest footstep would make the ground quake from underneath him. Also, whoever was coming upon him probably couldn't see him, which made matters worse. Arthur didn't think, though, that the wizard, no matter how livid, would let him die…especially as an ant. Besides, he was king; how could he reign if he wasn't walking among this earth anymore? He paused in his running and turned around, peering behind him for the monstrous threat. At the last moment, he spotted four large hooves gaiting his way. Before he had a chance to move out of the way, a large shadow descended upon him and the legs of a fine steed flew above him. He would never look at a mount the same way again.
He breathed a sigh of relief, and continued on his journey. He said to head this way to find what I should wish to know. He is certainly a wise wizard, most of the time, but I wish that he would just tell me to my face in place of… wooooah!
The blades of grass that had been surrounding him had just parted, revealing an overlook to a small valley. Arthur the ant crawled up to the end and stood looking out upon a large city containing many thousands of ants, all of them chatting away while working.
"Come on, pull!"
"Follow me."
"You've just about got it."
"All carrying leaves part this way. Those with seeds continue down the middle. All others follow down this path to the right."
A colony of worker ants were carrying out many different jobs, some carrying food, some building up a large mountain, and others training to fight in a far off corner of the valley. They were all busily scurrying around, each committed to finishing their assigned task. There were some ants that were obviously encouraging and directing the others to their work. It all functioned like a well-fed horse team.
"Hey you! Up there! Where ya off ta? Ya should got back to ya woik. We gots lotta do befoe the winta comes we 'ave."
Arthur looked around, spotting another ant carrying a large grain, at least five times larger than himself, on his back.
"Ey kiddo. Didench ya 'ear me? I says we gots alotta woik thata needs to be done, so snap off to it." The other ant was talking to him.
"Who me?" Arthur asked.
"Oiy, yes ya lad. Ooelse da ya thinks me was talkin' ta?"
"Uh, no one, of course. Back to work." Arthur followed him down the hill towards the valley where the colony was busily working. As he walked down the hill, he noticed a line of ants heading off to his left. The other ant in front of him was nodding his head towards it. It took Arthur a couple seconds to realize that it was once again talking to him,
"Thar ya go lad. There's ya line, now 'urry an be gone. Snap off." Arthur meandered his way over to the line that the other ant had told him to join, while looking in wonder at how well all the ants worked together. He had never seen anything like it. He was lost in his own thoughts, and didn't realize that he had been following on down the queue. Everyone works together for one greater cause. There's no petty quarrelling or disputes over property, they all share, and they work together helping each other out. He had unwittingly made it to the front of the line now.
"Okay, here you go kid, now take it back to the colony." Arthur didn't realize that this was directed towards him until he felt a heavy object drop onto his back. He let out a small "oomph" and braced his back against the heavy burden. "That way kid, come on." The supervisor ant pointed him back the way he came, he realized: back towards the colony. He lugged his load back the way he came. Because he was carrying such a heavy weight on his back, he couldn't slip into the same state of incognizance he was in earlier, his mind, however, did wander somewhat.
He noticed how many lines of ants there were, all working, all having a purpose. They all set about their job without complaining because it was their duty. Their main thoughts were always on the colony. Each had his own job and carried his own load back and forth, like Arthur himself. I never knew that ants did something other than aggravate you when you weren't minding your step. He deposited his cargo at the storage pile, which was basically a large mound of grain, seeds, and other plants he was sure was food, but couldn't presently identify.
Arthur turned back around, preparing to return to the line that would take him closer to his second cargo, when a large shadow once more descended on him. He tried to peer up at it, and recognized the face. It was an older man with a long flowing gray beard. He scrutinized the anthill until his gray eyes met Arthur's gaze, and a small smile graced his face. He pointed a wand directly at the future king, and murmured an enchantment. Arthur recognized the action, but couldn't discern the words. They sounded distorted because of their difference in size and the wizard's proximity.
Arthur felt something hit him, like an invisible shockwave that reverberated through his bones. The shaking only got worse and more violent as he realized he was changing once again. He recognized the feeling as he had been changed like this several time before into the ant form, a fish, and a bobolink. As a bobolink, however, the transformation was a might startling when feathers started to pop out of delicate places. His antennae retreated back into his head as he began to grow in size, and his arms grew back out of his body as his many legs came together to form the human normal of two. His large ant's abdomen shrank as well as his head, until both his backside and his head were as they were before. He kept steadily growing in size until he reached his full height, and the transformation was complete. He turned and looked at his wizard mentor:
"Ah, Merlyn, how good it is to truly see you again." He walked over to him and embraced his arm in a friendly manner. "I was starting to wonder if you had forgotten about me."
"Arthur, my pupil, never would I forget about you; the people would have my head, had I left their king as an ant." He quipped with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. The two men, teacher and student, had a unique friendship in which they commonly enjoyed teasing one another.
"Yes, yes. We need to talk about your choice of animals. Maybe next time I could be a lion, or maybe a great horse, but I don't favor being that small ever again," Arthur joked.
Merlyn's smile lessened and his countenance grew serious. He looked the boy king in the eye and said, "My forms that I choose are forms that will teach, not for amusement," Arthur's smile also vanished when he realized that the wizard had switched tones and was no longer his best friend, but he that had resumed the role of teacher. "Now, what did you see and what have you learned?"Arthur thought for a moment before recalling what he had been thinking about when he was an ant. "I saw a colony of small creatures creating something magnificent. They banded together for the greater good."
"Good, good. But, what does it mean?"
"Umm… Even a creature, small and useless on its own, can do great things when banded together with others. People must unite under one cause and each must bring their own strengths with them." At this statement from Arthur, Merlyn's smile returned. Apparently pleased with his answer, he patted Arthur on the back and started walking back to the castle grounds where they resided.
"You have learned much since your time as another. You must remember each experience and never forget it, for it will be useful knowledge in the future."
Arthur turned once more to watch Merlyn's retreating back before following after him. Yeah, I did learn form it, but that doesn't mean I liked it. Yuck, I hate ants. He sighed a long, deep sigh and hoped that he never had to do that particular animal form ever again!
A week later, Merlyn found Arthur sword training with Lancelot in the outer courtyard. The young king hadn't had a lesson with Merlyn, where he was changed into an animal, since the time he was an ant. He hadn't told anyone but his best friend, Lancelot, about it. He told him about everything that Merlyn had done to and with him.
Lancelot had laughed and joked with him about how he would be forever checking under him armor boot for any squished ants, and wondering, 'Did I just squish the king?' That had sent Arthur into a bought of laughter until his sides had hurt. Every morning, before Arthur would go to Merlyn for his lessons, he would train with his friend. Today, they were practicing close quarter combat. Lancelot had shown him a useful move that had not only amazed Arthur, but also it seemed one that he couldn't copy. He had thrown up his sword into the air from the ground using his foot, caught it in midair, and did a nasty backslash before bringing it around and throwing it horizontally, like an axe, into a bundle of hay they were using as a target for throwing daggers. Arthur had cut himself many times before they decided it was best to replace it with a wooden sword until he had completed the act without problems.
It was thus the young king was occupied when Merlyn came up behind him. Arthur was just about to kick up the sword with his foot when he startled. Since he was only on one foot, he slipped and landed on his back, looking up, literally, at Merlyn. Lancelot had tried to stifle the laughter that was just urging to come forth. He failed miserably, and Arthur sent him a dirty glare that told him to go eat horse droppings.
"Come Arthur," Merlyn said, "I have another lesson for you." Lancelot had come over and helped Arthur up and was currently brushing his back clean of dirt.
"Now Merlyn? Lancelot and I were-" Arthur didn't want to leave just yet. In fact, he didn't want to leave until he perfected that trick, but Lancelot had cut him off.
"Come now Arthur, it is fine, I do not mind if Master Merlyn takes you for an hour or two. The sword and I will still be here for a while yet." That earned him another dirty look from Arthur.
Merlyn nodded in silent amusement, "Thank you noble Lancelot. I have every intention of bringing him back." Great now they are treating me like a borrowed horse.
Arthur left Lancelot chuckling in his wake while following Merlyn out the gates onto the castle grounds while facetiously murmuring under his breath something that sounded curiously like, "I get no respect from my people."
Merlyn led Arthur to a field, one of the furthest from the castle, yet still within a safe distance.
"Today young Arthur, will you learn another valuable lesson. One that will hopefully answer many problems in the future, one that will ensure peace to your kingdom." The old wizard pulled out his wand form a hidden pocket inside his robes and pointed it towards Arthur. "Ready young one?"
"Merlyn, you better not turn me into a mouse." While Arthur had responded, Merlyn recited the enchantment that would change the lad into another predetermined animal form.
The shockwave hit once again, and the young king could feel, through the shaking, the modification of his body. His nose shrank a little and developed a hook in its beak. A beak! Yes, it's a bird, more flying. Arthur enjoyed flying a lot more than swimming in the lake as a fish, although both were cartloads of fun. His body grew smaller and developed feathers. That was one part he didn't like: feathers. They were awkward growing in. His arms subconsciously began to flap as they grew into beautiful dark brown wings with stripes of gold, which raised him off the ground. As his feet lifted, they shrank into sharp-clawed talons.
When, at last, the transformation was complete, Arthur now was no longer a young adult, but a stunning and sleek hawk. Oh yeah, much more likeable to an ant! He thought. He flew over to perch on Merlyn's arm and await his instructions.
"You must look at everything you see and rethink all that you have previously thought to be true. Then come back to me and tell me what you have discovered." He pushed his arm out and Arthur let out a loud screech of understanding that echoed throughout the field, and took to flight. "Now fly!" Merlyn encouraged, and Arthur sailed high into the sky.
Everything passed so quickly as he went higher and higher. Trees and grass blended together and became streaks of green on his peripheral vision. When he leveled off at a high enough altitude, he looked down upon the ground to study it more intently. He saw a lake a little further in front of him and lush forests on one side, and beautiful fields on the other. Being a hawk he had a finely in tuned perception of resonance that allowed him to hear every little sound: the sheep bleating, the bovines mooing, the mounts neighing, little feet of field mice scurrying, and, from the castle, he could hear swords clashing. Lancelot no doubt.
Arthur took his time, flying around and making lazy circles in the sky, not doing anything specific. He enjoyed the feel of the wind rustling through his feathers, and how it felt to push down his wings against the air to take him higher. He was a hawk and, he decided to himself, that he was going to enjoy every minute he had of it until Merlyn called him back.
He flapped his wings once more before pulling them in close to his body and pointing his head towards the ground. He started to plummet to the ground in a freefall, spinning like a plane in a nose-dive, until the last moment where he unfolded his wings and pulled out of it, only gliding a foot or so above the ground. Then suddenly, the ground disappeared, and he looked down, water had replaced it. An irresistible urge to drag his talon in the water came over him, and he quickly capitulated. It felt sooooo good. He turned his head behind him to view the wake he was creating, and, satisfied, he curved back up into the sky.
He visited the other extreme as he danced within the clouds, leaving a small trail of disturbed vapor marking where he had been. This is amazing, he thought. He had never been able to go this high as a bobolink, in fact he pretty much had to stay near both the ground and Merlyn, but now, he felt free. Nothing could hold him back here.
Coming out of the clouds, he glanced back down at the earth. He had flown much farther than he anticipated, and idly thought that maybe Merlyn might be a little worried, but he quickly brushed that thought away. Merlyn can be worried all he likes, I'm having fun. No harm can come to me up here. Besides, Merlyn doesn't have to worry, he's the most powerful wizard I know; he can do anything. Arthur gazed at the land that was passing underneath him. He saw beautiful green fields, lush forests full of wildlife, lone trees scattered here and there, and herds grazing on the fertile grass. Everything looked so small, yet it continued on for forever, as far as his eye could see. And I rule this, this is my kingdom, he thought, and was struck with an overwhelming sense of awe and amazement.
One thing he didn't realize, however, was that he had been flying longer than he should have. The spell was only supposed to last for an hour or two at most and he was just about over that time limit. In the past, when Merlyn had decided that enough time had passed, he would overwrite the spell and end it earlier. Merlyn really was worried, for he realized the danger if Arthur didn't return shortly. For a little while, while Arthur had been in the sky, he had repeatedly berated himself for forgetting that Arthur, though grown up in some ways, was still very much a young lad, and therefore still acted like one at times. He should have told Arthur of the time limit, and the dangers, but he had thought that Arthur would be as simple as to fly up, notice what he needed, and return immediately after. He should have known better.
Arthur meanwhile had been having the time of his life, just simply flying. He had completely forgotten about what Merlyn had wanted him to do, in fact, he had forgotten about everything. Being an ant wasn't as pleasurable as this; he didn't enjoy it, so therefore, he had wanted to find out what Merlyn wanted him to see and have it be over and done with. He lifted his right wing up and veered to left, then lifted his left and curved to the right; he continued switching back and forth, oscillating in the sky. Arthur was about to start another turn when suddenly he didn't feel quite right. He stopped turning and flew straight for a little while when, unexpectedly, he felt like someone punched him in the gut and all the breath was knocked out of him. He dropped a couple of feet in response before regaining his vertigo. He took a deep, nervous breath. That has definitely never happened before. He wasn't sure what to do. His mind now promptly went back to the thought he had conveniently put on the backburners about Merlyn. He'll know what to do. Merlyn, in Arthur's mind, now became the safe port in a storm. He turned back around and started to quickly fly off towards the direction where he last saw his wizard teacher when, he again dropped a couple feet. He, for the second time, felt the air in his lungs disappear, but something new happened this time. His talons were no longer talons, they were a pair of human legs, his legs!
Now that Arthur realized what was happening, he wasn't nervous: he was terrified. He tried to will his wings to move him faster, but his legs were causing too much draft and really threw off his flight pattern. A third invisible fist impacted with his lungs, and this time his head was back to normal and he had lost his tail feathers which had given him balance. All that was left on his body that was reminiscent of a hawk were his wings, which were now pitifully small compared to his normal human body. However, this time when he had fallen, it wasn't just a few feet. He had lost a considerable amount of altitude, and it took longer for him to recover from it. Sweat broke out on his forehead from the effort it took to keep him in the air. He was now flapping his wings furiously and futilely in place of a normal steady and slow beat.
As if in slow motion, his wings grew out into his regular arms, and he lost all capability to fly or, at very least, to keep himself in the air. This time, though, he was spared the moment of suffocation when all air was forced out of his diaphragm. It felt like forever before he started to freefall, for the second time that day, back first, towards the earth. However, this time was unlike his first, that one he had control over, he wasn't scared, he had had wings; not true for this time.
He couldn't believe it was happening, it was as if someone else was falling, someone else was going to come to a sudden stop. He didn't think anything, he didn't scream or yell or curse god for this awful waste of life; he couldn't because it wasn't happening to him. The air resistance had long since flipped him so he was now falling facing the ground. He could see it coming up to meet him.
Abruptly something stopped him. He wasn't moving down anymore, he was now moving forwards, no longer perpendicular to the ground, but parallel to it. Arthur turned his head to see what it was that had saved him and caught a glimpse of a large eagle with a body black as tar and whose tail and feet were as pure white as snow freshly fallen, in which the horses hadn't yet had time to trod in and dirty. It's talons and beak were such a bright orange-yellow that they grabbed your gaze and kept hold of it. It also had a lone strip of white on the front of its wings. It was truly a beautiful bird. It's talons had imbedded themselves in his shirt jacket and was carrying him slowly back down to terra firma. Arthur sighed a magnificent breath of relief the moment his feet had hit the ground. Weariness had made his knees buckle underneath him when they tried to support his weight. How had something so wonderful turned into something so dangerous? Was his first thought as he emerged from the state of shock he had slipped into. He was having the most fun of his life when he was up there, and in the other extreme, he had the most terrifying event of his life when he was up there.
He became aware of quiet footsteps only a split moment before he saw the tips of a very familiar and welcome pair of boots. Merlyn. Merlyn saved me.
"You fool! Do you know what you could have done?" Okay, I presume I deserved that. "You could have killed yourself had it not been for Stellse." At the mention of her name, the beautiful eagle gave a slight cry from its perch in a nearby tree behind Merlyn. Arthur realized at this moment that the old wizard had actually been worried for him. However, it wasn't his fault: he hadn't known that the incantation would wear off.
"I didn't know!" He retorted in defense of himself. "I didn't think that the spell had a time limit." At this declaration, he could see Merlyn realize this fact, and swiftly change the topic of conversation.
"Very well, I capitulate that is my fault. However, more importantly, what did you see?" What did I see?
He told Merlyn of all the fields, forests, trees, and lakes he saw. He told him also of the herds of sheep and bovines, and the horses he saw out in pasture; but it was obvious this wasn't what Merlyn had wanted him to see.
"True that is what you saw with your eyes. Perhaps I should ask this another way; what have you not seen?" Merlyn asked with a little exasperation.
"What didn't I see?" he asked himself. He saw a lot of… freedom, so what he didn't see was…Oh, I don't know! "I didn't see the inside of some dark room in a dank castle where I didn't see a teacher lecturing me on useless things about sight!" He vociferated back at Merlyn, frustration lacing his tones. "I don't know what you want me to see or to not see!"
"You mustn't raise that tone with me Arthur. Now get your young mind out of the clouds and think about what you have discovered."
"Nothing, I discovered nothing!" Their raised tones were starting to aggravate Stellse. She shifted uneasily and lightly batted her wings.
"Nothing! Nothing! Arthur, do not tell me you have learned nothing!"
"I thought that was exactly what I had told you. You cannot expect me to know everything!"
"I do not. You yourself have told me of how you know nothing."
"Merlyn!"
"Do not! I will never try this again with you if it is to amount to nothing. Fare thee well for today, Arthur, I depart now. I do believe that I have promised Lancelot for you to return shortly," Not that you have had much good in that regard, he muttered under his breath, "Do not make me a liar." With those as his parting words, Merlyn stalked back to the castle, leaving Arthur alone on the field with Stellse.
He looked at the eagle and tried to reason out his anger towards Merlyn.
"He expects too much of me that…that…that wizard! I didn't discover anything; doesn't he get that? Arrggh!" He spotted a convenient rock nearby, picked it up and threw it with all his might, letting out all of his anger in that release. He collapsed down, on the ground and looked at Stellse. "I didn't see anything," he said exhaustedly, as if all strength had been drained of him. He was speaking to the black and white bird, but it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself.
He sat like that for who knows how long before he got back up and started walking back to the castle. Stellse flew off her perch and slowly glided over Arthur, being careful to keep with him the whole distance, like a sentinel.
Merlyn and Arthur continued their lessons after a couple weeks of avoidance, but that was the last time Arthur was ever changed, by Merlyn, into another animal form. Their friendship was repaired, as was the rift that forced them apart temporarily. Many years later, when talking with Gwenevere, he would come to discover the truth about what he had seen, or not seen, that day. But Merlyn was right; it was a lesson that would help Arthur become one of the greatest kings ever known. So great, that he would become legendary.