Summary: On their return to Camelot, Sir Percival and Merlin have an adventure and Merlin learns a little bit more about his friend.
Once again, huge thanks to my wonderful beta, sarajm (and if you're not reading her story "Leon and the Servant" – go right now and read it!)
As always reviews and constructive criticisms are welcome.
The Tale of Sir Percival
It was a measure of Arthur's concern and the Knights' care for Merlin that every time he returned home to Ealdor to visit with his mother – a yearly occurrence – they made sure that at least one of them travelled with the servant to ensure his safe return to Camelot.
Of course, this was also an opportunity for one of them to enjoy some time off from his regular duties for a few days and be spoiled a little bit by Hunith, Merlin's mother, so they were always eager to travel with the lad.
This time, it was Sir Percival's turn. Since his arrival at Camelot, Percival and Merlin had become good friends and the knight was looking forward to meeting Merlin's mother and seeing where his friend had grown up.
The two men had spent a week in Ealdor and Percival had amazed all the villagers by his willingness to pitch in and help out with whatever chores needed doing. Little did they realize that Percival had grown up in a similar situation and was no stranger to hard work. While in Ealdor, the friends had managed to mend the thatching on Hunith's cottage, had helped rebuild the well and had repaired several stretches of fencing.
At the end of the week and with each receiving one last hug from Merlin's mother and wishes of "safe travels" from the other villagers, they were on their way back to Camelot.
It was an uneventful ride and the two men were quiet, each wrapped up in his own thoughts. As they were nearing the border with Camelot, Percival suddenly raised his arm and said, "Wait, Merlin. What's that?"
Merlin looked in the direction Percival was pointing and saw billows of dark smoke rising from the trees.
"It looks too small to be a forest fire," said Percival, "but too big to be a campfire. We'd better check it out. But be careful!"
The two spurred their horses to a canter and quickly entered the woods, only to encounter an unnatural silence: no birds calling, no rustle of leaves disturbed by passing deer, even the slight breeze had died down. Then, the smell of wood burning assaulted their senses. Percival and Merlin quickly dismounted and hid their horses in a nearby copse. They cautiously picked their way amongst the fallen branches and at the top of a small rise, dropped to their stomachs. Peering over the top of the ridge, they could see a small clearing and the remains of several cottages, a couple of which were still smouldering.
"Merlin, you stay here. I'm going to head down to see what's happened. If all is clear, I'll give you the signal," whispered Percival as he rose into a low crouch and headed off to the right. Less than ten seconds later, he was lost to Merlin's sight.
With one eye on the woods around him, and the other trying to pick out the large knight from the surrounding undergrowth, the dark-haired servant was feeling quite nervous and exposed. Even from this distance, Merlin could see what looked to be bodies (both human and animal) littering the ground, and the sight made him swallow heavily.
Merlin spotted Percival as he entered the village from behind what looked to be a stores hut. The Knight's sword was in his hand and from the way the tall man was holding himself, Merlin could tell all of Percival's senses were on high alert.
It seemed to Merlin that he lay on the rise for hours, but it was less than five minutes later when Sir Percival stepped into the middle of the village and waved his arm at the dark-haired lad. "All clear," he called, "but you'd better bring the horses and get down here."
Merlin stood, waved back to Percival and hurried back the way they'd come to retrieve their mounts. It was the work of only a couple of minutes and soon Merlin was stepping down the hill, leading their mounts behind him. Percival was still standing in the middle of the clearing, his eyes darting all around.
"What happened?" asked Merlin as he tied their horses to a piece of fence that was still relatively upright. "Can you tell if it was bandits, or something else?"
"I've checked every building, but there's no one left alive; even all the stock have been slaughtered. But there are no children, so I'm afraid it must have been a gang of slave-traders," said the knight.
"But no children doesn't necessarily mean they've been taken," responded Merlin. It was a sad fact that one of the first lessons every child learned was how to stay hidden during a raid. "Maybe they're all still in hiding," said Merlin in a hopeful tone.
"Normally I'd agree with you," responded Percival, "but I did see wagon tracks at the far end of this lane and several very small footprints in the dust. I'm afraid the children have all been taken. Unfortunately, there's nothing more we can do here. I think we should get back to Camelot as quickly as possible and report to Arthur what we've seen. If they are slave-traders, they'll still be in the area and will most likely cross over into Camelot."
The two men stood there, looking around at the desolation. Merlin had the beginnings of tears in his eyes as he thought about the frightened children who had not only lost their homes, but their families as well. "Can't we try to see if …," started Merlin, when Percival cut him off.
"I'm sorry, Merlin. I'm truly very sorry, but there's nothing more we can do. It's just the two of us … there is no way we can take on a large gang of armed men. Besides, we've got to get back to the castle and report our findings. Once the news gets out to the surrounding villages, people will be on alert; but until we can advise them that there are slave-traders in the area, this type of thing will continue," said the knight as he gestured at the destruction surrounding them.
Merlin was looking around the clearing while Percival was speaking, his shoulders hunched up around his ears and a dejected look on his face when suddenly he thought he heard an unusual noise.
He threw up his hand towards Percival and whispered, "hush … did you just hear something?"
Percival eyes narrowed as he scanned the open area around him. "I didn't hear any… wait … yes … this way," and he headed off at a run towards the stores hut at the edge of the clearing, Merlin following on his heels.
When they arrived at the hut, Merlin picked up a broken fence post that was lying on the ground and while he stepped to the left of the door, Percival inched his way to the right, once again with sword in hand. In a barely audible whisper, Percival told Merlin, "Push the door open and I'll go in first."
Merlin nodded, got a firmer grasp on the piece of wood in his hand and then gently pushed the door out of the way. The knight quickly stepped inside and stood with his back to the wall. A scan of the room showed nothing untoward and he waved his hand towards Merlin, indicating it was safe to enter the building.
The two men stood in the dim room, looking around. The room was mostly bare, with very little place for someone to hide. "We must have been mistaken," said Percival. "We'd better be on our way".
As they turned to leave they heard a small sound, almost like a hiccup. "Come out where we can see you," demanded the warrior in a loud voice that rang around the room.
Once again, a small sound floated on the air. It came from the farthest corner, where there was a small trough lying on its side and shoved up against the wall.
Merlin crept towards the trough, the fence post raised over his head ready to smash it down on whatever or whoever was hiding there. He peered over the lip of the trough and saw two bright blue eyes in a dirty face staring up at him. Merlin dropped the wood on the floor and turning to Percival said, "It's a child!"
Percival breathed a sigh of relief, returned his sword to its scabbard and strode over to Merlin's side.
By this time, Merlin was leaning over the barrier and was trying to coax the child out of hiding. "It's okay," said the young warlock, "we're here to help. Come on, come out of there." But the poor child was so frightened that he simply shrank further back into the corner, whimpering, and was trying to curl himself into as small a ball as he could.
"He won't come out on his own," said Merlin as he turned towards Percival. "I think he's just too frightened. I can't reach him, but maybe you can."
"I'll try," said the blond giant as he stepped forwards. Then Percival simply leaned over the trough, gently grasped the tiny child in his large hands, lifted him over the barrier and set him on his feet before the two men.
By now, the child was shaking with fear and his eyes were filled with tears. He was absolutely terrified of the two men hovering over him. Realizing that they were scaring the poor thing, Percival handed his sword to Merlin and quickly sat on the ground in front of the child, with legs crossed. Now they were at eye level.
"My name is Percival", said the Knight in a gentle voice. And with a wave over his shoulder towards his companion, he added "And this is Merlin. What's your name?"
The child simply stood there, looking at the ground and not speaking. But he'd stopped shaking, which Percival took to be a good sign, so he continued, "Don't you have a name? Well then, I'll just have to call you …..Froggy!"
The child looked up at the Knight and with a tiny giggle said in a most indignant manner, "My name's not Froggy. My name is Ari and I is 4 years old!"
"Well, Ari, I'm very happy to meet you. Can you tell me what happened? But first, are you hurt?" asked Percival. It was a valid question considering the boy was absolutely filthy: his face was covered with streaks of dirt and his hair was full of soot.
"No, I'm not hurt. But a bunch of bad men came and my Papa ran outside and my Mama made me hide and now I don't know where anyone is. Have you seen my Mama or Papa?" asked Ari in a high, piping voice.
"I'm very sorry, Ari, but I haven't seen your Mama or your Papa. Have you seen anyone else since the bad men left?" asked Percival.
"No … I've been all alone and I'm very hungry and no one came to find me", wailed the child, tears once again forming in his eyes. Ari looked up at Percival and suddenly threw himself into the man's arms and began sobbing. Percival simply held the child close, rubbing his back and making soothing noises.
All the while, Merlin had been watching the exchange between Ari and Percival in amazement. While the knight was a large, rather intimidating man, it was obvious that Percival had a well-hidden soft side. His interactions with the child made the warlock realize that there was a great deal about his friend that he still had to learn. While Percival was soothing the child, Merlin leaned over and asked in a low voice, "We're bringing him with us, aren't we?"
"Of course," responded Percival in an indignant tone. "We can't leave him here."
As he rose with the child still clasped in his arms, Percival looked down and realized that Ari was asleep, Percival's shirt clasped tightly in his little fist. The child looked so small and fragile, his head tucked into the Knight's neck. Percival whispered to Merlin, "Bring the horses here; I don't want Ari to wake and see the devastation outside. He's been through so much, he doesn't need to see what's gone on around him."
Merlin gave the child a fond smile, clasped Percival's shoulder and said, "I'll be right back," as he headed out the door.
As he stepped outside, Percival realized that Ari wasn't quite asleep because he mumbled into the Knight's shoulder, "Are we going away?"
Merlin walked up leading the horses as Percival answered, "Yes, Ari, we're leaving now. Merlin, you mount up and I'll hand Ari up to you to hold."
"No, no, I want to say with you!" shrieked the child; he was obviously afraid to leave the arms of his protector.
Merlin and Percival exchanged a look over the child's head. While Percival would have preferred to have the child ride with Merlin, leaving his hands free should he need to draw his sword in a hurry, it was obvious Ari was extremely reluctant to be parted from the gentle giant.
Merlin shrugged his shoulders, mounted his horse and said "Ari, it's okay. You just need to stay with me for a couple of moments while Sir Percival gets on his horse. Then I'll hand you back to him. I promise."
Ari gave Merlin a look that said "you'd better not be lying to me", but he did release his grip on Percival's shirt and deigned to allow Merlin to hold him while the Knight mounted his own horse. When Percival leaned over to take the child, Ari practically leaped into his arms and was quite content to settle in front of the Knight holding tightly onto the saddle. Of course, the arm across his chest ensuring he didn't slip went a great way to ease his fears at being so high off the ground.
The now-party-of-three quickly departed the wretched scene and continued on towards Camelot. Unfortunately, now that they had a child in tow, they weren't making as good time as previously and Ari was also close to falling asleep on horseback.
"Maybe we should stop for the night," said Merlin as he watched the child's head start to loll to the side as he fought to keep his eyes open.
Percival glanced down at their smallest traveling companion, smiled and said, "I think you're right. Not only do we need to get some food into him, I think a bath is in order!"
Ari heard that! "No bath, no bath," he cried as his eyes snapped open.
"We'll see," said Percival with a grin.
They soon came upon a small clearing at the edge of the trees, with a creek running through it. "We'll make camp here," said Percival as he halted his horse near a tree. He tapped Ari's shoulder and said "Can you stay here while I get down? You'll need to hold tight onto the saddle, but I promise the horse won't go anywhere."
Ari nodded his head and took a tighter hold on the saddle. Percival quickly dismounted, grasped the child about the waist and lowered him to the ground. "Don't wander off," said Percival, as he removed the saddle and hobbled his horse, but the child was too busy looking around him to go anywhere.
Meanwhile, Merlin had also taken off his horse's saddle and was putting the hobbles around her feet to prevent her from wandering off. Ari approached Merlin quite warily, but asked, "What are you doing?"
Merlin looked over, smiled at the youngster and said, "I'm tying up my horse so she won't wander away from camp. Do you want to pet her?"
"Oh, yes please!" said Ari as he gingerly approached the horse. Merlin's horse was one of the most gentle in the royal stables and was well used to children, so she simply dropped her head, sniffed the child's hair, then snorted when she got a nose full of soot. That made Ari laugh out loud and the sound of the child's laughter brought smiles to the faces of the two men.
"Ari, I've got to get dinner ready. Do you want to help me?" asked Merlin. The young child looked over at Percival, who gave him a nod, then turned back to Merlin and said "Okay".
So, the two each took a bucket and went over to the creek to get some water for cooking. Of course, being only four years old, Ari managed to trip over a rock and ended up sitting in the creek, but he was still smiling so Merlin figured no harm was done. "Well Ari, I knew you needed a bath, but couldn't you have waited for me to warm the water first?" said Merlin as he laughed with the young boy.
Ari just laughed some more and gave Merlin a brilliant smile. "After all that's happened to him," thought Merlin, "how can he keep on smiling?"
Percival was watching the antics from across the camp as he picked up some stray branches for a fire. Once he saw that Ari was soaked through to the skin, he grabbed his pack and starting rummaging through to find something for the child to wear until his own clothes were dry. Fortunately all of Percival's clothes were clean, thanks to Hunith's kindness, so he grabbed one of his shirts and headed over to the two boys who were now both splashing in the water.
"Hmmmm," said Percival as he approached the two of them. "Merlin, you're almost as wet as Ari, but at least he has an excuse. He's only four!"
Merlin just grinned at the knight, gathered the two buckets of water and said "I'll get started on dinner" as he headed back to start the fire and get cooking.
"Ari, come here," called Percival. "I'm going to give your hair a quick rinsing and then you can get out of those wet things and put this on."
"Okay," said Ari as he approached the man. "I's all wet!" he said with great glee has he held his arms out from his sides, water dripping everywhere.
"I can see that," said Percival dryly. "Come here and bend over; I just want to rinse some of the soot out of your hair. It's so dirty right now that I can't even tell what colour hair you have!"
"Like you," responded Ari as he knelt in the water. He cupped his little hands and tried to bring the water up over his head but he kept spilling it. "You help, please," he said to Percival as he looked up with big, puppy-dog eyes.
"I'll help," said Percival with a grin. He quickly rinsed Ari's hair, scrubbed the dirt marks off the child's face and had him out of his wet things and into the clean, dry shirt before Ari even realized what was going on. The shirt was, of course, much too big on the small child and it hung down almost to the ground. The sleeves were so long that even after Percival had rolled them up several times, they still fell over the little boy's hands.
Still, Ari was thrilled to be wearing something that belonged to his new-found protector and he looked up at Percival with round eyes. "For me?" he breathed with reverence in his voice.
It almost brought tears to the Knight's eyes that this small child was so enamoured of an old, worn shirt, but he just smiled at the boy and said, "Yes, Ari. It's for you".
"Thank you, Percer … Pece …. Peceval!", and he ran over to the man and hugged his knees. He then turned and ran over to Merlin, shirt sleeves flapping along behind and said, "Look Merlin. It's for me. Peceval gave it to me", and he spun around in a circle showing of his new clothing.
"That's lovely, Ari. You look very handsome now that you've got all that dirt off."
Indeed, the child was quite cute now that he'd been cleaned up. His hair was a dirty blond colour and with his snub nose and bright blue eyes, he was just adorable. Merlin smiled at the child, pointed to a nearby tree trunk and said, "You go sit down and I'll bring you your supper."
The child was quick to sit and patting the space beside him said "Peceval, you sit here with me. Merlin can sit here," as he patted the log to his other side.
"Oh, really, you're going to tell me what to do now, are you?" answered Percival in a joking tone.
"Yes, you sit," answered Ari, as he patted the space beside him again.
As Percival sat down, Merlin came over with two bowls in his hand. He gave one to Percival and the other he handed to Ari asking "Do you need any help?"
"No, I's good," he responded as he reached for the bowl and spoon that Merlin was holding in front of him. He placed the bowl in his lap and carefully grasping the spoon, began eating. After a couple of mouthfuls he looked up at Merlin and said, "Thank you, Merlin. It's good," and dived back into his bowl of food. Merlin just ruffled the child's hair, said "you're welcome" and went to get his own bowl.
The three companions ate in relative calm … well, as calm as it can be with an excited four-year-old commenting on everything he saw. It was obvious that Ari had never been beyond his village confines, which was not surprising considering his age. He was fascinated by everything around him and between mouthfuls of food was saying "Merlin, Merlin, look at that," as he pointed to a pheasant that wandered by the edge of their camp, or "Peceval, look, a bug!" as a large cricket leapt up onto the log beside him.
Soon, and to the men's relief, the little boy began yawning and rubbing his eyes. The adventures (both good and bad) of the past few days were catching up with him and Ari was obviously exhausted. His little face was pale and he had dark circles around his eyes.
Taking a quick look at the child, Merlin said, "Ari, I think it's time for bed. I've got a couple of blankets so just give me a minute and I'll get you all set up."
Ari looked up at Merlin and then over to Percival, who was now in the process of laying the child's wet clothes over a couple of branches so they would be dry by the morning, grew very silent and then his bottom lip started to quiver.
"Ari, what's wrong?" asked Merlin with great concern. The child just shook his head, looked down at his lap and wouldn't say anything. "Ari?"
Percival came over from his laundry duties, sat down and pulled the child into his lap. "Hush, Ari. What's wrong? You can tell me," said the knight in a gentle tone as he ran his large hand lightly up and down the child's back.
"I don't want to sleep!" whispered the child.
"Why not?" asked the knight.
"I don't want you to go away," mumbled the child as he turned his head into Percival's chest and took a death grip on the man's shirt.
"Oh, Ari. Don't worry; we're not going anywhere," answered Percival. "Well, tomorrow we will all be going back to Camelot, but you will be coming with us."
"Promise?"
"Yes Ari, I promise", answered the man.
"And you can believe him," added Merlin. "Sir Percival is a Knight of Camelot and he always keeps his promises. Here, I've made a bed for you right beside the fire. And you can see both Percival and myself when you lie down, so there's no need for you to worry."
Percival brought the child over to the bed, laid him down and covered him up with the blanket. He laid a gentle hand on the child's head and said, "There now, everything will be fine. You get some sleep and we'll continue on our journey in the morning."
Ari reached up, grabbed Percival's hand in his own small one and pulled the knight down to his level. Reaching up, he gave Percival a hug around his neck, then laid back down and in about three seconds was sleeping peacefully.
After having cleaned up the pots and dishes from their dinner and having fed and watered the horses, Merlin went back to the fire and sat down, leaning back against the log. He looked over at Percival, who was taking advantage of the quiet to clean his sword; he was seated beside Ari and every once in a while glanced over at the child with a wistful expression on his face.
The experiences of the day had got the young warlock thinking. His impressions of Sir Percival were of an extremely competent knight, who would do whatever necessary to ensure justice for all. He was a large, strong and, on occasion, quite intimidating man, but Merlin had seen the softer side of his friend over the past few hours. It made him wonder about the knight's background.
"Percival …"
"Hmmm?"
"I was wondering … well … you seem so good … umm … what I mean …" Merlin trailed off.
Percival looked over the fire at Merlin and said, "Merlin, just ask what you want to ask."
Merlin looked a little embarrassed but blurted out, "Well, it's just that you've been so good with Ari. And you're a knight and," as he motioned to the knight, "it's just that you're such a big man and yet you're so gentle with this tiny child. You seem to know exactly how to treat him and I was wondering …."
"Ahhh," answered Percival. "You're wondering how someone so big and strong like me can deal with little children without scaring them."
Merlin had the grace to look shamefaced, but Percival continued, "Don't worry, Merlin. I'm not upset with you. It's a valid question. Actually, I've had some experience with children."
"Oh, you mean like brothers and sisters?" queried the warlock.
"Yes, but I had a family – a wife and child – as well."
Well, this came as a shock to Merlin, to say the least. Percival had never spoken of his past and Merlin, like many others, had just assumed that the brave knight's previous life was of the usual kind.
Merlin looked over at Percival, who was now looking down at the child sleeping at his side. "I'm sure my story is not so different from that of others," he said as he put down his sword and cleaning cloth and settled himself into a more comfortable position.
"I am the third son of a knight. My father had seen many battles and had suffered many injuries over the course of his duties and he finally became so disenchanted with his life that he approached his Lord and asked to be relieved of his duties, even though he was just over a score and ten years of age. While extremely reluctant to do so, my father's Lord granted the request and even gave him a small parcel of land so that he could live out the rest of his days in peace. My father, Gerald, had also met a woman who would become his wife and my mother. They married, with the blessing of their Lord, and immediately moved to their land. There they had a small farm, a few tenant farmers and there they raised their family. It was not a typical upbringing, I know. While my father was eager to teach his sons the art of war, he was also quick to teach us the simpler, everyday tasks that we needed to know and understand in order to build a good life.
"While I loved learning everything my father could teach me about being a knight and fighting, I also enjoyed getting my hands dirty in the fields and helping out around the farms. I was always a large body, even when a child, but because I was always around, working, the children of the farms knew me and I was always their first choice for such things as giving them horseback rides and helping them climb trees and such. They were never afraid of me, and I learned a great deal about how to treat small children. I loved them and they loved me.
"Then, I met Anya. She was kind and gentle and lovely and we fell in love. She was the daughter of one of my father's tenant farmers, and she was all I wanted. Fortunately, she felt the same way and with the blessing of our families we hand-fasted in the Fall. I was the first of his sons to marry, so my father gave us a small bit of land, as a wedding present. We lived in my family's house while I and several others built a small cottage for Anya and I to live in. The next Spring we moved in, and Anya also announced she was expecting a child! I was so excited I don't think I touched ground for the first few days!
"Nine months later my little son, Wilfred, was born. Oh, Merlin, he was so beautiful! He looked like Anya, and as he grew it was obvious that while he got his height from me, his kind and gentle nature was all Anya. We were so happy.
"When my little Wilf was about two years old, I had to make a short trip on my father's behalf. He was getting on in years and was unable to make the journey himself. I was only going to be gone for two days, and while Anya kept telling me that she and my son would be fine, she also promised that she'd head up to the big house and stay with my father if she felt at all uneasy. This was the first time I would be separated from my wife and child and I was anxious and nervous and didn't want to go. However, duty called and it was only going to be two days.
"Well, what can I say? You can, I'm sure, imagine what happened and what I discovered on my return."
Merlin had been listening to Percival's story with rapt attention. He'd never heard the taciturn man speak so much, let alone of himself. But Percival's last words made Merlin's stomach clench and he felt his heart drop to his toes. Yes, he could imagine what happened next, and even though the events were in the past, his heart bled for his friend.
A sudden noise from Ari brought Percival back to the present and he reached down to settle the child. He adjusted the blanket so it was tucked under the boy's chin and he ran a gentle hand across the little blond head.
Percival look up at Merlin; he had the beginnings of tears in his eyes. As he took a deep breath to continue his story, Merlin said "Percival … I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. You don't have to tell me the rest …"
"Actually Merlin, it's all right. I've never spoken of it to anyone, but I find that I don't mind telling you about it. It still hurts, and I'm sure it always will, but I'm not upset.
"As I was saying, on my return to my village I started feeling uneasy. I just figured that it was because I was missing my Anya and my Wilf and so I picked up the pace as I just wanted to be home. As I was approaching along the road I was looking ahead to catch that first glimpse of my home, but something was obviously wrong. There was no smoke rising from any of the chimneys, and as I got closer and closer, I realized the usual village noises were absent. There was no lowing of cattle, nor could I hear any people. Now I was scared.
"I galloped into the centre of the town and all I saw … well …." Percival took a deep breath, held it for a moment and then continued on in a flat tone. "All I saw was Death. Everywhere. Like in Ari's village, all the stock had been slaughtered and the people … they were … they had … everyone was dead and their bodies had just been left where they fell. I ran to my cottage, hoping that I would find my family but as I barged in the door, I could see that my home was empty. There was no one there.
"My hopes rose as I thought 'maybe they took shelter with Father' and I ran to the big house. But it, too, was quiet. So quiet. As I entered, I could see my father lying on the ground. He was dead. But I still couldn't find Anya or Wilf. I searched the few rooms of the house, but nothing. Then I looked out back. They'd almost made it to the trees … but they weren't that lucky. Anya was lying on the ground curled around the small body of my boy. They'd both been killed, stabbed with swords. I only learned later that it was Cenred's men who committed the slaughter. And for no reason I could discover. It seems that they were bored and looking for a little fun – and what could be more fun than overrunning a small village and wreaking havoc?
"I honestly don't remember much more of that day. I remember wrapping Anya and Wilfred in the new cloak I had brought home as a surprise for my wife. I buried my wife, my child and my heart that day. Then I left, never to return.
"I spent the next few months wandering, doing menial tasks for food. I was lost and alone and was looking for a way to just end it all when I met a man, a foreigner, who took one look at me and seemed, without words, to understand my pain. He befriended me and helped me so much. He saved my life."
"Lancelot?" asked Merlin.
"Yes, Lancelot. Then we got your summons to help Arthur, and the rest you know."
"Percival, I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say. I know how hard it must have been for you to go on, and now it's the same for Ari … he's lost so much, so young," said Merlin
Percival was silent for a few moments before continuing, "All I can say is, with the help of friends and with something to keep me occupied, I've come to realize that while I will always remember, and will always miss Anya and Wilfred, I can't just give up. There are so many evils in this world and yet … I believe Arthur is the one man who can change things. I trust him and I believe in his dream … well, I guess it's our dream now … and any little thing I can do to help will make my family proud.
"As for Ari, hopefully the fact that he is so young will enable him to forget his past and let him enjoy a new life."
"Actually, Percival, that brings another question to mind. What are we going to do with him?" asked Merlin, as he added another log to the fire.
The knight looked down at the sleeping child with a fond smile on his face and said "Keep him, I suppose."
That made Merlin grin and all he said was "Good; I'm glad. And you know I'll give you whatever help you need," then he settled down to sleep.
The next morning, Ari was up with the birds and of course, if he was awake he figured the others should be, too. He sat up, rubbed his eyes and whisper-shouted, "Peceval. Hello! I's hungry."
Merlin, who was on the other side of the fire, heard the child and said, "Good morning, Ari. Did you sleep well? I'm glad you're hungry because I've got your breakfast ready. Why don't you come over here to eat, and we'll let Sir Percival sleep a little longer."
Ari looked over at his new friend and saw that Percival was awake. Percival smiled at the child, gave him a wink and said, "Go eat; I'll be with you in a moment."
After breakfast, Percival gave Ari a quick wash and helped him into his now-dry clothes. Ari was most concerned that he not lose his new shirt, but the knight was quick to say that he would be sure to pack it and when they arrived at Camelot, Percival would make sure Ari got it back. Then, they mounted up and headed off to Camelot.
By this time, Ari was well used to both his protectors and when Merlin offered to have Ari ride with him, well that suited Ari just fine. The ride to Camelot was not a long one, but the child seemed to enjoy it immensely: he spent the entire trip pointing out new and exciting things and asking all sorts of questions. Once again, Merlin was amazed at the patience shown by Percival as he answered every one of Ari's questions.
As they approached the castle, Ari suddenly grew quiet and his eyes grew very round. "Your house?" he breathed.
Merlin laughed and said, "I know just how you feel, Ari. You look just how I felt on my first day at Camelot. Yes, both Sir Percival and I live in the castle, and you will too. But we're not the only ones who live there … you'll soon see there are lots of people there. The castle belongs to the King, but he lets us live there because we work for him. Well, actually, I work for Prince Arthur and for Gaius, who is the King's physician. That means he's a healer. But anyway, I think you'll like living there."
As they trotted into the courtyard, the travellers were greeted by Lancelot and Prince Arthur, who had just finishing a training session and were heading up the steps to the castle. "Merlin, Percival, it's good to see you. Did you have a good trip? And how is your Mother?" called Arthur as he approached the two men. It was only as he got up close that he realized there was now a third member to their party.
"Who is this?" asked Arthur as he gestured towards the boy.
"That, Arthur, is a lengthy tale. And I do have some news that you must hear right away," responded Percival as he leapt to the ground. Turning to Merlin he added, "Will you be alright with Ari? Once I've told Arthur what's happened, I'll come and find you. Ari, I want you to stay with Merlin."
"Okay", answered Ari, as he looked down at the knight. Then he smiled and said "I bigger than you now!"
Percival laughed, squeezed the child's knee and said to Merlin, "I'll meet you in Gaius' chambers shortly." Then he headed off with Arthur and Lancelot up the steps towards the meeting chambers.
Merlin hopped off his horse, handed the reins to one of the stable boys and got Ari down on the ground as well. Taking the child by the hand he said, "Sir Percival won't be long, so we'll go to meet Gaius and I'll show you my room. When he's finished his meeting, Percival will meet us there." And the two headed off towards Gaius' chambers.
It took a while for the two of them to arrive at Gaius' chambers, mainly because there were lots of stairs and Ari's legs were still quite short. Finally, Merlin decided it would be quicker for them if he carried Ari horse-back style. They soon arrived at Gaius' door, with Ari peering out over Merlin's shoulder.
"This is where I live", said Merlin as he pushed the door open. Gaius was at his work table, mixing together some concoction as they entered. He looked over and saw, much to his surprise, a two-headed Merlin.
"You're back! It's good to see you, my boy. Did you find your mother in good health? And who is this young man?" asked Gaius.
Slipping the child down to the floor, Merlin answered, "It's a long story, Gaius. But this is Ari. Ari, this is Gaius. He's the King's physician and a very important man in Camelot. He's also my friend and guardian."
Ari looked over at the physician, turned to Merlin and said, "He old! Is he your Papa?"
Merlin laughed at that, while Gaius looked a little affronted, but then he smiled at the child and said "No, I'm not his Papa. But I'm the next best thing. I'm very happy to meet you, Ari."
"Hello. My name is Ari and I is four years old."
"Really? Well, you are quite the young man, aren't you?" Turning to Merlin, he added, "What is he doing here?"
"Just give me a moment, Gaius, and then I'll tell you of our adventures." Then taking Ari by the hand, he led him up to his room and sat the child on his bed. "Now, Ari, I need to speak with Gaius for a little bit. If you promise to be very careful, you can play with this," and Merlin handed his beloved dragon carving to the boy. The boy held it carefully in his hands and started examining it minutely.
"I'll just be in the next room if you need anything," added Merlin. Ari nodded distractedly and went back to examining the dragon.
As he entered the main chamber, the young warlock saw that Gaius was now seated at the table, with a cup in front of him. "Sit," he said, "and you'd better tell me the story." So Merlin sat and began to relate all that had occurred since they had left Ealdor. But he didn't mention anything about Percival's sad tale; that was not his story to tell.
At the conclusion of the tale, Gaius looked at Merlin very seriously and said, "And what do you plan to do with the child? You can't keep him; he's not a pet."
"I know, Gaius. But the poor boy has just lost his home and his family and it doesn't feel right, now that he's found us, to take that away from him too. And, in the end, it's not really my decision. Percival is quite taken with the child, and it's obvious that Ari adores him in return. I promised to help in any way I can … but I can't see a way out of this situation."
"I always thought there were hidden depths to Sir Percival," mused Gaius. "I suppose we could always find a family willing to take the child in. It would be better for him, in the end, to be in a family and to have brothers and sisters to play with."
"I suppose you're right …" mumbled Merlin.
Right then, Percival entered the room, looked around and asked "Where's Ari?"
"He's in my room, playing. He's fine, Percival."
"I've spoken to Arthur about the slave traders and he's sending riders out to all the outlying villages to warn them to be on their guard. It's the best we can do, and all we can do now is hope they've moved on to other pickings and have left Camelot alone."
But it was obvious from the look on Percival's face that he had another topic that he needed to broach. "I've also spoken to Arthur about Ari, and he's made some very good points. Merlin, as much as it pains me to say this, I don't think it would be the best thing for Ari to stay here with me. As fond as I am of the child, I think he needs a real family; my life is so dangerous. And, who will look after him while I'm on duty or out on patrol? I know you've offered to help, and I really appreciate it, but I just don't think it would be the best thing for Ari. But … I need to know that wherever he ends up, he'll be well cared for. And I'd like to be able to visit him when time permits."
"Gaius and I were just thinking the same thing, Percival. But I don't think we should upset Ari any more right now, so maybe we could take a couple of days? Who knows, maybe things will work out and he can stay here," said Merlin.
"I think you're right. Let's give him a few days to get settled into his new circumstances and then we can make whatever decisions that will need to be made. Arthur has given me permission to take only guard duty here in the castle for the next few days while we work out what to do with Ari. But right now, we'll need to find him a place to sleep."
With a quick glance over at Gaius, who nodded in return, Merlin responded, "He can stay with me for the moment. I can get a small cot in my room for him to sleep on and I'll keep an eye on him while you're on duty."
"And I don't mind helping out, too," added Gaius with a smile. "It will be nice to have a youngster around for a couple of days."
The next few days were all it took for Sir Percival and Merlin to realize that as much as they loved their little charge, it was just impossible for him to stay with them. He was a good child, but like many bright four-year-olds, he required almost constant supervision because he was into everything! Nothing was sacred, including Gaius' worktable. In fact, Gaius had taken to locking away anything breakable. Ari didn't mean to be destructive or intrusive, but everything was so new to him that it intimidated him a bit and the only recourse he seemed to have was to examine everything he touched so he could learn about it and not be afraid. But four-year-old hands are not very big, and four-year-old arms are not very strong, so chaos seemed to follow him wherever he went.
One evening, about four days after their return to Camelot, Merlin and Percival were seated at the table in Gaius' chambers, discussing with Gaius what to do about Ari. The subject of their discussion was asleep, exhausted after a day of exploring the Lower Town with Merlin.
"I think it's obvious that the child needs somewhere he can run around. He's too confined here in the castle. And, he needs to be around children his own age," stated Gaius.
"I know; you're right, Gaius," said Percival. "But I'm not sure what to do. Who would be willing to take him in? And I'm not going to send him off to just anyone."
Suddenly Merlin gave a little chuckle and looked up at the two men with a twinkle in his eye. "My mother! We can send Ari to Ealdor and he can live with my mother. He'll be safe there, and Percival, you remember when we were there? There were several small children for Ari to play with. It's the perfect answer!"
"Hunith? Merlin, are you sure?" asked Gaius incredulously.
"Of course I'm sure, Gaius. It's the perfect answer. My mother will adore Ari, and we'll know he's safe and being well looked after. And best of all, we can visit him whenever we get the opportunity," crowed Merlin.
Percival was looking at Merlin with a thoughtful expression. "I don't want to place Hunith in an awkward situation of having to say 'yes' when she'd really rather not take in a small child," said the knight with a shake of his head. "After all, she'd be responsible for him for a number of years. Of course, I'll help out and send whatever I can to make things easier for the two of them, but still …."
"Percival, believe me, there's no need to worry," responded Merlin. When I was growing up, we occasionally had children staying with us when something had happened to their parents and we were looking for other family members to take them in. My mother always welcomed the children with open arms and was always sad when they left to their new lives. Besides, I worry about her being alone, and Ari will be there to keep her company. And when she gets older, Ari will be able to help her when I can't. Don't you see, it's perfect."
"Well, it does sound ideal," mused the knight. "But I'd still feel better if she knew what was going on before we show up in Ealdor with a child in tow. Maybe we can get a message to her?"
"Well, I don't think it will be necessary, but I'll see if I can find someone heading in that direction and I'll ask them to deliver a message," responded the young warlock.
Merlin pulled out some parchment and a quill, wrote a quick note to his mother and the next morning headed down to the main gates of the castle. He managed to locate a family of tinkers who were heading in the general direction of Ealdor and who, for a small fee, were willing to deliver the note to Hunith.
A week later, Percival, Merlin and Ari were once again on horseback, this time heading out the castle gates towards Ealdor. Percival had spent the previous evening explaining to Ari what was going on: about how he was going to live with Merlin's mother, and there would be children his age for him to play with and, most importantly, Percival would still be able to visit Ari and see how he was getting on.
The child had been quite upset the previous evening; he'd become quite attached to his knightly protector and to Merlin as well and he didn't want to leave; but this morning all his sadness seemed to have been forgotten in the joy of being on horseback. He was once again chatting up a storm and pointing out all sorts of new and exciting things as they travelled along.
The three arrived in Ealdor before noon the next day and were greeted by Hunith, standing at the door of her cottage wearing a large smile.
She stepped forward, looked up at the three of them on horseback and said to Ari, "So, you must be my new guest. My name is Hunith, and I am so very glad that you'll be living with me, Ari."
Ari gave Hunith a searching look, then turned to Merlin and said, "Is this your Mama? She's pretty."
Merlin smiled at Ari, then at his mother and agreed, "Yes Ari. She is."
Hunith blushed and said, "Well, get down off those horses and come in. I'm sure you're hungry; by the time you've taken care of the horses, I'll have some food waiting for you. Ari, would you like to help me?"
"Okay," answered Ari as he held out his arms towards Hunith so she could help him down from the horse.
As they stepped towards cottage, Ari reached up and grasped Hunith's hand and started chattering on at a great pace, telling the woman all about his adventure "on the horsie".
Merlin and Percival exchanged a look and a sad smile. While they were going to miss their young friend, it was clear to them both that, right now, Ealdor was where young Ari needed to be.
A/N: I've always been quite fond of Percival and I felt he needed a back story of his own. And can't you just believe that he's a big softie when it comes to small children? Also, I know some of you will be thinking "Boy, Percival is sure talking a lot in this story"; I know he the epitome of the 'strong, silent' type, but I believe that one-on-one, Sir Percival would be much more open to conversation.