Light from the full moon cast a brilliant glow across the dark sea waters. The waves slowly lapped up against the white sand of the beach. The air became eerily still as a faint figure rose from the sea. The dark silhouette moved toward where the water met the land. A pair of pale feet emerged from the black water. A girl with brilliant light hair took in her surroundings; a small smile crept its way across her face as she began to walk away from the ocean and further up the beach.
"Thanks again for
coming with me into the village today, Merlin" Gwen said as they
passed another cloth vender. "I hate going into the village alone.
It's so much more fun when someone else comes along."
"Of
course, because cloth shopping is the highlight of my day, only
second to washing Arthur's soiled tunics." Merlin replied
sarcastically.
Gwen smiled. "Cheer up. If you're a good boy I'll spare a few coins and buy you something. Would you like that?"
Merlin forced a weak smile. "God, you sound like my mother."
"Well, it doesn't help that you're acting like a child." Gwen returned.
Merlin chuckled. "Alright, alright I'll be good."
Gwen smiled. "That's more like it."
The pair waded throughout the crowded village surrounding the magnificent castle of Camelot. The aromas of cooking food floated throughout the many stalls that lined the pathways. Venders from all over the continent sold their goods: Exotic oils from Egypt, vases from Italy, statues and marble from Greece; there was so much to take in. Gwen stopped at a vendor from the Middle East who had a large assortment of dark material. As she looked over the material the vendor kept insisting to her that the cloth was pure satin, the finest in all of Baghdad, Merlin's eyes began to wonder. He watched the people walk past him: mothers with hoards of screaming children tugging on their sleeves, chickens and other livestock being transported here and there, homeless men begging for scraps of food or money in the street. Suddenly, a booming voice caught Merlin's attention.
"I've told you for the thousandth time, you can't pay with those!"
Merlin searched the crowed for the origin of the angry voice.
"What do you think of this color, Merlin? Do you think Morgana would like this? Merlin?" Gwen asked. But when she turned around, Merlin had disappeared.
Merlin searched the crowded market place. He couldn't quite locate where the voice was coming from; until he saw her.
A small, pale figure dressed in a green tunic was standing in front of a vendor whose face was turning purple.
Merlin made his way to where the girl stood. "Sorry, but what's all the hubbub about?"
The vendor turned his attention to the tall, gangly boy in font of him. The man was portly with violent green eyes. He was dressed rather well off for a villager, but the accent in his voice proved that he was a foreigner. His hair was gray and thinning and as he fumed, it floated back and forth to the rhythm of his breathing.
"This young lady is refusing to pay me for this cloak!" he bellowed.
Merlin faced the girl. "Is this true?"
The girl faced Merlin. Her eyes were a brilliant emerald color, complementing the pale color of her skin. Her hair was a brilliant light blonde and it went down past her shoulders in waves. Now that Merlin was closer to her, he noticed that the girl was wearing a tunic made out of a queer material; seaweed or some sort of gauze material. It was tied around her neck and went down just above her knees. No wonder she wanted a cloak. She stared at Merlin with a childlike innocence. Was she also a foreigner? Did she not speak the King's language? Merlin tore his eyes away from the mysterious girl and looked at what she had apparently tried to use to pay for the cloak.
"Sea shells?" Merlin asked.
"Sea shells!" the merchant cried. "How am I supposed to feed my family with sea shells?!"
Merlin picked up one of the sea shells and showed it to the girl. "You can't pay with this." He said. "I don't know if this is what your people pay with, but I'm sorry to say, it won't suffice here."
Merlin took the girl's hand to return the shell to; as he did so he felt how unnaturally cold her hand was. And as she spread her fingers to retrieve the shell, he noticed something between her fingers. It almost looked like a thin layer of skin was linking one finger to the next.
The girl wasn't as awe struck as Merlin was. She looked more confused than anything.
She must really be a foreigner Merlin thought.
The girl's eyes narrowed as she snatched the shell, slammed it on the vendor's stall, and pointed violently at a green cloak hanging on a rack.
"Not again! She keeps doing this every time I give her the shell back!" the vendor cried in anguish.
Merlin frowned. He was completely at a loss. He picked up the shell again and held it in front of the girl's face.
"Not money." He insisted. "You need real money. Gold"
The girl stared for a moment. Maybe now she was starting to get the picture. Her eyes started to open widely.
Finally! Now we're making progress! Merlin thought as he smiled.
But before Merlin could properly pat himself on the back, the girl quickly reached up and grabbed the sides of his jacket; pulling him closer to her face. And before Merlin knew it, he was locking lips with the mysterious girl. Shock, confusion, and happiness shot through his body as he stood there awkwardly kissing the strange foreigner. But he began to feel something else. Something strange. He felt like something was being taken from him. Like something was being absorbed by the girl. Merlin began to go limp in the knees, a feeling of coldness coming over him.
"Merlin?!"
The girl broke the kiss and Merlin spun around to face the confused and shocked face of Gwen. She was holding the dark satin that was at the previous vendor's stall in one hand and her purse of gold coins in the other.
"Gwen! Um, it's not what it looks like!"
Merlin became very aware that an audience had now gathered around them, watching the melodrama paying out.
"Well, now that that's over." came a light voice.
Merlin returned to face where the girl was standing. The look of confusion on her face was now completely gone. She ignored Merlin and the other onlookers, returning to he vendor.
"I'm so sorry, my good man, but I was unaware that my money wasn't of any use here. Please pardon my ignorance."
The vendor gawked at the now English fluent girl. "Um, it's alright?"
The girl flashed him a brilliant smile. She turned to look at Gwen and Merlin.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Is that your money in that purse?"
Gwen nodded slowly.
"Would you mind if I borrowed three gold pieces? I promise I'll return the favor in some way."
"But, I have three pieces exactly." Gwen replied. "And I promised Merlin…"
Merlin snatched the purse from Gwen. "Consider this your repayment to me for the cloth shopping." He removed the three gold pieces from the bag and slammed them on the vendor's stall. "Give the lady her cloak!"
"Is that really a tree? Are these rocks? And those things in the sky; birds right?"
"Yes, that is a tree, those are rocks, and that is indeed a bird." Merlin replied, amused at the girl's newfound curiosity.
Gwen rolled her eyes. "You would have thought she's never seen any of these things before."
"Maybe because she hasn't."
Gwen snorted. "Who hasn't seen trees, rocks, and birds before? It's not like they're that hard to miss."
The now threesome made their way back to the castle, stopping every few minuets to answer the now very chatty girl's questions.
After what seemed like the billionth time they had to stop to answer a question, Gwen glared at Merlin.
"For goodness sakes, why did you have to bring her with us? At this rate we'll arrive at the castle after nightfall!"
"What was I supposed to do? Leave her there?"
"She would have made her way back home at some point or another." Gwen said as she began to walk again.
"But she's obviously a foreigner." Merlin replied. "Home might not be as close as the castle is to us."
"How do you know she's a foreigner? She speaks the same language as us."
Merlin gathered his thoughts for a moment. "But, when I was trying to explain to her that her money wasn't good, she looked at me like I had horns coming out of my head. It was as almost if she couldn't understand a word I was saying."
"Well, you wouldn't get that impression now, would ya?" Gwen said. "Asking all those questions; it's rather odd."
"I'll take her to see Gaius. Maybe he can make sense out of all of this." Merlin replied. He and Gwen looked over their shoulders to see if the girl was following them. Sure enough she was still behind them, marveling in her new cloak. She noticed their gazes and flashed them a brilliant, almost unearthly, white smile.
"My, my Merlin. You go to the market to purchase cloth and you come back with a young girl! How inconceivable!"
Merlin rolled his eyes. Now wasn't the time to question Merlin's moral standards. "Gaius, we found this girl in the market place. She doesn't seem to be from around these parts."
"I could have told you that." Gaius returned with a joking tinge in his voice. "Just look at her. She's the palest creature I've ever laid eyes upon. And those eyes; marvelous!"
Gwen snorted again. She was propped up against the left far wall in the cramped quarters that Merlin and Gaius shared. Her arms were crossed and her eyes were narrowed. Every person in the room could feel the hostility radiating from her; all except the girl who was sitting in a stool in the middle of the room.
Gaius paced around her, never taking his eyes off the curious creature. The girl followed him with her emerald eyes, a slight brightness in them. Almost as if she was enjoying watching the old physician as much as he was enjoying trying to figure out whom exactly she was.
"She was trying to pay for that lovely cloak with a shell, you say?" he asked Merlin, still never moving his eyes away.
"That's right." Merlin replied.
"And her skin is rather cold, correct?"
Merlin paused. "Yes."
"Hmmmm." Gaius paused and thought hard. "And she kissed you?"
Merlin blushed, Gwen snorted, and the girl smiled. "Y-yeah."
"Well then. Had a little bit of fun with our boy Merlin here, didn't you?" Gaius said smirking.
The girl tilted her head. "'Fun?' I needed to absorb the language."
Gaius's face suddenly became serious. "Absorb the language?"
The girl nodded. "I couldn't correspond with the vendor and the boy appeared. I took advantage of a good situation."
"You most certainly did, my dear." Gaius replied, the smirk returning to his face. "Gwen?"
Gwen stepped forward. "Yes, sir?"
"Gwen, would you please find a dress for our little miss here? Preferably something blue or green? Correct, my dear?"
The girl smiled widely and shook her head in agreement.
Gwen pursed her lips. "Of course."
Merlin gave Gwen a fleeting 'I'm sorry' glance as she walked out of the tiny room. She quickly shot back with a 'save it' scowl.
"Merlin, close the door." Gaius instructed. Merlin obeyed and joined Gaius.
"And you said that her hands were rather odd, correct?"
Merlin nodded, not quite sure at what Gaius was getting at. Gaius held out a withered hand to the girl.
"Your hand, my dear?"
The girl hesitated, but eventually placed her smooth white hand in Gaius' hand. He gently spread her fingers. Merlin's eyes widened.
"What is that?" he asked in a hushed voice.
"That, my boy, is webbing. She has webbed hands and feet as well I presume." Gaius replied.
"Wait. Webbing; like a duck?" Merlin asked, still in disbelief.
"Please, Merlin. Don't compare this lovely lady to a duck! Have some respect. You may or may not believe it, but we are in the presence of an ancient being of great intellect. Isn't that correct my dear?"
The girl smiled. Merlin stared at her. "Ancient being of great intellect? Her?"
Gaius smiled. "A mermyd. Never in my years would I have ever thought I'd be seeing a live mermyd!"
"Mermaid? Like the things with half the body of a human and half the body of a fish?" Merlin asked.
"Hardly!" the girl suddenly cried. "Those self absorbed man eaters! How could you compare someone like me to something like that?"
Merlin's mouth dropped opened. "I'm really very sorry, but I've never heard of a mermyd."
"I'm not surprised." Gaius replied, carrying a giant book over to where Merlin and the girl sat. He placed it close to Merlin and pointed at a drawing.
"Mermyd: A human like creature that varies in appearance and behavior. They are considered avid learners and they have an above normal intellect. They are attracted to green and bluish colors along with shiny objects. Mermyds live at the very bottom of the oceans and hardly ever come near the surface." Merlin read aloud.
"Until now," Gaius said smiling. "This is brilliant; absolutely brilliant!"
Merlin closed the book. "But that doesn't explain…"
"The kiss?" the girl finished.
Merlin could feel his face turning red again. The mermyd must have noticed because she gave a small giggle. "The one thing that book didn't specify is how we can attain all of that intellect. We absorb information."
"So, when you kissed me…?"
The girl nodded. "I was taking a little sample of your language. And, I forgot to say, thank you for being a more than willing volunteer."
"Sure; anytime." Merlin replied scratching at a nonexistent itch on the back of his neck.
The girl seemed to revel in Merlin's awkwardness. A sudden knock emitted from the door and Gwen entered the room.
"I found this dress in the storage rooms. I hope it'll fit her."
Gaius took the dress from Gwen and examined it. "I'm sure it'll be perfect."
"So, what's with her then? You get any information?" Gwen asked.
"Yeah, more than enough." Merlin replied looking bashful.
"Oh my goodness!" Gaius suddenly exclaimed. "How horribly rude of us. Here we are asking all of these questions and never inquiring your name."
The mermyd smiled warmly. "It's quite all right. Eilwen. My name is Eilwen."
Eliwen pranced around the room in her new clothes. It was a lovely blue form fitting dress with a drape across the shoulders and long white sleeves. The sleeves floated around the girl's tiny frame as she spun around.
Gaius had excused himself to fetch the girl some food. Merlin sat on a stool at the small table in near the center of the room, playing babysitter. He read and reread the passage about the mermyds in the book Gaius had given him. He read the words so many times, his eyes started to become blurry. Merlin looked up from the book and saw Eilwen admiring herself in a window.
"You must really like that dress." He said after a few moments.
Eilwen spun around to face him. "Oh yes, very much so."
She said it with such a joyous tone that Merlin couldn't help but smile. "I'm glad. It does look very lovely on you."
Eilwen returned the smile. "Thank you." She moved away from the window and sat across from Merlin at the table.
"Now that you've asked me questions, I want to ask some."
"Haven't you already asked questions? Does trees and birds ring a bell?" Merlin asked playfully.
"Those were just simple questions. I want to know some more intricate information."
Merlin closed the book and crossed his arms on the table. "Ok, I'll try to answer them as best as I can."
Eilwen thought for a moment. "Where exactly am I?"
"You're in Camelot."
Eliwen paused again. "I've heard of that place. Who is the king?"
"King Uther Pendragon."
Eilwen nodded. "Thought as much. And his son?"
"Arthur."
"Right." Eilwen collected her thoughts once again. "So, my lessons were all correct."
"Lessons?" Merlin inquired.
Eilwen nodded. "Mermyds are educated in many fields of study. Human Anthropology is my favorite."
"Human Anthropology? You actually learn about us?" Merlin asked a little amazed.
"Of course. We learn about as many human cultures as we are able to."
"How do you acquire such information if your people never come to the surface?"
"We take the books and logs from sunken ships. You wouldn't believe how many ships sink every year or so, it's unbelievable!"
"So you knew about Camelot, the King, and Arthur before you arrived here?" Merlin asked.
"Yes. But the records said absolutely nothing about you." Eilwen said tilting her head again.
Merlin shifted in his chair. "I'm not all that important."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Eilwen said.
"What?" Merlin said, a tad dumbfounded.
But before he could get a clearer answer out of Eilwen, the door swung open.
"Dinner time, my lady!" Gaius cried as he set a plate down on the table. A strong, pungent odor quickly filled the room.
"Ugh! What is that?" Merlin exclaimed as he used his hand to try and wave away the smell.
"Ah! Raw fish; how lovely!" Eilwen said enthusiastically clapping her hands together.
Gaius beamed. "Only the very best for such an honored guest."
Merlin looked at Gaius, shocked. "You can't feed her that, she'll get sick!"
"I don't think she minds." Gaius returned, looking at Eilwen. Merlin turned his attention to the girl and the now empty plate.
"You are very aware that this girl must not reveal her true identity to any other person in this castle, right?" Gaius said after a long time.
It was now night as Gaius addressed Merlin who was staring at Eilwen. The mermyd had taken a seat next to the fire with a book in her hand, turning the pages with incredible speed.
"I kinda got that impression." Merlin replied. "Having webbed fingers would be an interesting conversation starter."
"I'm serious, Merlin." Gaius said in a grave voice. "People today don't believe in such creatures. If they would happen to discover this girl was a mermyd, hell would surly unleash its wrath on the kingdom. And just thing of what Uther might do to her."
Merlin's blood suddenly ran cold. If Uther found out what Eilwen was…well, Merlin didn't want to think about what might happen.
"So, what will we do with her?" he asked.
"Treat her like a welcomed guest, I would imagine." Gaius sighed. "I'll find her a pair of gloves to hide the 'you-know-what."
Gaius stood up from his seat at the table and walked over to where Eilwen sat, still engrossed in her book.
"I believe that you should get some rest, my dear. You've had a very long day."
Eilwen nodded; closing the book.
"Get a lot of rest for tomorrow because I'm sure Merlin would love to take you on a tour of the castle tomorrow, wouldn't you Merlin?"
Merlin straightened up. "Huh? But, what about the whole 'not letting anyone know about her' speech?"
Gaius put his hand behind his back. "Well, it's not like we can keep her cooped up all day. Just be careful with her, as I know you will be. I'm sure she would love a little walk around. Wouldn't you?"
Eilwen's eyes flashed and she smiled.
"But what about Arthur? I'm supposed to be with him at sword practice tomorrow." Merlin protested.
"Oh I'm sure Arthur won't mind you taking time away from watching him stab haystacks." Gaius said chuckling. "Now, off to bed the two of you!"
Merlin began to rise when a thought struck him. "Gaius, where is Eilwen going to sleep?"
Gaius just smiled.
The floor was not comfortable at all, even though Merlin tried to place as many blankets there as he possibly could.
"Be a gentleman, Merlin. Give up your nice warm, cozy bed to the fish girl, Merlin. Figures." Merlin whispered to himself as he tossed and turned on the floor.
Eilwen slept soundly on Merlin's cot; making the occasional whining here and there.
This was completely unfair. Merlin was only trying to help a distressed foreigner, and look where it got him: sleeping on the floor of his own room! Not only that, but Gwen was obviously cross with him after the whole kiss situation. But they were only friends; why would she be getting all upset about something as trivial as that? And it wasn't even like Merlin enjoyed it or anything. It wasn't a real kiss; just a way for Eilwen to learn his language. And she obviously didn't enjoy it, right?
"Nah, she couldn't have." Merlin said out loud. Maybe a bit too loud, because after he said that, Eilwen shifted on the bed. Merlin waited to see if he had woken her. After a few moments of silence, he figured he hadn't. Until:
"Merlin?" came a soft whisper.
Oops.
No response.
"Merlin, are you still awake?"
Merlin shut his eyes and bit his lip. Should he answer her?
A pause. "I'm sorry, Merlin."
Now this got his attention.
"Sorry for what?" he asked cautiously.
"For what happened today." Eilwen replied.
"Like what?" Merlin played dumb.
"Kissing you, upsetting your girlfriend, and taking your bed."
Merlin shifted onto his right side, facing the bed. "First, I forgive you for the kiss; second, Gwen is not my girlfriend; and third, I blame that on Gaius."
Eilwen made a small giggle. "Your master can be quite persistent, can't he?"
"You have no idea." Merlin grumbled.
Eilwen also shifted on the bed. "And about your 'friend' Gwen; if she isn't your girlfriend, why is she so upset with me?"
"Dunno." Merlin replied honestly. "She gets a bit weird sometimes."
"Ah." Eilwen said, almost to herself. "I'm quite looking forward to tomorrow."
Merlin suddenly realized what 'tomorrow' was. "Yeah."
"I've always wanted to see what Camelot looked like on the inside." Eilwen continued. "I want to see if it's just like the records describe."
"It is truly amazing." Merlin replied, reminiscing about his own first encounter with the magnificent castle.
Another pause. "Thank you for being willing to show it to me. I hope I'm not being a bother."
"Well, it sure beats watching Arthur for hours on end stabbing the hell out of inanimate objects." Merlin realized, suddenly relieved at the thought.
Eilwen adjusted the covers on the bed. "Arthur. I wonder what he's like."
Merlin snorted. "Oh, he's something alright. Just you wait."
A sliver of light made its way through the dust covered window in Merlin's cramped room. It fell across the room and rested upon Merlin's closed eyelids. The heat became unbearable; making Merlin stir. He didn't know how long he and Eilwen had stayed up talking, but it must have been while; he was still rather tired. As Merlin began to feel conscious, he noticed that there was something laying halfway on him. Upon further investigation, he soon realized that it wasn't a something but a someone. Eilwen was laying on Merlin's left side, grasping his shirt; nestled into his chest, still fast asleep. In his sleep deprived state, Merlin saw the whole situation as rather surprising; he let out a yelp and jumped up off the floor. Eilwen stirred slowly awake as thundering footsteps arrived at the door. Gaius rushed in and assessed the situation.
"What was the dreadful noise?" he cried as Merlin paced the room.
"I don't know! I woke up and she was sleeping on me!" Merlin replied pointing wildly at Eilwen who yawned.
Gaius looked from Eilwen to Merlin and then from Merlin to EIilwen. A small smile spread across his face. "Did I stumble upon something?"
Merlin stopped pacing; the sudden realization of what Gaius was implying horrified him.
"Oh please not that again! It's nothing like that at all! She must have fallen or something during the night." Merlin replied.
"Huh? Is it morning already?" Eilwen asked, oblivious to the commotion around her. She looked at where she was sitting; a slight look of confusion crossed her face. "Why am I on the floor?"
"You tell me!" Merlin said.
Eilwen looked at him strangely. She looked at the floor and then back at Merlin. She must have realized what had happened because her eyes suddenly became very wide.
"Oh my goodness!" she cried as she stood up. "I'm so sorry! I knew something like this would happen!"
"Something like what?" Gaius asked.
Eilwen's face turned pink. "Sometimes I fall out of bed when I sleep. It's been happening ever since I was a little girl."
Merlin and Eilwen stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Elwen's face full of remorse, Merlin's face full of shock.
"Well then!" Gaius said clapping his hands together. "Breakfast anyone?"
Eilwen stayed as far behind Merlin as she could; noticeably still embarrassed over what had happened that morning. Merlin walked as quickly as he could; the sooner this little tour of the castle was over, the sooner he could get rid of Eilwen and possibly go about doing what he normally did. The tour started out awkward and fast pace. Merlin showed Eilwen the kitchen, main dining room, ect. She seemed very interested about the tapestries that adorned the rooms and hallways, but she was hesitant in asking about them. Maybe Merlin shouldn't have yelled at her this morning; but, it was quite shocking waking up next to a strange fish girl. Merlin led Eilwen up the south tower steps and onto the pathway overlooking the castle grounds. The early afternoon breeze wafted over the top of the castle. The breeze also brought with it the sounds of clashing metal.
"Ah, here we go." Merlin said leading Eilwen to the wall; pointing over the side. "You wanted to see Arthur, well there he is."
Eilwen leaned over the wall, following Merlin's outstretched finger.
Arthur was on the castle grounds below, sword in hand, fighting with a broad shouldered man. Arthur blocked the opponent's advances with heroic grace. Merlin glanced over at Eilwen to see her reaction. Eilwen just stood there, eyes fixated on Arthur, wonder and amazement in her eyes. Merlin felt a tinge of something in his stomach; but just as quickly as it had appeared it had disappeared. He decided now would be a good time for some small talk.
"So," he started.
Eilwen quickly met Merlin's eyes. "Yes?"
"So, um, you like Camelot then?" he asked scratching his head.
Eilwen nodded enthusiastically. "I love it! It's 100 times more impressive than my king's castle."
"What's your king's castle like?" Merlin asked, suddenly interested.
Eilwen thought deeply for a moment. "Well, it's completely made out of coral and shells. There are no doors, only little portholes where the mermyds swim through and there are three pillars that represent the three mermyd clans that inhabit the sea."
Merlin perked up. "There are different kinds of you?"
"You could say that. Each clan has their own characteristics that define them. Like me for example: I look like you except my hands and feet are different."
"And the absorbing language thing too, right?" Merlin added.
"Actually, that's a characteristic that all mermyds share. It's something that we have developed over the decades."
Merlin's eyes widened. "Decades? That's not possible, you look no older than nineteen."
Eilwen blushed slightly. "Thank you, but it's true. My people age very, very slowly. I'm actually three-hundred years old."
Merlin was completely interested now. "Tell me more about your home. What is it like? What do your people do? How is it different from here?"
"Well, we have a king, like you do. He's very just, but very set in his ways. We have markets like yours. We use shells and other items that we find to bargain and trade; hence why I tried to use a shell to acquire that cloak.
"We have elders who teach us everything that are in our records. We have physicians, much like your master, Gaius, who treat the ill."
"And the different clans?" Merlin asked.
"There are three united clans: the Yellow Tail Clan, the Red Fin Clan, and the Blue Shell Clan. I'm from the Blue Shell Clan, the clan which our king is descended from. The Yellow Tail Clan is mostly made up of physicians, the Red Fin Clan consists of warriors, and the Blue Shell Clan is made up of scholars and those who are avid learners."
"Wow," Merlin said breathlessly. "that's incredible! So many different clans, all specializing in different fields; and you all live peacefully?"
"Most times." Eilwen replied, her tone changing slightly. "There is one way that peace is maintained among all the clans. The king must marry his daughters to the sons of the diplomats of the other clans. That way, there is a connection among the clans."
"Ah, like what we do here." Merlin said.
Eilwen nodded. "I'm not fond of it. Other than that, I love it there. It's so peaceful. You know, it rains there; but it's a different type of rain than what you have here. Instead of rain drops, tiny little bubbles rise from the bottom of the sea floor and make their way up to the surface."
"Like a backward rain shower." Merlin said. "Brilliant! But, if you love your home so much, why did you want to leave it? Your people hardly ever come to the surface, and I'm pretty sure you didn't just come here to take a stroll."
Eilwen's face fell and Merlin regretted asking the question. Eilwen turned to face where Arthur was still practicing; eyes lowered. "There were happenings that I didn't agree with."
Merlin felt sorry for the poor girl. Whatever had made her come here troubled her deeply. Merlin turned to where Arthur was standing on the ground. He had stopped fighting and was now whipping his face and neck. Something in the corner of Merlin's eye caught his attention. Another one of Arthur's other servants was carrying an armful of swords; probably on his way to get them sharpened. The servant looked a few years younger than Merlin and was visibly having trouble carrying all of the heavy swords. Merlin leaned closer to the edge; a bad feeling creeping over him. And then he saw why: a large rock was in the path of the struggling servant.
"Please miss it, please miss it." Merlin begged quietly.
But the servant was completely unaware of the obstruction in his path. Merlin watched in horror as the servant approached the rock; his foot catching on the side of it. As he fell, the swords flew out of his arms and headed straight for where Arthur stood.
Merlin concentrated hard on redirecting the falling swords. He could feel his power swell up within him; directing his energy at the swords and causing them to slow down. They hovered for a moment and then quickly fell to the ground right behind Arthur's back. At the sound of falling metal Arthur spun around.
"What in the hell happened?!" he cried at the bewildered servant.
A symphony of curses and scolds followed. Merlin felt sorry for the poor servant, but a few harsh words were better than an injured, or dead, Arthur.
Merlin chuckled at his own cleverness. But his joy was short lived when he noticed Eilwen staring at him. Dread soon flushed through Merlin's body. Had she seen him use his magic?
Merlin gawked as he waited for Eilwen to say something.
"M-magic?" She stuttered. "You can use magic?"
"Oh no." Merlin groaned.
"I have no idea what you're talking about!"
Merlin walked swiftly back down the corridors; Eilwen close behind him.
"But I saw you! You used magic!" She cried.
Merlin stopped and spun around. "Keep your voice down, will you?"
Eilwen's eyes got big. "So you admit it, you can use magic!" she whispered. "You know, I thought I felt that there something different about you when we kissed."
Merlin rolled his eyes, ignoring the kissing comment. "I didn't admit anything. I just want you to keep your voice down. What if someone were to see you? You still don't have a pair of gloves to hide those hands of yours."
Eilwen lowered her eyes in quiet apology.
Merlin straightened up. "Right then, better be off to see if Gaius could find you some gloves."
As Merlin started walking again, a tiny voice behind him said. "I knew it."
Gaius poured over his books, searching to see if his guess about the mermyd was correct. And if it was, Gaius was going to have a mess of trouble on his hands.
The door to the tiny apartment flew opened and an exacerbated Merlin walked inside. Eilwen followed close behind him repeating: "But I saw you!"
Merlin stopped and grabbed Eilwen by the shoulders. "I've told you a thousand times: I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"
Eilwen, not taken aback by Merlin's sudden aggression, continued. "But then how did those swords just float to the ground? They were heading right for Arthur, and you saved him."
Merlin, still holding Eilwen's shoulder, hung his head.
Gaius, who had kept quiet up until this point, gingerly put his hand up. "Merlin, I think it's quite alright to tell her."
Merlin slowly raised his head. "Are you positive?"
Gaius nodded. "I think your secret is safe with Eilwen. Now if you excuse me, I best be off looking for those gloves."
Gaius exited the room; Merlin sat down, exhausted.
"Alright fine, I can do magic. Are you happy now?"
Eilwen took a seat in front of him. "I knew it!"
"Oh you're so clever." Merlin said sarcastically.
"Yes I am thank you." Eilwen replied. "And don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your abilities; as long as you don't tell anyone about mine."
Merlin sat up. "What?"
Eilwen smiled as she reached for a glass filled with water that was sitting on the table. She placed her hand over top of it; closing her eyes. Suddenly her eyes flew opened; they were now a magnificent shade of blue. Eilwen slowly raised her hand that rested over the cup. A small, stretched column of water followed the upward motion of her palm. She raised her other hand and slowly shaped the water into a small globe.
Merlin sat there dumbfounded. "Magic?"
"Something like that. Water sorcery." Eilwen replied, visibly enthralled with Merlin's reaction.
Just as quickly as she had started, Eilwen guided the water back to the cup; her eyes returning to their normal emerald color.
A wide smile broke across Merlin's face. "That was brilliant! How did you do that?"
Eilwen shrugged. "Years of practice. And I guess it looks like you're not the only one who has a big secret around here. Well, other than the obvious" Eliwen flexed her webbed fingers.
Merlin chuckled as Gaius returned to the small room. He had a lovely pair of white gloves in his hand. "Here you are, my lady." He said presenting them to her.
Eilwen nodded in thanks and admired the gloves.
"Did you two behave while I was away?" he asked.
Merlin looked at Gaius and smiled "I think we got along just swimmingly."
Merlin couldn't sleep that night; and this time it wasn't because of the floor. For the rest of the afternoon and into the evening Merlin asked as many questions as he could think of about water sorcery.
Eilwen had told him that it was an ability that her people were born with and as they grew, so did their abilities. The most powerful mermyds were the elders; they were the ones who had the most control over their powers.
"So, you're not in control of your abilities?" Merlin had asked.
"Not quite." Eilwen had replied. "My sorcery is fueled by my emotions. If I were to get incredibly upset about something; well, let's just not think about that."
"That sounds like me." Merlin said, a tad bashful. "I can control it most of the time, but there are moments where I feel it's controlling me."
Eilwen nodded. "That's exactly like me! I'm so glad to hear someone else has that problem. Back home, I'm the only one out of my four-hundred and fifty brothers and sisters who can't completely control their powers."
"Woah, big family. Family reunions must be a laugh" Merlin said.
Eilwen groaned. "You have no idea. But, who wants to hear about my family troubles. What about you? Are you the only one who can use magic here or are there others?"
"If there were I wouldn't know." Merlin replied simply. "Uther outlawed magic."
"What? But how can that be? If we were not allowed to practice our water magic it would be just like telling us we're no longer allowed to breathe!"
"Well, it's not exactly like that, but it's just as bad. I have to keep my powers hidden from everyone. It does become quite troublesome at times."
"I can imagine." Eilwen said. "I just feel so sorry for you. Having to keep your true self hidden like that." She reached across the table and placed her hand upon Merlin's.
Merlin, taking full advantage of Eilwen's sympathy, gave the best forlorn look he could muster. "Oh yes, it is absolutely dreadful. Having to hide something from the people who are closest to me, it really hurts inside."
Eilwen nodded. "I can tell. But, you don't have to feel alone anymore."
Merlin considered this. Eilwen was right; he wasn't alone anymore.
"Yeah," he said smiling. "I guess I'm not."
The next morning, Merlin was summoned to Arthur's chambers. Merlin already knew what Arthur wanted to see him about, so he prepared himself for the verbal abuse that was to ensue.
Merlin knocked on the chamber door and Arthur granted him entrance. Arthur stood before a full length mirror, adjusting his shirt. Before Merlin could get the first word, Arthur beat him to it.
"I was wondering where you were yesterday." He said motioning Merlin over to help him adjust his clothes. Without hesitation, Merlin rushed over and began to assist Arthur.
"I'm sorry, Arthur." He said.
Arthur ignored his apology and continued. "You missed a very interesting practice. Some idiotic servant almost impaled me!"
"I'm glad that you're not injured." Merlin replied.
"Oh, are you." Arthur stated. "I'm sure you were loving it."
Merlin stopped adjusting Arthur's shoes. "Excuse me?"
Arthur turned to face Merlin. "Don't think I didn't see you watching up near the tower."
"Ah." Merlin said looking down.
Arthur returned to looking at himself in the mirror. "I won't ask for specifics, but I would like to know who that lovely girl that was with you is."
Merlin panicked. He was completely unaware that Arthur could see them. He tried to think of a way around it.
"What girl?" he played dumb.
"I'm not an idiot, Merlin, I saw you with a girl. Who is she and what is she doing here?"
Merlin thought quickly. "Her name is Eilwen and she's…Gaius' granddaughter."
"Granddaughter?" Arthur asked. "I didn't think Gaius had children let alone grandchildren."
"Well, they're not related by blood. He…adopted her."
Arthur paused. "Adopted, you say?"
Merlin desperately hoped that this was working. "Yeah, you see her parents were real good friends with Gaius. They recently died leaving the poor girl homeless, so she decided to pop in and stay with Gaius until she can find a place to stay permanently."
Arthur seemed to be buying it. "Well, that makes sense. But why was she with you yesterday?"
"Gaius told me to show her the castle."
"Well, I could have done that." Arthur said straightening his tunic. "Rather have it done right."
Merlin cocked an eyebrow. "Of course."
Arthur took one last look in the mirror. "Bring her with you to dinner tonight. I would like to meet his Eilwen."
Merlin froze. "Um, I don't think that would be a good idea."
Arthur glared at Merlin. "And why not? I don't want to be rude to a guest."
"She's, um, a little…odd."
"How so?"
"Well, she's from a village far, far, very far away from here and she might have difficulties with our customs."
"What village is she
from ?"
"Um, the Blue Shell village."
Arthur thought for a moment. "I've never head of it."
"Oh, it's quite a far ways out. Near the sea I believe." Merlin said.
"Interesting. You may go now, Merlin." Arthur said waving Merlin away.
Merlin made a slight bow and exited the room. But before he could completely close the chamber door Arthur shouted one last thing.
"I will see you and Eilwen at dinner tonight."
Merlin winced. Perfect.
"Absolutely not!" Gaius exclaimed when Merlin told him about Arthur's invitation.
"But he expects her there." Merlin replied.
Gaius shook his head. "I won't have it. What is something happens to her? What if they find out what she is? Pandemonium will erupt! I told you to be carful with her."
"Don't go blaming this on me. What about you? 'go show her around the castle, Merlin'. How did you expect something like this not to happen?" Merlin fought back.
The two continued to argue; their voices growing louder and louder.
"Enough!"
Merlin and Gaius immediately stopped arguing and looked at Eilwen who was sitting at the table.
"I will go to
dinner." She said standing up. "I will be careful, I promise you.
And please stop treating me like a child; I have a right to decide on
my own, don't I?
Gaius and Merlin exchanged looks; a bit
embarrassed about their argument.
Eilwen placed her hand on Gaius' arm and smiled. "I'll be fine, don't worry. And besides, Merlin will be there." She looked at Merlin who gave her a small smile.
Gaius took a deep breath. "Alright, you may go." He patted her hand. "Have a lovely time."
"Are you ready yet?" Merlin asked outside of his bedroom door. Eilwen had been getting ready for about an hour now. Dinner would be getting underway in less than twenty minutes and Merlin did not what to have her be fashionably late.
"Almost!" she called back. "I'm just having a bit of trouble with something."
"Need help?" Merlin asked.
"Yeah, could you?"
Merlin opened the door. Eilwen stood in front of a full length mirror. She had exchanged her blue dress for a light green one, without the long draped sleeves. She wore a gold sash around her waist and her hair was partially done up in the back. Merlin gawked for a moment. Eilwen noticed him and bade him to come over.
"It's this necklace." She said. "I can't ever seem to be able to fasten it."
Merlin noticed her straining to fasten the necklace. He carefully took the two sides of the necklace from Eilwen's gloved hands. After a few tries, Merlin got the clasp to fasten. He placed it carefully on the back of Eilwen's neck, accidentally brushing up against her skin. The coolness of her skin made Merlin shiver. How could someone so small feel this cold? He hoped that Eilwen couldn't feel his almost blazing hot fingers on her skin. She mustn't because she continued to adjust the necklace in the mirror. Merlin gazed at the reflection the necklace made. It consisted of tree strands of silver pearls; starting close around her throat and continuing down her chest. But that's not caught his attention; on the last strand was a giant green stone. It looked like it had been polished repeatedly because it shone so clearly.
"That's quite a gem." Merlin commented.
"It is isn't it?" Eilwen replied, turning to face him. "It's something that we mermyds call a sea stone. We are each given one to guard until we find its rightful owner."
"Owner?" Merlin asked.
"Someone we see as important; destined for greatness." Eilwen replied.
Merlin thought for a moment. "Arthur?"
"That's what I'm hoping." Eilwen said. "But we'll see."
"Yeah." Merlin said, a tad bit rejected. But the feeling soon subsided when he noticed how close he actually was to Eilwen. He realized how big her eyes really were; and how more green they were than blue. Her hair was more silvery than blond; her skin wasn't completely white; she actually had freckles across her nose and on her cheeks. And she must not be as cold as she felt, because he could feel a little bit of warmth escaping from her tiny frame.
Eilwen shifted uneasily and Merlin realized that he had been staring at her longer than he should have. He could feel his face getting hot again.
"Dinner then?" he asked.
"Dinner then." Eilwen said, smiling.
"Now remember what I told you: you're Gaius' adopted granddaughter. Your parents were great friends with him and after they died you decided to stay with him until you can find a permanent place to live. Remember to keep your gloves on at all times. Oh, and don't talk about mermyd stuff."
Eilwen rolled her eyes. "Yes father."
"I'm serious, Eilwen. The last thing I want to see is you getting your head chopped off!"
Eilwen smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I've been to royal banquets before; I know what's expected of me."
Merlin stopped. "You've been to royal banquets? But how…?"
Eilwen must have caught what she had said; her mouth opened and closed making her look like a fish. But before Merlin could get a straight answer out of her, a smooth voice came from behind them.
"So, is this the fair maiden that Arthur has taken a sudden interest in?"
Morgana, accompanied by a less than enthusiastic Gwen, stopped near Merlin and Eilwen. She was dressed in a sleeveless purple tunic that was tied around her neck. Her raven black hair was curled loosely and trailed down her back. She smiled warmly at Eilwen, who returned the gesture.
"My, my, it seems he
was telling the truth. You are quite a sight to behold. Don't you
think so Gwen?"
"Yeah, she sure is a sight." Gwen
answered rolling her eyes.
Merlin gulped; this could be bad. He hadn't seen Gwen since the day he met Eilwen. In all honesty, Merlin was a little afraid to talk to Gwen since then. Could she still be that upset over what had happened?
The answer was clearly yes. Gwen looked Eilwen up and down; her features motionless.
"Well, we mustn't be late." Morgana said. "It was lovely to finally see you." She bowed her head slightly to Eilwen who also returned the bow. Morgana walked on; Gwen close behind her. Merlin smiled at her, but Gwen ignored him.
It was going to be an interesting night.
The room was filled to the brim with nobles and high class officials. People were gathered in groups holding friendly conversations. The atmosphere seemed like a fairly calm one; that was until Eilwen and Merlin walked into the room. A few people turned around to witness the newcomer; but then one after the other, more and more people stopped having their nice little private conversations to stop and stare. The once noisy room was now dead silent.
Merlin glanced at Eilwen, who didn't seem to really notice everyone staring at her.
"This isn't awkward at all." Merlin whispered to Eilwen. But Eilwen didn't respond; her mind was definitely on someone else at that moment. Arthur appeared from the mass of guests; dressed in his best red tunic. He stopped in front of where Eilwen stood.
"Everyone back to what you were doing." He said waving his hand. "Stop making the lady uncomfortable."
The guests took one last look at Eilwen and slowly returned to their conversations.
"Lady Eilwen I presume?" Arthur said kissing her hand.
"You presume correct, my lord. It is quite an honor to make your acquaintance." Eilwen replied.
"The honor is certainly all mine." Arthur returned. "I must say; you are quite an exquisite girl. I've never seen someone with hair that fair before."
Merlin could see Eilwen blush from the corner of his eye. A little flicker of anger flashed through his body. Merlin was quite aware of what Arthur was doing; and he didn't like it. Eilwen wasn't like the other girls that Arthur wooed and Merlin prayed that she used that high intellect of hers to see right through Arthur's charm.
But that obviously wasn't going to happen.
"I would be very honored if you would sit besides me at dinner." Arthur said.
"I would be more than happy to, my lord." Eilwen replied.
Arthur made a slight bow and offered his right arm to her. Eilwen curtsied and graciously accepted it.
"Come Merlin." Arthur instructed. Merlin rolled his eyes; following slowly.
Arthur carefully pulled Eilwen's chair back so she could sit. Arthur took a seat next to her; Merlin stood behind him. Morgana was seated on the other side of Arthur; Gwen standing behind her. Merlin inched near her.
"Gwen." He whispered.
She didn't respond.
"Gwen. Gwen. Gwen."
"What do you want Merlin?!" she finally said.
"Are you still upset?"
She grunted.
"I'll take that as a yes." Merlin said. "I'm sorry about what happened. That kiss thing was one of Eilwen's customs. It's, um, a greeting."
"Oh really?" Gwen asked. "So then why isn't she all over Arthur? Or Morgana for that matter?"
"Honestly, Gwen. Can you please stop being like this; I just want us to be friends again."
Silence. "I guess that's how it's going to have to be. Ok, I forgive you."
Merlin wasn't quite sure what Gwen meant by that first part, but at least she had forgiven him.
Merlin then turned his attention back to Eilwen.
"Where are you from, lady Eilwen?" he heard Arthur ask.
"I come from a village near the sea, up north." Eilwen replied sweetly.
"A village? How can such as beauty such as you come from a meager village?" Arthur said.
Merlin rolled his eyes.
"Merlin tells me that you're Gaius' adopted granddaughter."
"Oh yes, you see he was good friends with my mother. And when she died I decided to stay with him for a while; at least until I can find somewhere else to live."
Arthur stopped. "Wait, Merlin told me that both of your parents are dead."
Merlin saw Eilwen tense.
"Well, my father died shortly after my mother. I had left and I wasn't able to see him before he passed on." Eilwen dabbed the corners of her eyes.
Merlin smirked. Good recovery.
Arthur believed her. "I'm so sorry about your parent's deaths. What did they die of?"
Eilwen thought quickly. "My mother died giving birth to my baby brother. My father was so distraught over my mother's death that he threw himself over a fishing boat."
Merlin shifted slightly. Creative.
"God, that is terrible." Arthur said. "You poor creature. I give you my permission to stay at Camelot for as long as you need. I'll discuss finding a permanent residence with my father."
"Where is the king?" Eilwen suddenly asked.
"Out on some business or something." Arthur replied. "But that's not important. What's important now is where has Merlin been keeping a curious creature like you all this time?"
Eilwen smiled. "In his room."
Morgana suddenly dropped her goblet. Gwen rushed over quickly to clean it up. Arthur coughed and shifted. Merlin groaned.
"Is that so?" Arthur asked shooting a look at Merlin.
Merlin felt like dying then and there; then the food started to be served.
As the guests enjoyed their meal of hot chicken breast; Eilwen sat and stared at it.
Arthur noticed her not eating. "Lady Eilwen, is this food unacceptable?"
Eilwen wrinkled her nose. "Not really. Don't you have any other kinds of food? Fish perhaps?"
"I'll have the cook prepare you a fresh grilled fish at once." Arthur reassured her.
"Oh no, don't cook it. I'll have it raw, thank you." Eilwen said sweetly.
Arthur stared at Eilwen. "What kind of village were you from again?"
The night dragged on. After Eilwen received her fish, Arthur decided to delight her with stories about his battles. They were so dull that even Merlin was having trouble staying awake. He was quite certain that Eilwen was enjoying them. Merlin was sure that she had found the guardian of her stone. Every one of Arthur's stories consisted of his numerous acts of bravery. But after what seemed like the third hour of Arthur's stories; Eilwen said that she was exhausted and excused herself from the banquet.
"So soon already, my lady? But I haven't told you about the time I…"
Eilwen put a finger on his lips. "I'll gladly listen to your stories next time we meet, my lord. I had a lovely evening, goodnight."
Eilwen walked out of the room. Merlin decided to sneak away after her; seeing as Arthur was completely struck with confusion at Eilwen's sudden disappearing act.
Eilwen gazed at the starry night sky; resting her arms on the ledge of the castle wall.
Merlin quietly approached her.
"It's cold out here, isn't it?" he said.
Eilwen looked over her shoulder. "I guess so."
Merlin cautiously moved forward. "Here." He said removing his outer jacket; placing it on Eilwen's shoulders. She mumbled thanks.
"I knew I'd find you here." He said quietly.
Eilwen sighed. "I thought you would."
Merlin leaned on the ledge next to her. "I'm surprised you left so early. It looked like you and Arthur were really hitting it off."
"I guess at first we did." Eilwen said. "But, I don't know. He just seems so…"
"Full of himself? Arrogant? Rude?" Merlin suggested.
"Stubborn, stuck up?" Eilwen smiled, but it suddenly diminished. "I was so sure that my stone belonged to him." She lightly touched the green stone around her neck. "But when I was with him, I felt nothing."
"But this was just one night. You'll have loads more time to spend with him; I'll make sure of it." Merlin reassured.
Eilwen grimaced. "I don't know if I can handle any more of his stories though."
"I don't know if anyone can." Merlin confessed.
Eilwen's smile returned. "It's rather sad. You read books about how princes act and behave and you get this image in your head. And then it all falls to pieces right at your feet."
"Just give it more time. Things will work out." Merlin reassured.
"I'll try." Eilwen said. "It's just so hard when Arthur acts like a…"
"Prat." Merlin and Eilwen said together.
They both laughed. "Looks like I didn't just absorb your language." Eilwen joked.
Merlin smiled. The two of them stood there for a few moments; just looking at the sky.
Then Merlin got an idea.
"The night is still young, lady Eilwen. Whatever shall we do?" He asked playfully.
Eilwen thought for a moment. "I don't know, lord Merlin. Any ideas?"
"Just one." He replied smirking. He offered her his left arm. "Shall we?"
Eilwen took his arm. "We shall. Just promise me one thing."
"Anything, my lady."
Eilwen smiled half heartedly. "No battle stories."
Merlin just laughed.
"What did I do wrong?" Arthur moaned, head in hands.
"Your stories must have bored her. They always bore me." Morgana said.
"How could they? They're exciting!"
Morgana placed a hand on his shoulder. "She was probably just tired, Arthur."
"I'll talk to her tomorrow. Maybe show her the armory."
"I don't think that's a good idea." Morgana replied. "Now, come along. It's way past your bed time."
"Who do you think you are: my mother?" Arthur said teasing.
Arthur and Morgana walked out of the banquet room.
One by one the servants blew out the candles that had lit the room.
One of the servants, a girl with brown hair and brown eyes, quickly blew out the last candle. It was late, and she had to get to bed so she could help prepare breakfast the next day. In her hurriedness; she blew the candle out too quickly, causing a small ember to fly onto the ground. The girl rushed out of the banquet hall, closing the large wooden doors behind her. But what the girl didn't notice was that the small ember had fallen on a tapestry which was now beginning to smoke.
"Where are we going, Merlin?" Eilwen asked breathless.
"Just wait!" Merlin replied.
Merlin dragged Eilwen by the hand down hallways and staircases. They finally arrived at a small conclave in a wall below one of the staircases. Merlin checked to see if there were any guards there; but they all seemed to be off somewhere.
"A hole in the wall?" Eilwen asked crossing her arms. "This is what you dragged me here for?"
Merlin took one of the torches off the wall. "It's inside the hole in the wall. You'll love it, I promise."
Eilwen gave Merlin a disbelieving look.
"Come on." he said giving her his best smile.
Eliwen smirked. "Fine, lead on."
Merlin grabbed Eilwen's hand and led her through the small hole.
In the dinging room, the small flame erupted into a bigger one. Soon the whole bottom half of the tapestry was completely charred. Smoke poured out from the cracks in the door that lead into the hallway.
A young guard was patrolling the hallway at the exact moment that the smoke was wafting our from under the door. He stopped and faced the doorway. He tried to open the doors, but it was locked. The young guard decided that now was a time to get some of the other guards. Something just didn't seem right.
Merlin and Eilwen trekked through the dark, damp cave.
"We're almost there." Merlin said.
"I really do hope so." Eilwen replied. "It's quite dingy in here."
Merlin led her to a small opening in the cave. He held the torch up and called out.
Suddenly the sound of giant wings echoed throughout the cave. A large, golden plated dragon descended, perching on a nearby bolder.
"Ah, come to visit me again I see." It said.
"Yeah, and this time I brought a guest." Merlin stepped back behind Eilwen so the Dragon could see her.
The Dragon's eyes widened. "A mermyd!" it exclaimed. "I never in my life would have guessed I would have the opportunity to see a mermyd."
Eilwen was just as impressed. "I never thought I would ever see a live dragon! It is an honor."
"As it is to meet you; but I'm very positive that your father must be sick with worry over where you are."
Eilwen shifted. "I'll deal with that later."
"Oh, I'm sure you will." The Dragon said.
Merlin stepped in. "Eilwen and I have a question for you."
"You may ask."
"It's Eilwen's sea stone. It belongs to Arthur, right?" Merlin asked.
The Dragon pondered for a moment. "I'm sorry to say it doesn't. This very special gem belongs to another hero."
Eilwen's face fell. "But who? I'm certain that this stone belongs to Arthur; it has to."
The Dragon shook its head. "I'm sorry Eilwen, but it doesn't. I know you had your heart set on it."
"Then who does it belong to?" Merlin asked.
"Now, if I told you that it would take the fun out of it!" the Dragon replied as he started to flap his wings. "You two will find out for yourselves. Just give it time; all will be revealed." And with that, the Dragon flew off.
The young guard returned with a few of his comrades to break down the door. They positioned themselves in front of the doors; a large log in their hands.
"On three!" one of them called.
"One"
"Two"
"Three!"
The guards thrust the log into the doors; but the door didn't budge.
They tried again, and then a third time.
But on the fourth time, with one giant thrust, the doors caved in. The guards readied themselves to run into the banquet room and extinguish the flames; but the fire had reached unbelievable height and strength.
Flames poured out of the room and the guards ran for cover.
"I'm sorry, the Dragon always does that. You ask it one question and it leaves you with another." Merlin said defeated.
Eilwen shrugged it off. "That's what dragons do; I read about it in a book once. But it was still rather exciting! Actually meeting a dragon; it was amazing!"
Merlin smiled. He was happy that Eilwen didn't seem upset by what the Dragon had said about the sea stone and Arthur. But Merlin couldn't help but wonder; who was the stone destined to be with?
"I'm glad you're happy." Merlin said.
Eilwen smiled. "Thank you so much for cheering me up."
"So my plan worked then?"
"It definitely worked." Eilwen replied.
Merlin and Eilwen emerged from the conclave in the wall and into the hallway. The guards still hadn't returned.
"I've never taken anyone with me to see him before." Merlin commented. "You're the first."
"Than I'm greatly honored." She said.
"I'm so happy that I can finally share something like this with someone other than Gaius. Not that I'm saying I don't like sharing things with Gaius; it just get's tedious after a while."
"That's understandable." Eilwen replied. "Hiding things from people is rather difficult."
"You have no idea." Merlin sighed.
Eilwen smiled slightly. "Thanks again, for everything."
"It's no problem at all." Merlin replied.
The two of them stood awkwardly in the deserted hallway; not quite sure what to say next. Eilwen was tugging at the inside of Merlin's jacket that was still draped around her shoulders. She became aware that she still had it and quickly took it off.
"Oh here, your jacket." She said handing it out to Merlin.
"Oh yeah, right." He said taking it.
In the processes of taking back his jacket, Merlin accidentally touched Eilwen's hand. He kept his fingers there for a moment. Eilwen looked into his eyes; Merlin stared back. He noticed Eilwen's face start to turn from pale to pink and then to bright red. Merlin could feel his face doing the same. Eilwen pulled her hand out from underneath his.
"Sorry." They both muttered. The pair stood in the hallway awkwardly; one waiting for the other to say something. But their awkwardness was soon broken by the sound of thundering feet. Three castle guards came running like bats out of hell; startling Merlin and Eilwen.
"Out of the way!" one of them called.
"What's going on?" Merlin asked.
"Fire in the banquet hall!" another answered.
A cold shiver ran through Merlin's body. He looked at Eilwen and then they both ran after the guards.
The flames had reached a frightening height when Merlin and Eilwen arrived.
The guards were throwing sand and water into the fire; but it was to no avail.
Arthur stood in the hallway; Morgana at his side. He was shouting at one of the guards.
"Why isn't anything working?!" he screamed.
"We don't know, my lord." The guard answered. "We're trying everything."
"Well then try something else!" Arthur cried. Morgana placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him.
"They're doing their best, Arthur."
"They need to try harder. If this fire can't be controlled, the whole castle will be destroyed!"
Unbeknownst to Arthur, Merlin and Eilwen had heard everything he said. Merlin took Eilwen's arm and led her behind a corner.
"We have to do something." Merlin said.
"But what can we do?" Eilwen asked.
Merlin frowned. "I don't know."
Eilwen thought for a moment. "Maybe…?"
Merlin caught on to what she was thinking. "No, I can't. Not with all of these people here."
"Then we have to make a diversion or something," Eilwen said as she looked behind the corner at the rising flames. "And quickly."
Merlin concentrated. Nothing he could do would be enough for everyone to leave the fire. But maybe they didn't actually have to leave.
Merlin closed his eyes and concentrated. As he did, his lips moved almost by themselves as he whispered the incantation. Slowly, one by one, the guards started to throw the buckets of water with less force. Then they completely stopped all together. Even Arthur and Morgana were completely still. The now raging flames were frozen in time.
Eilwen clapped enthusiactly. "Now that is brilliant!"
But Merlin was all business. "Come on, there's no time to waste. I don't know how long this spell is going to last so we need to hurry."
Merlin and Eilwen carefully made their way to the still flames. Though the flames had stopped raging, the heat they gave off was very present.
Eilwen turned to Merlin. "Now what?"
"I don't know. I don't know any water spells." His face fell.
"But I do." Eilwen said smiling. "Here, you use the sand." She took a bucket of sand and handed it to Merlin.
Eilwen then retrieved a bucket full of water for herself. She looked back at Merlin.
"Watch and learn."
Eilwen waved her hand over the bucket. The water reacted to her touch and instantly rose; following the motion of her hand. Once the water was completely out of the bucket, Eilwen moved her hands in a side to side motion spreading out the water. As the water touched the flames, they instantly diminished. Merlin watched in awe.
"Come on then!" Eilwen called to Merlin. "Put the sand on the bottom portion of the flames."
Merlin jumped and did what he was told. He spread the sand on the floor where the flames were. As he did, the flames disappeared. Eilwen continued to manipulate the water over the flames. She used the water like a painter using a brush. She made small strokes; being sure to cover every flame. Merlin couldn't help but admire her talent. It was like it moved through her whole body; like a dance.
Merlin and Eilwen worked quickly to extinguish all the flames. When they were finished, the whole room was charred black but enacted. Merlin and Eilwen returned to their places hiding behind the corner. Merlin recited another incantation; as he did so time moved forward again. Guards who had had buckets of water threw them on now non-existing flames. They looked at each other with confusion.
Arthur ran to the now empty banquet hall.
"What? How?" he asked.
Morgana walked over to where he stood and smiled. "I guess your men did find a way to stop the flames."
Arthur just stood there dumbfounded. "I guess they did."
Merlin and Eilwen exchanged looks.
"I think we did enough here." Merlin said.
Eilwen smiled. "I believe you're right."
"There you two are!" Gaius exclaimed as Merlin and Eilwen entered Gaius' room. "Do you know that there is a-"
"Fire? We knew about it." Merlin replied unfazed.
"Knew?" Gaius asked. "Oh god what did you do?"
Merlin gave a smug smile. "We took care of it."
"Took care of it, eh? With magic I take it."
Merlin nodded enthusiastically
Gaius walked over to Merlin and smacked him on the head.
"Ouch! What was that for?" he asked.
"That was for using magic in public!" Gaius replied.
"Eilwen used water sorcery, why doesn't she get hit?"
"She's a guest. She didn't know any better." Gaius said. "But, I am proud of both of you. You two saved the castle; good work."
"It was mostly Eilwen." Merlin said. "She used that water sorcery of hers to put out the flames."
Eilwen blushed slightly. "Merlin was a great help too though. He stopped time so we could extinguish the fire. If it wasn't for him, who knows what would have happened."
"Well, in any case, you both saved Camelot. Now go get some rest; you two look like you need it." Gaius said.
"That was absolutely amazing!" Eilwen commented as she wrapped the covers around her shoulders. "I never knew you could do something like that."
"Sometimes I surprise even myself." Merlin said fluffing his pillow and adjusting his mattress on the floor. "But you; now that was impressive."
"It wasn't that impressive. What I did was a simple charm. I would give anything to do what you did." Eilwen said.
Merlin thought for a moment. "Eilwen, can I propose something to you?"
Eilwen sat up. "What do you have in mind?"
"This might be crazy, but what would you say if I taught you my magic and you taught me your water sorcery?"
There was a pause. "I don't know about that, Merlin."
"Why not?" Merlin asked.
"It's just…water sorcery isn't a thing you learn."
Merlin leaned on the side of Eilwen's cot and faced her. "Please, I'll try really hard."
Eilwen hesitated. "I don't know."
Merlin smirked. "I'll teach you to stop time."
Eilwen frowned. Merlin had found her weak spot. "Fine! But when things get complicated I don't want to hear any complaining!"
Merlin smiled and flopped back down on his cot. Things were sure going to be interesting…
To Be Continued