The Empath
Chapter 2
The next day, after a long fruitless search of the western section of the lower town, Arthur returns to his chambers, Merlin trailing behind. Arthur removes his sword belt and angrily tosses it onto the table and he storms into the room. "Remove my chainmail," Arthur snaps at Merlin.
Merlin steps up behind Arthur, who is standing near the fireplace, and starts to unbuckle Arthur's armor. Merlin opens his mouth to speak. At that moment, Uther stalks in, crossing the room to confront Arthur. "What have you learned about the sorcerer?" Uther demands, looming over Arthur.
"Nothing, father," Arthur confesses. "No one seems to know anything about him, or even to have seen him before or since."
"You're obviously asking the wrong questions."
"It's like he was created the other day, and then vanished into thin air."
"That's impossible!" Uther shouts. "He must be somewhere. Finding him is your responsibility, Arthur. Do not fail me." Uther is so angry that he grabs Arthur and shakes him hard.
Merlin steps forward around Arthur, ready to intervene. As Uther turns on his heel to leave the room, he shoves Merlin aside. "You! You let him get away. You should burn in his place." Merlin loses his balance and falls backward onto the floor, fear at Uther's words reflected on his face. Uther strides out of the room.
Merlin is shaken by Uther's violence toward his son. He scrambles to his feet to face Arthur. He asks Arthur, "do you really think the sorcerer is still in Camelot?"
"Why wouldn't he be?"
"I would think he'd be long gone by now, considering he was almost burned at the stake."
"You may have a point, Merlin."
Merlin looks surprised at that comment. "Well, I can make one sometimes," he grins, hoping to lighten Arthur's mood. "And my other point is that I don't think you will find him – not unless he wants to be found."
"Maybe we have to catch him unawares. We need to seek him out in the outlying towns and villages, where he won't expect us to look." Arthur says decisively.
"Are you sure that's going to make a difference, Arthur?" Merlin asks. "And what will you do if you find him? A powerful sorcerer cannot be constrained. He'd always escape."
"Nonsense, we won't allow it."
"Remember Anhora? He appeared in Camelot, and was able to come and go at will." Merlin reminds Arthur.
"Don't be an idiot, Merlin. Gather supplies and prepare to leave at first light tomorrow. I will command a small party of knights."
xXx
Arthur, the knights and Merlin have been searching for several days for the sorcerer with no success. Everyone is on edge. One of the knights kills a rabbit. After skinning it with his pocketknife, Merlin fetches water and gathers some roots and mushrooms to complete their meal. He is kneeling by the fire, tending the stew in the camp cook pot. The knights are scattered around the campsite, sitting glumly as they clean their weapons.
Arthur walks toward the fire, to stand behind Merlin, a a pace or two back.
"Hurry up with that, Merlin. I'm starving!" Arthur complains to Merlin's back, poking him with a stick.
"What?" Merlin teeters a bit and turns his head to look at Arthur. "Do you think I'm a magician who can cook the stew with a snap of his fingers?" Merlin shoots back. "Well, I am actually," he thinks to himself with in inward smirk. He looks back to the fire and adds another piece of wood. "You can stand to wait for a meal, you certainly aren't really starving."
"Merlin!" Arthur says menacingly, as he starts to take another step forward, raising his arm, ready to cuff Merlin about the ear. Merlin senses the movement, blinks his eyes to hide the flash of gold as he flicks his wrist as if to wave smoke away from his face. Arthur's feet slip out from under him as he slides suddenly on a patch of mud, and he sits down hard on his backside in the mud. The knights look up started and laugh at him sitting in the mud. Arthur's face is murderous as he glares at Merlin.
"What?" Merlin says as he rises from the fire to help Arthur to his feet, his face the image of innocence and concern. "Supper's ready."
xXx
Arthur, the knights and Merlin return to Camelot late in the afternoon the next day. Arthur dismounts from Llamri, tossing Merlin the reins, "take care of her, and the others." He motions the knights to follow him. They do so, handing Merlin the reins of their horses. Merlin smiles at Tyr Seward, the stable master's son, when he approaches to help him. The two turn to lead the horses to the stables.
As he walks away, Arthur says over his shoulder to Merlin, "when you're done with the horses, come to my chambers. I have some things I need you to do." Grim faced, he strides off up the steps into the castle, with the knights trailing behind. He has to report to his father on the outcome of their trip to locate the sorcerer. He is dreading his father's wrath at their lack of success.
Arthur walks down the length of the throne room through the milling courtiers with trepidation. The knights who had accompanied him on the search for the sorcerer follow respectfully behind. As he nears the throne where the King sits, the crowd parts to leave him standing alone in the center. Geoffrey of Monmouth abruptly concludes his remarks in deference to Arthur, bows, and moves off to the side, to take his seat at a small table strewn with papers.
Uther is furious when Arthur relates the events of his journey to the entire court. "What do you mean, you failed?"
"I'm sorry, father. We were unable to find any trace of the sorcerer. No one we spoke to had ever heard of him or seen anyone like him."
"I am disappointed in you, Arthur."
xXx
Arthur returns to his chambers, fuming and feeling humiliated. Merlin is there, laying out Arthur's dinner on the table, waiting for him. He's lit the candles in the room as the light begins to fade. A freshly lit fire burns in the grate.
"What did you want me to do?" Merlin asks, looking up when Arthur enters the room.
"Do you really need to ask, you idiot?" Arthur sneers, walking toward Merlin. "I would think that by now you would be able to anticipate my needs."
"I took care of the horses, as you asked. You told me to come here because you had some things you wanted me to do." Merlin says. "I still need to complete my regular chores now that we're back in Camelot. Please just tell me what you want."
"You can't do anything right, can you?" Arthur hits Merlin across the face, hard enough to knock him to the floor.
Merlin reins in his magic, which is triggered by his own anger, and gets slowly to his feet. He cannot react to Arthur's blow without consequence. But it is unlike Arthur to lash out at him in anger in this way. He's hit Merlin before, but never with this unrestrained violent rage.
"Arthur," Merlin starts, following Arthur who has turned his back and is stalking away. He reaches out his hand to touch Arthur's arm. "Please."
Arthur shrugs off Merlin's hand roughly. He turns around to look at his servant, and putting his hands on Merlin's chest, gives him a sudden shove toward the door. Merlin falls back and lands hard on his bottom. Before he can regain his feet and get up, Arthur kicks him in the ribs.
"Go. Just go," Arthur shouts. "I don't need you."
"All right. I'm going." Merlin scuttles back to the door and stands. "I'm done, Arthur. You can sort out your destiny without me." Merlin shouts back and storms out of Arthur's room, slamming the door behind him.
Arthur dashes over to the door, wrenching it open again. He steps into the corridor and yells at Merlin's back, "fine. Go! And don't come back!"