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After sharpening Arthur's sword, scouring his chainmail, washing his tunic, polishing his leather boots, brushing Arthur's horses coat, Merlin strolled over to Arthurs door, waiting to head out to the Old Archer. Merlin's back ached, his shoulder was in knots, and he was sure a wrist bone popped.
As Merlin walked through Arthur's door, he saw Arthur dressed in a casual brown tunic and strolling around in a casual demeanor. Arthur turned around recognizing Merlin while bunching his nose.
"Merlin you smell terrible."Arthur commented, arranging his collection of daggers in his drawer.
"Yes, that's what happens when you are given endless chores," Merlin said plopping down into Arthur's plush chair waiting to leave for the tavern. "Aren't you going to get dressed in your princely attire?"
"I'm going like this,' Arthur replied shutting the drawer and turning around. "I want to go undercover for some time. It's a favorite pastime of mine to observe the towns people the way they naturally are when authority is not around. Don't worry, it won't last too long. I'll make sure everyone knows I am there and you get recognition that you had the honor to accompany me."
Merlin followed and rolled his eyes internally thinking about Arthur's attempt to dazzle the people upon revealing his true identity.
As they walked outside, the nights breeze reminded Merlin of the cool nights. There was some energy in the air, Merlin could feel, that made him feel his excitement simmer inside him. Arthur thumped him in the back, unpleasantly awakening his senses even more.
"Come on Merlin, cheer up some! We're going to the tavern on one of the most exciting nights of the year!" Arthur explained with his arms outstretched in the air. "It's the night before the tournament! There's lots of merry old men singing, making fools out of themselves - something you are used to. The tavern owners concoct speciality meads every year. It can't get any better than that Merlin!" Arthur said with a smile looking on over toward the village. A few shadows on the shop walls were whipping by, and the sound of echoing chatter and laughter began to grow as they walked on.
Merlin couldn't help but feel a tingling sensation in his gut as a smile slowly grew on his face at the sight of a juggler juggling fire torches and calling out at the viewers applauding.
"Ay everyone come and see the mystical juggling of fire! It looks like Magic, but I guarantee it not be magic! Tha more ya pay tha longer it vill last!"
Children and woman were laughing merrily and clapping at the sight of the juggler; one little boy coming up closer to the juggler as his mother snatched him away before he could touch the man.
Merlin turned to his left and to his surprise, he saw an wrinkley man holding a long stick with a birdcage hooked to the tip, smiling a toothless grin, lifting his scrawny hand to point over to Merlin.
"Beautiful birds from tha far EAST! Come and be tha first one to own it… exotic, beautiful, amazing! It makes ya happy!"
*SQUAAAKK* the bird began flapping in agitation.
A sea of people talking and laughing flooded the area to Merlin's intrigue, wonder, and curiosity. From shops selling jellies enhanced with edible gold and silver, griddled trout with herbs getting cold to the cooks dismay, desperate for someone to buy it; tailors measuring large broad men's shoulders nervously; and intricate mirrors and ivory brushes hanging from a line above, next to the shop. As Merlin stared at a few more jugglers trying to outdo each other's skill, he suddenly found himself pushed against and enveloped in a sweet smelling perfume belonging to someone, and when turning, he found a burly woman who seemed to have her face painted on with white crusty powder, batting her oversized eyelashes. At least it had looked like a woman.
"Hello dear." She pouted in a deep voice as she blew a kiss. Merlin backed off slowly into Arthur, forcing himself to smile at the woman.
"Merlin… back… away… very slowly..." Arthur said quietly, grabbing onto Merlin's elbow leading him out of the pocket of crowd. Merlin turned to Arthur in panic mode.
"Arthur... who are these people? That was the ugliest woman I've seen in my life!" Merlin asked anxiously.
"That was a man…." Arthur corrected to Merlins cringe. 'It's a strange world out there Merlin but you'd be surprised to know who ends up dressing as women during the tournaments. Men do it a lot of the time so that they can unmask themselves at a height of some physical achievement, such as archery or jousting. Anything to show off that they are indeed the epitome of masculine men. One of my fathers knights had done it during a tournament five years ago. Father hates it. Of course, there are those idiots that do it for entertainment purposes, but they are not from Camelot."
"And how exactly is THAT supposed to be entertaining? I don't think I can sleep after seeing that."
"It's entertaining to see you feel how I feel whenever I look at your face," Arthur commented to Merlin. "Look, let's turn over here," Arthur said pointing to the left where a larger crowd presented itself, circling around some spectacle Merlin could not see. The womens attire had more ruffles and their bonnets made from a stiffer darker material, unlike how most peasant women he's seen wear.
"How many people here are from another town…?"
"I'd guess more than half. It's just good business for people to come in and sell things when there is an event. You see those over there?" Arthur said pointing to two men dramatically reacting to each other unnaturally while a crowd of people looked on. "Those are strolling players. They act out stories, or just tell stories. It looks like they are role playing a story right now… seems to be some sort of tragedy the way they are emoting. Just wait - you haven't seen the celebrations here in Camelot." Arthur chuckled. "You haven't seen half of it really. The southern quarters are much worse. Since, you know it's closer to the forest and away from the castle."
"But Arthur, isn't that where the tavern is?"
Arthur chuckled to himself and nodded. "Come on Merlin." Arthur said walking on, passing by a crowd of women.
"Hey beautiful! You looking like a prince there! Heeheehe!" cackled on some girls with big light orange, pink and purple curly wigs wearing red velvet dresses, their faces glowing in the moonlight.
"Thank you!" Arthur smiled his dazzling smile at the woman, then turning with a smug look at Merlin. "See Merlin, I don't even have to be a prince to be thought of as handsome. People just see it ... instinctively."
"They are probably drunk," muttered Merlin under his breath as he saw an object appearing that looked like a ship's hull placed in front of a shop to his left.
A beautiful tune sounded from the hull, and to the crowds shock, a man suddenly jumped off from the inside of this strange hull looking object causing Merlin to back away, scrutinizing the man jumping and running around with a colorful costume on playing a delightful tune on his flute. It took some time for Merlin to feel comfortable watching this man, and began to enjoy the silly little gig where families threw coins at the musical player. The man continued skipping away on top of chairs, window sills, and the most amazing feat of all, rooftops, all while playing a pretty little tune on his flute. The crowd cheered away at the last stunt, and Merlin turned to his side.
"Pretty neat huh Arthur?" Merlin commented, nudging the air expecting Arthur to be next to him. He turned around. "Arthur?"
Arthur was across the road and was speaking to an older lady in a shop who seemed genuinely concerned. Merlin looked harder and tried to identify this woman. She glanced at Arhur with a glint of nerves and fear. Arthur then bid his goodbye and walked by Merlin.
"What was that?"
"Just a commoner worried about her chicken..." Arthur said trailing off when he saw a skinny woman hanging off a butch man laughing away with a cup clutched in her hand. A large blazing fire burst in the air from thick headed bow and arrows as men howled away in laughter making only a few observers nervous and anxious to leave. "Merlin... welcome to the southern quarter." Arthur said, still observing another burst of fire shoot through the air.
"How is shooting arrows of fire FUN?" Merlin asked lifting his hankerchief to his mouth.
"Come on now, a little smoke can't hurt you. Besides, we need to pass this to get to the tavern." Arthur said, leading the way to the thick stream of smoke.
"Fantastic..." Merlin replied sarcastically under his breath, following Arthur.
Merlin and Arthur began to cough from all the smoke that flooded the center, and had a hard time navigating around due to it due to the thick grey atmosphere and their stinging eyes obstructing their vision. The smell choked up their noses in a burning sensation.
"WWoooO HOOOOOooo!" Yelled some man, his voice travelling from one spot to another. "Let's burn this witch!"
Witch? Merlin heart pounded at once looking toward the direct of the man's voice, his head spinning in search for this woman using magic. Arthur seemed to be alert as well, for his head darted in a stunned manner, searching for the man who accused someone to be a witch, but could see shadows and lights hazy in the night sky. The smoke began to clear a little, and Merlin looked ahead on the tips of his toes.
"Stop it ya pig faced moron! LET ME GO!" hooted a woman who was being carried by a man over his shoulder. She was hitting the man's tough back and scowled as she was placed down. "How dare ya!" she pouted, wiping her chin from mead.
"I can't help it... you've enchanted me so much with ya beauty!" smiled the man before he was slapped.
Merlin and Arthur exchanged un-amused glances and walked on out of the thick smoke. A shop that glowed from the inside presented itself in front of Arthur and Merlin to their wonder; songs leaking out and laughter escaping through the windows. Finally. The Old Archer.
"Arthur!" Merlin said turning to Arthur in relief they got out of the stream of smoke, raising his voice so Arthur could hear amoungst the loud sounds near. "When we go back, can we take some sort of detour?"
Arthur laughed and shook his head, then faced the tavern in wonder.
"Come on, Merlin!" He yelled back with a smile, signaling him to follow him inside.