In the Heat of Battle. Merlin Fanfiction by TastyNoodles (Fruitcakegirl)

In the Heat of Battle

Part II

Author's notes: Thank you soooo much for the reviews and story alerts! I'm really flattered. I hadn't intended to write anymore but you really encouraged me so here's part 2

Disclaimer: Merlin belongs to the BBC (although the legend belongs to the world), I'm just playing with our favourite knights!

Merlin stared at Arthur, his eyes flickered down to Arthur's sword and then back to his face 'Arthur, I can explain…' he began, only to be cut off by Arthur taking a step forward.

'Explain? What is there to explain Merlin? You're a sorcerer, a traitor! Anything you say will be a lie, you've been lying to me for years!'

'Arthur! Let him speak.' Arthur turned his head to Lancelot, reluctant to turn his back towards Merlin.

'How dare you speak to me like that Lancelot! I am your Prince and…'

'And you have my loyalty Sire always, but Merlin is my friend and has been nothing but a loyal servant and friend to you. You at least owe him the dignity of a fair hearing.'

'I owe him nothing!' Arthur shouted, this time turning to face Lancelot completely only to be interrupted again as Gwaine says, 'I think you at least owe him for still being alive at the moment. I don't know exactly what it was he did, but it's probably the only reason we're standing here and not fighting for our lives.'

Arthur looked around him for the first time noticing what was happening, or more importantly, what was not happening. The small ravine they had taken refuge in was still and strangely quiet, the sounds of the forest and the enemy soldiers were distant, muffled. He turned back to Merlin, who had not moved since casting his spells although Gwaine had moved to stand beside him, sword drawn but with the blade pointing at the ground; ready to protect Merlin but still willing to give Arthur a chance to see reason. 'What did you do Merlin? And don't even think about lying to me!' Arthur still held his sword ready, but this time it was not pointed directly at Merlin.

'I put a shielding spell around us,' Merlin explained before hurriedly adding, 'It should protect us from any of their weapons and they can't get inside it.'

'Should?' Arthur asks, raising an eyebrow, 'What do you mean, "Should" Merlin?'

'Well I've never actually tried this one before. I'm just hoping really!' Merlin looked at Arthur nervously, while Gwaine next to him tried to hide his smile.

'Hoping? He's just hoping!'Arthur shook his head in disbelief and looked around at his knights, noticing that Lancelot and Leon were also looking more bemused than angry.

'Merlin, you really are hopeless!'

'I am not! It's not like this is the first time I've saved your royal backside, in fact I've lost count of the number of times I've been there, fixing things and making sure you don't get yourself killed before you fulfil your great destiny.' Merlin was warming to his theme now, and Arthur's indignant, 'Oi!' was completely ignored as he ploughed ahead, pacing and waving his arms. 'I mean it's been one thing after another since I came to Camelot, starting with that singer woman and there's been Griffins, dead knights, poison, questing beasts and dragons and don't get me started on the love spells. And that's just you! If you bring your father into the picture, the list gets even longer! So don't stand there and call me hopeless. Or an idiot. Or anything else you might have thought of!' Once he finished this little speech he finally stopped moving and looked back at Arthur who, along with the rest of the group, was looking at him with a look somewhere between awe and unease and he added quickly, 'Sire.'

'It was you wasn't it? In that cave when I was looking for the flower, you sent that light didn't you. And that wind in Ealdor that was you as well wasn't it? What else have you done?' Arthur's temper was starting to rise again, as was his sword, 'you realise the punishment for your crimes?'

Merlin became even paler than usual when he heard this, but he quickly turned red with anger as he shouted back, 'What crimes? Everything I have done has been to protect you and Camelot! Not all magic is evil Arthur; it depends on the person using it!' Before Arthur could reply to this, Leon surprised everyone by saying, 'He's right Sire. I'm older than you, I remember Camelot before the purge, even though I was only a boy at the time. People used magic all the time. Healing and forging seemed to be the most common uses, but I remember street magicians entertaining people on feast days and I have a clear memory of one woman floating a bucket of water in front of her from the well. There's no doubt Camelot's seen its fair share of wicked magic in recent years, but it was not always so.'

'I've seen it too Arthur' this time it was Gwaine, speaking softly almost as one might approach a spooked horse, 'away from Camelot, where magic is not banned it's rarely used for evil, it's just a part of everyday life.'

Arthur looked around at his knights, his friends, men he trusted with his life and sighed slowly lowering his sword. 'You all must think I'm so naïve. How can I be King when I still have so much to learn about the world outside of Camelot?'

'Rubbish!' Declared Merlin firmly, 'You've shown time and again the sort of leader you'll be. You've never backed down when Camelot's needed you, even if the odds seemed against you. You protected the kingdom against Cendred's army even though they outnumbered us and even rode out to face a dragon! You'll be a great king Arthur, you just need to open your eyes a bit more that's all.'

Arthur nodded slowly to this, his back straightening as he heard the others agree with Merlin. He shook his head suddenly as if to clear it before facing Merlin again,

'Merlin. I did kill the dragon didn't I?'

2