A/N – 2 Updates in one day! XD Go me!
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Miracles Can Happen – Even Talking Cats
Sapphire PoV
I sprinted away from Merlin, who sat watching Arthur and his Knights intently. I didn't tell him that I had Camelot's layout imprinted in my mind from a dream, so I knew my way around perfectly; he needn't no. I was just reaching the physician's quarters, when Gaius walked up to the room and entered. I made a leap and just made it through the door. I saw Merlin's door was slightly adjacent, so I silently padded across the room and slid through the gap. I saw a blue neckerchief, thinking it would go well with his eyes as a cat, I chose that one and slid back out, dragging the neckerchief with it. I made good time, as Gaius was getting ready to leave again.
I waited until he had just opened the door and ran in front of him. He saw me and was bending down to pick me up when he noticed the neckerchief. I looked him in the eye, trying to convey a silent message through my own: Follow me. He seemed to understand, as he placed down his basket and sort of nodded at me. I ran, not too fast so that Gaius could keep up, until we reached the training fields.
No PoV
Arthur, the Knights and Gwen all noticed when Gaius appeared looking around confused.
"Gaius, what brings you down here?"
"Sorry Sire, but, and this may sound strange, but I was following a little white cat"
"Following a white cat? Why?"
"It was carrying one of Merlin's neckerchiefs Sire, almost like it was giving a clue"
Everyone perked up at hearing the word clue. Just then they all heard a meow and looked down to see a little black-furred, blue-eyed cat staring at Gaius, as if willing him to understand something.
Gaius stared, confused for a minute, before realisation spread across his face, as well as weariness; it could be a trick. What settled his uncertainty was the same small white cat tentatively, almost shyly crept up to the black cat, ears flat against its skull and tail twitching nervously. It was still carrying the neckerchief, which she proceeded to put around Merlin's neck, something far too intelligent for just a cat to be able to d or understand.
That was when Gaius leaned down slowly, hands raised so as not to scare the white cat, to look the black cat in the all-to-familiar blue eyes, and ask one simple question, "Merlin? Is that you?"
Everyone glanced at Gaius surprised before staring at the black cat with hope filling their eyes. And they weren't disappointed. Merlin very clearly nodded his head, making everyone gasp and one or two peoples eyes fill with tears.
Gaius gave a short relieved laugh and picked Merlin up, cradling him close to his chest, where he proceeded to start purring and then open his eyes wide with shock. The little white cat started to make funny noises, which reminded everyone it was still there.
It sounded like it was laughing.
Sapphire PoV
I started laughing. When Merlin started purring, how shocked he was! I was sure that, had he been human, he would have blushed scarlet.
And then the moment of was gone when every pair of eyes, including Merlin's, turned to me. I immediately stopped laughing, and my ears were once again flat against my head, my tail lowered, but not between my legs like a coward.
I had watched as, one by one, the light came back into their eyes just minutes ago because of Merlin returning. Watching that had made me feel sad and empty; I had no one to love me like that, no friends to care if I went missing. Those feelings had disappeared for a minute at Merlin's shocked face, but they were back, full force.
I looked at the ground as they continued to scrutinize me before the girl, who I assumed was Gwen chastised them, "Can't you see its upset?"
Everyone stared in shock at Gwen, who looked sheepish for a minute before turning her eyes to me. She started walking towards me, and I backed away a little, but she held her hands up and something about her made me relax; I knew she wouldn't hurt me. So I stopped and just stood.
She kneeled down in front of me, "Hello, I'm Guinevere, but um, I guess when we get you back to human you can call me Gwen. Now rather than referring to you as it, I'm going to guess that with the bow and bell, that you are in fact a girl?"
I hesitate before nodding my head. "May I hold you?"
I hesitate even longer this time before uncertainly nodding my head. She gently scooped me off the ground and cradled me close to her chest and I tensed for a minute before relaxing. When I started purring, I didn't stop, or look shocked.
Everyone looked at me, and could probably see that I was radiating happiness.
There was a tallish man, who seemed to have laughter in his eyes as a permanent fixture, had shoulder length mousy-brown hair and a fair amount of stubble, who posed a very important question. "Is there any way to understand you?"
I shake my head, but slowly, because I do know a way, that could get me killed.
The blonde one with blue eyes, who I assume is Arthur, sees my hesitation though, "You do know a way, I can see it, but I'm guessing that means using magic?" I stare at him, at his perception of the situation before nodding.
He sighs, and then takes a deep breath before asking the next question, "I don't suppose you have any magic do you?" I stare at him in absolute shock, and I can see I'm not the only one. I do nothing to indicate whether I do or not, uncertain of his reaction, so he asks a different question and makes a statement, "I'm guessing that, as Merlin seems to be shocked at his cat like attributes and has uncertainty in his movements, and is still as clumsy as ever that you helped him get here. This seems like you were in the same room and it was the same spell that made you both turn into cats, so you had to get to know each other, considering Merlin has been gone for 3 weeks." Here he turns to Merlin, "Can I trust her?" Merlin nods vigorously before Arthur turns to me and looks me in the eye.
"Do you mean to harm Camelot, her inhabitants, or rulers?"- I shake my head with conviction, and keep my eyes locked with Arthur's; hoping he can see it's the truth- "Can I trust that if you do indeed have magic it will not be used against us?" I nod, not confirming the magic directly but hinting that I possess some skill.
He holds his hands out and indicates to me, "May I?"
I understand what he wants and nod. He takes me, trying to be gentle, but he is a knight, so his definition of gentle is a little heavy handed. I meow loudly in protest before he cradles me against his chest in a much comfier way.
"I won't hurt you if you do have magic, no one here will, but we want to be able to understand what you're saying, it could be important" I nod at that and then give a little sigh. I close my eyes, and look over my little knowledge of spells, to find the one I wanted. I knew the perfect spell, being a shape shifter; I liked to let people understand me. I find the one I'm looking for and say it in my head, accessing my measly amount of magic to do so. It wasn't a powerful spell, so it didn't require that much energy, but in cat-form, it exhausted me enough that I just wanted to curl up and sleep by a fire.
I opened my eyes to see everyone staring at me, completely silent, and holding their breaths, "Well did it work?" I ask. Everyone starts and Arthur almost dropped me, "Hey, watch it prat! I don't appreciate being dropped thanks"
Every one of their jaws practically hit the floor before the fellow with long hair laughed and said, "You and Merlin are clearly friends if you can talk to the princess like that. I'm Gwaine, and if you haven't noticed, Knight of Camelot, and who might you be pretty kitty?"
If I had been human then and there, my face would have turned such a bright red that it would rival that of the Knight's cloaks, "Sapphire, and I have little magic, the current one being one of the most powerful ones I can do, and even this requires little energy, although I am ready for a cat nap" at that I give a little laugh, "Excuse the pun"
This coaxed a laugh out of everyone, and they seemed to relax from their tense positions; I hadn't realised that before.
"I'd better explain a couple of things huh? First things first: instincts. We are, in case you haven't for some obscure reason noticed, cats. Cats like to be petted, enjoy long naps in warm places, and fish for dinner. With me I would rather be treated like a normal cat as this is actually fairly normal, but usually, I can change back. And please call me Saph, for short"
Gaius gave me a curious look before gasping. He knew what I was and honestly I would rather get this out of the now rather than later, "A shape shifter then?"
"More or less I guess. I would explain further but I'm a little too tired for that" They could see that, my eyes were drooping and I was yawning every few seconds.
So the prince did what princes do: order people about.
"Gwaine take Saph here to my chambers, she won't make it there without passing out from the looks of it. Gaius you take Merlin. Gwen would you mind getting some food? Take Lancelot with you and don't forget the cat food or just some fish for them. Leon, make sure the new knights know what to do and put another senior member in charge. Percival and Elyan can come with me also to my chambers. Gwen, Lancelot and Leon, when you have finished come to my chambers; we have much to discuss"
And so it was that 10 minutes later, we were all sat at the large table in Arthurs chambers, just finished eating and about to warn Arthur of the danger his father was in before, before I felt light headed. I recognised magic as the source and could only think that this was in the spell before I noticed Merlin looked similarly dizzy before the world went black and I knew no more…
A/N – So what happened there then? You'll find out in the next chappie!
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SapphireMoonbeam xx
