A/N- Hello again, the third chapter is up :) I hope you find this one more exiting. Yet again I'll ask if you could please review, just to let me know what you are thinking :) This is when Merlin was 5 and Will is 6.
Disclaimer- I own Merlin, in my imaginary land with the doctor and his TARDIS. *Sigh* I wish I could own them in real life...
"Will! Slow down" The five year old Merlin said, finding it slightly hard to run in his clothes. They were too big for him as they were passed down from one of the older children in the village. His mother had tried to make them fit as best she could, but they had to last at least a year.
"Speed up!" The six year old Will replied. They were currently running towards the meadow that they always played in. Will slowed down slightly so Merlin could catch up.
"What do you want to play?" Merlin asked his best friend
"Knights" Will replied.
Merlin gave a sigh. He always lost at this game. "Okay" Merlin said finally, looking for a stick that he could use as a sword. After finding a stick that he would be able to pick up with his skinny arms, he turned to Will.
"Ready?" Will asked. Merlin responded with a nod. Will lunged at him and Merlin quickly moved out of the way. Will hit his stick upon Merlin's and Merlin instantly let go, and tumbled on over his own feet. He landed with a "humph" on the floor.
"Are you ok Merlin?" Will asked. He knew Merlin was clumsy, and he constantly fell over his own feet, but Will was always scared that Merlin would break something.
"I'm fine" Merlin replied, standing up and brushing himself down
"If you held onto the stick, you might win" Will said
"But at least I won't be a turnip-head" Merlin replied smiling. Merlin's stomach grumbled.
"Hey do want to get some apples" Will asked, looking at the apple tree above them.
Merlin sighed "We can't, Old Man Simmons will have us, it's his tree" but Merlin's stomach grumbled in disagreement
"Come on Merlin, take a little risk" Will said "We both know you're hungry. Simmons' won't notice anyway, he hardly comes this way anymore"
"Fine" Merlin replied, walking over to the tree, for he really was hungry. Will gave him a leg up and Merlin grabbed the branch above him. He climbed his way up until he found two suitable apples, one for him and one for Will.
"Merlin, get down! Now!" He heard Will cry
"Don't worry, I'm coming down now" Merlin replied confused
"Hurry up!" Will continued, jumping anxiously from foot to foot. Merlin jumped from the tree's lowest branch and landed on his bottom. He held out an apple for Will, but was confused by the panicked glare he got in return.
"Hoy! What do you think you're doing?!" Merlin groaned, he knew that voice. It was Old Man Simmons.
"Nothing" Will replied innocently, grabbing the apple and hiding it behind his back. Merlin followed suit as he stood up.
"'Nothing'" Simmons scoffed "I wouldn't believe you weren't up to something even if the Gods told me you weren't. What are you doing near my tree? Were you stealing my apples?!" Merlin and Will shook their heads ferociously. "I think you're lying to me. Show me your hands"
Merlin looked at Will, to see what to do. Will brought his hands forwards and opened them. There was no apple in sight. Merlin looked at Will confused, having no idea where he had hid his apple.
"And you boy! Show me your hands!" Simmons shouted at Merlin.
Merlin reluctantly brought his hands forward, revealing the apple. Will groaned a little, knowing that his friend had now been caught. He should have taken Merlin's apple too. He made a mental note to himself to teach Merlin how to hide things in his belt.
"I knew it!" He said grabbing Merlin by the scruff of his neck and pulling him back towards the village. Merlin dropped his apple and tried to wriggle his way out of Simmons grasp.
"Wait, Merlin!" Will cried, dropping his own apple, and chased after the pair.
Simmons dragged the crying Merlin all the way back to the village. He walked out to the field where the boy's mother was working, and she immediately dropped her pitchfork and ran over along with the other boy's parents and the elder of the village.
"Merlin!" Hunith cried "What's wrong? Are you hurt?" She asked him, hugging him. Merlin looked down at his feet, not responding to his mother.
"The boy was stealing from my tree!" Simmons replied angrily.
"Is this true Merlin?" Hunith asked. Merlin responded with a nod, raising his head to meet his mother's eyes. His feet were rolling inwards and outwards with nerves. Hunith gave the boy a slight frown before hugging him again
"The other boy was too" Simmons said, angry that the dark haired boy's mother was not giving him a big scold.
"He wasn't" Merlin said, defending his best friend with a lie "It was my idea. Will tried to talk me out of it but I didn't listen." Merlin continued to lie. Will was amazed that his friend was defending him with a lie; Merlin was always big on telling the truth.
"Why did you steal the apple Merlin?" The elder of the village asked
"I was hungry so I thought that one apple out of the tree wouldn't be too bad. I know I shouldn't have done it now. I'm sorry sir" Merlin responded, turning to Simmons. Simmons gave a scoff at the boy's apology. The elder slackened his shoulders slightly; the whole of the village knew that Hunith had always struggled to get enough food on the table, though not through lack of trying, so it was understandable that Merlin had wanted a piece of fruit from the tree.
"Come on Merlin, we're going home" Hunith said grabbing Merlin's hand, content that he had learnt his lesson and that his apology was heart felt.
"You're going to let him off the hook!" Simmons screamed angrily, as they parents and the elder started to leave. "In my day he would have got the belt!"
"I believe Merlin has learnt his lesson. And he will not be 'let of the hook', I intend to talk to him when we get home. Unless Matthew disagrees" Hunith said, turning to look at the elder.
"I agree with Hunith. Merlin has learnt his lesson, this will be the end of this" Matthew said with finality so that Simmons could not disagree.
The group dispersed, Hunith and Merlin returning to their house, Simmons grumbling off back to his, Will's parents returning to the field with the elder (but not before giving Will a stern look, knowing that he was behind the idea of getting the apple) and Will ran off back to the meadow.
"You can help around the house, and you're not allowed to play outside until tomorrow" Hunith told her son. Merlin nodded and went to get the broom "Did Simmons hurt you?" Hunith asked her son. Merlin shook his head, but rubbed his neck slightly. Hunith walked over and checked the boy's neck before returning to the fields.
Half an hour later, there was a gentle knock at the door. Merlin put down the broom and slowly opened it. He found no-one outside, except two apples on the floor. Merlin smiled before picking them both up, whispering "Thanks Will" in no particular direction, and returned back into the house. Will, who was hiding behind the fence showing the boundary to Merlin's house, simply smiled as Merlin took the apples and then ran home.
