Chapter 3: To Rescue Arthur
I am sorry I forgot to update Chapter 3 sooner. I wrote it awhile ago but haven't taken the time to edit the story until now. Thank you for checking out this story. :]
Merlin woke up from a long, bumpy dream. He felt droplets of sweats and tears raining on his pale prominent cheeks. His master Arthur had cried. He overheard Arthur's thoughts and actions during his unconscious ride. It was a complete surreal experience. Arthur cared deeply for his manservant.
Those muscular arms, which were used to hunt the ground hogs, now expended their energy to save a man- a man's man. The sweats of Arthur's arms had soaked the brown jacket the young servant, who loved to wear it and always had been when he's chilling with 'Arth.' Merlin's thin body was lifted up. Venturing through the foggy, cold-damped forest, the prince uttered a voice trying to wake up Merlin, at each bump, making sure that his servant was alright.
This time the servant was half-dead and half-naked. Arthur almost had the best of both. A baby, Merlin was to him.
Merlin's shirt was torn opened, by the hand of the prince. It must have been him who did it. Who would know all the right stitches and buttons on Merlin's clothes more than Arthur? Merlin felt the cold air rushing above him and the warm water and the stone below him. Arthur's shirt had draped Merlin for comfort. The servant could not help himself but rubbed the prince's shirt against his elf-like nose, cuddling it to extract the manly smell of Arthur. From the scent he was dying to see his master again. He felt the strong, firm arms of his master leaving him. Now where could Arthur be?
He dreamt of Arthur. The real Arthur was never there, to which he would discover later and woke up.
"I see you have awakened, master Merlin." the dragon breathed a gust of smoke upon cold Merlin, but the dragon was no where in sight.
Merlin recognized this familiar voice anywhere even without its face. "Ah it is you, how long have I been sleeping?"
"Too long I'm afraid."
"Ah. Really? Well if you saved me, thank you!"
"You should thank Arthur; his destiny is protecting you it seemed." The dragon laughed but continued to exhale more dragon smoke to warm Merlin.
"Great dragon…it is great to hear your voice! Where is Arthur?"
"Hmm.." The dragon purposely didn't answer.
"Are you coming out to face me?"
The dragon revealed himself, more gigantic than Merlin had last seen him. His freedom from prison meant he obtained more food. The food in the wild had nurtured the great dragon to be stronger model for the Old Religion- much better than being the imprisoned dragon that it was.
"Feeling better now? You have been asleep for several hours. The boiling spring I conjured from my breath had helped you enormously. I cannot stand idly and watch you die in Arthur's arm." The dragon suddenly embraced what Merlin had done for him the past. Merlin had emancipated him from the chains and underground cave of Uther's imprisonment, saved his soul from vengeance on Camelot, and understood its thoughts as a dragon lord. Being the last of their kind, the last dragon and the last dragon lord must look out for one another.
Merlin loudly spoke like he used to when the dragon was in the cave deep beneath Camelot. The warlock looked up starry eyes, knowing that the dragon meant no harm and this was his chance for guidance. "Thank you very much for saving my life. Do you happen to know where Arthur has gone too?"
"I sent him to the witch." The dragon looked away as if Merlin would rebuke it for misconduct. "The witch wants him that is what she gets."
That is not possible! "No, tell me you didn't. Tell me Arthur is completely safe in the woods." Merlin shook his head in disbelief while biting his lips, a habit when danger startled him, acknowledging more troubles will come out of it than good.
"I meant it but Arthur does not know the identity of the witch. I wanted him to find out on his own."
"Morgana!" Merlin said it with an worried face. "You shouldn't have done that," realizing they were childhood friends and family after all, it would hurt Arthur more than anything.
"Merlin it has to be done. Morgana's death would free you and Arthur from the Dark Magic."
"You don't mean that. Morgana is my responsibility not Arthur. I thought she was a friend but she couldn't be trusted." Merlin somehow wished that would true, if Morgana can be killed today, heck his task of saving Arthur's royal backside would have been much easier. He knew it was too good to be true. Arthur without his magical aid was blind and pointless if he would face any sorcery challenge. If Morgana dies Uther would raise hell in Camelot. It would not be a happy sight.
"I meant every word, master Merlin! She tried to poison you and Arthur. It is clear who she wanted to kill. The water bag belonged to Arthur."
Merlin realized Arthur gave his newer water bag out of his heart. "He cared for me enough, now I must care for him." Merlin answered then quickly thought of Arthur. Deep down Merlin was touched by Arthur's kind gesture, even if it almost had killed him.
"Arthur brought you here, he was brave, and I wanted to test that bravery again. He must see his half-sister as the witch that she is."
"I owe Arthur my life and he owes me. But you shouldn't have done that and have Arthur's life in danger. The prince is powerless against magic without me." Merlin appreciated the prince's courage and loved him for that but knowing Arthur in the wild alone had put him in high panic mode. He did not wish to imagine the things Morgana can do to Arthur when they're alone.
The prince had saved him, a poor servant boy. His happiness was cut short knowing the fact that he must raced back to save Arthur.
"Merlin, this is not the time for Arthur to die, but this is the time for you to save Arthur again. I protected your secret. I sent Arthur so that I can heal you with magic. Take care of the necklace I gave you."
Merlin looked around his neck to find a light silver necklace with a blue stone charm. He thanked the dragon, without uttering a word, he knew the dragon can read his thoughts.
The boy shook his head over and over. "He must never find out about you, me, or Morgana." Merlin concluded he must do something to stop this inevitable spill of sorcery. Arthur would not be ready to accept magic in this state of mind. He could loose it all any minute now.
Merlin ran as quickly as he could, disregarding all the animals he hurt blindly on the way. Even with his slim, fragile body, it was a monstrous body compared to the bugs. Arthur! Arthur no! No Arthur! Suddenly his injured body cannot walk further, he paused and grasped for air.
Noticing the warlock Merlin struggling to walk further, the elder dragon silently flew to Merlin and offered him a ride. "Let me help you get there." Merlin reluctantly agreed but time was precious especially if Arthur's life was on the line. The dragon rested its neck on the ground offering Merlin a walkway to its back. Merlin's small body took no more than ten steps to climb up fully. The ecstatic Merlin fully enjoyed the flying session with his dragon earlier. This time there was no ounce of fun or joy. It's his duty to protect 'Arth.'
The dragon landed Merlin near the camp site, not to close or they'll detect the dragon and him. "I cannot fly closer for Arthur will suspect our presence, you must complete your task and choice alone."
Merlin jumped off the large hunch of the dragon. His hands patted the dragon before he marched. He thanked the dragon even though it had done a terrible thing.
He looked around. Ah something amidst the shadows of the forest. His focus aimed at the shadow of someone in the midnight moonlit woods. His heart skipped some beats. It's thumping harder. He could make out it's a woman in a cloak. What is she doing here? She seemed dangerous, and that meant one thing, Arthur must be in danger. Words cannot describe the rush that had gone through Merlin's head. His master and best friend could die if he didn't hurry. Just a few steps more he told himself.
Merlin's thoughts raced within him slowly- exploding with memories of him and the prince. Too many times the prince called him an idiot but this time he will certainly prove the prince wrong. Merlin did not fight those bully remarks much until clotpole overtook prat as the sole heir definition of Arthur. Merlin had some good laughs with clotpole for which Arthur was completely clueless to its meaning. It didn't mean much but it was a perfect description for the selfish prince.
No man is worth your tears but this one was certainly worth millions of them. Heck if anything did happen to Arthur, Merlin would be completely lost. He would willingly give his life a million times over and still the prince would be gone. Yes, the one he swore to protect, and yes using all his vein and power in his body of a servant. Every power, every magical ability must count. All the magic he played with as a child and a young boy relied on this one true moment- the moment to save Prince Arthur. If Arthur was gone then his love for the prince would go unnoticed- to which the prince who really deserves to know the affection Merlin has for him.
(The woman marched up the hill, carrying a basket, late at night, alone and mysteriously.)
Hearing a strange noise, the woman walked back down the hill, hinted soft noises of grass movement. She tried again and approached up the hill in another part of the hill, hoping for strange and mysterious sound to go away. She feared for her life when she realized it was the sound of the blade, a vicious thing that had plagued her chaotic village.
"Stop Morga…n…a!" Merlin cupped his hand and prepared to cast an electric ball toward the damsel. Then she turned to Merlin and had the giant look her face. The moonlight shined on her cloak and she removed the head cover. Her smile was gone too. She had mistaken Merlin for the one responsible for blade sound.
(Merlin calmed down and decided to speak with the damsel.)
"Why have you ventured through these woods?" Merlin whispered trying to not disturb the prince- who may be on top of the hill.
Her fear had made her hesitated to answer. "I come for fireflies and herbs for my daughter and husband."
"These woods are dangerous you should head home immediately."
"But my daughter needs the fireflies to ease for bed, she's awfully afraid of the dark. My injured husband needs the herbs grown here to heal."
Merlin reached into his pocket for the medicinal herbs he collected (he learned from Gaius) and put them into one big bag. He turned around and used his enchantment to catch the fireflies into his spacious bag. "Give me your hand. Here are the fireflies and here are the herbs I gathered from this forest. These should suffice for now. Please leave this forest now for your own safety."
"Thank you, sir!" She rushed and took the two bags from Merlin's hands. Merlin grabbed her by the arm to examine in her eyes for magic. He saw none. He let go of the woman as she ran off. Why had the dragon wanted her dead?
Merlin sprinted to the hilltop to their campsite and found a stressed Arthur falling half asleep, still holding onto his sacred sword (the one he carried with him in every of his waking second). The warlock searched the surrounding until he spotted a thick tree trunk, which Arthur had rested his arse earlier. He spell-levitated the trunk to Arthur, about to strike his royal backside, but Merlin was sure the prince would continue fighting if that didn't knock him out.
There was a good thing being with the clotpole prince for all these years, you'd know his next step. I'll strike him on the head, that'll stop the prat. The prince would soon forget the night.
Bam! Arthur dropped to the ground, creating a thump sound with the fallen tree leaves.
"You hit him on the spot." The laughing dragon landed behind Merlin and laughed softly.
"Arthur is finally resting. I will compress his injury and suppress his memories." Merlin stated without looking at the dragon. He didn't appreciate the dragon one bit for sending Arthur away.
The dragon nodded even though Merlin cannot see it.
Merlin turned his back to the dragon. "The woman, she is no witch; I don't see an ounce of magic in her," Merlin interrogated the dragon with the looks of Uther Pendragon on his subjects.
The dragon tempted to fire blast Merlin into a smoked ground hog, almost disregarded his statement. "I speak nothing but the truth. Do not be deceived by the witch. She conjured great dark magic behind her pretty face. I am afraid one day she could overpower you, master Merlin."
"I will wait for that day, but today is not the day." Merlin yelled, envisioning the Morgana he used to know and the Morgana of today, he had all the chances to stop her before evolving to evil. I shouldn't make the mistake twice.
The dragon could read into Merlin's thought. "She could one day kill you Merlin. That was Morgana, she hid herself extremely well." The dragon quickly flew off into the night sky. "Heath my warning: fireflies and herbs are your enemies, Merlin." This could have been the work of a different and stronger witch, strong enough to even deceive the great dragon. Could this witch be the product of the Old Religion?
The morning birds sung a familiar song, the morning chirping, which had painted a faint smile on the young servant boy's face while he woke up early to fetch breakfast for the prince. Arthur's head injury would suffer serious consequences if Merlin had not used magic to heal it. The sunlight opened the day for the prince, "Merlin!" Arthur was shocked to see Merlin alive and well, his sorrow had died knowing his manservant's no longer dead or half-dead. (Merlin was no longer half-naked.)
"What happened last night? I thought you were gone. "Where have the witch and dragon gone to? Last night I took you to the warm spring and the dragon told me to come back here to fight the witch."
"Gone as in dead, sire?" Merlin rolled his blue eyes. "You were dreaming that's all, one big dream of dragon, warm spring, and the witch."
Still with a confused look on his face, the prince stood up and stepped closer to Merlin (although his legs on the other hand were not fine has he had walked too much in a short period of time); he almost lost his balance and fell on the camp ground again; he patted and rubbed Merlin comfortably on the shoulders. "You're alright, that's all I care about."
Merlin was absolutely everything to the prince (some people would say even more than his Camelot throne); and the prince was everything to Merlin.
"Thank you for that, Arthur. At least you're not punching on my arms."
The prince smiled then returned to his confused expression. "Why do I feel like I got struck in the head? And this severe headache I have."
Merlin didn't reply but looked at the morning sky, extremely grateful for another day, and felt a huge relief once more after yesterday. He had missed the flying water bag that Arthur threw at his face.
Arthur punched Merin in the arms. "Merlin, did you hear me?"
"Ouch. Arse" Merlin pulled back his right arm. "It will eventually go away, sire." Merlin moaned then heavily fixed into Arthur's eyes. "I have seen lots of lightning last night.
"I almost thought you are deaf as well as you are dumb. Never mind, where is my horse? Don't tell me you let it run loose with all your snorin'."
"I do not snore, 'Arth,' I have heard lots of thunder as well your horse must have heard them too."
"My father will punish me for this. Merlin, I should have you thrown in the dungeon. What do you have to say for yourself?"
"You don't have your breakfast this morning, have you?" They both laughed hard.
Merlin's used his belly area of his shirt, which seemed un-torn unlike what happened last night, to hold the fruits he gathered from the near-about fruit trees: berries and small apples. Arthur smiled at Merlin as they both bit into the fruits and swallowed.
I'll have you for breakfast. Arthur thought but pulled himself to not say it again. He was scare to let anyone know, even Merlin, he feared for the reaction of his kingdom and his father.
I wish I know how to quit you. Merlin repeated to himself, over and over, trying to not mix his feelings and his job to serve the prince. Potentially it could hurt the chance of the future king of Camelot to lead his kingdom rightfully (or peacefully).
Thank you for reading. Chapter 4: To Rescue Gwaine is coming up. Do you smell a threesome already? :]