"There's always room for a story that can transport people to another place."
He chuckles for what seems like an eternity, not continuing with his story and I can feel my patience wearing thin. My mother always said that my hastiness is my downfall, "You have to listen to the whole story for it to make sense Rebecca, and you cannot simply pick and choose the parts where you ears open. Hell, if we all did that no one would know anything." Her words ring in my ears as I sit next to him on the log and pleasantly smile and wait for him to stop his annoying chuckle. She always was wise, always telling me tales of her life but never the bad ones, it seems to upset her if she does. Never once has she hurt me physically or emotionally though I know how she has hurt others and how others have hurt her. No, she is a strict and stern woman, she can cause fear to rise in my veins as much as she can cause love, but I would not have any other woman to be my mother for she is too perfect to be replaced. When Merlin finally stops his croaky chuckles his old sapphire eyes meet my gaze. His eyes too hold his secrets as do mine, but unlike me he does not have the ability to close of his emotions in a cold façade.
"Do you ever child let you walls crumble, your eyes to betray you?" He asks me softly while my façade stays squarely on my face. His tales managed to make my cold exterior break too quickly, allowed me to laugh freely a laugh that only my mother knows.
"I do not have walls that surround heart it is not some castle that can be penetrated easily however. My life is one of confusion so my emotions do not stir easily." My reply is simple but his face contorts in a way that makes me wonder what he is thinking. It is a while before he replies.
"I only know of your story from what you tell me and it would seem you have a good life so why do you were a mask of indifference?" His eyes are kind, loving in a way I imagine a fathers would be.
"I have told you sir, my heart is not closed, and my face bears no mask. You speak truth of my good life for I have told you no lies. I have told you my name as you have told me yours through your tales, which If you don't mind me saying I was enjoying. But answer me this one question before you continue your tales if you will." It is not a question so I only wait for him to solemnly nod before I continue. "Will things change, our situation I mean, will it ever get better?"
He processes my question for a moment. I know off his magic but I was careful not to reveal my own it is a secret I guard with my life, so I ask this question as a child confused. "I think my answer is simple child, but one that will take time for you to understand. Things can only change if the person who is destined to bring it ceases to fear change but to embrace it." He lets me ponder his answer, giving me time to decipher this riddle, before quickly changing the subject.
"So you were enjoying an old man's tales?" He queries whilst bearing a slight smirk. I nod in silent agreement. "Even if this old man who bears a long silver mane?" His smirk widens but I only nod. "Very well. This old man will tell you more if you will permit it."
This time I speak. "Of course sir, do tell."
"Not long after that blue dress and a bit of skin I was again wrapped up in the woman that was The lady Morgana Pendragon, but this time not from desire but from admiration." He looks into the distance as he begins his story, his eyes resting on the early rising sun, and my mind begins to place the picture.
"Have you forgotten how to knock Merlin?" The lady questions as the young clumsy servant stumbles into her chambers bringing an ill looking child with him. Her features are angry but when her eyes settle upon the boy her features soften and change to confused. Her maidservant Gwen is too in her chambers and is too adorning a confused expression.
"The guards were after him I didn't know what to do." He explains quickly his eyes pleading with her own to let them stay. Silence fills the room as the lady assesses the scene. "Milady!" she hears the guards shout whilst banging on her door but she is still frozen. "Milady!" she hears again and this time she knows what to do.
"In there." She commands the servant behind her curtains allowing him a place to hide. He moves behind the curtains bringing the injured child with him. Morgana waits until they are well hidden before opening her chamber door. "We are looking for a druid boy milady, we saw him go this way." A guard informed her. The lady had put on her own façade, "As you can see it is just me and my maid." He tone is light and airy as she motions her arm around her chambers and to her maid. The guard takes a moment to look upon her chambers making sure she speaks the truth before replying. "Very well milady best keep your door locked though." "Of course." Is her simple reply as she closes the door and hastily makes her way to the man and boy hidden behind her Camelot red curtains. The young boy had collapsed into Merlin's arms and the lady let out a shaky breathe as his hand revealed blood.
"Mordred." I whisper sadly. His eyes tear away from the sun and to mine. I can feel my eyes well with salty tears, but I will not shed them. I will not share my grief with this man. I will not show my vulnerability.
"You know of him?" the old man speaks as his wrinkled hand rests on my cheek in attempt to soothe me. I angrily pull away from his touch, not wanting to be affected by how gentle and loving it was, he is not my father.
"I knew of him." I spit unable to control the temper rising within. Careful I tell myself Your magic is tied to your emotions and you have not full mastered it yet. The old man does not seem hurt by my actions just wary. "I-I understand" he mutters. "I too have lost people I care for."
"The woman included." I try to lighten my tone but somehow cannot.
"Yes."
We both sit in silence too wrapped up in our own memories to talk. His voice is the first to break the spell. "She let the boy hide in her
chambers. We nursed him them there until he was well enough for us to take him to his people." He was continuing with the story and I felt a little relieved to know that he would not push my relationship with Mordred any further. "We had come up with a plan to get him out of the kingdom, well she had come up with the plan." He smiled
"The boy is my responsibility, I'll get him out of the castle." Morgana finished her reason with that sentence. Merlin had offered to smuggle the boy out but Morgana had argued that it were too dangerous for him. She was right of course, she is always right, if he got caught the King would execute him as well as the boy with no hesitation, but if someone for whom the King cared for were to do it the risk of execution would be hindered slightly. So it seemed only a reasonable thought to Morgana, dictating that she would do the job, as the King's own ward her form of punishment would be cruel but in no way extreme. Besides if anyone knew the castle better than the King and his guards it would be Arthur or Morgana. However rational this comment was Merlin still felt sick at the thought that if she got caught Uther would punish her, and when Uther had a tendency to severe with his punishments, even if he vowed to protect them.
Merlin had managed to get the keys from Arthur's chambers with an impressive display of magic skills to make the young Prince think he was hearing things when he most definitely was. He chuckled to himself as he walked towards Morgana's Chambers with the slightly damp key. "That was easy." He whispered as he entered the room. Gwen had given Morgana one of her dresses to wear as a disguise, it was simple, red in colour with only a little encrustation of jewels around the neck of the dress which drew in Merlin's eyes. Was it possible that she looked beautiful even in servant clothing. He gulped trying to calm down the rising heat of his blood, and to remember why exactly he was there in the first place.
"The door is at the far end." He finally said now standing opposite the stunning lady. She nodded in reply and took the key from his hand. "I'll back you some food and water for the journey." Gwen chimed in hiding her concern well, again the lady nodded. Merlin and Gwen both motioned towards the door to leave both wishing that no harm would come to the young boy or to their lady.
"Why have you stopped?" I asked rather agitated. His tale was about to become more interesting and he had just stopped.
"Because what happens after that moment is of little significance." He sighs back his response which only makes me more impatient. "How can it be of little significance? The boy what of him, and Morg- the woman what of her, did she manage to smuggle him out? Did they get caught? Old King Uther what of him?"
"Morgana got caught and the boy imprisoned, but we later helped him escape." He said coldly.
"What is it? What are you not telling me?" His answer was full of hatred and despair that I knew that this old man, Merlin was keeping something from me.
"Shouldn't you be heading back child, your mother will be worrying." Ignoring my questions he changed the subject, but his tone was different back to the loving and caring tone he had used before and I felt my anger slowly fade away. He was right though mother would be worried about me I have been gone for too long. If I really wanted to too I could connect with her telepathically and communicate through messages of the mind, but that is dangerous. This man had confessed to me of his magic and I not of mine, anyone of magic can connect telepathically and read others minds. I myself have not done this before as my magic is still not at its full strength, this old man however has had his magic for longer than I have had breathes. Deciding that magic is probably not the best idea I nod my head and arise from the log.
"Will I see you again? I mean, to hear more of your stories?" I ask hurriedly. I loved to hear stories of my mother when she was young and how she had affected other's lives and something in his eyes told me that she had affected his lot and that he had more secrets to tell.
"If it is meant to be child we will see each other again, then in that case I will bring the stories and you, you can bring your smile even if it is fake." He says flatly and just bow too confused by his use of riddles to talk.
I walk back to my hovel, to my mother thinking about the old silvered haired man and wondering why it feels as though on some subconscious level I have already met him before.