What Are These Things?
Merlin slowly opened his eyes, struggling against the fog of sleep. Where was he? He vaguely recalled running down to the lake very early in the morning, then falling asleep leaning against a tree. And his magic had returned.
He seemed to be sitting bolt upright. He expected his limbs to be stiff and achy, but they were surprisingly warm and relaxed. This was the weird part. He was undeniably comfortable.
Merlin stretched out his limbbs and tried to concentrate on feeling his surroundings, in an attempt to solve his mystery. Under his head, he felt not the rough bark of a tree as expected, but what felt like a hard pillow wrapped in metal, or...a chest wrapped in chainmail. The two things that were wrapped around his body felt not like branches, but arms.
It was at this point that Merlin realised that he was sitting in someone's lap, and not that long ago, sleeping in the said someone's lap. He tried to remember how this happened, but came up completely blank. Maybe this was another dream? He lifted his arm to scratch his head in confusion, but his train of thought was rudely interruted by a rather sarcastic, pompous voice.
"About time, Merlin. I thought you were never going to wake up."
Merlin froze, hardly daring to breathe. He knew that voice! He'd listened to it insult him and joke with him in the time that Camelot existed. The last time he'd heard that voice was when the person it had belonged to was dying. But it was unmistakably his voice! Merlin mentally shook himself, and removing himself from the person's lap he found himself looking into the eyes of Arthur Pendragon.
The once and future king looked back at Merlin with a slightly amused expression. Merlin couldn't believe his eyes. Was this a trick? Was Arthur about to vanish in a puff of smoke, leaving Merlin's life cruelly empty once more? As if to confirm that this wasn't a dream or illusion of some kind, Merlin reached out and rested his hand on Arthur's chest, and it met solid flesh underneath the cold chainmail, and found the steady thump thump thump of a very much alive, beating heart.
Merlin couldn't contain himself. He was suddenly so happy, so full of life and hope and joy that he was practically bouncing in his seat. it was like all his wishes and dreams had come true. Well, technically they had, but who needs details? The day he'd been hoping for had finally arrived.
"Oh, my God, Arthur! Is it really you?" Merlin was smiling so wide he felt his face was about to split. "Have you any idea how long I've been waiting for you to come?"
Arthur rolled his eyes. "No, you blithering idiot, it's just a person pretending to be Arthur" the king said sarcastically. That was the insult Merlin had been waiting for! Arthur's face cracked into a lopsided grin as he said, "Besides, don't you recognise your king?"
His king...
"My best friend" Merlin whispered. Arthur nodded, all traces of amusement gone. He reached out and clapped Merlin into a huge hug.
"Merlin, I can't thank you enough. You've waited for me. I've only said these words once before to you, but..thank you" Arthur said thickly against Merlin's shoulder. Merlin fought back tears as he remembered that fateful day. He was so happy that the first person he saw when he woke up was Arthur.
"Never mind that, though! I just can't believe you're here!" he burst.
Arthur laughed at the obvious joy on Merlin's face. It was extremely contagious. Arthur dragged a hand across his eyes while Merlin grinned gleefully at him. The pair sat in silence for a full two minutes, just enjoying the company. Then Arthur asked the questions he wanted answers to.
"Say, Merlin, what the heck are you wearing, anyway?" he pointed. Merlin looked down in surprise.
"Oh! Well, these are jeans. They're a heavier, warmer fabric than what we used back then, and this is a hooded jacket, or what they call a hoodie. It's basically a short cloak with sleeves and pockets. And this is a shirt, we don't wear tunics any ore. And these are trainers. Boots are no longer worn on men, only if they are going horse riding or walking through mud" he explained. A look of concentration had settled on Arthur's face as he struggled to take it all in.
"Ok. My next question is-" he hesitated. Did he really want to know the answer? Merlin waved a hand, prompting him to go on. "How long have I been...gone?" For some reason he couldn't bring himself to say 'dead'.
"Umm...well, this may come a shock to you." Arthur merely huffed in exasperation.
"Merlin, I've been dead for God knows how long. I don't think I can get any more shocked. How long?"
"All right. Arthur...you've been de-gone for over a thousand years. We were around the sixth century. It is now the twenty-first" Merlin answered quietly. Arthur just stared at him, astounded.
"What? But you should be dead too, surely?!"
Merlin considered this. "Well, as I'm clearly alive, I think I'm immortal. However, now you've returned, I think I'll be able to age again" he finally responded.
After fifteen mnutes of relentless questions, Merlin suggested taking Arthur home with him.
"What do you mean, home? We live in a castle, in Camelot!" Arthur said, clearly confused.
"I'm truly sorry, Arthur, but Camelot doesn't exist any more. There is now only a few crumbling walls and an empty pasture where our home once stood." Merlin winced. He wasn't going to lie to huis king nor his friend, no matter how much the truth hurt.
"Oh..so I suppose there's no home for our friends then? Leon, Percival, Gwaine? Gwen?" Arthur asked, even though he knew the answer.
"I'm so sorry, Arthur, but they've gone too. I'm the only remainder of Camelot..and now you" Merlin amended.
They continued walking up the road in silence, with just the occasional question.
"So, Merlin, which one belongs to you?" asked Arthur, breaking the silence. The houses looked a lot like small castles in Arthur's opinion, a million miles away from the cramped mud huts of his time. After Merlin readily described the differences, it made sense, to have houses that reflected the modern era. Arthur had also asked about 'this hard black stuff' that covered the ground, which merlin described as roads that were quite similar to the dirt trails they had back in their day. He had also explained about cars, as Arthur had lept away from road when one had passed, and he stopped and stared at it as if it were a crazed, deranged animal.
"My house is the red brick one, between the white and grey one" Merlin replied, pointing. There was a small pond with an angel fountain, a tree and a small flower bed underneath the window, which held a window box bursting with colour.
"It looks nice" Arthur replied lamely as he and Merlin walked up the cobblestone path to the front door. Merlin fiddled with a key in the lock and ushered Arthur inside, keen to escape the curious stares of strangers that Arthur's clothes attracted.
Inside the house, Merlin was bombarded with yet more questions, concerning all the things Arthur was unfamiliar with. Arthur wante to try some of thee things out, attempting to dismantle the clock, climb into the freezer and in the end Merlin had to chase Arthur away from the Stove (which Arthur proclaimed as 'magic!' which made Merlin smile) after he tried to cook five batteries and a glass plate to 'see what would happen'. Arthur got annoyed, saying "I'm the king of Camelot, you can't order me around like that" to which Merlin had to explain that if he tried to do this, they would blow up, taking the whole house with it. It was quite exhausting, having to constantly lead Arthur away fom dangerous things. In the end, he seated Arthur on the cream leather sofa in the lounge, and went and made two cups of coffee.
He returned to find Arthur examining the remote control with a great interest. Merlin placed the mugs on the mahogany coffee table in the middle of the room. Arthur immediately grabbed a cup and eagerly gulped the boiling liquid down, first trapping it in his cheeks so he looked like a rather odd hamster. He swallowed it with obvious disgust, pulling a horrendous face and put the cup gingerly on the table. Arthur was never Mr. Subtle.
"Good God, Merlin, what is that vile stuff?" Merlin suppressed a smile. Honestly, it was like teaching a child.
"That's coffee, Arthur. Not everyone likes it, but I do," He raised the cup, as if to confirm what he'd just said, and took a huge gulp before placing it on the table next to Arthur's mug. He reached for the remote and turned on the television, a habit inherited from years of being alone.
Arthur yelped and jumped as the image of a talking man appeared on the screen. To his horror, the person continued to talk. Arthur took out his sword and advanced on the television.
"Merlin, what in God's name is that?" Merlin lept up, too, and placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder, seeing the inevitable danger.
"Arthur, it's fine. Do you honestly think I'd set something dangerous on you? It's just a televison, where the image of something is projected onto the screen, for people's entertainment. We don't do swordfighting or jousting any more, you know." Looking into Merlin's kind blue eyes, Arthur was immediately placated. He put his sword away. Merlin's patient manner disarmed him. He was used to being the smart one, telling Merlin everything. Now the roles had been reversed.
Merlin, as if seeing Arthur for the first time, glanced at his outfit.
"Arthur, I think we should get you into something more millenium appropriate, yes?" Arthur's brow wrinkled. He had so much to learn. Spreading his arms, he replied, "But I like this."
"Yes, I'm sure you do, but people will stare if we go outside, and quite frankly I don't fancy hiding out for the rest of my life in my house because the king doesn't want to wear normal things." Arthur huffed and grumbled but followed Merlin as he beckoned to Arthur to follow him out of the room and up the stairs. Arthur looked at the paintings and tapestries that decorated the walls. With a funny jolt, he recognized them to be things from his castle.
"Merlin, how did you get hold of these?"
"I rescued them from the castle after it was abandoned and got a warlock to eternally preserve them with magic. I've offered a lot of money for them by historians, because they knew they were fantastic artefacts, but I refused." Arthur briefly wondered why Merlin needed another sorcerer to perform magic for him, when he was one himself. Instead, he asked, "Why did you refuse?"
Merlin's eyes suddenly had a distinct, watery sheen to them. Arthur looked away, embaressed. However, when Merlin spoke his voice was quite steady.
"They're my only reminder of home" he replied softly. They continued up the stairs and Merlin walked into the room on the left of the staircase, the one with the door open, flicking on the light. It was small but comfy, with a single bed pushed up against the wall, a handsome oak wardrobe and spindle legged table holding a variety of delicate, fragile looking objects. Arthur had a sudden memory of a gangly servant and Arthur standing in his chambers. He was speaking sarcastically, as usual.
Merlin, you see this? It's a cupboard. You put things inside it.
Merlin walked over to his wardrobe and began to rummage through his clothes when the room went momentarily dark, then light, then dark again. He poked his head out of the wardrobe and saw Arthur frowning at the lightswitch, pressing the button on and off. He grinned and walked over.
"Hey, hey, stop that. You'll blow the circuits."
"Blow the..what?"
"Circuits. Basically, big bad thing will happen and our only source of light will be from the windows." Arthur nodded mutely, still glaring at the light switch as if it had done wrong to him. Merlin shook his hea, smiling, and walked back over to his wardrobe, while Arthur leaned against the wall, deep in thought. Merlin took out a pair of dark brown jeans, white button shirt and a red jacket. He wanted the king to stay as close to his usual dress sense as possible. Merlin layed out the clothes on the bed.
"Here you go."
"Why are still acting like a servant?" Arthur couldn't help asking. He rememberd asking the question yester-no, over a thousand years ago. It was odd, putting it like that. Merlin smiled, remembering too.
"It's still my destiny to serve you Arthur." He paused, smiling even more widely. "Why would I change now?"
"I don't want you to change. I want you to always..be you." Arthur quoted, playing along. Merlin rolled his eyes and left Arthur in his rrom. He walked down the stairs, grinning from ear to ear. Arthur was here! He was alive! He could hear him walking around in his room, the floorboards creaking, a real living Arthur there. But a quiet niggling, nagging doubt in the back of his head. Arthur would only rise when Camelot was in true need of help. He pushed this thought away, he would worry about that later...
Merlin sighed and opened his lounge door. When he realised the television was still on, he turned it off. He didn't need it any more. He would never be lonely again.
He still couldn't get his head around it. After centuries of being lost, alone, no friends...now, the day that his magic returned, should his best friend too.
Merlin was shaken out of his reverie as the heard the clomp of Arthur walking down the stairs. Arthur enterd the doorway, sticking his arms out at odd angles. Merlin was surprised. He really did look odd, out of his medieval attire.
"Look at me! I feel like a complete idiot." He revolved slowly. Catching sight of himslef in the mirror, he laughed, the jovial sound filling the room.
"Not as idiotic as you would have looked in your chainmail" Merlin replied, also smiling. He'd smiled more today than he had in one thousand years. Though it hadn't too odd to him, as that's what he was used to Arthur wearing, but a suit of chainmail and a sword would have seemed extremely strange to an outsider, not to mention dangerous.
He gestured to Arthur to sit down again, taking place in the armchair to the left of the sofa, nursing his cooling coffee mug. As he took a sip, he had a sudden idea.
"Hey, Arthur, how would you lik to hear some of our history?" he asked over his cup, expression slightly amused.
"What do you mean, our history? Honestly, Merlin, anyone would think you'd been dead for one thousand years, I know our history, I've lived it, remember?" He was happy he finally got to tell Merlin something. However, Merlin merely smiled at him.
"I meant the way that people after our time wrote it. It's been embellished so much that there's almost no ring of truth to it. However, they got a few of the ground facts right. I think you'll find it rather amusing."
