A/N: Hello, here with chapter four. This chapter took quite a while to get how I wanted it, but it was a lot of fun to write. I still do not own Merlin. I profit nothing from this. Just a bit of fun.
Chapter Four: The Letter and Strange Power
Gaius took the scroll as he sunk into the chair, Aveline seated across from him. "How are they?" He already knew the answer, knew the conditions of his former home, the home he had left so long ago to seek work, education, as an apprentice physician. The shock of seeing the scroll, feeling it in his hand, was enough to send his mind racing with ever worsening possibilities. The last letter he had received, at great risk to Hunith herself, had come upon the second birthday of Hunith's son.
"It… has gotten…" Aveline shook her head as her eyes welled. "I fear that I will not be able to explain. You must help her Gaius!" Aveline rose to her feet turned for the door. "Please…" She pulled open the door, and before he could nod his assent, ask her to stay, even wish her safe travels, she was walking away.
Gaius worked the ribbon that held the scroll together with trembling hands, placed on his glasses and began to read.
My dear Gaius,
I turn to you for I feel lost and alone and don't know who to trust. Life in Ealdor has grown desperate. It has become so that a parent can scarcely feed their child. Every bit of food has been rationed away to feed the king's army. The donations that Cenred demands are excessive, and it causes great strain. Merlin has always been such a gifted, hard working and cheerful boy. I fear if he remains here, it will hurt him terribly. I have accepted Lord Kanen's hand in marriage, and it is now I fear for Merlin more than ever. He needs a hand to hold, a voice to guide, someone that might help him find a purpose for his gifts. I thought only of of you. You have always had a kind heart. I would not bring you into this, if I knew I alone could protect him. I cannot do this without you. Please come.
Hunith
Gaius allowed the letter to fall onto the table in front of him, stunned. Hunith was going to marry Cenred's warlord? He knew Hunith would do anything, even placing herself in terrible danger, to protect her son, but if Kanen or even worse Cenred, were to find out about the boy, he didn't even want to consider what that would mean for both of them.
"Gaius…?" The door opened gently as a boy with a mop of red hair peeked through knocking on the side to get his attention. He carried a basket of various herbs and empty vials. "Is everything alright?"
Gaius glanced up with a start. "What?" His face relaxed. "Oh, it's you Asa."
Asa walked over to an empty part of the table, placing down the basket he was carrying, as he stared at his mentor with concern. "You told me to go to the supplier, don't you remember?" He peeked over Gaius' shoulder as the older man nodded. "What's that?"
"A letter… from Ealdor." Gaius pulled the letter back, closer to him and further from the reach of his apprentice. Asa was known for taking a straight path, a fear of the king's wrath outweighing any extra lesson in magical ills that Gaius had offered to teach. If he were to read the letter and figure out what Hunith meant, without hearing from him first, without meeting Merlin first, Gaius knew it would put himself and whatever protection Hunith believed he could provide to her son at risk.
"Gaius," Asa crossed his arms. "What is in this letter that has you so upset?"
Gaius sighed. "A member of my family has taken ill. My sister. She needs me to take her son, bring him here. She can't provide for him, and she fears for him under Cenred's rule." The half truth fell out almost too easily.
"Ealdor, that's on the outskirts of Essetir isn't it?" Asa nodded as he put the pieces together. "You need to go with the king to Essetir so you can make the journey to Ealdor. That's right, isn't it?"
Gaius nodded. "I'm sorry to have to ask this of you my boy."
Asa shrugged. "Can't be helped, besides, I think you need to do something a bit more exciting than healing boils for a week. And helping family, well that's more important."
"Are you sure?" Gaius asked.
"Of course. Besides I have to put all this to practical use don't I? Trial by fire and all that?"
"Thank you."
The apprentice nodded. "Just make sure to introduce me to this nephew of yours."
Morgana stared out her window watching as the carriage was brought round ready to be packed with the provisions for their journey. She stared at her own trunk, open and half-packed at the foot of her bed and sighed.
"Daydreaming again Morgana?" Morgana turned to see Arthur standing at her door with a smirk.
"Shouldn't you be out packing with the rest of them?" Morgana smiled tilting her chin to the outside where Elred, Sir Leon, and his page Niallan, were hoisting several trunks into the back of the carriage.
Arthur frowned. "I'm injured Morgana."
"Aww, did Elred bruise your ego?" Morgana laughed as Arthur's face grew hard. "I'm joking."
"The idiot suggested boar hunting." Arthur huffed.
"Boar hunting?" Morgana shook her head. "Once again, the boy manages to provide my entertainment. The mental picture alone will make this journey bearable. I really should thank him." The smile faded from Morgana's face as once again, her nightmares from the previous night encroached.
She saw a man with a vile scowl and royal armor. Was that the seal of Essetir? He was holding a young peasant boy by the throat. Shouting, indistinct, a series of flashes blurring together. Arthur drawing his sword, dressed in peasant clothing ramming the man against the tree, Elred kneeling beside the young boy who was unconscious. Then the knight, thug, she didn't know, turned ready to strike at Arthur, to kill, and the dream ended.
"Morgana?" She felt Arthur's hand on her shoulder as she startled out of the memory of her dream. "Are you alright?"
"What do you know about Essetir?" Morgana asked. "I mean really know about it?"
Arthur's expression changed, but only minutely from the frown of concern to a slightly deeper frown of concentration as he recalled what he had learned from Geoffrey as a child, from his father and Leon on patrols, during battles. "King Cenred rules with an iron fist. He's quite brutal actually, not someone you would want as an enemy." Arthur sighed. "I suppose that's why Father was clear in his warning. He wouldn't hesitate, at the first sign of weakness to attack Camelot with all of his strength."
Arthur studied Morgana carefully during this explanation, noticing the fear in her eyes, the tightening of her mouth, and the way she grasped the window ledge looking to the grounds below as though she'd fall without its support. "You're really frightened." It wasn't a question. Arthur could see it, even as his voice lilted upward with incredulity. Morgana had accompanied them on many peace trips, had exchanged teasing, biting words with the sons of nobles, and arrogant princes without batting an eye, even endearing herself to the slimiest royals for the sake of Camelot's peace and Uther's approval. So what was it that was so different this time around?
"Promise me you'll be safe." Morgana's words come all at once as she turns to him suddenly, before he can even formulate an inquiry. Her eyes connect with his, her hand grasps his wrist tightly, all jesting gone from her tone, and it scares him almost as much as seeing her staring out the window had.
"Morgana!" His defenses flew up, a nonchalant smirk finding its way onto his face as he adopted a sneering tone. "You do realize who you're talking to? I'm always safe."
As expected, Morgana just shook her head slapping him on the shoulder with a roll of her eyes. "Of course, I worry for nothing." And Arthur felt himself relax as the normal order of their relationship seemed to be restored.
Merlin walked in from his harvesting to see Kanen seated at their kitchen table.
"Ah, hello Merlin, what've you got there?" Kanen looked at Merlin, and Merlin couldn't shake the feeling that he was being dissected, the amiable tone the man was forcing out hiding something altogether unpleasant.
"Where's my Mum?" Merlin tried stepping around, gripping the basket even tighter to his chest. Kanen followed, blocking his path with each step.
"She went to the well, asked me to watch the house since you'd be comin' back." The man held out his hands for the basket. "Come now, that must be heavy. Let me help you."
Somehow Merlin doubted that Hunith had done any such thing; accepting the proposal or no, Hunith wouldn't leave him alone with Kanen on only the first day of the man making himself at home, or ever. He must've just barged in when she left. "No thank you. I've got it." Merlin whispered between clenched teeth, trying once again more forcefully this time, to get around Kanen's bulk.
"You look as though you're about to tip." Kanen gave what must have been his version of a chuckle, but to Merlin sounded like a cross between a donkey's bray and the roar of some great unknown beast intent to kill. He grabbed the basket with both hands, what to an outsider peeking through the window would appear to be his way of steadying the boy on his feet and evening the balance, but Merlin knew.
"With respect, I do this all the time Sir." Merlin said. His words were civil, could be construed as polite even, but the glare that went with them could melt stone. Merlin inhaled as he felt it, struggling to tamp it down. A tiny prickle, from his toes to his fingertips. He couldn't, not now, not here. He did the only thing that seemed logical. He let go of the basket completely, surrendering it to Kanen, much to the man's delighted surprise and he ran, out the door and down the road as his anger, his fear and the hum of the strange power increased his speed and threatened to spill out.
A/N: Okay, so what do you make of this one, of Gaius and Asa, of Morgana's dream, where do you think Merlin's running off to? How'd I do? Another set of behind the name, Niallan means champion and Asa means healer. Also I have some exciting news. A Knife in the Dark will be the first in my Merlin fanfic series the Child of Albion Chronicles. If you want to hear more about why I chose to start a series, it comes out of the fact that I have many more ideas with this verse in my brain that would not suit a ten year old Merlin, as well as developments in relationships that would be better explored over an extended period which was my idea to begin with. I figured instead of making it an extra long story, it'd be better suited to multiple "books". Let me know what you think, both of that and the chapter. Next time: we find out where Merlin's went and he does some snooping and comes up with a plan, Arthur, Uther, Morgana, Elred and Gaius arrive in Essetir, and something strange is afoot in Camelot.
