Alaia Skyhawk: Someone queried the meaning of 'Raeswa'. It's basically 'guide/leader' if I recall correctly what I stuck in the translation dictionary to get it. It's just an interim title for him, a place-marker used by the clans to say they support him as a possible leader of all Druids. Once all the clans 'vote' for him in that way, he gets the real title 'Lord of all Druids' :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
Music: N/A
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Chapter 4: A Royal Wedding ~Part 4~
It took all of Merlin's self-control to remain dignified, when Lyrana brought him to stand before the row of three stalls run by the druid couple she'd mentioned. The first was an array of herbs; dried in bunches, coarsely crushed in little cloth sacks, or finely powdered and kept in jars. The second was covered in uncountable polished and unpolished stones, crystals, blank metal and wooden disks, rods, parchment rolls, string of various types, and leather cording of similar variety. The third was a cornucopia of ready-made amulets, chimes, and many other things.
Sufficient to say, his first impulse was to want to race over to it as fast as he could possibly manage. An impulse reluctantly held in check, as he took the few extra seconds to instead head over to it at a more stately pace befitting a Druid Clan Leader... Although that didn't stop his gaze eagerly flicking over several promising items after greeting the husband and wife with a warm smile.
Indeed, he thought he was hiding his almost childish eagerness quite well, until he heard Lyrana smothering a chuckle and saw the wife attempting to hide a smile. At which point his middle-aged face flushed rose above his dark beard and he coughed to try and hide his embarrassment... and failed rather miserably.
"I um... Well I've never had the chance to shop for my supplies openly before."
The woman behind the stall continued to smile, walking along behind it so that she was opposite him.
"We've seen reactions like yours a lot in the past two weeks since we set up. It's been so long since those with magic have been able to trade openly, that it's been something of a novelty for everyone."
Merlin returned her smile, his blush fading.
"So I'm guessing that trade has been good?"
Her husband answered that, nodding.
"It has, from those both with and without magic. Our clan and the others in the area will not struggle for food this winter. Not with the funds we'll have raised by then."
"Then my money will be going to a good cause."
Merlin, after getting a nod of permission, began to browse the contents of the second stall. An altered enchanted harness he had planned for Friou, would require the appropriate crystals in the correct sizes. Protective idols he intended to craft, to form the foundations for at least some basic general protection for the castle at Camelot, also needed stones that resonated well with his power lest it shatter them.
A pile began to accumulate in a basket handed over for the purpose by the stall owners, as Merlin touched each prospective purchase and either shook his head when he sensed it wasn't what he needed, or picked it up to join the others in the wicker container. And once he was finished at the middle stall, he went to the end one and began to peruse his way through the mass of pre-made charms and tools. There were a number of them, made with carved wood and intricately knotted string, that were very different than anything he'd seen the Storm Clan making. He bought three different ones of that kind, for no other reason than so he could study them once back in Camelot. He could always enquire to druids other than his clan, at a later date, about more in-depth information on them.
He was just about done when his gaze caught sight of one last thing. A stack of un-carved, roughly-trimmed branches of various types leaning against the wall behind the stall. And seeing that enquiring look, the husband indicated then and explained.
"Those are for making staffs. Not many sorcerers use them, but enough so that we keep some for them available. Each of these branches is no ordinary piece of wood. Most of these were gifted to us by Dryads, removed from the original tree by their touch, to preserve the resonance from the tree's spirit. Some are special in other ways, like this one." He picked up a slender bough with smooth bark. "This one comes from a ash tree at the heart of a temple far to the north. A gift to us from the priestess there."
Intrigued, Merlin pointed to the stack indicating he'd like a closer look.
"May I?"
The druid waved for him to come to the side of the end of the stall, picking up the whole stack of branches and bringing them out so the warlock could inspect them.
Merlin began to pick them up one-by-one, but each time just smiling and shaking his head before handing it back. Pleased by their resonance, but they were not what he was looking for. That ended when his fingers clasped round an oak branch among the collection, splintered at one end and its bark scorched.
Seeing his eyes widen, the husband spoke.
"That one we found on the way here. We were sheltering from a storm when lightning struck a tree on the cliff above us. It fell right in front of the cave we were taking refuge in, still crackling with the lightning that had severed it."
Merlin glanced at him, then back at the oak branch. Mulling over that information.
"I'll take it. Name your price." A few minutes later, he and Lyrana were walking away from the stall. Merlin, his arms loaded with a sack of crystals, stones, and talismans, his purse considerably lighter, and the clan leader carrying his branch for him.
She regarded him speculatively, while holding the bough with care.
"This seems to have made quite the impression on you, Emrys."
Merlin, recalling his source of this information, kept it suitably vague to avoid questions.
"I've seen a vision of myself several times recently, holding a staff different from the one I already own. Considering I have an elemental affinity for lighting... I can take a hint when fate throws it in front of me. I believe I've found that staff, or at least that which I'll use to make it."
Lyrana looked a little surprised, but then smiled.
"Then I would say that you and this are well-paired then. It will be a staff I am sure will serve you for many years." They neared the castle, Lyrana nodding to the guards on the gate. She was known here. "This is where we part ways. If you ever have need to contact me, send word to King Fyrendir. He and I already have something of an agreement. My clan supplies the materials his Court Sorceress uses."
Merlin accepted his branch back, forced to shuffle his sack in his grasp for a moment to free up a hand to carry it. He then smiled and nodded.
"Then I'll look forward to when we get the chance to meet again."
"Farewell, Emrys."
Merlin watched as she turned and vanished among the people in the street, smiling to himself at the brief yet constructive meeting with her. He had another clan to his cause, had bought all the materials he'd needed for his projects, and gotten himself the beginnings of a new staff in the process.
He headed into the castle, reaching out with his mind to find his assigned manservant whom he'd discovered last night could hear mind-speech. One quick mental request, and a couple of minutes later the young druid emerged into the courtyard to assist him with his purchases. Of course he insisted on taking the heavy sack, leaving Merlin with nothing to do but carry the branch on the trip to his guest room.
He then spent the rest of the morning sorting his purchases into piles to go in smaller sacks, each for a different project. And then he took his branch over to the chair near the hearth, sat down, and began the slow process of removing the scorched bark piece-by-piece with his fingers. He didn't want to touch it with tools, not for this part. He'd read enough in the past about staff construction, to know that the more he did with the touch of his hands, the better the result would work for him.
He was still there at noon, pieces of bark being thrown one-by-one into the fire. Most of the pale, un-scorched wood beneath it now exposed. He didn't look when the door opened and someone walked in. He knew just from the sound of the stride that it was Arthur.
The king frowned a little when he saw the clutter of stones and etceteras on the table, raising his eyebrows and shaking his head as he then approached the warlock.
"You left Gwen and Iunia to explain things to Mithian so you could go shopping?"
Merlin snorted at that, rolling his eyes.
"Not entirely, although that was part of the reason. No, I went out to meet up with the Clan Leader who prodded my mind last night. After talking to me, satisfying herself that what she'd heard about me was true, she named me her clan's Raeswa. She then showed me to a nice stall run by a druid couple, and helped me carry my stuff back to the castle once I was done there." He turned his head to glance at his friend. "I should think you wouldn't have a problem with me gaining another ally... Besides, if we're avoiding telling Mithian about Emrys, it's easier if I'm not in the room. You've no idea how awkward it feels to hear people, yourself included, blatantly leaving things out that you know are missing from what's being told."
Arthur, who had reacted in surprise at the mention of Lyrana, now came over and sat in the other seat by the fire. He was smiling.
"Well then, I guess that's that. And congratulations on getting another clan. Any idea how many are left?"
Merlin slumped in his seat a little, bemused.
"A lot... Each of the Major Clans of Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water, are all broken up into a minimum of about a dozen sub-clans who all have their own leader. Then you have all the Branch Clans, like the Oristalla, who are loosely tied to the Major Clans but have their own independent area of magic and/or nature they specialise in. There are about thirty of those..."
Arthur grimaced in sympathy.
"So with six clans, seven if you count your own, that's-"
"A very small start on a very big task."
Merlin sighed, stripping the last piece of blackened bark from his branch and throwing it into the fire. Arthur, his attention drawn to the length of wood, now regarded it with curiosity.
"And what's that for?"
Merlin looked at him wryly.
"I can take a hint when destiny comes knocking."
He drew his Dreor Dagger from the sheath on his belt, using the enchanted weapon to cleanly remove the stubs of twigs and side-branches from the stripped bough, before slicing off the splintered end... It now looked like the crude beginnings of a staff, and Arthur quickly realised that with surprise.
"You already have a staff."
Merlin kept smiling.
"I have a staff, but Emrys doesn't. I can't use my Sidhe staff when I'm in disguise, or Morgana might make the connection between Emrys and me. No, my alter-ego needs one of his own, and when I found this at the market today I just knew this would be it. The couple who owned the stall, which they only set up two weeks ago, had this literally fall in front of them during a storm on their way here. It was broken from its tree by lightning, Arthur."
Merlin wasn't the only one who could take a hint from fate when it was spelt out for him, and Arthur at once settled back into his chair with a small sigh.
"Well then, I guess you're going to work on finishing that off when we return to Camelot."
Merlin shrugged.
"Yeah, among other things." He pointed to the laden table. "I have everything I need for several of my projects now, so I'm going to be quite busy. Don't expect me at too many council meetings for a while. Those things take up far too much time that I can spend on more useful things, like installing proper castle wards. Ones that could keep Morgana out are still impossible while I have to make them discrete, but at least I make some to better protect the central part of the citadel; like the royal quarters and the council chambers, the hall we use as the infirmary, the armoury, and Gaius' chambers. The areas most likely to be breeched or tampered with in any future attempts by her."
Arthur nodded.
"Just remember to inform Georg to alter the patrols when it comes time to install them. The last thing either of us needs right now is for you to make your entrance as my Court Sorcerer, early." Arthur sighed again, rising to his feet. "Well, enough of that. I actually came up here since we're supposed to be dining with Fyren and Mithian in half an hour. And then, if you're up for it, there's been a small change of this afternoon's itinerary."
That caught Merlin's attention, the warlock setting aside his oak stave as he stood up.
"Small change?"
Arthur started to smile.
"After finding out you're a warlock, Mithian was quite disappointed that you didn't compete in the magic tournament. So, if you're agreeable, she's asked if you and Iunia are up for giving her a demonstration match in the Aering Knights' private training arena."
The answer from the warlock started as a slow change of his expression, which became a wide grin of anticipation as he chuckled.
"Sure... I just hope she doesn't think that Iunia is going to win."
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Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehehee, yep, the final part of the sub is going to have a tournament-style duel between the Court Sorcerers of Camelot and Escetia. And yep, I've plugged a sort-of small plothole regarding the 'staff' you see Merlin with in Morgana's visions, combining it with the very real need for Merlin to have a zappy-stick he can use as Emrys without blatantly giving himself away by using his Sidhe one :)
No prizes for guessing that the sub after this one will cover the making of that staff, a fidgeting/over-affectionate Friou as Merlin makes her new harness, and the stuff with making the new wards for the royal quarters etc which will allow me to have Georg make an appearance again. That one is also likely to be a five-parter, although I'm not sure yet as I've still to fully plot it out :)