Author's Note: Happy New Year, and concerning this chapter... hehehe. I particularly like the ending.
Morgana watched Gwen and Merlin approach her. She wasn't sure if they knew about the creature that was following them, but if they didn't, then she wasn't going to spoil their bliss. She knew how energy-filled retrievers were, and she wasn't going to spook the creature and force them to chase after it. That was torture wrongly placed under the name of fun.
Morgana noticed that the dog was strutting proudly beside Merlin. It was obviously a nobleman's dog, but she wasn't sure as to its purpose. It could have been a hunting dog, like the ones that Uther kept, or a family pet. It was certainly well fed and its shining coat showed that it was also a very healthy animal.
Morgana smiled at Gwen and Merlin when they were close enough. They both smiled in return then looked down at the dog. The animal looked up at them; ears perked up hopefully and tail wagging swiftly.
"Err... milady," Gwen asked hesitantly. "We found this dog in the market, or well, more like it found us and erm..."
"We were wondering if you know of any noblemen who have lost a dog," Merlin summed up.
Morgana looked at them, and couldn't believe that the dog was all they wanted to talk to her about. But one glance at the dog and all annoyance at the two servants dissipated immediately; it did look a little lost, after all. Besides, if not Merlin, Morgana knew that Gwen was soft at heart. She knelt gracefully before the dog and held out her hand with her palm down, her fingers closed to a loose fist. She waited patiently for the dog to come to her.
After stretching its head out slightly, the animal quickly obliged, attentively sniffing her hand before backing up to Merlin. It looked up at the man, as if asking for instructions or support. Its tail moved quicker when Merlin glanced at it.
"He seems to like you, Merlin," Morgana commented as she stood up, noticing Gwen's puzzled face.
But Gwen didn't speak. To her, dogs were all the same. She had no idea how anyone could tell the difference between dogs, unless they were different breeds.
"Well, do you know anyone?" Merlin asked again.
"No, I don't," Morgana admitted. "But that doesn't mean that there isn't someone looking for him. I could ask Uther."
"Well, we didn't want to bother him, since he's looking for Arthur," Merlin stated quickly, missing the dog's tail speed up slightly.
"The fact is, Merlin, as much as I hate to say it; Uther will be bothered by servants, no matter what they need to talk to him about. Me, on the other hand, I can talk to him about anything," Morgana grimaced.
Merlin nodded understandingly. He winced as his burnt skin stretched; painfully reminding him that he needed Gaius to look at his injuries. He smiled sadly before bowing respectfully to Morgana. He spared Gwen a quick inclination of the head and then departed from their company.
"Merlin," Morgana called from behind him.
Turning to see what she had to say, the young man saw Morgana trying not to laugh. Her hand covered her obvious smile. She pointed down to his feet.
Following her gaze, Merlin found himself to be staring at the dog, whose tail once again picked up speed. It had been about to follow him, and Merlin would have been completely oblivious until he reached Gaius' study.
"Uff!" the dog sneezed.
Merlin stared at the dog, wondering what he could possible do to stop it from following him. The animal cocked its head to a side, confused by Merlin's hesitation.
"Just take the dog, Merlin," Morgana ordered gently, seeing him at a loss.
"I wonder what his name is," Gwen mused, then realised that she'd spoken aloud. "Eh, what I mean is, it would be easier if we knew his name."
"Why don't we just come up with one, until we find his master?" Merlin suggested.
"He might not respond to a name that isn't his own," Morgana warned. "And there are hundreds of different names out there. It could take forever to guess his name."
Merlin knelt down and looked at the dog, which turned and looked back at him. Merlin could quite easily see the stone grey eyes, which had a startling familiarity about them. And the golden fur colour... he knew it reminded him of someone.
"Obviously he's used to being the leader of the pack," Morgana stated. "The way he doesn't back down from your gaze... you'd almost think he was a prince."
Morgana smiled, then realised what she'd just said. She hoped with all her heart that she hadn't upset Merlin with such a thoughtless comment. The expression on Gwen's face spoke of the same concern.
But Merlin wasn't paying attention. He was more interested in the dog, as it had turned to Morgana, wagging its tail furiously. Merlin frowned in suspicion.
"Prince?" he ventured.
The dog returned its gaze to him, its ears had pricked up and its head was cocked to a side. The dog opened its mouth to reveal a smile, tongue lolling out to a side.
"That's your name, isn't it? Prince?" Merlin guessed, speaking to the dog.
"Uff!" the dog yipped.
"Wow," Gwen sated, awed. "How's that for a lucky guess?"
"Maybe... we shouldn't let Uther know about this," Morgana mused. "A dog with the name 'Prince' probably won't sit well with him at the moment."
Merlin looked to his two friends and then back down to Prince. The dog looked back at him unabashedly, almost challengingly.
Then, Merlin could feel his chest and shoulder aching, reminding him that he still hadn't seen Gaius. And so, realising that the visit should not be postponed any more, he stood up.
"I'd better get back to Gaius, have him look at the linen," he announced.
The girls nodded understandingly, and said nothing. Neither of them wanted Merlin in pain, and decided to let him leave without a fuss.
Without a word, Merlin turned and walked back to Gaius' study. He looked downwards, and saw that Prince was following him, but decided not to do anything. Besides, what should he care if a dog wanted to follow him?
Merlin bounded up the flight of stairs, eager to have Gaius look at him and then be back to work. Behind him, he could hear the clattering and scratching or claws on stone as the dog followed him. He wasn't sure why Prince had taken such an interest in him, but he had to admit that he enjoyed the creature's company.
Gaius looked up as his study door was opened and nearly knocked over his glass vials as he saw his ward walk in. The dog that was following him was only a second priority.
Merlin looked a mess. The linen had slipped and the burns beneath were looking irritated, dust covering the red skin.
"What happened?!" Gaius demanded as he escorted his ward to a chair.
"Gwen was attacked in the square-"
"-And you thought to help?" Gaius interrupted, raising an eyebrow.
"Actually, Prince rushed in to help," Merlin motioned to the dog, who perked up when being mentioned. "The man just pushed past me."
"And I suppose that push landed you on the market floor?" Gaius asked.
Merlin didn't answer, but he didn't have to. He merely had to look at his shoulder to know that the truth was in plain sight. So, he nodded.
Gaius sighed, and looked at his ward. Without speaking, he collected a bottle off his shelf. He dabbed the salve onto a clean cloth and applied it to Merlin's injuries. The salve was cool, but the young man didn't flinch or shiver under the physician's touch. With the burns redressed, he proceeded to change the linen.
"So, may I ask why that animal is in my study?" Gaius asked conversationally, peering down at the dog.
"Prince just seems to want to follow me," Merlin explained.
"Prince?" Gaius enquired, startled at the choice of name.
"It's the name he responds to," Merlin shrugged, careful not to ruin Gaius' work.
"Uff!" Prince barked, as if to validate Merlin's claim.
"Well..." Gaius began, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "I would advise you not to mention the dog's name in front of Uther. He might take it badly," Gaius warned.
"I guessed that," Merlin agreed, looking down at the dog. "That's why we spoke to Morgana."
"We?" Gaius frowned.
"Uh, Gwen and me," Merlin explained.
Gaius nodded, his expression thoughtful. He looked towards the dog, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise.
The dog's attention was solely on Merlin, even though the young man wasn't even watching him. Merlin didn't have any food on him, so Prince wasn't trying to gain a titbit. It seemed, to the physician, that the dog was trying to tell his ward something.
"It looks like someone wants your attention," Gaius motioned in the direction of the dog.
As Merlin looked down, the dog raised its head hopefully. Prince stretched his head forward, his black nose twitching.
"Uff!"
Merlin allowed his eyes to rake over the dog, taking in every aspect of the animal. All the time, he couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something familiar about Prince. So consumed with the feeling, Merlin almost didn't hear Gaius advise him to get some rest.
He turned to his uncle. He was motionless for a moment, before nodding his head. He stood up and made his way to his room. He could hear Prince's claws clicking on the wooden floor. He left the door open long enough for the dog to pass through. Merlin turned to the loose floorboards and pulled them out, revealing his book of sorcery, and many other strange things he had collected.
Prince took an immediate interest in the newfound hiding spot and all its treasures. He was instantly at Merlin's side, sniffing at the hole and the book. He backed up as Merlin stood up and sat on his bed.
"Uff!" he barked warningly.
Merlin looked over to the retriever. A determined look was in his eyes.
"Let's see if we can't find out what's so important for you to tell me..." Merlin murmured, turning his attention to his book.
Merlin scanned several pages, looking for the right spell. Finally, his finger traced across a spell that looked particularly promising. He shuffled on his bed, moving closer to Prince. He outstretched his right hand and laid it on the dog's head.
"Ah! Behave," he ordered as Prince moved to escape Merlin's hand.
"Uff!" Prince huffed, obviously unhappy with his treatment.
Merlin gave him a look that would have made Gaius proud. He felt happier as Prince settled down. With the pair of them in physical contact, Merlin checked and recited the spell.
"Areithiwn fel hun," Merlin whispered, enunciating the words carefully.
Merlin frowned. He was sure that he had pronounced the spell correctly, and yet... nothing had happened. He wasn't sure what was meant to happen, but he was certain that it would have been instantaneous. He looked over to Prince, who raised his eyebrow ridges in response, as if he was mocking Merlin's stupidity, his incompetence to perform a simple spell. Either that or the dog was telling Merlin that he'd known this wasn't going to work.
Merlin sighed dejectedly, and removed his hand from Prince's head. He watched the dog shake himself, before settling down and watching him once again. Merlin turned to the book and flicked through more pages.
Absentmindedly, he heard the dog growl.
"What the hell are you trying to do, Merlin?! What is that book?! How long have you had it?!"
Merlin froze at the sound of the voice, that very angry voice. He knew that voice very well, but could not ascertain its whereabouts. After all, the only living things in his room were him and the dog, Prince. It made absolutely no sense what so ever to be able to hear that voice, unless...
Merlin looked down at the dog. He could not dare to believe, and yet, he was daring.
"Prince?" he asked, holding his breath.
"Prince?! I would have thought that you'd know me anywhere! Can no one see who I really am?!"
"Ar-Arthur?" Merlin stammered, his eyes wide open.
At that precise moment, the dog leapt up from the floor, landed on Merlin's bed and effectively pinned him down. Amidst all the confusion, Merlin could her barking and fragments of words, all resonating surprise and pent-up frustration.
"Get off me!" he demanded eventually, unable to tolerate the din.
"What did you do? Merlin! Are you..." the dog quietened down. "Are you a sorcerer?"
"No, I'm a warlock. Are you Arthur Pendragon?" Merlin countered.
"Of course I am, idiot!" the dog, Arthur, retorted witch transformed me into this! I don't care how you do it, Merlin, but undo this!"
"What do you expect me to do?" Merlin asked angrily.
"You're a sorcerer aren't you?!" Arthur replied.
"I'm a warlock, and I haven't really learnt everything there is about magic. Nimueh has had decades to learn, and I've only learnt for-"
"Nimueh?"
"The sorceress," Merlin explained. "She's the one we encountered yesterday."
It suddenly struck Merlin how bizarre time had acted. It had only been one day since he had almost been crushed by the roots and burnt by Nimueh's spells. It had only been one day since he had woken up to find nothing of his master and prince except his clothes. To Merlin, it seemed like it had been a hundred days.
"How is it you knew her name?" asked Arthur suspiciously.
"I've... met her before. She not a friend, I can tell you," Merlin assured.
"Okay... so how are you going to sort out this mess?"
There was a gentle knocking at the door, which prevented Merlin from replying. Arthur growled quietly.
"It's Gwen. Hide that damn book!"
Merlin hastily shoved the book under his blanket. He then rose to his feet, unceremoniously pushing Arthur off the bed as well. He ignored Arthur's surprised yelp and subsequent protests as he made for the door.
"Gwen! What are you doing here?" he asked innocently, though he had a nagging feeling that he knew what she wanted.
"Morgana spoke to Uther," she stated, confirming his feeling. "He doesn't know of anyone who's lost a dog, and couldn't care less at the moment."
"Uther?! You speak of my father so disrespectfully when we're not around?!" Arthur yelled in Merlin's ears.
"Well, Arthur is missing, so that is his main priority," Merlin answered, trying not to flinch at Arthur's silent rage.
"I know. But he did say that Morgana could take care of Prince, until his owner is found," she mentioned cheerfully.
"Owner?! I don't have an owner. I am the Crowned Prince of Camelot!" Arthur scorned.
"And, she wants him in her room," Gwen summed up.
Unknown to her, Arthur had suddenly gone very quiet. Merlin turned round to look at the golden retriever that somehow was his master. In his ears, he could hear Arthur, and the laughter. He then turned to Gwen.
"Sure, but can I ask something of you?" He queried.
"Of course," Gwen replied, a wary look in her eyes.
Merlin leaned in very close and whispered something in her ear. When he stepped, Gwen gave him a very confused look. But, one glance at his pleading face made her nod her head.
"Come on Prince," she called.
Arthur was at her heels in an instant. He stayed there as she wished Merlin goodnight and then proceed to Morgana's chambers. All the time, Arthur had his tailing swinging gleefully. When they arrived at Morgana's chambers, he was pleased to notice that she was still in daywear.
"Hello there, Prince," Morgana cooed.
Keeping up the act, Arthur padded forward and allowed her to stroke him a few times, licking her hands as she did so. After she scratched his ears, he shook her hands off. He watched her expectantly, eagerly waiting the next event.
"Well, I'd better get ready for bed," Morgana announced. "Gwen, could you help me?"
"Certainly, milady," Gwen stepped forward.
Arthur surreptitiously crept forward. However, he stopped as soon as Gwen stared at him. Playing dumb, he cocked his head to the side when she pointed at him.
"You: stay there," she commanded. "We don't want you ruining milady's dress."
"Wha-? What?!" Arthur stuttered, disbelieving what he'd just heard. "Why would I want to ruin Morgana's dress? What would make you think that I..." he suddenly trailed off.
It suddenly occurred to him that Merlin had whispered a request to Gwen just before she brought him up. He had been so ecstatic at the possibilities that he hadn't been listening. But now, he had a fair idea what his manservant had requested.
"MEERRLLIINN!!!"