CHAPTER 4 : EYES IN COMMON

Leaving the horses below with the huntsman and the groom, Gavin and Romney carried bedrolls back to the cave. Arthur had decided that they would stay with Spenser. Romney told their guide to return to his village to tell the people that the wolf had been killed. The man chose to wait until daylight as one wolf was dead but what if there had been more.

Merlin decided against moving Spenser so one blanket was carefully slipped under him and he was covered by Robin's cloak and another blanket. A fire had been lit in the pit and the cave was illuminated by wavering orange shadows. No one spoke. Merlin sat on the ground next to Spenser monitoring him and Gavin, passed out food from their supplies. Arthur encouraged them to eat not wasting the good food. After Merlin had used some mead to disinfect the area around the wound on Spenser's neck, Romney passed the stoneware bottle around and everyone had a sip. Trying to be positive, they discussed ways of getting Spenser down to the road. Even with the fire it was chilly in the cave, however one by one, they dozed off leaving Merlin monitoring Spenser's breathing pattern.

Robin came to from a nightmare with a start, he was seeing wolves in all the shadows and it felt so real. He got up and walked to the fire adding some brush and small branches, the brush flamed with a familiar crackling sound. He plunked himself down next to Merlin. "How's he doing?"

"He's holding his own." Spenser was moving his legs and arms and murmuring. Merlin accepted that as a good sign. He explained to Robin, "At least, he can move his extremities, hopefully that means that there is no nerve damage."

Robin took hold of one of Spenser's hands saying, "He feels nice and warm!" and he lent over and whispered, "Spenser, it's me Robin, you're going to be alright. Merlin is with you."

They both nearly jumped out of their skins when Spenser mumbled, "Simon…need you!"

Robin turned to Merlin with a big grin. "He's confused but he's talking. He's forgotten that Simon is visiting his family. He'll get better now, won't he, Merlin?"

Merlin relaxed slightly saying, "Yes, he's on the mend but not out of the woods yet!" He realised what he had said and grinned back at Robin.

"Why don't you get some rest? You've been watching him since you first came into the cave. I'll bring your bedroll over closer to Spenser and you can doze. I'll stay awake and I promise to wake you if anything changes."

Merlin nodded, he didn't intend to sleep but it would be more comfortable lying out flat as his back was sore. He lay down and stretched his back wriggling his shoulders to loosen his muscles. He kept his eyes on Spenser but the next thing he knew, someone was brushing the hair out of his eyes and he opened them to see Arthur.

"It's only early but I couldn't sleep. Why don't you get up and come outside?"

Merlin checked and Robin nodded his head, "Take a break, I'm fine, I'll snooze when you come back."

Arthur leant over holding out his hand to pull Merlin upright. Before he left the cave, Merlin went to put some more wood on the fire but Arthur stopped him. "We'll do it when we come back." He took Merlin's sleeve and dragged him out of the cave. Once outside his hand found Merlin's and he held it.

The sun was making an effort to light the sky but it only managed a couple of bands of orange and pink on the horizon.

Merlin turned to Arthur and said, "I'll be back, wait here." Arthur leant against the rock face and shivered. If Robin hadn't acted quickly, they could have been carrying a dead knight back to Camelot. He shook his head; so often Merlin was the one who went exploring for sleeping areas. He felt sick thinking that it could have been Merlin lying on the ground by the fire.

Merlin came back grinning, "I feel better. I didn't think I was ever going to stop." Arthur smiled; he'd figured that Merlin had not taken time to go outside since they'd first arrived at the cave. "What's so funny?"

"When I was little Gaius used to say, 'Go when you have to, as maybe when you want to you won't be able to!' I always remembered those words of wisdom."

Merlin stood in front of him and put his hands on the rock face on either side of Arthur's head and said quietly, "…and take every opportunity offered to tell someone that you love them."

"He didn't say that, did he?"

"Not exactly," said Merlin, "But he could have…." He leant into Arthur and gave him a kiss. Arthur responded wrapping his arms around Merlin and holding him close.

"It could have been you lying there. No more wandering off by yourself searching for private sleeping quarters and the emphasis is on private."

Merlin laughed, "No, instead I'll take you with me from the very beginning." He leant in and held Arthur's face in his hands. "You, Sire, deserve every privacy which can be afforded."

"Why is it that I feel that you have more invested in my privacy than seeing that I get a good nights sleep?"

Merlin grinned at him saying, "We should get back as I need to take over from Robin. He's a sensible soul, Spenser was lucky to be with him."

"How will we get him back to Camelot? Do you think it will be safe to move him today."

"We have to! Gaius has to see him as soon as possible. He won't be able to ride but depending on how he is we might be able to sit him on a horse and I'll hang onto him. It'll have to be one of the others as Iago is too flighty for that."

Arthur nodded remembering the fiasco when one day he had decided to ride double with Merlin. Whereas Gidun would have accepted them without a second thought and walked along quite happily, Iago had erupted as he felt Arthur's weight behind the saddle and had unceremoniously dumped both of them before cantering off happily in the direction of home. Luckily, Mulgan had accepted the two of them and Merlin had explained to the stable staff that he'd been taking a drink from a stream when Iago had run away. Arthur decided that maybe Burton would be the better horse for fooling around when they were alone.

Arthur came back to the present to hear Merlin say, "But first we have to get him down to the road. I'll need a litter and we'll carry him down there as there was only room for one horse at a time on the way up. Maybe once we're on the road, we can strap the litter between two horses. Anyway let's go back in, Robin needs to have a break."

They turned and made their way back into the cave. Robin met them, "He drew his legs up and moved his shoulders but I still think he's asleep."

Merlin said, "Good news, as at least he must have feeling in his back and legs." He walked to the fire and someone had already added wood. He crouched down beside Spenser and ran his hand over his hair, "Spenser, are you thirsty?"

Merlin was thrilled to see the knight again shift himself and move his arm toward his face.

Spenser moaned, "It hurts…Merlin?"

"Yes, it's me. You had a fall…" Spenser tried to lift his head but cried out. Merlin put his hand on his shoulders saying, "Don't move! I have some medicine to dull the pain. Let me get someone to help me." He motioned for Romney who came over immediately. "We've got to get him down to the road but right now, I want to turn him so that he can see us but I don't want his head lolling around as I do. Arthur, I need you as well."

Merlin undid the bandage and was pleased to see no bleeding. He repacked the area with fresh cloth and some salve. He retied the original support. Moving slowly but steadily, the three of them managed to turn the patient so that he was lying on his back. His neck still wrapped securely in Robin's tunic.

His eyes were tear-filled as they finally laid him down again on his bedroll but this time facing upward. "I'm sorry, to have caused all this trouble, Arthur. If you leave me here, when I feel better I'll catch you up."

"That's not going to happen, you're going to come with us…"

"I don't think I can…"

"Don't worry, we can get you down to the road on a litter and then decide if you could ride double. Just think, you can have Merlin with his arms around you the whole way home."

That made Spenser's face break into a strained smile and he said, "Promise me, you won't be jealous, Arthur?"

-0-0-

It took time but a litter was made and slowly, they got Spenser down to the road. He was still very uncomfortable when jostled and Merlin knew that the safest way to move him was on the litter hanging between two horses in tandem. They chose Romney's and Robin's horses as they were well matched gait wise and using the harness from the pack pony managed to rig up straps for transporting the litter. Two long poles were chosen, the litter would be secured between them. The fronts of the poles were attached to one horse and the ends to a horse following. The two knights would make sure that the poles remained securely attached to the stirrups with extra ties to the breeching.

To begin with Merlin walked beside Spenser but once he knew that he was safe and managing with the motion, he rode beside him. Soon they could see the turnoff to the village. Merlin wondered what the villagers had felt when they heard that the wolf was dead.

Arthur had taken one look at it and suggested that they just leave it where the huntsman had dragged it. It was mangy and scarred and the smell was offensive. He nodded at Merlin when he got him alone, "Worth keeping for the bed?"

Merlin had said seriously, "You'll be sleeping alone if you bring that thing anywhere near me!"

Arthur had sent Gavin ahead with a message for Gaius which Merlin had jotted down on a parchment giving a description of the injury. It seemed in no time that they reached the valley and they could see Camelot on the horizon.

Spenser was managing the trip very well and he and Merlin kept up a conversation. He was also moving his arms freely and when a fly landed on his face, he swatted it away, making Merlin feel more positive about the whole thing.

Arthur rode back to them and commented that it looked like a good way to travel if someone was tired. "I'd rather be riding," Spenser stated.

"You will. Give it a couple of days, you'll be up and about if Gaius agrees."

Merlin joined in, "You know, Arthur, maybe in the future this would be a way for very rich people to travel."

Arthur made a comment about it being rather narrow for two people which caused Spenser to laugh.

-0-0-

Merlin didn't really relax until Spenser was in Gaius's care. Gaius wanted to check the wound first for signs of heat and infection. Thanks to Robin's quick action staunching the blood and Merlin's follow up with first aid, the wound seemed surprisingly healthy. Gaius's poking around in it caused Spenser to flinch but it wasn't until he was completely satisfied that he covered it in honey and clean bandages. Spenser commented on the smell and Gaius explained that honey was a popular healing salve for infected wounds.

Gaius extended the bandaging down to the shoulders to give the neck the support it needed. Satisfied, he offered Spenser some water, following it up with a dose of pain killer.

Once Spenser was settled comfortably in the bed near the fire, Merlin and Gaius sat at the table nearby. "I remember an old hound, favourite of Uther who was found…that is the hound not the king," Spenser and Merlin smiled, " …found in the forest after being missing for two days, his pad had been pierced by a sharpened wooden spike used in a poacher's trap. The dog in trying to get his paw out had become entangled with the vines used in the trap and was caught. One of the gamekeepers recognised the royal collar and brought him back to the kennels. The hound could put no weight on the foot and it was rotting away. The Master of the Hunt called for me. The foot was a sorry sight but no bones seemed broken. I took a leather purse and filled it with honey, slipped the dog's foot into it and strapped it on securely. The dog was confined to a kennel, kept watered and fed. Within three days, he was standing and by the end of the week, I removed the bandage and took off the purse and the foot although still swollen and bald, was cool to the touch. It was kept bandaged and clean for another ten days and finally old Rastus was given a clean bill of health."

Merlin said, "So, Spenser, if you end up with a healthy foot growing out of your neck we'll know that the honey worked." There was no response from Spenser and Merlin turned to see him fast asleep. He involuntarily yawned.

Gaius said, "Off to bed with you, you could get in a few hours before supper. Do you want me to give you something to sleep?"

"No, I'm sure that once my head hits the pillow, I'll be out like a light."

-0-0-

Arthur returned to his chamber to find Merlin curled up in bed, dead to the world. He smiled; there was something about seeing Merlin fast asleep without a care in the world. It was almost better than during the day as he felt that Merlin trusted him completely. He could still get the scent of the wolf in his nostrils and stripped off all his clothes for the second time that day. He decided to get dressed by himself and quietly got his things together, Thomas could give him the once over before he left his chambers for the dining hall. As he went to leave the room, he walked back to look once more at Merlin, his nose was turned into the pillow and his eyelashes lay dark against his pale skin. He had pulled the feathered comforter up around his ears. Arthur was tempted to join him but then realised that that would certainly disturb him and he needed to dine with the knights…so he left.

Merlin turned over. The wolf had its fangs into the neck of its intended victim and was shaking it unmercifully. He tried to get its attention but it was so intent on what it was doing that even a well aimed stone made little impact on it. Holding his knife in front of him, he assumed a crouched position and screamed like a banshee. That got the animal's attention and its jaw left the neck as its yellow eyes took in the man crouched before it. Merlin knew that a four legged creature could leap further than he could from his crouched position but all he had wanted to do was to get the animal to let go of Arthur.

From his position he was conscious of not only the huge paws and the long legs but the strength in the jaw and its blood covered teeth and lips.

It had been his idea to take cover in this cave, it had seemed perfect. It was deep and they were able to get out of the icy wind and pouring rain. Dusk had come quicker than expected and they had decided to spend the night meeting up with the others in the morning. He still didn't know what had happened but suddenly he realised that they were not alone. He felt the hair at the base of his neck rise and he unconsciously growled.

A silver figure had flown through the air landing on Arthur's chest knocking him to the ground. It happened in a split instant and the wolf sank its canines into Arthur's neck. Merlin could see the surprise and annoyance in Arthur's eyes but then they clouded over as he sank to the ground.

Merlin felt his magic come to the surface as he faced Arthur's killer. He slowly stood keeping the wolf mesmerised by his own golden eyes. Two sets of yellow eyes stared at each other and Merlin said, "Veni!" The wolf obediently stepped forward to meet Merlin's knife, crumbling to the ground twitching in its death throes. Merlin looked at it mentally apologising for killing an animal which was acting the way nature had ordained.

He turned and with his head down walked to Arthur's body…his body was wracked with tears. He accepted full blame for this awful outcome and he fell to his knees. He raised his head and howled…

He felt strong arms holding him and he let himself sink into oblivion. He came to in bed with a worried face looking at him in the candlelight. "Are you all right? God, Merlin! Talk about scaring someone to death you sounded like an infuriated wolf. What on earth were you dreaming about?"

"You!" Merlin whispered as a tear slid down his cheek.

"Hey, don't cry! We're safe and sound…come here." Merlin slid into Arthur's arms and finally fell asleep wondering if he had opened his eyes during the nightmare and if they had been golden.