To Merlin's immense annoyance, Arthur had managed to bring the scarf along on the 'horsey ride' and had now stuck it in the young warlock's mouth like reins.
"GEE UP!" The prince yelled for the hundredth time, lassoing a pretend bison and earning himself the strangest of looks from hapless passers by.
Gaius had fallen behind a great deal – way too embarrassed to walk with them.
Merlin groaned inwardly as another servant passed, shooting them 'are you both insane or something' kind of look before hurrying off down the corridor.
He'd never live this down…
There was a silver lining to this cloud, however, as they had just managed to reach Gaius's workshop. Merlin sped up, got inside and set Arthur down on the floor where the prince began to frolic around, waving the scarf merrily. Merlin looked on with concern as he proceeded to dip his precious neckerchief in every liquid around the physician's chamber, of which there were many. He couldn't help but yelp as the scarf began to let off smoke, having just been drenched in a vivid red concoction…
Gaius bustled in a moment later.
"What on earth is he doing???" he demanded upon seeing Arthur ruining his chambers. Merlin just shrugged. "Do something!" Gaius ordered.
"Me?"
"Yes, you!"
Merlin pulled a face as Arthur accidentally on purpose smashed a green glass bottle, giggling like a maniac.
"Erm…calm down now…" Merlin tried gingerly, warily approaching the prince. "No need to be like that!" he exclaimed when Arthur began pelting goodness knew what at him from a jar full of white powder.
"I'm the prince and you can't tell me what to do!" Arthur giggled, snatching a bottle of the table and lobbing it at Merlin, who ducked just in time; the flask missed his head.
"ARTHUR PENDRAGON," he raged, "STOP IT RIGHT NOW, OR I'LL GET YOUR FATHER!"
Yeah, that shut the prat up pretty quickly. But now Arthur was pouting, angrier than ever. Merlin just pointed at a chair where he wanted the prince to sit. Arthur sulkily took a seat and dangled the scarf in front of Merlin's face.
"Don't – you – dare," Merlin whispered. "Look over there!" he suddenly exclaimed, pointing towards nothing.
Arthur turned his head to look and meanwhile, Merlin snatched the scarf and shoved in his pocket.
"Don't go crying, now. You'll get it back when we're finished, deal?"
Arthur just huffed, giving 'Uncle Mer' a 'like-I-care' look. He was pretending, but in truth he wanted the scarf back, so he cooperated completely through the rest of the procedure. Even when Gaius put a strange goo on the scraped knee that clearly stung him, Arthur said nothing, though he did pull the weirdest faces…
Finally Gaius was done with the wound.
"All done," the physician stated and began to clean up the supplies he had needed.
Arthur rolled down his trouser leg, climbed out of the chair and marched up to Merlin.
"Can I have my scarf back now, Uncle Mer? You pwomised…"
Merlin fingered the scarf in his pocket lovingly, reluctant to hand it over, but Arthur was glaring at him, so he unenthusiastically pulled it out and gave it to him. The prince cheered up immediately and began to caper around again. As Merlin watched him he was quite sure he looked shorter…
"Merlin?"
"Yeah?" he turned to Gaius who had appeared next to him, looking dubious and holding a book.
"Before he starts any more trouble, I'm going to show you this," Gaius said, showing him a page of the book that had a picture of a black butterfly on it.
"What is it?" Merlin inquired, gesturing at the butterfly. "I'm guessing, not your common all garden butterfly."
"It's called the WitchBird," the physician explained. "Not a lot of people know this, but it has magical properties – that's why it hasn't been hunted down by Uther. I'm positive this is what's caused Arthur's childlike behaviour. The thing is, it decreases age mentally with its scales if they're breathed in, but it also decreases age physically, as well. Have you noticed how Arthur looks…younger?"
"Yeah," Merlin said; releasing a long breath and casting a concerned glance at the prince who was trying to do a cartwheel.
"He'll decrease in age five years at a time. By my reckoning he's only got a few days, maybe less, before…" Gaius trailed off.
"Before what?" Merlin demanded sharply.
"Before he just…disappears."
"How do we save him?" Merlin asked desperately.
"Have you seen one of these near Arthur lately?" Gaius asked, pointing at the butterfly. "And where abouts?"
"I haven't -" Merlin began but Arthur suddenly popped up behind them, making him jump.
"Pretty!" Arthur giggled, staring at the WitchBird.
"Have you seen it before?" Merlin asked.
"Might have done…" Arthur said stubbornly.
Merlin sighed. What was he going to have to subject himself to this time to get an answer from him?
"Please tell me," he beseeched.
"No."
"Please!"
"Only," said Arthur with a sly grin, "If…"
"What?"
"You call me Artie!" the prince decreed.
Merlin and Gaius exchanged glances.
"Erm…have you seen it before…Artie?" Merlin mumbled, ears going red.
"Yeah," Arthur said, grin becoming ever wider, "by the lake."
And suddenly Merlin remembered.
"Arthur -" he began but the prince kicked him. "OW! I mean…Artie started to act like this when we went to the lake," he told Gaius and gave Arthur an angry look; the prince just stuck out his tongue at him. Merlin did it back, but before they could start a fight, Gaius took control of the situation.
"Boys, boys!" he began, making calming motions with his hands. "Merlin, you're old enough to know that this isn't the right way to act! And you, Prince Arth – I mean Artie…" Gaius corrected himself before getting kicked. "You are wise enough to know what you're doing! So, stop it the both of you, or you won't get any dessert tonight!" when they subsided into silence, Gaius continued. "What I want you to do is go back to the lake and catch me one of those butterflies."
Merlin gasped.
"And what? Ending up with me acting like prince Pratdragon over here? No way! Besides, why do we have to even catch one?"
"Hey!" Arthur replied, insulted.
"Well, it's true…" Merlin hissed to him, avoiding another kick to his shins.
Gaius shook his head.
"It's not the WitchBird I want you to catch," he pointed to a picture in his book. The butterfly Gaius meant was the same, but white instead of black. "This one's called the SnowVale. I haven't figured out exactly what to do with it, but if you bring me one, I can find out. The book says that wherever the black WitchBird goes, the SnowVale soon follows. So, if what is written is the truth, they should be by the lake," he concluded.
Arthur's smile widened, as did his eyes. He looked up to Merlin. Merlin felt weird with the prince looking up at him; it reminded him of how his friend was shrinking and now looked like a ten year old…
"Uncle Mer, are we going hunting? Pweeease, can we go hunting! I want to go hunting!"
What was it with Arthur and his strange obsession with hunting? Merlin wondered.
"Yes…Artie…but we're not going to kill anything…just catching a butterfly for Gaius."
Arthur pulled up his shoulders – hunting was hunting.
"Well, it's probably best if we leave now," Merlin said. "I don't know how long it's going to take to find those butterflies."
It was like Arthur just heard his birthday would come four times a year. He jumped up and down like a frog, grabbed Merlin's hand and started pulling him towards the door. "C'mon!"
He had almost shoved Merlin through the doorway, when Gaius came rushing towards them and handed Merlin a butterfly net.
"Here, use this."
Merlin frowned.
"Where did this come from?" Merlin inquired incredulously while gingerly taking the net, feeling rather stupid.
"Oh…" Gaius waved his hand dismissively, "had it lying around somewhere…but you should be going. Prince…Artie…is getting -"
"UNCLE MER! WANNA GO!" Arthur pulled him once more. Merlin's hand slipped from where he was holding the doorpost and tripped. Arthur didn't mind; if he had to, he would drag Merlin to the lake…
