Chapter 6: Observation Skills
A/N: It's late, I know! But my life exploded. To make up for it, here's a longer chapter – let me know if you like it, or if you prefer shorter chapters. Feedback welcome!
I still do not own Merlin. And just to save you time, energy and disappointment, wishing on stars accomplishes nothing.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: So, series 5 is starting soon. And there is a possibility – however slight – that the reveal will actually happen, and we'll know exactly how Arthur and/or Camelot find(s) out that Merlin has magic. HOWEVER, we authors do not see this as any reason to discontinue this fic, which is, after all, just a fun way to write about ways in which the reveal probably won't happen. And those will always be funny. So we will continue the fic as usual no matter what series 5 has in store.
The beginning bit of this chapter is inspired by a deleted scene for episode 7 of series 4, which in itself is quite entertaining.
"Where is that dollop-head?" Arthur demanded as he marched into Gaius' chambers. "He was supposed to get me ready for training an hour ago! And if you say he's in the tavern," he added when Gaius raised his head from his work table to address the King, "I'll kill him."
"Perhaps he's in the stables, sire?" asked Gaius, deciding not to test Arthur's threat.
"I've checked there already!"
"Or the armory?"
"He not there either," Arthur huffed. "Are you sure he's not still sleeping?" he asked, heading in the direction of Merlin's chambers.
Gaius, fearing Merlin had left his book of magic out again, quickly added, "Then perhaps he's in the tavern after all?"
Arthur whirled back to look at Gaius, and had just started to say something when a crash came from Merlin's room.
"Sleeping in after all," Arthur growled, marching towards Merlin's door. He was about to wrench it open when Gaius said, "Let me, please, sire, perhaps he's taken ill and fallen out of bed?"
"Wouldn't you know if he was ill?" he asked, looking back at the physician.
"I've only just returned from an early trip to the lower town to treat an inn-keeper, sire. Merlin could have stayed in bed for all I know."
Arthur looked as though he thought the only thing wrong with Merlin was that he had dung for brains, but he frowned and stepped aside for Gaius to enter anyway.
Gaius entered the room, quickly closing the door behind him. He didn't know what he'd expected to see – Merlin practicing magic to help protect Camelot from the latest magical threat, or perhaps actually having just passed out from staying up all night doing the same, most likely – but what met his eyes was the furthest from what he had been preparing himself for.
A young dragon, about three feet long and pearly white, grinned up at Gaius from the shattered remains of Merlin's bed as though expecting praise for an immensely funny joke.
"Oh my," Gaius exclaimed softly.
Unfortunately, Arthur decided to investigate the cause of this utterance before Gaius could come up with a reasonable explanation. Fortunately, just before the King burst into the room, the dragon jumped onto the window ledge and threw herself out the window.
Arthur froze at the sight of Merlin's bed in pieces, then quickly scanned the rest of the room, noting that his servant's belongings were strewn about the room in a way that was even messier than usual. "What happened?" he asked sharply.
"I don't know, sire," was all Gaius could say. Telling Arthur that a dragon had trashed Merlin's room was certainly not an option.
Arthur's face was stern as he assessed the situation. "It looks like someone was searching for something, or like someone was attacked."
"No one could have gotten into or out of this room without my noticing, sire," Gaius assured, but Arthur was already striding towards the window.
"Not unless they were very good, Gaius," he said, and made to leave Merlin's chambers.
"What do you mean, sire?"
Arthur took a deep breath. "I cannot be sure, Gaius, but it looks as if someone is trying to do Merlin harm. They either kidnapped him or searched his room."
Gaius was becoming alarmed with the King's reaction. "Why would anyone want to harm Merlin?" he asked, hoping to make Arthur's fears seem foolish.
But Arthur looked more anxious than he was likely to admit. "I don't know, Gaius, but it's best to take this seriously, just in case. I'll find Merlin, and if he's in trouble, I will do whatever it takes to bring him back safely," he assured the old man. With that, he swept from the room.
"Oh dear," Gaius muttered again. This did not bode well for Merlin, wherever he was...
Meanwhile, Merlin was in fact racing through the marketplace, searching for a glimpse of the dragon Aithusa, who was apparently playing hide-and-seek, causing havoc at stalls and then flying away before Merlin has a chance to catch up. The vendors were getting increasingly angry and Merlin was becoming increasingly nervous. What if someone was sent out to investigate?
Half an hour later, Arthur was leading a search party through the city with Gwaine, Elyan, Leon and Percival in tow, all of whom had immediately volunteered to help look for Merlin. Arthur had told them the search was just a precaution, that it was quite possible that there was a perfectly benevolent reason for Merlin's chambers to be trashed and for him to be apparently missing ("who would want a useless servant like Merlin, anyhow?"), but all five men were taking the matter quite seriously as they asked around if anyone had seen the young man.
"A vendor said they thought he saw someone matching Merlin's description running east through the lower town half an hour ago," Gwaine informed the King.
Arthur sighed, becoming more irritated as it grew more difficult to hide his growing concern. "And another vendor said she saw him going west around the same time," he said, "And a noble in the upper town said he saw him running through the castle not more than an hour ago."
"Perhaps he's been running all over town?" Elyan suggested.
Arthur shook his head. "That doesn't make sense. Why would he need to?"
"Your chores?" Gwaine suggested with a smirk.
"Why would my chores send him to the lower town?" Arthur scoffed. "And even if he was in trouble, he would just come to me, he wouldn't have to run all over the place." He didn't see the knights exchange dubious glances. "Most likely each of our informants saw a different person, and none of them were Merlin."
"A lot of dark haired young men running about today then," Gwaine put in, though he did not quite pull off his usual teasing tone.
"What do we do now?" asked Elyan.
This was just what the knights were considering when Merlin ran around the corner, following a baby dragon in literal flight. He skidded to a stop when he saw Arthur and his knights; they hadn't noticed him yet, but if they did – or worse, if they saw Aithusa... Merlin quickly hid behind some crates.
"It would be best to split up again but cover a larger distance this time," Arthur was saying. Above him on a roof, Aithusa was crouching, looking at Merlin eagerly like a puppy waiting to play. "Gwaine, you take the lower town, ask your pals in the taverns but don't drink anything..."
Merlin leaned around the crate to get a good look at Aithusa. Fortunately, no doubt due to Arthur and the knights' rather conspicuous presence, the streets were clear of other people. Merlin used dragon language – very quietly – to command the baby dragon to return to Kilgharrah. Apparently he was too quiet, for Aithusa just continued to look at him, hopping around a little as if to tease him. Surely dragon language didn`t always have to be, well, roared?
Taking a deep breath, Merlin peered around the crate again. He waited until Arthur was in mid-sentence ("Sir Leon, I want you to search in the villages close to the city. It isn't likely...) and then tried the same command at normal speaking volume. Aithusa seemed to hear him this time, but was not pleased, for Merlin had not finished his sentence before she let out a mewling baby roar and flew into the air.
"What was that?" asked Arthur, whipping around to look at the rooftop on which Aithusa had been standing. She let out another shriek, and Arthur pivoted furiously, trying to find the source of the noise.
Aithusa swooped quickly behind an inn and out of sight, but Merlin was not so quick.
"MERLIN!"
Merlin whipped around to see a very irate looking Arthur marching towards him, his knights in tow.
"Good morning, your majesty," Merlin began with false cheeriness, but Arthur cut him off.
"It's afternoon. Where have you been all day?"
"Oh, um..." Merlin tried desperately to think of a plausible excuse, but was distracted when Aithusa landed on a barrel in a stall behind Arthur. "I was just...around."
"Just around? Merlin, do you have any idea how...irresponsible you've been? How much trouble you've caused?"
"We were getting worried, mate," Gwaine put in, grinning broadly. "Been looking for you since this morning."
"Looking?" Merlin frowned, then suddenly had to hide a smile. "You put together a search party," he said. Arthur couldn't say whether it was the fact that Merlin said it as a statement rather than a question, or the cheekiness of his tone that annoyed him more. "Were you worried about me?"
"Oh course not!" Arthur snapped. "We only had to investigate because it looks like someone's been riffling around in your chambers."
Merlin's grin vanished. "What?"
But before Merlin could contemplate this highly concerning statement, Aithusa jumped off the barrel, landed on the cobbled stones right at Merlin's feet, and let out a sound oddly like a bark.
"Is that a dragon?" Gwaine asked, snapping everyone out of their astonishment.
"Formation!" Arthur called to his knights.
Oh no, thought Merlin, definitely not good.
"She's just a baby!" he babbled quickly. "Surely she couldn't do any harm – "
Aithusa sneezed, and a burst of flames erupted from her snout, sending the knights scampering backwards.
"...Or, maybe she could," Merlin finished to himself. Thinking quickly, he muttered a hasty spell and flicked his gaze towards the assembled knights. Immediately, their eyes went glassy, as though some sort of daze had come over them all. "Quick!" Merlin yelled, pointing to a nearby stall that was out of the way. "There it is!"
Arthur and the knights became attentive all at once, turning in unison in the direction Merlin had pointed and ignoring the dragon on the ground completely. "After it!" Arthur yelled, and the knights charged.
As soon as Merlin figured they were out of earshot, he turned back to the dragon, who (was it Merlin's imagination?) was wearing a look rather like Gaius did when he caught Merlin doing magic he shouldn't. "It's no use looking at me like that," he whispered to Aithusa. "You're the one making a mess of things." A nearby crash and some yelling reminded Merlin of his task. Shaking his head, Merlin finally let loose the roar of dragon language, telling Aithusa quickly but firmly that she was to return immediately to the care of Kilgharrah and stay there.
With another sneeze and a rather sulky look, Aithusa took to the skies, soaring over Camelot in the now fading light.
Suddenly, Arthur spoke from behind him. "You talked to that dragon."
Merlin whipped around and realized that not only had his spell on the knights worn off, but that perhaps the stall he'd sent them to had not been as out of earshot as he had thought, for they were all now staring at Merlin in confusion. "No I didn't," was all he could think to say.
"You spoke in a rumbling language and then the dragon just left!" exclaimed Arthur. "Never mind why there's a dragon when you told me that you hadn't saved the last egg, how did you do that?"
"I didn't do anything."
"Merlin!"
"Are you sure you heard properly?"
"Yes, Merlin, I'm not deaf and I was three feet away!"
"Ah."
When Merlin didn't elaborate, Arthur stated the obvious himself. "You're a Dragonlord. Which means...you have magic."
He expected Merlin to deny it, but Merlin just remained silent. Arthur, shocked at his discovery, could only follow suit. Percival, however, burst out laughing, which was almost as shocking as Merlin having magic.
"What's so amusing, Sir Percival," Arthur asked rather testily.
"'Not deaf', eh, sire? How long has Merlin been your servant now? And he's been a Dragonlord the whole time...I always wondered where that human-like roaring came from when we met those Wyverns..."
Arthur blushed, a detail that Gwaine would forever emphasize when he told this tale in many a tavern.
A/N: I think the most amusing thing for me to write was actually Percival laughing...closely followed by Arthur being worried...
A note to everyone who will say that I got Aithusa wrong – yes, I know (SPOILERS!) that she's supposed to be evil and on Morgana's side (at least, I've heard that...), but this was more fun.
A note to Fearlee – I don't know if this satisfies your request for the knights to find out about Merlin's magic, but it was the most I could incorporate into a chapter that was already mostly written. That, and this fic is mostly about Arthur finding out. However, you've inspired my idea for my next chapter, so thank you!
Next time is JenWinsTheQuidditch, who will be writing her chapter operatic style. Or, you know, not. Whichever.