My compatriots! Here is the next quoteless installment of my quote...thingy. I've no clue what to call it. Anyway hope you like it. Yadda, yadda, I'm not in the mood for this, yadda, yadda, Merlin isn't mine, blah, blah, Go figure. READ!
Previously:
Arthur seemed to snap out whatever nostalgic phase he had been in. "I know you have you doubts about tomorrow Pellinore, but trust me when I say this: Merlin won't let you down." And with that he swept out of Pellinore's tent.
Currently:
And indeed Merlin did not let him down. The next morning dawned bright and early with a 2,500 men army facing them down. For Octavian had had men ferreted away in the woods. Pellinore and his army had anxiously gathered on their side of the field. He looked over to find that Arthur didn't even have most of his men. Just a about a hundred milled around. They weren't even in armor!
"What's the meaning of this?" Pellinore asked. "Why aren't your men ready?"
"I told you Pellinore, these men aren't my army and it would be a waste of time to put them in uniform. The only reason I brought them was to make sure I didn't look like an over confident fool. The men that showed up simply wanted to watch the show. My army is over there." He pointed over to Merlin just in time for Pellinore to watch the man go sprawling into the dirt…again.
"Forgive me if that doesn't exactly inspire confidence within me." Pellinore responded dryly. He watched with a sort of worried amusement as the young king went over to Merlin to scold him. The worrying bit mostly came from the fact that the future of his kingdom was riding on that Arthur Pendragon and his sorcerer and neither of them seemed to be taking it seriously. Pellinore watched them start to chuckle and his anxiety grew.
But all to soon the battle was upon them and he and Octavian were meeting in the no man's land between the two armies. "King Pellinore," he said, "give me the throne or watch as I take your kingdom by force." He gave a loud grim chuckle, "Before I kill you anyway."
Pellinore was by no means a brave man, but he loved his kingdom and was willing to face even death to keep its inhabitants safe. So it was only with a slightly trembling voice that he said these words: "I will gladly give my life for the sake of my kingdom, Octavian. But one thing I will never allow is that you take my place."
Octavian sneered. "That is no longer up to you Pellinore." He spat. "But if you want you and your men to die needlessly for the sake of pride, than on your head be it."
He turned to march back to his side of the field when a voice interrupted him.
"Wait." And there was something in that one word that Pellinore couldn't describe in a million years. The voice wasn't loud or harsh or demanding, but it would have stopped a stampeding herd of deer let alone one man.
Slowly Octavian turned to look at the man who had dared to stop him. "And who are you?" he asked.
The man raised his chin a steely look in his eyes. "I am Merlin Emrys and I order you to surrender now in the name of Arthur Pendragon, the Once and Future King."
Octavian stared at Merlin stunned, for a second. Before he started to laugh uproariously. "What are you, a stick of a boy, going to do about stopping my entire army?"
Merlin did not acknowledge his disrespect and, in a tone that was completely devoid of the pleasant tone Pellinore had heard yesterday asked. "So you don't surrender then?"
Octavian stopped laughing abruptly and stared at Merlin in contempt. His lip curled in a sneer as he said. "Why would I? You can't possibly beat me, my army outmaches you, ten to one. You. Can't. Stop me." With that Octavian spun away and marched out across the field.
Merlin looked at the retreating figure and regret flashed across his face, then it hardened. He called out "You'll find Octavian, that that isn't the case at all." As he said this the sky darkened, thunder rumbled in the sky. Octavian froze. And Pellinore felt a chill go up his back. Then a lightning strike as thick as tree seared through the sky and hit Octavian. Everyone stared at the blackened ground where there had once been a living, breathing man.
Merlin raised his voice to address the whole army. "Your employer is dead and your business here is done. Go and I will pay you with your life." For second the whole world seemed to hold its breath, then lightning flashed in the distance and everyone ran. Merlin scowled after the retreating figures until, rather suddenly in Pellinore's opinion, he grinned mischievously. He then whispered something and his eyes flashed gold. As he did so every single man that was running fell to the ground, crying out.
Pellinore looked at him confused. "Did you kill them?"
Merlin seemed bemused, and quickly shook his head "No. I said I'd give them their lives didn't I? I just gave them something extra. Swicdóm tácn" he muttered
And there in his palm floated some sort of symbol. It was a strange thing, a ring that had been cut into four different sections. Attached to each section in the center was a black line that pointed outward, as if pulling the pieces further apart. In the center of the broken ring there was a small black dot. It looked nasty.
"What is that?" he asked in a morbid version of curiousity.
"It's the druid symbol for those who hold no honor, no loyalty." He smiled grimly down at the ugly thing. "And I just tattooed it on the forehead of every man that was fleeing. Now everyone will see them and distrust them. All who look at them will know that they would destroy lives for a bit of cash. It will mark them as the scum they are. Nothing will hide it, not dirt, it will shine through hair, and it cannot be gauged out."
Pellinore looked at the men, who were slowly getting to their feet, uneaslily. Pellinore was a bit of a pacifist so anything that might cause the want for revenge made him second-guess things. "Isn't that a bit harsh? You just ruined their livelihoods."
"No, nothing is too harsh for a man that can be bought." Merlin said, his tone filled with bleak condemnation. "I gave them their lives. They can't expect a kinder sentence from me. Besides, if they truly repent the deeds they did and learn true loyalty the mark will fade. Until then this group shall be known as the Faithless Army, and scorned by all who lay eyes upon them."
Pellinore stared at Merlin. "How can you know a thing like that?"
"Saw it in a vision once. Couldn't understand why I would do such a thing at the time, but now that I see the reasons behind my actions, I'm pretty proud of myself." He flashed Pellinore a grin and then slowly ambled towards King Arthur, who was looking at him with a smug "I told you so" grin.
Pellinore needed to sit down.
So that was that. Only one more part to go! Anyway I think after this I'm going to do an interesting epic quote. Because these are getting kind of dry. Or maybe I should just break up these stories so they stand by themselves, and make 'em a series...I don't know. So, below is a quote, because I feel like every chapter should have a quote in it one way or another. I've never actually read the book but I was browsing through quotes on loyalty and it was really fitting for the situation. I wanted to put it in before Merlin's "No, nothing" line but I couldn't without it sounding forced.
-Windy of the Blankets
(I don't know what I'm saying either)
Quote:
"I may be stupid, as you say, to believe in honour and friendship and loyalty without price. But these are virtues to be cherished, for without them we are no more than beasts roaming the land."- David Gemmal, Shield of Thunder
