Chapter 7 – The Witch
For an hour, Merlin worried that he should have followed Arthur. It was getting dark, and Arthur wasn't yet a hunter. He knew he'd done the right thing, letting him run off, because if Merlin had followed Arthur then Arthur would have just become even angrier. So for an hour, Merlin worried.
And then that hour ended. For the following hour, Merlin waited patiently. He had spotted Arthur's shirt sleeve, and consequently the rest of the prince, leaning against a tree just out of talking distance of the camp. He wasn't sure how long Arthur had been there, but he had a suspicion that Arthur had never truly left the area. Now Merlin was just left contemplating how long until Arthur returned to the fireside so Merlin could apologize... again.
Sometimes it seemed all Merlin did was apologize to Arthur. Sorry for dropping breakfast. Sorry for spilling the wine. Sorry for disappearing for two days to save your life when you thought I was in the tavern but I was actually almost dying. Sorry for your loss. Sorry for being late. Sorry for whatever is making you feel bad. Sorry for being in love with you.
Merlin took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He'd never get around to saying that last bit, especially at this rate. He wasn't even doing well with a pint sized Arthur. How was he supposed to convince a grown man that he wasn't just some idiot servant? Arthur still got mad at him for 'crossing the line' and kicked him out of the room on a regular basis. How was Merlin supposed to show his worth if Arthur wouldn't listen?
Oh. Merlin sat up straight and pursed his lips. There was an idea. He stood up and stretched, rolling his shoulders, and cleared his throat. He saw Arthur shift to watch him and then leisurely strolled from the camp site as though going to collect more wood or pee. He restrained himself before he could start humming.
Once he was a good distance out, he walked behind a tree and stopped. He peeked out, though, and looked back toward the shining fire. They should really put it out soon, but until Arthur was back, it was safer to keep it lit. Just as Merlin had suspected, as soon as he'd left the area Arthur came slowly stepping out of the bushes. He really didn't change as he grew up. He just changed who had to leave the area. Arthur left this time to pout in the woods, but in the future he would always send Merlin off and out of the room so he could pout alone. It was good to know he understood Arthur enough to notice at least this much.
Merlin turned his head toward a whisper through the trees. It sounded like... and there she was, the woman from before. She stood between two trees, a hand pressed to the larger of the two. She had long golden blonde hair and shining green eyes that stood out even at night. She wore a green gown that was just a shade too bright to be mistaken for a tree or bush. It was nearly camouflage. Around her neck was a silver necklace.
"Emrys," she spoke in his mind, and she sounded almost amazed to see him. "Long have I dreamed of speaking with you."
"You're not speaking now," Merlin answered, defensive. She smiled, something surprisingly kind, and nodded. With a tilt of her head, she motioned for him to follow her further from camp.
"I promise I mean you and the future king no harm," she said as she walked off. Merlin glanced back at the fire. Arthur sat by it and glanced in Merlin's direction, but the young blonde couldn't see Merlin this far out. Merlin nodded to him regardless and then followed the witch.
"Who are you?" he asked when they'd stopped.
"My name is Tethella," she answered swiftly. "I'm a sorceress and seer. And you are Emrys, the sorcerer of legends." Again, she sounded in awe.
"What do you want with me?" Merlin asked. Her stance was unguarded, as though she feared no attack, from Merlin or otherwise. She concealed no weapons in her lithe gown, but she had powerful magic. Merlin could sense that.
"I wanted to warn you. There are bandits nearby... and I wanted to meet you. Your window here is small. I didn't have much time," Tethella explained. "I have studied your legends, Emrys. You and your king will do amazing things together."
"I know Arthur's destiny and my own," Merlin agreed, but Tethella shook her head.
"No. What you have yet to understand, Emrys, is that they are one and the same," she said. "I have tried to watch the young prince until your arrival, and I have seen him since. Come." and she held out her hand. "I can show you what's truly troubling his heart."
Merlin bit his cheek. She sounded like one of the kinder sorcerer's. She didn't seem to mean any harm. Merlin stepped forward and took her hand, prepared to defend at any moment. She pulled him closer, placed her free hand on his cheek, and tilted her head back slightly. That's when Merlin noticed they were the same height. She was tall.
Suddenly, though, Merlin couldn't think about Tethella. He closed his eyes and sucked in a breath as his mind was thrown into visions. It was senseless, pointless scenes really. Stables. Kitchens. Dinner tables. All were filled with people, including Arthur. It would be nothing, just a princely life, except for the growing stirring in Merlin's gut. He could feel Arthur's emotions. Everything was nervous and growing worse by the second. Merlin recognized the feeling. He'd had it too growing up. He suspected most young men did. Arthur was developing crushes.
And then there was Uther, all over the place, yelling and condemning the 'unnatural people', the ones who practiced magic and corrupted the hearts and minds of people, the people who deserved to be executed. Arthur was afraid. Why was he afraid? It was small and then worse and then even Merlin's heart began to race and panic as visions moved by faster and less focused. Arthur wasn't concentrating. He was frightened, and Uther's booming voice of condemnation echoed over it all.
And then Merlin recognized himself in the visions, bleeding in the forest. A drop of blood slipped from his head wound and formed a red glitter at the bottom of a river. It was the stone Merlin had given to Arthur. The vision moved from looking at the stone to looking at Merlin, and the shivering feeling in Arthur chest and gut returned. Merlin gasped and the visions ripped back.
Tethella snapped her hand away from Merlin's face and let out a quick breath. She smiled at Merlin, understanding glittering in those glowing eyes of her, and Merlin nodded.
"Arthur's...," he began, but Tethalla's eyes went hard and her head snapped in the direction of the camp.
Merlin turned as well, and there, standing in the nearby trees, was the very blonde they were talking about. He was frowning hard and wearing his sword. His expression was hard to see beyond the frown, but he was definitely looking at the pair of sorcerers. Tethella dropped Merlin's hand and stood loosely to the side.
"Arthur," Merlin said and took a step toward his prince. Arthur's hand reached up to touch the stone hanging from his neck. His fingers barely grazed it before he had taken off running back to the camp. "Arthur!"
"Go, Emrys. He needs you. Remember. There are bandits," Tethella warned. Merlin nodded to her and she faded into the wind.
Merlin dashed off back to the camp, ready to clear the air between them and tell Arthur he understood now. Tethella's visions of Arthur made something quite clear to Merlin which gave all new depth to Arthur's decision to run away, and Merlin was prepared to use it to help Arthur become the man he was meant to be. But when Merlin stopped in front of the camp, Arthur wasn't there. Arthur should have had time to return long before Merlin, but he wasn't here. His supplies were here, but...
"Arthur?" Merlin called out, but only a spooked owl replied. Merlin turned in a circle, but there was no hidden teenager, no clues. Had he run off again?
Merlin bent down and looked in Arthur's bag. Everything was there except the sword and money. Arthur wasn't coming back. Merlin did a quick sweep, decided the easiest path through the forest, and took off running in that direction. Arthur would have chosen the smoothest escape route, the one with the least chance of getting lost on. Merlin knew the woods, but they were different in this time and it was dark. He hoped Arthur had chosen this path and that he could lead Arthur back to camp without getting lost himself.
It didn't take as long as he expected. No one could run through the forest without making noise, not even highly trained knights. Arthur's crunching feet called out long before Merlin could see his form hurrying through the underbrush.
"Arthur!" Merlin called out.
"Leave me alone!" the young man called back.
Merlin pressed his lips together and tried to run faster, but Arthur seemed to gain speed with the knowledge that Merlin had spotted him, and they were evenly matched. Merlin's eyes filled with golden light and the world slowed down around him, allowing him to easily make up the distance between them.
"Get off me!" Arthur shouted as Merlin grabbed him by the wrists. "Go back to your woman!"
"Arthur, calm down," Merlin grunted, but the prince continued to resist. "Stop being a child!" he scolded loudly, and Arthur instantly froze. Merlin felt his chest contract too. He'd never heard Uther say it, but it sounded so much like him somehow. He hated sounding like someone people feared.
Arthur turned his head away, tears stinging the edges of his eyes. "That's why you don't want to come back with me, isn't it?" he asked.
"What is?" Merlin asked.
"That woman in the forest. That sorceress. She's your woman, isn't she? You don't want to come back because you lo... you want to stay with her," Arthur said, small hands curled into fists.
Merlin shook his head and lowered himself to be on level with Arthur. "I don't love her," he said clearly. "There is only one person I would risk everything for, that I would fight and die for. There is only one person I love, Arthur, and it is you." He let go of one of Arthur's wrists and moved Arthur's bangs from his face in a caressing manner. Then he leaned in and pressed a kiss to Arthur's forehead.
"But... you said you didn't want to return to Camelot with me," Arthur said. His voice was quiet and puzzled, but also a bit hopeful. Merlin frowned and ran his fingers through Arthur's hair a bit more.
"You will be strong one day. You will be so brave that you need no one else to make sacrifices for you... but they will. I will. I cannot go back with you, Arthur, but I love you. Do you understand? I love you, from the bottom of my illegal sorcerer heart, and I will love you in the future when you've stopped being a brat and move up to being a prat, when you act like you don't care and then go behind your father's back to help the needy. I will love you when you call me old or lazy or forgetful or a fool. I will be annoyed with you, but I will never stop loving you. And I want to go back with you and be your advisor, but I can't. I'm not meant to be here. Do you understand?" Merlin asked.
Arthur shook his head. "No!" he shouted and threw himself into Merlin's chest, hugging the sorcerer tightly. He cried, but Merlin wouldn't comment on it. He would rather let Arthur cry than to talk about it and have the blonde hide the fact. "I don't want you to go."
"Then I won't," Merlin said. He wasn't sure why he was promising this. He couldn't stay and he knew it. "I can't go to Camelot, but I'll stay with you."
Arthur hugged him tighter and Merlin returned the embrace, but he didn't know what he was thinking. He said it to make Arthur feel better, wanting to keep him from crying, but he would need to return to the future at some point. He couldn't be here forever. But he still said it, and Arthur approved, so he said it again.
"I'll stay with you forever."
Preview, Chapter 8 – The Transformation:
"Did you hear that?"
"Sounds like a patrol," Merlin said.
"Just take the stupid sword and-," Merlin began but was cut off by the blade crashing into his arm and knocking him down. The leader turned the sword to point at Arthur.
"Take one step closer and I will end you," Arthur warned, shifting so his feet were in the proper stance.
"I'm sorry," Merlin murmured as the shadows started closing in.
Arthur bit his bottom lip and wrapped his arms around Merlin, trying to give warmth back to him. "Don't be an idiot," he grunted and put his face in Merlin's hair.
