CHAPTER 10 : A HUNTING WE WILL GO
It was decided during supper with the knights that Seymour would be invited to join the hunt. They didn't want him to think that there was something to hide and he was officially a guest of Camelot.
Merlin had visions of the little chamber behind the hearth, their own private chamber when they were at the lodge but with Seymour there chances were that he'd been sleeping elsewhere. Nonetheless, he'd be there. He loved the lodge, it was close enough to visit in one day and was well laid out for themselves, knights and staff. There was a table large enough to seat eight knights and the horses had shelter if the weather was inclement. Water was handy and you usually didn't have to go too far to find game.
Gawaine winked at Arthur saying, "You'll be all alone in your little room, Arthur, mind you, you could decide to bunk with us in the knights' quarters."
Arthur ignored his comment which he had already thought about, hoping that maybe he would be able to figure out something. "I want to take a couple of squires with us, Aislin check with the Squire Master who is worthy of an outing. We'll need grooms. Merlin, do you want me to ask Thomas to accompany us or can you manage with two squires?"
Simon said, "I don't mind giving a hand with the cooking." Merlin smiled at him, Simon and he worked well when it came to providing food.
"That's set then, Thomas will leave at dawn with supplies, he'll take a few men with him and check that wood is cut and ready to use. The grooms and the huntsmen already know. Gawaine, would you bring Seymour up to date? We'll leave two hours after dawn and hopefully the game will be plentiful. I know the huntsmen have not hunted that area all summer, so with luck we might get some boar."
The group sat around drinking and then Spenser said that he was ready to turn in if Arthur didn't need him any more. Arthur thanked them for coming and told them to have breakfasted and be mounted and ready to go when he came down to the courtyard the following morning.
Gawaine knocked at Seymour's door and he opened it. He was surprised and thrilled to be invited to join the king's hunting party. "Bedroll, warm clothes and a steady hand, is what you need to bring with you," Gawaine said.
Seymour nodded taking in all in. He wanted to make a good impression as he had decided that if he could stay and be engaged in some serious sorties which included battles that he might be able to make the grade and Arthur would invite him to join the Camelot knights. He planned to take a break but return in early spring. The Squire Master could always use him and the June Tournament would be a showcase of his abilities. Maybe he couldn't best Gawaine or Arthur but he'd have a pretty good chance against the other competitors both those of Camelot and from further afield.
He decided that things were looking up. He'd tell his uncle Aubrey-Jones his plans when he visited Old Minster and was sure, he'd get his blessing. Seymour went to bed dreaming of hounds and horns and the praise of making a swift kill.
-0-0-
Merlin was tucked into bed like a caterpillar in a cocoon. Arthur laughed at him saying, "Don't become a butterfly overnight as you will then want to fly away and I'll never see you again."
"But I'd come back to visit you when it got cold," a muffled voice said. "Join me and we can do whatever caterpillars do for fun."
"Great, but I have to confess that I'm not turned on by eating leaves and crawling out on branches. Can't you be something else, Merlin?"
Merlin's head popped out of the covers and he said, "How about a bear? Arthur, do you remember that dead bear we found in the cave. The smell was atrocious but its skull and paws were worth taking. I think it took me a week to get the reek out of my nose."
"…and then you brought the smelly things back to Camelot, poor Gidun, he had the patience of a saint to let you ride him with those things tied to the saddle."
"Gidun was the best of the best. He was very understanding…I still miss him Arthur."
"I know you do, he was a horse in a thousand and the two of you were a pair to be contended with. Do you remember the first time we tried to ride double? Poor horse, he couldn't figure out what I was trying to do and kept moving in circles with me hanging on and hopping along beside him."
Merlin smiled saying, "But he figured it out and took it in stride. It was his opportunity to set his own pace and eat the scenery as we were preoccupied. Mind you, Mulgan was a good horse too. We were lucky to end up with superior mounts. Remember how your father was against my riding a knight's charger but you managed to convince him otherwise."
"Do you think we could again ride double one day when we are riding alone?" Arthur said hopefully.
Laughing, Merlin said, "Not if you value your body. Iago would never let you get up on him. He'd bunny hop in warning and then I would see you go flying over my head into a tree. You know who would be fun to ride double Treva's Burton? He is beautifully trained and as Treva really isn't big enough to handle him, we could one moonlit night, steal him out of the stable and go riding."
Arthur considered it. Burton had been Treva's father's estrier which had impressed Arthur so much that he had decided to keep him for Treva when he was older. He agree that his size and temperament would be perfect for riding. Nothing upset him and Merlin hardly weighed anything and the big horse could certainly carry the two of them. Then reality set in, "I think that maybe we have outgrown the need to ride double to amuse ourselves, don't you?" he suggested.
He forced his way into Merlin's cocoon and grinned, "Peas in a pod!"
"Arthur, that is even more boring that caterpillars. I'd rather be something where there might be some physical activity involved!"
"We could be a couple of eagles in the air. However, we'd probably just be getting organised and you'd tumble and go spiralling down, falling to earth."
"Arthur, I'll have you know that I'm very good at flying," Arthur looked at him and Merlin continued, "I fly the whole time in my dreams and I never crash into anything or fall out of the sky." He suddenly felt Arthur's hand on him and gasped, he was toasty warm and Arthur's hand was definitely cool.
"I've got it, we'll be a couple of bunnies in a warren…!"
"Great animal to compare us to, when we are going hunting tomorrow. But we could give it a try and go out in a blast of glory…and hopefully," Merlin added, "rabbit will be off the menu for the next week as I don't think I could look one in the eye."
Arthur dropped off first and Merlin looked at him and said quietly, "What have I done in my past life to deserve your love…?" he smiled and snuggled closer to Arthur and he fell asleep.
-0-0-
Morning broke bright and sunny, Seymour stretched and then remembered he was going hunting with the King of Camelot. His uncle would be proud. Before he had turned in, he'd assembled everything he'd take with him. He would carry a dagger in case he needed to dispatch a boar. He'd heard that they were families of boars living in that area of the forest. His bedroll was ready, his saddle bags were packed and he knew that they would be given any weapons needed from the armoury.
He liked hunting, there was a certain satisfaction in killing an animal larger than you…that applied to people as well as animals. Even for his young age, he'd had a chequered life and wasn't beyond hiring himself out as a killer. He came to it honestly as his father was a hired mercenary as had been his uncle in his younger days.
-0-0-
Merlin woke to the sun streaming in the window. He got up and shivered when his feet touched the cold flagstones. He wasn't opposed to hunting as it brought in much needed food for the castle but it wasn't his favourite occupation. He marvelled at all animals and loved wandering in the woods in the spring and seeing the new arrivals.
One day Arthur and he had been meandering along when a sow had crossed their path followed by six miniature replicas all with their tails straight up in the air. His breath was taken away from him until Arthur had said, "A perfectly good opportunity missed!"
Merlin had said, "Arthur, you couldn't have killed her as the babies are still nursing."
"I wasn't going to kill her, I was imagining suckling pig, fresh greens, maybe carrots and a flagon of ale."
"You have no heart! They will one day be big enough to hunt and feed many people. I don't understand you."
"You're too soft hearted, Merlin! Man has to eat to live and you might as well enjoy the food. Next time there is suckling pig, you can have a piece of dried up mutton instead." Then he'd laughed as he thought that he had been hilarious. He liked getting a rise out of Merlin but the funny thing was that with Merlin at his shoulder he felt safe facing the biggest boar, maybe he was his lucky charm
Merlin came back to the present and said a quick prayer that all their kills would be quick and that none of the knights, huntsman or hounds would be injured. He acknowledged that there might be sprains and cuts but hopefully nothing serious.
-0-0-
Arthur woke as Merlin got out of bed and smiled to himself. They'd have to do the bunny routine again some time and then he remembered that they were going hunting for two days.
Arthur enjoyed hunting, he liked the skill of tracking silently through the woods, he liked the thrill of the chase and he felt strongly that the animal should be killed outright. Woe betide, any knight who shot carelessly and an injured animal escaped. They felt the wrath of the king. He might in certain circumstances excuse them once but let it happen a second time and it would have been their last invitation to join the king hunting.
He knew that with winter approaching this would just be a forage into the woods for enough venison or boar to keep them going. Later in the season there would be a much larger hunt the results of which would stock the kitchen larders for the winter. Most of the meat would be hung in meat lockers, but there would still be fresh venison if the royal huntsmen were successful even during the winter months. Rabbits were also plentiful.
He smiled rabbits, then shook his head to clear it of last night's memories. Preparing the castle food supply was an important job and he knew that it was not Merlin's favourite time as livestock not being wintered over was slaughtered. He was too soft-hearted but it was a quality that Arthur loved about him. He cared for everything from the smallest duckling to the largest horse. He cared how people felt and would never knowingly hurt the feelings of anyone from the senior knights to the lowliest of the workers, people recognised this and it was one of the reasons why they all respected him.
He could hear Merlin in the antechamber checking saddle bags and bedrolls. He was singing to himself and he remembered how when Treva was newly arrived he used to sing lullabies to him to settle him when he had a nightmare. It had not been a lucky day for Treva when his family had been wiped out but in retrospect it was a lucky day as Merlin and he had found a son. From out of sadness had come joy!
-0-0-
The courtyard was milling with knights and spectators as Arthur descended the stairs, Merlin standing holding the grey Favoury and the chestnut Iago, he stepped forward to meet Arthur.
Gaius and Sir Rupert and Humphrey were standing on the stairs to see them off. Arthur knew that Merlin had probably promised Gaius at least one brace of rabbits.
As silence settled, Merlin said, "I think you have a lovely day for hunting, Sire!"
Arthur nodded and said, "Mount up!" and a cavalcade of knights and two excited squires crossed the courtyard and streamed out the portcullis. Below the village, they were met by various huntsmen and grooms. The Master of the Hunt and his hounds had left earlier with Thomas and the servants responsible for opening up the hunting lodge.
The weather seemed to be holding and Arthur turned to mention it to Merlin but then remembered that Merlin because of their guest had been advised by Leon to ride behind the knights with the squires. "Don't worry, Arthur, once he's out of our hair, he can take his place beside you," Leon had said.
Arthur smiled at Simon who was riding beside him and said, "It promises to be a good day…"
They took their time, taking a break to water the horses halfway there. Arthur was in no hurry as having the hunting lodge meant that if the hunting was good and he wanted to stay more than two days he could. Any kills were carried back daily to the castle on the packhorses which accompanied the grooms.
All in all, Arthur was looking forward to a few days away from the castle. There had been no notices of possible attacks and Sir Rupert the Senior Knight was quite capable of being in charge.