Merlin's Heart—Chapter 11
They set out immediately for the Valley of the Fallen Kings. Gwaine led the way, followed by Addy, who was struggling with the reigns and trying not to fall off the horse. Merlin followed farther behind, a dark sadness hanging upon him like a noose. There was a brooding tenseness in the air that even the overcast sky belonged to.
They rode in silence for nearly an hour before Gwaine could stand the uneasiness no longer. He turned to Addy and jovially said, "My lady, you do not seem to have much experience with horses."
Just to prove him wrong, she attempted to nudge her horse past his, but instead made it shy far off to the right. She grit her teeth and pulled hard to the left. The horse merely snorted and continued clopping in his own direction. She muttered a slew of silent curses.
"Perhaps I could give you some...riding...lessons when we return." He called after her.
At last, the horse gave up, and she managed to reign him back toward the path. Being no stranger to innuendo, so replied cooly, "I think I can manage. Thanks. Besides, I have Merlin to teach me."
He chuckled. "Him? You need someone more...experienced...with riding."
With every ounce of sarcasm she could muster, she rolled her eyes and cooed, "Ooooooohhh. I'm sure you've had plenty of experience. With horses. And I have a feeling Merlin is very...accomplished."
"Yeah," Gwaine laughed. "At falling out of the saddle! No, what you need is a real man. A brave, smart, incredibly good looking knight to teach you." He shook his head so his curly mane blew back from his face, and his horse whinnied in protest.
"Hmm. I'll let you know if I find one." She quipped. "Maybe he could help you out as well."
Gwaine gawked open-mouthed, and then, suddenly, they were both laughing hysterically.
Merlin was so mad he could spit. His face had quickly gone from ashen white to blazing hot. Their flirtations had roused him from his worrying, and now all he could see was red. It's a good thing I don't have any magic or Gwaine would be braying like a donkey right now, he seethed. Or maybe he'd be less of a nobhead with a face full of warts! Nudging his horse in between Gwaine's and Addy's, he stuttered, "You know, Gwaine, once we get to the Valley, you should probably leave. I don't think Arthur's army could defeat Morgana's without you."
Gwaine stopped laughing and said in complete seriousness, "Relax, Merlin. Honestly, I meant no harm. I was only teasing you. Just trying to lighten the mood. And it's good to see you have an interest in something other than Arthur's well-being or the state of his shirts." He nodded toward Addy, whose horse had decided to lead the way ahead. "You don't know how many times we've all wished for you to have someone special in your life."
Taken aback in more ways than one, Merlin found he couldn't reply.
Gwaine continued. "She's a lovely girl, Merlin. Tough and smart, just what you need. I wish you all the happiness in the world." He said sincerely.
"Thanks...We're not really together, you know. She needs to go back home, and I don't think I will be able to see her again," Merlin faltered.
"Shame. I see the way she looks at you. And you at her. Is there no way you could make it work?"
He hesitated, then shook his head. Quietly, he muttered, "She has her destiny and I have mine."
-(0)-
The road turned rougher as they left the lands of Camelot. Merlin was wearing thin, and he struggled to keep up. Whatever Morgana had done to his magic was now taking a tremendous physical toll on him. He shifted miserably in the saddle and he could barely raise his arms. "The cave we are searching for should not be too much farther." He said in labored breaths.
Gwaine stopped them and dismounted. "The terrain will only get worse, and you look as though you could drop off that horse at any moment. And I don't think Addy is having much success, either. Perhaps we should proceed on foot."
Merlin and Addy agreed, and soon they were trudging over the rocky ground. "Be on your guard," warned Gwaine, "there are bandits everywhere."
Warily, they continued until Merlin stumbled and fell hard over a small rocky outcropping. Suddenly, two grizzled, armed men appeared from behind a thicket. They roared as they attacked. Gwaine, who had stopped to help Merlin, was caught off guard. Flashing his sword upward just in time, he clumsily deflected the bandits first blow. Unfortunately, it left him at a severe disadvantage when the other man approached from behind.
Without hesitation, Addy rushed at the bandit. His back was turned away, never suspecting the small girl could do any harm. With a well placed kick to the back of the knee, she dropped him to the ground. Then, before he could turn and draw upon her, she kicked the sword free from his hand. He roared in anger and tried to launch at her, but she darted away only to swing back and deliver a nose-breaking blow to the middle of his face. Immediately, he fell still upon the ground.
Gwaine, who had finally managed to run his sword through the other man, stood next to her, in clear admiration. "Well done! That was quite impressive. I'll have to remind Merlin not to get on your bad side." He said, then made sure the bandit would not be getting up.
She replaced a loose hair and paused to catch her breath. "Top of my self-defense class." She beamed. "Only took me two weeks to master those moves. You wouldn't believe how many times I've been mugged. Trust me, I can handle myself."
Merlin, weak as he now was, could only manage an approving smile and said, "You're completely amazing! I'm sorry I doubted you."
She flushed and shrugged it off as they continued their journey.
With no further incidence, they reached the cave. Merlin turned to Gwaine. "Please, go back to Arthur. Addy and I will be fine here. He needs your help now much more than I do."
Gwaine looked around at the empty forest, and at the rapidly deteriorating state of his friend. He said hesitantly. "Are you sure?"
There was no challenging the seriousness of Merlin's voice. "Yes. We'll be alright."
There was something oddly final in his tone, but Gwaine wouldn't argue. Merlin had his secrets alright, but his heart was always in the right place. This was just another one of those strange moments were he simply had to trust that. He placed an arm in farewell upon his shoulder and gave a curt nod. Between friends and brothers, there was simply nothing more that needed to be said. He then bowed briefly to Addy, who bestowed upon him one last, radiant smile. With a flash of his red cape, he was gone.
They turned now to the caves before them. Addy's heart sank as she peered into the dark, jagged crevasse. Somehow, she knew that she would never return to Camelot, nor see again any of the new friends she had come to care for. But as she watched Merlin struggling towards the cave, she knew what needed to be done. Without an ounce of hesitation, she followed him into the void.
Author's Note: This was my favorite chapter to write. It was so much fun picturing Gwaine and Merlin sparring over a woman... and I love how Addy shows them just how tough she really is. Two chapters left, hope you keep reading!