The last leg of the journey it rained. Aithusa flew high above the clouds, carrying the items that were most important. Merlin and Morgana walked side-by-side. Morgana should've felt more at ease in the forests. They were the closest thing she had to home. She had lived here, in her hovel and before that they had been a refuge from Uther and his stupidity. But now she was travelling through them, all grown up, with Emrys at her side? The idea seemed impossible, and it made her angry. Merlin was Emrys? She would never have guessed in a million years. But she trusted Morgause was honest. Did that mean Merlin was going to try to kill her? But he had saved her. And he'd had so many opportunities to kill her before… Maybe he didn't know. That seemed possible. But then again…No. he knew. He definitely knew. And he mustn't know she knew. Maybe that was what was keeping her safe. If Emrys knew she was on to him… But it's Merlin. Merlin was her friend. wasn't he? Every step she took, words span around her head 'friend, foe, friend, foe, friend, foe…' How had Merlin kept his secret all these years? He must've had a friend, or a mentor; a teacher? No one could keep a secret that big for so long, without telling a soul. He must've told someone. And he should've told her.
Merlin held up a hand and they both stopped.
'Can you hear that?' he looked around.
'Merlin.' She looked past him, over his shoulder.
He turned to look.
A little girl stood a few feet away from them, hiding in the trees, looking anxiously at the two sorcerers. She had black hair and blue eyes, and immediately reminded Morgana of herself as a child. The rain had soaked the girl to the bone, and she was shivering, her arms folded around herself, trying to stay warm.
She gestured to Merlin to wait, and went to the little girl. The girl didn't run away, but she looked up at her with trepidation. Morgana crouched down next to her, and took a hold of her hands.
'Where are your parents?' she asked her over the noise of the rain.
The girl shook her head, and water droplets flew from her hair. 'They're not here anymore.'
'Where did they go?'
'They're dead. Some people came to my village and they killed everyone. Only a few people got away.' The girl's lip quivered.
'Morgana.' Merlin was crouched down next to her. He had heard all of this.
'She's dressed like a druid.' He said quietly in her ear. That was true. The little girls clothes were very plain; the only thing she wore of any value was a was a small silver triskele necklace, a traditional druid symbol.
'What's your name?'
'Zaira.'
'Zaira, do you know where your home is?' Merlin asked gently.
She nodded.
'Can you take me and Morgana there?'
She nodded. 'You have to carry me though.' She said, instantly trusting them and climbed onto Morgana's shoulders.
Morgana was surprised at how much such a little person could weigh. She gladly accepted the hand Merlin offered her to stand up.
'You going to be alright to carry her?'
'I'm fine. We will take it in turns.'
He nodded.
'That way!' Zaira pointed right of where they had been walking. 'Ages that way.'
The rain eased as they trudged through the trees, and Morgana realised Zaira was playing with her hair. Oh how far she'd come. A year ago she would've never imagined she'd be free again, trekking through the darkling woods to kill the druid boy with Merlin by her side, Aithusa flying unchained above her and carrying a little girl on her shoulders.
'Your hair is so knotty!' The girl called down to her. 'You should brush it more.' Merlin turned to grin at Morgana.
'It'd probably be dirty too, but the nice rain came and washed it for you.' she continued. 'Well kinda. It could use some soap, but this is gonna have to do.'
'I'm going to give you some braids.' she announced, and Morgana's eyes widened, but she agreed to a few braids.
Zaira wasn't exactly gentle. She pulled her little fingers through the braids, ripping at knots as she came to them, tut-tutting Morgana's laziness in not having combed her hair. Morgana gritted her teeth, determined not to express any pain, not wanting to upset the little girl, or appear weak to Emrys, just in case.
After a while the tugging on her hair stopped.
'Merlin.' She called quietly.
He paused for her to catch up to him.
'What's happening up there?' she said, pointing to the top of her head.
'She's fallen asleep. Your hair looks lovely, don't worry. It's all incredibly adorable.'
Morgana blushed. 'How old do you think she is?'
He looked at the girl thoughtfully. 'No older than four or five.'
'Do you think her parents are really dead?'
'It's… possible they're not, but... it's pretty unlikely.' He said sadly. 'Bandits often ransack outlying villages, druid or otherwise. It's easiest to just kill everything and everyone, that way no one can report it to anyone who might help them, and the bandits can continue on.'
'Then... she has no one.'
'Well.. Now she has us.'
'Yeah. She does.'
She's been through a lot.'
'Maybe when we get to her village we'll find someone. Extended family, or friends?'
'Maybe.'
He smiled. 'Do you want me to take her?'
'It's alright, I'll keep going for a while.'
Zaira woke up when the rain stopped.
'It's gonna be sunny again!' she exclaimed happily.
Morgana looked up at the sky. It was still overcast, but there was one tiny patch of blue. Then Zaira's face blocked out her view.
'I'm thirsty! You got any water?'
They sat, and Merlin pulled two flasks out of the packs. He handed one to Zaira and one to Morgana, then remembering, took back Morgana's flask, took a sip from it and gave it back. Zaira watched this curiously.
'Why did you just do that?' she asked him.
Merlin and Morgana exchanged a quick look.
'I always make sure the water is nothing but the sweetest water for Morgana.' he said, smiling at the little girl. Morgana felt herself blush.
'Why didn't you check mine?' Zaira squealed.
'Ah!' he clapped a hand to his forehead. 'Of course!' he exclaimed, taking the flask she handed him. He took a long gulp, then handed it back.
'Don't tell Morgana, yours is the most delicious water of all! Even nicer than water blessed by fairies!' he said with an exaggerated wink, tapping his nose. Zaira shrieked with laughter, and happily drank from her flask, saving some at the end for Morgana - 'So you don't feel left out'-before climbing back onto Morgana's back, chattering about magical fairie water.
'Hey you!' She smiled up at the little girl, who giggled back.
'Are you going to let Merlin carry you for a little bit now?'
'Throw me!' the little girl squealed.
'Are you sure?'
She nodded eagerly.
Morgana held Zaira while Merlin put down his bags and held out both hands to catch her.
'Ready?'
She wriggled in Morgana's arms.
'One, two, three!' Morgana threw her high into the air toward Merlin, and using magic, he caught her safely.
She hadn't realised she had been holding her breath, but Morgana let out a sigh of relief.
Zaira giggled. 'Again again!'
Merlin laughed and threw her up into the air again.
'Come on! Let's keep moving.' he grinned.
Morgana picked up the bags and walked behind him, marvelling at the way the sunshine hit the raindrops on the trees, making them gleam.
Zaira lent backward, looking at Morgana upside down. She pulled a face at the little girl, who roared with laughter and clapped her hands. Merlin turned around and Morgana quickly composed her expression, raising an eyebrow innocently.
'What's funny?' he asked, bemused. She shrugged and Zaira grinned wickedly.
He turned around again and Morgana pulled another face and she burst out laughing again.
'What?!' he said.
This continued on and on until Merlin turned around quickly and caught Morgana red-handed.
'I saw you! I saw you!' he yelled, grinning lopsidedly and Zaira laughed even harder.
Zaira clambered down from Merlin's back.
'Now we gotta tickle you!' she cried, tackling the high priestess around her waist.
Morgana dropped to her knees crying with laughter, before falling backward the rest of the way to the ground, the tiny child yelling encouragement to Merlin to join in. When Merlin and Zaira had finally finished tickling her they lay down next to her.
'You're very ticklish.' The little girl said, kicking her legs up in the air.
She stood suddenly, and pulled on each of their hands, so they sat up. She put her hands on her hips and examined them.
'Are you two married?' she asked curiously.
Merlin and Morgana looked at each other quickly and then back to Zaira.
'N-n-no.' Merlin stuttered.
'Well you should be.' she said bluntly, turning toward the road ahead, leaving a sudden awkward silence behind her.
'Come on!' she called over her shoulder. 'Who's going to carry me?'
•••
Merlin lay awake. Morgana slept next to him, a frown playing across her face. She still had bad dreams. Zaira lay in between them, Morgana's arm wrapped around her shoulders protectively. Morgana had grown very attached to her very quickly, and Aithusa had seemed a bit jealous.
Earlier that evening they had set up a camp. Zaira wasn't sure how much further they would have to travel to reach her village, but she didn't think it would be more than a day or two. When Aithusa had seen the smoke from the campfire, she landed, not far away and bounded up through the trees toward the fire. Zaira had screamed in fright, and so had Aithusa, staggering backwards, falling onto her back and playing dead, with her tongue stuck out and her legs twitching in the air, making exaggerated groaning noises to add emphasis to the fact that she was clearly dying. Merlin had calmed Zaira down and picked her up so she could go and meet the dragon, who was trying to make her mouth foam with her spit.
'Aithusa this is Zaira. She's a friend.'
Aithusa stood and circled Zaira, sniffing her suspiciously.
'What's she doing?' Zaira had asked nervously, playing with her necklace.
'She won't hurt you.'
Aithusa sat back on her hind legs and tilted her head to one side, baring all her teeth into a frankly terrifying smile.
'What does that mean?'
'I think she's smiling.'
'Really?'
'mmhmm. It's a big dragon smile.'
'It's kinda scary.'
Aithusa tutted, and tried to saunter to the campfire, but she kept her eyes on Zaira to watch her reaction, and tripped over her tail and fell flat on her face.
Zaira giggled.
The little dragon hadn't been happy with their dinner either.
'Do you want some rabbit Aithusa?' Morgana had asked.
The dragon had gone pale. 'No no no no no!' Merlin hadn't even known that dragons could go pale.
'Bunny is blergh!'
'Well what are you going to eat then?'
'Hmmm…' the dragon scratched her chin with one long talon. 'CHEE-KEEEN! Chicken chicken chicken!'
She had puffed her chest up proudly as the group praised her on her new word.
'But we don't have a chicken to give the dragon.' Zaira had said, munching on a piece of rabbit.
'WHAT?! NO CHEEKEEN?!' The dragon wailed. 'Noooooo! Mer-mum? Mum?! No chicken?'
'I'm sorry Aithusa but -'
Morgana's voice was drowned out by loud dragon sobs.
'Have some rabbit!' she called to the dragon.
'WHHHHHY?!'
'New word Aithusa!'
'No chicken. Whhhhhhy?'
'We'll find you a chicken soon.' Merlin had promised.
She blew steam out of her nose, and settled down chewing a piece of rabbit, a strained expression on her face.
He chuckled to himself and Zaira kicked him in her sleep.
Merlin looked around for Aithusa, and started when he found her sitting right above his head.
'Chicken Mer-mum?'
'Sorry Aithusa, I haven't found any yet.' he whispered.
'Pfft.' She snorted, gently pushing his head back onto the ground.
'No chicken.' she mimicked.
•••
Been writing a lot lately! I couldn't help inventing a character. I'm not sure quite how her name's pronounced. I thought it would be either said 'ZAH-ra' or ZAI-ra... I like both! What do you think?
Anyway, Merlin and Morgana seem to be going a little bit off track after they find Zaira and promise to take her home...but maybe that'll be good for them :)
Please tell me what you think, I love reading all your wonderful comments. Will update soon xx