Hey friends! I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long for a chapter. I had a teensy little bit of writer's block, but don't worry I have solved my predicament and persevered on! I hope you like this chapter and... Gosh darnit I'm no good at author's notes!
Enjoy,
Wisegirl6
Chapter 12 ~Skipping Stones
They had been walking for at least eight hours straight now. Merlin's feet ached and the constant movement had reopened the wounds on his back, making it feel like someone had taken a lit torch to it.
Cavell hadn't provided any of his 'servants' with horses, so the slaves were forced to walk alongside each other behind the procession of guards and nobles.
Sage walked next to her friend, offering her silent support. She had been angry at first when Merlin had been taken by the guards, it was right what he deserved for letting his guard down around the master. Cavell was a cruel, arrogant man who thrived off of the suffering of others. Sage had tried to make Merlin realize that, but he had refused to believe what was right in front of his eyes. Sage thought he had got what he deserved.
But later, when all the slaves were gathered in the Great Hall, she'd seen how miserable and weak he looked. His tunic was soaked through with blood at the back and she could see the red stained bandages going all the way up to his neck. Merlin had learned his lesson, she could tell by the way he regarded his masters. The cold hatred and raw fear she felt herself when she saw them.
So now they were friends again, for the most part. Sage was still mad at Merlin for not believing her and Merlin wasn't all too happy with the fact that Sage had yelled at him. Regardless of how they felt about one another, the two slaves raised the metaphorical white flag of truce. After all, they would need one another to escape, as much as Sage hated to admit it. They would start plotting as soon as they got to the kingdom, whatever one that might be.
Merlin stumbled over the stone-strewn ground, arms wind milling wildly to help him keep balance. With an almighty crash he tipped backwards onto ground, screaming in pain as the world went white.
Sage rushed forwards to help, but was pushed away by two big guards.
The shorter, stronger-looking one grabbed Merlin by the back of his neck and hoisted him up.
The slave cried out as the large hand dug into the lashes on his back.
"Stop it!" Sage shouted from the ground feet away from them. "You're hurting him!"
The other guard turned toward her, fury etched into his face. "You would do good to remember your place, girl." With that he raised his hand and brought it down on her cheek.
Expecting the pain, Sage closed her eyes. Her face lurched to the side as the beefy hand met it's mark.
The slave girl kept her head down as they pushed Merlin forwards to catch up to the rest of the group. Without waiting for them to pick her up, Sage stood and raced after him, ignoring the stinging in her cheek. She caught up to him pretty quickly, he was in so much pain that he could barely walk.
Merlin felt a small arm snake itself under his own to help support him.
"Are you alright, Merl'n?"
The warlock couldn't help but give a weak smile at the way Sage still pronounced his name wrong. He glanced in her direction, slightly alarmed to see a thin trail of blood running down her face coming from under her right eye. "Are you alright?"
She looked at him weirdly and raised her free hand to her cheek, frowning when it came away red. "I'm fine, just got struck a bit too hard," Sage said as she took off her eyeglasses. "These must've dug into my face when he hit me.
"You shouldn't have done that," whispered Merlin.
Sage looked at him incredulously. "I'm just repaying the favor."
Finally, after hours of walking, Cavell permitted the slaves to set up camp. Of course, they would be setting up camp for the nobles, the slaves themselves would be sleeping on the ground and under constant guard.
Sage was picked to distribute food to the slaves and Merlin immediately volunteered to do it with her. So the two strode timidly about camp, handing out strips of venison and allowing each slave to take a few sips of water from a water skin. There wasn't nearly enough to feed everyone, and Merlin found himself having to sacrifice his own supper just so some of the younger slaves could get something to eat.
Merlin drained the last few drops in the water skin and made his way over to Sage, who had obviously just got another task from Isobel. "Need any help?" He asked when they were out of earshot of the nodded and said, "She's asked me to wash these in the creek over there." She gestured to the stack of dishes in her hands and then to the tree line at the opposite side of camp.
"I'm sure she won't mind if I tag along," Merlin whispered, sparing a mischievous glance at Isobel.
Sage laughed and handed the warlock a few plates and goblets.
The creek that Sage had mentioned turned out to be more of a small river, lined with trees and pebbles.
Sage walked past him and dropped to her knees by the banks, setting her share of the dishes down in the water.
Merlin just smiled, totally ignoring her. It had been a long time since he had been this close to a body of water. Forgetting all about the dishes, he tore past the slave girl and ran into the welcoming waves of the river. It wasn't very deep, only coming to just above his waist.
Sage looked at him curiously from the shore, obviously torn between reprimanding him and going to join him. "Get out of there, before one of the guards sees you and tells Isobel," she scolded him, obviously settling for the former.
The warlock just laughed, splashing her with water. "Lighten up a bit, Sage."
All he got in return was a scowl.
Merlin waded closer to shore and said,"Here if you're not going to join me you should at least have a little fun." He reached down and picked up a small, flat stone from the riverbed. "This was something me and my friend Will used to do all the time back in Ealdor." Merlin threw the stone across the surface of the water, smiling delightedly when it skipped across the top a few times before disappearing once more below the waves. "You try," he said as he passed her another stone.
Sage took it and tried to mimic what Merlin had done moments before, only for it to fail spectacularly.
Merlin laughed, "Not many people get it on their first try, let me help you."
So the two made a little game of it, seeing who could skip their rock the most times before it sank. Merlin won every time, Sage was still rubbish at it.
After a while Sage retreated back to the shore to clean the dishes claiming that Isobel would punish the slaves if she caught them slacking.
Merlin didn't join her. He was too wrapped up in the fun of freedom for the time being. The last time he'd been swimming had been years ago, it was barely a distant memory now.
He had been out with Arthur and the knights on a check up on some of the outer villages. It had been just after Morgana's latest attack and Arthur had thought that it would calm the tension in some of the villages if their king were to come around to make sure that everything was fine.
They had just finished looking over the last village and had been resting in a clearing somewhere near Caerleon's borders. Gwaine had seen a lake and the situation had virtually deteriorated after that. The rogue knight had immediately jumped in, armor and all, and pulled in Merlin (who was really not expecting it at all). The rest of the knights had then proceeded to join them, excluding a rather unimpressed-looking Leon and an angry King.
Arthur's scathing glares had eventually made them retreat from the waters, but not before a rather intense game of 'Let's Try To Drown Merlin Without Actually Drowning Him.'
It was a great memory, one of the last fond ones that he had held onto in his time with the slavers.
Merlin would have traded anything to be able to relive that. But, sadly, he couldn't, at least not while he was a slave.
Just then something caught his eye from behind a clump of dense bushes. Curiously, he waded over and pushed them aside. Merlin gasped," Oh my God, Sage come and look, blueberries, actual blueberries!"
Okay, people I was hit with a total epiphany today! So I found this person that was totally copying someone else's story (I'm not gong to name names) and I was super upset. So I sent the person a review telling that I would report it if she didn't take it down and the next day I see this in my Inbox: Response to your very foolish review. So I read it and it made me beyond mad that that person would speak to me that way. But then it hit me: they didn't matter. If they want to copy someone else's story they can go right ahead. But what will it accomplish? Half of their reviews were telling them to take own their story and the other half technically belonged to the REAL author of the story. Taking someone else's writing isn't going to make you a better person and it CERTAINLY doesn't make you a better author!
WOAH SORRY ABOUT THAT, I just felt like I needed to get that out there.
Anyways I hope you liked the chapter (Angsty author's notes aside) and please give me a review!
Anyone wanna check out my Instagram? ImGonnaGoFangirlNow? Well if you want to its got Merlin, SPN, DW, Sherlock, and whatever else suits my fancy. ;)
Please review!
Wisegirl6
