CHAPTER TWELVE: Of Angels and Angles
It started slowly at first, as the rain does; a drop here and there on Guinevere's steed. The haphazard patterns the sun cast were gracefully declining as the thick, smoggy clouds obscured their view. Gwen was on the main path now, but there wasn't a peasant or peddler in sight.
She ignored the rain, choosing again to occupy her mind with reliving her conversation with Alderfil. She was intent upon analysing his every characteristic, his every detail, his every snip of information. Visting Hunith had smudged her memory and she feared forgetting something, in case it meant Arthur would never remember her again. She realised her hands were curled so tightly into the reins they were beginning to chaff.
Finally, the heavens opened with a flash of lightning cutting through the sky. Gwen jumped, her horse buckling back. She desperately clung to its neck, feeling it rear upwards. A roar of thunder and she buried her face in its mane, the muscles underneath her jolting as the horse stampeded.
She could only hope that they were going in the right direction as the fat droplets pummelled down her back, mingling with her hair. She squeezed her eyes shut, they were going too fast. Another rumble of thunder and the horse runs ever on.
~o~
"Merlin! Where have you been? We need to leave NOW!" Arthur roared as the servant scuttled forward. "The knights have already left, we need to catch up."
"Sorry, sorry…" Merlin chanted, launching himself a little too enthusiastically at his horse and only just straightening himself. "I was talking to Gaius, telling him why I was in the cells last night."
"Well that was hardly my fault!" Arthur contented, kicking his steed into a trot. Merlin followed suit, weaving through the marketplace behind his liege. "My father wants King Carmen escorted out of the kingdom by tomorrow. Frankly, I want him out before this blasted rain starts up." Arthur squinted at the approaching clouds, narrowly avoiding a market stool. Merlin stifled a giggle as the rather corpulent owner only just managed to stop himself screaming profanities.
"Remind me why we are doing this again?" Merlin moaned, in his most unhelpful tone. When Arthur shot a look back at him, he elaborated. "I mean, not escorting him out, that's understandable, we need to see him over the boarder to make Uther happy but I mean why are we doing this?" He gestured to the Prince and himself "I mean, can't we just let the knights do it?"
Arthur frowned when Merlin didn't use Uther's title, but answered anyway "Apparently, It's a learning experience for some of the younger knights. As their mentor I should be there."
"But it's going to rain!" Merlin whined, "And I didn't pack any change of clothes!"
Arthur threw a smirk at him. "Well you're not having mine." And he urged his horse into a run, Merlin desperately accelerating to keep up with him.
The marketplace faded into field and the field into forest and the two riders gradually came to ride next to each other, hooves stilling. Arthur stopped, assessing how far they had to go. Merlin looked up and down the main path hopefully, having also stopped his horse.
"It's a whole carriage and castle," Arthur exclaimed "They can't have gone that far!"
"They took a detour." Merlin had hopped off his horse.
Arthur snorted "And how would you know that, oh great Merlin?"
Merlin sighed "There are track marks here; they are leading off the path."
The crown prince peered round at the marks. They were, undoubtedly the wheel marks and footfalls of a whole royal procession. He looked briefly incredulous, but covered himself. "Well, would you look at that. My training might actually be paying off."
Merlin rolled his eyes, but all was forgotten as the rain started up. "Just great." He commented, holding out his hand as if to measure the rain fall. "Now we're going to be soaked through."
Arthur lifted himself off the horse and looked curiously down the side route "It's better covered that way. It also is a shorter route to a boarder. My father never specified which portion of the border to cross."
"Clever." Merlin smiled, following Arthur's lead. There was a rumble of thunder and the horses whinnied nervously.
"Come on, we'd better get going before they get really far ahead." Arthur sighed, handing Merlin the reins to the horses, which snorted and huddled closer to the other, fear in their eyes.
It was then that both men could hear the flail of incoming hooves, a horse on the run. Arthur twisted round, alerted to any danger.
"Woah, woah!" Arthur was on the main path, fearlessly rallying the frightened beast. The horse veered and stopped finally, half a foot away from the prince.
"Arthur!" Merlin clambered after him, having not seen what had happened. "Geeze, that thing could have run you oh-" he trailed off at the sight of a bedraggled girl clung to the horse. "Gwen?" he exclaimed.
She hadn't moved before but she did so now, easing herself up. "Merlin?" She whispered. She reached a sitting position and took one look at the boy "MERLIN!" she screamed, pushing herself off and away from the horse, running into her friend's arms. "Oh thank god!"
"You know her?" Arthur bleated uselessly, watching as the two embraced.
"Oh thank god." Gwen repeated, clinging to him like he was her last hope.
Arthur wondered why he was feeling jealous.
"What happened? Are you okay?" Merlin drew back, staring nervously at the girl before him.
She smiled. "I was fine right up until the storm started, the horse bolted." He exhaled his relief and hugged her again.
"Look, I hate to interrupt -" Arthur cut through, slapping a hand down on his servant and yanking him away forcefully. "- but your horse has a Camelot seal. Are you on official Camelot business?" or just a horse thief he stared pointedly at the rain drenched girl.
She turned to him, eyes wide with terror. "I am, my lord."
"She was doing something for Gaius" Merlin added, rubbing his shoulder and glaring at the prince.
"I'm sorry, was I addressing you?" Arthur snapped, turning to Merlin. When the boy backed away, he turned back to her. "Is that the truth?"
"It is, my lord." She didn't look at him. "I was delivering a letter on Gaius' behalf."
He scrutinised her for a long moment, eyes running down her rain drenched clothes – men's clothes, he noted. She was shivering. His raised his eyes to her face, which was plastered with black hair. His hand twitched as he swallowed a desperate, needy urge to wipe her face clear and maybe kiss her – he shook himself, confused.
He kept his eyes on her face, so he didn't notice Merlin's traumatised expression. "Merlin, take your horse and catch up with the knights. Tell them there has been a change of plans."
Merlin gaped. "You what?"
Arthur tactfully ignored him, eyes still on her. "I'm escorting her home. If her horse bolts again she may not make it back alive."
Gwen gulped, trying to stem the emotions erupting inside of her as he said those words, as she looked fearfully back into the eyes she missed so much -
Merlin, on the other hand, was not spell bound by Arthur's words. "'Can't I come with you? It's starting to rain really heavily now…"
It is? I hadn't noticed. That would explain why Arthur's usually blonde dry hair is running in dark strands down his perfect face… Gwen pondered.
Arthur tore his eyes away, breaking the moment. "Merlin you will do as I say, rain or no rain!
Merlin shot a look to Guinevere, who looked like she had just been shot herself. "She's my friend!"
"I hadn't notice." Arthur gritted his teeth, Merlin realising perhaps too late that that was the wrong thing to say. He sighed and walked back to his horse.
"Fine. But I am coming back straight afterwards."
Arthur rolled his eyes and retrieved his horse as well, leaving Gwen holding her own. "As if you'd be any use to them anyway."
Merlin ignored the jab and lifted himself onto his horse. He turned in the saddle to send an apologetic look to Gwen, before setting off down the side path. This left the future King and his Guinevere.
He turned to her and gesturing to the other horse. "You okay to ride again?"
She jumped at the sudden address, eyes still lingering on the place where Merlin had been, cursing her luck. "Oh! Yes, I should think so. I'm better prepared this time." She braced herself and turned to the horse, warily. After a moment's hesitation, she launched herself at the horse again and made it to the saddle.
Steadying herself, she faced the Prince and put on her best formal act. "You don't have to do this sire, I should be fine from now on. I thank you for assisting me."
He stared at her defiantly. "It is my honour to do so."
"I'm a mere servant, should your father find you have abandoned your duty -"
"-Maybe my duty includes saving damsels in distress, did you think of that?" His voice strained as he lifted himself back on his horse. Guinevere bit her lip to silence herself.
Now in place, Arthur took up the lead back down the Camelot path. She followed nervously, wondering if it was only her feeling ill at ease. The rain strengthened then dwindled as they escaped the mighty clouds, finally reduced to a mere few drops distributed from lower leaves.
"Thank you for doing this." Gwen cast a glance over to him, surprised to find him reflective and deep in thought.
His head snapped round and she looked away. He returned his eyes to the front. "No problem."
She nodded to herself, wondering what conversation she could possibly make.
"What's your name?" Arthur cut through her thoughts.
She frowned. "Gwen, sire."
"I know that!" Arthur threw his hands up in exasperation. "I mean, what's it short for?"
"Oh…" She bit her lip again before coming to a conclusion. "Guinevere. But everybody just calls me Gwen."
He shot her a curious look, before drawing his eyes back on the path. His next comment was so small that she was not sure she had heard it right. "Guinevere. I rather like that name."
:3
