Okay that was a really short chapter last time so this one is going to be longer so here it is….
~We Are~
"Knight Percival, Knight John, Knight Robertson, and Knight Samuel, you are here by banned from Camelot, your actions of the previse evening and any other things that you have do of this nature before makes me sick, you are to never return to this land and if you do I will have you killed. By dusk today you will be gone." It took Arthur about two hours to find out who the other people who had abused Merlin were. "Get out" said Arthur with hated. They all looked at the Prince with a glare and awkwardly shuffled out of the room.
Dawn was back in Merlin's room more awake because of the sun streaming into the room. Dawn had informed a very confused Gaius about what had been happening to them recently, the kind fatherly figure to the young warlock had promised not to say anything. Merlin started thrashing about in his sleep because of a nightmare. "Merlin," she said rubbing his shoulder, his eyes fluttered open, "Merlin it was just a bad dream, your all right." she said in her must comforting voice. He curled up in a ball and started rocking back and forth with a bit of a tremble. She started to rub her eyes from the lack of sleep from the last night. The knock on the door made the tired girl get up, When she opened the door and saw Arthur she stepped back a bit and gave a small curtsey of respect. "Please, don't do that around here, these are your rooms. How's Merlin doing?" he asked. "You can go in and see him, but before you go in what happened earlier?" she also asked. "I haven' spoken to my father yet but the other people gone for good, they'll never set foot in Camelot again I promise you that." stated the Prince. "Well his rooms up there." she pointed up the stairs.
"Come in" said Merlin thinking that it was Minuialwen. When Arthur walked in he sat up with a wince of pain. "No Merlin, lie down please" said the blonde haired man. "I'm sorry Merlin so, so sorry." said Arthur looking at his friend. Inside the young warlocks mind became even more fogged up than it was before. "I, I really can't talk about it." stuttered Merlin. "Well Merlin, you don't need to think about anything for a while because I was thinking, if you wanted there's a place in the forest that I go to often. Go there with Dawn and relax, have fun if you can." He said with sympathy.
The next afternoon Merlin and Dawn rode into the clearing of large trees. Surprisingly the cottage was rather small when they had expected it to be some smaller version of the castle. The inside was cozy feeling. After about ten minutes of searching every corner of the place they realized that there was only one bedroom and even more one bed. They realized that this must be Arthurs place that he went when he wanted so quiet time. "So what do you want to do for the next few days?" she asked looking at Merlin with brows slightly arched in questioning way. "Let's just relax, chill out." said Merlin with a shrug.
Apparently chilling out include long hikes and searching around the forest for deer and rabbits, and once they found them they just sat very still and drew them on paper. It was the most fun both of them had had for a very long time. At the moment Minuialwen was jumping into the river that flowed near the cottage that they had stayed at for two days now. Dawn loved the feeling of hitting the clear cool water beneath her. The small splash hit Merlin face, he laughed as he took off his shirt and tightened the draw string on his pants, then he jumped in after the slender girl. "Who taught you to swim?" said the young boy after resurfacing from the current. "My brother, and you?" laughed Dawn splashing her friend with water. "My mum" said Merlin retaliation against her splash with one of his own wave of water in her direction. They stayed there for a good deal of time. They sat on the bank of river drying out when Dawn asked "Would you like to race?" with another of her slight raised eyebrow expression. "Sure' said Merlin, they both got up, when they were ready Merlin shouted "Go!"
The wind in her hair it blew I behind her in a wave. Because she was only in her underdress and that dress was still wet it breeze felt even more amazing to her. For a moment she closed her eyes and the ground was no longer beneath her, no, she was flying, nothing holding her down. When she stopped she was on top of a ridge that looked onto the valley below. They sun shone down with an o range glow of early morning. In a few moments Merlin showed up panting. "You're like a bird." he said smiling. "My dad used to say I could fly like the wind." she said as looking over her shoulder as he walked over to her and also looked out.
Then Merlin started violently shaking he fell to the ground. Dawn knew what was happening and ran to side sitting down next to him. This had happened a few times during their stay, she knew how it felt because it had happened to her before, when memories come crashing down and most of the time it's too much to endure. She crossed her legs and Merlin set his head on her leg. His tears seeped into the fabric of her tight pants that she slipped on under her short dress. "I just want to die" he whispered slightly touching his arm. Dawn gently rolled up the sleeve of his long blue shirt, he had left his jacket at the cottage, his arm was covered in slashed marks running up and down his arm, many of them were fresh and blood was deep crimson. She sighed and rolled up her sleeves revealing the same thing on her arm. "No Merlin, I won't let you die, you know why, because, out of this entire universe full of stars, planets, galaxies, you were created for a reason you have a purpose. Among those millions of star, and billions of galaxies there is only one, only one, you. And no matter how much you hate yourself and think that people don't care, I do, because I know how you feel.
Why was it thought Merlin, every time that Miniuialwen talked it sounded like music, her words were crystal clear like the sound of water bubbling in a steam. The sound cleared his mind of the disgusting things that were starting to tear his mind apart. He slowly sat up because he had a rather bad head ache. She helped him to his feet and they slowly stated back along the heavily wooded path leading to the cottage. The sky quickly was turning grey with storm clouds and the smell of rain was tangible in the air. They walked in silence for a few moments. While they were walking Dawns thoughts were swimming all she could think about was that her friend was hurting himself and it was killing her that this situation had gotten so bad. She knew how it felt all too well to think that no one cared for her and there was never anyone there for her, that's why she was hoping that someday maybe Merlin would understand she cared so much about him.
For one moment Dawn stopped and heard the trees, they whispered danger all around her. In a split second in her peripheral vision she saw the arrow and the man shooting it. All it took was a deft jump around Merlin and the arrow pierced her side. The immense pain showed on her face for a second on her face as she fell on Merlin's shoulder. He grabbed her and set her on the ground. "Get all that they have on them" said the leader of the gang of robbers. "Hasta sicerĂ´" shouted Merlin, the spell he used was supposed to stop them in her tracks. It didn't. " Everyone the boy has magic" the grisly bearded lead said, the other men laughing. "Too bad it didn't work boy, you see I helped someone from a different land once, and he gave me a gift, it was protection against magic. Merlin raised his first knowing that he couldn't win against the tough group of men. After about fifteen minutes Merlin was in the ground very battered and bruised, all of anything with value was taken from them. Merlin got up pushed his upeer torso from the ground with a gasp of pain. He snapped his head around when he heard the faintest of exhalation of breath from Dawn. He slid to her side and saw the color of her eyes for a miniscule of a second before closed them and then opened them again. The blood was pooling around her thin bony and it had seeped into her cloths. At that moment the sky decided to to pour. "I have to get you out of here, I promise Minuialwen I will get you out of here." he whispered to his friend. "Fus ro dah!" shouted Merlin kneeling with his head upturned while the rain fell. The Great Dragon landed with a loud swooshing noise and a breeze that cause the falling water to hit him hard. "Please, take us back to the cottage in the woods, please." pleaded Merlin. "Very well young Warlock, but I can't take you the entire way." the dragon said in a booming voice. Merlin lifted Dawn and then climbed onto his back as well holding tightly unto his friend so that she would fall to the earth below. Merlin had never ridden the dragon in the rain, not to mention the fast blowing winds. The landing was not to soft and Merlin and Dawn fell off onto the ground because of the slipperiness of the scales. He got up and carried Dawn and looked at the Dragon who said "The cottage is one more mile down this road" the boy started to turn but the Great Dragon added one more thing "Merlin tell her how you feel about her, she needs help too, your destinies are entwined, like I said before tell her how you feel. With that the Dragon flew off into the dark sky and Merlin started walking.
When he got to the small house he quickly lit a fire and got a needle and thread which he satirized. "He kneeled on the ground next to the couch that was next to a wooden table that had his supplies on it. The fireplace was now crackling and giving a warm glow. It helped that the fire was just a few feet so he could see her better. "I have to lift up your shirt, I'm getting the arrow out," he said, she gave a small nod of consent, his warm hands pushed up the fabric just so high that he could see the wound that was on her right rib cage. "This is going to hurt" he said. "yeah" she whispered with eyes closed tightly preparing for the pain. After a rather painful and hazy hour Merlin stood up and said "done" he looked at his bloodied hands with disgust and the needle and thread, but mainly the arrow. He took it to the sind and washed it off. "Merlin?" she asked looking around and not seeing him anywhere, he quickly ran around the corner. "Yes?" he said afraid he she may need something. "Can we go outside it smells like blood in here." she said. "Of course." he said.
He grabbed and large thick blanket and then carried her outside, they both got underneath the warm blanket and looked up at the stars. Merlin knew Dawn hadn't touched food, he didn't feel like eating and the young boy knew that Dawn wouldn't want to eat anyhow. He was having a very hard time understanding what to say so he said what he was thinking, "You're right you know, we are, we are here for a reason" he said looking at her, "I love you" he let the words slip out , he turned his head to look at her. Dawn felt warmth going through her it radiated through her body. Merlin eyes were so clear and bright, she slowly leaned in and their lips touched. They stayed there for a few moments. She moved back and whispered "I love you too Merlin."
