AN: Wow, I am so sorry this update took so long. Long story short... my computer went to computer heaven... :( I had to rewrite quite a bit. I have 5 more dribbles on the way in like 5 minutes!
Disclaimer: as always, I don't own Merlin.
Prompt: I was asked by oceanmintleaves to continue flood, so Flood, pt. 2. In which Arthur thinks that only Merlin could encounter a flood in the middle of a dry season.
21. Flood 2
Arthur sighed as he took in the state of the lower village.
Go and collect my sword from the smithy he'd said.
Be quick about it he'd said.
But oooh no, Merlin couldn't ever just do something quick and easy like collecting a sword and carrying it home. Despite the fact that he knew it wasn't really Merlin's fault, he was sure that he was at least partially to blame for the flood.
Who else but Merlin would be caught up in a flood in the middle of Camelot's lower village and nearly drown when there were no rains to be seen?
And Lancelot, he hadn't even been on patrol when the flood had come. Arthur was convinced that the man had some sort of psychic danger senses that allowed to always be there to help out when something was going on.
Idiots. The both of them.
When he'd first come upon them outside the armory his heart had nearly stopped for a moment. Lancelot had been curled inward, arms wrapped around a young boy, the both of the coughing and sputtering as the remains of the floodwater soaked into the ground beneath them, leaving them damp and drowned, but alive.
It had been Merlin though, that had caused him to panic for a moment. He'd been splayed out on the ground, unmoving, eyes closed and his hair plastered to his forehead. His normally pale face stood out shockingly against his brown hair and there was a trickle of blood rolling down his temple. He'd clenched his fists and started moving as quickly as he could.
"This is the work of sorcery," he heard his father bellowing in the background, but he ignored it.
Merlin. Merlin could not be dead. It wasn't allowed.
He stumbled to a halt when he saw Merlin start and then gasp and start chocking and coughing up water on his own. Arthur breathed a sigh of relief and then composed himself to make sure he didn't appear like he'd been panicking.
"Merlin! Lancelot! What in the world is going on here?" he bellowed, softening it only with a brief smile.
Merlin glared at him.
"I was getting your bloody sword is what's going on here, you great prat!"
"Yeah, well no one else I know could end up in the middle of a such a disaster during such a simple task. I'm blaming you for this, Merlin," he said with fond exasperation as he pulled Merlin to his feet.
He was sure he would be dealing with whatever witch hunt his father was going to send him on in the near future, but for the moment he was satisfied that no one was seriously injured, and that his friends were okay.