"You have a little brother?" Those were the first words out of Merlin's mouth when I told him everything that had happened.
"Five, counting Merric," I responded promptly. "And three younger sisters. But that isn't the point!" Grabbing Merlin's wrist, I tried to pull him toward the tavern- the Rising Sun. He dug his feet in and resisted my tugging.
"Why didn't you tell me you had siblings?" he asked, a puzzled look on his face.
"Merlin," I whined. "Merric is going to get himself killed! You have to talk him out of it!"
He sighed. "Aleusa, look. Merric is of age, right? He can do whatever he wants."
"But he can't fight!"
"So he'll be beaten quickly and kicked out." Merlin pulled his hand away from me. "This isn't a fight to the death, Aleusa. As soon as it's clear Merric's opponent will win, the match will end." Merlin shrugged.
"At least try?" I begged. "Merric's just being stupid as usual. Tell him about all the gruesome injuries people get from fighting. You've helped Gaius. You know what happens! Merric is going to get hurt! Are you really going to let him fight? You know I'm right! You know he's going to get killed-"
"He won't."
I continued my rant as if he hadn't interrupted. "Or injured, at least. Do you really want that hanging over your head? It'll be your fault when he dies. Then you'll know I was right, and what are you going to do then? Huh? Merric-"
"Aleusa..." Merlin groaned, running a hand through his hair.
Pik's voice suddenly entered my mind with a sharp retort. Aleusa! Stop right now! You are acting like a child! His words snapped through my head, making me wince.
"I don't know why Merric has got you so-" Merlin was saying when I cut him off.
"I'm sorry," I said, holding up a hand. "I just... lost my temper. Older sisters like to be in charge of their younger siblings," I added with a rue smile. Thank you, Pik, I added silently.
Merlin stared at me with frank confusion. "You were just angry... And now you're not?"
"I still don't want Merric to fight," I answered quickly. "But I shouldn't have blown up at you."
After a long minute, Merlin sighed and shook his head. "Women," he muttered, throwing an arm over my shoulder.
"Hey!" I cried.
Merlin laughed softly. "I forgive you," he said, squeezing my shoulder. "Now lets go see what we can do about this little brother of yours."
We walked in companionable silence down to the pub. Well, it was that until Pik replied to my thanks.
I really don't understand you humans, the snake muttered. One minute you're fighting, and the next you're off to have tea or something just as civil!
It was mostly me, Pik. Merlin wasn't exactly fighting...
Still, Pik continued. At least you stopped. Your angry voice is very annoying.
"It is not!" I said aloud. Merlin gave me a queer look. "Pik," I explained meekly.
The warlock shook his head again. "Sometimes I wish I had your talents. Other times, I wish I didn't..." I rolled my eyes and bit back a smart retort. We had reached the Rising Sun. Leading Merlin through the doors, I made straight for Merric, who was sitting red-faced where I had left him. A few people chuckled around the room.
"Are you Merlin?" Merric asked standing up.
"Yes, I am. You must be Merric?" my sweetheart flashed his most charming smile and held out his hand. Merric looked him up and down before taking it.
"Why did Aleusa go get you?" Merric asked bluntly.
"Merric!" I moaned.
Both young men gave me withering looks, my brother's more so. "She wants me to talk you out of fighting in the tournament," Merlin said. "Apparently she thinks I'll have more luck than she did."
"Why else would I come get you?" I burst out.
Merlin closed his eyes. I swore softly, earning another harsh glance from Merric. "Why don't we go talk in private?" Merlin suggested.
"Good idea," Merric agreed exasperatedly. They left.
With a huff, I sat down in the chair Merric had vacated and picked up his half empty mug. The sip I took was enough to burn my throat and send me into hacking coughs.
You deserved it, Pik told me snidely when I had recovered.
What? I replied sarcastically. Merric's drink almost killing me or being left out of the decision to let him fight or not?
Hmm... I'll have to get back to you on that one.
I ignored Pik after that, choosing instead to cast my mind about Camelot for some creature to cheer me up. As I was searching, I stumbled across an oddly strong presence. I couldn't tell what it was, but as I pressed my presence against its, it stirred as if from sleep.
Greetings, Beast Mistress, it said in a deep voice. Do you rejoice at finding your doom, here in Camelot?
With a shudder, I retreated from the mind. What had it meant? Doom? Here in Camelot? I shuddered again. Trying to convince myself that I really didn't want to know what the strange animal somewhere in Camlot had to do with my doom (and that I even had one), I settled into the mind of a sparrow. The simple minded bird did what I had originally accomplish- it relaxed and settled me. When Merlin and Merric returned half an hour later, I stood to greet them with an easy smile on my face. But seeing the oddly sheepish expression on Merlin's face, and the blazing triumph in Merric's light blue eyes, my smile fell.
Three days later, and grumpy again, I peered around Merlin at the third fight of the tournament. "Merric's up next," I muttered irritably.
"He'll be fine," Merlin said automatically for the hundredth time that day. We both winced as a heavily muscled man drove the hilt of his sword into the helmet of a Camelot knight. "Well, maybe not."
"Then why'd you let him fight?" I complained.
"Merlin!" Arthur roared.
"Coming, sire!" Merlin grabbed my hand. "Just try to relax. There's nobody here who will want to hurt him. The tournament is just for fun. If he gets hurt, it will just be an accident."
"People do this for fun?" I asked, watching a knight get carried out of the ring.
"Apparently," Merlin replied dryly before running off to help Arthur.
Merric appeared at my side not three seconds later. "Ready?" I asked worriedly. He wore the same travel-stained clothes he had come to Camelot. The only difference was a borrowed sword- he had been right about there being extra swords- in an old leather sheath. A worn shield on his arm completed the picture of a peasant turned warrior.
"Definitely," he assured me, grinning.
I smoothed the sleeve of his shirt. He had no armor besides a dented helmet under his arm. "Well..." I paused. The victor of the last round was still strutting around the dirt arena. "Good luck?"
Merric laughed, but it sounded forced. He was worried, after all. "You worry about me too much, Aleusa. It reminds me of mother."
"Who has no idea where you are right now," I muttered. "Otherwise she'd be here to flay your backside."
"True," Merric admitted. "I didn't expect you to do it for her."
A man, the likes of which I least expected, walked up beside us. "Um, is this the right place?" he asked. Tall, gangly, and without any sort of muscle, he was the antithesis of a warrior. He reminded me vaguely of Merlin.
"For what? Fighting in the next round?" Merric asked. The man nodded timidly. "Great! We're fighting each other!" Merric gave him a confident smile. The man returned it weakly.
"Heh. Great." The man visibly paled as trumpets sang out. The previous, boastful man had been ushered out of the way. It was time for Merric to fight. Unable to help myself, I gave him a tight hug.
"Promise me you wouldn't die," I said.
"I promise," Merric replied, peeling me off him. Leaving his opponent behind, Merric strode into the arena. The crowd cheered loudly as he lifted his helmet into the air. An anonymous soul appeared behind Merric's opponent.
"Get in there, Merric!" he hissed.
Clumsily, the man did as he was ordered, muttering, "My name is David."
David and Merric faced each other, holding their swords unsurely.
"Get on with it!"
"Come on!"
Other, and less kind shouts from the crowd seemed to physically push the two men together. Merric took the first swing. It was a weak, half-hearted blow. David clumsily blocked it. The crowd jeered louder now. Merric lifted his sword for another blow, and I saw his countenance change. He endured taunts from me. But others? Merric's next blow smashed into David's shoulder. The crowd roared happily. David stumbled back, but an emboldened Merric followed, swinging with no true form.
"Be nice," I begged quietly. "Come on, Merric. Disarm the guy and be done with it." Even as I muttered the words, I knew that he wouldn't know how to perform such a maneuver. I wrung my hands and hoped for the best.
Merric struck David's flesh again. The gangly man sagged to his knees. Merric paused, uncertain of whether to strike again. In that hesitation, David hacked wildly at Merric's shins. My brother fell backwards. The crowd was laughing now.
"Get up!" I pleaded.
He did, and without hesitation, brought the hilt of his borrowed sword down on David's helmet. David's head lolled and he dropped his sword. For a few long seconds, nothing happened. Merric nudged David with his foot. Unconscious, David rolled to the side. He had been propped up on his knees.
The crowd, torn between laughter and jeers, sounded oddly pleased with the outcome. Merric took off his helmet and waved to the crowd. His hair was sweaty and plastered to his forehead. A few freckles stood out on his flushed face. I distinctly heard three woman gasp, then start whispering to their friends. I groaned. Did he have really have admirers?
When Merric walked past a minute later, I gave him a rueful grin. His face lit up. He had achieved victory. Both in the arena and over me.
Three hours later, it was is turn again. Merric was gloating as if he had taken down a griffin.
"Did you see the way I hit him? That was marvelous!"
"Sure, Merric. Sure. Just focus on this fight. It won't be as easy as-"
"Easy?" Merric looked offended. "That last fight was not easy!"
I raised an eyebrow at him. We were standing by the entrance to the arena again, waiting for the trumpets to summon Merric into the beast's mouth. His competitor was late.
"It looked like two boys swinging sticks at each other," I remarked dryly.
"That match was hard fighting!" Merric insisted.
"If you say so..." Privetly, I thought that my fight with the bandits on the road near Conall's house had been much more interesting. I had come away with it with a much bigger injury than Merric's. I giggled at my man-ish thinking.
"What?" Merric asked, unperturbed by my critisism.
"Oh, nothing..." I replied airily.
"Well..." Merric paused, then continued to expound on the better points of his fight. "You know, that hit I took really hurt. But I got right back up, did you see?"
"Uhh..." I wracked my mind, suddenly worried.
"It was fabulous! How could you have missed it?"
I closed my eyes, reaching for Pik and cutting off Merric. It was as if remembering the fight had caused my injury to kick in. Pik! I cried.
Are you alright, Mistress? he asked quickly. Do I need to bite anyone?
I can't remember Merric's fight! I just was thinking about it! Well, I thought I was... But how could I forget so suddenly?
There was a long pause as Pik thought. I don't know, Mistress. Maybe your memory gaps are getting worse?
I hope not, I groaned.
"Aleusa?" Merric snapped his fingers in front of my face.
"Huh?" I jumped.
"You looked really confused for a minute."
"Hm? Oh, it was nothing. Just lost in my thoughts," I replied, half truthfully."When does your round start?" I asked. I had to change the subject- get it away from his last fight. All I could remember was that he had fought. The rest had vanished in an instant.
"Any minute now. We're just waiting for-"
"Aleusa, what are you doing here?" Arthur's voice, accompanied by the clanking of his armor and Merlin's stifled groan, made me turn.
"Please tell me you aren't fighting in the next round," I begged.
"I am," the prince replied, a baffled look on his face. "Why?"
Trumpets sounded, and a voice from somewhere above us in the stands called the next contestants to enter. Merric immediately donned his helmet and drew his sword. "It will be a pleasure fighting you, Prince Arthur." His voice was muffled under the helmet.
"Same to you," Arthur replied absent mindfully. "Merlin, give me my helmet."
Merric half turned at Merlin's name, but the crowd had already seen him. Their cheers pulled him into the arena. Arthur, with his helmet, strode in after him. The cheers redoubled at the sight of their prince.
"Arthur!" I called, unable to stop myself.
"Yeah?" he asked, turning back.
"He's my brother," I said quietly, pointing at Merric. Arthur's face went through such a variety of emotions in the space of two seconds that I wondered if the muscles there would ever be the same again. Confusion, comprehension, confusion again, horror, excitement, amusement, worry, and finally, remorse. We all knew how this was going to go, brother or not.
"He's dead," Merlin and I said in symphony. We exchanged worried (and slightly apologetic looks in Merlin's case) looks and held hands, ready to watch Crown Prince Arthur of Camelot and my peasant brother without a drop of magical blood in him fight. Their gleaming swords suddenly seemed a whole lot more lethal than they had just a minute ago.
Sorry for the delay...Again. Life happens -_- Do you guys like Merric? What about cliff hangers? ;)