Merlin woke up with a pounding headache. He could tell by how bright his room was that he had slept in for longer than he normally would, and yet he still felt exhausted. This was precisely why Merlin didn't like to drink. His judgement was questionable when he was intoxicated, and he couldn't focus the morning after, even with the help of his potions.
Merlin groaned and forced himself out of bed. He'd had far too much to drink last night. He couldn't even remember returning to his room. Merlin wanted nothing more than to stay in bed and sleep this off, but he had work to do. If Merlin didn't perform his royal sorcerer duties then Arthur would begin questioning why. Merlin valued his king's opinion, and he didn't want to give Arthur any reason to doubt his capabilities and judgement.
Besides, Arthur knew that Merlin wasn't fond of drinking, so he might be suspicious as to why he had gotten so intoxicated that night. If Arthur learned of the illusion incident, or if he knew about Merlin's doubts about teaching his apprentice control, all of them would be in trouble, but especially Hisirdoux.
Merlin barely kept himself from staggering into his workshop. Everything ached but Merlin did his best to not show it. Everybody saw him as a wizard who was in complete control at all times, and he couldn't afford to let that image slip, even when he thought he was on his own.
Merlin frowned when he saw the state of his workshop. It wasn't exactly a disaster, but it wasn't as tidy as he liked it to be. Merlin knew that he hadn't left his workshop like this the day before. When Merlin saw the destroyed lute on the table his stomach sank. He'd nearly forgotten about the lute, which was odd, since this instrument had so much to do with why he had gone to the tavern last night.
Merlin reached out towards the lute, but he pulled back before he could touch it, as though worried that he might put it in an even worse state. Perhaps he had been a little harsh, but he refused to regret it.
Merlin looked at the lute for a long moment before he tore his gaze away and took a closer look at his workshop. He wondered if Hisirdoux had been responsible for this small mess, as a way to get back at Merlin for what he had done. It was annoying, but Merlin supposed he could excuse it just this once. There were worse ways that Hisirdoux could have expressed his frustrations.
Merlin spent a few minutes straightening things up. This was normally Hisirdoux' job, but Merlin wasn't about to wake up the boy just so he could tidy up the workshop, not after the trying night they'd both probably had. While Merlin wasn't normally in the habit of going easy on his apprentices, he thought he could make an exception just this once.
Merlin couldn't help but notice that a few of his books were missing. It wasn't uncommon for Hisirdoux to borrow some of his more simple spell books to study, but the boy always asked first. Perhaps Morgana had come in and taken some of his things, which she was prone to do sometimes. Merlin would have to have words with her.
Merlin took his time tidying up the workshop, but as soon as he was done he knew he couldn't procrastinate anymore. He was the adult here, the master, he had to be the first one to make things right. Merlin went to Hisirdoux' room and let himself inside. He expected to see the boy sleeping, or at least resting on his bed, but the room looked empty. Merlin didn't even see Archie sleeping on the bed like he usually was.
Merlin frowned and looked around. "Hisirdoux?" Merlin looked behind the door, hoping to see his apprentice. He knew it wasn't all that strange for Hisirdoux to be elsewhere in the castle, but there was just something about not seeing the boy in here that made Merlin feel nervous, almost anxious. Something about how empty the room was bothered him.
It wasn't until Merlin glanced under the bed did he realize just what felt so wrong about the room. Hisirdoux kept all of his most precious belongings under the bed, so that it was hidden from others and nearby should he need it. Merlin was shocked and alarmed to see that there was nothing under there, not even the boxes that Hisirdoux hid his food collection and personal ingredients in. Merlin didn't want to think about why they would be gone.
He had to find Hisirdoux.
Merlin quickly left his apprentice's small room. If his apprentice wasn't up here, he was probably with Morgana, or at the very least she might know where he was. Merlin didn't stop to make himself a potion to ease his headache. He paused just long enough to grab his staff before he left his tower.
Merlin passed just a handful of servants as he walked down the halls. All of them glanced at him, but quickly averted their gaze and went about their business. Merlin walked with angry purpose, and the servants must have been able to tell that he wasn't in the mood for idle chat. He was left alone, and he appreciated it.
Merlin made his way to the dining hall. He had slept in for so long that it was time for the midday meal, and there was a high chance that was where Morgana was. She frequently joined her brother for the midday meal. If Morgana wasn't there, at least Merlin would be able to show Arthur that he was there and ready to serve, even if he had other priorities at the moment. And Merlin could take the chance to grab some food for Hisirdoux, a peace offering for when he found him.
In the dining hall Merlin saw Arthur and Morgana just having a quiet, private meal with each other. Arthur looked calmer and more relaxed than he usually was, but Morgana glared darkly at Merlin like she was disgusted with him.
"Merlin, my friend," Arthur gestured to the seats near him. "Please, join us."
"I am honored, your majesty," Merlin gave a small bow. "However, I was hoping to speak with Morgana about something."
Arthur's smile dimmed slightly. "Is this a magic related issue?"
"Not exactly," Merlin said. "My apprentice spent yesterday with Morgana, and I was hoping to have a few words about him." Morgana's glare darkened even more. Merlin knew that if Arthur wasn't in the room she would likely try to attack him.
Morgana stood up and tilted her head slightly so she was looking down on Merlin. She normally carried herself as a Master Wizard, but at this moment her aura radiated with royal energy. Morgana rarely leaned in to her role as a lady of the realm, but she was tapping into that energy now.
"Of course, Merlin," Morgana said with cold politeness. She bowed towards Arthur. "Please, excuse me, brother," Arthur gestured for her to be on her way. Morgana walked past Merlin and he felt a chill down his spine. Her shadow magic was barely contained. Merlin squared his shoulders and tightened his grip on his staff. He had the feeling that this wasn't just going to be a casual conversation.
"I hope your head is hurting after the night you had," Morgana said. She had no sympathy for Merlin.
"In fact, it is," Merlin frowned at Morgana. "But that doesn't matter right now." Merlin stepped in front of Morgana and used his staff to block her path. He wasn't threatening her, but he needed her to know that if she made one wrong move that could change in an instant. "Morgana, where is Hisirdoux?"
Morgana's eyes flashed and the shadows on the wall seemed to grow larger and darker. "That boy is no longer your concern."
Merlin felt another chill, but he didn't think this one had anything to do with Morgana's magic. "He's my apprentice. Of course he's my concern."
"You've lost the privilege to call him that," Morgana said.
"How I choose to discipline my apprentice is my concern," Merlin said irritably. He respected Morgana's powers, but he didn't appreciate her interference in Hisirdoux' training. She barely knew the boy, she certainly didn't understand his powers, and yet she thought that she knew what was best for Hisirdoux.
"I'm not just speaking of your unnecessary cruelty," Morgana said. "Though I haven't forgotten about that either."
Merlin didn't know what else he could have done that would anger Morgana so much, but it was clear that Morgana wasn't quick to give him straight answers. Merlin scowled and his staff began to glow green. If he was going to learn where Hisirdoux was, he would have to be smart about this.
"Verum loqui!" Merlin said. He didn't normally like to use truth spells, as that kind of magic took one's free will from them, and there were kinder ways to achieve goals, but he wasn't in the mood for Morgana's games. "Now, I shall ask one more time. Where is Hisirdoux?"
Morgana was doing her best to resist him, but Merlin had caught her off guard and his magic was stronger than hers. "T-the Wild Wood."
"What?!" Merlin tightened his grip on his staff and increased the strength of his spell. "Why? What is he doing in there?" If Hisirdoux had gotten it into his head to try to defeat one of the magical creatures in the woods to appease Merlin…
"Running away," Morgana seethed.
Merlin froze and almost let his magic slip. "Running a-why?"
"He deserves a better master than you." Morgana spat. Merlin was terrified for a second that Hisirdoux had said that. Merlin knew that Morgana didn't approve of his methods, but as long as Hisirdoux accepted him as a master, then he had to be doing something right. Had he really failed his apprentice so completely that the boy thought he thought he would be better off in the Wild Wood? It took Merlin a very long moment to realize that his spell may have just made Morgana speak what she thought was the truth. Merlin would have to talk to Hisirdoux himself to know what he was thinking.
"How could you just let him go like that?" Merlin asked.
"He's a child of magic," Morgana said. "The forest will protect him."
"Wha-are you mad?" Merlin stared at Morgana in disbelief. The Wild Wood may serve as a haven for creatures of magic, but some of those creatures were dangerous and not too fond of humans. Some wizards had enough power and control to be safe in the Wild Wood, but Hisirdoux certainly wasn't, especially when he was emotional, which he surely was.
"The Wild Wood is dangerous," Merlin said.
"So are you," Morgana said coldly. Merlin scowled and dropped his spell. He would deal with Morgana later. For now, he had to go find his foolish apprentice before he got himself killed. If Hisirdoux truly didn't want to be his apprentice anymore, Merlin would let him go. He may be the boy's master, but he didn't own him. However, Merlin was not going to let that boy put himself in such dangerous situations. If Hisirdoux didn't want to stay in the castle Merlin would find somewhere else to go. There were plenty of wizards who hid away their magic and lived ordinary lives. They could teach Hisirdoux how to do the same thing. But Merlin wasn't going to let the boy go until he heard from the boy himself that it was what he wanted.
Merlin used his magic to push Morgana aside. He was a little harsher than he intended to be, but he was angry with her. Morgana had known that Hisirdoux had run off, and she had done nothing to stop him. Merlin wouldn't be surprised to learn that Morgana had actually encouraged him.
Merlin went down to the stables to get his horse. He didn't ride nearly as often as Morgana and Arthur did, but the king insisted that he have his own horse, and at this moment Merlin appreciated it. He waited anxiously as the stable boy prepared his horse. He was impatient, but Merlin had to trust the boy to do his job. The last thing he wanted was to harm his horse out in the Wild Wood.
Finally the boy was finished and Merlin was able to be on his way. He considered taking another horse for Hisirdoux, but it would take more time to prepare, and Hisirdoux was still small enough that Merlin didn't think there would be a problem with him riding behind him. The distance between Camelot and the Wild Wood was close enough that while double riding may be uncomfortable, it was certainly feasible.
Merlin spurred the horse out of the stable and immediately encouraged it to speed up to a canter. He was in a hurry, but Merlin didn't want to exhaust the horse by pushing it too far. He may be in a rush, but he still needed to be smart about this.
Merlin hurried the horse to the Wild Wood before he slowed it down to a walk. It would be foolish for him to be reckless in these woods. And while the Wild Wood wasn't all that large, it was confusing. The magic of the woods made it all too easy for a visitor to lose their way, especially as they went deeper. Merlin couldn't just search blindly for his apprentice, he needed to be smart about this.
Merlin lifted his staff and looked at it for a long moment. Locator spells were simple enough, but thicks got tricky when the one being tracked had magic as well. Locator spells latched onto the aura of a person, and a magician's aura was in their magic. If they had any spells in place, the locator spell might be drawn to those spells instead.
Merlin also had no idea if the magic of the woods would interfere with any spells he cast. He was thinking about how he should continue from here when he saw a light appear in front of him. Merlin was cautious at first, because he'd heard about fiery spirits that appeared sometimes in woods like this. These spirits were known to lead lost travelers astray.
The smart thing to do would be to walk in the opposite direction as this spirit was trying to lead him, but Merlin couldn't help but pause. The light was a very specific and familiar shade of blue.
"Hisirdoux?" Merlin said quietly. The light brightened slightly and floated closer to him before it went off the path and started moving through the trees. When Merlin didn't immediately move to follow it the light paused, as though it was waiting.
Merlin knew that the most probable explanation was that this light was a mischievous spirit, but if there was even a chance that it was just some of Hisirdoux' magic, here to guide Merlin to his apprentice, he had to follow it. Merlin spurred the horse onward and felt more confident when it did as he said. Animals were more sensitive to the presence of magic than humans were, and horses especially were easily spooked by the presence of magical spirits. If the light truly was a spirit the horse probably wouldn't be quick to follow it.
Merlin just hoped that this light truly was just Hisirdoux' magic and not his apprentice's spirit. If this light led Merlin to a body he would never forgive Morgana. She should have known better than to encourage Hisirdoux to run off.
Merlin followed the light for a few long hours. The blue light would dash ahead, wait for Merlin to catch up, and then race off again. This light certainly had energy. Merlin didn't know if coming this far was reassuring or a concern. He could be lost at this point, but if Hisirdoux was in these woods, he would definitely be lost.
Merlin passed very few creatures as he traveled. It was still afternoon, and many of the trolls and nocturnal creatures wouldn't come out for a few more hours. Merlin should probably be relieved, but he was far too nervous. Quiet magic was some of the most dangerous magic.
Eventually the light led Merlin to a thicket. The Wild Wood had such thick trees and was constantly shrouded in mist, which made it difficult to truly know what time of day it was. This small thicket felt darker than the rest of the wood, with the trees so close together that Merlin couldn't see the sky above him at all, just a canopy of leaves. Despite the darkness, Merlin felt nothing but magical light and life in this area of the Wild Wood.
The light floated to the middle of the thicket and lowered itself down to what Merlin first thought was a pile of leaves. As the light faded into the leaves it glowed brighter, illuminating the still figure on the ground. Merlin's eyes widened. Was that…
"Hisirdoux!" Merlin quickly got off the horse and approached the figure. Merlin took his staff and summoned a strong breeze to brush aside the leaves, revealing the figure more clearly. There was no doubt about it, that was his young apprentice. Merlin knelt next to his apprentice and rolled him over so he wasn't lying face down. For a terrifying moment Merlin thought that Hisirdoux was injured or worse, but he soon calmed himself down. Hisirdoux was breathing, he didn't have any clear wounds, and Merlin was confident that the light that had led him here was a manifestation of the boy's magic. He couldn't have unconsciously summoned the light if he was hurt or in danger, because his magic would be busy protecting him.
Hisirdoux was safe, and Merlin could bring him home.
Merlin began to pull Hisirdoux up but froze when he heard a threatening, deep growl. It wasn't exactly a sound that he had heard all that often, but Merlin would recognize it anywhere. There was a dragon here, a very, very angry and territorial dragon.
Merlin stood up and held his staff protectively in front of Hisirdoux. A moment later a streak of shadows came bursting out of the trees and struck Merlin's chest with so much force that the magician was knocked back away from Hisirdoux.
Merlin thought that the dragon must have thrown something at him, a warning shot before it sent fire his way, but then he got a good look at the shadowy streak, which was now standing protectively on Hisirdoux' chest.
"Archibald," Merlin straightened.
"Wizard," Archie growled. Merlin could see smoke at the edges of his mouth. The familiar was barely restraining his magic.
"Calm yourself, Archibald," Merlin approached his apprentice, but the dragon roared at him. Merlin was shocked enough to stop in his tracks. "It's just me." He knew that Archie was extremely protective of Hisirdoux, and he'd been on the receiving end of his anger before, but never like this. Archie's roar, growl, and threat of fire made him resemble a true dragon for the first time since Merlin had met him. Why did he deserve such hostility now?
"Why do you think I'm doing this?" Archie's claws dug into Hisirdoux' clothes. "If you think I'm going to let you anywhere near Douxie after you threatened him last night-"
"Threatened him?" Merlin frowned. "I did nothing of the sort." Merlin had been harsh, and he knew that in a way he had hurt Hisirdoux, but he wouldn't go so far as to say that he had threatened him.
Archie hissed harshly and Hisirdoux stirred. The boy groaned and lifted a hand to stroke Archie. The familiar glared at Merlin before he curled up against Hisirdoux. The boy grinned slightly and opened his eyes blurrily. Hisirdoux was still just half asleep, but when he saw Merlin his eyes widened, suddenly wide awake.
"M-master," Hisirdoux sat up and scrambled back. As furious as Archie was, Hisirdoux looked almost terrified. He was doing his best to hide it, but Merlin knew Hisirdoux well enough to recognize when he was scared. "Wh-what are you doing here?" The boy got to his feet and picked up Archie to hold him back.
"What am I...I'm here looking for you, foolish boy." Merlin said. Archie hissed and Hisirdoux narrowed his eyes. Neither of them seemed to believe him, and Merlin didn't know why.
"Why should you care?" Archie growled.
"It's alright, mate," Hisirdoux pet behind Archie's ears. "I'll take care of this." Hisirdoux squared his shoulders and gave Merlin a cold look. He must be taking a page out of Morgana's book. "You heard him. Why would you care?"
"You're my apprentice," Merlin took a step towards Hisirdoux, but the boy narrowed his eyes at him and took a step back.
"I thought you wished that you hadn't taken me in as an apprentice." Hisirdoux said tightly. Merlin was taken aback.
"That's ridiculous," Merlin scoffed. "What gave you that idea?"
"You did." Hisirdoux' voice cracked horribly. "I saw you leaving the tavern last night, with Galahad, and you were talking about me."
Merlin couldn't remember saying anything along those lines, but Hisirdoux seemed completely convinced, and it would certainly explain Archie's animosity towards him.
"Hisirdoux," Merlin said quietly, but the boy wasn't hearing it.
"Just…" Hisirdoux sighed, and some of the fight seemed to drain out of him. "Can you just tell me the truth. D-do you really think it would be better if I wasn't your apprentice. If you hadn't saved me?"
"Now hang on just a moment," Merlin looked at Hisirdoux in shock for a moment. "Even if I didn't want you as my apprentice, which I will address in just a moment, that has nothing to do with my decision to save your life."
"But you saved me because you needed an apprentice," Hisirdoux said.
"I don't need an apprentice," Merlin said. They were useful, and certainly made life interesting, but Merlin could handle his work on his own. "I offered the job to you because you needed a place to stay, and somebody to guide you. If I thought that I couldn't teach you adequately, I would find another master for you."
"You...you would?" Hisirdoux blinked. The boy looked at Archie, who shook his head. Neither of them believed him. That was fine. This was what magic was for.
"Do you know how to use a truth spell?" Merlin asked.
"Uh, yeah," Hisirdoux said, though he didn't sound completely confident.
"Then please," Merlin held his arms out, inviting Hisirdoux to use the spell on him. "I have nothing to hide,"
Hisirdoux took a deep breath and put Archie on his shoulders so his arms were available. The boy held his palms out and closed his eyes. "Verum loqui!" Merlin felt the magic wash over him.
"Everything I've told you is the truth," Merlin said. Hisirdoux lowered his hands, though he kept the spell in place.
"Then why did you say it would be better if you hadn't taken me as an apprentice?" Hisirdoux asked.
"I don't remember saying that," Merlin said. He didn't doubt that he'd said something along these lines when he'd been drunk. The thought had crossed his mind a few times, he just didn't recall actually saying it. "But I'm sure I didn't mean it the way you thought I did. You probably would fare better under a different master, but that has nothing to do with your inability to learn, and everything to do with my inability to teach you in a way you would understand."
"You...you mean that," Hisirdoux's arms dropped to his side. "I thought," Hisirdoux swallowed thickly. Archie nuzzled against him to offer comfort. "I thought that after you...you just broke-" Hisirdoux trailed off.
"...Maybe I acted a little hastily." Merlin glanced to the side. "But we need to work on your control. Do you have any idea what Arthur would do to you if he knew about the illusion?"
Hisirdoux hunched his shoulders slightly. "You probably wouldn't be able to stop him the way you had stopped Galahad."
"Indeed," Merlin felt a chill just thinking about it. That was the worst case scenario, but when it came to Arthur and magic, it was always best to assume the worst. "You have no idea how scared I was for you, and that fear was projected as anger and frustration, and I apologize for that."
Hisirdoux was silent for a long moment. Finally he took in a deep breath and wrapped his arms around himself. "I-I know that you think I deserve a better master, but I don't think I can do any better than you."
"So why did you leave?" Merlin asked.
"Honestly, I thought you were going to kick me out," Hisirdoux said. "I thought it would hurt too much to deal with, so I thought I would leave before I was forced away."
"Well, I'm certainly not going to kick you out," Merlin said. He understood why Merlin had thought so, but he was disappointed that Morgana hadn't corrected that line of thinking. She should know that Merlin wouldn't leave somebody on their own when he'd already sworn to protect them. "If you don't want to leave-"
"-I don't," Hisirdoux said quickly. "I-I really don't." The boy rubbed the back of his neck. "I thought I did, but actually leaving...it just hurt too much. I don't feel like Camelot is home, but I want it to be."
"That's something the two of us will have to work on," Merlin said. He clearly needed to take a more direct approach with teaching Hisirdoux. If a teaching method didn't work the boy should be able to tell him so. It would take more effort on both of their parts than they were used to, but Merlin thought it would be worth it if it meant avoiding another misunderstanding like this.
"Do you want to come back to Camelot with me?" Merlin asked. He held out a hand. Archie and Hisirdoux exchanged glances. They almost seemed to be communicating silently with each other, though Merlin wouldn't be surprised if that was something the two of them could actually do. After a long moment Archie sighed and Hisirdoux grinned.
"Yeah," Hisirdoux took Merlin's hand. "I think I do."
The heaviness that had been sitting in Merlin's chest since he had woken up that morning lightened. Hisirdoux' truth spell fell away from Merlin as the two of them walked back to the horse. Merlin mounted it and then offered a hand out to pull Hisirdoux up behind him.
As they began to leave the thicket Merlin heard a sound in the trees that resembled a distressed deer. When Merlin looked towards the trees he caught a glimpse of what looked like antlers and some glowing eyes, but before he could get a good look the creature bounded away. Hisirdoux, who had been watching the same bushes as Merlin had been, smiled almost sadly.
"Thank you," The boy said so quietly that Merlin wondered if he had imagined it. Hisirdoux faced forward again and grabbed onto Merlin's armor for balance. "Let's go home."
"Yes," Merlin flicked the horse's reins. "Home."
A/N: There will be one more chapter, which will be more of a shorter epilogue. Don't worry though, I'm far from done with writing about these characters. I've got some other stories in mind. None of them will be nearly as long as this, but they should be fun.