First Official Visit

By Montez

Disclaimer: see chapter 1

Chapter 9

It was still hours before dawn, Leon lay on the floor next to the pallet Arthur was on, though a few heartbreaking sounds had escaped the injured Prince, he had not fully returned to consciousness. The young Knight had been dosing, his hand on the arm of his charge.

Hunith stirred in the tiny bed she had in the corner quickly noticing her young son was not next to her. It was Merlin's sleeping pallet that the injured boy occupied and with strangers in her home, even if they were just boys, she needed to keep her son close. Looking around the darkened room she saw her two visitors, neither boy seemed to have moved, then she noticed her young son perched on the very edge of the pallet, his tiny blanket wrapped around his shoulders, his eye's watching the blond intently.

"Merlin?" she whispered, making her way to the dark-haired child. "What are you doing? they need their rest."

A look crossed the small boy's face, something between perplexed and determination. "He needs me." Merlin turned back from his mother to stare at the injured boy.

Placing a hand on his back, Hunith replied, "You did help him, you led me to them so we could help."

A slight shake of his head was his response, "no, it's something else…" Hunith had feared for her son from the moment of his birth, his gift had placed a shadow over their heads that at times could be smothering. The tone she heard from him sent a chill down her spine. The boy had always had an uncanny insight for someone so very young. "I need to watch him; I need to help him."

Not completely understanding Merlin, Hunith felt a moment of panic, "Merlin, you mustn't, what have I always told you? It needs to stay hidden, please do you understand?"

He smiled up at his mother, the look she saw in his eyes was one she had seen a few times before, a look that looked much to old and wise for that of just a six-year-old child. "Not like that mother, he's…he's like me, but not, it's confusing. I just know he needs me." Turning back Merlin continued to watch Arthur sleep, slowly and gently he reached over placing his small hand on the blond's forehead. "he will wake soon."

It was of little comfort to the young mother that she did not see any flash of gold reflected her son's eyes, but the words he had spoken still gave her pause, having no idea what he meant. Giving Merlin a gentle kiss, glancing at the two boys still asleep she decided to go ahead and get an early start to her day, not knowing what lay ahead, much the same since the day her son was born.

Just before dawn a slight moan and movement from the pallet drew Hunith's attention, Leon reacting to the movement he felt, sitting up quickly, "Arthur?" he whispered.

It was a whimper and a pained breath that was the response, "Arthur, can you hear me?" the older boy was now leaning over his charge.

"Hurts…" a mumbled sob escaped the injured youth, a tear slipping free from his tightly closed eyes.

"I know, I know, can you open your eyes a little for me?" Leon's eager but scared voice quietly asked.

The next moment allowed Leon to breathe for the first time since the attack as he watched pain-filled, blue eyes struggle to open. "Leon…"

"Hey…" a relieved chuckle escaped the older boy. "don't move to much, you're hurt. I'm just glad to see you awake." Leon gently laid his hand on his charges head.

"What happened?" Arthur's voice was slightly stronger as he tried to look around, pain shooting through his head and neck, pinching his eye's shut another small whimper escaped, "Hurts"

"Told you not to move much, remember you're supposed to listen to me." Leon couldn't help the slight smile that crossed his face, his Prince was finally awake, injured but awake.

It was another minute or two before Arthur tried to open his eyes again. "Here, he needs to drink something" he heard a woman's voice then felt a cup pressed to his lips as his head was lifted slightly.

"Easy," Leon said, trying to keep Arthur from choking.

An exhausted sigh escaped the young boy as his head was laid back down. Leon had thought Arthur had fallen back asleep before his eye's snapped open, fear filling his gaze, "Father? Leon he was hurt…where is he?" The Prince tried to set up, pain shooting through his smaller body, panic taking over his expression.

Leon placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, trying to calm him, "Arthur, look at me…" tear-filled eyes met the older boys, "He wanted you safe, we'll make it home and everything will be okay," He prayed he wasn't lying and that the King was okay. "You need to rest before we can head home, I'm sure our friends are looking for us, okay? Rest please." Exhaustion quickly overtook the Prince's young body as pain, both emotional and physical, won over and pulled him back into a restless sleep.

Sitting back some the young Knight put his hand over his mouth, more terrified than he had ever been. He didn't know what to do, he had never felt more lost as he laid his hand on Arthur's slightly warm forehead, leaning over placing his own against it. "it'll be okay, I promise." Leon whispered.

A gentle touch caused the older boy to look up, "Was your father part of your party that was attacked?" A slight nod was his only response, though it wasn't his father, it was his King, but he could not tell this woman the truth, he needed to protect Arthur. "was he injured?"

"When I looked back upon reaching the trees, he had fallen, I don't even know if he's still alive. I had to protect…" Leon's voice trailed off.

"You had to protect your brother; your father would have wanted you to get him as far away as possible. No matter what you need to remember you did what was needed to keep your brother safe." Hunith said quietly, kneeling beside the older boy, pulling him into a hug.

Leon stiffened at first, it had been years since he felt a mother's hug, his own mother dying while he was still a squire. Eventually he allowed himself the comfort Hunith was trying to provide, "thank you." He whispered, again watching Arthur sleep.

It was mid-morning before the young Prince woke again, pain still overwhelming his body. Glancing around he did not immediately see Leon but noticed a small dark-hair boy looking at him. A goofy grin taking over his elven features, "Hi, I'm Merlin."

He could tell the boy was younger than him, Arthur wasn't usually around kids even remotely close to his own age. His face hurt too much to smile, "hi" he mumbled as he tried to reach up and find out why his face hurt so much.

The little boys hand stopped his movement, "Mother said to not touch it. You kinda look like Will when he fell out of the tree, he had a bad bruise too, but yours looks worse."

"where's Leon?" Arthur asked quietly, still not sure how to interact with this strange boy.

"Your brother is helping mother outside. Mother said he didn't have to, but he wanted to do something since my mother was taking care of you." Merlin sat back, crossing his legs watching Arthur curiously.

Confusing crossed Arthur's face, "My brother?"

Merlin was stopped from making any comment as both his mother and Leon came in, the older boy bringing in an arm load of wood. "you're awake." Leon smiled, dropping the wood then knelling beside his charge.

Hunith quickly seemed to pick up on something, though she didn't know exactly what, "Merlin, come help me with the chickens, give the boys some time alone." Holding out her hand, the little boy quickly jumped up to take it.

Once the door closed Arthur blinked tired eyes at the older boy, "that boy called you my brother?"

"They do not know who we are, who you are. I wasn't exactly sure where we were, and you needed help. We are on the outer edge of a small village called Ealdor, we must be careful, I did not realize we were in Essitir until this morning. I told them we were brothers, and you were hurt in an attack by bandits. Once you are able to travel, we will work our way back to Camelot, but it will still be a few days. We must not let it slip who you are, Essitir and Camelot are not on good terms, if it was known you are within its borders." Leon let the implications hang between them. Arthur had learned over their trip just how dangerous Essitir was.

Just that little bit of interaction had exhausted the young Prince. Leon reached up onto the table nearby, "Here, you need to eat something before you go back to sleep, it's been a couple days. It's not much, but it's all they have." Arthur moved slowly as he pulled his aching body up some, taking the bowl from Leon. With a little grimace the young boy ate about 2/3 of the bowl and after another drink he felt himself slipping back into sleep.

"Did he eat?" Leon turned at Hunith's quiet voice.

"A little, again I can not begin to thank you for all you have done for us." Hunith just smiled, taking the bowl to wash.