Many thanks to both Gaz and gingeraffaelene for kind reviews.
And now over to the chapter I myself think is the best so far.
Please tell me your view, if you like!
Published between Sabbath and Sunday, Oct 24, A.D. 2020.
6. Staying put
They had been snowed in, have had time to think and figured it out. Merlin had magic!
They had found a gentle way to tell him that they knew, and the weather not allowing them to go on riding outside, they had stayed in the castle they now knew was cosily lit and warmed with Merlin's powers.
Every day when the chores were done, horses tended to, hearths stoked with more fire wood and food made, they had lots of time to listen to Merlin. They heard his story, saw his scars, asked all the many questions they had, and all of them slowly adapted to it. Merlin to that they knew, the others to what they knew.
Merlin told them about being born with magic, and using it before he even could walk and talk to summon his blanket or stoke the hearth.
He told them how he grow up an outsider, living with his mother, having no father, and how both of them were intermittently despised or hated for it.
-"But my mum never let that get to her." Merlin said, "instead she taught me to always be kind, always take things the best way, and always meet other with a smile!"
Born with magic, brought up to be the kind, loyal friend he had over and over proven to be, more than one of the listeners thought.
-"From time to time it happened that my mum was accused of ridiculous things. One autumn they said it was our fault a cow no longer gave milk. I went an evening to see her, and she was so old that she almost were just skin and bone. But, not would she be bad off with a blessing, I thought."
-"What did you do?"
-"A slight de-aging spell, a bit help to better digest the food. And . . . the faces of the owners were worth it all when that cow gave them twin calves next spring."
They had been poor, Merlin explained, and struggling, and being able to keep one calf, and sell the other later really helped. No one would think otherwise.
Merlin went on telling them of making small wooden boats sailing them in the brook. The followed the stream south, and 'the wind' back to him. At least that was what he said to the other kids.
And in the evenings he could wander around, bless some vegetables here, increase some crops there, and keep the livestock healthy and prosperous.
-"But one summer we had a drought."
-"Strangely enough," Gwaine cut in, "nowhere in Lot's kingdom and seldom in Camelot it rained; except in Ealdor."
Merlin was as surprised as the others hearing that he knew, but then they remembered that Gwaine was a notorious traveler. Was where a place he had never seen, or any ale he had never tasted?
-"I had just arrived to Ealdor, planning to pass to cross the border, when the sky got dark and a deluge to rain begin to fall. I had too seek shelter for the night."
Gwaine shuddered and asked for more ale, swallowing half the tankard at once.
-"But I was lucky, there was a sandy haired boy out who took pity of me and led me to his home."
-"Would that have been Will?" asked Arthur, a strange look in his eyes.
-"Do you know him, sire?"
-"Arthur met Will, Gwaine," answered Merlin in the kings stead. "He was a hero!"
-"He gave his life for me," came a small voice from their leaders chair.
-"And mine," said Merlin proudly. "Without him there would be neither a Once and Future king, nor an Emrys – and definitely no Albion."
And of course that led to Merlin explaining the prophecy, and Arthur retelling their defense of Ealdor. They all chuckled at the sight of Gwen and Morgana taking part, but then falling silent, impressed by their skill and bravery.
This lead to sharing memories of the adventures they remebered. Gwaine told of flying plates, Leon of being secretly whisked away to a druid camp to be completely healed, and Lancelot, of course of the killing of a Griffin.
Arthur told of an avalanche of stones, and his anguish seeing Merlin disappear on the other side, and Elyan of seemingly self-lighting fires, falling branches, deflected arrows and rapidly healing wounds; and this led to so many different stories that the snowy nights suddenly were over, and they were under a bright, starry sky. Outside it grew very cold and they doubled their shifts to see to that the horses were warm, watered, happy and fed.
One of these cold nights, when the fires roared in both the hearths in the main hall, and they all had lots of spiced, heated wine, Lancelot (ever the romantic) asked if Merlin had ever been in love.
Merlin had of course loved. First his mum, later on his dad, who he met just before he died, and then Freya. Merlin's eyes were so bright when he told of her , but his voice so sad. . .
The king seemed to get almost depressed just from listening. He sunk deeper into his chair, eyes downcast and shoulders slumped.
-"Oy, Lance," said Merlin with a wink, "Our king needs some more wine!"
Lancelot raised from his chair to go to the sideboard where drinks and snacks for the evening was always laid out before the storytelling began. This time Merlin turned around to watch these, and Lancelot did not even flinch when a beautiful silver chalice materialised out of thin air right in front of him.
Having filled the goblet with wine, Lancelot did just lift an eyebrow seeing Merlin's eyes glow golden and the wine becoming even deeper red.
-"What is this?" asked Arthur surprised, seeing the elaborate chalice brought to him.
-"It is the drought of forgiveness, your Majesty." Merlin was very quiet and serious now. "It can only be given by one who has been wronged but wholeheartedly forgiven. And it helps the one who drinks from it to forgive himself and leave behind what is already in the past. Drink up, sire."
-"I think I have heard of it," considered Gwaine, the far and nigh traveled.
-"It is said it was brought by the great Patrick of Eyre. But its origins can at least be traced back to Shaul of Tarsus." This was Percival, who revealed himself having much knowledge unknown to the knights.
Arthur downed half of the cup, then turned it back to Merlin. The wizard, understanding why, drank the rest, eyes glistering from tears.
And so they all felt happy!
One evening Merlin noticed that Arthur had an even better dinner than normal cooked, and from the cellar a very fine, rare, old wine brought up.
When they all stood behind their chairs, the first course waiting at the sideboard, Arthur threw Merlin a bundle of textile.
-"Please Merlin, here is some clothes we will need this evening. Can you clean and mend them to something in Grand style, please?"
As Merlin took the bundle and turned to leave for these chores, he was stopped by the king:
-"No, Merlin, do not go! Please let us see you do it!"
So Merlin went to the end of the long table not being set up for dinner, and laid out a moth eaten green velvet cloak, a yellow stained and wrinkled tunic, and some brown breaches. His eyes glowing golden several times, the garments got clean, as new and ironed before the happy eyes of the knights and their king.
-"Thank you Merlin." Arthur exclaimed. He lifted the tunic and the breaches off the table, and said:
-"Now Merlin, come with me, please."
From the hallway, the knights could soon hear the normal gibbering between the king and his friend. It soon quiescened however, and when they returned Merlin was dressed in the clothes he had just taken care of, but also in a new pair of tall boots and proudly wearing a new neckerchief Camelot red. No one pretended to see that a small part of Arthur's cape was missing.
Now Arthur draw his sword.
-"Please kneel Merlin!
And so it came to be, that the magic sword Excalibur touched Merlin's shoulders.
-"Arise Lord Merlin of Avalon, Protector of all Albion!"
And as Merlin stood up, Lancelot hung the green cape, looking brand new, on his shoulders.
Seeing that Merlin was about to fall into shedding tears again. Arthur quickly intervened:
-"Merlin, the soup has gone cold. May I ask you to heat it up using your magic?"
The laughter that answered that begun one of the most happy and pleasant fiests any one of them had ever had. Not even the roaring winter storm outside could ever change that!