A/N: HI! I'm back with the next chapter of Inheritance. Just to let you know, the betaed version of chapter 4 is also up!
I am heading of on a holiday in a weeks time so I might not be able to post for a while. If I manage to complete a chapter before I leave, I'll might post the unbetaed version and replace it with the betaed one when I come back.
So previously, Arthur was on the war path and heading towards an unsuspecting Merlin, leaving his beleoved wife behind with George. I'm glad people liked George, I loved him in the series and hope to see more of him. Although I'm confused that so many people liked the jokes. When I tested them (and a few other that I had come up with) on my friends and family I got threats!
I also seem to enjoy hurting Gwaine for some strange reason. I think it's a pulling pig-tails thing, but with more violence. :D
But seeing as you like them so much, I'll post a new joke the bottom of the page.
Once again thank you for all the reviews, favs and alerts. They are more precious then oxygen to me.
I should also renew the disclaimer here, just in case there are lawyers about so
Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin. If I did, it would be on at a later time slot.
So with no further delay, Chapter 5!
Chapter 5
Arthur stormed towards the Physician's quarters, intending to discover the truth behind his friend's absence. There was no way he was allowing his lazy, idiotic, girl of a manservant to skip work and have Gaius cover for him. The dollophead was probably too hung-over after spending all his time on the tavern. Arthur was willing to bet the reason Merlin was so shabby looking was because he was spending all his coin on mead.
It never occurred to the privileged young man even that after living in Camelot these last years and receiving a generous pay, his servant was still living with habits ingrained from growing up in a small, poor, farming village. Whilst Arthur was receiving new clothing at a whim, Merlin had to wear clothing that were originally too big for him, and were only replaced when there was enough coin for cloth and once his current outfit was far too small and worn to be of use. Whilst Arthur always had something to eat and was able to hunt whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, Merlin had to survive on what the village had managed to grow that season and the odd rabbit they might have been able to catch.
Similarly, when Arthur almost crashed into his most carefree knight, it never occurred to the King to ask if Gwaine had spotted Merlin on one of his frequent trips to the tavern. If he had, he would have learnt that the young apprentice-physician only visits the tavern when the knight drags him down there and perhaps then he would have started to get suspicious of his friend's true activities. Instead, the irritated blonde man pushed past Gwaine and continued along to Gaius's chambers.
It didn't take long for Gwaine to catch on to his King's destination. Smiling with glee at the thought of free entertainment, the long haired knight skipped after Arthur. Said Royal had just reached the door and was about to burst through when Gwaine finally caught up.
Pausing to glance at the round-table Knight, Arthur drew himself up, dramatically slammed open the door and bellowed at the top of his lungs.
"MERLIN!"
Merlin was deeply engrossed within a book on magical aliments when a shiver ran down his back. Unaware of the approaching danger, the young man simply drew his jacket closer to his body.
'A common ailment to befall sorcerers is the Jitters. Sufferers display no signs of this illness until they try to cast an enchantment. Depending on the individual, the out come of the spe...'
"MERLIN!"
At the bellow of his master, the mentioned man leaped backwards, eyes glimmering gold as the book slammed shut. However, as the warlock was seated at the time, his leap caused him to roll backwards off the bench. Stopping his momentum, Merlin crouched low to the ground, hissing wildly at the intruders.
Arthur and Gwaine blinked at the scene. The blonde man, couldn't help but think back to that incident the other morning. Similar to that moment, Merlin's features now seemed animalistic. Eyes feral, posture defensive and were his teeth always that alarmingly sharp?!
Gwaine on the other hand was puzzled. Sure that incident on the training grounds could be put down to adrenaline, but there was no logical explanation for this. This goes beyond the eccentrics of the man everyone knows as Arthur's right-hand man, even if the title was not official.
The atmosphere surrounding the three men could have been cut with a knife when Gaius emerged from the storage cupboard. He lifted one eyebrow as he observed the strange stand-off between his ward and the knights. The old man cleared his throat, causing the other occupants to jump.
"Is there something I can help you with Sire?" Gaius enquired as his ward stood up with a sheepish smile.
The addressed man ignored the question and instead turned to shout at the youngest person in the room.
"Merlin, you idiotic buffoon, what do you think you are doing?! First you don't show up to work, next I find that you have somehow convinced Gaius to give some excuse that I frankly do not believe and now I find you rolling on the floor like a lunatic! I have half the mind to throw you in the stocks!"
Merlin felt that strange presence stir in his chest again. How dare this mortal demand answer from him! He wished he could teach this worm a lesson in respect. The mortal would suit being crispy . . .
"Lunatic? Why I was only imitating the Knights. The way you throw yourselves and each other around is crazy! No wonder you lot are so dumb. Is idiocy a requirement to be knighted or does it come from mashing your brains up during training afterwards Sire?" Merlin snarled.
Arthur and Gaius were speechless, though for different reasons. Arthur was shocked that Merlin would go so far, sure he had called him and the other knights stupid before, but never like that. Gaius on the other hand was worried. Merlin's mood swings were getting worse, and this one was in front of Arthur!
A loud snort drew everyone's attention to the fourth man, who was currently giggling.
That was a big mistake.
"Oh and what are you laughing at you drunken oaf? It's amazing you were even allowed to be a knight! You constantly reek like a tavern! It's a surprise that bandits and sorcerers don't smell you a league away!"
Merlin seemed to come back to himself at this point. He stared wide-eyed at his second-closest friend.
"HEY. There is nothing wrong with smelling like a tavern. Are you alright mate? I've only seen you this crabby once before." That was Gwaine, rolling with the punches, especially when he was concerned about a friend.
Gaius decided to interfere before the situation got even more out of hand. "Please forgive him Sire. I've had him up the last few nights helping me with this research. That's why he wasn't able to serve you this morning. Whilst there are only rumours of this disease at the moment, I wish to be prepared in case my help is needed. Seeing as Merlin did such a good job last time, even if the Lamia caused problems, I deemed it best that Merlin help me in case I need him to go in my stead. However all these long nights have made him grouchy and loose with his tongue."
Arthur nodded. In the past he had noticed that the boy's tongue became sharper when he was tired. But still, Merlin needed to learn that whilst Arthur enjoyed their banter, he wasn't going to stand for complete insubordination.
"Right. Merlin when Gaius decides to let you go for a while I want you to go straight down to the stables and clean them. If I find out you are skipping out to go to the tavern or something similar, I will make your life a misery." With that Arthur turned and exited.
Merlin sighed and shook his head. He retook his seat, aware that Gwaine was still in the room. Said knight approached his oddly behaving friend.
"You go to the tavern? Why didn't you say so? I've never seen you there. Don't mind Princess, we can go together as soon as you're done. Here let me help." Gwaine reached forward to take a book on transformation spells.
Panicking, Merlin gripped the rouge's arm. Startled Gwaine yanked his arm back, catching himself on one of Merlin's nails.
"Ouch. I think it's time you took a knife to your nails mate." Gwaine examined his arm. The scratch had started to bleed a little, but luckily it wasn't too deep.
As Gaius fussed over the injury, Merlin glanced at his nails and paled. How did he miss this?! These were not the pale, short nails of a human, although you could see traces that showed that they once were . . . Merlin's nails had lengthened, growing out a good three centimetres from the finger tip and were starting to curl. An odd golden sheen glimmered from them as their owner turned his hand.
Vaguely he was aware that Gwaine was leaving but he couldn't tear his eyes away. It was only when his concerned guardian stood in front of him that he lifted his head, wide eyes stared into Gaius's own.
It was five hours after the nail incident and Merlin was ready to burn down the quarters, then the library and finally hunt down the authors (or their descendants) of the accursed tomes and curse them in various ways . . . Or maybe just scream.
Even though, as Gaius's apprentice, Merlin had been surrounded by books since moving to the city, it still surprised the warlock just how much knowledge was written down. Before coming to Camelot, Merlin had never even seen a book. Paper and ink was expensive and rare in the small farming community of Ealdor so Hunith, Merlin's beloved mother, used charcoal and a piece of sack cloth to teach her child how to read and write, a skill almost unheard of in the outlying villages.
Merlin turned the page of the book he was currently studying (The Truths behind the Myths and Legends of the Old Religion by Harold of Essetir) and scanned the next page.
He was halfway down the text when he felt a shudder ran through his body. The article, about the possible origins of dragons, contained a phrase that almost echoed one that Merlin had heard only last night in his dreams.
'Whilst we are unsure of the true origins of the Dragons, we have more information on this subject than on the origins of their kin, the Dragonlords. It is unknown whether the Dragonlords are truly human or Dragons in human skin. However, many believe in the latter theory for there is a legend that once every 500 years the Dragonlords disappear to strengthen their bonds with their kin'
"Gaius I think I've found something." The warlock sprang up and rushed to his mentor, proceeding to push the book under his ageing nose.
"Look. That's almost exactly what Freya told me in my dream!"
"Merlin!" The old man took the tome from the other man and read the passage. Raising an eyebrow, Gaius turned the page in hope for more information, only to be disappointed.
"Well my boy, it's not a lot but it's a start. Although I doubt we'll find anything else in these books. It is a shame there is no-one we could ask for..." Gaius trailed off as Merlin groaned and shook his head, laughing slightly under his breath.
"Why didn't I think of this before when I heard Dragonlord? Really Gaius we are both being stupid." The young man looked up with a silly, disbelieving grin on his face.
"What are you going on about Merlin?" The healer was confused. It was times like this the Physician wished he could read minds, but then again who knows what he would find in his surrogate-son's mind. It was probably safer for his sanity if he didn't know. Said young man turned to look at his mentor.
"I think it's time I visit my scaly old friend."
A/N: Here is the promised joke
How would you describe a metal statue of a Scottish girl.
As a bonny brass