"So Nimueh is a High Priestess of the Old Religion? That cult who follows the Triple Goddess?" Em sat at the table, shoveling the soup he made for supper in his mouth. He always made a large pot with too much water in it. Gaius suspected that growing up in an impoverished family with many children might have something to do with it. Gaius's mother used to do the same in an effort to make their meagre food supply last longer.
"I wouldn't call it a cult. Their priestesses and Seers were as highly renowned as a Vates or a Druidic elder, in the days before the Purge," Gaius said.
"But they morph and twist Nature into something She is not," Em said. "They think that Nature—or the Triple Goddess—created the earth to serve humanity. She wants all of Her children to coexist and take care of the home she provided. They think magic is a tool meant to serve humanity. That's wrong, it's—"
Gaius held up his hands. "Em, you know I do not align myself with any particular faith. Theological discussions go right over my head."
Em slumped back in his chair, taking another spoonful of watery soup. "I know. It's just, back home, everyone thinks the same and believes the same thing. It's—I miss that. Makes you feel a part of the group, you know?"
Gaius knew. He felt the same way when he was surrounded by courtiers and knights and noblewomen. Sometimes he just wanted to be around other commoners, people who knew what it was like to spend hours working in the fields or going to bed with an empty stomach. It was mankind's temptation, to cling to the familiar and create a group identity. For Druids like Em, having a group identity meant the difference between life and death. Their common culture, language, and religion bound them together during Uther's genocide. To be yanked away from his tribe and thrust into an unfamiliar lifestyle had to be earthshattering for Em.
"So you believe in Nature, the way the Druids do?" Gaius asked.
Em shrugged. "I guess. I mean, when I was younger I thought my móraí and the rest of my relatives were using the hallucinogenic mushrooms my cousin Cerdan said Vates imposters used to use. But then, after Jarl,"—he held up his four-fingered hand for emphasis—"I started thinking that something or someone had to be looking out for me."
"Does Arthur ever ask you about that?" Gaius gestured to Em's hand.
"Told him I cut it off chopping wood."
"You cheeky scoundrel, you didn't!" Gaius's eyebrows rose to his hairline. "Oh, Em, you really did."
Em laughed so hard that he choked on his soup.
When Em went to pick up the hounds on his first morning back to work, a small form crashed into him and wrapped his bony arms around him.
"MERLIN! Beckett said you were dyin' an' him an' Ma thought it would be too traumatic to see you, but I was gonna sneak out an' visit you anyway. Then you got better! Beckett nearly fell over, he was so happy when Morris and Gwen told him—"
Em returned Holt's hug with a wide grin. "I'm here, pal. No need for you to worry."
Holt looked up at him happily. "I knew you were strong enough to pull through. I knew it!"
"It's having friends like you that makes me strong," Em said. "Say, do you want to take the dogs for their walk and then have our sparring session?"
Holt nodded energetically, turning his attention to Sionnach and Bandit. The two dogs vied for his attention shamelessly. "I think the hounds missed you. Pike won't even play fetch. It's the saddest thing I've ever seen."
When Em returned home from work, Gaius waited with a guilty expression, a scrap of parchment, and a battered bag.
Em groaned. "You want me to collect herbs at this hour? I sparred with Arthur for two hours, did laundry, polished his armor, scrubbed the floor of his ridiculously large chambers, changed his sheets, dusted, fetched his meals—"
"I saved your life," Gaius said.
"Uncle, that is beside the point!" Em said.
"Is it really, though? I mean, as my favorite nephew, you should do this for me regardless—"
"I'm your only nephew."
"No you're not, you have five brothers. And your aunt Mairwen has two sons."
"Who you've never met! So, I'm your only real nephew."
"Your logic is extremely flawed."
"I know; I'm just trying to stall so I don't have to go collect herbs." Em grabbed the basket from his uncle. He went upstairs to strap on his sword belt. "Bandit and I shouldn't be too long. Make sure there's something hot on the table when I get home."
"I'm making my mother's old pottage recipe. Can you not smell it on the hearth?"
"I'm too exhausted to smell anything."
"Now you're just being dramatic."
"Bye, Uncle!"
After Bandit and Em left, Gaius scratched Sionnach's ears. "This is between the two of us, my dear: I really don't know how I got on before, without the young scamp in my life."
Em strolled through the sleepy forest, enjoying the cloying smell of midsummer flowers and basking in the sun's heat. Bandit loped ahead, his tail wagging happily. Despite receiving two longs walks a day and spending all day wrestling with the royal hounds, he still had boundless energy. He really was a handsome dog. Muscle rippled under his glossy black coat. One would hardly know he was nearly eight years old.
"You're a good lad, Bandit. D'you know that, a chara (my friend)?" Em murmured in Druidic.
Bandit let out a low growl in return.
"That's a strong reaction, madra neamhghnách (ungrateful dog)—" Em yelped in surprise when he saw a dark shape swooping down from the sky. "Nature! Bheith ag gabháil (run), Bandit!" Bandit turned tail and darted into the safety of the brush, baying with fear.
Em drew his sword, but he knew it would do little against such a strong foe. He had an acute sense of wrongness about the creature. His magic wanted to both flee from it and destroy it at the same time. What Em could only describe as a giant eagle with paws landed on the ground. Em threw up a shield, one invisible to the naked eye. From the way the creature roared, it had the ability to see magical barriers. It was some sort of magical creature, then.
He swore under his breath as the creature advanced. He threw a quick fireball at the creature. It melted away when it made contact with the creature's feathers. Shit. This thing was impervious to magical attacks. Would his shield hold?
It advanced past the shield, flapping its wings. Em tightened his grip on his sword. He could not possibly fight this thing without backup. He was a skilled swordsman, but the beast was at least twice his size. His magic seemed to do nothing. He knew he was out of options. So, when the creature was only a few yards away from him, he turned and ran for it. Weren't birds supposed to be slow on land, anyway?
From the sound of footsteps behind him, apparently not.
Em dodged between trees, panting furiously. His foot caught on a root and he fell face-first into the mud. He rolled on his back and held his sword up. The creature was only paces away. He was getting ready to pull water from the ground to disorient the bird, but a man emerged from the forest. He held a battered broadsword and a roughly-hewn shield. He struck the creature from the side. His sword bounced helplessly off the creature, but the blow distracted it long enough for Em to scramble to his feet. Em muttered a spell to heat his sword and attacked with a newfound ferocity. His own strikes and blows did nothing.
Em made eye contact with the man. The man's eyes flicked to the right. Em's gaze followed his line of sight. A narrow path with dense thorn thickets on either side led deeper into the forest. If they distracted the beast long enough, they could escape down the path. Em nodded slightly. The man grinned. He charged headlong towards the beast, stabbing its impenetrable chest. His sword shattered. The beast roared, rearing onto its back paws. Em and the mysterious man took advantage of this by darting down the path. The beast followed, but the thorn thickets slowed its progress. The path made a bend, becoming slightly wider. A log had been moved to the side. Em jumped over the log and hid himself behind it. The man joined him.
They huddled together, cradled between the log and the thorn thickets as the beast trampled past. After a couple minutes of fruitless searching, it roared in frustration and took to the air. Em waited until the sound of flapping wings faded to introduce himself.
"You saved my life," he said with gratitude. "I'm Merlin."
"Lancelot," the man said. They clasped hands and emerged from where they had hid behind the log. Em saw the man clutching his side. Blood seeped through the faded blue fabric of his shirt.
"You're hurt?" Em said.
The man nodded. "That…thing gouged me with a claw."
"My uncle is a physician. He'll be able to help."
Lancelot shook his head. "I haven't the money for a doctor."
"He doesn't charge people for his medicines. Even if he did, I'd make him heal you for free. You did save my life, after all," Em said.
Lancelot smiled slightly. He looked to be around Arthur's age, nineteen or twenty. Under a curtain of dark hair, his face seemed sallow and thin. He reminded Em of the people back home in Sábháilte—underfed and overstressed. "Thanks, friend. Do you reside in Camelot?"
Em nodded. "We better head back before it gets dark…" He glanced around at the forest expectantly. Rolling his eyes, he stuck his pinkies in his mouth and let out a loud wolf whistle. Seconds later, Bandit emerged from the undergrowth, trembling. Em wrapped his arms around his dog, not caring if the man judged him. He was just glad his old mutt was safe.
"That your dog?" Lancelot asked.
Em nodded. "His name is Bandit." He saw Lancelot's pale, sweaty face and tried not to panic. "C'mon, let's get you to my uncle. He'll get you fixed up in no time."
"You're a bit feverish, but that will pass by morning. The calendula and feverfew should clear up both the fever and any lingering infection," Gaius said to Lancelot.
Lancelot was propped up on the cot that Gaius kept in case he had an overnight patient. Sionnach curled up in the crook of his arm. The little reddish-gold pup seemed to have an affinity for comforting Gaius's patients.
"Thank you, Gaius. I really do appreciate it," Lancelot said. His eyes flicked to Em. "And to you, Merlin, for bringing me here for healing."
"No big deal," Em said. "Just rest up for the morning, yeah?"
Gaius yawned. "It's late. I am positively knackered. How about we all hit the hay and resume things in the morning?"
Em nodded. "That works for me. Arthur is away tomorrow on some assignment from the king. He said I cannot accompany him, for whatever reason. I still have work to do, but I can sleep in a little at least."
"Arthur as in Prince Arthur? You know him?" Lancelot said in astonishment.
Em nodded. "I'm his manservant. It's crummy work, but it's infinitely better than working on my family's farm. The pay isn't half-bad, either." His weekly wages were enough to pay for food and possibly a new blanket if he tightened his belt a little. Em felt like a king whenever the steward handed him a small stack of coins.
"You'll have seen the Knights of Camelot, then?"
"I know quite a few of them," Em said. "You could take them on in a swordfight. I'd bet my money on you."
"Do not sell yourself short. You are extremely talented, Merlin, especially for one so young." Lancelot sighed. "It's been a dream of mine to join the Knights of Camelot, ever since I was young."
"Arthur's always complaining about how they need more squires. I bet I could talk to him, give you a recommendation." Em felt a surge of excitement. Druids took life debts seriously. How awesome would it be if Em could help his new friend achieve a lifelong dream of his?
"You'd do that for me?"
"Absolutely, it's the least I could do."
"Thank you, Merlin. Truly."
Gaius shook his head in exasperation. "This is all very touching, lads, but can you let an old man get his sleep?"
"Sorry, Gaius," Lancelot said meekly.
Em, trying to smother his laughter, blew out the candle and made his way up the stairs to the little storage room he called his bedroom.
A/N: This was shorter than I wanted it to be, but I felt I needed to split the Lancelot episode up into two chapters for simplicity's sake. Also, I felt we needed a cool-down after having so much happen in the previous chapter. Sorry for the wait, I took longer to update than I wanted. We put down the family cat last month and I've been missing my little guy a lot. I also started a new job and scheduled my university classes, so life has been a little crazy! I hope to publish another chapter sometime next week.
Just wanted to say Happy Father's Day to any dads, father figures, or moms who raise their kids by themselves. My heart goes out to anyone who has lost a dad, whose dad is abusive, or never met him at all. This day can be tough, but know you are not alone. I lost my dad this year, so I dedicate this chapter to him. He always encouraged me in my writing and told me he would be my book agent if I ever published a novel.
Much love~