Hello, once again! Thank you for the follows, favorites, and reviews. This one's a fast update, eh?
In response to one of the reviews that asked me when I would be updating, I can't particularly say because I don't have a timeline. I write whenever a thought pops into my mind and post it as soon as the chapter is done. But, I can give you a window. I will be updating every 5 days. Sometimes, I might take a week to update. If I do not post the next chapter because of some personal circumstances, I'll let you guys know.
Arthur's a bully, no doubt!
I was wondering if the pace of my story is all right with you guys... Should I go a bit faster?
Words: 3060
3. Kilgharrah's Advice
'I dearly hope that I'll be back by morning before Arthur wakes up,' Merlin thought to himself as he slid from under Arthur's head.
Arthur grunted and tried to find a comfortable position on the hard stone floor where Merlin put his head down. Merlin sighed and picked up his rug from his bag, bunched it up and placed it under Arthur's head before attempting to sneak out. The problem now was Sir Leon and Sir Vidor. They were keeping watch and Merlin, somehow, had to slip through their fingers. He didn't know how. If he took a horse and galloped out into the dark, they would know but he'd make it back by morning, probably. By foot, he was pretty sure it'd be morning by the time he reached outside. What was the great dragon thinking?!
"I cannot come. It is difficult to evade Sir Leon and Sir Vidor. Is there no other way?" he spoke in his mind, trying to reach out to the Great Dragon.
When he didn't get any reply even after a couple of minutes passed by, he sighed. He drew plans, selected a few, discarded a few, then scratched all of them off and started anew from square one. There was no possible way he could get past Sir Leon and Sir Vidor unless he cast a sleeping spell upon them, risking letting in any kind of dangers upon Arthur and the men of Camelot. He didn't want that.
"I understand, young warlock. I will meet you on the other side. Tomorrow night," the great dragon's voice filtered in through his mind alleviating Merlin's worries.
"Thank you. I will call for you when it is safe. And, I'm sorry I couldn't make it tonight," Merlin apologized as he walked back to the clearing.
"It is I who asked you the impossible, young warlock. I should have reached out to you before you and the young Prince's men marched halfway through those tunnels," Kilgharrah said.
"Well, you said it is important," Merlin chuckled and wondered if he could go back to sitting and sleeping with Arthur's head on his thigh.
"Indeed it is! Go ahead, young warlock. I presume it is best if I left you to your personal thoughts now. Goodbye," Kilgharrah laughed like he knew what Merlin was thinking, which left him flushed all over.
Draping Arthur's red cape over Arthur's a bit shivering body, he slept beside Arthur with his back to him. Close enough to feel Arthur's warmth but still not close enough. After a while of tossing and turning around, Merlin got up. He would go back to their positions, he decided. Tentatively, he checked whether Arthur was still fast asleep. When he was sure that Arthur wouldn't wake up, he checked for Sir Leon and Sir Vidor. Slowly, he lifted Arthur's head, removed his blanket and situated himself under Arthur so that the Prince's head was resting on his lap. Just like before. No one would know and he could blame Arthur should the Prince yell at him the following day when he would get back his senses.
For now, this is what he desired. So he draped his rugged blanket over his shoulders and laid his head on Arthur's shoulder. It felt like home and within seconds, Merlin was fast asleep.
It was suffocating; like his breath was the only air he could breathe. His breath fanned his own face in hot puffs. He was in a desperate need of fresh cool air. If only the contraption around his face came off! He tried moving his arms but they wouldn't move. It was as if they were stuck somewhere, especially his right arm – he couldn't feel it.
"Ugh!" He groaned, trying to move his right arm which felt like a heavy dead tree stump. Actually, he felt as if a heavy dead tree stump was placed on his arm.
Arthur's eyes shot open and all he could see was – darkness. Some kind of cape, no, maybe a blanket, was interrupting his field of vision.
"Merlin!" he screamed as loud as he could.
"Hm? Yes, Sire!" Merlin sat up with a rude awakening from his pleasant sleep, his blanket uncovering Arthur, letting him breathe in fresh cool air and see an expanse of blue botched with a brown belt.
He realized that his head was on his servant's lap. Arthur's body cramped all over as he slept in the same position all night. With great difficulty, he shifted so that he lay on his back, his face staring up at Merlin's.
"Merlin?" he blinked his eyes in a daze.
"Yes, Sire?" Merlin asked, his mind clearing now that Arthur got his senses back.
Time to face the storm! He thought.
"Were you? Were you sleeping on me?" Arthur asked indignantly.
"What? Excuse me, Sire, you were… are the one who is sleeping on me. You wouldn't move! Where did you expect me to sleep? In the air, perhaps?" Merlin argued, laughing inwardly.
"That's what you should have done instead of using my arm as your…" Arthur grappled for the right word in a sleep induced haze.
"As my what?" Merlin questioned, amused by Arthur's way of speaking. It will never get old.
"Ah, as your pillow!" Arthur bellowed.
"Would you both stop quarreling for once?" Guinevere interrupted.
"Guinevere, good morning!" Arthur greeted, noticing her presence.
"To you too Arthur. Here, sit up, will you? I am sure Merlin's legs weigh a ton," Guinevere crouched and helped Arthur into a sitting position.
Merlin and Arthur grunted and sighed in relaxation like old men. As they relaxed, Guinevere and the knights packed their stuff for the rest of the journey, some sending genuinely curious looks at the Prince and his manservant.
"Sire, are you all right?" Sir Leon asked.
"Yes, I will be. I need a few moments," Arthur nodded, pressing his arms for relieving his pain.
Merlin was doing the same to his legs. Sir Leon bowed and got back to packing the bags and counting their horses.
"Will you be fine?" Arthur asked Merlin.
"I need a few moments too. Your head is heavier than a mountain. I'm never letting you use me as your pillow again," Merlin mumbled.
"How dare you speak to your Prince like that?!" Arthur punched Merlin in the arm, earning a chuckle from his servant.
"Sire, we lost five horses," Leon informed the Prince.
"We'll lose more if we do not get out of these tunnels quickly. Guinevere will ride with me. One of our men can ride with Merlin. Pair up and the rest can walk. We'll take turns," Arthur commanded.
Sir Leon paired up with Merlin and the battalion traveled ahead with Arthur leading them once again.
"Don't look so sour Merlin. You can walk at the next station," Sir Leon teased him.
"I was supposed to be on the front," Merlin maffled like a child.
"I am a Knight and I'm supposed to be the front man," Leon maintained, albeit playfully.
They rode in silence, listening for any kind of danger. When none came, they became wary of the never-ending silence. Even a yawn from a soldier would push everyone to the edge. This territory was new to them and the safety of the tunnels was fearsome. Occasionally, a few rats moving about troubled their horses but other than that, there were no magical creatures or bandits.
As the sun set, tucking in its last ray of light, Arthur and his men breathed in the pleasance of petrichor.
"Did it rain?" Guinevere asked, reflexively leaning back into Arthur for warmth when the cold evening air danced over her body.
"We couldn't hear the rain," Merlin breathed out, looking back at the tunnels cautiously.
"Yes, we couldn't. How peculiar," Arthur wondered.
"Arthur, don't ask any questions and come with me," Merlin insisted as he jumped off his horse in one swift motion and trotted towards the tunnels.
"When did you start giving orders, Merlin?" Arthur said snidely yet he did what Merlin asked him to do.
They stood at the entrance of the tunnels and everyone was watching them, all agog.
"Now what?" Arthur asked, his hands resting on his hips.
"I will go in. You stay out here. Right here, Arthur. And, talk to me," Merlin didn't wait for Arthur's reply and he marched into the tunnels and turned around to face a confused Arthur.
"What does this prove, Merlin?" Arthur asked.
"Ah, Just as I thought! I can't hear you and I'm certain that you can't hear me too," Merlin said aloud.
He could see Arthur's confusion mold into a frown of astonishment. Seems like Arthur and the others realized it too. The tunnels served as a barrier to sounds. No sound could filter in. Nor would sound travel out of the tunnels.
"I can take this opportunity to say how ignorant and bossy you are, Arthur. You don't even know how many times I've had to save you. Yet you work me worse than a donkey! You are a hypocrite, Arthur…" and he went on.
"Doesn't he look like he's scolding me?" Arthur asked aloud. Merlin was so engaged in blabbering like an idiot that he didn't notice Arthur's lips move.
"Merlin wouldn't do that to you, Arthur," Guinevere said doubtfully.
Merlin's hands were moving frantically and he kept on pointing at Arthur with his index.
"Sire, I'm certain he's chastising you," Sir Leon piped in.
"… You, Arthur Pendragon, with the face of a toad -," Merlin stopped his rambling and took a few steps back when Arthur walked into the tunnels.
"So, as I guessed, you were bad-mouthing me," Arthur's voice dripped venom.
Merlin chuckled. Arthur chuckled too. But not for long. He dragged Merlin out by his neckerchief.
"You!" he said, pointing at one of his army men.
"Yes, my Lord?" he stepped forward and bowed.
"You ride with Sir Leon. Merlin here will run along until we find a campsite to rest for the night," Arthur patted Merlin on the chest, smiling broadly.
"Sire -," Merlin started.
"Is it Sire now? What happened to toad face, Merlin?" Arthur asked innocently. Yet, Merlin knew very well that the Prince was angry.
"I didn't mean it, Sire," Merlin lied.
"Of course you didn't," Arthur said as he unpacked some bags from his horse.
"Here!" he said, dumping all the heavy bags in Merlin's arms, who struggled to carry them. "My horse is tired. Carry them, would you?" Arthur mounted his horse and looked down at Merlin, who was trying to carry all the bags on his back.
"I can't walk with these bags on my back, let alone run," he gritted out.
"I know you can, Merlin. I should have done this a long time ago! Run along, now," Arthur was in a good mood after thoroughly bullying Merlin and they galloped off into the woods.
Merlin stumbled and tumbled as he ran to catch up with the battalion. It was a long good hour before they reached a glade large enough to fit all the men. Soon, the horses were tied and a few men delved a bit further from their site for firewood. As Arthur discussed their plans for the next day with Sir Leon, Sir Vidor, and Sir Caridoc, Guinevere anxiously looked for Merlin. Somewhere along the way, Merlin lost them as he couldn't keep up with their speed.
"What's worrying you, Guinevere?" Arthur queried as he moved to stand beside her and took her hands in his'.
"It's Merlin, Arthur. I suppose he's lost his way. Maybe, he fell unconscious! I'm worried about him," she vocalized her concerns.
"Do not worry, he'll be here," Arthur assured her.
"You shouldn't have punished him so harshly," Guinevere stated.
"Sometimes, it is necessary. You know that. Here, get some rest. If he isn't here in a while, I'll go looking for him. He's my idiotic useless manservant after all," Arthur spoke as he led Guinevere and sat her on a log.
As if on cue, they heard a rather loud thump and found Merlin on the ground, barely conscious.
"Merlin!" Gwen rushed to his side first and started untying the bags on his back. Dried leaves and sand jumped in the air whenever Merlin exhaled.
"Did you learn your lesson, Merlin?" Arthur asked playfully.
"Yes, Sire," Merlin answered without bothering to look at Arthur and groaned loudly in pain when Gwen pulled a bag off him.
"Hm? I don't think you've learned enough," Arthur stressed.
"I apologize, Sire, for badmouthing you," Merlin said what Arthur wanted to hear.
"Good! Now, start a fire and feed the horses. Then cook dinner for us. I'm starving!" Arthur dished out orders, patting Merlin on his abused shoulder.
Merlin looked at Arthur incredulously and discerned that the Prince wasn't joking at all.
After resting his tired and withered body for a while and making sure that everyone was asleep, Merlin slipped out to call for the great dragon.
"O, Dragarn! E male soi ftengometta tesd'hup anakess!" he incanted, summoning the dragon.
"Young warlock, we meet at last!" Kilgharrah greeted.
"What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Merlin asked.
"The quest you are partaking in must be forfeited. It is dangerous and no man will survive if you choose to continue," the great dragon warned.
"It is dangerous. That is why Arthur wants to put an end to those evil sorcerers, provided, they exist in the first place," Merlin said.
"They do exist, young warlock. They are filled with magic rotten than any age-old fruit and unholier than any soul in Hell," the dragon forewarned.
Merlin didn't reply. It wasn't rare that the great dragon stopped him from going on quests like this one with Arthur. Often, the great dragon's predictions about danger had been right. Yet, they succeeded. They never turned back. Merlin and Arthur helped each other and fought together against all evil. This would be just another fight.
When Merlin stayed quiet and contemplating for longer than the great dragon liked, Kilgharrah spoke up, "I warn you, young warlock. There is a reason why the Caves of Peril are hidden and forbidden. No man without magic is to enter the caves for if they should, ash is all that will be left of them. You must convince the young Prince to halt this quest. You must return to Camelot."
Now, it all made sense. Uther feared the men hidden in these Caves. That is how they possibly escaped the King's Great Purge.
"You said, no man without magic, didn't you? I have magic. I can help Arthur like I always do," Merlin retorted.
"Your magic shall be useless against the powers the Caves store. You will most certainly be powerless in the mouth of the forbidden caves," Kilgharrah tried to reason with Merlin.
"Then, give me the powers to defeat them," Merlin requested.
Kilgharrah sighed dejectedly. Merlin's stubbornness was useful at times but it was proving to be burdensome, especially now. Kilgharrah couldn't understand why the young warlock never followed his advice. He was a creature who lived since the Old Religion and this boy, who stood in front of him, had the regality to defy his every word.
"I myself am weak against their powers," the dragon admitted, a bit ashamed.
"You expect me to believe that?" Merlin raised his brows as a gesture of disbelief because according to him, there was no power that rivaled the great dragon.
"I understand your belief in my powers but you must also understand this, young warlock. The sorcerers who are housed by the Caves of Peril are as old as me, if not, older and possess the same powers like mine. They have only got stronger during my... Imprisonment under Uther Pendragon's reign. I believe the powers and spells I have now are useless against their darkened power," the dragon said.
For the first time, the great dragon feared Merlin's willfulness. "You must abandon this quest!" he insisted once more.
"No, Arthur wouldn't agree to reason. Besides, my magic is strong. You said so yourself. And I believe that I can defeat them... If I had your knowledge, even though it is dampened. So, please, instead of asking me to abandon this quest, help me," Merlin pleaded.
The great dragon sighed. He couldn't argue anymore with the warlock. All he could do was bow his head to the dragonlord, unbosom his powers to him and believe in him and his magic. He breathed on the warlock, imparting the required knowledge.
"That is all I have, young warlock," Kilgharrah said and Merlin opened his eyes.
"Thank you! I will not let this knowledge go to waste," Merlin said gratefully and turned to leave.
"Merlin," the dragon's voice stopped him in his tracks, garnering his attention once again.
"I must warn you. You must not let any non-magical man walk into the Caves, particularly, the young Prince. It would do you good if you, more than the Prince, stayed away from the Caves. Do not enter the Caves, young warlock. This last piece of advice, I request you to heed," Kilgharrah reminded Merlin of the dangers of the Caves.
"I understand. I won't enter the Caves and I will make sure no one else does too," Merlin acquiesced.
"If you lose, young warlock, you would have no help from me further. I have no wish to face the sorcerers of the Caves of Peril and put the last of my kind in danger. You are all on your own should you choose this dangerous path," the great dragon cautioned.
Merlin nodded once in assent though fear gripped him at the thought of receiving no help from the great dragon. Kilgharrah flew away, wishing good luck upon the young warlock.
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Next chapter - Caves of Peril. Finally, the Camelot battalion reaches the Caves. A fight ensues. The moment I've been waiting for! Yay!
Until next time!
Bye!
~ Wheezy.