1: A loyal ride

Hi, this is new series of oneshots or more that I am starting. I am stuck for ideas and will take requests, so tell me them in the review section. I won't be doing romance, slash or pairings.

I will update as much as possible, but if I get distracted, just tell me to hurry up and update.

I don't own Merlin, the BBC has that honour.

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Merlin

'Why is it always on hunting trips that the prat was attacked the most?' Merlin thought as he struggled to stop his horse from bolting as bandits ran to meet the swords of the knights of the roundtable. As the knights slashed at the attackers, Merlin secretly caused bandits to loss their weapons at oddly lucky moments.

They had been about to set off from their camp, where they had been sleeping last night. Suddenly the bandits had attack before they had mounted, surprising even Merlin, who could normally tell when an attack was coming.

One bandit had seen Merlin still trying to calm his horse and was running over to have an seemingly easy kill of a servant. Merlin's horse rose on to its hind legs and kicked at the air wildly, panicked by the loud noises and smell of blood.

Merlin quickly caused the bandit to trip and his sword to fly into a nearby tree. The knights were driving off the last of the attack, and Merlin felt a wave of relief at seeing King Arthur, alive and uninjured, at the front of the attack.

By now the horse had calmed. Merlin had been given the gedling by Arthur when he first became his manservent. Over time they had developed a strong bond. Animals normally liked and trusted Merlin, because of this magic. The horse was named Cernunn, and was black as ink.

While Merlin was watching the bandit retreat, he didn't see the bandit from before rise from the ground and grab a spear one of the knights had dropped. Holding the spear in shaking hands, from anger not fear, he used the last of his strength to stab Merlin's horse in the side. Then the bandit let go of the weapon and ran into the forest.

The horse bucked in panic and pain, causing an unprepared Merlin to let go of the reins. As the horse kicked madly, Merlin tried to grab the lose reins and get it under control.

Suddenly one of the horse's hooves struck Merlin on the back of the head and he fell to the ground as darkness covered his vision.

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When Merlin awoke, the first thing he was aware of was a pounding ache in his head, like someone dancing on it, with shoes made of nails. He shot up into a sitting position, and instantly regretted it. The world tilted and spun, everything was blurred or the wrong colour.

Merlin hissed in pain as he touched the back of his head. As he looked at his hand, he saw that his fingers were covered in blood. Great, I have a head wound. Then he noticed that Arthur and the knights hadn't return.

Panicking, Merlin tried to stand. He succeeded for 2 seconds, then his brain did a handstand and he fell to the floor. As he lay trying not to die from vertigo, he hear the sound of hoof beats.

He looked up and saw Cernunn standing over him. The horse was dying, Merlin could feel his lifeforce fading. This brought tears to his eyes. The horse lay down next to him, nudging Merlin's arm. Merlin led his head against Cernunn's neck, feeling each pained breath his loyal friend took.

Merlin began feeling lightheaded from pain and blood loss, but he still felt the familiar, sharp pain of grief. He shivered in the cold wind, and Cernunn moved closer to him, keeping him warm. Suddenly everything became too much, the dam burst. Merlin lay there, by his dying horse, and cried. He cried for Cernunn, for Will, for Freya, for Balinor and for the old, kind Morgana.

As he cried, Cernunn took his last breath, freed from the prison of pain that had been the last moments of his life. Merlin finally gave into his body's need, and fell unconscious.

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Arthur

Arthur had been having a horrible day. First his fool of a manservent had woken him up in the most annoying way possible, then bandits had attacked their camp. The battle had been quick and he and his knights had chased the bandits back to their camp, were they had then destroyed it.

As his knights were celebrating their victory, Arthur noticed that Merlin was no where to been seen. Clearly he wasn't the only one who noticed his absence, as Gwaine suddenly asked, " has anyone seen Merlin?"

This statement was met by silence, and the knights looked around frantically for the missing member of their party. Merlin had become like a younger brother to the knights of the round table, and they had become very protective of him. Secretly, Arthur felt the same about Merlin, he was like his funny, strangely wise, younger brother.

"He must be back at the campsite." Elyen said, and all the knights began running back along the path the had come.

When they arrived, the scene caused Arthur's heart to skip a beat, though he would deny that if anyone asked. Merlin was laying next to his horse, that was clearly dead. Blood was drying on the back of Merlin's head. He was unconscious, with tear tracks running down his face. What a girl, crying over a horse. But inside Arthur didn't blame him. It was clear these last few weeks Merlin had been having a hard time, he didn't smile as much, he insulted him less and when he thought Arthur wasn't looking, his mask would fall and Arthur would see the underlying sadness in his face.

"He appears to have been struck by the horse, from the look of this wound." Sir Leon reported from where he had been checking over Merlin.

"Gather up the remaining horses, we need to get him home to Gaius, he need medical treatment." Arthur commanded.

The ride back was fast, with Merlin being carried in turn by the knights. When they arrived Arthur took him quickly to Gaius' chambers. Gaius treated Merlin, saying that the head wound looked worse than it was and he should recover in a few days.

When Merlin recovered, Arthur took him out to the stables. In the stables, in the pen that Cernunn used to stay in, was a young brown gedling.

"He's yours, you need a new horse and he has just finished being trained, but you need to name him still." Arthur told Merlin as he greeted the horse.

"Thanks Arthur, I'm going to call him Cernunnos." Merlin said, stroking the horse on its nose.

"You're such a girl, Merlin."

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AN: ok how was that? I have no beta so their may be mistakes. Cernunnos is the Celtic god of animals, so I thought it would be a great name for a horse. This was inspired by my love of animal. I wish Merlin had had more of a relationships with the animals in the TV show and I have a headcanon that animals trust him more than other human.

Please review and leave requests

Bye

Wyrenfire