A/N: Please first read the intro to this story 'The Seal of Pendragon (Intro)', posted under Supernatural (TV shows)
The Seal of Pendragon by frostygossamer
Part 1: Camelot Is Not A Carny Ride
It's kinda like tuning in the TV analogue-style. All you can see at first is dancing dots then they start to line up into kinda a pattern then suddenly they start to look like something. Then, what do you know, its a picture. A picture of rolling fields, an ancient forest and nestling in that forest a majestic fortress.
"Disneyland!", Dean exclaims. "What the hell! How the crap did I get here?".
Scanning around him he spots a couple of authentic-looking locals leaning against a hayrick, eating bread and cheese from a spotted hanky.
"Freakin' 'cast members'", Dean sneers, approaching them warily.
"Can either of you guys tell me where the hell we are right now?", he asks loudly and slowly.
The two hayseeds look at each other vacantly.
"Cnoatnt uadrntndesd a wrod", the younger lout ventures.
"Pselae raepet fnired", his older companion adds.
"OK. I get it. This has gotta be one of those trickster dream worlds, right?", Dean laughs. "OK. Come on out. I'll play. COME ON! SHOW!".
He is starting to get angry. He grabs the bigger man by the collar and shakes him. "Come on! Speak! Why am I here? Out with it!".
Suddenly he feels four sharp points in his back. The younger yokel has a pitchfork pressed against his spine. Dean lets go of the other man and, before he can get away, the two men have overpowered him and have him trussed up like a goose.
As they drive their hay-cart towards the fortress, father turns to son and says, "Well, this fellow don't belong round here that's for certain. Could be a spy or even a warlock. Best we take him up to the castle. King Uther will know what to do with him. Might even be a reward in it, my lad".
They chuckle together happily.
ooo
Uther is sitting on his throne tapping the chair arm in irritation. The two commoners twist their caps and bow their heads in respect.
"We was attacked", the elder explains. "He came out of nowhere and attacked us, as we was minding our own business having a spot of grub. He was shouting some kind of gibberish. Some kind of foreigner we thought. So we... arrested him and brought him straight here".
Uther rises from his throne and approaches the bound captive. He lifts the young man's chin with one finger to stare searchingly into his eyes.
Dean glares at him.
"Tell me your name", Uther says slowly and clearly.
"Wtahs tihs carp yroue tilnakg", Dean replies tersely.
"Tell me your name", Uther repeats doubtfully, this time in Latin, the lingua franca.
"My name", replies Dean deliberately, searching for the words, "is Dean Winchester".
Uther nods but he doesn't like this stranger's attitude. "And why are you here, at Camelot, Dean Winchester?", he asks.
"Camelot?", Dean spits out, resisting a laugh, "F****** Camelot? Seriously?".
"Indeed", replies Uther. "Don't try to affect ignorance. You've clearly been sent here by one of my enemies, to spy on us or perhaps even to assassinate me?"
Dean doesn't like the way his reasoning is going.
"Look", he pronounces carefully. "I did not ask to be here. One moment I was in Kansas then 'pfft' and I was here in Camelot. It was magic".
That is so the wrong thing to say.
"Seize him!", Uther yells to his guards. "And throw him in the dungeons! This man is a sorcerer brought here by magic. He must be executed this very day!".
At this Sir Leon moves forward and mumbles something into his king's ear.
"Well, tomorrow then. He will be executed tomorrow. At dawn. Right now I have an appointment with my accountant", and so saying he sweeps from the room.
"Two gold pieces for the witnesses", he shouts over his shoulder as he disappears.
Dean is dragged forthwith to the dungeons and thrown unceremoniously into a straw strewn cell, where he is left alone to contemplate his fate.
"Now this has got to be the freakin' craziest pile of doo-doo I have ever gotten myself into", he gasps and collapses into the straw.
ooo
The buzz soon permeates the castle.
Gaius enters his workshop full of it. Merlin looks up from his task mixing digestive potions for King Uther and raises one eyebrow questioningly.
"Uther has captured a sorcerer, Merlin", the old man gasps. "Or rather some haymakers found one and brought him in".
"A sorcerer?", Merlin asks astonished. "Do we know him?"
"No", Gaius replies. "He's a stranger, and speaks in a strange foreign tongue too, by all accounts. Uther thinks he has come to assassinate him. He is to be executed tomorrow at dawn".
"That's terrible", Merlin cries. "I have to go to the dungeons. I need to help this stranger, if I can".
"Well, you can take him some food and drink", Gaius suggests. "That will give you a chance to talk to him".
So, armed with bread, cheese and mead, Merlin hurries down to the dungeons. He tells the guards that Gaius the physician has sent him so they let him pass.
Dean is sitting on the floor of his cell looking dejected. He has tried the door, he had tried the window, their iron bars were firm, newly fitted. Who expects new iron bars in a castle? He will just have to wait until he gets a chance to jump the guard.
A thin black-haired youth approaches. Dean looks up.
"Whadda you want? I mean, what do you want?", he says, switching to Latin.
"I've come with sustenance", Merlin replies, likewise.
"Indeed? What have you got", Dean asks, now interested.
Merlin takes out a big iron key, quietly opens the cell door and steps inside.
"I have bread and cheese and a nice flagon of mead", he says.
"Mead?", Dean asks. "Well I'll drink anything once. Can't be worse than a Purple Nurple. Give it here".
He drinks it down thirstily. Then he makes the bread and cheese into a crude 'sandwich' and stuffs that all into his mouth at once.
Merlin raises an eyebrow. "Well, apparently you haven't lost your appetite at least", he says amazed. "Even though you've been sentenced to death for sorcery!".
"Those are the breaks", Dean mutters.
"So you're not denying it then", Merlin pursues.
"I am not a sorcerer, warlock, magician or any of that crap", Dean asserts, slightly offensively. "But it was magic that got me here. Now I have to find a way to get out of this myself, I guess".
"Actually", Merlin whispers. "You don't. I have a key".
Dean looks suspicious. "They let you have your own key?", he asks.
"Well, it's not actually my key. I borrowed it from Arthur when he wasn't looking", Merlin explains.
"Arthur?", Dean asks.
"Prince Arthur. My master, Prince Arthur Pendragon.", Merlin spells out. Dean isn't getting it. "Arthur, son of King Uther Pendragon, the Crown Prince of Camelot".
Dean suddenly twigs. "You mean King Arthur? The 'Once and Future King' King Arthur and all that crap? You have to be joking with me?".
"No, really", Merlin affirms, wondering how he knows about the 'Once and Future King' bit.
"So you must be...", Dean laughs. "You must be... who?".
"Merlin, his manservant", Merlin answers.
"Merlin? Isn't he an old fart and some kind of ancient wizard?", Dean asks, confused.
"No. You must be mixing me up with Gaius", Merlin says.
"Oh?", Dean laughs. "This is classic. Ha Ha Ha Ha!".
Merlin pushes the key into his hand and leaves, feeling just a little bit huffy at his attitude.
ooo
It is a beautiful spring day in Camelot and the market is bustling with activity when it appears. Suddenly the clear blue heavens are filled with the blood-curdling shriek of a monster of the skies. An female griffin horribly armed with cruel beak and iron-like talons wheels overhead. The citizens scatter for cover.
Arthur is sitting in his chamber eating his lunch. Merlin stands at his elbow with a flagon of wine ready to refill his master's goblet.
"Ye Gods! What's that I hear?", Arthur shouts, leaping to his feet and charging to the window.
"It's a griffin", Merlin replies, standing just behind him.
"Well, obviously it's a griffin, idiot", Arthur retorts. "But didn't we vanquish the last of the griffins a month ago?".
"Apparently not", Merlin replies rather pointlessly.
"My armour!", Arthur shouts. "My sword! NOW!".
Merlin hurries to prepare Arthur for battle.
On the courtyard steps Arthur speaks to his father.
"I thought we had dealt with the last of these ungodly monsters", Arthur growls, through gritted teeth.
"This is a bad day", Uther grumbles. "First I find a new sorcerer, now we have another monster. The safety of Camelot is in jeopardy".
The creature has landed in the courtyard and is momentarily preoccupied with eating a joint of lamb that it has snatched from the butcher's market stall.
"Don't worry, father", Arthur assures him, bravely. "I'll deal with this abomination myself".
ooo
Meanwhile, in the dungeons, Dean hears the commotion outside, and so do the dungeon guards. The two men, anxious not to miss anything, hurry off towards the sound of pandemonium.
Taking his chance, Dean finds the key that Merlin gave him, unlocks his cell door and tiptoes out of the dungeon.
Outside he blinks in the sunlight for a moment thinking, "Putting as much space between me and this circus as humanly possible seems like a great freakin' idea right between me and this circus as possible seems like a great idea right now".
However, Dean can never walk away from a fight, it's not in his nature. Where innocent victims need saving from evil supernatural forces, that's where he'll be. He's a hero.
He slips into the back of the crowd of onlookers who cringe uselessly as their selfless and valiant prince once again tackles a ravenous monster single-handed. His chances look pretty slim. The huge winged beast will easily overpower him. After a few brave parries and jabs he is smashed to the ground by one foul bunch of claws.
"Freakin' crooked table", Dean thinks. "I'm going to be sorry I did this".
Grabbing a sword from a near-by knight, Dean rushes into the fight, waving his arms to deliberately attract the griffin's attention. The prince shoots him a thankful glance and recovers his feet. The griffin is a dumb creature and its size and weight may be too much for one man but its wit is no match for two. Dean is used to fighting as a tag team and working together they soon outfox the beast. In the end Arthur despatches the odious creature with a silver-tipped arrow to the heart and it falls lifeless at their feet.
Arthur pulls off his helmet and approaches his fellow combatant with his right hand extended, "Arthur", he says.
Dean takes Arthur's hand and shakes it firmly. "Dean", he replies.
"Thank you, friend", Arthur tells him sincerely.
"Oh, that's nothing", Dean chuckles. "I do this every week, no problem". They both laugh.
Uther approaches and congratulates both men, wrapping his arms around both their shoulders.
"It seems I was wrong about you Master Winchester", he apologises. "I am grateful to you for saving Camelot, and my son's life. I shall revoke my sentence on you. Please accept our hospitality as our honoured guest".
"Think nothing of it", Dean replies, grinning.
In the background Merlin sulks. So his magic wasn't needed this time? Perhaps that's good, perhaps not. He decides to keep an eye on their new visitor.
TBC