Arthur stormed through the castle. The Prince sought out his useless excuse for a manservant as usual. That idiot always seemed to be around when he wasn't needed but as soon as something came up, he disappeared.
Druids were being taken to the castle for trials and then a swift execution the next day. Merlin should have done his chores early today so Arthur could concentrate on his duties. Arthur didn't know what to think when it came to magic. The druids had shown on many occasions that they were peaceful people. But, his father had always told him magic corrupted every man, woman and child. So did killing them free them? He wasn't sure.
It had been three months since Merlin became Arthur's servant. Actually, when Arthur thought of it, he felt rather insulted that being his servant was a punishment and not an honour. Anyhow, ever since then Merlin had been intolerable. He was stupid, lazy, clumsy, not at all punctual, and according to information from Gaius, always in the damned tavern. Despite all of that though, not once had Arthur thought that Merlin had done his time and could be relieved of his duties to him. Well, maybe he had thought about it once or twice…
Merlin was different. He challenged Arthur in ways that his peers seemed afraid to do. He countered Arthur at almost every turn and he found himself coming out better for it. The best part was their constant banter - Arthur insulted Merlin left right and centre. But instead of taking it like his previous servants would have done he threw it back giving as good, and to Arthur's annoyance, sometimes better than he got. There weren't many people with whom he was closer than Merlin.
How had the unassuming boy who had only been in the Kingdom twelve weeks become so close to him? Arthur didn't have time for that mystery.
"Merlin!" Arthur bellowed as he marched his way into the physician's chambers. Gaius looked like he was about to suffer a heart attack and Arthur looked down apologetically. "I'm sorry for interrupting Gaius, I'm just looking for my useless servant." Arthur walked over to Merlin's antechamber
"I sent him out to pick herbs for me, sire," Gaius said. Arthur gripped the door handle only to find it locked. "Merlin prefers to keep his room locked, sire." Arthur rubbed his head in confusion. What does Merlin have in his room that he wants to keep locked away?
Arthur's mind travelled back to the day they met. The day he'd found Merlin sleeping in the stables next to a lot of stolen possessions. Except for one that Merlin had protested adamantly was his father's, the white staff with a symbol engraved into it. Arthur had seen it before, he just knew it.
"Oh, okay then. If you see him, tell him he must complete his chores before nightfall and he must carry out extra chores in preparation for tomorrow's execution." With that, Arthur swiftly left Gaius's chambers and made for the library. He hadn't been in there since he was a boy. It bored him.
Arthur strolled into the library and saw Geoffrey of Monmouth, the court genealogist, and strolled to him. "Good morning, sire. I have not seen you down here for seven years now." Geoffrey looked absolutely ecstatic to see Arthur down here and he felt a little guilty that he'd stopped coming. Arthur knew that Gaius and Geoffrey were quite fond of him and had been there for him and Morgana when Uther was too busy to cater to their parental needs.
"Yes it has been something around that, Geoffrey. I am looking for the symbols, sigils and coats of arms for every noble who has ever served Camelot." Without a word, the court genealogist sped off into the back room where he kept sensitive information.
"Here, sire." Geoffrey came out carrying a huge pile of papers and Arthur inwardly groaned. He had important things to do, but this felt more important. He could feel it. Besides if Merlin was skipping his duties, why couldn't he?
The Prince took the piles of papers over to a lone desk and started to look through them.
Arthur had skimmed and re-skimmed every single piece of parchment in the pile that Geoffrey had given him. He found no trace of any sort of symbol that resembled the one from Merlin's staff. He knew he had seen it somewhere before when he'd had to study the history of Camelot and all those who worked for his father.
Just then, Arthur had a sudden thought. These weren't the only papers that had nobles' seals on them. Magic users had been under the employment of his father before he realised magic was evil and started to purge the land of it. The Prince returned to Geoffrey and asked for those papers and, while a little reluctant, Geoffrey gave them to him.
He read through them, hoping that he wouldn't find the seal that matched Merlin's staff. He read through to the most recent of employments under Uther which were two decades old. There were many magically related nobles, experts in magical beasts, gods and the energy of magic itself. There were philosophers, scientists, herbalists and many more, but on the final page had only a few noble seals. The most notable thing about it was a large seal that had been torn out, although the inscription was still intact – almost.
Arthur read the inscription underneath 'Balinor Ambrosius. Court Dragonlord and Sorcerer to King Uther Pendragon'. Underneath that was another inscription but it had been scorched completely from the paper. A few lines poked out but it he couldn't read it.
Arthur concluded he'd more or less wasted his day trying to find out whether or not his simpleton manservant was an evil sorcerer. He realised that….he wasn't.
Meanwhile, Merlin wandered through the forest. He gripped his trusty staff loosely in his right hand and carried a thatched basket in the other. He'd been filling it with herbs. Merlin was enjoying his time in Camelot. Even though Arthur acted like an utter prat most of the time and a dollop head for the rest of it, Merlin found that he wasn't all bad.
Arthur had a good heart. He cared for his people and Merlin had seen on how he fought for the people of the lower town in council alongside his sister. Of course he wasn't the only good thing about Camelot. His mind drifted to Gwen and a faint blush graced his cheeks. They had become very close since his arrival and Merlin still yearned for something more with her, but his shyness stopped him at every turn.
In his daydreaming, he hadn't realised he had wandered straight into a camp full of bandits. Only the warning of a voice from behind him made him look up.
Hello," Merlin said timidly. He slowly began to step back towards where the voice had come from.
"Run!" The voice said and Merlin didn't disobey. He glanced warily around the camp and dropped the basket of herbs. He saw the bandits all wearing the same smirk as they picked up their swords.
"Goodbye," he said fleetingly as he felt a tug on his sleeve. Before Merlin knew it, he'd begun running away as fast as possible alongside another man. Merlin turned his head to get a better look at the stranger and saw that he looked rather tanned and wore light chain mail. However, the man bore no mark of a kingdom.
The stranger pushed him into a ditch and they hid under a lip that had naturally formed over it. Merlin held his breath as at least two dozen bandits ran past them. When they thought they were finally safe they both breathed out heavily.
"Thank you," Merlin said gratefully. He offered his hand to shake. "My name is Merlin," he added after they shook hands.
"Lancelot," the stranger replied. Merlin got up and scanned their area. He figured that the bandits were probably quite far away now.
"Where are you heading, Lancelot?" Merlin asked as he took Lancelot's arm to help him out of the ditch.
"I'm on my way to Camelot to find a decent trade. You see I had wanted to become a knight but I found out that you had to be a noble. I still train daily with my sword." That didn't really add up for Merlin.
"If you can't be a knight why train?" Merlin pondered aloud. He could see the castle beyond the trees and he couldn't help but think it glorious.
"I've always wanted to protect people. As a child living in an outlying village I always dreamt of fighting off bandits and evil-doers." The two laughed for a moment at the child-like fantasy. "I can do that without being a knight too. The Cloak proves that," Lancelot answered and Merlin was shocked to find that his escapades as Cloak had reached so far so quickly.
They walked in comfortable silence all the way to Camelot. Lancelot said he would stay in the tavern and rent out a room before he started to look for a job. Merlin nodded before returning to the castle, where he remebered that he was supposed to do his chores early for Arthur.
Arthur was going to be mad.
Arthur didn't leave anything to chance. There was a small possibility that Merlin knew his parents and that one of them could be Balinor Ambrosius. Just then Merlin stumbled through the door, not knocking as usual.
"Merlin, do you know who your mother and father are?" Merlin looked startled at Arthur's question. The Prince hoped it wasn't for the reasons he was imagining.
"Um, my mother lives in Ealdor and her name is Hunith. I have no recollection or knowledge of my father. He left when my mother was still pregnant with me and like only left me the staff." It seemed to sadden Merlin, but as much as it did hurt Arthur to make him relive that memory it was a huge relief to him.
"Finish your chores for the evening and then you may leave." Merlin nodded. Arthur slumped on his chair and watched the sun dip behind the mountains.
Later that night, the moon hung in the sky. Its lunar shine allowed the Cloak to see shadows and outlines of figures all around him as he stood high on the bell tower. It had become his favourite spot during his months in Camelot. As the Cloak he could see almost everything and - with the help of magic to heighten his senses - hear everything. Merlin focused on a wooden cart which held many figures. They could only be the druids that had stood trial this afternoon.
Merlin had been aware of their arrival and had a plan to put into action. He would teleport down and unlock the door to the barred cart. Then he would teleport each person out and into the forest. Sure, it would heavily drain him but it was quiet and nobody would notice until both he and the druids had vanished.
He readied himself to teleport down and unlock the cage when the man who had brought them in sauntered from the tavern, ale in hand and devilish smile on his face. Merlin gripped his staff a little tighter and his knuckles started to whiten. He watched as the man drank his ale and threw the mug away. He unlocked the door with a slurred cackle. He pulled out one of the druids, a young girl. The moonlight caught her and he saw that she was very pretty. The terrified look in her eyes made Merlin's jaw harden and his teeth clench.
The man disappeared with the druid girl inside the tavern; Merlin cast the teleportation spell and transported himself to the cart. The Cloak crept through the empty streets to the cart and made a mental connection with the remaining four druids.
"I'm here to get you out. Don't worry - I will free you, but first I must save your friend." Merlin nodded over to the tavern and the four druids smiled and nodded.
"Thank you so much, Emrys." Emrys? Merlin had never been called that before.
"He is not yet ready to know that name. His destiny has shifted! The noble one is here also," another druid said. Merlin was about to question them that when a scream came from in the tavern. Merlin's eyes narrowed and with a muttered spell, he teleported toward the noise.
The Cloak appeared in a room above the tavern. He saw the man hold the young druid roughly against a wall with her robes hitched over her knee. His repulsive face was fixed to the side of her neck as she struggled to get away.
"Forþ fleoge" Merlin didn't even twitch as he sent the man flying out the window. He had only learnt that spell yesterday. He strode past the shaking druid girl and peered out the window. Merlin could see the man getting up, and as he turned Merlin saw a jagged piece of glass lodged in his eye. The Cloak smiled before he turned to the young druid girl. "My name's Merlin, are you okay?" he asked.
"Um yes I'm fine now. I'm Freya." Merlin wiped away a stray tear on her cheek. She then caught him off guard when she kissed him full on the lips. "Thank you, Merlin." His face went beet red as did hers. They stood there for a moment before Merlin came to his senses and teleported them into the forest.
"I'll be back in a moment; I just need to get the rest of your friends." Freya nodded then ran to hide inside the forest and wait for him.
Merlin then transported back onto the bell tower. There he saw the doors of the wooden cart open and a figure leading the druids straight to the castle gates which were heavily defended by Camelot guards. They were going to be slaughtered!
He materialised down from the bell tower and stood in front of the fleeing group. He examined the person leading them and gasped as he saw a familiar face.
"Lancelot."
"Merlin." He'd known the guy one day and Lancelot already knew more about him than Arthur, Gwen and Morgana. "You're the Cloak?" Merlin inwardly cursed before his eyes widened at the onslaught of Camelot guards coming their way.
"We can talk about this later." Merlin turned to the druids knowing there was only one course of action. "You all need to surrender. If you do so they won't kill you. They'll only put you in the dungeons. I can rescue you from there." Before any of them could protest, Merlin grabbed Lancelot and teleported to the bell tower in a tornado of wind and dust.
"What are you doing? We have to help them!" Lancelot was making too much noise for Merlin's liking, so he covered his mouth with his hand.
Lancelot tried to break free but Merlin was stronger than he looked. Instead he settled for watching as the druids surrendered and forced to walk into the castle. Merlin had been right after all.
"Meet me in the physician's chambers tomorrow morning. From there we'll go to the dungeons and save them all before they get burned on the pyre." Merlin took his hand off of Lancelot's mouth and teleported them both into an alleyway.
Lancelot turned to see Merlin had vanished. He chuckled quietly and thought about how out of all the people in the city, he had become friends with the Cloak.
The next morning, just as promised, Lancelot found his way to the physician's chambers. He knocked and slipped his head through the door when he heard an elderly voice call him.
"Hi, I'm Lancelot. I am here to see Merlin." The older man gestured for him to come in and as he shut the door another door behind him opened. He smiled as he regarded Merlin in his cloak with his staff by his side.
"Okay, Lancelot. This is what we're going to do." Lancelot gave a subtle nod towards the other occupant. It wasn't as subtle as he thought apparently since the man gave him a daring expression. "Gaius knows all about what I do; you have nothing to fear." Lancelot smiled at the man he knew now as Gaius, who nodded. "Anyway, it is simple. We teleport into the dungeons and you stand guard whilst I teleport everyone out." Merlin fumbled for something in his pocket before throwing him a dark neckerchief. "Wear that so it covers the lower half of your face. If you're staying you won't want people to recognise you." Lancelot did as he was told and made sure the black neckerchief covered him well.
"I didn't know you had a black neckerchief, Merlin," Gaius stated.
"I bought it this morning. Now let's go, Lance." Lancelot grinned. Merlin chanted ancient words and Lancelot marvelled at the power he radiated. "Bedyrne ús! Astýre ús þanonweard!"
Suddenly they were enveloped in a whirlwind just like before and then when it died down they appeared in the dungeons. Lancelot turned his head and cautiously looked down the hallways.
"All the guards have encompassed the lowers town by decree of the King. This place isn't guarded very well," Merlin said.
Lancelot stood just outside the cells as Merlin ran into the one that held the druids. He calmed them down before he told them their plan. Lance glanced down the hall – unfortunately they would have to come up with a new plan.
"Merlin, we need a new plan. We have company." His partner in crime turned with a look of shock and determination on his face. Merlin unlocked all their chains with a flash of his eyes before he guided them out of the cells. Lancelot could hear the footsteps getting closer. "We need to go now!" He couldn't dare say his name now that the guards closed in.
"Alright, alright, there is a secret tunnel that leads outside the castle gates; it's in the armoury which isn't far from here." Merlin led the way as Lancelot covered their backs. The men had turned the corner now and Lancelot could see their leader, a man with an eye patch.
"Cloak!" he called out. Merlin sprung to his side in a second and blasted away the men but unfortunately some managed to get up. Lance began engaging them in combat.
"Don't kill anyone - that's not how I do things." With that advice in mind, Lance struck at the legs and arms so that none died. He aimed to immobilise or render them unable to wield a sword. He finished off the men quickly and to his glee he did it without having to kill anyone.
"No one gets away from Hengist!" he heard someone shout. Somehow their leader must have gotten past because he'd been so focussed on fighting.
Lance ran to where he heard the sound of steel and wood. As Lance turned the corner, he ducked. Hengist flew into the air and over his head. He turned and smiled at Merlin who quickly shared his amusement before running towards the armoury.
Merlin led the way and soon they were all crawling through the secret tunnel. The adrenalin pumped through Lance felt like none other, and he thought about what his life could be like with Merlin, the Cloak.
But he was just a hanger on, wasn't he?
Why would the Cloak, with all his magic, need him?
Soon they ran out of the tunnels and rushed to the forest where he spotted another druid girl hiding behind a bush.
"You're safe. Now you need to get out of Camelot." Lancelot watched as Merlin gave a pointed look at the waiting druid girl. "All of you." She looked reluctant and Lance wondered if they'd known each other before this. "I'm sorry, Freya, you can't stay." He guessed they had.
Freya walked up to him and gently brushed their lips together. Lance did the honourable thing and turned his head so they could have their privacy. It was none of his business.
The druids left with a thank you on their lips and Merlin turned and smiled at his accomplice.
"You did well today, Lancelot." They shared a brotherly hug before Merlin regarded him with a knowing gaze "You know, you said you wanted to help people. How about you help me?"
"Help you do what?" Lancelot replied warily.
"Be my accomplice, my second shadow, my sidekick. Help me protect Camelot." Lancelot thought about the countless hours he'd spent training with the sword and the disappointment he'd felt when he realised he couldn't help people as a knight.
He already had his answer.
"I think I'll take you up on that." He pushed his neckerchief down so it hung around his neck.
"You'll need a name though," Merlin thought out loud.
"What about Knight Blade?" It made sense to Lancelot. He was pretty handy with a blade and had always wanted to become a knight and by the looks of things the Cloak operated at night. It was rather clever really.
"Welcome to Camelot Knight Blade." They shook hands and smiled at their newly forged friendship.