CHAPTER 4 : ALMOST LIKE HOME

Merlin had settled in very well. He had been in Camelot almost a month and he had a general idea of where everything was and with whom you could talk and whom it was better to avoid. He was still a note taker and Gaius would often take the time to help him with his printing and spelling. He loved all the foreign names for the flowers and Gaius explained they were Latin words and very old.

Gaius had been observing him carefully to see if he could predict when something magical might happen but it seemed that Merlin's mind had control of the situation. He still had Knightly and Pendragon as friends. Gaius was beginning to get attached to the golden dragon as it had lovely manners even if it was sitting on the table while they were eating. It would delicately accept tidbits, not like Knightly who would hop up to their bowls to investigate even before being invited to do so.

"Did your mother allow Knightly on the table during supper?"

Merlin grinned, "No! I had two choices I could put him outside or make him disappear? But it's fun having them with me whenever I want."

"Do they ever suddenly appear without your telling them?"

"No as I have to call them and say special words. If I don't get it right funny things happen. One day I was with my Mam in front of the fire and I called Knightly but said, 'involutus' instead of 'cuninculus' and she screamed as my lap was covered with caterpillars. Since then, she only lets me call him outside as she is worried that I might end up with goats in the cottage.

"Do you think she will let me keep Pendragon? I really like him, he is so serious but I can feel his love for me. He affects me more that Knightly who is really more of a cuddly thing. I think I could actually talk to Pendragon, if I knew what to do. Gaius, do you have any books on dragons? Maybe there is a language which I should learn."

Maybe there is something in the library, we'd have to visit Geoffrey who works down there."

"Can we go now?"

"No!"

"Why not? We're only eating."

"Exactly and Geoffrey will be doing the same. Maybe later this afternoon, if I get all my rounds completed and there are no emergencies."

But there was...Gaius was called out to the jousting lists where the senior squires were practicing for the summer tournament. "Sir, you'd better come quickly," said the squire carrying the message, "He looks almost dead..."

"That is enough, thank you!" Gaius said motioning to Merlin who was taking everything in. Next thing he knew, Merlin was beside him with his emergency supplies.

"Gaius, should I bring my notepad?"

"I think maybe you had better stay here and wait until I return."

"I might be of some use," said Merlin. "My Mam used to let me help her and I would put my hand on the injured person's head and think of relaxing things. I think it worked as many times they would stop thrashing and let my Mam get on with the job."

"Very well! However, keep out of the way and don't touch the squire no matter what you think you can do!Bring that other bag from below the window and stay beside me. No going off visiting horses and the like."

The two of them descended to the lists and the injured squire lay on his side near the dividing wall. First thing Gaius did, was to have all the spectators leave except one friend of the injured boy and two knights who had wandered over.

He knelt down and felt for a pulse; there was one but it was erratic. He checked the boy's neck and spine and then motioned for the knights to carefully ease him on his back. Merlin gasped, it was Rodick. Gaius said, "Merlin, bandages and a blanket." He asked for a litter and the boy was slid onto it with as little jostling as possible.

"Take him to my chambers and be careful. I don't know the full extent of his injuries." He glanced down at Merlin who was holding onto Rodick's wrist as the knights carried the litter across the training field. He wasn't technically in the way so Gaius let him be. He remembered that Merlin had told him that Rodick had been friendly to him on their first visit to the squires' quarters.

The patient was soon on the extra cot in Gaius's chambers. He asked Sir Rodney to help him as Merlin was too small. They managed to cut his tunic up the front and Gaius could see a broken collar bone and extensive bruising over his ribs. Cutting off the trousers revealed a dislocated knee and ankle, but it was the head wound which worried Gaius.

"Merlin, get some clean linen sheets and when we lift him, slip the clean one under his shoulders and his head." Gaius had to acknowledge that Merlin was capable and not frozen by fear, as he might have expected in one so young. "Get me a straight razor!" Next thing he knew, it was in his hand. He glared at him but luckily Rodney hadn't been watching too closely.

"Move his head slightly, Rodney. Good!" and with that Gaius started to shave the back of Rodick's head.

"He's not going to be very happy with you, Gaius," a small voice piped up.

"He would rather be alive with only half his hair than dead with a full head of hair!" Gaius said.

Rodney added, "It will grow back..."

"But he'll be bald for his investiture in two weeks." Merlin insisted.

"Well, we won't tell him, I cut his hair and then he won't know! Now, Merlin get the blue bowl and some wine, I have to wash the head wound."

Gaius kept working and Merlin watched the whole procedure. He was really interested. The only thing he didn't like was when Sir Rodney pulled on Rodick's knee while Gaius guided it back into place. It was the noise which he disliked. They did the ankle, so Merlin put his hands over his ears.

When Sir Rodney left, Rodick's head wound had been cleaned and his head was swathed in bandages, his collar bone was strapped into place, his knee and ankle were temporarily splinted to keep them in line. Gaius had wrapped his upper body in a linen sheet to try to prevent him re-injuring his ribs.

"Now, what do we do?" said a little voice.

"We keep him warm and safe and wait for him to wake up. He will have to be careful and stay as still as possible."

"We won't be going to the library today then, Gaius?"

"No not today, maybe tomorrow. Go and see if you can find me a page."

Merlin left quite happily and finally found one. Whereas two weeks ago, they would have refused to listen to him, they now all knew that he belonged to Gaius and that they must do what he asked. The two boys walked back to Gaius's together, one in livery and the other still resembling a village urchin.

Gaius requested that supper be sent up for Merlin and him and that the page also notify the Squire Master that Gaius would like to see him at his convenience. He turned around and Merlin was sitting next to Rodick, with his hand resting lightly on his head and talking to him quietly. He looked up guiltily.

"Gaius, it's alright now that we're alone, isn't it?

Gaius nodded. "What are you telling him?"

"I think he misses his mother so I was telling him that he was safe with us and you had been working at making him better and that I would sit with him all night so that you can sleep as you are now tired."

"No, you're not! That is why the extra cot is down here so that I can rest and keep an eye on any patient that might need care during the night.'

"But I'd be good at doing it."

"You can stay with him until supper and then, after supper until you go to bed. However, you are a growing boy and we don't want your mam to come back and accuse me of not seeing that you had enough rest."

Merlin stayed next to Rodick, stroking his face as he might Knightly and whispering to him. Gaius smiled, the youngster was one in a million.

-0-0-

Next morning, Rodick was awake and in discomfort. Gaius broke down his injuries and the possible time for healing. He gave him a draught for the pain and asked him to stay as still as possible.

"I won't be able to ride as a new knight in the summer tournament...and what about my investiture?"

"It could have been worse; at least you will be able to enjoy the tournament as a spectator not a memory in people's minds. And I'm sure that if you can hobble around, they will let you proceed with your investiture." Gaius smiled, "You might have to spend most of the vigil seated but I see no problem there. Your knight mentor said he would drop by today, but I cautioned him no teaching, just a sick visit. Is that alright?"

Rodick who was getting sleepy again, nodded his head and Merlin said, "I think that means yes, Gaius"

True to his word, Sir Bevan dropped by but Rodick was asleep so he visited with Gaius instead and had to laugh at Merlin who sat by Rodick reminding him that he would get well soon if he did everything that Gaius said.

"Merlin, how old are you?"

"I'm going to be eight and although I might be small, I'm very strong for my size, aren't I, Gaius." Gaius nodded.

"And, how do you know so much about good nursing care?"

Merlin glances at Gaius, not wanting to say anything he shouldn't. Gaius nodded at him and he turned back to Sir Bevan and told him that his mother was a healer and that he sometimes helped her as well."

Gaius picked up the story and explained that he was only going to be with him for the summer and then his mother would collect him.

Bevan, laughed and said, "You, Gaius, are going to miss him! He's a likable little soul and by the sound of it an excellent assistant. Right, Merlin?"

Merlin smiled, he loved being called an assistant. It sounded so grown up and ever so important.

A young manservant called Humphrey, came to watch over Rodick so that Gaius could do his rounds. The two of them set off and visited those patients in the castle and then went to the lower town to check on patients there.

Suddenly there were shouts and a group of knights came trotting through the streets. Ahead of them was Gideon being ridden by someone obviously important as people were waving and some were bowing. Merlin was suitably impressed, "Who was that?" he asked.

"That was the king of Camelot, King Uther."

Then Gaius smiled as Merlin looked up at him and said, "Gideon looks very grand being ridden by a king."

Gaius put his hand on Merlin's head and shook his own. Many people would have agreed with the boy's strange phasing of the sentence.

They made their way back to the courtyard and Merlin didn't take a breath between his questions. "What was the thing on the king's head? Did he always have to go out with people? Would he have been allowed out by himself? Why did people bow to Gideon? Where were they going? Did the king sleep in the castle? Where did he work? Did he have any children? Does he ever get sick and need you to heal him? What do kings do as a job? Will you ever be the king, Gaius, I think you'd make a nice king?"

Gaius laughed, he realised that there had been something missing in his life before he met Merlin. He was seeing the castle and the monarchy in a new light, from the aspect of an innocent child.

"Merlin, we will have to sit down one day and you can learn all about King Uther. Now let's get back to Rodick, he is probably missing you!"

When Gaius returned, Rodick was more alert and quite happy to chat with Merlin as Gaius changed the bandages on his head and checked his collar bone, knee and ankle. "I think it's time we sat you up. Humphrey, give me a hand."

Rodick almost turned green when he was pulled into a seated position and propped against bolsters but in a little while he felt better and enjoyed the change of scenery. Humphrey returned to his other chores and Gaius went to the kitchens to get lunch for three hungry people. "Will you be alright here by yourself with Merlin, Rodick?

Rodick smiled and said, "Yes, he can entertain me until lunch."

Gaius returned later and listened to Merlin and the squire talking as he prepared more salve.

"Can you write?"

"Yes, the court ladies taught us to write and read as pages. We had proper lessons and then continued with it in squire school as well as military training."

"Do you have a horse? Is that why you wanted to be as squire, so that you could have a horse?"

"No, I wanted to be a knight.

"I have a rabbit called Knightly, would you like to see him?

Gaius stepped in quickly saying, "No rabbits until after lunch and then you can go into the courtyard and bring him in for Rodick to see."

Merlin went to say "But..." Gaius gave him the raised eyebrow look and he smiled realising that how Knightly appeared, had to be kept a secret. "Do you like dragons?" Merlin continued but stopped when he saw Gaius frowning.

Rodick did a good job of eating with his left hand and Merlin had to show him that he was ambidextrous.

"See I could hurt my hand and would still be able to manage very well." The demonstration ended suddenly when his elbow hit his mug and sent water all over the table. "Oops!" he said.

Gaius took away the lunch things and said, "I think that Rodick could do with a little peace and quiet. Why don't we go down to the library and one of the squires will stay to keep him company. Merlin, go to the squires quarters and ask Sir Bevan or whomever is in charge to send someone to keep Rodick company. Can you do that?"

Merlin skipped out and Gaius turned to Rodick and said, "He never stops, if he annoys you, just tell him to be quiet."

"No, I enjoy him, He keeps whispering to me that my mother knows that I am safe because I'm with you. Where is his family?"

Gaius briefly told him about Merlin's arrival and his proposed stay until the end of summer.

"You'll miss him when he goes."

"Maybe but sometimes I think that I'm too old for all the questions."

"I have a little brother, Daffyd. I hope he is as much fun when he grows up."

Gaius smiled and said, "Be careful what you wish for!" and Rodick smiled.

-0-0-

Gaius and Merlin went to the library. They knocked and the door was opened by a scribe who went to fetch Geoffrey, the acting librarian. He led them in and through one of the reading rooms with shelves ceiling high and a few tables and chairs.

Merlin was taken aback. He had never realised that there was such an exciting place. He stood stock still in the middle of the room turning around, his arms held out on either side, saying, "Gaius, you never told me that it would be this wonderful." He turned to Geoffrey, saying seriously, "You are very lucky to live in such a beautiful house."

Geoffrey smiled, Merlin had made another conquest. "Is there something in particular which you wanted to read about?"

"Dragons, please!"

"I'm sure we will be able to find you a book with a lot of pictures of dragons."

"...and words too, as I can read, can't I, Gaius?"

Gaius nodded, "Maybe, Geoffrey could find a book with pictures and words, would that seem right?" Merlin smiled and clapped his hands."

Old Thomas the former chief librarian came out of his office, wanting to know what all the noise was about. He was thrilled to see such a young child enthralled with reading and books. He looked at Gaius and said, "Yours?"

Gaius nodded, "...but only on loan until the end of the summer."

"That boy is special. Look after him well, he has a lot to offer Camelot." So saying, he disappeared back into his dusty office leaving Geoffrey and Gaius looking at each other perplexed.

Gaius left Merlin with Geoffrey and went to talk further to Thomas. He tried to pin the man down to explain what he had meant about the boy and Camelot. Thomas smiled, "Gaius, from one minute to another I can hardly remember what I say, but I felt it in my old bones, that boy is important to the future of Camelot. Mark my words, one day we will look up to him and his advice will be sought after by the king."

Leaving it at that, Gaius left Thomas to have an afternoon doze in his chair and went back to join Merlin.

Gaius heard him telling Geoffrey all about Pendragon. Gaius interrupted and smiled as he said, "The boy has an excellent imagination and whereas other children have imaginary friends, he has an imaginary dragon." He put his hand on the back of Merlin's neck and put a little pressure on it.

Merlin picked up on it and looking directly at Geoffrey said, "That's why I wanted to see the book as it will help me play." He looked over his shoulder and said grinning, "Right, Gaius?"

Gaius smiled and put his arm on his shoulders and thought, 'I would not be in the least surprised, if there is more to this boy than being a court physician's assistant.' The visit had been a great success. Merlin left with two books and an invitation to return anytime even without Gaius. Geoffrey smiled and joked that maybe next time, he would bring Pendragon with him.

'We'll have to have a little chat when we get home,' thought Gaius as Merlin happily skipped along beside him.

"Gaius, did you know that dragons lay eggs? Have you ever found one?" He looked up at Gaius who shook his head. "Well, if you ever find one, could I have it and we could try to hatch it? That would be fun, wouldn't it?" Gaius smiled down at his special on-loan-for-a-short-time gift!

Rodick was doing well, and Gaius agreed that tomorrow, he would be allowed out of bed to sit in front of the fire and if that worked well then he might return to the squire quarters the following day. Gaius knew that the longer he could keep him with him, the longer he would remain sensible as back with the others he might exert himself too much. Candidates for the knighthood represented fourteen years of training and he knew that Rodick was one of the leaders in his year. He intended to see that he returned to health so that he could attend his investiture and by the autumn be riding as if nothing had happened.

'Autumn!' he thought would be a bittersweet time as Merlin would be gone.

-0-0-

Arthur had a toothache and everyone within hearing distance of his lordship knew about it.

His nursemaid and his manservant had told him that it was a baby tooth and it was being pushed out by a new adult tooth. That didn't impress him as he'd been sure that he had already lost all his baby teeth.

"It's one of you chewing teeth. They will all be replaced by new teeth, Sire!"

"Well, I'm not impressed!" Arthur said mimicking something his teacher Sir Martin had said upon learning that he had forgotten all the arithmetic learned the previous day.

"Well, Arthur, I'm not impressed. One day you will be king and you will have to know how to add and subtract."

"No, I won't, I'll just have a servant do it for me!"

"Very well, but you will never know if they are telling you the truth."

"People always, tell me the truth, they have to because I'm the Crown Prince."

Sir Martin smiled and said teasing Arthur, with a little wink, "Are you sure?"

Arthur face fell, "Do some people lie to me, Martin?"

"Sire, I'm sure they do as if they tell you something you don't want to hear, you get all hot under the collar and can even become quite nasty."

Arthur had the courtesy to blush and drop his head.

"Promise me, Martin, that you won't lie to me."

"Well, I can try but I will have to remind you of this conversation, if I say something that you don't want to hear and you get cross."

"May I ask you a question?"

"Yes, but I will only tell you the truth. Are you able to accept that? ...and if I think you do not need the information, I will not tell you. Agreed?"

Arthur smiled, he liked Martin as he had been his teacher since he was six. He used to have classes with him in his chambers but now as he was older, he was allowed to go to the library with a squire every morning.

Sir Martin waited and regretted his promise when Arthur asked, "Martin, why doesn't the king like me?"

Martin thought, 'Where was Gaius when he needed him!"