Thank you so much for the great reviews I got from the last chapter. I couldn't resist adding a little Merlin Whump in with the bromance, lol.
Anyway, here's the next chap.
Chapter 6
A sheen a sweat laced Merlin's face and his mouth was compressed into a tight line as Arthur eased him down onto a rock to rest. They had been traveling for a few hours now and both needed a break. While Merlin adjusted himself on the rock, panting slightly, Arthur took the opportunity to stretch his tight back muscles.
He then knelt down to inspect Merlin's leg only to have his hand batted away. "It's fine, Arthur."
The King merely glared. "With your propensity for lying, Merlin, I think I prefer to check it out myself."
Involuntarily Merlin flinched and his eyes skittered to the side.
"Sorry. That didn't quite come out the way I meant."
"It's okay, Sire."
Arthur inspected the injured limb, rubbing his chin. "It's still pretty swollen and feels little warm to the touch but not hot. The bleeding appears to have stopped though. How does it feel?"
Merlin shrugged. "Like a boulder fell on it." He eased his pant leg down, grimacing. The numbing spell was wearing off and in truth his leg throbbed as if on fire.
He saw the worried frown on Arthur's face appear, and as a distraction, fumbled for the water skin laced about his shoulders, offering it to Arthur. "You should drink, Sire."
Arthur accepted it but only took a small swig before handing it back and making sure Merlin did the same. Re-corking the skin, Merlin asked. "How far are we to Camelot's borders?"
"Hard to say. Another day, maybe." He looked around the woods. "I need to get a baring again." He pointed to a rise not too far away where a group of boulder rose up amongst the trees. "We should be close the Northern Valley. Wait here while I check things out."
"We should stay together, Arthur."
"I won't be long, just wait here."
Merlin sighed and nodded. While Arthur was gone the warlock hovered his hands over his injured leg and whispered an incantation. His eyes flashed briefly. He felt the numbing effect wash over the limb again and sighed in relief. It wasn't as effective as the first time he had done it, but as least it had dulled the pain to a manageable level.
Merlin waited, but after about ten minutes and Arthur hadn't returned, he started to worry. Another few minutes passed and his worry turned into full-blown anxiety. Ignoring the King's command, and muttering under his breath about stubborn Royal Prats wondering off, Merlin got up with every intention of finding Arthur's royal arse only to fall to the ground in an undignified heap as he tried to put full weight on his leg.
Cursing, he looked around for something to use to help support him and found a branch about six feet long several feet away. More or less crawling, he retrieved it, and then awkwardly struggled back up to his feet.
He scrambled up the rise and hadn't gotten far after reaching the top when he heard the distinct sound of swords clashing. Hobbling as fast as he could, Merlin reached a small clearing to find Arthur engaged in a battle with at least six Saxon soldiers. As he watched, Arthur drove his sword into one, felling him instantly only to have to duck as another sword sliced through the air nearly beheading him.
Arthur yanked his sword free and with a twist of his arm arced Excalibur to block the thrust of another sword coming at him.
The warlock wasted no time and with a thrust of his hand and a flash of gold in his eyes he sent the two Saxons closest to Arthur flying in opposite directions. Another flash of gold sent a third into a tree. Arthur, more evenly matched easily took out another.
Off to his right, Merlin saw three more Saxons quickly racing up an incline to join the fight. He turned, concentrating on the tree limb above and his eyes flashed again. The branch cracked in half, sending the limb plummeting down onto the group of men.
Merlin again turned his attention back to Arthur only to hear Arthur shout. "Merlin, look out!"
The warlock barely had time to react as a spiked mace descended towards him. Instinctively he raised the stick he'd been using to hobble with up to block the blow. The mace split the stick in two and the momentum sent Merlin stumbling backwards over an exposed stump. He landed awkwardly onto his back, his injured leg shooting pain up through his thigh as it caught on the edges of the rotting wood. The mace, an instant later, hit the tree next to him, splintering the wood just inches from his face.
Momentarily distracted by the agonizing pain, the warlock was unable to focus his magic fast enough as the Saxon ripped the mace from the tree and drew it back for another swing. The downward thrust never came though as suddenly the soldier's eyes widened into a startled gape and he fell over, an axe sticking out of his back.
The surprised warlock rose up on his elbows to see Arthur standing a few yards away, two additional Saxons lying at his feet. The King was at his side almost instantly, hoisting him up and slinging Merlin's arm over his shoulder.
"Come on. We need to get out of here!"
Arthur was practically dragging Merlin along, his injured leg almost useless. Merlin could only bite back on the pain and focus on trying to keep upright as he allowed Arthur to whisk them away. As they made their way across a slightly sloping hill, Merlin's legs gave out from underneath him and the sudden disproportion of body weight on the incline pulled them both over. They slid several feet down and Merlin had to force back a yelp as Arthur landed on top of him.
They could hear several Saxons shouting in the distance.
Arthur grabbed Merlin and dragged him behind a tree. Panting, the warlock peered around and noticed the obvious trail they had left behind when they slid down the hill. With a flash of gold he quickly covered the trail with leaves just as they spotted two Saxons breaking through the trees. They paused at the top of the hill looking closely at the ground.
Sweating profusely against the pain, Merlin eyes flashed again hurling a nearby rock the size of his fist across the way into the thickets in the opposite direction from where they were hiding. Immediately the two Saxons headed off in that direction.
Once the Saxons were out of sight, Arthur hauled the warlock back up on his feet and then to Merlin's utter surprise and embarrassment flung him up and over his shoulder.
"Arthur! Put me down! I can walk."
"Shut up, Merlin!" the King retorted, ignoring the warlock's protests, refusing to put him down again until he was sure they were a safe distance away.
He finally eased Merlin down against a tree. Arthur knelt on one knee panting heavily from their flight. Merlin scanned the area with his magic but couldn't see anyone. "I think you lost them, Sire."
Arthur nodded, relieved, then plopped down next to his servant, their shoulders touching.
King turned his face to the warlock, his mouth splitting into a tired grin, his eyes sparkling, oddly, with merriment. He then let out a small chuckle and clapped his gloved hand onto Merlin's bent knee.
"We make a good team, Merlin. You and I. Even if you are a clumsy, hapless idiot."
The warlock returned the grin. "That we do, Sire. Even if you are an arrogant, supercilious prat."
...
In order to avoid the large group of Saxons that Arthur had inadvertently stumbled upon camped at the edge of the valley, it meant the two men were forced to find another way around, which unfortunately lead them to their next obstacle.
Merlin stared at Arthur with an utter look of disbelief. "You're kidding, right?"
The warlock was peering down the side of the cliff at the thirty odd foot drop into the chasm below. He saw the look on the King's face again, that same confident smugness that had Merlin in the past jumping across an icy crevasses and scaling enemy towers after him.
"No, Arthur. There's no way."
"It's either this or the Saxons back there."
"Do I get a choice?"
Arthur tipped his head pompously. "Uh...No." He then went over and started inspecting the ledge, looking for a possible way down.
Merlin hobbled after him. "Arthur, I can barely walk. How do you expect me to climb down a bloody cliff!"
Arthur peered over his shoulder. "Don't suppose you can levitate yourself?"
"Very funny."
Arthur smirked. "Just thought I'd ask."
The warlock crossed his arms, brows furrowed. "You know, Arthur. I'm not so sure I like this new freethinking Arthur when it comes to my magic. You're a bit scary."
"Says the warlock who transforms himself into an old man and wipes out half an army." He stood back up and walked back over to the servant. "And by the way, Merlin, what kind of ridiculous name is Dragoon anyway?"
Merlin snorted. "It was a spur of the moment decision."
Arthur shoved a pointed finger into Merlin's chest. "Well. Just so we are clear, I haven't forgotten your insolent, surly and insulting manner, Dragoon."
"It was all just part of the disguise, Sire. You shouldn't take it personally."
It was then something seemed to click in Arthur and his face suddenly morphed from the bantering tease just moments before to something more serious and solemn.
"Arthur, what is it?" Merlin asked, suddenly concerned.
"My father..." the King said quietly, his eyes lifting to met those of his servant's.
Merlin's face suddenly fell, crestfallen knowing exactly what the King was thinking. He reached out wanting to touch Arthur but pulled back, uncertain.
"Arthur, I..." Suddenly his voiced choked as the old guilt assaulted him.
Arthur watched Merlin's reaction, saw the devastation enter his eyes and that lost uncertainty again before his eyes dropped guiltily away.
When Merlin tried to step back, the King reached out and placed his hand firmly on Merlin's shoulder. "As the old sorcerer, you really did try to save my father's life that night, didn't you, Merlin?"
Merlin looked up, nodding. "I'm so sorry, Arthur, I..."
"I'm sorry too, but grateful that you would go to such lengths to try."
The warlock looked at his King, his friend stunned. There was no accusation, no anger, no blame, just acceptance.
"He was your father, Arthur, and you loved him."
The King needed no explanation, no details, no validation to believe those simply words spoken and to again understand the lengths of Merlin's loyalty.
Arthur's hand moved from Merlin's shoulder to his neck and he gave a small squeeze along with a nod of his head. Merlin understood the gesture and smiled, the weight carried over his part in Uther's death finally lessening.
For Merlin it was unnecessary to divulge the entire truth surrounding Uther's death, of Morganna's part, probably with Aggravaine's help, of slipping the pendant around Uther's neck that had reversed the healing spell he had cast with ten times the suffering affect. Uther's death had been painful enough for Arthur and though Merlin felt no love loss for the former king, he didn't feel the necessity to twist the knife any deeper in Arthur by adding Morganna's sick deception to the painful memory.
"So does this mean you forgive me, Sire, for forcing you to carry Dragoon all throughout the castle?"
The King's lip curled into a prattish smile, easily slipping back into their earlier banter. "No. Although I fail to see much difference as I am once again forced to lug your useless, boney hid about. Although I must say, the beard was a bit of an improvement."
...
"Arthur. Are you sure about this?" Merlin asked, looking down with more than a little trepidation at drop below.
Arthur, already at the bottom, was rolling his eyes. "Quit being a girl, Merlin. We haven't got all day."
"How do I know this thing isn't going to snap halfway down?" Merlin whined looking at the long twisted vine currently wrapped around a tree with one end tied in a loop about his waist while the remaining lengths were coiled about Arthur's feet.
Said vine was actually several vines twisted together with a little help from Merlin's magic into one extremely long piece of rope.
Arthur was griping a section of the vine. "I made it down easy enough."
Merlin huffed. "That because you are a show off, you prat, and born to do ridiculous stuff like this!"
"Merlin, I swear if you don't get you ass off that ledge, I will yank you down myself!"
And Merlin knew Arthur would to.
He took one last look over the edge. God he hated heights and wished he did know a bloody spell that could either levitate or simply transport him down.
With a sigh, Merlin forced himself over the edge and immediately felt himself drop then spin about.
"Grab the wall, Merlin! Try and balance yourself."
"I'm trying!" Merlin grappled for a hold, the earthen wall crumbling beneath his fingertips. Finally he was able to latch onto a root sticking out the side. Once steady, he used his good leg and arms to both balance and brace himself.
"Now just move slowly while I release the slack and guide you down."
Merlin nodded trying to awkwardly maneuver his way down. Loose earth showered down on Arthur as Merlin angled downward while Arthur steadily released the slack inch by inch.
At one point the vine snagged on something and as Merlin tried to free it, he suddenly dropped several feet. He closed his eyes, fearing the line had snapped only to find himself dangled about twelve feet above Arthur who still had a firm grip on the vine.
When he finally reached the bottom, he was greeted by a smug look and a firm clap on the shoulder that made Merlin wince.
Arthur coiled the vine up and they then followed the chasm some way until they were able to find a suitable way back up and out. With the help of Merlin's magic to wrap the same vine around another tree limb above, Arthur helped Merlin struggle up the steep slope to the top. Once up, both flopped on their backs exhausted.
TBC...
please let me know what you think. More bromance chaps coming soon :)