A/N: The boys meet up!
Once again, beta'ed by the amazing sarajm
Together in Spirit – Chapter 4
Three days had passed since the knighting ceremony and Merlin was finally on his way to Ealdor. He'd been ready to head out the next morning, but Arthur had put his foot down and insisted that Merlin wait until the troop of entertainers was ready to leave so he could travel with them, at least part of the way. As usual, Arthur seemed convinced that his servant was liable to get lost or was incapable of looking after himself on the trip home.
Sitting atop his horse, Merlin said a last goodbye to Gaius and gave a short salute to Arthur, who was standing at the base of the wide stairs leading into the castle. "Don't get lost, Merlin", he called as the group turned and headed towards the main gates and out of Camelot. "I'll see you again in ten days."
Merlin turned and sent one of his patented cheeky grins towards his master and his mentor, who was now standing alongside Arthur. "See you in ten days!" he replied.
The trip to Ealdor went without a hitch, and Merlin found the group he was travelling with to be great fun, even if they did move a little slowly for his tastes. Soon enough, though, he bid farewell to his companions and headed east along the trail that would lead him directly to Ealdor.
The young man was excited to be travelling home to see his mother. Though they regularly exchanged letters, they'd not seen each other for quite a while. It was the longest they'd been apart and while Merlin was settling into his duties as physician's apprentice and manservant to the future King, he occasionally missed the quiet ways of his life in Ealdor and he especially missed the constant and gentle presence of his mother.
Shaking his head, he spoke aloud, "Stop daydreaming. You'll be home before dinner, and then tomorrow you can head to Lord Markham's estate to find Lancelot". His mare twitched her ears when she heard Merlin's voice and she swung her head around and eyed him, as if to say, "If you're in such a rush, why are we walking?" Chuckling, Merlin clicked his tongue and with a gentle squeeze of his heels, the two were soon cantering towards Ealdor and Hunith.
A couple of hours later, Merlin reined in his horse on the ridge overlooking Ealdor. Looking down, he could see the villagers out and about on their daily chores, and there, to the right, was his home. It was a beautiful, sunny day and suddenly the door to the hut opened and a woman came out carrying a basket. Merlin smiled; it was his mother and it looked like she was heading to feed the chickens.
As he watched, he saw her suddenly stop and turn in his direction, head held high and obviously searching for something. It was as if she realized that he was there, for she seemed to look straight at him for a second or two before raising her arm and waving it energetically in his direction. Then, she quickly turned and hurried back into the hut.
That was odd, thought Merlin as he encouraged his horse down the trail towards the centre of the village. Merlin reined his horse in at the edge of the village, dismounted and proceeded to lead her towards his home. A few of the people greeted him by name and Merlin smiled and responded to them. It's good to be home, he thought.
As he halted in front of the small hut, Hunith hurried out and reaching for her beloved son, pulled him close into a tight embrace, the kind of hug that only a mother can give.
Holding him at arm's length, Hunith brushed Merlin's hair off his forehead, and then tugged at his clothes saying, "Here now, let me take a look at you! You're looking well, Merlin, I'm glad to say. It seems Camelot agrees with you. But you're late, we were expecting you two days ago and I was starting to get worried."
Merlin laughed at his mother's fussing and hugging her close again, he said, "I'm fine, Mother. Truly. And if I'm late, it's all Arthur's fault; he wouldn't let me leave until I had an escort, if you can believe it!" Then it suddenly struck him that his mother had used the word "we". Who was "we"?
Before he could say anything, Hunith turned towards their home and said, "Merlin, there's someone here to see you."
A voice came from the hut, saying, "I was afraid I'd have to saddle up and go searching for you Merlin!" and who should appear in the doorway but Lancelot, smiling widely at his friend.
"Lancelot!" cried Merlin as the two friends approached and clapped each other on the back. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to be teaching at the training school? What happened?"
Lancelot laughed and as he reached over to untie Merlin's pack from the mare's saddle, he said, "I am teaching at the school, Merlin, but we are waiting for a new group of students. There will be six young men arriving the week after next to begin training, so I've got some free time until then; I thought I'd surprise you and meet you here instead of at the Estate. I arrived early yesterday, and your mother has been kind enough to put me up. But what about you? From what you said in your letter, you were supposed to be here two days ago. What happened?"
Before they could get too involved in catching up, Hunith interjected, "Merlin, I'm sure you're tired and hungry. Why don't you and Lancelot go care for your horse and I'll have something for you to eat by the time you're done."
"Now that you mention it, I am hungry. I was so excited to get home that I haven't eaten anything since breakfast and that seems so long ago," said Merlin.
"Merlin," said Hunith in that tone of voice that seems to come with being a mother, "you should have stopped to eat. We weren't going to disappear."
"I know, Mother," said Merlin sheepishly. "But I just wanted to get home quickly," he added with a grin.
"Go care for your horse, my darling, and I'll get dinner ready," said Hunith as she turned towards the hut. Just before stepping inside, she looked over and watched her son and his friend as they led the tired horse towards the corral, talking all the while. Though she had only met Lancelot yesterday, he seemed to be a kind and caring man and it was obvious, watching the two of them, that Lancelot and her son were destined to be great friends.
Later than evening, after a delicious dinner, Lancelot and Merlin sat on the small bench placed outside and to the left of the hut's door, watching the stars appear in the clear night sky.
"So," said Merlin as he leaned back against the building and swivelled his head to better see his friend, "tell me everything you've been up to since you left Camelot."
Lancelot gathered his thoughts for a moment and just as he opened his mouth to speak, Merlin interrupted him. "Actually, no. First of all, tell me about the injury."
Lancelot huffed and said, "Merlin, I told you I was fine and I am fine. It was nothing more than a long scratch on my side. Like I wrote, one of the merchants had a wonderful salve that he gave me to put on the wound."
At the use of word 'wound', Merlin sat up straight, but Lancelot placated his friend by continuing on, "The salve worked amazingly well; I don't even have a scar! Besides, that was over three weeks ago so I'm completely healed now."
"I know you're right Lancelot, but I still feel bad that you were injured in the first place. Let's face it, this whole situation was sort of due to my interference."
"Merlin," said Lancelot fiercely, "you stop thinking like that. I won't have it. Nothing that has happened to me has been your fault. Rather, since leaving Camelot I've had some excellent opportunities come my way. First off, guarding the merchant caravan turned out to be very advantageous. Not only did I get the recipe for a wondrous salve – which I will write out for you tomorrow – I also got to spend some time with some excellent men who taught me a few tricks and helped me improve my hand-to-hand combat. Now, I've got a position helping young men improve their swordsmanship and we instructors are encouraged to sit in on whatever classes we choose to improve our own skills."
"In reality, Merlin, leaving Camelot to find my own way was probably the best decision I could have ever made, even though it does mean that we won't be able to see each other very often. So, just get those thoughts out of your mind; I won't have our week together spoiled by you feeling guilty or sorry!"
The strength of feeling that Lancelot put into his speech made Merlin realize that his friend was right … while unfortunate, it was all in the past and if they were to remain friends, they would just have to make the best of it.
Suddenly, Merlin realized what Lancelot had said. "Hold on a minute. You said 'our week together'. Are you really able to spend the week here in Ealdor?" he asked in surprise.
Lancelot laughed and said, "Yes, assuming of course that neither you nor your mother gets tired of me before the week is up. As I mentioned, we're waiting for a new group of students, so Lord Markham has allowed us to do whatever we wish in the meantime, as long as we're all back at the school the day before they arrive."
"That's wonderful news, Lancelot!" said Merlin. "Now, tell me everything you've been up to," he said as he once again leaned back against the building and settled himself in to listen to Lancelot's tale.
And so began the pattern of their days in Ealdor. Each morning, the two would rise and help out around the village: one day it was repairing various stretches of fencing, another it was helping to clear the ground for a small kitchen garden. They made sure that there was always plenty of firewood split and stacked by the back wall of Hunith's house and they even helped repair the thatched roof on the village's stores hut. Afternoons were spent in the woods, setting snares for small game and doing a bit of hunting; and every evening, after dinner, the two men naturally gravitated towards the bench outside the hut. They would sit there, enjoying a mug of tea or mead, quiet and content in each other's company.
But most of all, the two men talked. They talked of Lancelot's past and what he hoped to achieve at the training school, both as a student and a teacher; they talked of the escapades Camelot's nobles. They talked of the future of Camelot and the type of king that Arthur had the potential to become and they spoke of their own dreams for the future. When they were sure not be overheard, they also spoke of magic and Merlin's talents.
On their last afternoon in Ealdor, Merlin and Lancelot were sitting at the edge of the river that ran by the village, ostensibly fishing, but really they were relaxing and enjoying the afternoon sun and the cooling breeze.
Lancelot reclined back in the grass, leaning on his elbows as he watched his friend who was sitting on large, smooth rock that overhung the river and was peering intently into the shadowed water.
"Merlin, may I ask you something?" asked the swordsman.
Looking over his shoulder at his friend, Merlin smiled and responded, "Of course. You can ask me anything," before turning his attention back to the water and the large trout that had just poked its head out from under the rock.
Looking around to ensure that they were alone, Lancelot sat up and crossed his legs at the ankles. Brushing his hand over the grass, he plucked a stem of clover and spun it between his fingers. "How long have you had magic?"
The question surprised Merlin, so much so that he immediately abandoned the fish and turned towards Lancelot with a look of surprise on his face. Lancelot knew he had magic, of course, but this was the first time he had asked this particular question.
Merlin walked over towards where his friend was seated in the grass and dropped down, crossing his legs under him. "What makes you ask?"
"I'm curious," said Lancelot. "Actually, I guess what I really wanted to ask was why you are creating a life for yourself in Camelot, considering you have magic. You know how the King feels about sorcery … aren't you worried?"
"Of course I'm worried, Lancelot. But I try not to let it affect me too much. I was born with magic … strong magic. Gaius said that he's never seen anyone with as much power as I have, at such a young age."
Merlin looked up at his friend briefly. He'd never even told his mother about the extent of his powers. Dropping his gaze back to the ground, Merlin plucked a stem of grass and twiddled it in his fingers before continuing.
"My magic is instinctive, and because of that it sometimes becomes difficult to control. My mother was worried about me staying here in Ealdor without some sort of training," and he then related to Lancelot how his mother had sent him to Gaius for teaching.
Merlin stared off over the water for a few moments, but Lancelot held his tongue as it was apparent Merlin was not finished speaking.
"When I arrived in Camelot, the first thing I saw was the execution of a young man, a sorcerer, in the middle of the courtyard. Let me tell you, that was a terrifying welcome. And then when the King spoke about having banished magic from the Kingdom and that it was a reason to celebrate, I really began to wonder about my mother's wisdom in sending me there."
"But you know, it's like you said: for you, leaving Camelot was the best decision you could have made; for me, staying there, learning from Gaius and working with Arthur is exactly what I should be doing, at least right now."
The two men sat there, each lost in their own thoughts, for several moments when a splash from the river made them both look up. Lancelot stood and reaching down to grab Merlin's hand and pull him up, said, "I think that's a reminder, Merlin, that unless we catch something, we won't be eating tonight!"
"I was watching a trout before we got to talking. Let's see if we can entice him to become dinner!" said Merlin as he brushed off the seat of his pants and strode towards the river's edge.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" called Lancelot.
"I don't think so," came the reply.
"Well, I don't know how you catch fish, but I use a fishing pole," said Lancelot, laughingly, as he approached the young warlock and handed him one of the fishing poles they'd brought with them.
Merlin grinned, and taking the pole, he baited the hook and let it drop gently into the river. "First one to catch a fish doesn't have to scale or gut them," he said, eyeing his friend over his shoulder.
"I hope you're good with a knife, Merlin, because I intend to win this contest!"
The next morning, after having enjoyed a hearty breakfast, Merlin and Lancelot stood outside the hut. They had already saddled their horses in preparation for their leaving, so all that was left to do was to say goodbye to Hunith. After pressing some food on each of them for their travels, she gave each of them a hug and some motherly wisdom.
"Lancelot, you are welcome here any time; please don't hesitate to come for a meal or simply some company when you've got some free time," she said to the swordsman.
Surprised at the invitation, he smiled and said gratefully, "Thank you, Hunith; I appreciate the invitation. I may just take you up on it at some point."
He then turned away and mounted his horse, giving Merlin and Hunith some privacy to say their goodbyes.
"Oh, Merlin, it has been so good to have you home," she said as she brushed her hand over her son's hair. "Take care of yourself and be careful. I like Lancelot very much," she added. "I'm so glad to see that you are making such good friends."
Merlin gave his mother one last embrace, mounted his horse and turned her head towards Camelot. As the two men reached the edge of the woods, they turned and waved to Hunith, who was standing at the door to her home, watching them as they rode away. She waved back and then turned towards one of other villagers who had stopped to speak with her.
The two men on horseback grinned at each other and, spurring their horses into a canter, sped off down the track. About thirty minutes later, they reached a fork in the road; Merlin would take the right hand trail, which headed west towards Camelot, Lancelot would take the other trail which headed north to Lord Markham's lands.
"Well, Merlin, I suppose this is goodbye for now," said Lancelot as he looked over at the warlock. "I had a wonderful time in Ealdor, and your mother is a lovely woman. And don't worry, it's not far from here to the Estate, so I will make a point of checking up on her every once in a while, if you wish."
"Really, Lancelot? That would be great. I worry about Mother being on her own, and I'm so far away … I will definitely feel much better knowing that you are around to help her out if something happens."
Merlin paused for a moment before continuing, "It was terrific to see you again, Lancelot. I hope things go well at the training school. I probably won't be back this way for another few months, so I'm not sure when we'll be able to get together again."
"Don't worry about it, Merlin. We'll just continue our friendship as we started, with letters. I won't forget to send you a report about the school that you can pass on to Arthur." Stretching out his right arm, Lancelot added, "Take care of yourself, Merlin, and travel safely. Let me know when you arrived in Camelot."
Merlin clasped his friend's arm and grinned, "I'll be fine Lancelot. I fail to understand why everyone thinks I'm helpless! Safe journey to you too, my friend. I look forward to hearing about everything at that school; it sounds fascinating."
Releasing their arms, and gathering their reins back in their hands, the men nodded to each other and parted ways, secure in the knowledge that their growing friendship was built on a sturdy foundation.