*AUTHOR'S NOTE* Right, I was going to finish this story differently, but i got slapped in the face by inspiration and came up with a better one, which is good because its better, and also because you get more chapters to read! yay! hope you enjoy this new plot twist!
A few difficult months had passed since Merlin's death and revival, and Merlin had grown used to the villagers shying away from him when possible, and he could understand perfectly why, he had returned from the dead after all. He sighed as he sat astride his horse, Arthur cantering along next to him. Spring was well underway, and the forest was a clamour of birdsong and the forest floor was carpeted with bluebells, snowdrops and a whole manner of assorted grasses. Wild deer roamed in herds, mothers keeping their striped and spotted fawns close, and stags wandering with their sweeping, majestic antlers reaching to the heavens.
Arthur slowed his horse as they entered the edge of the forest and sighed. "I still can't believe it worked."
"Me neither. I'm so glad to be alive." Merlin reached out and pulled a leaf off of a tree as they passed it.
"I'm glad to have you back. Doesn't the way people treat you bother you though?"
"Not really, I mean, I can see why they do. I am a dead man walking!"
"Don't say that. You aren't dead anymore."
"In their eyes I still am."
"You aren't to me." Arthur smiled across at his manservant.
"I know." Merlin sighed happily, glad that his feelings were accepted by Arthur.
"Shhhh" Arthur put his fingers to his lips and pointed to a young stag, which was nosing the grass on the forest floor. Merlin nodded and stopped his horse, and passed an already loaded bow to Arthur. He watched, ready to swing off his horse when the arrow hit.
Arthur levelled the arrow and released it, hitting the stag straight in the neck. It let out a squealing yelp before dropping to the floor. Merlin quickly ran over and knelt by the deer, and put a hand on its face. "I'm sorry" he murmured, and watched as the life gently bled from the wound. "Go now, be free." From the body, a silvery shape of the stag leapt and stood for a moment. It looked at Merlin for a moment, and Merlin nodded. The stag-spirit gave a ghostly cry and disappeared. Merlin smiled, he had detected a 'thank you' in that cry. He looked back to Arthur and nodded. Arthur rode over and smiled at his catch.
"It's a beauty" he mused as he helped Merlin sling it over his horse's back.
"It is" Merlin agreed. He stroked the elegant face of the stag before remounting his horse and following Arthur back towards the castle.
As they rode through the drawbridge, Merlin smiled at the guard, who turned away. Merlin sighed, he was used to this sort of reaction to him now, and to most people he was still a ghost. Of course, Arthur had remained adamant that Merlin would continue as his manservant, so he was still a member of the royal household. Uther seemed to scrutinise him whatever he did, to make sure that he didn't use magic, and reminded him often of the consequences of his actions if he did.
"Are you alright, Merlin?" Arthur's voice cut through his thoughts.
"Yeah" Merlin replied, "just thinking"
"You've been doing a lot of that recently."
"Had a lot to think about I suppose." Merlin pulled his horse to a stop in the courtyard and dismounted. A servant immediately appeared and took the stag from the back of the horse, congratulated Arthur on his catch and carried it into the castle to be gutted and skinned. He refused to look at or touch Merlin at all. Merlin sighed and took the horses to the stable to be fed and watered.
The stables were hot and the horses shifted when Merlin entered. Some of them whinnied in greeting, or shied away from Merlin. He sighed and de-tacked the two horses, making sure he watered them down. "There you go, boy, bet that's better." He patted the neck of Askari, the horse he had been riding. He was a beautiful bay stallion, with a perfect temperament. His thick black mane fell beautifully over his silken neck and his deep brown eyes shone with life. He was Merlin's favourite horse. Merlin sighed and Askari lipped his thick black hair, making him chuckle. "Stop it!"
"Merlin!" Someone was calling his name outside.
Merlin recognised the voice as Arthur's, and detected urgency. He left the horses and jogged outside to meet the prince. "Arthur" he stopped and squinted in the sudden brightness of the light outside. "What is it?"
"We're needed in a court meeting. Father has requested all members attend. I came to find you, come on." Together they walked in silence. Merlin knew it was serious, as his presence was requested. Since his death and revival, it wasn't usual for him to be present within court. He knew it caused major discomfort with the court members, so he preferred not to attend and just let Gaius fill him in with what was happening.
He stopped outside the familiar oak doors that lead into the courtroom and took a deep breath. Arthur looked at him. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah" Merlin smiled. "Let's go."
The courtroom was silent as Merlin entered behind Arthur. Merlin felt eyes boring into him, and knew that some people had turned away. He kept focused on his feet as he took his place opposite Gaius, and nodded to Uther. Arthur stood before his father, anticipating what was coming.
Uther rose and addressed the court. "The borders of Camelot have been breached by the neighbouring kingdom. A fleet of enemy knights are galloping towards the castle. Our knights are to meet and fight them off at the borders of the castle." A ripple of worried murmurs spread through the court. Uther silenced them with a raised hand. "The battle starts now. I wish every one of you luck. Court dismissed."
The knights immediately left, followed by Arthur. He said nothing to his father, but shared a look before he turned away and left. Merlin looked at Gaius and nodded before following.
Arthur looked at Merlin as he galloped into the courtyard, dagger strapped to his belt and a bow and arrow slung across his back. He pulled Askari to a stop next to Arthur's white stallion. Arthur glared at him. "What are you doing?"
"Coming with you." Merlin looked into Arthur's blue eyes.
"You can't!"
"I'm not leaving you, not again." Merlin sat straight in his saddle, chin jutting with defiance in an expression that reminded Arthur of his own expression he often made in arguments.
"There's no persuading you otherwise, is there?"
"No" Merlin smiled.
Arthur looked behind him at the group of assembled knights, held up a hand and with a shout of "Forward ho!" they charged out of Camelot, most of them knowing that they wouldn't be returning.
Merlin kept pace with Arthur, and glanced back at the castle shrinking in the distance as they left the border. He turned his head forwards and spurred Askari on towards the already underway battle.
Shouts of fighting men and the harsh clang of metal on metal echoed in the air, mixed with the yells of the wounded and neighs of spooked horses. Death was thick in the air and within minutes bodies were falling. Merlin let a few arrows fly, and a few of them hit their targets, sending them toppling from their horses to be finished off by the blades of the swordsmen. Everywhere Merlin looked he could see lost spirits, standing and watching the decimation with neutral expressions. Some of them turned and disappeared, and some just stood, flickering whenever an arrow or knight rushed through them. He shuddered and turned his attention to the fight in hand. He looked about for Arthur, and, to his relief could see that he was well at an advantage, sword arm swinging and hitting its targets every time.
Within an hour, the battle was up. It was clear that Camelot had won, but many of its knights lay strewn across the muddied ground, mostly felled by the opposition's arrows. Merlin had lost Askari during the fight and stood in the mud, blood splattered across his clothes, mixed with mud and sweat. He looked to see spirits, all standing and watching still, clearly unsure of what to do. Some of them seemed to be stunned, and gradually started to fade to nothing. Merlin shuddered and looked for Arthur. He was stood, hand clamped to his abdomen. He looked at Merlin, ashen faced.
"M..Merlin." He half whispered. "Y…You okay?"
Merlin looked at Arthur's hand and his stomach flipped. Blood was seeping between his fingers, oozing slowly and seeping into the fabric of his tunic.
"No!" Merlin rushed forward and prized Arthur's hand from the wound. He had a deep stab wound, and it was bleeding profusely. Merlin knew Arthur would bleed to death if he wasn't treated quickly. "Arthur, stay with me, okay? You have to stay with me."
"Merlin I'm scared." Arthur's legs seemed to crumple, and Merlin caught him mid fall. Merlin heaved the prince into his arms and quickly mounted a nearby horse. It carried the flag of the opposition, but Merlin didn't care. He needed to get Arthur back to Camelot, and quickly. He spurred the horse into a gallop and sped home, praying he wasn't too late.