Merlin, when he returned, noticed that Arthur seemed a little out of sorts. However he carried on working in his usual quiet way and by the look in his eyes, Merlin guessed that Arthur didn't want to be bothered. The easiest thing appeared to be to leave him and Arthur looked grateful for that.
The next morning Merlin wandered off again, after Arthur had dressed and fed him. Arthur then settled down to the large pile of mending that seemed to have appeared. He had noticed a rip in one of Merlin's shirts, and the quilting on his bedspread had come loose. Lancelot needed a new pair of trousers so Arthur had found an old pair in the stores, which he had washed and was now needed to fit to the knight. Percival had offered out a shirt for him to do and Merlin had also raided Cenred's store, found several items of clothing and told Arthur to refit them if he needed.
Arthur guessed those were the clothes that Merlin expected him to wear. He could tighten the shoulders of the shirts, if he really needed to, but it was mainly the trousers he needed to refit, and he had found a belt to help with that. Arthur took the pile of material and sat outside to work, sewing calmly. Lancelot could call him if he was needed, but the knight had slowly started to get up and move around, using a walking stick to help.
The weather had broken a few days before, sometimes threatening to rain but it now appeared to be fading. As Arthur sat out with the mending he had a nice, bright sun shining down on him and he worked quite contentedly, easing his needle through the stitching on the quilt, until someone walked up to him.
Aaliah ambled up, holding Smudge tightly, although the kitten's closed eyes as well as the loud purring, hinted at the fact she was happy.
"Smudge wanted to come and see you," Aaliah announced, head tilted so her ear pressed against the purring kitten's head. She straightened up and stared at Arthur.
"Hello Smudge," Arthur said, unsure as to how to handle the situation, especially so as Aaliah walked forward and then sat down next to him. She let Smudge slither down into her lap and the cat sprawled, purring loudly and opening her eyes to look at Arthur.
Arthur felt tense with panic. He didn't know if Aaliah was allowed to talk to him and even is she wasn't it wouldn't be taken out on her.
"Shouldn't you tell someone where you are?" Arthur asked.
"They know," Aaliah said, snuggling next to him, and sifting through the pile of sewing. Smudge made herself comfortable on the edge of the quilt that Arthur had been sewing up. Arthur received wide eyed stares from both of them and he sighed heavily.
"You won't get into trouble for coming over here?"
"No, I'm safe here," Aaliah said. Arthur frowned.
"Oh. Because I might get into trouble, if they don't think you should be here."
"Why not?" Aaliah asked carelessly. "You looked after Smudge, and Smudge likes you. She wanted to come and see you. Shall I help?"
"Well, I…" Arthur stammered and then paused. He felt at a complete loss at the situation. Aaliah poked through the piles of clothing, peering at the rip in Percival's shirt. Reaching over she fiddled through the small sewing kit to find a spare needle and some thread. Arthur sewed another stitch as Aaliah folded the shirt on her lap and prepared to thread the needle. Smudge shifted to rub her head against Arthur's leg. There didn't seem to be much he could do about the situation. If he upset her by sending her away, he could get in to just as much trouble if he let her stay.
What harm could it honestly do? Arthur asked himself. He presumed from Aaliah's answers that she had told someone where she planned to go. No one had appeared to have stopped her. For a while they didn't say anything while they sewed, and Smudge purred loudly as she lay between them.
Aaliah looked up, and Arthur tensed as several of the women from the druid camp walked past, carrying baskets to forage in the forest. One of them smiled at Aaliah, who beamed back, and they carried on their way without comment. Arthur's shoulders relaxed abruptly, he had been unaware of the tension in them until that moment.
"This shirt is big," Aaliah said as she finished sewing and started to fold the material up.
"Yes, it's Sir Percival's."
"What about this one?" Aaliah asked, plucking a red shirt from the pile.
"That used to be King Cenred's," Arthur said, relaxing a little more, his entire body slowly unwinding. "I'm going to wear it, but I need to fix the cuff."
Aaliah studied the damage to the left cuff and rummaged for some more thread.
"I'll do it. It will look nice." She paused, looking up and appraising Arthur critically, her eyes so intense that Arthur shifted in discomfort. "Red suits you."
XxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Aaliah happily prattled away while Arthur fixed lunch in anticipation for Merlin's return. Or more likely Percival; and Lancelot, whom Arthur had already asked and had agreed that lunch was a good idea.
"Why can't you do that?" Aaliah eventually asked.
"I've never been shown," Arthur said. "It seems a bit strange, talking to people in your head."
"Not if you're used to it," Aaliah said.
At least, Arthur realised, it explained the odd silence and intense gazes that had occurred yesterday when the druids had greeted them. Although he had never really encountered any before he had heard stories of druids, and of the powers they had. Arthur hadn't been entirely certain that he believed it, but it did explain why the kings quite often felt suspicious of them. Aaliah's talk faded away and she stared up with wide eyes as Percival, and Merlin, reappeared. Merlin raised his eyebrows at the sight of Aaliah, who huddled into Arthur's side for protection as she stared at the two men. Arthur shifted a little nervously. Aaliah may have been given permission to talk to him, but Merlin might not necessarily want Arthur speaking to other people.
"Hello," Percival said gently. Aaliah stared up at him.
"Hello, Sir," Aaliah answered, her voice low. Smudge stirred, lifted her head and slowly rolled over stretching out her limbs and exposing her furry belly. For the want of something to do Aaliah gathered her up, holding Smudge close, and she put her cheek down on Smudge's head. Smudge closed her eyes and purred loudly.
"Lunch is almost ready My Lord," Arthur added, glancing up at Merlin. He tried to gauge Merlin's mood. He stared at Aaliah a little quizzically and the after a moment Merlin smiled. It startled Arthur a little, as Merlin's face brightened. He had been the recipient of cold anger, some confusion and almost ignored the rest of the time. Aaliah stared up at Merlin for some time, blinking steadily then she smiled back.
"I think your own lunch is almost ready," Merlin told her.
"Yes," Aaliah said, slowly getting up. She looked down and grinned at Arthur. "Thank you, I had fun."
Then the little girl scampered away. Arthur felt his face flush and he turned his attention to the cooking pot, not wanting to do anything but set his mind onto practical, mundane things that could keep his thoughts steady. Arthur didn't want to spend time thinking about the confusing person that Merlin seemed to be. He stirred the pot and slowly stood up, wanting to get on with the job.
"I'll set the table."
"After that, you can start packing some things up. We're heading out in the morning."
"Yes, My Lord."
Arthur couldn't help the odd pang of disappointment, but it was easily controlled. There were other things he could concentrate on, rather than thinking that the first friend he had ever had only lasted for two days.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxX
The routine, however, settled him. They travelled for three days, and Merlin paused again. From what he could tell, Merlin was waiting for something. Arthur didn't think about it. It did not concern him what his master did. At least, for now, he was fed, clothed and somewhat cared for.
Merlin had settled in the tent, early afternoon, checking over some scrolls and papers. Arthur had gone outside, taking the washing down to the nearby stream to deal with it. He scrubbed away, totally focused on what he was doing, when the man appeared. Arthur glanced up, just to register who it was. He didn't recognise them. The man had dark hair, reaching down to his shoulders, and his jaw line hidden under a beard of the same colour. Arthur looked away again as the man's eyes locked on him, staring intently. He stopped scrubbing and waited as the man walked up to him. Arthur kept his head down, but moved his eyes slightly and caught sight of Sir Leon, following in the man's wake, which meant that Merlin knew the man, and had sent for him.
Arthur felt the tension increase in his back, and he hunched his shoulders when the man stepped close to him. As he felt the nudge Arthur took the hint, he had already put Merlin's washing down, and as the man's boot pressed into his side Arthur immediately stood up to allow himself to be inspected. The man stayed one side of him for a moment, looking him up and down, then reaching out he put a hand under Arthur's chin to force him to lift his head. Arthur complied with the movement keeping his eyes averted, staring at the low slope of the stone bank opposite. He watched a small red squirrel dart along a branch, pausing as it lifted it's nose and sniffed, the fluffy tail twitching as it assessed the air.
The squirrel shot off, shaking the leaves on the branches as it ran, disturbed as Merlin walked out of the tent. The man removed his guiding hand from Arthur's chin, but he didn't move. Arthur would remain exactly where he was until told otherwise.
"Father," Merlin greeted the arrival calmly. Arthur blinked, remembering the reference from a few days before.
"Son, you certainly did well. According to Leon you showed a good deal of talent in dealing with Cenred."
Balinor stepped around Arthur, walking towards Merlin, but Arthur didn't dare move just yet. He lowered his head a fraction, and caught the scene out of the corner of his eye as Balinor and Merlin hugged. Then Balinor pulled back and took his son's shoulders firmly.
"I could hardly believe it when Leon described it, especially when he told me you had taken the Golden Prince. I think most people expected Cenred would slit the little brat's throat, out of spite."
Arthur felt an unaccountable shiver as he heard Balinor's words. The man talked as if Arthur wasn't standing close enough to hear them, but the tone as well as the comment made him shiver. Sections of Arthur's memory were blurred, parts of his life pushed away, lost to repeats of the same thing happening over and over. So much of it just didn't seem worthwhile thinking about. Arthur tried not to; he did what he was told and took whatever people threw at him. Quite often when his subconscious probed him in such a fashion he shook it off as soon as he could.
"I doubt he would do that." Merlin said. "He would have gained nothing by it."
"You did well anyway," Balinor said, sounding proud.
"Come on, you've had a long journey. Arthur, fetch some refreshments."
Arthur jumped, shifting slightly, head dropping fully. "Yes, My Lord."
Reaching down he quickly shifted the washing out of the stream, laying it out, until he could get back to it. He turned to follow them into the tent to gather the jugs and plates to take to the supply tent. All the while he felt Balinor's eyes on him, looking him over, not entirely in the detached manner that Merlin did. But he knew the man, with that gaze, assessed his worth, and the possibilities of what Arthur would be useful for.
For his part, Merlin watched his father watching Arthur. As Arthur left Balinor dropped into a chair, lifting a foot to rest it on the table. Merlin took a seat.
"It certainly appeared to impress the other kings," Balinor said. "They didn't think that even you could get Cenred under control."
"If it came to it, you could have called on the Great Dragon," Merlin said.
"It hardly needed him, your magic is enough to deal with any army."
Merlin shrugged. "I didn't use magic, much."
"Much?" Balinor asked.
"I pressed the thoughts into their heads and their own natural instincts did the rest."
"It puts us in a good position for the spring meeting," Balinor said. "Bayard has already sent a messenger with an offer."
A mild shuffling and the light clink of plates told Merlin that Arthur stood just outside, close enough to hear that information. If Balinor heard the same thing, he chose not to pay attention.
"And I don't doubt that at least Alined and Lot will counter offer us," Balinor added as Arthur came into the room. He had his head down, obviously trying to hide his reaction as he put the plates, water and ale jugs and goblets down on the table. Glancing up Merlin decided that Arthur didn't need to hear this conversation. He could see the blond man trembling, ever so slightly. Merlin sat forward as Arthur went to pick up the jug and pour the drinks.
"Leave that, go back to what you were doing," Merlin ordered him.
"Yes, My Lord."
He spoke in a low tone, voice wavering a little. Merlin clenched his jaw as he realised what Arthur might actually make of that dismissal. If he was honest with himself, and Merlin usually tried to be, Merlin wasn't sure what he wanted to achieve. Arthur left the tent and Merlin carefully poured out the drinks. Balinor picked up an apple and bit into it.
"We need to make sure it's worth our while, whatever we do. The nobles of this land rely on us; on you. We can no doubt name our own price for him."
"If I intend to," Merlin said. Balinor raised his eyebrows, the movement of his jaw slowed as he stared at Merlin.
"You're not seriously intending to keep him?"
"I hadn't considered it either way," Merlin lied, partly lied. He had not made any specific plans when it came to Arthur, but he had certainly not considered handing him over to anyone, even for a price. "But if they are so desperate to get their hands on him, it makes me feel inclined to make sure they don't."
"The boy is of no use to us," Balinor said. "Except as a bargaining tool."
Merlin frowned. He didn't think that he entirely agreed. Balinor watched the expression flickering over Merlin's face.
"Neither of us should forget what happened to your mother," Balinor added, his voice and eyes darkening. Merlin poured out the drinks.
"I don't. I don't believe anyone should be made to suffer under the whims of those petty minded nobles. In the end, all their fighting and point scoring hurts no one but the people of their kingdoms."
Again Merlin felt Balinor's curious gaze on him. It occurred occasionally. Merlin thought that now and again he rather baffled his father. He loved Balinor, and knew his father loved him, but sometimes when he looked at his father, Merlin didn't entirely like what he saw. Hunith's death had affected them both deeply. Merlin had only been a child at the time, but when the incident occurred he had already been carefully hidden away with the druids. It was Balinor who had seen what had happened. In a way Merlin considered the fact that disasters affected adults far more than children. At that moment in time, it seemed a rather interesting concept.
"The alternative might not have been any better, if Uther had remained in power. The best thing for everyone was to take him down, he would have destroyed everything magical given the chance."
"I don't disagree," Merlin said. "But even the nobles in power distrust those who can do magic, even if they find them useful. It's a hypocrisy I can't stand."
Balinor said nothing, and Merlin decided to alter the subject.
"If the meeting is soon, will we still be able to make it? It's almost time for the equinox celebration."
The question made his father smile. "The meeting just happens to be on the way."
Merlin raised his eyebrows.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxX
The travelling and Arthur's comforting routine continued. The only unsettling thing was Balinor's presence. He didn't say anything else on the subject of Arthur's fate but Arthur knew exactly what Balinor wanted of him. Arthur still couldn't be sure of Merlin. Balinor could presumably sway Merlin's decision. As they carried on their way, Arthur again using the little pony to ride – he had seemed to have acquired her without much fuss – he wondered what would happen.
Arthur knew about the meetings the kings had, although he never really saw much of them, if at all. It was one way of trying to keep all the petty fighting under control, not that it seemed to work as far as Arthur could tell. Not all the kings attended, depending on their mood, or who they were arguing with at the time. The last time Arthur had attended one, he must have been about twelve. He had been locked in a room in the castle that he had been taken to. Over the days he was in there several people came in and prodded, poked and abused him, although the pain had been limited due to the presence of two guards.
Later he realised those visits had been private viewings for anyone interested in buying him, his current owner wanting to make money off him. On the last evening of the meeting he had been auctioned off and then bundled away by his new owner. Actually, not an entirely new owner, King Olaf had bought him, which Arthur hadn't minded too much. The king had been his master before and as long as Arthur did as he was ordered he was basically left alone.
Since Balinor treated him as if he didn't even seem to be there, even though his eyes sometimes strayed to assess him, Arthur gleaned a good deal of information. As it had become known that Merlin would be bringing Arthur many of the kings appeared to be attending the meeting. Arthur knew Bayard would definitely want him back, several of the other kings would try and prevent that. Any rich nobles would also try, somehow, to get him.
The situation brought up another interesting train of thought in Arthur. He couldn't entirely work out Merlin's place in the scheme of things. Arthur knew enough to know that Merlin was, or would be, a Dragonlord. Balinor carried the power for the moment, which made him someone the kings would not want to anger. Arthur knew the dragons were formidable beasts, not that he had ever laid eyes on one, again all he had were stories and rumour. And Merlin, Arthur had eventually started to realise, had magic as well as managing an army.
There were too many gaps in his knowledge for Arthur to put it together. Of course, he could listen to the conversations that occurred when he was in the room, and he did so. People often treated him as if he was invisible, but that meant he would sometimes only hear part of a conversation. So he often had no frame of reference to slot the facts together. Arthur actually worried on occasion that somewhere along the way his mind had been so rattled by the abuse it had been damaged. That or he was so good at pushing things to the back of his mind he ended up losing them all together.
Arthur tightened the reins to halt the pony as Merlin halted his own horse. The little pony stretched out her neck to snuffle her nose against the flanks of Merlin's horse. The big animal had become used to the gesture, aware now of the docile animal trailing tightly behind him, so the beast simply flicked his tail. The pony's head flipped upwards and then went back to nuzzling the stallion's dock. Arthur wondered why they had paused, looking up he realised Merlin had stopped because Balinor had, looking over the tree line to the turrets of a large castle. Arthur waited, wondering if he should hop down and offer people, and horses, water.
"What do you think then boy?" Balinor's voice rumbled. Arthur jumped, realising that the Dragonlord addressed him. He had constantly referred to Arthur as 'boy' since he had joined them. Arthur looked up, realising Balinor's gaze lay on the turrets rising above the trees. Looking at it Arthur assessed the castle. One side had taken severe damage, the towers broken down, the jagged stones of one reaching up in sharp points, the roof completely missing. On the other side the towers were intact although greenery had crept up the sides to almost completely obscure the stone work. Arthur also spotted a tree that had somehow sprouted from the battlements, reaching up into the sky. No leaves appeared to be growing as yet, the branches like claws, looking dark against the blue spring sky. Arthur wondered if the tree had died. It was so tall the highest branches reached over the height of the towers, so it had certainly lived for long enough.
Arthur looked along the profile of the old castle, wondering what Balinor expected him to say. Looking away Arthur lowered his gaze to Merlin, who had turned in the saddle to watch him. He met Merlin's blue eyes briefly before averting from the direct gaze.
Merlin's movement attracted Balinor's attention, and he also turned his head. He looked at Arthur with some confusion. Arthur felt baffled himself, and it must have shown on his face because a second later, Merlin broke the silence to explain it.
"It's Camelot," Merlin said. Balinor's frown of confusion deepened. Merlin gave his father a brief glance before turning back to Arthur. "It's the old castle of Camelot."