Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.
Chapter Three:
"Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed as he entered the physician chamber.
"He's gathering herbs, sire," Gaius explained, not looking up from the potion he was working on.
"But I need him, now," Arthur all but growled in reply.
"Well, he may be some time," Gaius told him.
"Where is he?" Arthur asked, contemplating whether he could track Merlin down and drag him back to the castle to do his job!
Gaius raised an eyebrow, "He's gone in pursuit of a young agrimonia."
"A what?" Arthur demanded.
"Agrimonia, sire," Gaius explained. "A noble, but shy plant, not easy to find and it could take him all day."
"All day?" Arthur exclaimed.
"It is invaluable, sire," Gaius nodded. "Its properties open up both the liver and the spleen."
"He's in the tavern, isn't he?" Arthur questioned, not believing a word Gaius had said.
"No, sire!" Gaius quickly disagreed.
"Well, when he's finished opening up his liver and his spleen, tell him he has exactly one hour to sober up and get to my chambers," Arthur told Gaius. "We have a guest to prepare for."
)o(
"Here," Merlin said, as he held out his water skin to Daegal.
Daegal reached out and took the water skin, only to almost drop it as a sharp pain shots up his arm and he let out a pained gasp, gripping his injured arm tightly.
"What's wrong?" Merlin asked.
"I fell getting into the citadel," Daegal answered.
"Here," Merlin said, guiding Daegal over to a tree stump. "Sit down, I'll have a look."
"It's the druids who need saving, not me," Daegal shook his head. "We don't have time to waste."
"We've a long journey ahead of us," Merlin disagreed. "You don't want this getting any worse."
With a sigh Daegal sat down and let Merlin take a look at it.
"You're lucky," Merlin informs him, as he bandaged Daegal's arm. "It's not broken. Don't put any unnecessary pressure on it for the next few days and it'll be fine."
"Alice taught you well," Daegal said as he watched Merlin finish up.
"Not Alice. It was Gaius who taught me this," Merlin answered. "When I first came to Camelot, he took me in, taught me everything that I know… Well everything none-magical based healing. What about you? Alice, took you on as a student."
"I don't have magic," Daegal pointed out.
"That doesn't mean you can't heal, Daegal," Merlin countered.
"All her other students have magic," Daegal sighed, as Merlin packed away the left over supplies. "I was the odd one out."
"You left," Merlin concluded.
"Yes," Daegal nodded. "I've been moving from druid camp to druid camp… I pick up bits and pieces here and there."
"But it's not a complete education," Merlin glanced at Daegal. "There's still a lot you don't know."
"Yes," Daegal agreed. "Gaius taught you well. You're lucky to have him."
"I am," Merlin smiled. "Come on."
Merlin offered Daegal a hand and pulled him to his feet. Once Daegal was safely on his feet, Merlin looked round with a frown.
"What is it?" Daegal asked.
"I can feel someone watching," Merlin answered. "Someone's been watching us since we left Camelot."
"We're being followed?" Daegal asked, glancing round nervously.
Merlin nodded, "We'll have to try and lose them."
)o(
Arthur looked up, as there was a knock on the door to his chambers.
"Yes?" Arthur called as he looked around the room for a shirt.
Gaius entered the room and raised an eyebrow as he watched the King of Camelot look around his chambers, clearly searching for something and unable to find it, if the frustrated look on the king's face was anything to go by.
"He's still not returned," Gaius informed Arthur.
"How am I to get dressed?" Arthur demanded.
"Ha, well," Gaius answered, as if he couldn't believe Arthur had just asked that question. "Surely that's not too difficult, sire."
"Really?" Arthur asked. "You think you can do it?"
Gaius stared at Arthur for a moment, before he realised the king was serious. Arthur quickly pulled off his night shirt and turned to face Gaius expectantly.
"Right," Arthur said. "Come on, then, Gaius."
Arthur turned slightly and threw his nightshirt onto the bed before turning back to Gaius and stretching out his arms, ready for Gaius to dress him. Gaius continued to stare at him, almost in disbelief as his other eyebrow shot up to join the first. Did the King of Camelot really not know how to dress himself? After a moment Arthur looked up at Gaius.
"Shirt," Arthur explained. "Quickly."
Gaius quickly looked round the room and spots a shirt hanging from the changing screen off to the side of the room. He quickly crossed the room and grabbed it before returning to Arthur, who has bent over ready for Gaius to dress him once more. Gaius quickly put the shirt over Arthur's arms, but struggled to pull it on the way on.
"What are you doing?" Arthur asked.
"It's stuck," Gaius explained.
"It can't be," Arthur replied.
"It's too small," Gaius told him in a matter of fact tone.
Arthur struggles to get his arms through the shirt and something ripped as he did so. He finally gets his head through the top of the shirt and looks down at the material.
"It's Guinevere's nightdress," Arthur told Gaius, as he pulled the nightdress off.
Gaius just watched, slightly bemused.
)o(
Hey, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Until next time,
Blessed be,
TreeOfLife1997.