The Call of the Druid

For such an extraordinary day, most things were pretty normal. He was late, and Arthur complained about that (after he has already complained that he didn't want to wake up and that the fruits he had brought for breakfast were too cold). They had gone to the usual training after Uther had given them leave to, not having anything of importance to discuss. Arthur's plate was terribly dirty, as if he had been cleaning up the stables with them instead of practicing swordplay.

Merlin was walking back to the prince's chambers when he heard a voice screaming – a boy's voice. He turned around, but the corridor was completely empty.

"Help", he heard, but there was still no one in sight. He walked back, trying to find the source of the sound, but there was no one. He stepped on to the square, and while there were a lot of people and even some agitated guards, none of them seemed to the source of what he had heard.

And then, once again.

"Help me, please!"

It was clear that there was no screaming – no one else was looking around. It was like the boy was talking inside his head, and Merlin had never thought that possible. Somehow, he knew that this was where everything the druid woman had shown begun, even if some of the images that he saw seemed to be blotched and faded, impossible to recall properly, as if he was trying to figure out a dream as if faded away.

After a few seconds, he saw a small boy hiding. He was almost in front of the steps, and it was a wonder that no one else had seen him, as the guards were clearly asking about him. Well, if he could speak to Merlin alone, he might also be able to make himself unnoticeable.

"They are searching for me", said the voice, and the boy looked truly scared.

"Why are they after you?" Merlin trying to make his thoughts known to the boy, and he must have been able to, for the boy seemed to move his head to the sides, trying to clear something up.

"They are going to kill me" he pleaded, and Merlin saw the guards gesturing to the other side of the square. He moved towards one of the side doors, opening it and moving inside. There was no movement behind him, no one took great notice of his doings, and then he turned his thoughts to the boy once again.

"This way. Run. Run!"

The boy ran as fast as he could, clutching his arm, but it was not fast enough: one of the guards saw him, and Merlin heard them yelling directions as they ran through the curled stairs. He had no idea of how he could hide the boy inside the castle, but soon it become clear in his mind – Morgana. He was closer to her chambers anyway, and no one would barge in there. He could only hope that she would not turn against them – she couldn't, not the woman she knew.

He burst through the doors with the boy in his arms, and the lady seemed both surprised and annoyed by his entrance.

"Merlin! Have you forgot how to knock?" she chided, while Gwen looked shocked, as if no one had ever done such thing before – which was probably the case: not only it was deeply impolite to intrude to a lady's chamber without being allowed in, but also most people knew better than to incur into Morgana's rage. But, right now, there was no time for such niceties.

"The guards are after him. I didn't know what to do."

That made her look even more confused, for it was unusual that such a young boy would have cause to be persecuted. Still, the truth of his words shone as there was a knock on the door and the voice of one of the guards rang through the solid wood.

"My lady? My lady?"

For a moment she said nothing to either, and Merlin's heart trembled with fear: would she turn her back on them? And then, imperiously, she gestured for them to move.

"In there" she said, her voice much lower, and waited for them to be behind one of the pillars and hidden by the screen before she opened just a crack of the door to talk to the man.

"I am sorry to disturb you, My lady", the guard was said as the boy collapsed in Merlin's arm. He struggled to keep both from making any noise as the man went on. "We're searching for a young druid boy. We believe he came this way."

Although Merlin could not see her face, he knew from the tone of Morgana's voice that she had her eyebrows raised in a clear reproach as she answered.

"I haven't seen anyone. It's just me and my maid."

The guard must have known as well that although her words were simple and educated, she disapproved of his interruption – and, probably, thought that she was displeased by the fact that they had manage to lose a young boy inside the castle. Most people believed that Morgana was a polite young lady that approved of everything the King did, but most of them also didn't have as many chances as Merlin had had to have a closer contact to her, and he knew he was anything but what she appeared to be.

"Best to keep the door locked until we find him" suggest the guard, tense.

"Of course" she replied, subtly making it clear that she thought it was their own fault that they were in such position. "Thank you".

As both women came back to where they stood, Merlin allowed the boy's body to slide a bit against his, and as he looked at his hand, it was tainted with his blood.