Here's what Agravaine is doing, we haven't seen him for a while.
I have a question for all of you: do you want the chapters I've been writing (relatively short) at the pace I've been writing, or longer chapters but at a much slower pace? Feedback, please.
I don't not own Merlin in an alternate universe.
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"You can do it?"
The small man stared leveley at Agravaine from where he was sitting. "Aye."
The man unnerved Agravaine. As he had explained the specifics of what he would be hired to do, not even the barest trace of emotion had crossed the blank face. He hadn't looked gleeful, or interested, or bored, or scornful, or even acknowledging of another human presence. Had he not been looking right at him the whole time, it would have been as if Agravaine simply didn't exist.
Hearing him speak was, somehow, even more unnerving.
"I n-need the eyes undamaged."
The man raised his eyebrow half a centimeter, somehow managing to say I heard you the first time. Stop talking before you make a fool of yourself. without any other movement.
Agravaine took the hint.
The small man stood. He was shorter than Agravaine by a head, yet Agravaine couldn't help but feel that the small man was infinitely more dangerous.
Padding over to the kitchen area of the one-room cabin, the small man filled a kettle with water from a barrel. Agravaine watched, puzzled but reserved to not asking questions.
The kettle went over the fire. The small man turned to see Agravaine watching. Finally, a faint expression of annoyance settled on his face.
"You'll find the body by the west border tomorrow morning."
With a start, Agravaine realized he was dismissed. "So soon?" he blurted before he could stop himself.
The annoyance didn't change. The small man may have been a statue. His face, however, clearly said I've told you tomorrow morning. There is no reason to doubt me. Get. Out.
Agravaine dropped the bag of coins on the table and exited the cabin. Carefully, he walked across the clearing in the direction back to Camelot. A part of his brain screamed run, RUN! as he felt the eyes of the small man burning brands into his back. But he forced himself to walk slowly.
Agravaine thought, almost hysterically, that he could not have found a better man for the job.
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The small man watched as the tall man left. Names didn't matter to him. He had forgotten his own name long ago. Even the names of his targets he remembered only long enough as was necessary.
Merlin. A servant in the castle, the servant of the prince. It would be tricky to take him, them. Tricky, but certainly not impossible.
The tall man had said the servant had logic-defying amounts of luck, citing a few of the many times he had cheated death, both for himself and his master. Plans foiled when thought impregnable, lives saved when hope was lost.
The small man had raised his eyebrow internally. Really? This was interesting. The tall man didn't seem to understand the significance of what he was saying.
Were all people so stupid?
The small man was better than average at connecting the dots.
He'd have to be careful.
It had been a while since he'd hunted a sorcerer.