"Usually I trust Gwen's judgment implicitly," Arthur said in a measured way as the deer disappeared into the undergrowth. Merlin, who had just stepped on a brittle twig, watched it go in chagrin. "But this hunting trip may be the most ridiculous thing she's ever suggested."
"Sorry," Merlin muttered.
"Why are you apologizing?" Merlin looked at him in surprise. "You can't help it you were born an idiot." He marched away. Merlin sighed and rolled his eyes. "What, no snappy comeback?" Arthur said after a moment. "Aren't you going to call me a clotpole?"
"Thought you told me that was treasonous."
"What's gotten into you? Why the sullen mood?"
"You're asking me?" Merlin grumbled. Arthur had been in a terrible mood all day. He was beginning to regret not having told Arthur his secret immediately after they saved Gwen, while he was still beaming at everyone and everything.
"I've got it." Arthur stopped and turned around, bringing Merlin up short. "You're scaring the game off on purpose."
"Why would I do that?"
"Because you don't want to clean it."
"Why wouldn't I want to clean it?" Merlin said, hefting the two rabbits on a string that Arthur had actually managed to bag despite Merlin's noisy movement through the forest. "Why would I try to avoid scraping the guts out of a dead animal? It's simply delightful. You should try it sometime."
Arthur bridled. "Why would I do that? That's what you're here for." He started walking again. "It's starting to get dark. We might as well find a place to make camp; I'm clearly not going to bag any more game today."
Arthur chose a small clearing to camp in, and sent Merlin off for firewood. "And you'd better hurry," he added. "It'll be dark soon, and I'd like to have those rabbits for supper."
Definitely should have told him earlier, Merlin decided as he began gathering firewood. How was he even supposed to bring the topic up? "Hey Arthur, I'm a wizard! Sorry I've been lying to you since we met."
Initially, he had thought he could convince Arthur to legalize magic on abstract arguments. Get him to see that it wasn't all evil, help him to understand that it was necessary for the kingdom, show him that it could be used for good. Then, once the law was passed, Merlin could let him in on the secret—maybe through some off-hand, minor use of magic. Some charming illusion or something. Now, however, that was out of the question.
He could still try just showing him some little piece of magic. But how? "Hey Arthur, wanna see me start this fire without a tinderbox?"
No. There had to be some better way to introduce the subject. And he should probably get Arthur in a better mood, first. Do a really good job cooking the rabbits, tease Arthur a little—just enough to amuse him, not enough to annoy him. Then he should ease into the topic. He could bring up some recent, obvious good he had done with his magic. Talk about how great it was that Gwen was back, safe and sound. Then go for it: "So, Arthur—when I got us through the Impenetrable Forest… I told you a little fib. I didn't do it by smell." "How did you do it, then?" "Through a sixth sense." "A sixth sense?—laughing—You don't even use the senses you've got! And where did you acquire this sixth sense?" "I was born with it." "What is it?" "Magic." Then the storm would break.
That was it. That was how he would bring it up. Pleased with himself for finding a solution that didn't make him cringe, Merlin looked up—and discovered that night had fallen. He had wandered heedlessly, far from the campsite—and had only half as much wood as he should have collected.
Well that wouldn't endear him to Arthur, he thought with a sigh. He would be livid. Merlin turned around and headed back toward the campsite.
As he approached, he could see light through the trees. Arthur had gotten sick of waiting for him, then, and built the fire. But as he neared the campsite, he realized it wasn't a solitary fire he was seeing—it was a few of them, and they were moving. Torches. Who was it? Some knights from Camelot come to bring news? A convoy of merchants?
Merlin tripped over something in the darkness and dropped his armful of wood. Cursing and feeling around, he discovered the object he had tripped over: his knapsack. He had reached the campsite. But where was Arthur?
The torches suddenly closed in around him, and Merlin found himself surrounded in the darkness by a dozen bandits. One of them, the leader, was brandishing a familiar-looking sword. Even the dark Merlin recognized it: Excalibur. The bandit gestured to one of his comrades, and the other made dragged someone into the circle of torchlight. It was Arthur, gagged and bound.
TBC
AN: Okay, short chapter. But it was the best place to break. Thank you for the comments, guys—I really appreciate it! :)
