Author's Note: Warning: This chapter is much longer than I had anticipated. This story seriously seems to have a life of its own! New, random, unplanned characters keep popping into the story, expanding the plot. I had an outline in the beginning, but the story just keeps getting bigger! So if you think this chapter is too long… well… all I can say is blame the story, not me.
As always, Enjoy!
TTT
Chapter 3
"Merlin!" Arthur screamed, as he saw his friend tumble down the hill, an arrow piercing his shoulder. Arthur made to scramble down the hill toward his manservant, then felt a sharp pain in his knee.
He looked down, and saw an arrow protruding from his leg. He stumbled, and lifted his sword just in time to block an attack.
"Sire!" Sir Kay exclaimed. "We have got to get out of here!" A soldier swung his sword toward Arthur's other leg, and Arthur clumsily blocked.
Another sword came out of nowhere and slashed him on the arm. Arthur's vision was getting blurry, he heard his Knights rushing to his aid.
"We are not leaving… without Merlin!" Arthur gasped. His leg was bleeding badly, if not treated soon he knew it would get infected, which could cost him the use of his leg.
"I'm afraid we have no choice Sire!" Sir Allen answered between blows.
"We always have a choice!" Arthur argued, stabbing at an opponent. Arthur nodded in the direction Merlin fell.
"We can retreat, but towards Merlin."
The Knights nodded, then half dragged Arthur down the hill, fifteen men right behind them.
"Merlin!" Arthur called desperately. He got no answer. Arthur dug through the leaves nearest him franticly and heard another arrow whistle past his ear.
"Sire…" Sir Kay said nervously. "We need to leave. Now." Arthur ignored him. His eyes scanned the area. He would not leave Merlin behind. He had just saved his life.
The soldiers made it down the hill. His Knights exchanged glances,
"Then Sire," Sir Kay said, "If you will not protect yourself, then it is our duty, as Knights of Camelot, to protect you."
With that, the last thing Arthur saw was the hilt of Sir Allen's sword rushing towards his head. Darkness closed in upon him as he slipped into unconsciousness.
…..
Pain.
His shoulder felt like it was on fire. His hands were sticky, and he felt wind brushing against his cheek.
Merlin heard voices, people murmuring above him. Not Arthur, not Gaius, not his mother. Who then?
His eyes felt heavy, and his throat hoarse, like he'd been screaming. He concentrated on the voices above him.
"Is he alive?" he heard someone ask.
"Yes, his chest is moving." Someone else answered.
"Who is he? I've never seen him in the city." A third voice said. He heard twigs snapping as someone came near.
"What do you think happened to him?" A woman's voice asked nervously.
"Bandits?" suggested the first.
"We'll find out soon enough. Throw him over a horse!" said a commanding voice, obviously the leader of the group.
"Yes, my lord." Merlin felt firm hands gripping him under his knees and upper back. He winced and wanted to cry out, but found he didn't have the strength.
"He's losing a lot of blood." The second person said.
"Let's throw him over Danen's horse." A voice said a few feet away. "His horse is ugly enough, a little bit of blood can't make it look any worse." The men laughed.
"Hey!" a young voice said laughing slightly, "Its charm! Not ugliness!"
Merlin guessed this was a long going joke that was more fun than insult.
Like he and Arthur had begun to act around each other. 'Arthur!' Memories hit Merlin like a stone wall.
The tavern. The soldiers. They had been trapped in the forest. Did the others make it out okay? Fear caused Merlin to open his eyes. He was staring up at the sky, a blue dome going on and on and on…
Merlin's head spun. He felt like he was going to be sick, and he knew he was about to lose consciousness.
"He's awake!" the young voice- Danen's, Merlin remembered – cried. The man holding him looked at him closely.
"He's in shock. We need to get him to Ollic, now." Merlin heard a horse's footsteps approaching. The man holding him looked up and so did Merlin. Astride the horse was a tall man in noblemen's clothing, with a narrow and clean shaven face, sharp eyes and hair that was brown but speckled with grey. Merlin could tell instantly that this man was hard, but maybe not unkind or cruel. The man looked at him and nodded.
"Let's go." He said. Merlin felt himself being thrown onto a horse's back, and then slipped into the nothingness that would stop the pain.
…..
A fireball flew over his head, exploding behind him immediately after.
People were dying, but there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't save them all. The land was burning, and arrows flew in the air like rain. He could hear shouts and battle cries, but mostly screaming. It was heartbreaking. He heard a man's laughter behind him. Then they all vanished, but the laughing continued.
The scene shifted. He was standing in a stone courtyard, ringed with ruins. At Its center stood an alter. The Isle of the Blessed. He turned around…
Merlin woke up, gasping for air.
He was in a large room with a domed wooden ceiling, and afternoon sunlight streamed through the large windows. A man with a worn, old face and close cropped white hair, was kneeling beside him, eyes closed, chanting gibberish.
Merlin stared at him, puzzled, and then realization hit him like a jolt 'He's casting a spell over me!'
Merlin flew up out of the bed he was lying in, and made to flee to the other side of the room, but his legs got tangled in his blankets so his escape out of his bed took a little longer and was a lot less graceful than he had intended. The man opened his eyes just as Merlin was stumbling to the other side of the room.
"Where do you think you're going?" The old man asked with a slight smile. Merlin swiveled around, visions of war and fire still clear in his mind.
"Out! Away from you and your spells." Merlin said with complete conviction and not very well hidden fear. He dashed for the door.
The laughter, he couldn't get it out of his head. It had seemed so real. Merlin escaped out the door just as the old man/evil sorcerer called out with a chuckle,
"Wait! Come back! I haven't finished with you yet!" Merlin ran faster. He was in a hall filled with floor-to-ceiling windows and doors. Servants scuttled past him, giving him odd glances, but for the most part, ignoring him. His bare feet felt cold on the smooth stone floor. He sharply turned a corner, and ran straight into a male servant.
"Hey!" the servant yelped, rubbing his head. "What do you think-" He stopped, stared at him, and grinned.
"Wait a minute! You're that guy we found in the woods, with an arrow sticking out of his shoulder." Merlin looked down at himself, his hand instinctively going towards his shoulder. He gasped, startled.
The first thing he noticed was his clothes. All he was wearing was a whitish robe that was far too big for him. He quickly rolled up the far-too-big right sleeve of his robe and looked at his shoulder. He had a long yellow bruise stretching the entire length of his shoulder, but besides that it was entirely healed. The servant looked puzzled.
"Why hasn't Ollic healed you entirely? He should have been done by now." As if on cue, the heavy-set old man from the room came striding down the corridor, a no-nonsense look on his face.
"Well, at least I've got my daily work-out in for today." The old man said as he hobbled up to them. He turned his gaze to Merlin.
"Now, would you be so kind as to tell me why you just ran like a spooked horse from the infirmary, down the hall, making me chase you?" The old man asked with a raised eyebrow, reminding Merlin very much of Gaius. Merlin turned towards him, a slightly sheepish look on his face.
"I uhh, I thought you were casting a spell on me." Behind him, Merlin heard the servant stifle a laugh, but the man nodded.
"I was. It was a healing spell. Your shoulder was in a horrible state when they brought you to me yesterday." Merlin looked at him in wonder.
"You healed me?" Merlin asked. The man inclined his head.
"Yes I did. That's what physicians normally do I have been told." Merlin started to grin. "With magic?" The old man rolled his eyes.
"Of course." He answered in an exasperated tone. He then looked at Merlin closely.
"Is that alright?" He asked carefully. Merlin's grin grew until he was positively beaming. "That's- that's amazing!" Merlin said with a laugh. The old man stared at him like he was insane, but the servant clapped the old man on the back, causing him to wobble.
"He sure is! Ollic is the best physician we have ever had."
Ollic gave the servant a reproving look, obviously about to object to the young man's kind words but the servant cut him off.
"You are, no use denying it." He said with a smile. The servant then extended his hand towards Merlin.
"I'm Danen, the servant of the great Lord Haymor." He announced in a mock-formal voice and an over exaggerated bow. Merlin shook his hand, still smiling.
"Nice to meet you Danen, servant of the GreatLord Haymor!" He said with a grin. Danen laughed, then said.
"And you are?" Merlin tensed, 'I need a name,' he thought, 'I can't use Merlin.' He then said the first thing that popped into his head.
"I'm Emrys."
Danen tilted his head to one side slightly, "It suites you."
Merlin looked at him in surprise, then noticed Ollic giving him a sharp look.
"Emrys, an interesting name." Ollic said, his face unreadable. 'Uh-oh' Merlin thought in alarm, but grinned widely,
"Yes, it is." Merlin said in a singsong voice.
"Danen," the physician said calmly, "I have not yet finished healing Emrys, and I do believe you have work to do."
Danen nodded at Ollic, then glanced at Merlin apologetically.
"Duty calls!" he said, then bounded off. As soon as he had rounded the corner, Ollic grabbed Merlin by the arm.
"Come along, Emrys." Ollic said stiffly. He started pulling Merlin down the corridor. Merlin paled, and looked away. After an uncomfortable silence they reached the infirmary.
Ollic quickly opened the infirmary door, and shoved a nervous Merlin inside. He came in behind him, and closed the door with a *Thud*. Ollic turned around and pointed towards the bed Merlin had been laying in ten minutes ago.
"Sit." He commanded. Merlin hurriedly sat down, not wanting to get on the physician's bad side.
"Now," the physician demanded, "Is your name truly Emrys?" Merlin nodded as confidently as he could.
"Well… yes it is!" 'Well at least that was only a half lie.' Merlin thought regretfully. Ollic glared at him, and stepped closer.
"Are you lying to me, boy?" That statement reminded Merlin so much of Gaius, that Merlin said without thinking,
"No, well… sort of. That's what the Druids call me at least." The physician's eyes narrowed.
"The Druids," he said slowly. "And then what's your real name?" Merlin hesitated, and then opened his mouth to answer, when the door opened. Merlin turned his head and saw the rich noble from the woods walk in.
"Ah," the man said. "I see our mysterious patient is awake." Ollic straightened his shoulders then turned around.
"Lord Haymor." He said and inclined his head.
"Ollic." Haymor replied with a nod of his own. Merlin shifted uncomfortably in the bed, causing it to creak. There seemed to be a slight tension in the air.
Haymor walked further into the room, causing Ollic to frown slightly.
"How is he?" Lord Haymor asked, gesturing to Merlin.
"Better." Ollic replied curtly. Merlin saw Haymor's eyes flash slightly in annoyance, but it disappeared so quickly Merlin doubted it was ever there.
"Good, I'm glad to hear it." Lord Haymor said briskly. With that, he walked over to Merlin.
"How does your arm fare?" Lord Haymor asked politely. Merlin grinned, then replied. "Very well, thank you my Lord. Ollic is one of the best physicians I have ever seen." Haymor glanced at Ollic and nodded.
"That he is. My wife, the Lady Monica, and I found you in the woods, with the arrow sticking from your shoulder. How did you come upon that injury?" Merlin looked away. "We- Uh," Merlin fidgeted uneasily, and then remembered the conversation he had heard while 'unconscious' in the woods.
"We got attacked by bandits, My Lord," Merlin said with an ease that came from a life full of lying. Haymor frowned,
"We? Who else was in your party?"
Merlin thought quickly, then decided to say as much of the truth as possible.
"My master and his retinue. I'm afraid none of them made it out alive." At this Merlin faltered. Hadany of them made it out alive? He thought they had, but he wasn't sure. Fear, worry and anxiety, all bundled together in Merlin's chest, making him feel sick.
Haymor studied his face, obviously seeing his distress.
"I am sorry." Haymor said solemnly. Merlin unconsciously wrung his hands, but glanced up at Haymor and smiled.
"Thank you, my Lord." Merlin said, slightly hoarse. Haymor nodded, and then said with a thoughtful look on his face.
"What is your name, lad?" Haymor asked. Merlin glanced uncomfortably at Ollic, hoping he would keep his secret. Or at least what he knew of it.
"My name is Emrys, my Lord." Merlin replied. Ollic frowned, but said nothing. Relieved, Merlin went on, answering the questions he knew were coming.
"I'm from the Kingdom of Mercia- I live there with my uncle. My master came here to trade with the local businessmen. We got attacked right before we entered the city. At the tree-line."
Merlin finished, feeling slightly guilty with all the lies he was spinning. Nevertheless, they were his enemies, no matter how kind they were to him, and he couldn't afford to tell them the truth.
Not unless he wanted to get hung upside-down from the castle walls- as was the custom here, he had been told. However, Haymor didn't seem to notice the guilty look on Merlin's face.
"Do you plan to go back to Mercia? Because if you do, I can arrange for the trip and you can be on your way by tomorrow morning." Haymor asked kindly.
Merlin shook his head a little too quickly, strengthening the sick feeling in his stomach. Going on a detour trip to Mercia was the last thing he wanted.
He needed to get back to Camelot. He needed to make sure Arthur was okay.
He needed to report to Uther that the mission had failed.
The mission.
Merlin remembered Arthur's last words, right before they had entered the city.
'Now, when we enter the city, we must find out what Cenred is planning and report it to my father, no matter what. If things do not go according to plan and we get separated, remember, the mission does not stop.'
Merlin inwardly groaned. 'Great,' He thought to himself, 'I'm stuck here. In a kingdom where if they ever find out who I am they will have me killed. Well, not really any change there then.' Merlin thought sadly.
'I can go home just as soon as I find out what King Cenred is planning and, if I can, stop him. This is just a vacation. On the bright side, while I'm here I don't have to scrub any armor or clean smelly socks or muck out stables.' Merlin was knocked out of his thoughts by Haymor's voice,
"What? Why don't you want to go back to Mercia? Don't you think your uncle would worry?" Haymor asked. Merlin shook his head again-gently this time- as he said,
"My Lord, I have failed by not keeping my master safe. I cannot face the people I know there, especially not my uncle. Not yet. I do not think I could bare it," Merlin said, in what he hoped was a very ashamed and humiliated voice. He did quite well, apparently, as Haymor nodded his head in understanding.
Merlin went on, speaking his thoughts aloud.
"I'll find a job, and a place to stay that is affordable. I have enough coins on me now to pay a month's rent in advance- I hope. I don't really know how things work around here." Merlin said softly.
Haymor stood watching him, obviously weighing something in his mind.
"You said you were a servant for your old master?" Haymor asked slowly. Merlin nodded, wincing slightly at the term, "old master". Haymor went on,
"I have recently lost a servant who went off to help his father in the fields. As a result, I am a servant short. While you are here, and until you find a different job, you can take his place temporarily. If you prove yourself to be reliable, diligent and trustworthy, you can have the job permanently. Do you accept my offer?" Haymor asked.
Merlin stared at him, taken aback. Why did this man show him such kindness? No doubt he would be fired within a week for being the worst manservant ever, considering he had a track record of being neither reliable, nor diligent. Trustworthy- yes, but he would fail in that area too with Lord Haymor, considering he was here as a spy from his enemy.
No, he wouldn't last long. 'Don't do it Merlin,' he begged himself, 'you'll get caught. Just living in the town is one thing, but living in the castle is quite another. The gate guard/captain knows your face, and there will be no hiding from him here. There is no way you can pull this off.'
'The town people are useless.' He told his other self sternly, 'I already know that. Asking them any more questions isn't going to get me anywhere. The castle is my best bet.'
Merlin smiled up at Lord Haymor.
"Yes, I accept. Thank you very much." Merlin said sincerely.
'You're an idiot.' He told himself.
Lord Haymor smiled slightly.
"Good," He said, "I expect to see you in my rooms bright and early tomorrow morning. My other servants can instruct you on what to do and where to sleep." Haymor said easily.
Merlin looked at him in confusion.
"Where to sleep?" Merlin asked, "What do you mean?" At this, Haymor raised his eyebrows in amusement.
"I have a servant's chamber connected to my rooms. All of my servants live there, as I may need them in the night. You will be staying there, as it is a requirement and since you have no other place to go." Haymor answered.
Merlin grinned at him, delighted.
"So let me get this straight: You are giving me a job and a place to stay, free of charge?" Merlin asked, beginning to laugh at his good fortune.
Haymor nodded and smiled slightly.
"Oh thank you!" exclaimed Merlin, jumping out of bed to shake the startled noble's hand. "You won't regret this" Merlin said with as much conviction as he could muster. He heard Ollic stifle a snort behind him.
"I'll work harder then all your other servants combined!"
Haymor smiled coolly, "I'm sure you will. Now, I must return to my duties." Haymor glanced at Ollic,
"Good day."
Merlin bobbed his head, still grinning, "Good day, My Lord."
When Lord Haymor was gone, Ollic walked up to Merlin with a jar of cream colored ointment in his hands.
Wordlessly, Ollic sat Merlin down on the bed again and began applying it to the bruise on his shoulder. An uncomfortable silence weighed heavily in the air, in which Merlin fidgeted.
"Thank you," Merlin said at last to break the silence. Ollic looked at him questioningly, and then returned to treating the wound.
"For what?" Ollic asked, although Merlin was pretty sure he already knew.
"For not giving me away." Merlin answered anyway.
"Thank you for not telling Lord Haymor that my name really isn't Emrys." Merlin finished. Ollic gave him another questioning look.
" Isn't it?" Ollic asked, feigning ignorance. Merlin stared at him, bewildered, then said frustrated,
"No! Look, Ollic my name really isn't Emrys. My name is-" Merlin was stopped by a wave of the hand from Ollic.
"Your name," Ollic said slowly, enunciating every word. "Is Emrys, and that is all I will ever know."
Merlin stared at him in confusion, wondering at his sudden change of heart. Merlin thought Ollic was going to say nothing more, but then he sighed and said wearily, "Emrys, I know that you are not all that you seem and I am quite sure that that little tale you told Haymor was a complete lie. But," Ollic said cutting Merlin off again with a raised finger.
"I do not need to be involved with whatever is going on here and, honestly, I do not want to. I'm far too old to be getting involved with young people and their secrets. People have too many of them nowadays, if you ask me. So many more than they did when I was your age."
"Or maybe," Ollic continued, thoughtfully to himself,
"Maybe all that has changed is the fact that I am now living in a castle, which is full of secrets, backstabbers and spies, instead of living in the quiet village I grew up in." A chill of fear went down Merlin's spine as Ollic mentioned "spies", just increasing Merlin's belief that Ollic knew more than he was letting on.
"Ollic…" Merlin said nervously. Ollic glanced up from rubbing some green colored substance into his shoulder.
"Yes? What is it?" Ollic asked, his voice questioning but his eyes telling Merlin to drop the subject.
"Nothing," Merlin replied quietly, obeying Ollic's silent command.
…
Merlin was lost.
He had been traveling the corridors of Cenred's castle for about half an hour now, and he still hadn't found Lord Haymor's rooms.
After Ollic had finished coating Merlin's shoulder in layer after layer of ointments and creams, he had given him something proper to wear- nothing special: brown trousers, a white shirt and a brown jacket. He had then told him to go to Lord Haymor's chambers to speak with the other servants about his duties and the sleeping arrangements.
Ollic had then proceeded to rapidly babble off about twenty-five steps worth of directions to get there, and then hastily pushed him out the door without another word.
Merlin had tried to ask some of the other servants for directions but most of them wouldn't even acknowledge his existence.
After the first ten minutes, Merlin had been reduced to aimlessly wandering the labyrinth of hallways in the castle, hoping that fortune might just smile upon him and he would magically appear in Lord Haymor's doorway.
But sadly, fortune had other ideas for him. 'Let's see,' Merlin thought to himself, 'turn right at the stairs then take another right when you can see the stables in the courtyard through the window. Then take a left three hallways down, and continue on until you reach another set of stairs, which you will follow up to the second story. Take a right after about 30 feet and then immediately after that take a left… or was it immediately take a right and then take a left?'
Merlin shook his head, partly in disgust, partly in confusion. He was so off course Merlin knew that even if he could remember the directions clearly it wouldn't help him much. He was in what seemed to be the most remote part of the castle as he didn't see any servants scuttling about.
Merlin stopped walking to survey his surroundings.
He was in a corridor just like all the others with a wall of windows on his left and a curving stairway going up on his right. Behind him, around a corner, Merlin heard metal boots clanking and voices approaching.
'At last!' Merlin thought to himself, relieved. 'Maybe these men will tell me how to finally get out of this blasted maze and to Lord Haymor's chambers.'
However, Merlin's relief was short lived, as he soon recognized one of the men's voices. Merlin's heart jumped to his throat as he heard the lazily arrogant voice of Mini Arthur coming down the hallway.
Instinct kicked in as Merlin looked for a place to hide. The sound of metal boots clanging against the stone floor got louder as the men got closer and Merlin, in a panic, ran up the stairs as fast as he could, but stopped when he heard Arthur's name mentioned.
"…got away." Mini Arthur was saying. "I must report to the King that as of yet, we cannot find them, but my men are out in the forest looking for them as we speak." Merlin felt so relieved that Arthur was still alive that he almost cried out, giving himself away from behind the curve of the stairs.
Merlin held his breath as the Captain and two accompanying soldiers passed below him, then continued on. Merlin let out the breath he had been holding in and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes, letting the relief of knowing that Arthur was okay wash over him.
"What are you doing?" a girl's voice asked with a little laugh.
Merlin almost jumped out of his skin. In his haste to push himself off the wall and open his eyes, Merlin tripped slightly on the stairs, causing himself to half fall half run down four steps where he whirled his arms and wobbled before catching his balance.
Above him, the girl said in distress, "Oh! I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"
Merlin looked up to see a child, a girl of about ten years, with brown hair and brown eyes, wearing an old, ratty looking servant's garb, looking down at him in concern. Her face was dirty and smudged.
Merlin gave her his trademark grin.
"Oh yeah, don't worry about me, I'm fine. It wasn't your fault; you just startled me was all." The girl gave him a doubtful look, and then came down the stairs to join him.
"I haven't seen you in the castle before… Are you new?" She asked curiously.
Merlin nodded, preparing himself to recount the story he had told Lord Haymor.
"Yeah, I got here yesterday morning apparently."
At the girl's confused look, he continued.
"My master and I got attacked by bandits and were separated. Lord Haymor found me and brought me to the court physician, Ollic, who has done an excellent job of healing me up." Merlin said brightly.
The girl's eyes widened at Merlin's quickly reiterated story, and even more at the flippant way in which he told it.
"Wow," she said with a slight smile, "I think you give a new meaning to, what my brother would call 'jeopardy friendly'."
Merlin laughed and said with a shrug, "I've been told it's one of my many natural gifts." The child laughed, warming up to Merlin's friendly personality.
"I'm Emma," She said, absently twirling her hair around her finger, "I'm a scullery maid in the kitchens."
Merlin held out his hand, which Emma took with another small laugh.
"Nice to meet you Emma," Merlin said happily, "I'm Me-er I'm Emrys." Merlin quickly saved. Luckily, Emma didn't notice Merlin's slip-up.
"So what are you doing in the left wing of the castle, in some forgotten stairway, with your eyes closed?" She inquired.
Merlin rubbed the back of his head, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"I'm uh- looking for Lord Haymor's chambers. Ollic gave me directions but I kinda got lost." At this, Emma laughed outright.
"You can say so, if you're looking for Lord Haymor's chambers. They're in the right wing of the castle on the third story. Here," She motioned over her shoulder.
"Follow me. I can take you there, but then I have to get back to work."
Merlin happily followed his rescuer through the corridors she knew so well. It reminded Merlin of how he acted in Camelot. He knew those hallways better than just about anyone.
"Thank you for saving me Emma," Merlin said, walking behind her.
"I would have starved to death in those halls."
Emma glanced at him.
"Oh, I don't mind. Besides," Emma said with a laugh, "someonehas to be there to make sure you don't slip on another stair case, or talk to the wrong people, or run into a wall…"
"I'm sure the wall would have deserved it."
Merlin smiled to himself as the little girl laughed. He had been surprised when she had told him that she was a servant, despite the fact that she was wearing servant's clothes. She just seemed far too educated and well mannered, which didn't really compliment him, considering he was a servant, but still.
Merlin followed her up a staircase, through a corridor and then turned right. Emma stopped walking and turned around.
"Well, here we are," Emma said rapidly, pointing to a door. "That door leads into Lord Haymor's rooms, and that door," Emma said, pointing to a door right next to it on the left, "leads to the servant's chambers."
Emma looked over her shoulder as she heard footsteps rounding the corner.
"Good day Emrys." Emma said quickly, and after the fastest curtsy Merlin had ever seen, she scampered down the hall and turned a corner before Merlin could even say "thanks".
'That was odd,' Merlin thought to himself with a shake of his head. Merlin got out of the way as a cluster of servants rounded the corner.
As Merlin backed up, he recognized one of the servants as Danen, who was balancing a very large stack of linens on his arms.
"Danen," Merlin called, lifting his arm in a wave. When Danen saw him he smiled.
"Oh, Emrys, there you are! Lord Haymor told us you were coming, but I had expected you to arrive about an hour ago."
Danen staggered up to Merlin, holding the laundry on one arm, while the other hand fumbled with his keys.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I was supposed to have gotten here a long while ago it's just I got lost." Merlin said, slightly embarrassed. Danen laughed good-naturedly, and walked up to the door to Lord Haymor's chambers.
"Don't worry about it, it's not a problem," Danen said, pushing a key into the lock and then taking it out to try a different one.
"You should have seen me my first day here. I got so lost and turned around I wouldn't have even been able to show you where I had started if my life had depended on it."
Merlin laughed. As Danen stuck another key into the lock, the linens wobbled. Merlin was going to ask Danen if he could help carry them, but decided against it, not wanting to offend him.
Instead he said, "That's me. I probably would still be wandering those hallways now, if Emma the scullery maid hadn't found me, and showed me the way here." That earned him a confused look.
"Emma?" Danen asked with a puzzled frown.
"I don't remember ever seeing an Emma. You said she is a scullery maid?"
Merlin nodded.
"Yeah," Merlin answered, "she's very young, only about ten or so, and she said she works in the kitchens." Danen raised both eyebrows and shrugged.
"Well I don't remember seeing her…but, maybe she's new." Merlin shook his head. Nobody new would know the castle as well as she did.
"I don't think so Da-" Merlin's sentence was cut off as the linens- which had been wobbling very badly- finally decided to topple over. Instinctively, Merlin's eyes flashed, causing time to slow.
With an ease that surprised him, Merlin caught the laundry before it hit the floor. Time resumed to its normal pace. Merlin straightened his knees and looked at the laundry, which to his delight was still perfectly folded. Danen was looking at him in surprise.
"Nice catch." Danen said smiling. With his hands now free of laundry, he easily found the right key, and opened the door. Danen, with Merlin on his heel, walked into Lord Haymor's chambers.
They weren't as luxurious as Arthur's, instead of red curtains hanging from the four-poster bed, there were green curtains, and the furniture wasn't quite as elegant. Nevertheless, Lord Haymor's chambers screamed of wealth and power.
Danen carefully placed the clothes in Haymor's dresser, and turned towards Merlin.
"Okay, so this is Lord Haymor's room," Danen said in a business-like voice.
"Fernor and I have already agreed that we will alternate chores every day, because doing the same things day after day gets boring. So one day you will take Lord Haymor his breakfast and the next day Fernor or I will. That way life will be a bit more interesting and it will also even out all the disgusting jobs. It will be nice having another servant about again, you have no idea how hard it is to take on all this work with just two people!"
Merlin hid a smirk as he thought of working for an irritable Prince who had never been able to keep a servant for longer than a month- until he came along, that is. But he couldn't tell Danen that, so instead he asked,
"So where is Fernor now? Oh, and Ollic said something about talking to you about sleeping arrangements…"
Danen shrugged, "Fernor was cleaning these floors last I knew,"
He tapped one foot on the ground for emphasis. "But I have no idea where he is now." The door opened, and as if by magic, a man Merlin guessed was Fernor entered the room. He had straight, long brown hair that went a little past his shoulders, and was of a medium build.
Even though he was in his early thirties, he had lines on his face that came from too much frowning and though his facial expression was pleasant, his eyes were sad and bitter. Nevertheless, Merlin liked him instantly, and grinned at him as he walked into the room. "Hi," Merlin said amiably, "I'm Emrys, Lord Haymor's new servant."
Fernor nodded and smiled.
"Yes, Danen told me about you. Now I am sure you already know my name but I will tell you anyway that it is Fernor, and I am Lord Haymor's senior servant. So, as is custom here, you will do as I say and follow my orders until My Lord says otherwise. Do you understand?"
Merlin's eyebrows rose in surprise at the man's abrupt demeanor, but nodded his head with enthusiasm,
"Yes, I do." Merlin said with the smile he was famous for. Fernor nodded in approval, "Good," he said, "Now, I have finished all my tasks for today and it is getting late, so how about we all head down to the tavern and get something to eat?" Merlin looked up at him in alarm.
"The tavern?"
…
Merlin lay on the bed that was now his, looking up at the ceiling.
It was late and he was in the servant chambers alone, so he was taking the time to settle in and gather his thoughts.
The room was not very large, but it held three beds - each one on a different wall – with a dresser next to each one. The room also held a desk with writing utensils, paper and, to Merlin's surprise, even a bookcase.
Fernor and Danen had left and gone to the tavern about an hour ago, and Merlin knew they wouldn't be back until later. They had asked Merlin to come with them, but Merlin declined under the excuse that he was tired, which thankfully was true.
He didn't think that anybody at the tavern knew that he had been with Arthur, but he wasn't sure and didn't want to take any unnecessary chances.
His thoughts wandered back home to Camelot, to Gwen and then to Gaius, wondering how they were doing, if they missed him.
Then he thought of Arthur, hunted in the woods with just Sir Kay and Sir Allen to protect him. Worry gnawed at Merlin's stomach like a leech causing him to close his eyes. Finally, when he could bare it no longer, Merlin got up and went to the water basin that held his dirty wash water from earlier that evening.
He picked it up and sat down on the floor with the basin resting on his lap. Right before he had left Camelot, he had been practicing a scrying spell, which would allow him to see whomever he wanted to in a contained area of water.
To his frustration, he had not yet mastered the spell, but Gaius had consoled him by saying that scrying was an extremely difficult art to master, and that it took most sorcerers years to even be able to see clear images in the water.
Fortunately, Merlin was not an average sorcerer. His eyes flashed as he incanted the spell. The water turned black and shifted, swirling around in the basin. Then a scene slowly formed in the water. Merlin sighed in relief as he watched, like looking out from a window far above.
An exhausted Sir Kay was sitting with his back against a tree, pulling food from the pack he always kept with him.
Arthur was lying behind a large bush, unconscious, but very much alive, with Sir Allen slowly drizzling a mixture of water and a sleeping potion of Gaius's into his mouth. Arthur had a bandaged knee, and arm, but besides that he appeared to be unharmed. Merlin watched the scene until he was satisfied that Arthur was in no danger and was alright, before ending the spell.
The water in the basin cleared. Merlin smiled to himself and stood up with a sigh, feeling much better. After placing the bowl back on the dresser, Merlin walked over to the desk and sat down.
He was going to write Arthur a letter to tell him he was okay, because whether Arthur would admit it or not, Merlin knew he would be worried about him, and would probably try to come after him when he woke up.
Hopefully that wouldn't happen until he arrived at Camelot, and Merlin was determined that he would have a letter waiting for him. Merlin laid out the paper and dipped the quill pen into some ink and wrote:
Arthur,
I am writing this letter simply to let you know that I am very much alive, and better yet, working as a servant in Cenred's castle. The arrow wound in my shoulder isn't deep and Ollic, the court physician, says I will make a quick recovery. I'm surprised myself at how well I am feeling.
I am currently working under Lord Haymor, a distant but kind man. Nobody here has any idea who I am but I must have 'servant' written on my forehead or something! How else could I become a servant…again.
But I'm not complaining, they are giving me a place to live and better wages than I ever received in Camelot. (Merlin drew a smiley face next to that sentence)
I have not forgotten the mission though, and will continue to ask around. What better place than in the castle itself? When I have found out what Cenred is planning I will write to you, and then, come home to Camelot.
Tell Gaius and Gwen not to worry and that I miss them.
I hope to see you soon prat.
-Merlin
P.S. Don't come back here to 'retrieve' me. If you can't wash your own royal socks
or get yourself dressed for a short period of time then you can have a different
servant help you out until I get back, but don't come back here. It is too dangerous.
Merlin grinned when he finished writing the letter. It would do just fine.
With skillful hands he folded it, addressing it to Arthur.
Merlin sealed it closed and yawned. It had been a long day.
With a quick incantation and a flash of his eyes, the letter disappeared. He had sent it to Gaius's chambers, he would know what to do with it. The raven headed boy stood up from the desk's chair, blew the candle out, and sunk gladly into the warm depths of his bed.
…
Later that night, just as Merlin was about to fall asleep, the door creaked open and Fernor and Danen walked half drunk into the room, and without a word unceremoniously fell into their beds and went to sleep.
Author's Note: I want to thank everyone that has reviewed, I really does mean a lot to me.So special thanks to… Notquitebezerk, Ebonyice, 1, Falling down the Stairs, Ruby 890, Eclipseoftheheart17, and Wisegirl24256. I know that I have already thanked some of you but a second time doesn't hurt anybody…right?
Cheers!
TTT