Adventures of Merlin 4
Merlin felt like he was speaking over himself, repeating things he'd thought a million times. "Magic has its dangers. I heard before the great purge people used magic for selfish reasons, for the wrong ends."
The knight passed Merlin with a smirk and a curled lip. He juggled and threw Merlin an apple. "Magic hurt that kingdom like the shovel ended farming because of a murder. Where'd you hear this?" His brow furrowed, but Merlin knew.
"I don't even have magic," said Meilyr, "and I know that's rubbish."
"I heard it from a good man, someone who'd been a sorcerer himself."
"You have your poisoned few in every kind," said Meilyr, "Women who swear they're the 'better' ones, slaves who turn in escapee's." His voice hardened. "I don't fault people for surviving, but I do when it's only for their own ends. You're aware of it now. Change it fast." The knight disappeared, whistling a tune as he passed a corner.
Merlin stood at the window and watched as a swell of fire swirl in on itself.
Aithusa's white neck flashed as he turned his head to show one large blue eye.
Merlin knew how the glass melted now. Aithusa hissed, disappeared, and fell suspiciously silent.
Merlin folded his arms, then stumbled back; a loud eruption of flames blew down the chimney and into the room.
Merlin carefully got closer and pulled the lever to the metal floo.
The dragon roared angrily, and Merlin heard him stalk off this time. Merlin smirked. The lever pulled a metal plate closed, so the fire went back into the dragon's face. Clever of his predecessor.
Gwendolen strolled under the Dragon Run's high archways with a dignitary, a Druid of the local peoples, and his long, vibrant gown flowed as he swayed with his fingers held together.
Merlin stayed out of the way, sticking to the high arches and using the echo to listen in.
"It seems you've been restoring the old ways." He swayed as he walked, clasping his hands together. "Me and mine, appreciate you. But we're wondering where you would find a dragon lord in these days. The last I've heard of them, they've long gone."
"I have a Dragon Lord, but I don't know what he knows of the practice. He seems to have the skill, but he's only used it to start chaos. He hasn't done much but placate the dragon."
"The skill is not what I'm concerned about. I'm afraid the only Dragonlord in known existence is Merlin of Camelot, and he's proven a dangerous enemy to the old ways, despite prophecies to his favor."
She nodded. "Tell me."
Merlin couldn't hear what they said next as he met face to face with a fright. A young, robed man with covered hair and a crossbow swung his legs whilst hanging on one of those archways. He flashed a crooked, threatening smile and bared his teeth. Merlin locked himself in the dragon-tower immediately.
Druids knew Merlin's true name and all of his wrongs. They'd tell the princess just like they'd told Camelot. Merlin hid away, waiting to be taken away to die.
Druids used the knobbly grasses around the castle freely and placed their fires and encampment around it no differently than they had in the woods.
Merlin saw children playing, swinging a rope at each other like a whip and running around. Most of the adults sat around fires chatting, some weaving and hunched, others setting pots for cooking.
Meilyr arrived. Merlin sat up from his bed and put his arms out.
Meilyr looked him up and down. "What are you doing?"
"They've sent you to arrest me?" asked Merlin tentatively.
Meilyr's nose wrinkled, "no," he said starkly. Then he went on like nothing happened. "The princess says you would like to meet the druids. She thinks you have some talk to give that would help."
"Mm," said Merlin.
Meilyr held out a cloak thick enough to protect Merlin from the mist. He gave merlin a weak smile. "You have to get used to Druids if you live here. I know you hate magic, but –"
"I don't hate magic," blurted Merlin.
"What?"
"I don't hate magic," Merlin mumbled. He took the cloak.
Merlin took close to his new friend's side. He kept the hood up and tried to turn away as long as he could.
A man with blond curls and a strong nose stood from a stool beside a cooking fire. His blue eyes trained on Merlin fiercely. "Merlin," nodded the man.
It was Iseldir himself. He was the Druid Chieftain, and Merlin followed him away from the others.
Merlin noticed the princess, bent over from where she'd stooped, talking to a ten-year-old presented as a possible novitiate.
Her eyebrows furrowed when she saw Merlin speaking with the leader of the Druid. Worried?
"You know you and I have not always gotten along," said Iseldir.
"I always thought of us as reluctant allies," said Merlin.
"Allies of circumstance. Prophecies predict you will be influential in restoring the old ways. I hope that prophecy still holds, but I cannot risk putting an enemy into the hands of the naïve regent of the Isle of Avalon."
"I'm no enemy," urged Merlin, stopping. I have urged that Magic be protected and done everything I knew to do to protect Arthur.
"This isn't what I've heard." Iseldir nodded back to the camp. "The highest order of the old religion has suffered from your involvement, our dear Bendrui, the Dothraid, and the last priestess all perished."
Merlin recoiled. "You can't claim to support Morgana—"
Iseldir held up a hand. "I do not," he said. "Be calm."
Merlin frowned. "The Dothraid allied with her to kill the Queen. Killing the king and queen would have only led to what has happened now, which is a disordered kingdom and no hope of acceptance for the old ways in the people."
"Maybe nothing could have stopped that," said Iseldir. The Druid appeared notably calm, with no accusation in his voice.
Merlin bowed his head. "I will stay away from her," he said, "Do what I can to better the chances of the old ways."
Iseldir's voice lightened. "You have become a fine sorcerer. You could take an apprentice if you took the offer to stay with us and learn the ways."
Merlin looked over at the chattering crowd. "I want to be sure Arthur is in place and protected."
"And then you will return and take the care of yourself so desperately needed," he bowed his head, "right?"
Merlin deliberated, "Magic is a part of me. I cannot become anything else."
The Druid squinted and frowned at Merlin. Merlin stumbled oddly back to the princess and quietly bowed."
"I'm sorry," said.
She grimaced and held a hand up. "I know you have your secrets, Merlin. But Iseldir did not tell them to me. We're going to the grave this afternoon. You'll be able to see your…King. Tell me later."
Merlin nodded and shuffled away.
Rual kneeled beside the princess and whispered something. He took her hand and held it uncommonly long, then kissed it and returned to the side.
Meilyr offered Merlin a bit of meat on it's bone. It crisped up at the edges and steam rose from the surface. Merlin took it gingerly.
"Thank you," said Merlin.
"She has the Druids," he said. "That's good."
"We're visiting Avalon," said Merlin.
"That's good?"
"Yeah," said Merlin.
Among the druids, a rail thin young woman rose from the group. She dressed in bright blues and a young man lifted his hand to help her through. "I heard you are the one to see to see the dragon." She looked behind her and back at Merlin. Merlin glanced to Iseldir, who nodded silently with his eyes closed.
Several children perked up and ran to her side.
Merlin grunted but reluctantly brought Saffer and several others brave enough through the dragon's courtyard.
Merlin bowed and displayed the dragon with his fingers weakly dutiful, but Saffer and the others no longer looked at him.
Their eyes filled with tears and hands cupped over their faces. Some old audibly cried, and some hugged each other.
"They've never seen a dragon," said an old woman. "And some thought we never would again," said a man who squeezed the old woman's shoulder. "Thank you."
Merlin bowed again, this time trying to hide his face.
That night, a storm kicked up. Merlin gathered himself from his bed and wrapped himself in a cloak. He poked the coal in his hearth until the embers glowed and gazed down on the encampment.
Merlin cloaked himself and went down to greet the camp. "If you're worried about the dragon, he won't hurt you. He's tamed to everyone but me." Merlin convinced them to move the Druids under the archways out of the wind.
"The Druid people are nomadic. It is a matter of culture and survival."
"And shelter and warm fires are very good for survival." Merlin offered Iseldir his hand.
They moved through the courtyard, and Aithusa cocked his head. A woman touched her boy's head and smoothed his hair as he paused and stared on.
Gwendolen folded her arms from her window and leaned her head on the frame.
"Did you ask the council for this?" A loud voice came from a corner and a knight emerged. It was Rual, wearing a frown. "Or the princess?"
"She doesn't mind," said Merlin.
Merlin folded his arms, eyeing the princess atop the railing of the secret passage he'd opened for her. It was now tapestried off, and he suspected only she still knew about it. He smiled fondly and met her approving, night surrounded gaze.