Merlin stepped back.
"Merlin, you know this girl?" asked Percival.
The girl strode forward and threw her hood away from her face. "You're a Dragon Lord?" she said. "And you were going to kill the dragon?"
"Get out of here," said Merlin. "It's not your business."
Her shock turned to a glare. She tipped her head at her nearest knight and kept eye contact with Merlin. "He's a Dragon Lord. If we take him, the dragon will follow into our lands without a fuss."She looked at Leon. "What say you, knights of Camelot?"
Aithusa's growling broke Merlin's nerves. He rounded on the animal. "Hsychios!"
Percival looked between Merlin and the woman with awe, then back at the quieted dragon.
"If you want to get to Merlin, you'll have to go through us," said Leon, adamantly.
Her eyes flashed to Leon. "That's unnecessary. I'll send word when we're home safe. For now, it gets the dragon out of your kingdom."
"We can't leave Merlin," said Percival.
A hushed stillness settled over the clearing.
Leon's proclamation. "Take him."
Merlin dropped his jaw with betrayal. But he didn't have time to say anything. The sihde used their wild spells. He staggered, but even he couldn't last for long.
Blood pounded in his ears as he dropped.
He woke bobbing against the sturdy back of another man. He jolted awake.
The morning was still dark, so much so, those around him were dark outlines; shapes and figures. But the clean smell that came from settled dust after dew had already washed over the land. Hours had passed., and no sign of the dragon.
Merlin snapped the rope, breaking it with a rush of wordless magic. He scrambled down and stumbled into the nearby brush. He didn't make it far before he fell; a knight struck him.
"Don't be so rough, Raul," said Gwendolen.
Merlin struggled. This Raul twisted his arm. Merlin thrust a rush of wind toward her voice. Wen's horse threw her, and the others separated. Merlin took his chance, stumbling forward towards her.
He freed her sword and held it over her shoulder at her stomach, lifting her chin with the back of his hand.
She backed toward Merlin and away from the blade. The knights finally stopped.
Merlin had never done this. He never thought he would do this. "GO ON! GET AWAY!" he yelled.
"—Merlin, you're being ridiculous."
"—Where is the dragon?" Merlin heard a roar in answer in the distance. He grabbed her arm and pulled her harshly forward, away from the knights.
She was quick. She kept pace with him and didn't try to pull away. "This is a bad idea, Merlin," she said. "Merlin!"
He ignored her and pushed onward. He shoved her aside and ran blindly.
Merlin's foot slipped. He plunged into the cold water and kicked upward. Shadows of rocks broke the surface of the stream. Slick surfaces revealed he'd slipped on a patch of algae.
"AGH." Merlin croaked and hit the water with the flat of his hand.
She clutched a tree and watched him with a frown. "Looks like my sword's gone." She remarked.
"Shut up," he hissed.
Her eyes narrowed into slits, and her jaw set. "—Better your words," she ordered.
He nodded with rolled eyes. "Majesty," he said curtly.
"Do you want a hand?"
"No," he snipped. "I don't need – a hand." He stumbled again as he climbed into the dirt. His face burned.
"You aren't in Camelot anymore, or even the Brythonic realm," she explained. "Why would you run? There are creatures out here."
"Take me home," he demanded. He lowered his voice. "I have a family. I have a home."
She shifted. She held a sincere frown. "For cruel reasons. Your family's curse could restore the last dragon, which would be a symbol of hope."
He splashed at her. "That animal can't give anyone hope." He threw himself on the bank of the stream.
She dropped and stared at him. "I've never heard anyone talk about such a revered creature like that before. Is the only man who encouraged me to survive so cruel?" her eyes flickered between his own.
He swallowed and dropped his attention to his knees.
She pulled the clasp of her cloak with a sigh.
"Don't TOUCH ME!" he snapped.
She shrank back. Then strode away around an oak. "It's a lay-way between Camelot and Avalon. It's called the Sylven forest. Don't set fires unless you want to attract unwanted attention from magical creatures."
Merlin tipped his chin up as he heard Aithusa cry in the night. He wasn't far away.
"What will your knights do to me?" he followed her with his arms around himself. The night was a little colder than was natural for the summer. She'd found a tree to shelter in, burning insects and their webs with flashes of light from her hands. Merlin was very sure her little space with the cleanest he'd seen of a natural hollow, and this tree was so ancient. It was enormous.
One of these lights hovered over her stretched knuckles. She had dainty hands, but they were round, not slim. They looked almost work-worn. Her face turned away.
"Why were you at the pyre ceremony?" she said suddenly. "If you can be here, you couldn't belong there. I thought you were the servant of one of the rich merchants who came to the ceremony. But you're—"
"The servant of the king of Camelot," filled Merlin.
She lifted her head. "The king of Camelot is dead."
Merlin frowned and turned away to face the black.
She leaned up on an elbow. "You distrust magic?" she said. Then, in explanation, "you keep looking away from mine."
Merlin nodded.
"Aren't Dragon Lord deeply entwined with magic? Why did your King keep you alive?"
Merlin hissed again. "I don't need to explain myself to you."
"Calm yourself. I'm merely trying to establish an understanding."
Merlin shook and walked to an adjacent tree and slid down, watching her.
She watched back.
"How did you know where the dragon was?" said Merlin.
"I followed it," she said. "When I became princess,"
"—So, you're a princess."
She nodded. "-Another dragon appeared in the caves outside the castle. He told us to 'look for Merlin,' but you had melted away like snow."
"Another dragon? The Great Dragon," said Merlin.