Chapter 13 [A Third of an Hourglass Turn Earlier]
[A/N: And now from Merlin's angle….]
Merlin rode Morgana's horse over the meadows west of the Citadel. Wind blew through his hair. The horse's strides soothed his nerves. Gratitude for Morgana's intervention eased his mind. I respect Arthur's not wanting to deal with George. I want to serve him. The King and Morgana want me to learn. Wish we could do both. Wonder what these royals are like? Hopefully not prats! He eased across the stream cutting through a slender tree break and up onto the opposite bank. A little while later, he spied the magenta flowers. There! He pulled up on the horse's reins. "Maybe we can get these flowers and then get back?" He dismounted and grabbed his necessary items from the saddlebag. Then, he stooped into the grass. Blade cut flowers. He put them in his bag. For several of Hourglass' grains, he repeated this procedure.
"Hello!" a female voice called out.
He looked up from his task. He spied Mithian hustling toward him. A shaft stood ready in her crossbow. "Uh…hello?" He stood up. "I am out here collecting herbs for Gaius and Camelot." He looked her over. "I am not armed except for the knife. That's for cutting the flowers." He set the knife down.
The horse whinnied at Mithian as well.
"Master Gaius?" Mithian lowered her crossbow. "Pardon me, Sirrah." She lowered her crossbow. "I am in unfamiliar territory. "That is King Uther's court physician. And your role?"
He picked up the knife and put it back in the bag with the flowers. "I am Gaius' new apprentice, Merlin." Her impetuousness and brazen rushing up to him inspired Robbery's fears or worse. He slipped both into his horse's saddlebag. "I am also Prince Arthur's new manservant."
"Milady!" Britomart reached them. "I was worried! I didn't know…" She regarded Merlin. She held her sword up. "Who are you?"
"Britomart, it is quite all right." Mithian held up her hand. "This is Merlin. He is Prince Arthur's manservant and Master Gaius' new apprentice apparently. I think we are all right."
"Britomart? Wait. Do you serve Nemeth?" He stepped back from the horse. "There's a servant by that name who's coming with King Rodor and his family to Camelot."
"Aye. I am Britomart. You are the servant I am working with?" Britomart lowered her blade. "At least you know your herbs, Merlin. I am training with our physician, Master Wyngate. This is Princess Mithian. She is King Rodor's daughter."
"Princess…?" He stared at Mithian. "Sorry." He bowed to her. "I did not realize. I…."
The horse whinnied. His ears perked up. Anxiety prompted a loud neigh.
"Now what?" Merlin rubbed the horse's side. "It is all right. What is it? What?" His eyes went wide. He pointed back across the meadow. "Are they with you?"
Mithian and Britomart turned to find several crimson clad knights overwhelming Nemeth's knights. One knight on horseback galloped toward them. Eagerness spread a grin across his face. Prizes lay within his reach.
"Milady! RUN!" Britomart raised her sword. She braced herself for a fight.
"Nay! Britomart! I cannot leave you!" Mithian raised her crossbow again. "STOP! YOU ARE NO KNIGHT OF CAMELOT! I SEE CAWDOR'S SYMBOL AND COLORS ON YOU!" She fired the bolt at the charging knight. Then she reloaded and fired again.
The first bolt buried itself in his shoulder. The second whizzed by the knight's ear but startled the horse. The horse reared and knocked him from the saddle.
Meantime the other Cawdorian knights finished with the Nemethian guards. They spied their fallen comrade and the trio. They ran toward their main objectives.
"Milady! We need to flee!" Britomart grabbed the fallen knight's horse's reins. "We have no time!" She mounted the Cawdorian horse. "Get on behind me!"
"She can ride with me." Merlin climbed up onto the saddle. He put out his hand. "Can you…?"
Sarcasm's snort puffed from Mithian's lips. "Of course I can!" She got on behind him. "GO! Pardon me." Her arms snaked around his waist. Her hands grabbed onto each other over his stomach.
Conspicuousness reddened Merlin's face. Her touch startled him for some reason. His mind slipped for a minute. A warm feeling floated up and down his spine. Buzzing burned in his mind. What is this? He sucked in a deep breath.
"MERLIN, GO!" Mithian kicked the horse to start Escape's flight from the threat. She jarred him back to his senses. "MERLIN!"
"What? I…HEY!" Merlin caught the flopping reins. He urged the horse on faster and faster. "BRITOMART! FOLLOW US!" He kept the horse at a restrained gallop across the short meadow.
"Why are you slowing down, Merlin? They are right behind us! HURRY UP!" Mithian looked over her shoulder. She saw Britomart three lengths behind their horse. The Cawdorians lingered far behind and out of view (at that point at least).
"We have a stream ahead! See those trees?" Merlin pointed toward the trees straight ahead. "We get over that and we have meadow between Camelot and us!" He eased down the bank and back across the stream. Then he eased the horse back up onto the bank. "BRITOMART!"
Britomart led the captured horse along their path and up to them. She spied Camelot's towers and wall in clear view. "Prince Kay and our escort is back there! What of them?" She looked back over her shoulder toward the trees.
He bit his lip. "Apologies, Princess. We will get help in Camelot! I'd rather have the Prince's knights look for them." He urged the horse to a rapid gallop across the meadow. They wove between a few stands of trees. He led them back onto the main road and toward the drawbridge.
"MERLIN! THEY'RE COMING!" Britomart pointed down the road. "COME ON!" By now, she pushed her horse within a length and a half of Merlin's horse.
Seven Cawdorian knights urged their own steeds on. Ambush had awaited a hundred yards down the road. Alas, Good Reader! One eagle-eyed adversary saw them emerge from the trees and river. Dust flew under their horses' hooves. Meleagant's orders and Failure's repercussions urged them ever onward. They'd sought to catch up before the trio came in sight of Camelot's walls.
Ramparts' sentries spied the chase down the road. Some rushed down the passages toward the main citadel. Uther, Arthur and their fellow knights needed to know about the developing situation outside.
"THE DRAWBRIDGE IS JUST AHEAD!" Merlin urged the horse onward. "Sorry, Princess. I am…doing my best! We can get the knights inside!" He pressed them across the drawbridge and into the city itself. "Is Britomart back there?"
"She is right behind us, Merlin. Thank you. Can we reach the Citadel? King Uther and Prince Arthur must know! Prince Kay is still out there with the other knights! The King and Queen are coming a half day behind us." Mithian saw Britomart literally pull up a horse length behind them. "At least she's safe." She noted the Cawdorians watching from outside of the city. "We made it just in time."
"Milady, we were fortunate indeed." Britomart sucked in a deep breath. Her eyes looked back toward their pursuers. "Merlin, thank you."
Alarm put Camelot at full alert. Warning Bell chimed loudly. Onlookers scattered like mice. Questions and raised eyebrows wondered about Merlin and his two strange companions. Sentries pointed down toward them. Cawdorian knights glared at the walls from outside.
Merlin frowned. "I just rode as fast as I could. I am glad we got back in here all right." He urged his horse onward through the Lower Town and up the cobbled road. Within several heartbeats, he spied the familiar arch and turned right into the plaza. He finally pulled up in front of the Citadel. "We are here!" He dismounted. "Princess?" He held out his hand. "Need assistance?"
"Thank you, Merlin. Take my crossbow? Otherwise, I am fine." Mithian handed him the weapon. Then, she dismounted from the saddle's back. "I would like to see King Uther." She pulled off her riding gloves. "I wish to acknowledge your efforts whether you see them as such or not."
"I just hope Britomart remembers that when we are training later." Merlin tied the horse to the hitching post. "Need me to tie your horse's reins, Britomart?"
"I can see that you care and are loyal, Merlin. That is all that matters to me." Britomart tied the Cawdorian horse next to the other horse. "As Milady has already expressed, thank you. You reacted well. You got us out of that situation. Such matters should be recognized."
"MERLIN?" Arthur rushed down the stairs. Assumptions ran amok through his head. He spied the Cawdorian horse. "Morgana said you were collecting herbs for Gaius! Who are these women? Was this horse stolen from King Meleagant? So help me! You start a diplomatic incident NOW?" He grimaced.
"Sire." Merlin bowed. His teeth ground behind clenched lips. "I was collecting herbs. They came up to me in the meadow beyond the stream out there. Then, these red-clad knights fought with the green knights. A rider came after us. Britomart just got his horse away from him. We rode back here. The other red knights tried to trap us on the road. I rode through the meadow and got around them. We made it in here."
"Prince Arthur?" Mithian curled her lip. His attitude grated on her sensibilities. "Merlin deserves praise not hostility. I am Princess Mithian of Nemeth. I believe my maid, Britomart, and I are expected? Meantime, my brother, Prince Kay, is still out there with our escort. King Rodor and Queen Taene are but a half day behind us. Obviously, my father's concern for Cawdor's lack of decorum has some merit?"
"Princess…?" Arthur cleared his throat. Humble Pie stuck in his throat. He regarded her riding garb. "Forgive me. I did not realize…." He motioned to Leon. "Assemble a patrol. We leave at once! Merlin?"
"Maybe I can make sure Princess Mithian and Britomart see the King? I know I am a servant but…" Merlin sighed. Class distinctions grated on him. He saw Morgana stepping out onto the upper step. "Lady Morgana!" He waved to get her attention.
"Merlin?" Morgana pulled her skirt slightly up. She hustled down the stairs. Her eyes alighted on the visitors. "Who? I…Princess Mithian? Britomart? Is that?" Her face brightened.
"Lady Morgana, it has been too long!" Mithian embraced Morgana. "We came ahead with Prince Kay and some of the knights. The Cawdorians laid an ambush for us close to here." She looked to Merlin. "Merlin guided us back here safe and sound. I need to see the King."
"Lady." Britomart curtseyed to Morgana.
"I can take you to King Uther, Princess and Britomart. I believe Merlin can help Prince Arthur for now? He will rejoin us later." Morgana nodded to Merlin and motioned toward Arthur.
Gratitude prompted a nod from Arthur. "We will be right back down. Merlin, follow me."
"Yeah." Merlin reached into his saddlebag. "Britomart, can you hang onto these flowers for me? I need to dry them later for Gaius."
"We will make sure of it, Merlin. Thank you." Mithian accepted the bag from him. "Be careful out there." A smile broke through Seriousness' overcast across her face. She looked the apparent nondescript servant over once more. "Come, Britomart. We should not keep Lady Morgana or King Uther waiting."
"Of course." Britomart bowed slightly. "Thank you again, Merlin." With that, she hustled after Morgana and Mithian.
"Sire, I can help you with your armor. I don't know everything but…." Merlin started to offer.
"That would be fine, Merlin. Since you are training, I can allow you that. Follow me." Arthur nodded to Merlin. In spite of surface bluster to the contrary, Appreciation lightened his attitude toward Merlin's initiative. His rescue of Princess Mithian and her servant merited Reconsideration's grace in certain regards.
"Maybe George could…polish…your armor?" Merlin stifled a cough with his hand.
"Merlin." Arthur rolled his eyes at the thought of The Replacement Valet (Wannabe). He turned and stalked into the Citadel.
Merlin bowed to Mithian and Morgana. Then he hustled after Arthur. At least this cannot get any worse.
Gwen raised an eyebrow at him. Her throat cleared. Then she went to assist Morgana.
Merlin sighed but pressed on. Sometimes Trouble shouldn't be tempted in any way, shape or form….