A/N:
Sorry meant to update Friday but Uni swamped me. But should be good now! Thanks to all the reviewers and here's chapter 2.
Enjoy!
Ilandrae :)
Disclaimer: I own nothing, or else I'd be doing something very different with my life. (But Mel is all mine thanks hands off!)
CHAPTER 2 - A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BENEVOLENT SORCERER
Merlin's Cave
As Merlin rode on the last leg of his journey, he couldn't ignore the feeling that something was going to happen today. He had a feeling. One of those funny feelings that Arthur had only ever ignored.
Something was going to change today, something big.
But as Merlin exited the forest and his cave came into view, all thoughts of funny feelings vanished.
Not because this was the thing, but because as the warlock entered the clearing where his home lay, he saw the crowd of people clustered around the door.
Inwardly, he cursed himself for forgetting, for not hurrying. Because, as it always was when he was gone for more than a day scores of people were waiting for his return.
The people who came to him for help every day, for a bit of magic, had built up until it was the crowd he saw before him.
He urged his horse forward, Bay hooves thudding on the path and one women keen ears caused her to turn, "He has returned!" The crowd surged forward yet remained a respectful distance back at the same time. All except one that is.
As Merlin swung himself down from Bay's saddle the crowd parted and woman threw herself at his feet, "Please" sobbed her desperation clear "Please sir, it's my son… he's only a boy!"
Merlin had seen enough desperate mother by now to know what she meant.
Taking her hand, he helped her to her feet "Where is he?"
Clutching him, she practically dragged him over to small cart that stood right outside his cave. Inside he saw a small boy, no more than ten-years old, pale and unconscious. Blood matted his scalp and a Merlin thought he spied the outline of a hoof-print in his skull.
With barely a thought he manipulated the illusion that concealed his cave creating a door. Indicating to some nearby men they brought the boy through, the mother still hovering, into his cave.
The others were looking around in awe because the warlock let so few into his private domain, preferring to talk and treat patients outside.
"What happened?" he began hurrying around collecting various herbs and implements as the boy was lain on his spare cot.
"Yesterday, Jonah was feeding the ponies. But something spooked them, and- and one kicked him" she turned to him from where she was kneeling next to her son, tears running down her face as she continued, "The physician said that his brain was bleeding. That there was nothing he could do. So we came here, we knew it was the time when you leave for a few days but we had no other choice. Please" she begged, "please save my son."
Merlin said nothing, kneeling by the bed he began preparing the materials he had gathered. Grinding them together with some water he created a paste which, after cleaning most of the blood away, he applied to Jonah's head.
Placing a hand on either side of the boy's head he took a deep breath. Even after all these years and all the lessons he had taken, healing magic just didn't come easily to him. Focusing his will, he began to incant the spell.
It was a lengthy one but as he spoke, he felt the magic stir in his veins. As his eyes flashed gold, he felt his magic running through him into the boy.
He had indeed been bleeding on the brain, Merlin guided his power carefully and he felt the flow staunch and repair, followed by the crack in the boy's skull beginning to mend and finally as the warlock withdrew the broken skin knitted back together.
Merlin rocked back on his heels and the boy took a deep breath, eyes fluttering "Mama?" he murmured.
"Oh Jonah!" Merlin shuffled back to lean against a bookshelf as the mother rushed to hug her son.
"Where are you from?" Merlin asked as he hauled himself to his feet.
"Only Ameldry" the woman named the small town nearest to Merlin's cave
"Then you can take him home, but don't move him too much" Merlin warned the mother signalling to the men once more to carry the boy back out "the magic will need a few days to be firm"
"Oh, thank you Great One" she beamed and Merlin somehow managed to not cringe at the name.
"How many times have I told the people of your village" Merlin smiled wearily "Call me Emrys"
"The woman's smile only grew "Of course Great One. We will let you tend to your other requests"
Recognising, not for the first time either, that attempting to rid himself of the ridiculous title was a losing battle, the warlock merely stood and went outside to see to the reaming appeals for help.
One by one, Merlin listened to those who had come to him. Their appeals varied immensely, as they always did, but Merlin took the time to listen to them all.
Some came for healing, but those who could easily be treated by a town physician or who truly had no need he sent away. Those who could not be helped by normal medicine he healed.
Some came for aid against bandits or bullies. Those he filed away with a promise of sending aid or seeing to the problem himself when the time arose.
Then there were those who came for guidance. They were always the hardest.
Shortly after Merlin had settled in his cave four years ago, people had started to come and ask for his help. Throughout the past four years he had encounter the strangest of requests. He had been astounded and downright infuriated when a father had brought his daughter and her betrothed to him about a year ago.
"Great one" the father had asked "please talk some sense into my daughter. We are a well-off merchant family and she wishes to marry this lowly farmer. Please remind her that she could seek someone so much higher in life and that I will not permit her to do this"
Merlin had stared at him blankly for second not quite believing his ears. Emrys King of the Druids and most powerful sorcerer, well ever at this point, being asked to forbid a marriage between two people who clearly loved each other with all their hearts?
One glance was all it taken for him to see how they clutched each other, in true terror at the mere thought of being separated. And sadly, Merlin knew, they would listen to whatever he said. Even if it meant they were to never see each other again.
"Do you love him" Merlin had looked to the girl.
"Y-yes Great" she had answered, timid but sure.
"And you" Merlin turned to her partner "do you love her?"
He had answered without hesitation staring Merlin straight in the eye "Yes Great One. With all my heart and soul"
"Well then" he said to the father "I see no problem" secretly satisfied with the mans astonished look he prepared to move on, "Now go. I have more pressing matters to deal with"
It still seemed that as each season passed the numbers of requests grew. Now not a day went by when a handful of people from all lands and walks of life did not come and knock on his most definitely illusionary door.
And now, due to his absence for the past three, there was three days' worth of people to see to.
He again thought back to the idiotic father as he listened to the man before him who easily took the title of the strangest case today.
The man in question was asking whether he should murder his wife's cat, simply on the basis that he felt she was paying more attention to it than him.
"Your jealous," Merlin clarified "of your wife's cat…" the man nodded slowly "…so you want to kill it?" again the man nodded. Merlin put his head in his hands and sighed.
He managed to convince the man not to kill the cat. Mainly by suggesting that if he paid more attention his wife then maybe she would pay attention to her. He re-enforced the kill-no-cat policy with the promise that if he found the cat dead, the man would meet the safe fate as the poor feline.
He was greatly relieved with the result, especially when a short time after a small girl came to him with her cat, which had a broken back from being run over by a cart.
As he sent the girl home cradling her now bright-eyed and happy cat in her arms, he gave a sigh of relief, that was the last of them.
He turned to go and make himself a well-deserved cup of tea, or maybe pour himself some of the ale the tavern keeper had given him as a form of unnecessary payment, but he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned to see the tavern keepers ten-year-old daughter at his elbow.
"Melisandrae" he said in surprise at the sight of the girl, green eyes worried and brown hair mussed "what are you doing here?"
"Papa sent me Emrys," she was the only one in the entire village that called him Emrys instead of Great One, "there's men in the village. They're asking about you" she was panting from her apparent sprint through the woods to warn him.
"Papa's stalling them but someone will talk, and " she hesitated, her eyes wide "they're knights from Camelot Emrys"
His heart skipped a beat and he spun her around hurrying towards the cave, "Take the pony out back, Melisandrae" he said urgently "Ride home, make sure no one else comes today"
She started towards the stables he had attached out the back but stopped to turn back to him "Emrys, what's going on?" he could see the fear in her eyes
"It will be fine Mel" he said reassuringly, hoping it was reassuring and he didn't sound too panicked "Everything's going to be ok. It's just some old fears that I'd thought I left behind. Now go! Before they come!" he helped her onto the pony.
"What's the trick Mel?" he asked quietly holding her back for a second. Melisandrae was the only one other than Merlin who knew the secret to the spell that concealed his cave, but he wanted to make sure she wasn't about to run into a wall of stone.
"If you believe it is there, it is. If you know it is not, it isn't"
"Good. Remember Mel, no more visitors today" and with a grim nod she rode back into the forest
Merlin leaned against the cave wall with a heavy sigh and wondered, what did the knights want with him?
Did they know it was him? Were they going to drag him back to Camelot for execution?
The voice he'd battled with for some time came back. He probably deserved it, it said, and he couldn't help but agree a little.
He'd failed Arthur. He'd failed Camelot. Hells, he'd failed everyone.
The grim thoughts flashed through his mind and he had to remind himself of all the good he had done. Before and after that day.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice them come. The hesitant knock on his illusionary door startling him.
Back to the case of the wall, the rock, the door, and the secret that only the warlock and Mel knew. It went back to the trick he had taught Mel.
If you believe it is there, it is.
If you know it is not, it isn't.
Everyone believed that the mouth to his cave was solid rock with a small wooden door, that is the illusion they saw. And because they believed it, it was there.
However, this also meant, that as Merlin knew there was nothing there. There was nothing there.
Nothing between him and the two scarlet knights who stood outside. Nothing between him and the old life he had thought he'd left behind.
"Hello…" Sir Leon said hesitantly as he again knocked on the illusionary door that he and Sir Percival were standing before "Great One…? We've come to ask for aid"
Thanks! Til next time!
I :)