by GR Griffin
“You’re badly wounded. We’ll have to rest here for tonight. I can cleanse the wound with my magic but I can’t completely heal it.” For a moment he’s gone and then as Arthur slips in and out of a blurred consciousness, he feels a soft velvet texture wrap around his arms in unison with the druid muttering magical words. The pain literally oozes out of his body, and he finds himself groaning in approval.
Pressing a hand gently against the forehead, Merlin sighs and verbally begins a stern scolding. God. These people can be so ignorant.
“What did you think you were doing, roaming around the forest at night alone like a complete idiot! And with a torch of all things?(he grabbed the flashlight in Arthur’s pocket and tossed it out the tree absent-mindedly.) Were you purposefully offering yourself up as a meal?”
Opening his eyes, suddenly feeling a whole lot better, Arthur laughed bitterly. Yes, of course. He was just waltzing around the forest for fun.
“I could ask you the same thing. It’s a bit late for a stroll in the forest isn’t it?”
Merlin’s eyes pervaded surprise at this retort. Continuing to gently pat Arthur’s brow with a leaf saturated in what felt like water, he averted his gaze. His family were going to be fuming, sick with apprehension. Yet again, he had wandered off, not stating where he was going or when he was returning. But it wasn’t like he could tell them the truth, that he had somehow – in a way he couldn’t explain – sensed Arthur Pendragon was in trouble and there was this unfamiliar need burning inside to find him. Pressing his eyes shut, Merlin focused his mind.
I’m okay. Expect me home tomorrow. Don’t ask questions.
He hoped it would reach those who needed to hear it, particularly his mother and father. Arthur, who established he was not getting an answer, broke him from his trance.
“My transporter.” Arthur held out the battered electronic device in his hands. “It’s broken. Gwaine (Merlin’s ear perked up in recognition of the name), Leon, Lancelot and I were ambushed by some sort of giant cat…thingy-”
“-you didn’t…” Merlin swallowed, eyes gleaming with sorrow. “You didn’t hurt her did you?”
There it was again! More concern for the absurd, weird creatures that lived here then for another human being. Arthur noted that Merlin had called it a her, suggesting that…
“…you know that thing?!” he spluttered in alarm.
Merlin barred his white teeth in a primitive warning. Through gritted teeth, he replied, crossing his legs on the large branch.
“Her name is Freya, she a druid from the Serepolis clan. She was cursed,” He sighed, head bowed. “many years ago by another druid to become a Bastet when the sun sets.” A chuckle escaped his lips, a sad smile dusting over his face. “Of course she’d come and chase off the unwanted tourists.”
Tourists. The blonde lifted his head from its resting position; moonlight sprinkled over his face.
“We are not tourists. We’re here to-”
Merlin turned his head to Arthur savagely, eyes vindictive.
“-I know what you’re here for you condescending prat. I’m not stupid.”
Throughout this sentence, the ferocity in the voice had shifted into a slight quiver. Arthur watched Merlin distance himself from the blonde, sitting on the opposite end of the branch, back facing him, knees drawn in. The druids, it seemed, were still unclear of the motives of Camelot Enterprise. From their perspective, he could slightly understand Merlin’s hostility. They had barged in and set up their large base. The people who had persecuted the druids and destroyed any chance of either race living in harmony had invaded their sanctuary. The people who had mercilessly stripped their world of its resources, left scars in the earth were now in a paradise rich with minerals, untouched reserves.
“I assure you; no harm will come to the druids.” It was Arthur’s secret job to guarantee this after all. “All we seek is a peaceful agreement, so that we can extract oil from uninhabited areas-“
Merlin shook his head, not buying his words. To be truthful, Arthur was sure if he was in the same position, he wouldn’t either. He already knew his father had no intention of extracting from just uninhabited areas.
“-We know your kind. You won’t stop. Once you have a taste it won’t suffice, you’ll want more. It’s a tragic flaw of humanity. Yet you never learn. Uninhabited areas will become inhabited areas, extraction will become expansion, peace will become war-”
“-And I suppose the druids are so unflawed-” Arthur spat, obscuring his acceptance that the words may well be true, and Merlin was a lot smarter than he’d first given credit.
“-We have our flaws.” Merlin shot back, startling the blonde at this admission.
He turned his body to face Arthur, eyes intensely locking onto the blonde’s.
“But we are peaceful people. We live by the principles and morals that your kind forgot many years ago…”
“You think you’re so much better than us don’t you?”
“Look,” the raven-haired druid said in a weary voice, eyelids closing.
He positioned himself beside Arthur reluctantly, head resting on the tree.
“I’m going to sleep,” he mumbled through a yawn. “we can chat some more in the morning.”
Arthur translated this to: we can argue some more tomorrow but right now you’re pissing me off and I want to rest. Reluctantly, not wanting to succumb to sleep – what if there were monsters up here too? – Arthur pressed shut his eyes. The adrenaline that had pushed his fatigued body onwards constantly for the past couple of hours faded, leaving behind a deep ache in his muscles, and the need for sleep. Wearily, he rested his head against a smooth surface, too drained to check or care if it was the druid’s shoulder. Within a few minutes of heavy breathing and relaxation, Arthur faded into the world of dreams.
Opening his eyes for a second, Merlin gazed down to see Arthur’s head resting against him. For a moment, the young Pendragon looked so vulnerable, so human- so unlike everything the Pendragon’s were known to be. Perhaps Merlin was being unfair, judging him for actions that were not his own. Musing on these thoughts, he gazed out into the horizon of forest. It was so silent here; so peaceful. Leaning his head cautiously on Arthur’s, Merlin frowned. He was unsure what tomorrow would bring – only that he would have to present Arthur to the Ealdor clan and finally reveal his vision to his father.
The terrible things he saw in those crystals kept him awake most nights.
But tonight, the warmth of this curious enemy, and tranquillity of the upper forest, was enough to clear his mind and send him into a profound sleep against the ancient tree.
Chapter 11
From this distance, Ealdor was stunning. The sun had barely risen over the pink skies, shedding a dim glow on the clearing below the trees. It was a large area, recognisable even from their height in the trees. Arthur could make out people vaguely, small dots walking around the grassy land, littered with rocks and of course the Crystal Cave. The Crystal Cave was a vast landmark, a dark whole that swallowed up light. Though he could see the insides of it were sparkling hypnotically, some of the more delicate Crystals surfacing at the front of the cave. Euphoria washed over him, alongside shock that this was real, that he was getting closer towards one of the largest druid clans in Albion.
Merlin was walking silently ahead of him, not going out of his way to engage in conversation with him. But then again, neither was he. They had both made their views on each other clear. Yet that didn’t stop Arthur from eventually succumbing to this impulsive urge to just annoy and tease the big-eared, clumsy druid.
“Are we there yet?” he called out, a childish tone laced in his voice.
Merlin didn’t bother turning around, he strode forwards on the tree branches.
“You have eyes don’t you?” he shot back, earning a satisfied grin from Arthur when he detected the annoyance in that voice.
For now, whilst he was out of contact with his father or any of his friends, Arthur figured he should embra
ce this moment, enjoy himself. How better to enjoy himself than give ‘John Smith’ a taste of his own medicine? His grin faded the moment Merlin spun around to face him, tossing him a leafy vine. Before he could question, Merlin leapt onto his own vine, swinging across the gap to the next colossal tree. A flicker of amusement flashed over his face as he watched a dumbfounded Arthur cling to the vine.
“You can’t expect me to…leap across this gap with no kind of harness!” he yelled across from the other tree, earning a chuckle from Merlin.
“Come on, it’s easy. All you have to do is push off and hold on.”
Merlin made it sound so easy that Arthur almost jumped blindly to his death there and then. Releasing the vine from his grip, he stubbornly folded his arms across his chest. No. He was not doing this.
“I’m not doing it.” He said defiantly, the ache in his injured arm relieved he had agreed to sit this one out.
“You’re such a spoilt brat!” Merlin shouted from the other side, swinging back over gruffly to Arthur’s side.
Gripping the vine tightly, Merlin sighed. When he turned around to see Arthur standing motionless and confused, he rolled his eyes.
“Come on then!” he said in a huff, Arthur raised his eyebrows questioningly. Merlin didn’t think he’d ever met anyone so slow and stupid in his entire life. Extending his hand out towards the blonde he frowned. Arthur understood the gesture, and seemed just as displeased as Merlin was about this. Noticing this, Merlin laughed to himself, throwing the vine in Arthur’s direction.
“This is the only way to get across, and you’re too scared to do it by yourself-”
“-I’m not scared.” Arthur snapped, clutching the vine in his hands steadily. His words were an obvious bluff, for he didn’t attempt to leave.
“Sure, and I’m not a druid.” Merlin sarcastically replied wrapping his arms around Arthur’s tone torso. Arthur stiffened a little, reluctant to push off. Acting as if holding onto Arthur Pendragon was an everyday occurrence, Merlin groaned.
“No, I won’t let you fall. Now just go, we don’t have all day.” He said, voice hushed a little, mouth brushing against the shell of Arthur’s ear.
When Arthur didn’t move, Merlin – a little bit fed up with all of this nonsense – released himself from Arthur’s grip. His eyes flashed gold and before Arthur could question what he was doing, he gave Arthur a mighty shove off the tree. To say Arthur screamed would have been totally unfair...it was more of a wail.
“MerlinMerlin! Why did you do that! Why did you-!”
Clinging onto the vine for dear life, Arthur stupidly looked down and well – he couldn’t even see the fucking ground, they were that high up. It was imminent death. Panic flared through him, Merlin thought it was hilarious. The vine lost its momentum as Arthur failed to respond to it, leaving him dangling in the middle of each tree helplessly. Gazing over at the druid, Arthur scowled, heart racing. Rational fear swept over him. Merlin burst into laughter.
“This-“ Arthur let go with one hand and pointed venomously at Merlin. Then his eyes widened as the vine titled a little to one side and he instantly clung back onto it. He didn’t hesitant to shoot the druid a malicious glower once he was sure he was secure. To say he looked completely ridiculous was an understatement.Merlin cupped his mouth, burying his laughter into his hand.
“This is not a laughing matter! I’m going to die. Oh shit, I’m going to die.” Arthur shut his eyes for a moment, trying not to remember that he couldn’t see the ground. It was fine, just fine. If Merlin could do this, then so could he. Reaching for a nearby vine, Merlin swung himself expertly towards Arthur, eyes crinkled.
“Don’t be so melodramatic.” He said, jumping onto Arthur’s vine. He slid himself down, facing Arthur on the other side.
“I don’t know if you know but you can’t see the ground from here.” Arthur muttered, casting one more look below.
Chuckling, Merlin looked down too.
“That’s the fun of it though, right?”
Arthur shot him an incredulous look. This druid was insane, beyond insane, psychotic. Effortlessly, Merlin swung the vine back into motion. Like a pendulum, it wavered back and forth. Once momentum was built again, and they were rocking a little too quickly for Arthur’s liking, Merlin steered them effortlessly to the other side. Arthur leapt off the vine without a second thought, landing clumsily on the thick branch.
“We’re going to have to practice that.” Merlin said, gracefully landing on the tree. He continued to walk forwards. With a weary sigh, Arthur got to his feet and followed, secretly praying for no more vines.
It all was fine and dandy (no vines and a fairly civil conversation with Merlin), until Arthur actually entered Ealdor. A brown-haired man was the first to react. Face reddened with fury, he walked towards Merlin. He made no effort to acknowledge Arthur. Grimacing, Merlin continued his steady pace, beckoning Arthur to follow him closely; ignoring the menacing glares pummeling their way. Sure he was Emrys, but that didn’t excuse the fact that a Pendragon was now standing on holy, magical ground. Arthur watched as the man beside Merlin snapped, pointing a finger at him in an accusatory manner.
“What the fuck is he doing here?”
Halting in his tracks, Merlin sighed. Reasoning with Will was futile; he had made his views and opinions of that world clear. Raising his eyebrows, Will gestured once more to the intruder.
“Merlin answer me, what is he doing here?”
By now a large group of druids had surrounded Merlin and his new guest. Arthur pretended he wasn’t slightly unnerved by the vicious eyes, the gritted teeth, the upset and rage emanating from these people. Instead, he offered one of them a small smile.
“Greetings!” he chimed rather inanely, resulting in them lurching forwards. Merlin narrowed his eyes, holding his hand out in front of Arthur fiercely. The druid instantly backed off. But that didn’t stop Will from grabbing him by the shirt and hauling him backwards. A few druids sneered, some gasped.
“You dare stand on this ground, after everything your company has done.” He spat. Instinctively, Arthur broadened his shoulders and folded his toned arms across his chest. He ignored the twinge of pain in his injured arm, feigning confidence. Biting his lip, Merlin stepped between the pair quickly, facing his old friend.
“Will-“ the furious man in front of him raised his hand, displaying his open palm to Merlin lividly.
“-I can’t believe you did this.” Merlin remained silent, averting his eyes to the ground for a second pensively. He had expected some hostility towards Arthur, but nothing to this degree. Doubt hovered in his mind, how on earth could the Crystals be right about this? Maybe he’d misread the whole thing.
“Move out the way Merlin he deserves to die.” Will’s tone was vacant and simple, earning a few murmurs of agreement from surrounding druids.
At these words Arthur clenched his jaw, reaching immediately for the gun in his pocket. Without thought he held it up with his shaking hands. His retaliation only made matters worse, stirring the druids around into a wild frenzy of shouts and jibes. Will scoffed, outstretching his hand in a peculiar fashion, a way that no doubt would propel magic towards the blonde.
“That’s not for you to decide Will, this is a matter for my father.”
Shooting Arthur a venomous glower, Merlin inhaled a deep breath before turning back to his friend.
Why did you have to get your weapon out you Clotpole! Put it away and let me handle this.
Obediently, Arthur put the gun back into his pocket, a little wounded at the word Clotpole. Being unarmed didn’t make him any less alert, less aware of how outnumbered he was in this alien world. The crowd could take him and Merlin down in less than a few seconds he was almost certain. Only almost certain because there was this presence about Merlin, the other druids seemed to…revere him. For reasons he couldn’t understand, he felt protected – and a little cowardly, hiding behind a druid. Merlin swallowed-hard, raising his own hand, but in a gesture of peace rath
er than aggression.
“I can explain all of this-“
“-Then go ahead.” Will hissed, eyes locked on Arthur with profound resentment.
“Only if you stop being an ass.” A small smirk crept over Merlin’s lips as he titled his head.
He knew his friend was bluffing about using magic. He wasn’t the most skilled at magic, too blinded by his emotions to fully focus on what he wanted to achieve. Merlin had told him this many times, but it merely revealed another one of Will’s weaknesses: the inability to listen. Irritably, Will clenched his palm, lowering it to his side in defeat. A new voice arose, parting the crowd instantly. Arthur noticed Merlin’s composure change to a more formal one. For a second it was as if Arthur was looking upon himself, desperately trying to please his own father.
“You know their kind are forbidden from here.” Balinor said gravely, meeting his son’s eyes intensely.
“Father, this is Arthur Pendragon – son of Uther.” He replied, watching the expression of the druid around morph into a dark realisation, confirming the suspicions of others. The few who had recognised him intensified their glares, disturbed by his presence. Arthur shuffled uncomfortably under the scrutiny he was receiving.
Balinor’s eyes widened, he placed a hand on his son’s shoulder gently.
“…Are you certain?”
Nodding, Merlin lowered his voice a little and leant towards his father. The words were muffled to all other ears, and Arthur felt more than a little paranoid at this secret exchange clearly about him. The leader of the clan, Merlin’s father, spared one glance at Arthur. Then, he faced the people nearby.
