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Arthur wields his blade with a practiced hand against the attackers. Sweat drips down his brow as he lands a fetal blow to one, only to get hauled at by two more.
It had started off as a normal patrol. A calm day, the light filtering in listlessly between the leaves of the forest trees gently warming the air but not so much as to make the armor they wore any more uncomfortable then it would otherwise be. Merlin had made a joke, something silly, and the knights, being well themselves, laughed. Oh well if he’d admit it, he had chuckled a little at it too.
But then the bandits attacked and the day was no longer so pleasant. He scoffed as his blade hit that of his attacker, he really didn’t even have any way of knowing if these were bandits or another troop sent by Morgana.
“Urrah” he heard a familiar groan coming from his right and turned his head just in time to see Merlin being flung heavily against a large tree trunk.
The momentary distraction was all his assailant needed to knock the blade from his hand and pin him to the ground. The man was now positioning his sword at Arthur’s chest. Arthur turned his head to grab for his own sword but found it out of reach. As he struggled both against the man and for the sword his eyes drifted up just slightly and Merlin came into view.
His servant was sitting there hand raised at shoulder level. Concentrating. His mouth seemed to be moving but other than that he was completely still. He didn’t even seem to notice Arthur staring at him. And then just for an instant it seemed that Merlin’s eye color changed. Arthur blinked and looked up as suddenly the wait from over him had been lifted. The man on top of him had been flung back. Instincts kicked in and Arthur reached for his sword and killed the man before he could get his wits back together enough to attack once more even as the realization dawned over him.
Emotions ran through him like a wild fire. Anger. Fear. Fury. How could Merlin not have told him they had only spent most of their time together for the last few years how could he… But magic like that. Magic that could do that. What he could do to me and I let him in my… Gods this boy had infiltrated my house he evaded all detection got close. Not for much longer. First light and he’ll be execu…
And then it dawned on him just one thought that brought an end to the flood of rage. Maybe he was just afraid of how you might react. His mind flashed back to that whole thing of knowing him for years. Of friendship and times when it would have been simple for Merlin to simply let him die or even kill him. And then his mind flew back to all those times when he and his men where almost done for and then something inexplicably lucky happened and they got away. Arthur closed his eyes suddenly feeling the weight of the truth on them.
Arthur pushed himself on to his feet. But what to do now. His eyes went to Merlin panting a little against the tree. He smiled to himself a little. “Merlin you have got to be the laziest servant who ever lived. Get up from there.” With a grown Merlin stood up. Eventually Merlin might decide to tell him but until he was ready, Arthur thought with a smile, best let things stay just the way they were.