Merlin one shots

The hidden struggle

First things first, you guys might not understand terminology I use, so here's photo of an English saddle, and a western saddle.

Just a quick chapterI thought up while re watching the first couple of episodes.

"So as Arthur's servant, you're going to have to learn how to ride horses."

Merlin looks up at Gaius questioningly. "Why do I have to learn to ride horses if I'm going to be a servant?"

"You're the prince's servant. You're supposed to do whatever he wants. How are you going to do that if he's leaving on horseback, and you can't even ride a horse? You wouldn't want Arthur to have to carry you around everywhere would you?"

*Merlin begins grumbling unhappily in the back ground*

"Quit your grumbling, and clean out the leach tank Merlin."

*grumbling continues in the distance*

○○○

"First you put your foot in the stirrup," Leon explains. Then he easily brings his leg up and slides it in the stirrup. "You're turn."

Now Merlin brings his leg up using his arms, and forces it in the stirrup.

"Good so far. Next you put your arms on the top of the saddle, put your weight in the stirrup, and use the leg still on the ground to kick off, and swing it around." Leon proceeds to do what he's explained.

Now Merlin tries. Except he just does mini hops with the leg on the ground because he's unsure of how to use his muscle like that without hurting the horse.

Then Arthur walks by and slaps the horse's butt. The horse takes off with Merlin on the side holding on for dear life. One leg still hanging down.

Leon sighs before taking off after Merlin. So much for warming the horse up.

At some point, Merlin manages to swing his leg over, but he's unsure of what to do. He's never been on a horse before.

The horse Leon is on nears, and Leon grabs the reins. He pull back on both of them causing them to stop.

"Always be prepared for your horse, or another to take off," Leon says calmly.

Merlin can hear his own pulse, and is struggling to not freak out.

"You steer by pulling the reins in the direction you want to go in. If you want to stop, you pull back. You seem to have incredibly good balance already considering you didn't fall off when you were only half on."

○○○

Leon is giving another lesson today. Earlier, Merlin got the chance to saddle up himself, and basically prepared the horse fully on his own.

"Alright, now get on. If you did the saddling right, it'll stay on."

Merlin puts his foot in the stirrup, and the moment he puts his weight in it, it slides, and Merlin is on the ground.

"That's what happens when you don't put it on right"

*Merlin grumbles about a stupid prat, and his father*

○○○

Leon thinks Merlin finally has the hang of horse riding. Or at least enough that Merlin can go on the hunting trip with Arthur.

All is going well until Merlin's horse sees a deer. The horse jumps in fear, and races in the other direction. Merlin is on the ground with a sore butt. Horse riding is hard.

"Merlin, I told you to be prepared for your horse to take off," Leon says annoyed. Then he goes to get the horse.

The group of knights is laughing at Merlin.

So far working for a prat is just how he'd thought it would be. Horrible.