Chapter 15: Closed Calls
Merlin's eyes widened in horror as he stared at Arthur, the young King's eyes were still glued to his arm. For a brief moment the silence filled the tent and then Merlin wiggled his arm as he tried to break free, but Arthur's grip was too strong. His mind was filled with fear and sadness, how could he even start to explain? This was it; he had lost Arthur forever.
"Are you playing some sort of joke?" Arthur asked in frustration as he let go of Merlin's arm and looked up to meet his watery blue eyes. He would never be able to fully understand what went on in that head, but he did know one thing for certain, when it came to Merlin there was never a dull moment.
Merlin looked at his arm and then back to Arthur, a sense of both relief and surprise filled his thoughts. There were no markings on his skin resembling Arthur's name, no golden glow, nothing but pale skin. Then Gaius's words echoed in the back of Merlin's mind, "Once the words are spoken it will mark the recipient of his affections with his name. The effect will only last a few days." How many days had passed exactly? Merlin wondered to himself forgetting that Arthur was still looking at him with a murdering gaze.
"Explain, now!" Arthur demanded as his tone dropped a pitch lower. He really wasn't in the mood for Merlin's guessing games, all he wanted to do was go outside and kill Roderick. However, after his words were spoken, his anger died down almost instantly as he saw Merlin's struggling expression.
"I'm a fast healer..." Merlin half heartily joked as he partly raised his shoulders up, hands gesturing his complete cluelessness. He hoped Arthur would accept the answer and drop the issue when the opening of the tent was pulled to the side and a knight entered. It seemed he was safe for the moment.
"Sorry my King, I called out but you did not respond. There is a commotion outside that requires your attention." The knight cleared his throat of the knot that had suddenly appeared as he saw the anger in Arthur's eyes get directed at him. He quickly bowed at Arthur and with a nervous glance at Merlin the knight was gone as quickly as he had entered.
Arthur sighed deeply, rubbed his forehead with a gloved hand and then glanced at Merlin hinting for him to stay put. He exited the tent, holding tightly to the hilt of his sword. The faster he was back at Camelot the better, Arthur thought to himself as he made his way to where the knight was now standing completely failing to pay attention to the faint but clumsy footsteps behind him.
XXX
Gwaine could barely make out what the voices around him were saying; his ears rang with the echo of his blood pumping with pure anger. He pressed the dagger deeper into Roderick's neck, a slight trail of blood coating it. His eyes burned through the man's stubborn ones as the smile on the royal's face refused to disappear.
"If you are going to kill me, then just do it." Roderick hissed at Gwaine with unadulterated disgust. Things were getting quite tiring and repetitive when it surrounded the disheveled knight and the hot headed King. Roderick could hear Ivor pacing behind him, unsure of what to do. He had already told Ivor to not interfere a while ago when he had first felt the attack coming, but the knight seemed more stubborn then Roderick had first thought.
"I warned you last night..." Gwaine snared as if wanting to bear his teeth at the man. He had been filled with disbelief when Roderick and Ivor had emerged from the woods shortly after Arthur and Merlin. Gwaine had thought he had made his threat very clear the last time he had confronted Roderick and Ivor, but it seemed like they were determined to keep him to it.
"Gwaine..." Arthur called out as the unfolding events before him sank in. He gestured for Percival to pull Gwaine back and unshielded his own sword. His boots made no sound as he moved past Gwaine and pushed Roderick further to the edge of the camp.
