The Shadow of the Moon

Chapter 10

"Merlin" whispered the king again, eyes reflecting the love that filled his heart and voice.

The wolf stuttered. His griwl timbered less fiercely through Arthur's bones, pulling his hefty weight back, he stared at the man he had pinned to the ground. The fires died in his orbits revealing golden yellow eyes that glinted with an intelligence too intelligent for a wolf: his human brain shone in his eyes. He let out a high pitched whimper of pain and remorse, removing himself from the trapped king, his head sorrowful and bowed. Arthur raised a cautious hand to the wolf's hairy cheek.

"Hey, hey now. No harm done" he whispered in a gentle tone as he pulled himself into a sitting position he scooched closer to the contrite animal-man. Slowly, ever so slowly, he moved his head down and pressed their foreheads together, ruffling the dense fur that shagged around Merlin neck in a reassuring gesture.

"Arthur...." the deep rumbling tone muttered, now tinged with the warlock's familiar voice as the wolf tried to pull back and the king refused to let him.

The werewolf gave a long miserable whine. There were no words but 'Arthur....I....I'm soory. Oh gods Arthur Arthur I'm so sorry.' Arthur heard almost as if he had spoken. Arthur finally pulled their faces apart. He starred at the warlock, his eyes still glimmering in the dappled silver of the moon.

"Merlin. Merlin....it's okay." The king whispered, his eyes brimmed with joy. The wolf cocked his head curiously and then gave a gentle lick to Arthur's hand. The blonde man giggled and shook his hand to get the saliva off.

"Stop it Merlin, that tickles" he said, voice as regal as he could make it while sat on the muddy ground of a forest. An evil glint return to the black wolf. Arthur could see where this was headed.

"Don't you dare, yo....dollop head!! It's unsanita-" he was cut off by the heavy thump of a wolf pinning him to the ground and licking his face all over.

"Alright, lads, keep it family friendly pls there are children here" Gwaine's voice cut through their mirth all of a sudden, as the floppy haired knight grinned at Mordred's indignant hey all fear of the wolf forgotten as he saw Arthur's glowing golden smile.

Merlin'd ears pricked up jovially and with a bound he let the king up and bounced over to the smug knight, tongue lolling in glee, tail waggingly wildly. As he pounced towards the knight, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a dark moving object in the corner of his eye. With all the stealth of predator he turned, chasing after it, snapping at the fluff but never catching it as he ran around in desappate circles.

From where the other knights had arrived and stood gauffing, Elyan chortling into his gloved hands, Leon raised a single eyebrow with a smirk at the king.

"Sire is your champion chasing his own tail?" he asked, his face a picture of straight. Arthur looked at him and his face broken the way his lip curled like his hair in levity. Arthur bit his lips to repress his own smile, a burst of love stabbbing through his wary heart as Merlin yipped in joy. When the wolf uttered an earthy groan and sunk to his haunches, hunched and huddle as his body yowled in a tingling stab of pain from his sword wound.

"Merlin, you idiot, you're injured!" Arthur cried out, all joking forgotten, as he and Gwaine both heade towards the furry mass.

"I'm fine... I'm healing already." Merlin's growling voice danced seductively through the King's head. Gwaine and Arthur shared a look of knowing, as Merlin whimpered in agony again, his yellow eyes wide in shock.

"Merlin. what is it?" Gwaine asked concerned.

"I'm changing back. This shouldn't be happening now. Stand back. This might get a little-" Merin implored the men, his words as desperate as his eyes. Both the flaxen haired king and his most impertent night took a wise step back as bones shattering and joints screaming Merin the wolf changed to Merlin the man before their eyes, still clad in his tatty black clothing.

"Merlin!" Gwaine cried in delight that played on his handsome face, eyes enlightening as the warlock grinned up at him and accepted his help to stand, with a hand clutched to his side where he had been peirced.

"It's a good thing Mordred didn't cut your pretty face! Gwaine said with a wink and Merlin rolled his eyes fondley.

"It doesn't matter its all healed! Isn't it great, Arthur....Arthur?" the wizard's voice dropped from happy to worried in a moment as he saw his king's stiff and retreating back.

"What's gotten into him?" asked Percival, with a curious moue after the man.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out" replied Merlin resolutey, eyes and resolve hard as frozen ice on a lake in the deep midwinter.

"Are you sure you-" Elyan started. Merlin cut him off with a glance.

"I'm tougher than I look." the raven haired man explained.

Merlin followed after the blonde knight on his feet, following the loud path the king crashed throguh the bushes until he reached the mossy clearing where the golden man sat in a sulk, poking at the offensive ground with a long twig. Merlin's heart and smile were endeared to the sight.

"Hi" he said, lightly, as he sat next to Arthur on the log in the clearing. Arthur said nithing.

"What's up grumpy boots?" Merlin asked, gentle concern caressing his face like a lover. Arthur sighed deep and low before looking up and into Merlin's eyes with the determined resolve of a man who has reached an unbareable decision his mouth in a firm line. He let the twig drop from his tan limp calloused fingers to the dirt.

"When we get back, I won't get in your way" he confirmed, his face hard and eyes glinting like flinty crystal, trying to ignore the way the silvery moonlight cast darkly beautiful shadows across Merlin's sharp features. He looked like an angel spun from glass and it crusehed Arthur's heart to know what he knew.

"What?!" Asked Merlin, shock oozing from his pores. The surprised panic writ across his face like a love poem inked on paper. The King stares at him for a long while before speaking, his blue eyes canny with intelligents.

"Sonce you left I....I've been studying lupinology. And I came across something in one of Geoffrey's scrolls...." he started, his voice and tone even.

"A cure!?" Merlin exclaimed startled looking at him with with startled eyes.