The Shadow of the Moon

Chapter 12

Merlin awoke first as the day broke across the treetops, the sunlights rays sprawling across the sky like glowing ghostly fingers. For the first time since his attack he felt at peace. He was content to rest his dark hair in the clover as he lay and watched the peaceful sleeping whuffles that escaped the lips of his king. The wizard stretched out like a languid cat as the noises of the camp began and the knights began their morning bustle. With an adorable groan Arthur woke up.

"Morning sleepyhead" Merlin said, the smile encroaching from his face and into his voice. Arthur looked at him, smile on his face from where it remained half buried in the jerkin he used as a pilow.

"Where you watching me sleep" he asked, voice playful.

"I like to watch you sleep," Merlin explained, his voice innocent rather than defensive.

"Pervert. YOu're lucky I love you!" Arthur replied, mock scandel as he hoisted himself onto his elbows before swooping down to the other man for a morning kiss.

They broke apart ad Merlin gazing lovingly into Arthurs eyes.

"You have morning breath." He murmered.

"Morning lovebrids!!" Gwaine called across the glade they had settle for the night in. Arthur rolled his eyes and stood.

"We have a big day today. We need to be at the champion trial by noon" Arthur announced to everyone ignoring Gwaine.

"Pack up and we'll move out" He continued before stoking the fire so that breakfast could be made.

"Yes sire" The knights said and went about their morning rituals. Merlin sat on his bed roll still hugging his knees and watching Arthur with a deepening sense of dred and worry. The champion trails. He had forgotten but now....he stood and walked over to Arthur still stooped over the flickering flames.

"Arthur....we need to talk" he said gently touching Arthur broad shoulder. The blonde man looked up at him, and, seeing the severity in his eyes, nodded once and stood, his own eyes reflecting the convern that crackled lightly within him. They walked together silently to the edge of the clearing where the drawing sun cast slanted lines of light across the ground illuminating them. MErlin looked at the ground.

"Arthur I....about the trial. I turned too soon I didn't know....I can't be your champion if I'm just a man. Even my magic will take a while to come back, the transformation is so hard....Arthur I'm sorry." the warlock explained in a muted mutter. Arthur slide his hand, strong, and sword calloused, over Merlin's and gave it a protective and understanding squeeze that was gentle.

"Merlin my love, it's okay" He said as he pulls the other man into the strong embrace of his musty arms.

"It's not....! I....what are we going to do?" Merlin asked his king's shoulder. The golden haired man cardied a strong hand through the inky hair of his sorcerer in comfort.

"I'll fight." He said with his voice stoney with resolve. Merlin's entire body retched and he held Arthur at arms length to star at him with wild eyes:incredulous.

"You can't! You'll die." He objected, his voice filled with a euphonious beautificated beat.

"I am Camelot's finest warrior. Her king. And I have your love....I will beat the Beast of Dean." Arthur replied with tender imperiousness, stepping away from Merling, deaf to the other man's squawk of protest, and calling to the others in the camp.

"We ride!" He shouted, decision made as he saw the camp was almost ready to go, he ignored Gwaine's protests about the lack of breakfast as he swung himself into his horse and set off ahead of his knights through the forest followed by Merlin's glare. With a wave of Mordred's hand and an incantation, the rest of the camp was packed and with a sigh the muttering knights followed their king.

----

The hill crested as the group of horses and their riders approached it. At it's peak stood King Barghest, mercinary knights gleamed menacingly in their armour behind him. There was no sign of his champdion: the Beast of Dean.

"King Arthur Pendragon, your highness" Barghest called in fake respect,his voice booming through the air like a bell, trickingly with a sarcasm that cut through its ice like an early defrosted rivet cutting through an iced babbling brook in the early days of spring.

King Barhest was tall. His height outmatched even Sir Percival's and his shoulders were broader too. His entire being lacked the quite gentleness of Arthur's knight, though. His face was roughly hewn from rustic granite deeply lined with a jagged scar running from his dark hairline, across his cheek and losing itself in his beard. He stood erectly. A golden crown, filled with emeralds opals and jewels that Merlin could not name surrounded his head, a giant sword lay nestled in its case at his side, right hand gloved in metal rested on the handle. His cloak was yellow and emblazed, like his breastplate, with the snarling boar of his logo. His dark and unkind eyes snarl from their deep sockets as Arthur approached.

"I didn't think you'd have the guts to show" he continued, his voice deep and cruel as gravel.

"I'm glad to disappoint," replied Arthur in a flinty tone of regal power that coursed through Merlin's blood and to his heart, which flipped awkwardly in effectation.

"I hear you have a man-beast as your champion. Which of them is it? Surely not this weak little boy" he snorted a puff of derisive air with a curl of his narrow lip.

"There are no monsters here. I am my own champion." Arthur announced holding his jaw high and proudly the way his father has taught him when he was a young prince.

"Sire-" Leon started, stepping forward.

"My lord I don't-" Elyan enjoined.

The knight all started to protest but Arthur raised his hand in a gesture that quietened them.

"How brave. And Stupid. Bring up the Beast!" he proclaimed, his voice booming with the depth of a peeling bell.

There was a pause filled with tension as silence filed the air after the King's command, suddenly it was broken by an egregious scream that split the air and crawled down merlin's neck, sending a chill down his spine.The ranks of soldiers behind Barghest parted and a squardron of armoued knights came through, each pulling a heavy chain wrought from rusted cold iron that was attached to the biggest and most hideous creature that he had ever seen.

It was a massive boar, it's course hair patchy in grey and brown, dark black sticky patches of dried blood matted his fur. it tossed its head frantically against the chains gripping its tusks, great sharp teeth protruding and curving from his mouth, tipped with spiked and hammered steel and crusted with blood. It's alien green eyes rolled wildy in their sockets focusing with an almost humane intelligence on the knights around him, pulling and hauling on the chains that bound him. It permiated an air of fierosity that clogged and cloyed, a dank miasma that scuttled unease through the hearts of the knights.

Suddenly and without warning the beast tossed it's head, jankingin the chains that held him down and hurled the men holding them to the ground. In a flash it had pulled free from all the men and charged at a stunned knight on the ground, gauging him on his antificially reinforced tusks and flinging him across the ground, before rearing and stomping his cloven hoove into his head with a sick crunch.

King Barghest laughed as the huge boar came to stand at his side, snorting angrily at the Camelot enterage.

"Arthur please you can't I...." Merlin whispered in fear and desperate. His king silenced him with a glance one that spoke volumes between them of unwhispered words of love and promises never made. He strode forward with a large step.