As Clear As Blood (A Merlin Fan Fiction)

[28]

As light broke threw the night like glass cracking, the sky was slowly painted in vibrant morning colours. The crisp early air weaved its way around Merlin so he had to open his eyes and pull his body close together for warmth.

"Sire," he hissed, not wanting to move his hands and reproach the cold air. "Sire!"

Arthur grumbled, yet still managed, with difficulty, to open his eyes. He gazed tiredly around at the forest and the painting hung up over the sky, trying to remember why he was here, before remembering and wishing he could just go back to sleep.

"Get the horses, Merlin," Arthur demanded.

"Yes sire," Merlin said in a song like way, but the tune was bored and expressionless and it carried on for some time as if Merlin hadn't the effort to stop.

Arthur pattered the horses kindly so they stopped wandering about and then he clambered up onto his pale one. They began journeying once more, the crunching of leaves beneath the horses hooves echoing through out the lonley forest.

Gwaine had luckily been woken by Merlin's shouting and he too was on his horse and down the path minutes after them. The sun fought its way past the branches and leaves to light up the floor, as he past through bits his body went warm like he had a crackling fire by his side.

"Your sure you can do this?" Arthur asked for the millionth time.

"Yes! If you ask me one more time -"

"Are you threatening the King?" Arthur cried, a smirk falling on his face.

"I'm the king,"

"Not for long," Arthur sang happily.

"Dollophead," Merlin mumbled to the trees, their branches shook with laughter.

"I heard that!" Arthur warned, trying to disguise the grin on his face with a solemn frown.

"Dollophead," Merlin repeated so Arthur wafted his hand infront of Merlin's face, trying to hit him.

They reached the end of Camelot, thick lines of worry for Merlin cut into Arthur's skin.

"Don't die," he ordered and Merlin laughed.

"You too, I don't want all those times I've saved you to have been for nothing!" Merlin declared.

"Sure, bye then..."

Gwaine was a blur within the trees, his eyes darting from one man to the other wondering what they were doing. He watched as Arthur continued into Cenred's kingdom and Merlin span 90°.

"Hey!" Gwaine yelled, dragging his horse towards Merlin.

"Gwaine?"

"Yes, that's me!" Gwaine cried breathlessly

"You should go with Merlin," Merlin said, directing his glance over to where Arthur had been seconds before.

"You are Merlin, I heard you both, I guess it kind of makes sence," Gwaine said thoughtfully, "you know, how everyone was confused at why Arthur was spending so much time with Gaius, well it was you wasn't it? And also that weird behaviour and sneaking out?"

Merlin nodded slowly, he had no way of hiding the truth and to be fair he hadn't done anything wrong this time, besides, he trusted Gwaine they'd been friends for a while, even before he'd become a knight of Camelot.

Gwaine smiled, proud of himself for figuring that out, "so where are you going?"

Merlin explained everything and Gwaine listened carefully, repeating some of the words in hope to stick it like glue in his head.
Streams of sunlight lunged down onto the floor as Merlin and Gwaine rode their horses steadily in search of the cave, Merlin's mind not really on the task he must complete but Arthur.

Arthur was a brave man whose biggest talant was with a sword however he could be foolish sometimes, even naive. He believed in people he cared about and never thought any wrong of them: take Morgana for example. He also would ride straight into the danger and if it wasn't for Merlin he'd have payed a price for that by now.

Merlin suddenly felt a little bit ashamed for leaving Arthur, after all he was meant to be protecting him and if anything happened to him Merlin knew he'd never forgive himself.

As the moon rose and began to look over Merlin and Arthur, Arthur swung himself off his horse and set up a fire cautiously, he knew he'd get little sleep as this wasn't his land and he'd get killed if he was seen here. Merlin and Gwaine noticed a cave and Merlin's eyes lit up dancing like the flames from Arthur's fire.

"Here," Merlin whispered excitedly, his finger directing Gwaine eyes to the cave.

They approached it with suspicion as if something would jump out at them like a jack-in-the-box. Thankfully nothing did and they were able to enter peacefully.