Gold Coin • Arthur Pendragon

Ealdor

(Merlin doesn't belong to me, obviously) 

 "Who did that?" Arthur didn't take even a second to decide if finding out was important. The magic hadn't harmed anyone on their side, but magic wasn't a matter to be taken lightly. No matter what had been done with it.

"What?" Merlin said.

Arthur could tell by the look in his eyes that Merlin knew exactly what Arthur was referring to - yet he lied. Arthur tried not to wince, or let his feelings be shown. It was entirely possible that Merlin, clumsy and idiotic as he was, had been the one to conjure the wind storm.

"Wind like that doesn't just appear from nowhere," Arthur snarled. "I know magic when I see it. One of you made that happen." And if it's you, Merlin? If it's you - no, it couldn't be him. Merlin didn't have the patience to sit down and learn the complicated language that was needed for magic. Arthur may have been exhausted, still breathing heavily from the battle, but his mind was still as sharp as it ever was.

Merlin looked briefly at his friend before taking a step forward and starting to answer, at last meeting Arthur's eyes. "Arthur.." Merlin's voice stopped, and he never did get to finish his sentence.

"Look out!"

Arthur felt his body forced sideways as the boy beside Merlin pushed him roughly out of the way. Arthur heard the chink of the arrow leaving the crossbow, but by the time he had turned around, Merlin had already called out his friend's name, and Will was falling to the ground, an arrow in his chest.

The arrow that would have hit Arthur in the back.

Kanen hadn't been dead, although he was certainly dead now. He hadn't been dead, and he had been able to hold a weapon and take aim at Arthur.

"You just saved my life." Why would a sorcerer save my life?

Will grimaced. "Yeah. Don't know what I was thinking."

"Come on! Get him inside!" Arthur didn't hesitate to get the man help. At the moment, he didn't know whether or not Will had performed magic. He only knew that he was indebted to him. A couple other men from the village helped Merlin and Arthur carry William inside, where again he spoke.

"That's twice I've saved you."

"Twice?" Arthur saw Will's mouth move, even in the dim light of the room, but his mind still seemed to need confirmation anyway.

"Yeah, it was me. I'm the one who used magic."

Will's body shook as he fought through the pain of the wound that would surely kill him, but his voice spoke with such finality that Arthur could believe him. He wanted to believe him.

"Will, don't," Merlin interrupted.

Arthur looked at him. Don't what, exactly? Will was already dying. The least he could do was make sure that Merlin wouldn't be joining him as he left the land of the living.

"Whatever happens out there today," Merlin had said, "please don't think any differently of me." Had he said it because he knew already what would happen? Had he known that Will would use magic, and that, under Camelot's law, Merlin could be executed just for keeping that knowledge secret? Or was that look given for some reason? William and Merlin seemed to be close.

Would Will cover for Merlin if he had been the sorcerer? Will dying for Merlin would make a great deal more sense than Will sacrificing himself for a foreign prince. Both William and Merlin had saved his life at some point. Going along that reasoning, neither of them should have had magic. What sorcerer would want to protect the Prince?