Lost in Albion 1 (Merlin) - Completed

16

Chapter 16

I sit at the table, eating away at the porridge. It is watered-down and disgusting in texture but it is food so I eat it, hiding my gagging behind a fist to my mouth. Merlin walks down the stairs, a cheery smile across his face.

"Good morning Merlin," I sing to him.

"Morning, Elena," he sings back, cringing as he looks at my breakfast. I give him a 'yeah, I know' type of look. Gaius who was fumbling with his things doesn't give Merlin the same upbeat greeting.

"I got you water. You didn't wash last night."

"Sorry."

"And help yourself to breakfast," he tells him, gesturing to the bowl opposite me on the table. Merlin sits down, picking up the spoon then looks to me. I give him a quirk of the eyebrow and dip of the head, egging him to eat it. But before the first spoonful reaches him mouth Gaius's arm knocks off a bucket of water that is sitting on the table. I watch Merlin, who stands abruptly stare at the bucket, his eyes turning gold once again. The bucket suspends itself in mid-air, water, paused like a picture. Gaius gasps, although I'm not sure why. We know the boy can do magic.

All three of us look at each other, Merlin letting the bucket drop to the ground.

"How did you do that? Did you incant a spell in your mind?" Gaius questions. That began to make more sense. I have no idea how magic worked, so maybe sorcerers usually had to say a spell, like in Harry Potter.

"I don't know any spells," Merlin shrugs. Gaius's mind can be seen, running through the possibilities.

"So what did you do? There must be something." He seems more confused than ever.

"It just happens," Merlin tells him, probably sick of explaining himself by now on something he doesn't even seem to understand himself.

"Well, we better keep you out of trouble. You can help me until I find some paid work for you. Here." He hands the boy a small sac and bottle. "Hollyhock and Feverfew for Lady Percival."

"Wait, do we have a Sir Percival too?" I question. I know the name Percival belonged to a knight in the legend but I hadn't come across one here in Camelot.

"No, she's an older lady, widowed. And this is for Sir Olwin. He's as blind as a weevil, so warn him not to take it all at once."

"Okay," Merlin agrees, taking the items.

"And here," he hands Merlin a plate with a freshly made sandwich. I look down at my own breakfast which is finished in disbelief. "It was actually meant for you Elena but you're eating my porridge." I drop my shoulders, open-mouthed.

"Could've told me that," I grumble.

"Off you go. And Merlin, I need hardly tell you that the practice of any form of enchantments will get you killed." Merlin nods, exiting the quarters.

I wait till Merlin leaves, turning back to Gaius who picks up Merlin's porridge. "You shouldn't scare the boy too much. One of the first things he saw coming here was the execution of that man yesterday," I tell him. Gaius sighs.

"The boy is young and inexperienced. He needs someone to reel him in or he's going to do something stupid and end up like that man." I sigh, silently agreeing.

"I might go out for a while. It's my shoulder that is sore, not my legs."

"Just be careful," he warns, giving me a stern look.

"Always."

I passed by Gwen and Morgana greeting them before moving down to the city. Nothing ever seems to change here. Then again, nothing really changed at home either. I still call it home, even though I have no lived there in a year. I should start calling Camelot by that name but there is still a shred of hope in me that it might not be forever.