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Merthur - Chapter 3

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Eyes still closed, Arthur was lying in his bed, seething with rage. New servants bustled around his room, tidying up and making the chambers spotless.

Arthur preferred Merlin's messy ways of cleaning.

Cooks prepared him the best dishes, and maids brought in the food, never speaking, just refilling his glass constantly.

He preferred Merlin's lateness and constant chatter.

He was sick of these servants taking care of him. He wanted Merlin back. No one could ever replace Merlin.

His clumsiness, his goofiness, his never ending chatter of nonsense, the stupid smile he got when he was caught doing something.

The full moon was tomorrow and Arthur couldn't wait to be rid of these pesky servants.

Eyes opening suddenly, Arthur sat up. What was he doing? Instead of sitting around, moping, he could be doing something useful! Like getting that blasted plant!

Grinning, Arthur dismissed the servants and got to work packing.
                                                                                         *.*.*.
A rough hand shaking him awake made Merlin finally open his eyes after another night of almost no sleep.

He looked up wearily at the guard. "The King says you're free to go," he informed Merlin, lacking any emotion at all.

Wearily getting onto his four paws, Merlin slowly walked out of the cell and was escorted by the guards out of the dungeon.

The bright light of outside hurt his sensitive eyes at first, but then they slowly adjusted.

Merlin ached all over and was so exhausted.
                                                                                         *.*.*.
Entering the Physician's chambers, Merlin was greeted by a frantic Gaiuss.
"Merlin! Thank goodness. Arthur set out to find the Goadlinges plant yesterday morning. You must go after him!" Gaiuss said, shoving a satchel at him, full of clothes and food and other essentials.

"Good luck, my boy."

Nodding, instantly on alert, Merlin grabbed the satchel in his mouth and darted away, ignoring the aches in his body. He had to find Arthur before the clotpole got himself killed.
                                                                                         *.*.*.
Finding Arthur's trail was easy enough. With his sharp sense of smell, he could track Arthur forever if he needed to.

Nose low to the ground, black fur blending in with the darkness of the night, Merlin was exhausted but forced himself to keep going.

He had been tracking all day and all night for a day now, he was sure he was getting close.

Leaves crinkling noisily under his soft paws, Merlin accidentally tumble down a hill, which had been concealed from his tired eyes by a row of bushes, and into a camp.

Sniffing around, Merlin suppressed his yips of excitement, as he scented the fresh scent of Arthur. But, where was the prince?

Darting around wildly, Merlin growled in fear when he was picked up.
"Merlin! What are you doing here?" Arthur's incredulous voice made Merlin relax, tail wagging furiously.

Wiggling around in the prince's grasp, Merlin cuddled close to Arthur and buried his nose in the musky scent of the prince.

A yawn forced its way out of the warlock's mouth and Merlin sagged against Arthur. Now that he had found the prince, he could finally sleep in peace.

Barely awake, Merlin was only slightly aware of Arthur murmuring some words, and then he was walking, and then lying down.  Placing the little black puppy next to him, Arthur allowed him to cuddle close to the prince, nose lightly resting on the prince's neck soft, furry body pressed close, so close Merlin could hear his heartbeat.

Snuffling and licking his nose, Merlin drifted off to sleep, content.
                                                                                         *.*.*.
Nose twitching, Merlin slowly awoke to a strange smell. Instantly alert, Merlin's eyes snapped open and darted around.

He could see nothing dangerous. Sniffing, Merlin identified the smell of a plant with poisonous berries.

It was then that he noticed that Arthur was not sleeping next to him. In fact, Merlin could not see Arthur at all.

Leaping to his feet and out of the blanket, Merlin raced along the freshest scent trail of Arthur.

Arthur was leaning over a bush, berries in hand, reaching up to put them in his mouth.

Snarling, Merlin tackled Arthur to the ground and shoved the berries out of his grasp.

"Hey!" Arthur exclaimed, reaching for the berries again.

Growling lowly, Merlin snapped at his hand and stood between Arthur and the berries.

"What's the matter with you?" Arthur demanded.

Crouching, Merlin's fur spiked and he nipped on Arthur's fingers as he tried once more to reach for them.

Locking his eyes with Arthur's indignant ones, Merlin reached out a paw, bracing himself, and slowly squashed one of the bright red berries.

It hissed loudly, smoke coming out from under his paw, but Merlin didn't flinch, one burnt paw was nothing compared to Arthur eating them and burning from the inside out.

Arthur's eyes widened and he reached to pick Merlin up, but Merlin just growled at him; if Arthur touched the remains of the berry on his paw, Arthur's skin would burn too.

Limping, with a worried Arthur following him, Merlin made his way to the stream and jumped in, sighing at the cold water soothing his paw and washing away the berry.

Arthur watched from the bank, watching anxiously.

When Merlin waded back out of the water, he was instantly picked up and squeezed tightly to Arthur's body.
                                                                                         *.*.*.
Merlin was becoming annoyed with Arthur. Since the dawn, when Merlin had saved Arthur from eating the berries, Arthur hadn't allowed Merlin to do anything without help.

Arthur carried him on the horse, and fed him when they ate. It was getting extremely irritating.

Merlin's paw was perfectly fine, if a little sore.

Merlin was currently lying on Arthur's lap while Arthur steered the horse with one hand, the other stroking Merlin's back.

Merlin was NOT a pet. He was used to being a servant and getting hit around the head and carrying extremely heavy armour and chests. Not being pampered like a common pet!

Truth be told, it was extremely annoying.

Having had enough (it had been going on all day, and it was now dusk) Merlin growled and leaped off the prince's lap and the horse, and instead trotted alongside, tail wagging happily at the feel of his stretching muscles.

He heard Arthur sigh, and glanced up to see him frowning.

Jumping, Merlin licked Arthur's hand and whined happily when he landed again.

Laughing, Arthur smirked and kicked his horse into a jog, making Merlin grin and sprint to keep up.
                                                                                         *.*.*.

Merlin was taking watch, Arthur sleeping soundly against a tree, his sword resting by his hand. Since his eyes were sharper than Arthur's he had forced Arthur to let him do the watch tonight.

Scanning the undergrowth, Merlin got up and stretched, letting out a small yawn. Walking around their camp, Merlin whipped around when he heard a rustling.

Arthur grumbled, hand grabbing his sword, and then relaxing as sleep overtook him again.

Creeping silently through the brush, Merlin couldn't shake off the feeling that they were being watched.

Sniffing the air, he couldn't smell anything, but he was vigilant and patrolled the camp regularly.

If the knights were here, they would take shifts, but Merlin let Arthur sleep.
                                                                                         *.*.*.

Growing bored as dawn seeped over the land; Merlin gathered firewood and put them in the middle of the camp, setting light to them with magic.

Rummaging through the bags for food, Merlin tugged out a pot and made a stew, lifting things with magic when he was sure Arthur wouldn't wake and catch him.

When the sun was still barely over the horizon and the stew was bubbling, Arthur gave a grunt, and Merlin turned, bowl full of stew in his mouth, and saw Arthur sit up and rub his eyes, yawning.

Wagging his tail, Merlin trotted over and placed the bowl carefully on the ground next to the prince. Arthur looked around, and then frowned. "Why didn't you wake me up for the watch?" he mumbled sleepily, picking up the bowl and lifting the spoon out of it.

He went to feed Merlin, but stopped when Merlin just glared at him. The prince just chuckled and ate.
                                                                                         *.*.*.

After they had eaten lunch and carried on with their journey, Merlin froze, his fur spiking.

There was that feeling again, that feeling of being watched. Darting from side to side, fur raised and nose to the ground, Merlin caught scent of something and dashed off, leaving Arthur behind.

He heard Arthur shouted after him in frustration, but ignored him.

Coming to the end of the scent trail, Merlin looked around in confusion. There was nothing here!

Growling in frustration, Merlin trudged back to Arthur. Arthur yelled at him for running off, then, as punishment, picked him up and held him in his lap as they rode onwards.

Seething with frustration, Merlin kept a vigilant watch, even though his eyes kept drooping.

The steady thumps of the horse's hooves and the soothing, firm stroke of Arthur's hand on his back finally made Merlin drift off to sleep.
                                                                                         *.*.*.

Arthur rode on, a little more relaxed now that Merlin was sleeping. He knew that the little puppy had stayed up all night guarding him and the camp, and then he had made breakfast for Arthur. He was just surprised he hadn't fallen asleep earlier.

His dedication and loyalty made Arthur's stomach warm. It was a pleasant feeling, and Arthur was beginning to come to terms with the fact that he liked Merlin a hell of a lot more than just a friend should.

Glancing down at the little black puppy, Arthur smiled softly, chuckling softly when Merlin snuggled closer to the warmth of Arthur.

They were on Cendrid's land now, and Arthur had to be on full alert. They were close to the forest at the foot of the White Mountains (which was out of Cendrid's kingdom and into no-mans-land), maybe a day or two's ride.

Arthur would make sure they got there safely; he would protect Merlin with his life. As long a Merlin was OK, nothing else mattered.
                                                                                         *.*.*.

Eyes opening slowly, Merlin was so comfy he didn't want to move. A hand slowly and firmly stroking down his back finally got him to move.

Stretching his paws out, Merlin stretched his back into Arthur's hand and yawned, fur rippling down his back as he shivered.

Standing and kneading his claws gently into Arthur's leg, Merlin looked around and noticed Arthur had set up a camp and a fire. Night had fallen, leaving them in blackness and there was a pot of what smelt like stew above the fire.

Arthur was looking to the side, one hand on his sword, the other stroking Merlin's soft fur on his back.

"Here," Arthur muttered, putting a bowl of stew on the ground in front of Merlin.

Turning, Merlin licked the prince's hand in thanks and hopped off Arthur's lap and started lapping up the stew hungrily.

There was no warning at all, no crackle of leaves or whispering of cloths. Suddenly, there was an arrow shot straight at Arthur, and then bandits appeared.

Leaping up, food forgotten on the floor, Merlin slowed down time and shoved Arthur out of the way. But he was too slow. Although he made sure the arrow wouldn't hit his heart, it embedded into his shoulder, which was potentially just as dangerous.

Ignoring the wound, Arthur let out a battle cry, picked up his sword and charged at the bandits. Slicing with practised skill, Arthur avoided as many slices as he could and returned as good as he got.

Running around the bandits' feet, Merlin confused them as Arthur attacked them. It was hard to concentrate on a dog tripping you up while also avoiding skilful slices and hacks.

When the bandits had either fled or were dead, Arthur slumped to the ground, and Merlin rushed to him, whining in agitation.

Besides the arrow in his shoulder, he had a deep wound in his side and several shallow cuts on his cheeks.

Rushing around, Merlin grabbed the first aid kit and dropped it on the floor next to where Arthur was laying, barely conscious.

Wrapping the bandage around the wound in his side, Merlin applied pressure so that it would stop bleeding. He hoped the cut wouldn't get infected.

Now for the harder task; taking out that arrow. Placing both paws on either side, Merlin glanced at Arthur's face, to see him watching him intently, blue eyes trusting and warm.

Leaning forward, Merlin grabbed the end of the arrow and tugged it out, whining in sympathy as Arthur suppressed his groan. Leaning forward slightly, Merlin gently licked the raw wound tenderly, before applying the bandage.

Arthur let out another low groan, before his head flopped forward as he fell into unconsciousness.

Using magic, his eyes flashing gold, Merlin lifted Arthur and carried him to the sleeping mat, laying him down carefully.

Tugging the blanket up around him, Merlin lay on top of the covers and watched both Arthur and the camp, alert for the slightest sound.
WOOOH! CHAPTER 3!!!! I looove Merthur~

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