This story will be told in Merlin's P.O.V.
The Dragon's Call (Part I)
Growing up in a small outlying village, called Ealdor, a part of Essetir belonging to King Lot, with my mother Hunith, gave us a simple life. I didn't understand at first why a lot of things happened the way they did in my life at first, but as I grew older I begun to notice the differences between the rest of the village and I. Unexplainable events seemed to occur frequently around me. Items moved towards or away from me when I thought about it, sometimes even freezing in mid air. Things suddenly caught fire or changed colours. As you can imagine, this caused a lot of strife for my mother and although she always assured me that she wouldn't have me any other way, I couldn't help but notice how much trouble I was causing her when she had to try to explain the unexplainable to the rest of the village if I happened to use magic around or on them.
If that wasn't enough there were curtain things my mother asked me to do that the other children in the village didn't. I was always to bathe alone and to make sure that no other male or any female were to see me naked. When ever the rest of the boys and I used to play games they screamed in pain whenever something hit their private parts. I never could understand that because I never felt any pain when hit there. They boys always said I had balls of steal so I figured it meant I was though. Another difference from the other boys and I didn't arise until much later in life. It first happened when one of the other boys was in the middle of a grand tale when all of a sudden he squeaked. I mean honest to god squeak, like a mouse. We all laughed at the time of course, until the adults explained that it would happen to all of us eventually. And it did. A few months later another boy went high pitched randomly and one after the other all the boys were doing it. This went on for a few years and I was terrified of when it would happen to me. I didn't want to sound like a mouse! Then it happened to Ralf. He was three years younger than me. I knew it was going to happen to me soon, but it never did. The men in the village were calling me a 'late bloomer', whatever that meant. I think those were some of the defining moments that led to the most startling revelations in my life.
I remember the exact moment where my entire perception of my life was turned on it's head. It was the first time I had ever seen anyone else naked. A few of the boys and I had planed out a grand scheme to sneak into Maree's bathing room as she cleaned, in hopes of getting a peak at a girls body. The adults would say it was all due to our growing curiosity about all the strange things happening to our own bodies at the time. 'Boys will be boys' after all. Maree was probably the cutest girl in our village. She had beautiful blond curls and the bluest blue eyes anyone in the village had ever seen. She had a slim figure with curves already developing that she didn't bother to hide much. All the boys fancied her and I had to say I was no exception. This I soon found out to be yet another confusing situation in my life. The four of us were hidden behind the wall standing on top of they haystacks, Maree's family was known to provide for the rest of the village, peering through the window. As she took off her shirt one of the other boys let out a groan causing us to quickly hide as she turned around. I punched him for almost blowing our cover. She was just taking off her last article of clothing when I saw something that made me gasp while two of the other boys whispered "Wow" and the last one, the boy who I punched before, whistled causing her to see us before we could hide. She screamed. What I saw confused me. Was Maree actually a boy just like us? That's what I was thinking anyway before one of the boys made a comment.
"So that's what a girl looks like?... Wow." At this comment the other boys laughed while my world came crashing down around me. 'what a girl looks like?' Does that mean... By now Maree's screams had alerted some of the men nearby who came rushing to her aid. Later that night I confronted my mother about it. It was then that she explained the event that occurred when I was a babe. I was so confused at first. After all these years thinking I was just like every other boy in the village, besides the magic of course, it turns out I'm actually a girl? I couldn't comprehend it. To be honest I think it actually took me just over a year for it to fully sink in. During this time I had to continue to hide the secret of my gender from the rest of the village. I continued to bathe alone and have my mother cut my hair short while I constantly begged her to let me grow it long like the rest of the girls, 'just to try it' always explained. It was too late though. After all these years there was no way I could reveal to the world my true self. My mother always told me that if somehow someone did, terrible things would happen to me and although I honestly wished to be myself, I had no intention of finding out just what those things may be.
My life continued on like this all throughout my 16 long years of life, filled with enough secrets to have my mother and I killed if revealed to the wrong person. All these secrets I had to keep from my village put me at odds with them all. As I grew older I begun to distance myself from most of the village, finding it all too hard to keep things from people who have known me my entire life. My mother could see the stress this was putting on me, so writing to her brother Gaius in Camelot, she begged him to take me in.
~XXxxoxxXX~
My shoulders were growing sore and my legs ached from the constant hike I had been on from Ealdor to the great city of Camelot. I was on, what I believed to be, the last day of my journey. The small dirt tracks that I followed most of the way had turned into large winding roads, where horses, carts and wagons passed by every so often, along with the random traveler walking on foot like myself. I think i even saw a knight or two pass by. Their long red flowing cloaks and shining armor taking most of my attention away from the path ahead of me. The thought of actually meeting one as brave as the knights in the many stories my mother used to tell me growing up, brightening my spirits and returning to me the joy my travels had robbed from me. As I traveled over another hill, my feet faltered at the view. There, standing in all it's glory, stood the Castle of Camelot. I couldn't believe I would be living there with my uncle. The closer I was to the town the closer the cottages grew to each other. Soon there was almost no distinction between some of the houses. Upon entering the gates of Camelot's inner walls the houses grew and so did the crowd. The people passing by or stopping at certain buildings marked as butchers and blacksmiths, clothing and pottery stores. Never before had I seen so many people and it only became worse the closer I came to the castle. I loved everything about it... well except the smell. But even that could not take away from the feeling of grandeur I was experiencing. Even so nothing could compare to the Castle. Just the sight of it from over the hill was enough to last me a lifetime.
I walked into a grand space, situated just outside the main castles walls, filled with miss matched stalls selling goods of all kinds, from herbs and spices to hand made toys and furniture. The sound of the crowd was almost deafening. And the guards! Oh how could anyone miss the guards? They were standing everywhere. Men of all shapes and sizes standing around, decked out in armor and holding spears. Not that I quite understood the point of using a spear other than to fish.
As I walked through to the castle, above the roar of the crowd a horn sounded. A large mass of people started forming in the center, all trying to look over the heads and shoulders of others to see into the middle. Weaving my way though the masses I begun to hear the sound of drums. The chatter of the crowd worsened and a young man, no older than 20, wearing clothes not even the poorest in our village would wear, was escorted by two guards and led into the middle where a platform stood.
"Let this serve as a lesson to all!" Boomed a deep voice from above, drawing the attention of the people. Atop one of the castles walls stood a man decked in finery I had never seen the likes of. Two guards stationed on ether side of him. I figured this must be the King. "This man, Tomas James Collins, is judged guilty of conspiring to use enchantments and magic. And, pursuant to the laws of Camelot, I Uther Pendragon, have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death. I pride myself as a fair and just king. But for the crime of sorcery, there is but one sentence I can pass."
They sat the man down and laid his head to the ground. The executioner, something I had only ever heard about in old tales told to scare the children, raised his axe high into the air and let it drop. A loud gasp from everyone in the area along with a whimper or two was all that could be heard. I felt sick. In the village, I had been witness to some horrible accidents, some even leading to death, but never before had I seen someone taking another mans life. Life is precious and something to fight for, and that was this mans life? Killing people for money? I couldn't understand it and I never wanted to. At the continuation of his speech, the crowd lifted their heads up once more to listen to what the man had to say about this.
"When I came to this land, this kingdom was mired in chaos. But with the people's help, magic was driven from the realm. So I declare a festival to celebrate 20 years since the Great Dragon was captured and Camelot freed from the evil of sorcery. Let the celebrations begin." I couldn't believe it. A celebration in honor of killing countless people for the use of magic? I swear I even saw some of the crowd cheering at the news. What had I gotten myself into by coming here? As the people begin to disburse a woman wails loudly drawing their attention along with the Kings once more.
"There is only one evil in this land and it is not magic. It is you. With your hatred and your ignorance... You took my son. I promise you, before these celebrations are over, you'll share my tears. An eye for a eye, a tooth for a tooth, a son for a son." Her wheezy voice carrying over the sudden dead silence of the crowd.
"Seize her!" 'King' Uther ordered his guards. His anger seething. The woman grabs something from around her neck and begins to chant in an unknown language before abruptly vanishing in the form of light and wind, leaving nothing behind. Screams can he heard from within the mass of spectators as panic arises. To distract myself from the scene I had just witnessed. I rushed back to trying to find Gaius.
~XXxxoxxXX~
I stood at a door scared and nervous. The sign next to it reading 'Court Physician'. Taking a deep breath I knocked on the door before any more of my courage could leave me. Upon receiving no answer I tried again, growing confused. But when yet again I received no answer I decided to be brave and try the door handle. Finding it unlocked, I cautiously opened it and walked in.
"Hello?" I called when I could see no one in sight. There was no answer and I was beginning to think he was out at the moment. Looking around the room I begun to realize how strangely it was decorated. In the corner on one of the desks a strange concoction bubbled away, a random mask resembling a rabbit on another, books and vials filled with strange and unidentifiable liquids all over. "Hello?" I decided to try once more, a bit louder than before. Finally hearing the noise of movement I looked up. A figure stood atop a small platform high up sorting through yet more books. "Gaius?" I yell before clearing my throat to gain his attention. As he turns around the railings break and he begins to fall. I react without thinking. By the time I realize what i have done I panic. I've slowed his decent marginally, but i can't just leave him there. The impact will still have the same effect. Quickly I look around the room in desperation, trying to find something, anything to help. I spot a bed close by and smile. That can break his fall! As i think it, it happens. The bed moves under the man and, with the adrenalin rush over, the spell breaks causing the man to plummet onto the bed, breaking it. I cringe knowing that, even though nothing was broken, it would still hurt a lot.
"Arggh! What the...? What did you just do?" He accuses me while still regaining from his landing.
"Um..." Quickly think of something! He can't find out.
"Tell me." The man demands as he gets off the bed and moves towards me.
"Well, er... I have no idea what happened." Maybe if I deny it he'll just let it go? Perfect!
He looks back to the place he fell from then to the door. "If anyone had seen that..."
"No, that was nothing to do with me." I was screwed.
"I know what it was. I want to know where you learnt how to do it!" By now he was directly in front of me, preparing me for the gallows. Great. My first day in Camelot and I already have someone after me just for trying to save him.
"Nowhere." I was getting desperate now. He couldn't know. He just couldn't. No one was supposed to know. I couldn't do that to my mother.
"How is it you know magic?" s**t. He said the M word! I'm doomed.
"I don't." Oh please just stop asking! I beg in my mind.
"Where did you study?" The man was beginning to regain his breath which meant there wasn't much time left for me. Maybe if i said nothing it would all go away? "Answer me!" He yelled. Then again maybe not and at that I snapped.
"I don't now. I've never studied magic or been taught." I confessed, just trying to get him to stop.
"Are you lying to me boy?" The look he gives me reminds me of my mothers when she asks me if I've done something wrong that I'm lying about and I can't fight it.
I concede. "What do you want me to say?"
"The truth." I hope that is all he wants because I don't know if I can take much more of the panic I was experiencing.
"I was born like this." I finally admit felling defeated.
"That's impossible." What is it with adults always not believing the truth, even when it slaps them in the face? He looked away, but then as if remembering something turned right back. "Who are you?"
His question startles me, giving me a form of mental whiplash. "Oh, um... I have this letter. It's..." Searching though all the pockets of my travel sack for the letter my hand brushes past snacks and money, even a small, shimmering rock I found laying around during my journey, but not the letter. Grabbing my backpack off my back, I remembered stuffing it in there after i kept on accidentally pulling it out with my money or snacks. "There." I exclaimed as I pulled out the letter. I handed it to him, but he just looked confused.
"I... I don't have my glasses." He admits as he briefly looks around the room.
"I'm Merlin." I hope that is enough information to let me pass. By the look in his eyes I could tell that he finally recognized me.
"Hunith's son?" He clarified taking a closer look at me as if to find some aspects of my mother in me. Noticing that Gaius called me Hunith's 'son' did bring up a problem though. Hadn't my mother told him?
"Yes." I exhaled in relief, glad that this was all over or at least, I hoped it was. I would just leave the gender issue for another day. No need to bring up any more unnecessary complications after not even being here an hour.
"But you're not meant to be here till Wednesday." His comment makes me falter as I realize this man probably isn't the best at taking in his surroundings and the world around him.
"It is Wednesday." My deadpan comment causes him to halt for a second before gaining his baring once more.
"Ah. Right, then. You'd better put your bag in there." Gaius pointed to one of the doors at the end of the room, so I follow my orders praying that he won't mention to anyone what had just transpired between us.
Just in case. "Look, you won't say anything about, um..." I randomly gesture to the remnants of the accident in hopes that he would understand.
"No." He shakes his head and I feel as though I can breath clearly once more. The tightness in my throat loosening. "Though Merlin, I should say thank you." The smile on his face lets me know that I can trust him, if only for now. I smile back and walk into the room, setting down my bag and collapsing onto the bed. Upon realizing that I still held the letter in my hand, I ran back out there and handed it to him.
"Thank you. It's getting late and you must be tired from your travels. You should probably go to sleep now. Well talk in the morning." Gaius picks up his glasses from one of the many benches in the room holding clutter and sits down to read. I just walk back into the room, closing the door behind me. Looking out of the window to peer out at the lit up night sky, with the full moon hanging over the town, still buzzing with activity, I think over my day. If today was any indicator of how my life at Camelot is going to be, I have a feeling I'm going to have my work cut out for me. How in the world am I going to be able to hide my magic from everybody in Camelot? Well at least I no longer have to hide my gender. Now how on earth am I going to break that news to Gaius?
A/N: Sorry again for the time it has taken me to write and update this. Unfortunately I can't say that I won't be like this for a while. Please bare with me and thank you to all who have read and subscribed this story already!
To answer some questions:
1. Merlin hadn't seen another person naked so she thought that was what all boys looked like. Obviously as she was growing up she noticed some things not matching up, but it just wasn't a possible thought that she wasn't male. After all it is what everyone around her knew her as.
2. She won't be hiding her 'womanhood' in Camelot. She's just lived as a guy for so long that she doesn't see the point in correcting others when they mistake her as a boy.
Next chapter Merlin meets Arther. smile
(No this story won't be sticking to the original. It will slowly move away and turn into it's own little story.)
