Silence
Chapter 3: Silence
If Merlin were being completely honest with himself, he really had no idea what he was doing. The sight of the villagers running four children, (essentially toddlers) out of the village was ludicrous and he wasn't able to stop himself from interfering. Nevermind the fact that he for all the world looked like a woman.
Therefore, Elladora was born. Merlin tried to level his best judgmental look at the people gathered before him.
"You people should be ashamed of yourselves. Look at you. You're lobbing rocks at toddlers." He gave himself a moment to properly look at the children huddled around him, peering at their attackers from behind his skirts. They looked to be about the same age, 2 boys and 2 girls.
The eldest of the bunch appeared to be a boy around 6 years of age with dark brown hair, his eyes were flickering nervously across all the hostile faces opposite them. Clutching his hand was a younger girl, who looked to be youngest of the bunch, with dark red hair and big wide brown eye that were full of fear. On Merlin's other side were the other pair, a young raven haired girl with a sharp pointed nose and a blonde little boy with the most defiant eyes Merlin had ever seen on a child.
"Who are you to school us on how we treat people? You look no older than my own daughter. I'll not be scolded by a chit that no better than she ought to be!" The man who had confronted him earlier made no effort to conceal his ire at being judged by an outsider.
Merlin bristled slightly at the insult. It was expected of course, given his experience in dealing with the decidedly more rough members of society, he knew that when people made an attempt at insulting women they almost always chose to insult her morality.
Still, it was disconcerting to be insulted on a facet that had no bearing on the current topic of conflict. Merlin made a show of rolling his eyes and sighing. He put his hands on his hips and tapped his foot impatiently, becoming momentarily distracted by the fact that he was wearing female shoes and remembered again that he was indeed a woman through and through.
"My virtue aside, could you please deign to explain why is it that you're trying to stone an innocent group of children?" He raised an eyebrow as a woman from the crowd shouted at him.
"Don't you see it in their eyes, that unnatural look? They're born of magic, the lot of them. They set things on fire, freeze water and cause havoc. It's a menace. They got it from the mad woman they lived with! What with her eccentricities, she probably taught them. And now that she's dead, they'll torment us next!" The woman sniffed scornfully at them.
Suddenly the ground in front of Merlin flared up with a sputtering fire. The crowd shrieked and the little blonde boy behind Merlin stuck his head out, eyes flashing and yelled at them.
"Don't call her mad!"
Merlin stepped forward and snuffed the blaze out with his foot and a well hidden. He placed a restraining hand on the boys head and turned to look sternly at him once he was sure he had the kid's attention.
"I know you're angry, but true warlocks never use their magic on others. Especially people who don't have magic." The little boys eyes widened, and when Merlin kept staring, he nodded.
"Alright, now that that's sorted, lets discuss that utter rubbish that just came out of your mouth." The crowd of villagers shifted angrily at his words. The mustached man walked up and bold as brass shoved Merlin back two steps.
"I'll not discuss anything with the likes of you. Get out of my village. I'll deal with these little law breakers myself." He tried to shove Merlin to the side and grabbed at the little brown haired boy and red headed girl. Merlin noted with some satisfaction that the little boy didn't shrink and instead shoved the hand away.
"You will do no such thing." Merlin put a firm hand on his chest and pushed him back the same two steps. Whatever this village chief saw in Merlin's eyes had a visible effect on him. He backed off instantly, a little frightened.
"These children will leave with me.This is not a negotiation!" Merlin's voice rose when the woman from earlier tried to protest. "They will be out of your village, which is what you all wanted isn't it? Or will you only be satisfied when you burn four little children on the pyre? Is that it? Is that what you want?"
The terse silence that followed gave Merlin his answer. He grabbed the hands of the two little girls who held their hands out to the two boys and obediently followed him across the river to where he had left his horse.
He helped them on, though cramming four children in a saddle meant for one person meant for a rather tight squeeze. He looked back, at the village across the water and saw them watching. Merlin smiled and waved cheerily, which effectively dispersed the onlookers.
. . . . . .
It was ten minutes into the walk when Merlin realized the enormity of what he had just done. He glanced surreptitiously, breaking out into a cold sweat.
Lords. I just agreed to look after a bunch of kids. Not just one, but FOUR of them.
"Miss. You're not going to leave us are you?" Merlin turned at that, seeing that it was the oldest that had spoken. Before he could respond however, the blonde boy in the back piped up, leaning out from behind.
"Don't be stupid Godric, why would she tell those idiots that she was going to take us, only to abandon us somewhere else?"
"Salazar, you needn't be so mean. Auntie didn't like it when we were mean." The redhead sniffled, her arms tightening around Godric's waist. The black haired girl in front of Salazar rolled her eyes.
"Do try to keep up Helga. In case you hadn't noticed, Auntie's dead." This sent Helga from ineffectual sniffling to full on hysterics. Wailing and screaming for the auntie that Merlin supposed had been their caretaker. He stopped the horse and went to stand in front of Helga and tapped her twice on her pert nose. The abruptness of the action startled her into silence, her cries sputtering into hiccups.
"Now Helga was it? Why on earth are you crying?" Helga took a few gulps of air and spoke in a clear voice, clearly unhindered by her crying.
"Aun-Aunties dead." This time there was no scoffing to the statement for the others, just quiet as they thought over what that meant for them. Merlin pondered for a moment the correct response and settled on one.
"But that doesn't mean she doesn't watch over you still." The foursome stared at Merlin as if the thought had just occurred to them. He looked up into the sky that peeked through the forest foliage above, in brilliant hues of gold, green and blue. He pointed around them, gesturing to the forest.
"See, the thing is, our world is made of spirits, of magic, of everything that you can't see. Humans are made of magic," Seeing the disbelief on their faces he amended his statement. "Well, they may not all be able to use their magic but they have it none the less. It's what makes us, well, us. So when you miss your Aunt, look around, and remember, she is in the very fabric of life that you live in."
Merlin noted with satisfaction that his explanation had been definitely been heard. He returened to leading the horse by the reins and guiding them through the woods. After another hour or so of silence and muffled whispering amongst themselves, Godric cleared his throat.
"Um. Excuse me. You said your name was Elladora?"
"That's Mistress Elladora to you, young sir." Merlin said without looking back at him, claring her skirts over a rough patch of ground.
"Yes, Mistress. Can I ask you a question?"
"Why not. We don't have anything better to do." Merlin waved a non-commital hand. He wasn't truly paying attention, still trying to solve the problem of what he was going to do with these children. How would he even live?
"Why did you help us?" Merlin raised his hand and let a lick of flame ignite, allowing himself to smile when he heard their gasps of surprise.
"Because I'm like you." He turned his head slightly to look back at them, seeing their eyes riveted to the flame on his finger. "And because I know what it’s like to live in fear of the fact that your true self might be discovered."
Whatever they had to say in response to that was lost when they heard a loud snap of a twig to their right. Merlin stopped and gestured for the kids to come down off the horse. They heard, rather than saw, a group of men ride through the forest. Merlin quickly cast a glamour over himself and the kids and raised a finger to his lips, using the other hand to keep his long black hair away from his face. They copied the movement, showing their understanding.
He flattened his back to the tree and thought his heart would leap out from his throat when he saw that the men wore capes of deep red, emblazoned with the Coat of Arms of Camelot, and recognized the face of his friend, Lancelot. He and Gwaine were whispering amongst themselves. The group was talking about something, something they clearly wished to keep secret from their King who rode at the front of the patrol.
"It's got to be him. It couldn’t be anyone else!"
"He's not the only one who wears a red kerchief Gwaine!"
"Alright. What is it? What are you two nattering on about back there?"
Merlin saw the two exchange a glance before hesitantly answering.
"It’s about the girl, at the tavern, what she said about -"
"About what Lancelot? About some boy who saved her life? It's not an isolated occurrence."
Gwaine forged ahead, despite Lancelot's warning look.
"Aren't you even the least bit curious about where he is?"
Arthur was silent for a fraction of a second before replying.
"Can't say that I am, no."
"How? He was your best for 6 years! 6 years Arthur! How could you do that to him? Not even give him a chance to speak? To clear his name? How do you think he felt?!" Gwaine pulled on the reins to his horse, bringing the whole group to a halt right in front of the tree that Merlin and his quartet of children were concealed behind. Merlin put a hand to over his lips to cover any sound his traitorous mouth would make.
"Enough Gwaine. I made my decision, I will not talk about it."
"No, that's not good enough." Arthur got down off his horse, the rest of the Knights following suit. He got right in Gwaine's face.
"Not good enough? Am I King or are you?" Gwaine looked frustrated enough to pull out his own hair.
"This isn't about being a King, it's about being a man! How can you live with yourself, throwing him out like that? Is this the man you've become? The man Merlin worked so hard to convince me to put my trust in?!"
Arthur finally snapped.
"Merlin Merlin Merlin! That's all you care about! Merlin lied to me! 6 years! Like you said, he lived with me for 6 YEARS and I never knew the man I put my faith in. Who should have been as transparent to me as I was to him! Where was the man I put my trust in?!" Arthur slammed his hand across his chest, his gloves pounding over his tunic, the slap of it echoing in the forest that had jumped to life under the screams. Mirroring Arthur's state of mind.
Merlin watched as Arthur broke down, tossing tree branches and stones at trees, while Merlin stifled his sobs, finally understanding his King. His eyes stung with the tears that he tried to stop. He thought he would break down when he felt a small hand wrap around his fingers.
He down to see Helga, her eyes echoing the same emotions in his. Hurt, fear, and understanding. Merlin slid down to the ground, as Arthur's yells stopped and turned to heavy breathing.
Silence fell upon them, under the weight of the truth.
No one knew how to lighten that load.