Work Text:
Another day has passed, another day tracking these bandits or traders or whatever Arthur and Agravain think they are. Another day on horse-back with little rest. Another day with no luck in catching anybody trespassing in their Kingdom.
Safe to say, Merlin would very much like to go back to Camelot.
They have set up camp once again for the night, Knights milling around setting up night watches and putting out their bed rolls, chatting ideally between themselves. Arthur is having a quiet but somewhat heated debate with his Uncle. Merlin isn’t sure what their discussion is about but he’s sure Arthur is just as tired of so many days on the road without any victories as he himself is. Agravaine clearly doesn’t agree.
“This all just seems fruitless, Uncle. We have lost the trail,” Merlin catches Arthur saying, the King’s voice rising high enough for Merlin to hear him where he’s tending the horses, “Our group is just too big for them to not see us coming.”
“We are getting closer, my lord, we just need to keep going…”
Arthur huffs, looking frustrated, “To do what, give them more time to outflank us and launch their own attack instead?”
Merlin nods his head to himself, agreeing with Arthur, not catching Agravaine’s response anyway as the two move further away. If Merlin didn’t know any better than to presume, he’d think Agravaine wants them to make a misstep and fall to the bandit’s mercy. The man just gives him a feeling he can’t describe. He certainly can’t voice the concern to anyone considering Agravaine’s position as the King’s Uncle. Merlin finishes off watering the horses for the night, running his hand along his hazelnut mare’s mane gently, smiling when she huffs and presses her nose to him.
“We’ll be back to Camelot soon,” Merlin promises her, softly.
“Merlin?” Gwaine voice makes him flinch, not expecting his voice so close, “Who ya talkin’ to?”
Merlin throws him a glare, “Someone with more sense then you.”
Gwaine laughs, loud and boisterous, the sound giving Merlin the urge to both roll his eyes and smile, “A horse? A horse has more sense then me? A-“
“If you say a Knight of Camelot, I swear-“
Gwaine laughs again, “Nah they let any old people in the ranks these days, have you not heard?” He gestures over to their friends, who are laughing wildly at something another Knight has said, with a wide grin, “’ave you seen that lot?”
“Mhm that’s why I prefer the horse’s company,” Merlin quips, grinning when Gwaine pushes his shoulder good-naturedly, “Hey!”
“You deserved it,” Gwaine answers, rolling his eyes, leaning himself against a tree to scrutinise Merlin, “What’s ‘appening in that old ‘ead o’ yours?”
Merlin shrugs, “Nothing, just would like to go back to Camelot.”
“I hear that,” Gwaine agrees, swiping his hair behind his ears after the wind blows it free.
“And that’s coming from you, self-proclaimed drifter,” Merlin jokes, raising his eyebrows and giving Gwaine a pointed look.
Merlin, not for the first time, feels grateful for Gwaine, the one friend he has that he doesn’t have to put a face on for. Since Lancelot…..since they lost him, Merlin has been pushing all of his friends away or trying to anyway. Gwaine just won’t seem to go anywhere even when the others allow it to happen. Lancelot was the only one of them that truly knew him, knew of his magic, knew everything, and look where that got him. Gwaine doesn’t know that part of him, doesn’t know what he’s truly capable of, but he still follows him as loyally as Lancelot had. Gwaine has a faith in him that Merlin has never been able to understand, because, frankly, he is only a servant. Gwaine gravitates to him, always has since the day they met, more times than not Arthur has made a comment about the long-haired man having more loyalty to him then to his Knighthood. Many times, Merlin has suspected the other man knows about his magic, but then he doesn’t believe the loud and crass Knight would have been able to stop himself informing Merlin of his discovery. Regardless, Gwaine is a mystery to Merlin, but equally one of the best friends he’s ever had.
“This plan’ll never work, they can see us coming from a mile off,” Gwaine says, shrugging his shoulders, “Bandits are more clever than these nobles give em credit for.”
Merlin resists the urge to remind Gwaine that he is also one of ‘these nobles’ now, by title as well as by blood. He doesn’t think Gwaine would appreciate the reminder, “They need better tactics.”
“Like what?”
Then Merlin has an idea.
______________________________
All of the Knights are giving him equally bewildered looks, Merlin could almost find it comical if the plan he’s explaining didn’t sound crazy even to himself.
“So you want to dress as a knight-“ Agravaine looks very confused at his plan, Merlin resists the urge to roll his eyes at the older man, looking at Arthur instead.
“-And be bait for the bandits?” Arthur finishes the sentence, shaking his head in surprise, “No.”
“But Arthur-“
“I said no, Merlin,” Arthur answers, looking at him with a note of concern like he’s just offered to throw himself to the wolves willingly, “Of all the stupid-“
“My Lord,” Agravaine interrupts, an odd look on his face replacing the confusion, obviously deciding he doesn’t mind the thought of throwing Merlin to the metaphorical wolves after all, “Maybe Merlin has a point.”
Arthur throws him a hard look, “It’s suicide.”
Merlin shakes his head, “No because I’ll just be running from them for a short distance, I lure them into the valley and you get the drop on them.”
“And if they catch you?” Arthur asks, folding his arms with raised eyebrows, “What then?”
“They won’t catch me,” Merlin answers, straightening in confidence, he has plenty of ways to prevent them catching up with him but none he can tell Arthur. He catches Gwaine’s eyes behind Arthur, the other man mouthing ‘you’re mad’ with a lightness in his eyes that shows he trusts that Merlin knows what he’s doing.
Merlin can see the reluctance in Arthur and he could guess the cause of it as well. Not long ago, Arthur would have risked Merlin with little to no thought. Not because he didn’t care for Merlin, he does (not that he would admit it), but because he hadn’t lost so many people before. One does not know how easy it is to lose people until it happens. His father’s death is still raw. Lancelot’s. Arthur has been hit with the realisation very quickly that life is fleeting and it’s taken its toll on him. Merlin knows, but Merlin also knows this is the only way to help stop the trespassers in Camelot from killing any of the patrols.
“The plan will work, Sire,” Merlin continues, looking Arthur in the eyes to show him his surety.
Arthur looks away but Merlin knows he’s got him.
_______________________
Arthur is looking at him with an unreadable expression on his face, helping him to fasten up the armour. Merlin understands now why it’s a two-man job. Merlin feels heavy, wondering how Arthur and the Knights deal with having to wear such heavy armour all day.
“Don’t think too hard, you’ll hurt yourself,” Merlin says, testing out the movement he has in the armour.
Arthur throws him a glare, “Merlin.”
“Arthur,” Merlin mocks, smirking at the King, wondering how long he can dance the edge of disrespecting the King before his head is on a chopping block.
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Arthur admits, not looking at Merlin properly, “the armour-“
“It’s not that heavy,” Merlin lies.
Arthur rolls his eyes, “Liar.”
“Okay it’s a little heavy,” Merlin admits, shrugging, “I can still out run them.”
“You better,” Arthur answers, biting his lip subtly and looking away, “just….don’t trip over your own feet, okay?”
“Yes, Sire,” Merlin grins at him, hoping that he can do just that.
Arthur still doesn’t look convinced but pats him on the shoulder all the same. The gesture is silent but holds a lot more weight than Merlin can decipher right now.
______________________________
Arthur and the Knights head to their hiding posts, leaving Merlin alone to lure the bandits into thinking they can pick off a lone knight to lessen their numbers. Merlin listens to the silence, ready to start running as soon as their enemy makes themselves known.
Did Merlin expect so many ‘bandits’ to be on the hunt for him? No, but lord knows he runs for his life.