Archive of Our Own ^beta

Walking up the main path of the lower town, Merlin takes in the sights, he had heard whispers that the gates of Camelot were often shut and that the guards would often turn away peasants looking for work. He is glad that the rumors - were just that, rumors. He doesn't know what he would have done if they turned him away because there is no way he could have returned to his village. Merlin looks at the all the market stalls each one selling something different to the one next to it, Merlin smiles he came from a quite little village there was no hustle and bustle, no busy marketplaces just the field that they farm. Merlin heaves a heavy sigh as he gets to a crest in the hill, he is exhausted, the bag on his back may not be particularly heavy but after carrying it for three days the bag has become a heavy burden that he wishes that he was rid of, it bounces uncomfortably between his shoulder blades with every step and, Merlin doesn't know what it is but there is something pointy in his bag that digs into his one shoulder. No amount of stopping to rearrange the contents has helped as the object finds a way to slip back to where it was. If Merlin had his way, he would use his magic to carry the bag for him, it would keep his magic from buzzing tightly under his skin and it lets his back have a break from the constant assault. Though even if both his mother and Will think that he is an idiot, he isn't stupid enough to use his magic in Camelot. He may be from Essetir but everyone who has hear of Camelot knows how Camelot treats sorcerers, being caught doing magic in Camelot is a death sentence the only mercy a person could pray for is whether they will die fast or slow. Merlin's magic buzzes under his skin, he hasn't let it out since he left his home in Ealdor. While not everyone will kill a sorcerer on site, they will sell them off to the slave traders for coin or protection from bandits and Merlin didn't want to take the risk.

Merlin looks around the lower town in amazement, he has the faintest memory of coming to Camelot when he was younger, but the memory is too hazy. The town is busy full of life, the people are in the streets and sure they are just going about their daily lives trading items to survive but it's so different to the life Merlin knows. For his it's always been, early wake ups working in the field all day and late nights, some days when he is not working in the fields he is helping other members of the village with their chores, like old Mary Beth after her fall she hasn't been able to take care of chickens so Merlin and Will took turns over who would take care of the chickens for her.

A piercing scream startles Merlin out of his thoughts, his head whips around as he tries to figure out where the noise was coming from. All the surrounding people continue on with their lives pretending that they can't hear it, he even sees some shooting disgusted looks at where the noise was coming from. Merlin heads towards the noise, he can't believe all these people walked past the crying child not even bothering to help. Shaking his head, he focuses on the scene in front of him. A little girl, clearly no older than 5, is on the floor crying in pain, Merlin can see the blood that's staining her dress there is a giant rip that Merlin assumes she made when she fell.

"Shhhh. Don't cry." Merlin kneels at the child's side "It's going to be alright," Merlin is glad to that the child's sobs fade into little hiccups.

"Wh- Who are you?" the little girl asks, her eyes still filled with tears.

"I'm Merlin." he offers her a small smile "What's your name?"

"Aurora,"

"Hello Aurora," Merlin greets and she gives him a little smile, "I'm going to need you to be very brave for me now ok. I promise you are going to be ok. I just need clean your knees."

"No don't," Aurora shakes her head, " It's going to hurt."

Pity fills Merlin's gaze, he can't lie to the little girl, but he doesn't want to scare her either.

"Do you want to hold my hand, and when it hurts you squeeze it as hard as you can, because Auroura it needs to be cleaned otherwise it could get infected and it will hurt more."

Merlin unties the neckerchief, it's a dark blue a small part of him hates that he is going to ruin it, but the bigger part of him knows that the child is more important - he can always wash his neckerchief. He holds his hand out for Aurora and even before he begins, she is squeezing the life out of his hand. Merlin starts wiping away the blood he winces in sympathy he has had his own fair share of scraped knees. She keeps making small whimpers of pain and for every noise of pain she tightens her grip on his hand. Merlin is surprised that someone that young can be that strong, but he puts it out of his mind making quick work of the injuries.

"Look." Merlin scrunches his neckerchief up and slides it into his pocket, he will clean it when he gets to Gaius's Chambers. "We are all done. Well done for being so brave."

Aurora opens her eyes and looks at her knees. Letting Merlin's hand go, she jumps to her feet and tackles him into a hug. "Thank you" she squeals

"It's ok," Merlin pulls back, he looks around expecting to see a worried parent or sibling looking for the little girl but the two are surrounded by the masses of the lower town who could not care less.

"Aurora, where is your mom?" Merlin asks confused; no good parent would let a child these young run off without supervision

"I - i - I don't know." Aurora starts crying, she is looking around, but she can't see her mom anywhere "she not he- h- here."

"Shhhhh, it's going to be ok," Merlin can't ignore the pebbles that dig into the soft skin of his knees, he groans as he uses the floor to push himself to his feet. "I promise it's going to be ok I will help you find her. Now do you know which way you came from."

Aurora nods "That way," she points to the street on Merlin's left using her other sleeve to wipe away her tears.

Merlin nods he holds his hand out and Aurora takes it and the two walk down the street to find her mother.

Merlin is tired, he has spent the past three days travelling from Ealdor to Camelot on foot, his bag is heavy and is digging into his back, he has not had a proper meal that consists of more than a few berries in two days, and he has no idea how long he has been wandering the streets of the lower town looking for this girl's mother. But when Aurora stops and asks him to carry her, he does as she asks, not being able to resist the puppy eyes he keeps sending her way. Merlin wonders what Gaius would say if he showed up with a child that he has essentially abducted of the streets - he can't imagine his uncle would be too happy with him. At some point Aurora rests her head against his shoulder, and he is sure that she is slowly falling to sleep when Merlin spots her. The resemblance is oblivious, he sees this lady at stood manning a stall for knitted blankets and Merlin knows that he's found Aurora's mother.

Merlin walks over to the lady; she looks at him uninterested until she realizes that he is holding her daughter.

"What are you doing with my daughter?" she hisses.

Hello, I'm sorry. She's asleep right now. Merlin warns her as he lifts her up from his shoulder, trying not to wake her up Merlin puts her in her mother's waiting arms.

"I was heading up to the Citadel when I saw her fall," as Merlin starts explaining what happened the angry look in the mom's eyes fade, "I've done my best to clean her knees, but I didn't have anything to wrap them with and then she couldn't see you at all I think she ran a lot further than she thought she did but then she got tiered and she fell asleep while I was carrying her"

"Oh, my thank you so very much," she pauses, and Merlin wants face palm all that rambling and he didn't even introduce himself.

"Merlin,"

"Thank you, Merlin," she nods "I am so sorry you had to deal with that,"

"It's no problem. At all she was very brave," Merlin smiles, he goes to turn away, after all with her mom found Merlin can now go and look for his Uncle Gaius. He really can't wait to meet his uncle.

"Wait, what can I do to repay you," the mother stops him.

"It was nothing" Merlin shakes his head, confused there is no need for payment, peasants always look out for one another, because the nobles won't. Thats what his mother taught him.

"No. Please, I insist," She notices the Merlin's eyes drift to the stall, the baskets filled with blankets "A blanket. I know it's not much, but it is what we have," she thrusts a blanket into Merlin's hands. "Please take it as a gift of gratitude."

Merlin nods "Thank you I will take good care of it."

Merlin turns away and walks back the way he came, he takes the straight path back this time letting his magic guide him, he keeps his head down. Mother called 'pathfinding' because his magic is finding the path he needs to take and while it never makes his eyes glow gold the habit of hiding his eyes when using magic is ingrained in him, a natural part of him like his magic.

- -

Merlin finds his way into the Citadel when the horn sounds and he supposes that it was a summons as the square quickly fills with peasants, people from the lower town coming in. Soon, the square is crowded - so heavily crowded that it forces merlin to fold his arms together in an attempt to make himself smaller. While he liked the busy feeling of the market, he doesn't like this the air feels heavy, like everyone is waiting for something to happen. Merlin's magic buzzes under his skin demanding to have more space. Merlin forces it, to be quiet. Merlin freezes as he realizes he's staring at a pyre, his stomach flip flops as the startling realization hits, he's going to watch his first execution. 

Merlin feels far away as watches a peasant that does not look much older than him is dragged to the pyre by knights. The knights string the man up, they tie his hands above his head and bind his feet to the wooden pyre, Merlin feels sicks as he feels the magic that pulses of the sorcerer, it's barely there, weak as it moves sluggishly in the air, but it is magic all the same. His heart drops to his stomach he knows the stories, everyone does King Uther is a violent king and although the days of the purge are over that doesn't mean he'll let magic users live. Merlin soothes his magic, forcing it to stay where it is they can afford to be discovered on their first day. mentally, he forces it to stay where it is, a small measure of relief fills him as his magic does as it is asked and stays tightly coiled in his chest.

The doors to the royal box open and Merlin can't help the flinch, he sees King Uther, walk out and knows that it's going to happen at any moment. A horn blows and the crowd falls silent, Merlin feels sick he doesn't want to watch what's about to happen but at the same time he needs to.

"Let this serve as a lesson to all." Uther gestures to the man struggling against his binds "This man, Thomas James Collins, is adjudged guilty of conspiring to use enchantments and magic."

Merlin feels sick he doesn't want to watch what's about to happen but at the same time he needs to. He needs to know there is one person in the crowd who is watching and not cheering for his death.

"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."

Merlin wants to snort there is nothing fair and just about this execution, it's just another death. Another victim in Uther's endless crusade against magic.

"When I came to this land, this kingdom was mired in chaos, but with the people's help magic was driven from the realm," Merlin recoils in disgust at the smile clear on Uther's face. "So, I declare a festival to celebrate twenty years since the Great Dragon was captured and Camelot freed from the evil of sorcery. Now. Let the celebrations begin."

'Celebrations' Merlin opens his mouth in shock, the crowd around him is cheering. Merlin finds himself disgusted with the crowd surrounding him. 'What is wrong with people a man has just been wrongly murdered and yet they are going to throw a party.'  The fire hasn't even stopped, and the people are forgetting Thomas Colin's like he never even existed.

A piercing scream near him has merlin flinching back and the crowd falls silent once more. He sees the people part, revealing an old woman, she's dressed in rags and her gray hair lies limp around her shoulders.

"There is only one evil in this land, and it is not magic! It is you!" She points up to Uther the tears roll down her face and Merlin can't help the pity and sympathy that he feels for the woman he can't imagine what if would feel like to lose a child. "With, your hatred and your ignorance! You took my son! And I promise you, before these celebrations are over, you will share my tears. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a son for a son."

The sympathy Merlin feels is cut short with her threat, he still feels bad for the lady, but he doesn't understand why she would attack an innocent person to get back at Uther. Violence begets more Violence.' Merlin watches the horror show before him as Uther sends knights to capture the old woman, but the lady reaches for her necklace. She starts hissing in a wild language, Merlin can feel the magic in the air the words are old, but the power is strong. And he is amazed to see Thomas's mother disappear like she was never there. Uther waves at the crowd and the people begin to disperse. Merlin can't help but wonder what spell that was it would be a very interesting one to learn. Merlin shakes his head; he has just watched someone be burnt and he wants to try and learn more magic. How stupid can he be. Merlin stares at the charred corpse of Thomas as Will's words ring clear in his head 'Magic has no place in Camelot.'