The Preserve, Saturday Noon

[bitchprince]

A careful exploration and retreat brought Arthur to the edges of the forest. Still, the geography made absolutely no sense to him, and he'd yet to encounter anyone who could tell him approximately where he was. Even the architecture made little sense, but it was certainly not the Saxons' kind of trickery. Someone else had abducted him.

Perhaps with time, he'd locate a denizen of this place, and find his way back to his knights.

[[ and it's an open preserve! ]]

Comments

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Somewhere up ahead a wizard was waiting. He'd had a vision, you see, of a boy who was going to be very important to the future of England. Scrawny... blond...

And running a bit late, if he did say so himself.

So, Merlin had the time to whip up a rather nice table and tea set as he waited. One could never get enough tea.

[bitchprince]

It was beginning to occur to Arthur that perhaps he should go back and get himself a horse from the stables. Thievery, though, was hardly one of his favorite pastimes. It was something to be put aside for later.

That is, of course, when he caught sight of the table and the strange, bearded man that sat by it. "Pardon," he called.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin looked up, mid-pour of his tea, causing it to pull from the cup and continue onto the ground. "Pard--oh! Come sit down, boy! Sit down. My, you're nothing like I thought. Far too tall."

[bitchprince]

"I'm as tall as I've been," Arthur said. Some confusion did seep into his mind, but he wouldn't deal with that. "Thank you for the offer, but no. Do you know the name of this settlement?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Haven't the faintest!" Merlin replied with an absentminded grin. "Now, sit. Sit! I've made tea--" About then he realized he was pouring it on the ground and corrected that. "I can always make more."

[bitchprince]

The man seemed... troubled.

"Thank you for your time, but I'd best be going," Arthur answered, attempting to pay as little attention to the tea as he could. He succeeded. "I must return to my knights."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"No, no, no." Merlin wagged a finger at him. "You must stay and learn, my dear boy. Now I'm not sure who you are, but I do know you'll be very important for England."

[bitchprince]

"I'm not certain of what you speak, sir," Arthur said, and once again managed rather well at not noticing either the wagged finger or the hat. Stoicism was a great virtue. "But Britain has need of me, and there's perilously little time before we are attacked. You are free to come with me, of course, should you need a way out."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Britain is England, dear boy."

Oh, he was just not letting up!

[bitchprince]

"Then you would be right."

Exasperated? No. None of that.

"I don't have much time," Arthur repeated, "So I have to refuse your hospitality."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Refuse my--" Merlin drew himself up to his rather unimpressive full height, settling the hat more securely on his head. "What is your name?"

[bitchprince]

"Artorius Castus," he granted, looking at him with a wariness. "Some call me Arthur. Yourself?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Well, Arthur. You may count yourself so lucky to be in the company of a great and powerful wizard!" Merlin said proudly. "You may call me Merlin."

[bitchprince]

Merlin? The man looked nothing like him. For one, the hat. "I think you must be mistaken," Arthur said, delicately, "I've met Merlin, the man the Woad call their dark magician, and you're nothing like him."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Do you doubt me?"

[bitchprince]

"I am sure you are a man of your word," he said, turning so that he could retrace his own steps, "But as I've said, I've met Merlin, and you are no Woad."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Of course I'm no Woad," Merlin bristled. "I'm a wizard and you, Arthur, are my charge until you fulfill your great destiny!"

[bitchprince]

"I am no man's charge any longer," Arthur said, neutrally, and began to walk. "Join me if you need safe passage."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"But you must learn about more than just battle," Merlin insisted. taking out the wand to take care of the tea and table. A small movement of his wrist and it disappeared with a cartoonish 'poof'.

[bitchprince]

He halted his steps. "I know that battle is merely a means to an end, 'wizard'," Arthur said. Had he been the man he'd been yesterday, you probably would've heard the air-quotes. As it was, they were difficult to decipher. "I am taking up arms merely to ensure that every Briton will be free and equal. I thank you for your offer, again, but no."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

That done, Merlin bustled on after him. "That's all well and good, but how will you lead after? You must use brain, not your brawn!"

Oh god, there was a song brewing there if Arthur wasn't careful.

[bitchprince]

"I believe my brain is in good working order," he said, as he continued once more, "Although I'm still struck on where we seem to be, but that will be taken care of."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"That--I have yet to figure out," Merlin admitted, holding his chin thoughtfully. "I do know we're in the future!"

[bitchprince]

"We're always moving towards the future," said Arthur, who had no further idea what to make of it. The ramblings of a madman, it seemed, were esoteric in their ways. "Let's see if we can move towards salvation."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "That's very philosophical of you, Arthur. But what I mean is that we are in the future in regards to not mere seconds, but years."

[bitchprince]

"That isn't possible."

He peered between the trees. The settlement, yes.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"No, it's possible, Just not probable," Merlin replied knowingly. "Now! Where are we heading?"

[bitchprince]

"There is a settlement on the other side of this island," Arthur replied. He was wanting for a horse, but his feet would do just as well. "With any luck, we'll find our answers there."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Splendid!" Merlin said, following along with more vigour than one would think someone of his age capable. "The lady whom I woke up with seemed equally confused by our predicament."

[bitchprince]

"So did the one in my chambers," Arthur said, neutrally, and refused to add that she had also been mad so they'd fit right in. "There seems to be a plague of it."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I hope they have indoor plumbing here. It's one of the good things about the future, if you ask me!"

[bitchprince]

"..."

Ramblings of a madman. Arthur didn't answer, and merely ambled stoically on.

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

The Count would have gone through the entire castle counting students and rooms, but he'd gotten distracted, and decided instead to head out into the wide world and count...

"One teal deer, two teal dear, three teal deer!"

[bitchprince]

"...What?" Arthur asked, staring at the strange creature. It appeared harmless. It also appeared to be counting.

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

"One! One confused man! Hahahahah!" There was a brief flicker of thunder.

[bitchprince]

...

There were obviously madmen in this forest.

With a shake of his head, Arthur edged away from him. Not scared, but merely avoiding a strangeness he didn't need right now.