Merlin One Shots

Merlin you cannot keep her

Chapter Synopsis:

Whilst out on a patrol with Arthur and the knights they come across a bandit camp which has been destroyed by a forest fire due to the very warm weather lately. Whilst searching the camp for any survivors Merlin finds a beautiful white horse covered in burns and cuts, having lost his own horse due to Colic two weeks ago Merlin wants to take this horse back to Camelot and take care of it but Arthur say's no because the horse is too badly injured and won't survive . 

Once Merlin has finished his chores for the night he rides back into the forest and brings the white horse back to Camelot, where Gwaine helps him take care of the horse. 

*~*~*~*~*

Camelot was in the grasp of very hot weather this summer the days seemed very long and the people in the outlying villages struggled every day with their crops failing, cattle dying and the wells drying up. King Arthur had acted very quickly and provided food and water to the villages and with the knights help they were able to get the wells filling up with water again, but nothing could be done to stop the dry forests from catching fire.

Merlin's POV:

This morning was another hot day in Camelot I was grateful to my mother for sending me some short sleeved shirts which were much cooler than my long sleeved ones, once I'd had my breakfast I made my way to Arthur's chambers recently we'd gotten closer and my feelings for him had grown but I wasn't sure about his feelings for me and I was too nervous to ask him. 

I carried Arthur's breakfast into his room and to my surprise he was dressed not quite as good a job as I would have done but he still looked very handsome. Arthur looked at me and said 'Good morning Merlin, you look very wonderful this morning' I felt my cheeks going warm and rosy as I said 'Arthur you shouldn't say that what if someone hears us sire', Arthur reached out and took my hand and said 'Merlin I don't care if people hear us, it's very clear what my feelings are towards you' we stared into each-others eyes and I said 'And I feel the same way about you Arthur', Arthur stood up and wrapped his left arm around my waist pulling me into towards him and his lips captured mine in a passionate kiss which got more and more heated and Arthur moved me over to the table and sat me on top of it lifting my shirt up revealing my pale slightly sweat covered skin. 

We were both enjoying being intimate that neither of us noticed the door opening and the knights stood in the doorway watching us until Gwaine cleared his throat and said 'You see Leon I told you this is what they get up to in the morning' Leon looked down at the floor in order to contain his laughter as he said 'Just to let you know sire that the horses are ready for our patrol this morning', I watched with an amused look on my face as Arthur relaced his trousers and said 'Thank you Sir Leon we'll be right down' I went about gathering my things from the table as the knights left Gwaine popped his head round the door and said 'Time for round two is it boys' Arthur turned around looking at Gwaine and said 'Get out'. 

Once we'd met the knights in the courtyard and got onto our horses we rode out of the city and up the main trade road towards the forest of Esetere, once we reached the forest we could see the damage that the latest forest fire had done. As we went further into the forest we came across a bandit camp that had been destroyed in the fire, Arthur climbed down from his horse and gave the order to search the camp incase anyone had survived but we all knew it was very unlikely. 

The bandit group must have been quite large because the camp seemed to cover a wide area, but there was nobody alive in the part I searched so I turned around to head back to where the others were but as I turned around I heard a branch snap I spun round quickly expecting to see someone charging at me with a sword but there was nothing there yet the sound of an animal in distress filled my ears. I walked down a small hill and stopped when I saw a beautiful white horse laying on the ground covered in cuts and burns, I slowly walked over to the horse and gently stroked it's soft white coat carefully taking hold of the reins that were still round it's neck.