Live With What You Have

The Dragon's Call Part 2

The Dragon's Call: Part 2

The next morning, as soon as the two of them woke, Adrielle and Gaius headed off to the dungeons to rescue her idiotic brother. When they came upon the cell he was in, Merlin had his head to the ground as if he were listening for something.

"Merlin!" Gaius called sternly as the door opened.

"You had one job, Merlin, one job! Stay out of trouble!" Adrielle exclaimed.

"You never cease to amaze me! The one thing someone like you should do is keep your head down, and what do you do? You behave like an idiot!" Gaius continued.

"I'm sorry," Merlin apologized, eyes on the ground.

"Well you're lucky. I've pulled a few strings to get you released." Merlin smiled and excitedly began to thank Gaius.

"I wouldn't get too excited just yet," Adrielle said with a faint, knowing smile.

"There is a small price to pay," Gaius admitted. Merlin frowned, staring at the two. "Come on then."

Merlin began to follow Gaius and the guards out, when Adrielle suddenly pulled him into a quick hug.

"What was that for?" Merlin questioned.

"I'm glad you're not dead. I don't know what I'd do. Besides, I figured I should do that now before..." she started. Merlin said nothing, but stared at her uncertainly.

The catch for getting Merlin out of his jail cell wasn't all that much better. He was subjected a couple of hours in the stocks, being pelted with rotten fruit and vegetables by the villagers. She shouldn't be laughing at him, she really shouldn't. He was her brother and she should stand beside him. But as a rotten tomato came flying at his head, his body tensing as he waited for impact, she couldn't help but laugh.

This was an opportunity that she, as a younger sister, couldn't pass up. She took a rotten apple from someone in the crowd and hurled it at his head. Merlin looked up just as Adrielle's apple came flying at him, hitting him square between his eyes. He shrunk away and looked back up, wanting to see who threw the well aimed fruit at him.

"Adrielle!" He whined when he realized it had been his own sister. She laughed beside herself and withdrew from the crowd, making sure to stay out of the line of fire.

"I'm sorry, Merlin, but really. This is an opportunity I couldn't pass." The villagers had run out of ammo and scurried off to collect more. Merlin looked over at her, glaring as he did.

"Oh, come on. It's all fun and games. You know you would have done the same thing had it been me in the stocks," she said with a short laugh, ruffling his hair.

"Adrielle," a soft voice said from the other side of Merlin. The two looked over and laid their eyes upon Gwen's kind figure. Gwen introduced herself to Merlin, much like she had yesterday to Adrielle.

"Merlin," he said offering his hand to Gwen. "Although most people call me idiot."

"I most certainly do," Adrielle said with a chuckle.

"No, no. No I saw what you did. It was so brave," Gwen gushed sympathetically.

"It was stupid," he sighed.

"Well I'm glad you walked away. You weren't going to beat him," Gwen continued.

Merlin chuckled under his breath, muttering defiantly that he could've beaten him.

"You think? Because you don't look like one of these big muscley fellows."

Merlin frowned, muttering a defeated, "Thanks."