Merlin: The Light of Eriador

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

This is the heart of the plot, so I hope you enjoy.  Please review!

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Chapter 6

Gaius was pacing around his chambers.  It was early morning, Merlin was deeply asleep in his own bedroom, and the old physician could not get the image of the dark man who had saved his life out of his mind.

Emmerich’s appearances, his manners, his composure, the tone of his voice, the color of his hair, were, for as much as he could remember, the likeliness of Balinor, Merlin’s father.  It was the only way to explain the familiarity that he felt.  His figure was perhaps thinner than what Gaius remembered, but there were several possible explanations for that.  The only detail that was troubling Gaius, therefore, was the fact that Balinor was supposed to dead; Merlin’s being a Dragonlord was proof enough of that.  Who was this man, then, if he was not Balinor?

Some distant relation, perhaps, thought Gaius restlessly.  He had gone over that possibility in his mind more than once over the past two days.  What if Balinor had a brother?  If he did, it meant that Merlin had an uncle.  The consequence of that could be life-changing for the young warlock and Gaius felt overwhelmed with the opportunities.

His pacing brought him to the threshold of Merlin’s bedroom.  His young apprentice had spoken a few words in the ancient language during the night, which had alarmed Gaius, but now his sleep looked untroubled.  Gaius took a few minutes to check Merlin’s pulse and his wound.  The cut was straight and clean under the white bandage.  The blood lost had been considerable, but controlled.  The incision was deeper than Gaius would have liked, which had resulted in Emmerich performing a sealing of the wound by hot metal.  They had done it in Gaius’ chambers and Merlin had been given a sleeping potion right after.  At that point, and given the internal injury, a fever would have been fatal, so Gaius had kept a close watch for the last twenty-four hours, but Merlin, it seemed, was going to pull through.

Gaius allowed himself to look unrestrainedly into Merlin’s face as he slept.  The resemblance was there, there was no denying it.  Merlin and Emmerich, however unlikely, could almost be father and son, in age as well as in appearance.  So what did it mean?  Had Gaius been the only one to notice it?  

These questions had kept his mind busy ever since the attack.  If the Great Dragon had still been in the cave beneath the castle, he might have gone to him for answers.  Now, it looked as though he was going to have to find out for himself.

Such were the thoughts in Gaius’ mind when he closed the door to Merlin’s room after having changed his bandages.  He was therefore surprised to find that he was not alone in his chambers.

“Emmerich!”

The other physician bowed low.  “Pardon my intrusion,” he said softly.  “Is he still sleeping?”

“Yes.”

“Has he a fever?”

“No.”

“I am relieved.”

But the physician did not look relieved at all, Gaius observed, his inquiry about Merlin had been a mere triviality, an excuse.  He was looking around the room, probing every objet with his glare, appraising the accommodations perhaps, or evaluating the physician’s work space.  All the while, he was trying hard to avoid direct eye contact.

“I wouldn’t want you to loose your only apprentice,” said Emmerich conversely.

“He is more a relation than an apprentice.  I wouldn’t compare him to Odran, for instance.”