A Herald of a New Age

Chapter Seventeen. A rest

|an| look, I'm enjoying writing again :)

Thankyou for one thousand reads

Idk, I just enjoy chapters like this lol. Welp I hope you like it anyway cause it has to be better than the last chapter..

Happy New year :)

And happy birthday Colin for the 1st January
|an|

"Merlin, over there silly!" Gwen chuckled as Merlin dove about Hunniths kitchen, insisting he could take over and help his mother with the cooking so Gwen could have a rest.

What he had of course actually meant was that he wanted her to go and talk to Arthur. They'd shared one wistful look and that was it. Merlin didn't understand it, what could be worrying the perfect couple so much that they wouldn't talk? They were meant to be, it was just so right. The two bloomed off each other, made each other happy, their minds counteracted perfectly, bringing out strengths and compromising weaknesses. It was almost as if they were telepathically avoiding one another.

Merlin snapped from his daze and spotted the knife with which Gwen had been chopping leeks for tonight's pie. After yesterday and the evening before, where Hunnith had just about scraped a meal round everyone's mouths, she was insisting they would have a big dinner this evening, and nothing was talking her out of it.

"Gwen, I'm sure I can get the hang of this, I did grow up in this house after all." Merlin replied, "How about you go for a little afternoon stroll and smell the flowers."

Gwen shot Merlin a curious look from the small Kitchen table. Her eyes flickered suspiciously between Merlin and Hunnith, who had paused at the basin to watch the scene, before sighing loudly.

"Oh, alright then Merlin, if you insist. Save you 'magicing' me from the building." She gave a small chuckle and exited with a knowing smile.

Merlin dropped the returned smile once she was gone and paused to lean dejectedly over the counter. His mother looked on for a moment before her motherly senses kicked in and she moved to wrap an arm around his back comfortingly.

"She thinks it's you and I that need a talk, but it's her and Arthur that are having the trouble." Merlin sighed, he was at a loss.

His mother gently rubbed his back, replying "Gwen is such an accepting soul, and these things happen all the time in relationships."

She was right as always. Gwen had taken his Magic without a flinch, or a question, surprising the Knights no end. She had been more concerned about their health, and how she could help them, but part of Merlin suspected she'd already had her theories about him.

Hunnith was still fretting over him though, she was happy, of course, but she pulled Merlin into a tight embrace whenever they met and kept asking him if he was alright, and though Merlin knew she only meant well he thought they should be focusing on the task at hand. And no, it wasn't the pie.

Where to? What to do with the shreds of a quest that remained with them? And what about Elyan? Prophecies had told him they would leave Derec behind at the Southern Tribe, but no one had said they couldn't find Elyan. The poor Knight who in the midst of everything had found magic thrust apron him for no reason. At least, not a reason Merlin had discovered yet. Perhaps it was just coincidence that magic had surfaced just after the events of disturbing the Druid shrine? Chances were.. It wasn't. Merlin released his eyebrows, which had been knitting his forehead together in thought and turned his attention back to the leeks. Unfortunately Hunnith picked up on his sloppy cutting and still distant looks.

"Why don't you go have a look at what the boys are up to?" Hunnith suggested, giving one final back pat and gently pushing her son towards the door. When Merlin tried to protest, she assured him she could probably manage the dinner better without him in the kitchen, and so, defeated, Merlin left the hut also.