Merlin: The Loneliest Hour

Chapter Four: Gwaine is suspicious

Chapter Four: Gwaine is suspicious

After the lock of hair, gathering the rest of the ingredients for the protective enchantment was easy enough. Gaius had most of the necessary herbs on hand.  The hair was added to the mixture and boiled in fresh water. A piece of carved wood was needed for the final step of making an amulet and since Gaius had mentioned the importance of meaningfulness to create the necessary enchantment, Merlin willingly decided to sacrifice the wooden dragon that his father had made for him.  Using one of Gaius' precision tools, he carefully separated both wings from the piece: one for Gaius and one for Arthur. The final touch was a leather string attached to the dragon wing. He then proceeded to dip the amulet into the broth while adding a few drops of his blood and reciting the words that would seal the enchantment.

Merlin was quite satisfied with the result and he even scolded himself for not making such an amulet sooner.  He put the necklace around Gaius' neck without further ado and watched as the physician carefully placed the wooden dragon wing under his tunic, out of sight.

"I suppose that you have a plan to make Arthur wear that?" Gaius inquired.

Merlin shrugged while sucking the punctured tip of his thumb that was still leaking beads of blood.

"I'll figure out something while I'm mucking out his horses," he said mechanically.

Gaius was slightly taken aback. "Didn't you do that yesterday?"

Merlin merely snorted.  He hated to sound defeated, but there was truth in it every time he had to endure that godforsaken smell.  He did like horses, just not cleaning up after them.

"After that bit about giving him a haircut, he's going to bring up the mucking out soon enough. I might as well do it now.  It will give me time to think," he said on his way out.

"Wait," Gaius said suddenly.  He seemed to hesitate. His hand was pressed against the amulet.  "I need to ask something more of you. A bit of your blood."

"Why?" asked Merlin, closing the door to make sure they were not overheard.

"For an enchantment.  Something I found in the book that may tell us more about you."

There was a strange apprehension in Gaius's demeanor that made Merlin hesitate.  Yet he could not refuse such a simple request to someone who had given him so much in life.

"How much is a bit?" Merlin muttered while playing with his thumb.  "I think it stopped bleeding already..."

He had not finished his sentence when Gaius presented him with a wooden bowl big enough to put his fist in it.

"What are you making? Soup?" he let out, slightly disheveled.

Gaius merely grinned.  "We'll use your wrist. It will be less conspicuous."

Merlin found the experience of giving his blood much less enjoyable than making the amulet.  It wasn't so bad at first, but by the time the bowl was half full he was feeling light-headed and his right-hand fingers were a bit numb.

Gaius gave him a large piece of bread after carefully wrapping a bandage around his wrist, which Merlin concealed under the sleeve of his shirt.  He then left the physician's chambers to go down to the stables, the amulet safely in his pocket. He had given up the idea of mucking out the horses as time was flying by and he had to collect Arthur's armor from the smithy before today's training.  He was also hoping that the long walk would help him solve his current problem. The trick would be to hide the amulet so that Arthur would have it on him most of the time without actually knowing it. He had considered putting it in the folds of Arthur's favorite jacket, except that the prince wouldn't be taking his jacket to battle.  In fact, thought Merlin with a pang of hope, if Arthur was riding out, he would be wearing his chain mail and chest plate.