Thaumaturgy

Chapter 5

"Dirk!" Dirk jumped in ssurprise when he door of he forge bashe dopen against the wall and Merlin came in. It was very early in the morning and the forge wasn't even light yet, so the bland man was susrprised to see anyone up and making so much noice so early in the morning.

"Merlin!" He said, surprisedly. "What do you want?" he scowled at the invador but Meriun smiled at him brightly eyes shinning with exciting light.

"I needs to borrow swords" the ink-haired man said leaning on a table full of metalcraft.

"Who nees swords at 5:00AM?? What do you need swords for?" the blond blacksmith replied folding his burly arm across his broad chest. He looked sleep ruffled and adorable, thought Merlin, who was looking at him in the moslty darkness of the early morning.

"For. Stabbing. The usual reasons for needing swords" Merlin tried screweing his up face as he tried to convince the other man. He just rolled his eyes. Even in Drik's sleep rumpled state, he was unconvinced, but firecley protective of his creatons.

"You cannot have my swords for stabbing." the blonde blacksmith saide firmly but too later Merlin was already gathering ever wsord in reach clanking them blades together louadly. Dirk was appalled at the other's man's treatment of his life's work, bolting across the room to stop him like a rabbit from a trap.

"I'll bring them back with no blood on them" the scruffy brigand whined as he was releaved of some of his burden gently, as though Dirk didn't want to accidentally cut him with the shard blades.

"No. You'll brek them. I do not ftrust you to look afte my babies." The blond man said, bedding them back down tightly in their sheaths.

"There swords!! they can't break. Also there not babies" Merlon exclaimed with a raised brow in humourment, all dark hair and long gesturing limbs.

"Oh my freaking god you know nothing about swords" Dirk cried frustratedly. He threw his hands in the air in exhausperation.

"It'll be fine: Can I borrow them?" Merled pled with him, eeys wide and shinning and innocent, and really how could any one say no to that?

"I am not letting the out of my sight. I am coming with you." He said firmly. If Merliner was going to get himself into trouble which he would because he always did, the blackmsith wanted to be there to protect him. The thorught startled him slightly, but he didn't let it shoe on his strong face.

"Dirk..." Merlin was worried, their raids usually went fine, but you could nebver know when some Lord would get it into his head that he could fght Merlin's magic and stop them from delivering his just desserts, and he didn't want Dirk in harms way if he could help it. The blackmith looked stern, like he wouldn't back down, and was surly strong, but did he had what it took for a battle if it came to that?

"Do you want the swords or not? If you take them you take me" The large blacksmith stared Merlin down and Merlin felt himself flush under his penetradting gaze.

"Oooh do I have to bring you back or can I keep you?" Merlin cood saucily wiggling his eyebrows at the other man slalaciosuly. Dirk glowered at him with a blank steely gaze not collapsing under the weirght of his innuendo, his stern look as tough as nails. There was a pause where the air hung stangantly. Merlin hufed and rolled his eye: clearly his charms weren't woroking here.

"Ugh FINE but hurry up we have to go now." He flained his hands in frustated extinction and turned towards the door, storming out and leaving Dirk blinking behind me. A moment later he stuck his scruffled head back in.

"Come ON Dirk! He have a village to save!" Merlim bounced back and leaned around the door frame of the door grinning a wild grin at Dirk that lit a fire in his belly that was stronger even than the won that powered the forge. Despite hiself, Dirk's mouth contracted gracefully into a small and exicited smile. He gathered the swords before him and followed the slender man out the forge. He cought up to him quickly and passed him some swords to carry.