Wrap Your Arms Around Me (merdred)

1. Rabbits

I hope you enjoy! I started this book on Archive in 2018! I've recently got around to editing it and I will be updating with new chapters very soon. For now, here are the first few (all newly edited)

Let me know what you think. Please leave a comment and a vote, I really appreciate it. Thanks for reading! <3

-PC

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MERLIN WANTED NOTHING MORE than to be back at home, eating soup and bread with Gaius, talking about whatever Arthur had thrown at him that morning. He held his arms to his starving stomach in pain as he followed his king through the never-ending forest, running to catch up to him when he stumbled behind. His stomach growled loudly and ferociously, causing the blond man in front of him to turn and glare darts.

"What?!" He exclaimed, "I'm hungry... I haven't eaten since a small bowl of porridge last night."

"Well, why the hell not?" Arthur scoffed ignorantly.

"Because I was running chores all morning for some clotpole called Arthur. Have you heard of him? He's a real pain in the arse."

"Shut up, Merlin. You're the whole reason we're in this mess, to begin with."

"Me? Oh, no, no, no! This is actually the one time I didn't do anything wrong," he defended, running a bit more to catch up with Arthur once again. He could be such a prat sometimes...

"Well, make your stomach growl a little quieter. It's getting on my nerves."

Merlin rolled his eyes at the man but gave him no reply. They had to get along if they wanted to make it back to the castle in one piece.

The king of Camelot and his manservant had left home with a dozen knights on a mission to bring back Gwaine and Leon. The two had gone missing over two weeks ago. There was no doubt in Merlin's mind that Morgana had something to do with this.

On their way through the woods, they had been ambushed by a group of Saxons. They stayed on their feet fighting for a while before the king was struck down, resulting in him passing out. Merlin had dragged him out of harm's way and waited until he woke up. At that point, they were too far to turn back and retrieve their men or their horses. They had a mission to fulfil and that meant their time very wisely, which unfortunately forced them to walk the whole way.

They had been walking for what felt like and was hours. Arthur didn't want to admit it, but he was starving as well. He had gotten the chance to eat that morning, so he was quite honestly feeling bad for his servant. He just hoped they would get out of the forest soon to save their best knights, and after that, they could go back home and feast all they wanted.

Soon, the two men made it to a small clearing in the middle of the forest. They continued on their walk until Merlin stopped halfway to look at something on the ground.

"Merlin, you're slowing me down! If you don't enhance your speed, I will carry you. And I'm not even joking," Arthur sighed from in front of him. He turned around to give Merlin a snotty look but his eyes fell to where his servant's gaze was. He was staring at two dead rodents on an oddly placed pile of leaves. Something about it just didn't look legit.

"Look, dinner!" Merlin grinned stupidly and stepped forward to grab the bunnies. Arthur, for once being the smarter of the bunch, pushed Merlin out of the way. But it was too late, the trap had been set off and a net pulled their bodies in like a tornado.

The two of them groaned at the sudden collision, which had sent Arthur's hand flying straight into his face. Merlin pushed it off and rubbed his eye. "Ouch..."