Just another day in Camelot - Merlin one shots

Snow storm

"Arthur!" Merlin tripped on a root and fell face first into the snow. He got up on stiff legs, his teeth chattering from the cold as he carried on forward into the snow storm. He had only wondered away from the group for a second to look at a strange looking mark on a tree when a snow storm hit. Merlin leaned into the wind shielding his eyes from the bits of snow whirling around. "Lancelot!" there was no doubt about it, he was completely lost. The best thing I can do now, he thought, is find a shelter and hope that the others have found one too. He staggered as his numb leg hit a pebble, upsetting his balance.

For what felt like hours he walked on for, everything a blur of white and grey, occasionally stumbling on some bush or root. He sat down to rest for a minute even though he trembled so much that he could hardly control his arms. Muttering some words between his chattering teeth, he managed to get some fire to flare up around him for a few seconds before it died out. There was nothing for the fire to catch on and he was incredibly drained. Give up. Lie down, go to sleep. When you wake up everything will be ok again. He nearly gave in to that voice in his mind but images of Lancelot, Gwaine, Percival, Leon and Arthur flared up in his mind and forced his legs to move.

About half an hour later, tough it felt like much longer, the young warlock found an entrance to what must have been a small cave. Only half conscious now, Merlin staggered into it not noticing the orange flicker that came from deep within it. His limbs where numb and his hair and eye brows was completely white, covered in snow and ice. The clothes on him where stiff with ice and did noth8ing to keep him warm. The last thing he sees is some blurry figures sitting around an orange and red thing that moved with the air. He had forgotten what it was called. The world spun violently, and darkness engulfed him before anything else happened.

The knights sitting around the fire where trying to convince a worrying Arthur to eat. Although he wouldn't admit it, he was terrified for Merlin. If it wasn't for the knights holding him back, he would have been out in the snow storm looking for the young boy all night. The knights stopped talking abruptly. The howling air seemed to take a breath as a small figure covered in ice stood in the entrance of the cave. Gwaine stood up and drew his sord but the figure crumpled onto the floor and lay unmoving. Lancelot, the most trusting of them all, immediately ran over to help the stranger. He picked up the almost frozen body and moved it closer to the fire to gat a better look at who this man was. Lancelot gasped loudly as he saw the mans face, covered in snow and ice but still recognisable.

"Merlin!" This got Arthur attention straight away and he scrambled up to get a better look at who Lancelot was talking about, hope rising in his chest. He almost sobbed when he saw the small boy, half frozen to death, but still breathing. Of course, he let none of his emotions show but the knights new better as they hurried into getting Merlin warm. Gwaine took Merlin's thin jumper off him while Lancelot took of his boots and then together, they lifted him up to lie him a few meters away from the fire. Every once in a while, they moved him a bit closer to the fire, remembering what happened to the traveller who had gotten hypothermia, but his friends had warmed him too quickly. He had never seen the sun rise the next morning, or ever again.

"Lance?" The small, groggy voice woke everyone up immediately and Arthur stood up so suddenly his head spun for a few seconds. Lancelot who was closest to Merlin, grabbed his hand , which was still cold but not freezing. Gwaine was the next one to speak.

"God, mate you gave us all a fright" He clapped Merlin on the back, who had risen to a sitting position. Arthur rushed over grabbing a thick blanket on his way and wrapped it around the young boy while thinking of what to say. In the end he just said

"I was worried I'd lose a servant for a second there." Merlin grinned lopsidedly, his hair back to his original colour as the fire melted al the ice from it.

"I think George would have been eager to take my place." He said in a horse voice and watched amused as Arthur made a face at the mention of George. The knights smiled, overjoyed to have their Merlin back.

- - - - - - -

"Merlin?!" Arthur ran franticly around the cave waking up the grumpy knights.

"Could you not shout more quietly?" Grumbled Gwaine, rolling over and burying deeper into his blanket, blocking out the early morning sun and Arthurs calls.

"Merlin's gone." But Gwaine had fallen asleep already. Arthur was just about to calling out again before he saw Lancelot and Merlin walking into the entrance of the cave with piles of logs in their arms in a deep conversation. Merlin looked up and saw Arthur, rising his eye brows at him.

"Didn't know you could function properly this early in the morning." Was his way of saying good morning.

"He rudely woke me up shouting for you, scared out of his wits that you had died or something, so now that we are all alive and well can you please shut up and let me sleep!" Came some muffled yelling from Gawain's bed and Lancelot giggled as Merlin smiled cheekily at Arthur.

"Shut up!" Arthur told Merlin.

"I didn't say anything!" He replied incredulously but with a grin still stuck to his face.

"You were going to"

"I wasn't"

"You were."

"Clot pole."

"Idiot"

"Dollop head" Merlin ducked as Arthur made to hit his head and Lancelot laughed to himself as he watched their playful banter.