The Speechless Sea

Chapter 6

"Who goes there!" called the strong voice. Merlin maned again, testing out his new vocal chold.

Merlin staggered shapely behind the rock he was holding onto for support: he was not used to the heavier garvity of the surface world, he looked around the rock he was shaded by towards the prince who stood proudly with his legs, in a fighting stance. His wits about him and gaze stealy. Merling's heart flopped like a fish on the deck of a boat in his narrow chest. He pulled himself up and put his shaky new feet under him to stand up with.

"Oh!" say the prince his voice drifting through the air to Merlin like music would.

Merlin looked at him, his periwinkle eyes were wide and imploring as he moved towards the prince, guttering and unsteady on his new legs as he struggled to make soundless words. It sounded like drowning. He feel, his newly created legss stil weak, and in a flash the blonde prince had darted forwards and caught him in his arms saving him from hittint he sandied ground.

He staired up at the prince who stared back at him, drinking in his lithe muscular form which was shrouded only in the tatters of a length of fabric familiarly embossed with the Pendragen coat of arms.

"Is that my ship's sail?" asked the surprised prince. The other man gazed up at him with a look that made Arhur's insides tangle themselves into tingly knitted bowlines. He smiled sheepishly and Arthur forgot how to breath.

Witha struggle Arthur helped the man stood up and Arthur saw him properly in the light. He was taller than Arthur, with skin that looked like it was chisseled from the finest italan marble, with cheekbones as sharp as Arthurs' sword. His raven hair looked like a crow nest from under whence poked two oversized ears. And eyes a blue purer than any ocean danced in amusement from his cheeks, they were a mixture of all the blues Arthur could name at onces, one moment cerulean, the next a blooming azure always shifting, like the spirit of the ocean herself. But it was his sarcastic standing that really caught Arthur's attention. His legs were barely covered by the remains of his wrecked ship's sail, which wrapped around the man like a toga, Arthur fancied he could see all the delicate muscles and ligaments, the other man's skin was so pale, it seems transparent. He should have looked ridiculous, but he stood staring at Arthur, the prince, with such a confident insolence that Arthur had never encountered before.

"Who are you?" muttered the prince in a reverend whisper as he looked.

The other man just smiled brightly, drinking in the way the sunlight played in the prince's hair and his soft lips mouthed their kind concern. He gestured vaguely but said nothign. The prince sighed when it became clear he was not going to hear out of the other man.

"Did you hit your head?" he asked, ironically. Merlin shook his, thr frowned, opened his mouth and shut it. He thought solidly for a moment. Then with a gleeful look of realisation he lifted both his hands and waved them widely, the way he'd seen people do as he watched them on the shore and they greeted their friends.

Arthur raised his eyes at the frantical waves. Blushing deeply and taking a breath as the sail slipped from its precarious position on Merlin's shoulders and tumbled towards the ground, being caught only at the last second by the other man to preserve his modesty. Arthur's eyes went wide and he turned away for a second to compost himself clearing his throat.

Melin resolvedly wrapped the sail around himself again and stepped towards the golden prince. He layed his hand of his chest causing the other man to look at him in surprise, hiving not seen his step close as he had. Their eyes caught and they gazed at each other in rapture, the rest of the world seems to fade away to nothing, just the two of them, standing on the shore line, together for eternity.

Merlin gazed at the prince his eyes sparkle like diamond in the earrings in the ears of a young debutant at her first ball, alight with a tentative hope in the bustle. One thought cut through Merlin's thoughts like a spear through the flesh of a basking funfish: he could not lose this man. He reslutely made up his mind to act.

Pulling his flighty fortitude together in a tight ball, he stepped forward as he did so and raised his arms high and wide, moving forward to hug the other man, with a smile on his face which was also wide. As he moved, his sail fell to the ground, pooling in a heap that turned Arthur a shade of scarlet the same as a midsummer sunset.

"Woah" the prince said as he took a deep breath at the feelin of his other man's arms around him, their bodied pressed together. It spoke to something in the flax haired man, weaving it's way through his bloodstream to his heart like the swooping of chattering of starlings: grandiose and inexplicable. He smiled. Pulling off his beaten brown old leather duster coat, he gently offered it to the rosey cheeked man with the skin of porcelain who stood naked on the shoreline.

"Here, put this on" he said gruffingly and Merlin throew the coat around himself and cuddles into it so excitedly, causing Arthur's eyes to be rolled akwardly though he smiled

The pair stood in momentary resbite as they each staired at the other, something proud and possessive preening in the prince's psyche as he looked at the washed up man, his hair made brittle by salty water, wrapped tightly in Arthur's too large coat.

I need to tell him my name. I need to talk to him to know him!! Merlin thought desperately. Just then unbeknownst the Arthur, a large albatross landed ungracefully on a rock behind him.

This is the deal you made, Merlin. Kilgarrah thought to the former merman while pruning his wings.

You are not helping. Merlin tough back at him. With a determined frown Merlin brought his hand to his mouth, his fingers curled with their tips touching his plimp lips, he flicked his wrist and arm forward, realising his scrunched fingers like a rose unfurling into bloom as he shook his head. It looked like a weird parody of a chef's kiss.

Arthur watched him: in confusion. He tilted it, then, to the side, his eyes were scrunched in deep thought as he watched the inky haired patomime which was become progressingly more wild and imploring.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice was laced with confusion. Merlin roled his eyes which sparkled with wry like dust mites lazily dancing in the dapple of spring sunshine.

Merlin let out a small garumphing sigh and shook his head some more. He gestured with his hand to his mouth again, eyes wide and eye contact made with the Prince.

"You're...thirsty?" Arthur guest again with an inpretpid voice. His blue eyes shone with such earnest hope that Merlin felt a pang of guilt in his chest as he had to shake his head again. Arthur frowned cutely. The raven haired man smiled an encouraging smile at him, and as the Prince's heart squirmed in his chest, he made a decision and offered Merlin his hand. The mermain stared for a long moment at the strong callused hand that was being offered to him, his eyes flicking back to the prince's kind face.

"I suppose I should get you to Gaius," Arthur explained. Merlin's face was confused.

"He's the court pyshican, he'll help you," the prince explained further, his voice manfully deep. He tilted his head in a "follow me" gesture, and pulling on Merlin's delicate hand, lead the way away from the sealine.

"What should I call you anyway?" he asked, not expecting an answer, but a large albtrass soared over them cawing loudly.

"Merlin! Merlin! Merlin!" screeched the bird.

"Is that bird saying...Merlin?" asked the prince with an eyebrow of inquistion. The man in question shrugged inocently.

"Merlin- I like it." smile the prince, his eyes knowing and full of promise in a way that made the other man's heart flip a somersualt in his chest, like a dolphin enjoying the sunshine and slow sea tides, as he followed Arthur towards the land palace of his father.