A Couple of Merlin Short Stories

They're Back Part 1: The Returned

Disclaimer: WDJD12 does not own Merlin, the show and all its attributes belong to the BBC

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         Isabel and Luther Penn were very wealthy. They had loving friends and family. Everything they could ever need.
   They were absolutely miserable.
   All they wanted was a child to call their own, but Isabel could not produce offspring. They considered adoption, a surrogate mother, all manner of things but it wasn't the same as having a child that was theirs and could only ever be theirs. Perhaps they were stuck up, or very old-fashioned, whatever the reason they did not have a child to call their own.

          A fortnight after learning of their misfortune, the lovers found themselves on a familiar path by a lake that time seemed to have forgotten. The lake had no name to their knowledge, nor had anyone known what it was called for hundreds of years. Very few even knew of its existence, what with an aura that screamed 'Leave!' at nearly all who passed its grassy slopes. The Penn's, however, had the complete opposite reaction, feeling compelled to meander through the scenic area.            

          Now, on this brisk evening of late fall, dealing with the sorrow of having no children, Mrs. Isabel Penn felt a peculiar sensation as she looked upon dark waters lapping at the shoreline. A sense of sadness, joy, and desperation all in one permeated the air, as a soft breeze blew and the chirping of birds ceased. The world seemed to still for a moment, as if gravity and inertia and the forces that move heaven and earth were holding their breath. That silence is when Isabel and her husband heard a soft noise ahead. 

         The two could not identify what made such a sound, but as clear as any noise they'd heard in their lives weeping rang out. Small, weak, and not particularly dramatic, but still the sound of someone in distress. 

          Rushing forward, Isabel and Luther stumbled upon a small child, perhaps two or three years of age. Hearing their footsteps the child looked up and saw the couple. Instantly the three beings seemed to recognize one another, as though they had been separated long enough to forget each other's faces but still know they belonged. They were right. 

          The child, a boy, with his hair dulled by dirt and grime stared at the two in front of him with shining blue eyes. He seemed to calm at the sight of the two adults and ran to Isabel hugging her legs. Fondness stirred deeply in both adults for the little, lost child. He was dressed in nothing but a tattered shirt that was much too large for him. If it were not so faded or ruined it could be the color of red that was only found on the kings of old. A shirt meant for royalty. Isabel stooped to pick the boy up and hesitated before saying to her spouse,

         "Do you think his parents are around here? I mean, who would give up a child so precious?" Luther nodded in agreement not imagining the boys family abandoning him.

          "I would think he would have a family, but by the state of him, he's been on his own for quite a while. I can't imagine any parent letting their child be away for that long without searching or getting help," Isabel bit her lip and frowned, contemplating the idea of taking the boy home. It seemed the right thing to do, and the wind and earth seemed to whisper in agreement. Her eyes lit up with hope.

          "Well, seeing as he does not have relatives, that we know of, couldn't we take him home just to give him food and a bath before calling the police?"

          "I can't see any harm in that." Luther agreed quickly, smiling, a shred of doubt quickly wiped from his mind. They both were filled with hope as if the very trees were raising their spirits.