Theif (Merlin)

Chapter-2- The Bracelet Stall

They all arrived at Ealdor at midday, as expected, because they had no interruptions. They got off of their horses and placed them in the stables near by. They had all forgot about what Merlin had said.

"Merlin, you can go and visit your mother. We will go and see if we can stay at the tavern." Arthur said.

"Thank you. The tavern is just over there." Merlin thanked Arthur and directed him to the tavern then walked off in the direction of his mothers house.

The knights were about to walk off when the heard a fue gasps and a little child scream. They quickly turned their heads to find children being dragged inside their homes by their parents and everyone was staring at one person, in fear, as he walked down the path, Merlin.

Merlin kept his head down not wanting to see their reactions to him returning. He hoped the knights weren't watching. The villagers were all scared of him, no one punished him for what he done because they were terrified. The Ambrosius Theif was rumoured to be the best theif and swordsman in the whole of the five kingdoms. Arthur obviously didn't believe this.

There were children playing happily and laughing in the path but as soon as they saw Merlin a fue screamed and all of them ran to hide in their houses or behind their parents.

Why where they doing that? The knights all thought. Merlin went out of their sight, he hadn't seemed affected by how people reacted, as if it was normal.

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The knights booked a room in the tavern and went to go and find Merlin. They found him walking up to a man that they did not recognise.

"I thought I told you we don't like your kind around here." The man glared at Merlin. What? His kind? Why was Merlin laughing?

"Good to see you too Will." The two men broke out laughing and hugged each other. Oh, he was joking.

"So I hear you're skivvying around after some king now?" The man, Will, questioned.

"No, it's not like that." Merlin said trying to defend himself, Arthur took this as a great opportunity.

"Merlin! Why don't you introduce us to your friend?" Arthur said as he and the knights walked over towards them, Will raised an eyebrow at Merlin as if to say 'you were saying?' .

"Arthur, this is Will. Will, this is Arthur, king of Camelot. And the knights of Camelot, Leon, Percival, Gwaine, Mordred and Elyan." Merlin introduced them.

"So I'm guessing you two are friends?" Gwaine asked.

"Yep, been best friends since we were four summers old." Will laughed as he put his arm around Merlins shoulder.

"why don't you two show us around then?" Arthur suggested.

Merlin and Will showed them around Ealdor, they went to the market stalls first. They were about to walk away from a bracelet stall, they hadn't bought anything, when they were stopped.

"Oi! Not so fast!" The stall keeper shouted them back.

"Excuse me? Does there seem to be a problem?" Arthur looked towards the keeper. The stall owner just shouted one of his friends over.

The man that came over was tall and mostly muscle, he looked like a dirty and angry version of Percival.

"Search him!" The keeper shouted to his friend and pointed to Merlin. Merlin? Why Merlin?

From the looks on Merlins and Wills faces they knew why this was happening. Why didn't the knights know?

"Are you sure?" The muscular man asked looking slightly scared, it was weird to see someone like that look so scared.

"Yes quickly, before he gets away."

"I'm sorry but is there any need for this? Why Merlin?" Arthur asked, the stall keeper just scoffed at him not telling him anything.

The man started to search Merlin and his eyes lit up as he put his hands in one of Merlins jacket pockets. Merlin muttered something only the man could hear and the mans face was filled with fear again. He removed his hands from his pockets and went back behind the stall.

"H.he cann g.go." The man stuttered, a lot, to his friend.

Before the knights could start to walk off Merlin quickly walked ahead of them and out of sight.

"What was that about?" Percival turned to Will.

"Don't worry, it's nothing." Will replied quickly, almost too quickly.

They followed behind Merlin quickly. He went to his mothers house and they all went inside.

"Hey mother." Merlin greeted.

"Merlin! you brought friends." His mother greeted him back with a hug then looked towards the others. "I'm afraid I only know Will and Arthur."

"This is Leon, Percival, Elyan, Gwaine and Mordred." Merlin introduced them.

"This is Mordred?" She looked at the secret druid.

"Yes." Merlin answered as Mordred just nodded, understanding that she must know he is a druid.

"You haven't visited in ages, I was worried something happened to you."

"I'm fine, mother. I got you something." He dug in his pocket that the man had searched before.

"Oh you didn't have to go through the trouble." Merlin brought out a small little silver bracelet with dragons heads either end of it, decorated with a twisted pattern in the middle.

She put it on her wrist and gave Merlin a hug and whispered something in his ear. Where did Merlin get that from? Arthur wondered. He didn't bring anything with him and they hadn't bought it, Arthur decided to just ignore it.

"I'll get you something to eat, you must be hungry." Hunith went over to the kitchen part of the room, and started to cut some bread. "Freshly baked this morning." She place the bread and a jug of water with cups on the table as the knights all huddled around. A series of thank you's came from around the table.

"Merlin, Will, sweeties will you go and fetch me some wood for the fire?" Hunith asked.

"Yes mother."

"Yes Hunith."

"Also Merlin, Lydia is out but she will be home within the next hour. I was speaking to her mother before you arrived." Hunith told her son before he and Will left to find wood.

"Whose Lydia?" Arthur asked with a confused glace to the doorway where Merlin was stood moments before.

"Merlin hasn't told you about Lydia?" Hunith asked as if they should know all about this mysterious girl. They all started to shake their heads until Percival spoke.

"I know about Lydia." Percival grinned.

"Who is Lydia?" Elyan asked the question they were all thinking.

"Lydia is Merlins girlfriend."

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1098 words

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The picture at the top is the bracelet.

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Thank you!
Byeeee!