His Love

Chapter 7

Arthur, Merlin and Isabeella set off for Haepsfleet in the heat of the afternoon sun. Arthur was astride his horse Degore while Isabella had her palomino horse Faremane and Merlin rode another horse that was black that was called Piggott that carried all the bags. They travelled west towards the slowly setting sun which became more blinding as it sank in the sky, not as bright but closer to there eyeline. They went through the forests their hoofs crusunching on the dead leaves that had fallen in the heat but glad for the shade the woods provided from the burning sun. Merlin could feel the peaks and troughs of his face burning from the exposure as he was almost transulacent in paleness and was not used to the harsh beams of the sun like Arthur was,m who trained outside all day sometimes with his knights.

As they trotted along on their horses Isabella and Arhtur's cloaks flowed out behind them in the baking summer wind. Merlin followed captivated by the sights noticing how Arthur's hair gleamed golden in the glorious sunshine and how Isabella's fiery locks catching the light like visions of the playful gods of the old relgions. Somewhere in the forest was the flurry of small animals chasing oneanother lazily Merlin saw the pair's ears pirck up at the noise, insure if they were picking up on potential danger or just idly dreaming of creatures to hunt.

Arthur leaned across from his hores back to say something to Isabella which Merlin could not catch and she laughed shaking her head, her hair shaking and catching the sun like a river of the purest sunset captured in silken soft solid form. Merlin looked at Arthur's smiling face and fel the trecherous beast of jealously unfurl and sniff the air in his chest. He wanted to resist it but the two of them together, glowing etherially, they seemed like soul mates, bound together through time like characters in an epic poem or an long lost tail of luckless lovers torn asunder by beasts of legend and cruel kings reunited once more. They glowed.

Merlin shook his head to shake the thoughts off. He remembered Arthur's gentle face as he hd said "but she's not you..." not 2 days past. He felt the warm fire of love reignite in his cheast lulling the beat back to sleep. In front of him Arthur turned his horse around to face Merlin.

"We make camp" He called looking every bit the future king in the beams of the setting sun. Merlin nodded and clicked his horse on to catch up with the magnificent pair. They both smiled at him and he drew close. The sun was setting and soon they would lose the light. Merlin tied the horses off to some trees and the set up camp under the canopy of the bare trees The leaf litter would at least make the ground more comfortable. With the camp unpacked Arthur stood.

"I will go and hunt for some dinner!" Arthuer smiled at the prospect of this fun and handed Merlin his sword.

"Protect Isabella if anything comes." He told them. Both Merlin and Isabella looked doubtful of Merlin's ability to do this and as Arthur walked off at a jaunty pace Merlin passed the sword to Isabella with a knowing grin. She took it and shifted it in her hand expertly and stood to walk over to her horse. As she was stroking Farramane's mane and whispering to him soothingly Merlin took the oppurtunity to get the fire going. Darkness and fallen, and they needed the light if not the heat, as the heatwave that had rocked the kingdom provided heat, well into the dark of the night.

Sneaking a cautious peak at Isabella Merlin threw caution to the wind and lend forward to the fire pit that had already been built.

"Forbærne firgenholt" He whispered and his eyes flassed golden in the darkness. Sparks flew from his fingerstips to the pre prepared bunle of tinder and kindling that sat already before him in the little fire pit. Then had dug the fire into a pit to prevent the dry leaves on the ground from catching, in wehather like this a forest fire would be a catastopic event.