Thaumaturgy

Chapter 8

The next day dawned gloomy and grey, a chill permiated the dank air, and, Dirk noticied quickly, that Merlins mood was much the same: he barely spoke or even lookeda t the handsome blond man, and was already out of his bed by the time he woke uop.

He tried to talk to him, but quickly gave up after he was just ignored completely or Merlin answered woth somrthing else, telling him to pack up the horses or full the water skins. They left in stoney silence on their trotting horses as the sun skimmed over the horizon, not that they should see it through the heavy repressive slate coloured clouds.

They rode the horses in single file down narrow wooded paths, Dirk's brown horse swaying beneath hi as he staired perceptibly at Merlin's inscruitable back. He frowned, uncertan. what could have made him act this way? He had been fine until the kiss..happy even! Had he not wanted to...wanted Dirk lik that? Maybe he'd misread all of his signals, maybe this was part of his reckless behaviour and it didn't mean anything to him. Had Dirk taken it to far by kissing him? But he'd seemed so geiuene in his complaiments...Dirk's thoughts twirled around his mind like a torrent, a tornado of indecision and uncertainty. He gave a pained sigh that made Merlin turn slightly in the saddle of his horse and glance back at him. From his eyes, Dirk could read an unnamed pain.

The men and the horsed carried on with their traelling through the short daylight hours, until lunchtime, when they broke their journey at a creek near the road in order to eat and also to water their horses inthe creek.Dirk staired it the direction they were going: towards the druid camps, watching distant smoke weave its way idly over the trees in the distance, as Merlin poken at their small campfire with a brown twig.

"We'll be there by night fll" The wheaten haired man said, glancing out the side at Merlin, who didn't look at him. He was sick of thinc silcene.

"Yep." Merlin said, his tone leaving no room to carry on the conversation. Dirk bridled at this ans scowled, irritation running up his spine: he snapped:

"What is your probnlem?!" he yelled Merlin, who lookied up in alarm at the suddewn noise and scowled back.

"Nothing toi do with you." He said snappishly, but Dirk wasn't having it.

"You've been grumpy all day! What is wrong? Tell me" his town softened and he moved to Melin, taking the slenderman'spale hsandd imn his big strong, muscular ones, but Merlin snatched them away, like he was burnt. Dirk's face was crestfallen.

"No! How dare you!" He screamed at him, walking away from him angrily.

"What have I done?" Dirk asked despepratley.

"You have a soulmate!" Merlin blasted out tiurning around to looka at dirk with anger glowing in his eyes. Dirk was stunned to silence.

"You have a soulmate, you have one person you're destined to be with and it's not me. I have no one." Merlin snapped bitterly and Dirk could feel the emeotion sweling in his own chest

"What if I don't care about my soulmate? What if I don't want it? Because I don't! I just want you!" blurted Dirk out. He was furious at the slim warlock, unable to contain the affection that strummed through his veins every time he looked at the exaggerated swoop of Merlin's eyelashes across his porcelain skin like the brush of the darkest calligraphy ink from a regal quill drawn by a talented hand smoothly across the finest freshly hewn vellum, or the graceful liknes of his hands and wrists that move like enchanted vines or silver bitrch trees reaching towrds the sky in an eternal sissiphean passion to brush against the sun and the stars.

Merlin was stunned. That Dikr was willing to give up something as important as his soulmate...and for hium, Merlin.. he couldn't believe it. He was stunned into silence.