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Why was it always bandits? All Merlin wanted to do was get out of the castle for the day, ride on his horse and annoy Arthur when he spooked whatever bloody animal he was trying to shoot at, but no! Bandits had to ruin his fun didn't they? The day had started off so well too.
Somehow they'd managed to catch Camelots finest completely unaware, which was a first. The gang had all split up into two groups, so only Lancelot and Elyan had been near by when all hell broke loose and the bandits had swarmed into the small clearing Merlin and Arthur had been in. Neither Arthur nor Merlin had time to think as they both jumped off their horses, lance and Elyan appearing seconds later.
Yet because they'd been caught so off guard, Merlin wasn't able to go and perch behind some trees to watch everything unfold and help out with some carefully done magic to help turn the tide of the fighting. Instead he was in the very middle of it all, ducking and and just about moving out the way of wayward sword swings. Once he's got his bearings, he manages to get some well timed punches and kicks in, which both disorientates the bandits and impressed Arthur, who had just turned around to help him.
The impressed look on the kings face doesn't last very long before horror and protectiveness takes its place "behind you, Merlin!" He yells, making the warlock scramble to the side as he looks over his shoulder to see a bandit who had some how managed to get behind the Camelotian's. Even though he had managed to move out of the man's way, his sword had still got a lucky hit in against Merlin's side and he can feel it dragging down his ribs as the guys momentum continues to carry him towards Arthur.
The pain hits him seconds later, causing him to cry out as the sword twists ever so slightly before being yanked out as the bandit finally stops, having been run through by Arthur and thrown to the floor. Merlin instantly puts his hands against his side, before stumbling to where he knows his horse to have gone, though he doesn't get very far as his head swims and he ends up falling to his knees, narrowly avoiding falling forwards because Arthur is by his side seconds before his body hits the floor.
Arthur whistles for the horses to come back to them, before turning to see what kind of damage had been done to Merlin's side. By the time the horses have cautiously come back into sight, the rest of the knights had come rushing into the clearing as well, swords and bows drawn and ready as they come to investigate the ruckus they'd heard. Arthur whistles a second time, the sound slightly different as it's one he's heard Merlin do plenty of times before, so it only catches Merlin's mare's attention and draws her closer "Lancelot grab a water skin, Leon get the medical supplies out of his bags" Arthur order's as he tries to get Merlin into a more comfortable position.
As the two knights jump to help, Gwaine comes to kneel at Merlin's other side whilst Percival and Elyan stand guard and check the area around them respectively. Once Leon had brought Merlin's medical bag over, Arthur gently peels Merlin's tunic away from his injury causing a quiet groan as Merlin tries to move away from him, Gwaine is quick to grab his closest hand and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder "cmon Merls, talk to me" he says quietly, hoping to distract the man from what must be a hell of alot of pain.
To everyone's relief Gwaine's voice catches Merlin's attention, as his eyes slowly open and his writhing stops just long enough for Arthur to uncover the extent of his injury. The sight of it causing the king and Leon to hiss quietly through their teeth as it was longer and slightly deeper than they'd been expecting "I've seen worse, Merlin. You'll be fine" Arthur says, both to reassure his friend and to play off just how badly he was panicking as they worked to clean the wound and slow the bleeding enough so that they could sew it up and wrap it.
It takes longer than any of the men were comfortable with to staunch the blood flow, but eventually they were ready to stitch Merlin up "Elyan you have the stillest hands, you do it" Merlin grumbles quietly, having come back to himself slightly. Said knight Blanches slightly, before taking Arthur's place beside him, though the king doesn't go very far as he's still holding Merlin's now ruined tunic out of the way.
When he was completely stitched up and the wound had been cleaned, doused in water once more and wrapped up, Arthur placed a hand on Merlin's shoulder and smiles slightly at him "that is going to scar" he says almost apologetically, even though he knows it will make for one hell of a story for his manservant to tell whenever people saw it, only to be suprised when Merlin rolls his eyes and shrugs "what's one more?" He asks as he slowly and carefully gets to his feet.
Arthur can't help but double take at just how unbothered the man sounds "what the hell do you mean one more? I didn't think you had any scars at all!" His comment draws the rest of the knights closer, as they too become curious as to what the man could possibly mean. Merlin rolls his eyes and with a little help from Arthur and Leon, who has been hovering since the man first got to his feet, they get his tunic off.
Every single one of them double take at the sheer amount of scars that litters Merlin's chest and arms. Leon takes a sharp breath in at the amount he can see from the nape of his neck and all the way down his back, having to blink a few times as that one in the middle looks awfully close to a serket sting.
When the knights finally finish mapping each and every scar, they look back up to Merlin's face which looks incredibly sheepish and slightly annoyed at just how long it's taken them to look back at him "you most certainly have some stories to tell, my friend" is all Gwaine says, clapping him on the shoulder good naturedly, his eyes bright with fierce protection and curiosity, as are the others when Merlin turns his attention to them.
Arthur is the next to clap Merlin on the shoulder, a small smile on his face as he shakes his head in disbelief "but first let's get you back to Gaius, can't have you keeling over like a girl and leaving us in suspense now can we?" He says, winking at Merlin once the others have turned away to let him know he's only messing with him "I can't wait to hear them" he says quietly as he pulls Merlin and his horse closer so that he can keep an eye on his friend during the ride back to Camelot.