Chapter Text
Merlin was six winters old when there was a knock on his front door, right in middle of Mum’s bedtime story. Mum's words stilled in the night air, as another knock reverberated through the one-room house. He started to stumble up but was quickly shushed and tucked hastily into bed. Merlin could feel his magic flare up uncertainly, “Mum?” and looked wide-eyed at her in fear. What if Will finally tattled on him? What if someone saw and it was Camelot’s soldiers at their door?
His magic reached out and instinctively tugged on the corner of Mum’s plain dress, like he used to do when he was younger.
“Merlin, please go to sleep.”
Merlin sullenly pulled the covers higher and forced his eyes to shut as the door opened. He had every intention to eavesdrop but sleep overtook him quickly. Merlin tossed and turned as he dreamed of fires tall as a man and being tied to a stake. Everyone in Ealdor watched him silently as he sobbed, crying out for his Mum, as the fires grew higher and hotter. He was sure that Mum was already dead.
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“Merlin! Wake up! Mum is here, your Mum is here.” Merlin blearily woke up, confused that the night hadn’t gone away yet. He saw a strange man in green robes held up high on the wall, with his head touching the roof. He wiped his tear tracks and snot on his brown sleeves as he looked around for Mum. His heart clenched painfully in his small chest as he realized she wasn’t in the house. His magic held the man higher until he had to droop his chin to his chest to avoid injury, the man was saying something.
“Em-Merlin, your Mum is outside talking with my chieftain, he’s a Druid. She’s safe, I give you my word, she’s okay. Please let me down, I mean no harm. Your Mum is outside.” the man had started calmly but deteriorated into near-hysterics as his magic squeezed. Merlin’s throat felt weird and croaky, probably he cried in his sleep again. Usually Mum gave him warm milk and sang him back to sleep. His memories of his nightmare flashed in front of his eyes again, and the overwhelming feeling of loneliness that told him that Mum was gone.
He had to find her!
Merlin was searching under his bed for his boots when he heard the door open again. He whirled around as his magic quickly held the two new people next to the strange man, but not as high. They gasped and breathed for air from the impact.
“Merlin! Put me down right this instant, I am your Mum! You shouldn’t be awake at this hour of the night.” Mum scolded as his magic let her down gently, but softened as Merlin hugged her tightly around her legs.
He sniffled as he told her of his nightmare, and she led him to the table where they ate and gave him warm milk. Mum ignored the two men still hanging on the wall, except for a passing admonishment to slightly lower the younger strange man from the ceiling. After Mum had hugged him to his heart’s content and many reassurances that she was fine, she finally acknowledged them.
“Merlin, they’re Druids and they have come to help you.”
“Help me with what?” Merlin had said with suspicion.
“Your magic.” Mum held tightly as he recoiled in fear. “No, my little bird, they will not harm you.”
Merlin calmed down until a thought struck him; “Are they going to take me away?”
“Mer--”
“No! They can’t take me, I don’t want to leave!” Merlin struggled in her grip, he wanted to lash out at the prone men, his magic churned angrily like a storm. It wanted to snarl and snap and break.
“Merlin!” Mum chided and kneeled to his level, and Merlin looked away in shame. He knew Mum didn’t like what she saw in his eyes during a bad moment, though she never said so. He stayed silent as she said her next words.
“I’ll be coming with you, and it’s only for a day. We’ve known for a while now that the exercises have been getting less effective. I’m doing this to keep you safe, do you understand?” Mum said kindly, and Merlin reluctantly agreed that the ‘game’ taught from a very young age to wrap his hands in an imaginary binding to conceal his magic has been weaker of late.
“Now, let them down, it’s not just little boys that need to sleep. They’ll be back in a week, and I’ll tell my neighbors that we are visiting your father’s grave, and don’t you tell that boy William anything else.” Mum said firmly, and with a hint of motherly warmth underneath the command.
“Yes, Mum.” Merlin pouted as he released the Druids, and walked back to his bed without turning around. He fell into a peaceful sleep with Mum stroking his head as he tuned out the quick footsteps and the creak-click of the door.