Fireheart (A Merlin Love Story)

Chapter 12, Part 2

Ariella's P. O. V:

A couple of days have passed and more crops were dying. The villagers have been given rations by the guards and knights, but we have very little left. A curfew has also been put in place. Merlin had come to me about Arthur having a rat problem and asked if he could borrow Luna for the job, after having learned that she's an excellent hunter.

I wanted to say no and let Arthur suffer his rat problem and deal with it on his own, but I knew that even Luna was being given little food by now, and I couldn't refuse the opportunity for her to get food.

And rats and mice are her favourite thing to hunt.

I'd taken to ignoring Arthur for the most part, still angry at him for what he'd done, or I'd just give him my Death Stare whenever he'd try to talk to me.

I now stand with Arthur, Gaius and Eric as Uther lets sand run through his fingers from the water pail Gwen had filled this morning, and brought up with Merlin, muttering, "Sand... and you say the well is full of it?"

"I've sent men down to the underground reservoir," States Arthur. "There's no trace of water to be found."

I exchange worried looks with Eric.

"First the crops and now this," Murmurs Uther.

"It's the same throughout the kingdom. There's precious little water anywhere."

Uther asks the physician, "Gaius, can you offer any explanation for this?"

"I can't think of a scientific explanation. I can only conclude it's the result of sorcery."

So, Merlin and I were right! It is magic!

"I believe you're right. It is the work of magic," Uther says in a cold tone as he drops the rest of the sand from his hand into the pail, and turns away thoughtfully. "The kingdom is under attack."

Afterwards, Gaius and I return to the Physician's Quarters to see Merlin sitting before a bucket of sand, the magic book open and his hand held above the sand. "Greot gecuman leccan. Gecuman gedrye waeter." Upon seeing me and Gaius enter his bed chambers, Merlin stops and stutters, thinking he might be in trouble for using his magic, "Oh, uh, I was just, um..."

Gaius says with a sigh, interrupting him, "I was hoping you might be trying to turn it back into water." I take up a chair next to Merlin as Gaius sits across from us and says, "I know I've cautioned against using magic, but if ever there was a time to use your talents, it's now."

"I wish I knew how! I've tried everything," Merlin says. He brings the book to his lap and I lean over slightly to watch as he flips through the pages. "If it is magic, it's more powerful than I—and maybe even Ari—possess."

I nod my head in agreement as I help Merlin try to find the spell that can turn sand back into water.

🗡🗡🗡

That night, Merlin and I leave the sleeping quarters together to go see Kilgarrah and find out if he has any answers, only to be stopped by Arthur, who was sending his knights on patrol during the new curfew.

"Merlin, Ariella!" We stop and my face turns impassive as Arthur approaches us. "You two do realise there's a curfew?"

"Yeah! I was in your chambers, looking for the rat," Merlin responds. "Ari was helping me." I nod my head in agreement.

"Did you find it?" Arthur questions.

"No."

"So you have been outwitted by a rat? Both of you?"