I Told You To Leave Him Alone!
The white dragon roared, and it echoed across the land. The knights of Camelot were reforming after yet another advance, their breaths making small puffs of smoke as they exhaled. Arthur turned to Percival, and he could see the big knight's sword dripping with blood. Percival looked back.
"I hit him." He said. "In the wing."
Arthur gave him a nod, and turned to Leon at his side.
"Didn't we kill this dragon a few years ago?"
"This is not the same dragon Sire." Leon reminded him. "That one wasn't white."
"I know." Arthur said. "But it doesn't make sense. We killed the last dragon then.
At that moment, there was a big roar, and a deep voice echoed across the sky.
"Aithusa!"
When Arthur looked up, he saw a dragon sailing down towards them. He almost sat down in resignation.
It was the dragon from several years ago. The dragon that Merlin said he had killed.
"Didn't I kill you?" Arthur called up to it.
The dragon landed between the nights and the white dragon, taking no notice to the nights.
"Get Merlin!" the dragon roared.
"Merlin?" Arthur said.
The shock over that the dragon had asked for his servant was bigger than that he had asked for anything at all.
The dragon growled.
"Yes, Merlin. You really are as stupid as he says you are."
"Merlin?" was the only thing Arthur could say.
Suddenly, Arthur and the knights could hear a big roar across the woods, followed by a long line of words Arthur couldn't understand. The knights turned around, and out of the woods came….
"Merlin?!"
Arthur was glad that Gwaine had spoken this time. Merlin didn't mind them. His eyes were on the white dragon. The dragon was looking back at Merlin, his head lowered. He looked uncomfortable, like a child being schooled by its parent. The dragons head was almost touching the ground when Merlin started yelling in English.
"Aithusa, what have I said about attacking the king? What have I said about attacking Camelot?"
If it hadn't been for the absurd situation, Arthur may have laughed.
Merlin was schooling a dragon. A dragon!
The dragon made a noise and Merlin continued, his voice softer now.
"You are wrong, I don't care just about him! I care about you to. Swords are sharp."
The dragon made another noise.
"They aren't as useless as you think. Look at your wing!"
"Is the dragon calling us useless?" Percival whispered to Gwaine.
"I think so." Gwaine said. "That will be a story to tell in the tavern, being insulted by a dragon!"
They were interrupted by a shout from Merlin.
"Stop fussing Aithusa. You are behaving like a child. Now let me heal you."
Merlin closed the distance between him and the dragon.
"Merlin!" shouted the knights.
"It is alright." a deep voice said above their heads.
The knights jumped. They had almost forgot about the other dragon.
"Will you protect him?" asked Leon.
"Merlin will always have my protection, but he doesn't need it when it comes to Aithusa. He can't harm Merlin even if he want to."
"Why is that?" asked Percival, with deep respect in his voice.
"Because no dragon can't or won't ever hurt a Dragonlord."
"A Dragonlord?" Arthur said. "Merlin is no Dragonlord."
"Then how do you explain what you see king Arthur?"
Arthur looked over to Merlin, and the truth hit him with full force.
Merlin was a Dragonlord.
"But Balinor was the last one." Arthur said, trying to hide the truth from himself.
The dragon looked sad.
"That is not my story to tell." He said.
"There you go!" Merlin said proud and loudly.
The dragon and the knights turned to him. The white dragon had stretch to full length, and his wing had stopped bleeding.
"You need to leave Camelot Aithusa." Merlin said gravely. "And if you attack Camelot or the king again, I will not be merciful."
Arthur had never heard Merlin use this tone of voice before, but there was no doubt that he was serious. The white dragon jumped up to the sky, and within seconds, he was gone. Merlin looked after it long after it was gone before he slowly turned around. He refused to look at his friends, instead his eyes were on the dragon.
"Thank you, old friend." Merlin said.
He bowed to the creature, and the dragon bowed – he bowed! – back to Merlin. Then his eyes fell on Arthur and the knights.
"Do you need me to stay?" the dragon asked.
Merlin smiled a sad smile.
"I think I can handle it. But thank you."
The dragon bowed again before he turned to the knights.
"Knights of Camelot. If you hurt him, I will forget my promise to Merlin, and I will declare war on Camelot."
The knights paled, but nodded and the dragon flew away. His words had made Merlin smile, but when he saw Arthurs face, his smile died.
"Arthur, I…."
Arthur held up his hand, and Merlin went silent. Then Arthur pointed at him.
"You. Explanation. Now."