dragonspeak | May the road rise up to meet you

[About a month after they parted ways at Hengist's castle, Lancelot's sleep will be interrupted by something small and light landing on his nose. A quick look reveals it to be a butterfly. Another, closer look reveals it to be a parchment butterfly, and one that is looking a bit worse for wear. Once he catches it, it'll unfold itself to reveal a letter (wrinkled and burned in some places): ]

Lancelot, if you're reading this, then my letter's managed to find you all right. Sorry it took so long to write! I had to modify one of the spells in the book and I think I finally got it to work. It was supposed to turn into a bird, but anytime I tried to change the shape, the parchment caught fire. Looks like you're stuck with the butterfly until I figure that part out.

Write me back and let me know how you're doing?

-Merlin

[Lancelot's reply takes a much more traditional route and thus takes considerably longer to find its recipient. It's also carefully worded in case it reaches the wrong hands.]

Merlin, you never cease to amaze me. Now a challenge for you - try to make it work for replies.

I'm doing well, currently I'm in a small village at the outskirts of the kingdom. I know not the name of the creature I slew here, but it is one creature less to bother the good people of Camelot.

How fair things in the city? How are you, Arthur, Guinevere? I look forward to hearing from you again.

-- Lancelot.

[Merlin's next letter comes with an extra sheet of parchment about a month and a week later.]

The spell for the blank sheet was tricky, I hope you appreciate the effort that went into changing it. When you're done writing, hold it over the candle flame and that should activate the spell. Now that we have a way of sending letters I will expect your replies to arrive more quickly. Don't keep me waiting, my friend!

Camelot is doing well. We had a slight troll problem only weeks before, but it's been taken care of. Gwen and Arthur are both doing all right too.

What did the creature you encountered look like?

-Merlin

Edited 2012-06-02 22:04 (UTC)

[This reply definitely arrives faster than the first, though the wording is still cautious.]

I hope this letter finds you well. If I do not hear from you within two moons I will send you another by more traditional means.

I'm glad to hear Camelot is doing well. What was the trouble? I've never encountered a troll, I do hope it was easier to manage than the griffin.

The creature was the size of a bear bearing a face like none I have ever seen before, ears elongated, its mouth took up most of its face. In a way it resembled a vicious looking dog but the body was a distorted version of a human's. It had an affinity to children, but steel conquered it easily enough. Have you ever heard of such a thing?

I trust Camelot will remain safe under your care.

-- Lancelot.

[This one arrives a week after Lancelot sent his out.]

It looks like the spell works just fine. This is great! Now I'll have a somewhat reliable way of finding you.

A troll was disguising herself as a beautiful noble woman to get a hold of Camelot's riches. She and Uther were married. I don't suppose you got an invitation?

And Gaius says the creature sounds like a cynocephaly. Head of a dog with the body of a human.

When do you think you'll come back to Camelot?

-Merlin

[Since he's managed to distance himself further during this time, his reply takes two weeks.]

I would expect nothing less from you, Merlin.

I'm afraid I received no invitation, had I gotten one you can be sure I would never have missed it. An unintentional oversight, I'm certain, but a regrettable one nonetheless. The aftermath of that is surely a tale that will reach even these parts before long.

Cynocephaly - I've never heard of it but the description sounds fitting.

I will return when I have something to offer the people of Camelot.

How is your life treating you?

-- Lancelot.

[The next letter Lancelot gets will be a bit of a surprise. Instead of the usual battered parchment, this one's wings actually have a gossamer quality about them, a tint of blue to them. Like usual, though, once Lancelot touches it, the spell wears off and reveals a letter. Someone's been playing around with the spell again.]

You most likely will hear about it, considering it was a rather public affair. If you don't by the time I see you again, I'll tell you the story myself.

Life is treating me well enough. After the troll was dealt with, things in Camelot have settled down again. Running errands for Arthur and Gaius, picking up after Arthur, ducking whatever Arthur decides to throw at me for the day. You know, the usual routine. At least I haven't been in the stocks lately! I ought to call Arthur a few names in front of the knights and see if that gets me thrown in again. The children in the market have been rather disappointed lately, and I think they miss their favourite target.

You should know you already have something of value to offer Camelot, my friend.

-Merlin

Already I'm hearing tales, but I have a feeling this is a time in which the truth surpasses all imagination. I look forward to hearing your account of the matter. They say they could smell the thing three towns over.

Careful now, you might find yourself facing more than you bargained for if you test Arthur in front of his men. If it's the stocks you miss try spending a few days in the tavern avoiding your duties, it's been told often enough you might as well make it true for once.

I see you've been keeping busy - this letter is quite impressive.

Perhaps some day I will have something to offer, but for now I trust that Camelot is in the safest hands it could possibly hope for. I know you will take care of Arthur, Guinevere and Camelot, but don't forget to take care of yourself as well.

Give my regards to Gaius.

-- Lancelot.

[The next letter comes nearly a month and a half later, and its wings seem to droop as it flutters into Lancelot's room and perches on the nearest object. Rather than the light, cheerful blue of the previous letter, this one's wings are an ominous grey.

The letter itself is short and to the point.]

Sorry it took so long to reply. Everything is all right. I just had to adjust the spell again.

Where are you now?

-Merlin

Edited 2012-06-22 23:08 (UTC)

[A reply arrives a little over two weeks later, the parchment specked with blood stains that have smeared in an obvious attempt to clean them.]

I am currently in Cenred's kingdom. I know you, Merlin. Everything is certainly not all right. What's the matter? Should I make for Camelot?

Don't worry about the stains they are from but a scratch that would hardly be remembered by the time you get this.

-- Lancelot.

[The next one from Merlin arrives in record time: 2 days. The butterfly-letter looks a bit worse for wear, flying erratically and dropping onto Lancelot's head in letter-form as soon as it reaches him, as if it's used up all its energy getting to him that quickly.]

What's the matter?? I should be asking you that!

Why was there blood on your letter?

--Merlin

[He sends his reply right away, so the letter arrives as quickly as the magic carries it.]

It's nothing, a mere scratch. I ran into bandits, and the encounter was far more unfortunate for them I assure you. It should be nothing more than a memory soon enough.

I would still like to know what is going on with you.

-- Lancelot.

[It seems Lancelot's plight has drawn Merlin out of whatever funk he'd fallen into before. His next letter arrives just as quickly as the previous one.]

Sometimes I wonder what you would consider just a scratch. I hope it isn't anything too serious. Drat it all, I wish these letters could carry items as well as words. Do you need anything?

-Merlin

Edited 2012-06-27 01:00 (UTC)

[The next letter takes a little longer, he's managed to distance himself further during this time. Don't think he hadn't noticed how you still avoid his questions, Merlin.]

I am well, and I want for nothing other than to know how you are. I don't need to see your face to know that you are keeping something from me.

-- Lancelot.

[They're only about half an hour into the council meeting when Arthur might notice something shifting out of the corner of his eyes. Yes, those are words forming at the corner of your parchment.]

You know I don't remember these council meetings being this boring when you were still a prince. I thought we already decided the distribution of lands last time. Is there some unspoken noble law that says you must become even more dull and greedy when you earn your lordship?

[I wonder who the culprit could be? Surely not your Court Sorcerer, seated just a few chairs down the table, who is oh-so-diligently taking notes?]

[ Well done, Merlin. The King now has to do his utmost to hold back his mirth or else risk offending Lord Roderick's third proposal of the day, and then they'll never manage to settle this inane babble.

There's a brief moment of utter cluelessness (that the good lord takes to mean he needs to explain himself further, God help them) as Arthur tries to figure out how exactly he's meant to respond to this friendly little bit of magic, then nods his head in response to something he wasn't actually listening to and starts writing just beneath Merlin's familiar scrawl. ]

You can't just insult a lord when you're sitting not a hair's width away from him, Merlin. As any lord is expected to defend a certain land, he is going to expect a certain generosity in turn.

[ Arthur pauses, brushing the end of his quill over his lips for a moment to hide a smile before adding. ]

Though he could probably do without quite so much generosity from his cook.

[There's a cough from Merlin's end as he squints down at his notes. Perhaps a bit of dust from the parchment? Whatever the cause, the coughing fit doesn't last, and it even looks like Merlin's smirking just a bit before he the hand propped against his cheek covers his mouth.]

Because the cook is definitely the one deciding Lord Roderick's food habits. Of course.

Must you always blame the servants, Arthur?

[ Merlin's near slip up makes Arthur smile victoriously, which Lord Roderick takes as encouragement and leaves the King to go into yet another discussion over why exactly his demands are childish and absurd (in not so many words) before he can respond to the warlock. ]

It is not the servant at fault, but the one commanding the servants. Which, in this case, rather seems to be the good lord's arse.

[ He underlines the last word three times, making it seem as though he's scratching out an erroneous mark with a bit too much enthusiasm. ]

Gaius,

It's been three months since I saw you and I have never missed your guidance more than I do now. A lot has happened since the Nordic gods first brought me to their city, and most of it has been good, if you can believe it. I miss you and everyone else who's still in Camelot, but I have a new life here that I'm finding hard to leave behind.

Morgana's here, and it's the kind, spirited Morgana that we all remember from before. She hasn't gone through the hardships that turned her bitter in our time, and I intend to keep it that way. I'm sorry, Gaius, but I think we were wrong all those years ago. She's much happier now that we're open with each other about our magic, and I wish now that I had listened to my instincts back then and helped her. The city has given me a chance to make things right with her, and I won't waste it this time.

Arthur's here and he knows about my magic, too. I know, I know, let me finish before you raise your brow and me and start scolding. Everyone's given magic here, and I thought there wouldn't be a better time for it. He's okay with it, Gaius. He trusts me. ~~I knew there was a reason I~~ ~~I won't think about~~ ~~Bother~~ He's already proven he's a better king than Uther ever will be. We won't remember any of this when we return to Camelot, but it's given me hope that things will be all right anyway. I just need to be brave and tell him the truth eventually.

Everything's been working so well here, I don't know what to do now that Uther's in the city, too. Arthur's already left and Morgana's been locking herself in her room. King or not, he's hurt and lied to all of us, and I don't think I can stand by and watch it all happen again like I did back home. I'm different now. I want to be open with my magic, with who I am, and Uther being here isn't going to change that. I'm not going to abandon the Teacher's Council for his sake, not when we have people willing to learn about the magic they have in Asgard.

No more secrets. No more hiding.

Gods help me, Gaius, I think Arthur will kill me himself if Uther doesn't get to me first.

-Merlin

Edited 2012-06-16 02:42 (UTC)

Mother,

It has been a long time since I have seen your face. I miss you. I wish now that I had taken the time to see you in Ealdor, but I was too scared. Too angry.

Why did you never tell me about my father? You had Gaius keep it from me when I should have learnt about him and the dragonlords from you. All that time I thought he didn't care for either of us when it was the opposite. He gave up everything so that you could be safe.

He wanted to see you, never forgot you after all those years. I was going to bring him back to you after Camelot had been saved from Kilgharrah's wrath. But the bandits caught us on the way and ~~it was my fault~~ one got to him. I'm sorry.

I wonder if you would forgive me if you knew. You probably didn't think your son would turn out to be a disappointment like I am. I've done terrible things while in Camelot. Terrible enough to make Arthur hate me when magic did not. You were right about the magic, mother. Arthur came around in the end. It's funny in a way, how we thought that was the worst of it back then. We were wrong. There's much worse things than magic when it comes to me.

Merlin

Father,

I have thought of you often during my time here. There are dragons in Yggdrasil, did you know? But I do not know if you would be happy to hear of them if you were here with me. These dragons are under the fire king Surt's rule and most of them do not care what harm they bring when they attack on his orders.

I helped slay a few of them in the battle months ago. Without my dragonlord powers, I could not command them to leave, and they would not listen to reason. It was the only way. What would you have done in my place, father? Would you have tried harder to convince them? I guess I'll never know now.

Another thing, a dragon has found me, as well. I think it's a hatchling, but I have no idea where she's come from. She does not look like the dragons of Yggdrasil, and she cannot speak. Her name is Aithusa. She eats well enough and hasn't complained about anything I've done while caring for her yet, but I wish I had some way of knowing. I wish I had your guidance. There is still so much I do not know about you and the dragonlord lineage. While I still wish to learn, I wish I'd had the chance to learn them from you.

Merlin

May the road rise up to meet you

Canon Verse Letters

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switching fonts like a pro

awwww yeah B-)

/sunglasses

<3

<33!!!!

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For Arthur

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Asgard Eventide Verse Letters

To Gaius (written the day after Uther's arrival)

To Hunith (after his falling out with Arthur)

To Balinor (after Svartalfaheim trip)