#ambiguous ages

His New Child

Merlin was worried abut the boy. He didn't look like a overtly frightened animal as he had when the old man had picked him up. But he was skill had all his guard up all the time. Merlin could see him flinch when the boy heard the old man just as much as turn in his direction. He also knew that the boy didn't sleep well, He had gound him in the tree in the back yard a couple of times when it hadn't yet started to freez outsiede, now th eboy had made a habbit out of finding hiding spots Merlin was very sure hadn't been there before the boy had moved in, one of them of a small nook under the porch that he sometimes curled up in in the noon, but also a nook between two bookshelves in the library covered in carped that merlin knew for a fact hadn't been part of the flooring before the boy moved in. 

The old tower seemed to have taken a liking to the kid , simeler to the old man that inhabitant it. Merlin knew he wasn't necessarily the softest of people. He had once been great at scheming, capable of being part of a court, he knew etiquette and was capable of learning secrets, but that had been a long time ago, and he had gotten used to his tower and his lone some, taking a step back from what was happening in the world, just occasionally helping some vary traveler wit a potion or spell. He hadn't talked to a dragon or faeries, all that much anymore, he had tired of politics and with it of most of the company he had once kept. 

This child disrupted his peace in a way he hadn't been used too anyone, yet he also felt like the right thing, like this kid belonged with him and his tower. Barny wasn't the first person needing a sanctuary Merlin had picked up, not even the first in this decade, but he was the first one in a long time that felt like he should stay, and Merlin knew better than to disregard his feelings as mere sentiment. 

How he could convince the skittish child to stay, or much more importantly how not to scare him away again, was something that still puzzled the old man. Merlin was still wondering how he had even gotten the boy to enter his house not to mention stay in it this long, despite the ghastly cold outside during this season of the year. Maybe the boy found some solace in the tower, because it certainly wasn't the old man that gave him any sense of peace. It wouldn't be unheard of for a child to have an easier time bonding with pets rather than humans. Though the tower was not the most usual of pets it was certainly not aware enough to be called sentient. As long as it gave the poor boy any peace of mind it was a good thing.

The poor thing was skittish, Merlin didn't know exactly why but it couldn't have been anything good. He had started to leave little offers for the boy around the house, some food on the counter in the kitchen, that he as sure the tower would put in the boys path if he became hungry. He left tea out side on the tabloe on the porch, cept worm with a spell, wating for the boy to go out there in the even when he inedvidelty would go out there. 

For the most part Merlin tryed to not get in the boys way, to let him explore the tower on his own, get to know it first, it it felt inadvisable to make the child feel pressured to interact with him. It felt like it would just make him skittish, like a cat. And smiler to the way he would befriend a cat he offered food and warmth and sometimes hid a book or two in the nook the boy frequented that Merlin thought the boy could like, and waited for the child to come to him. 

Some times he would ask question when the boy entered the same room as him out of his own vallation, about the books he read, about the wether, small talk nothing intrusive. He just waited for the kitten to become used to his new environment and then to him, and maybe he would stay at the end end of the cold season. 

Merling had to wait. He was an old man, had lived for many centuries, he had knew how to wait. Even if this was the first time in a long time, that he was actually looked forward to something happening instead of floating in consistent tranquility.

Merlin was found of this child, despite not knowing him yet. But he looking forward ,you could maybe even call it exited, to getting to know him, for the boy to trust him.

Note:

So this is Merlin the old man that raised Barny after his traumatic back story. I hope this makes sense. I'm trying to build a canon around these characters and it is absolutely possible that I have to redcon some stuff later on because I'm making stuff up as I go.

Still Don't know what species Barny is. Don't know if Merlin is Merlin of Athurian legend or an other wizard named merlin either.

I would really appreciate some feedback and your thoughts on the characters!