The brief flash of gold was enough to quicken his heartbeat. Sorcerer, his body screamed, reminding him of what Sir Roderick had taught him in all those training sessions. The only good sorcerer is a dead one.
Uther had told all his knights that it was an honorable mission to rid the land of magic. That they were freeing the people, making their kingdom safer. It had been ingrained in his mind from such a young age.
And still- As the eyes of the boy before him turned blue again, he saw no malice in them. The thought seemed absurd. This boy was seven summers, maybe eight if one considered how harsh the winters got out here.
He knew of course that neither Uther nor the knights that sent him into these woods to gather firewood, would hesitate upon coming face to face with magic, not even if the one using it was a small boy.
They were not in Camelot right now but to the others it would make little difference. One less sorcerer, that was all that counted.
But he knew he couldn't bring himself to draw his sword. Not even when the boy lifted his arms.
For a moment they stared into each other's eyes before the boy turned and started to run. However he only managed a few paces before stumbling and hitting the ground hard.
"Are you okay?" He asked unsure of if he should approach but ultimately deciding if the boy was seriously injured and needed help the villige was too far away to hear his cries.
"Please! I didn't do anything, promise! I won't ever do it again please!!" The boy begged from where he was on the ground, one hand on his leg while he shielded his head with the other one.
He dropped to his knees trying to be as unthreatening as he could in chainmail and with a sword strapped to his side. "I'm not going to hurt you! I just want to make sure you didn't break anything."
The boy still tried to crawl away but stopped when he put weight on his injured leg. The big blue eyes filled with tears but apart from a small wimper no sound made it past his lips. "I promise you I won't hurt you. Can I see?"
If he would have been able to run there was no doubt the boy would be on his feet in a moment. But since that was not an option he reluctantly nodded, watching the knight with big eyes and a tearstreaked face.
"You're a knight." The boy stated and he nodded.
"And you saw..." instead of speaking the word the small fingers wiggled in a gesture that would have looked mocking if a grown man would have made it. Again he nodded while his fingers lifted the hem of the thin trousers. The ankle beneath it was already swollen and bruised.
Swollen and bruised after such a short time is a sign for a torn tendon.
"Mom said you would hurt me." The boy whispered. And after a pause he added: "Old man simmons said people like me should be drowned-." Another pause. "He said they're monsters."
The knight looked up, seeing the worry in the child's face and he couldn't help but see his youngest bother Marcus. He was around the same age as the boy. For a moment he imagined Marcus being alone in these woods, hurt and frightened. He was just a child. Magic or not it didn't matter right now.
"I have to carry you back and I need to talk to your mom."
"Mom will get angry and worried when she sees you."
He almost snorted when the boy looked him up and down.
"What's your plan then?"
"Hm. Bring me close to my house and then I will call for mom when you disappeared again? She will believe me when I tell her my foot got caught in a root. I stumble a lot."
Maybe he should protest but he could only stay away for so long until the other knights came looking.
"Fine. You shouldn't put any weight on your foot for a few weeks." He instructed, as he carefully lifted the boy and settled him on his hip. He was so much lighter than Marcus.
"You're brave." He whispered because the kid was, even though he had every reason to be terrified.
"I know you won't hurt me now. You have a kind heart, Sir Knight."
It was an odd thing to say, but it made him feel warm nonetheless.
"Thank you." Through the trees he spotted some small houses, the buildings even simpler than the ones in the lower town and it reminded Leon again that life outside of cities was harsh.
"You can let me down here." He did as the boy said and made sure he didn't injure his leg further when he placed him on the ground.
"Thank you Sir Knight." The boy grinned up at him, despite the pain he must be in.
"Leon." He cleared his throat. "My name is Leon."
"That sounds like Lion! My mom told me stories about lions. They have a mane! Amost like your hair. I'm named after an animal too. I'm Merlin."
Leon smiled down at the boy. "Like the bird. Well promise to stay out of trouble."
Another mischievous grin lit up the round face. "I'm not allowed to lie."
Before he could think it through his hand reached out to ruffle the boys hair. "Goodbye Merlin."
And with that he turned around and went back in the direction of his camp. Merlin waited until the silver shine of the chainmail disappeared behind the trees, before he called his mother.
Both of them had no idea that this was not their last meeting. It was only the beginning.
