Werewolf of London: Chapter 2
May 1850
“Merlin?” Arthur called out as he walked into Merlin’s modest two-story house. “Are you here?”
“Yeah, in the kitchen!” Merlin yelled back.
“Merlin dear, do not yell in the house,” Merlin’s mother said from the sitting room. “Hello, Arthur, dear, how are you?”
Arthur grinned and walked into the sitting room. “Hello, Hunith.” He kissed her cheek and sat down on a couch across from her chair near the fireplace. She had her legs covered up by a blanket and had a book in her lap. “I am fine. How are you feeling today?”
“Better,” she smiled at him lightly. She placed her book on a nearby table, then turned her head away to cough. “How are your father and sister?”
“Fine. Morgana is working on some sort of business scheme, while Father is out of the country,” Arthur replied. “Hopefully Merlin and I will not run into him on our journey. That would put a damper on the whole trip.”
“I hope not either. Uther does know how to ruin a good time.” Hunith glanced towards the door, making sure that Merlin wasn’t coming into the room. She waved Arthur to come closer. Arthur got off the couch and knelt down next to her chair. He put a hand on one of knees and leaned in close.
“Yes?” he asked quietly.
“I am quite glad you are taking Merlin away,” she replied just as quiet. “All he does is work. When you two were in university, you made him take breaks, now no one does.” Hunith frowned and stared into the fireplace. “I hope this trip the two of you are taking makes him realize that he doesn’t have to work all the time.” She turned back to Arthur and smiled. “He needs more friends like you.”
“You know he only works all the time so he can help you,” Arthur said fondly.
“I know. I wish he would not,” she sighed. “Gaius takes great care of me.”
“I should think that your husband should take care of you,” Arthur frowned. He had always wondered where Merlin’s father was. It was his duty to take care of Hunith.
Hunith was about to respond, when Merlin came into the room. He was carrying a tray of food and drinks. “Is everything all right?” he asked worriedly.
“Yes,” Hunith said with a grin. “Arthur just likes to gaze up at me.”
Arthur laughed, “You know it is true.” He stood up and moved back to the couch. He settled down on it and placed his arm over the top of it.
Merlin shook his head at their antics and put the tray down near his mother. Merlin poured the tea for Hunith and gave her a few sandwiches. He then poured tea for Arthur and himself. As he handed Arthur a cup of tea, Merlin stared at his friend seriously. “About this trip,” he began.
“No,” Arthur said with a wave of his left hand as he grabbed the tea with his right hand. “You will not put this off anymore.”
“Indeed,” stated Hunith as she sipped her tea. “You need this trip.”
“But Mother! What about my job and you? I need to be here!”
“Merlin James Emrys,” Hunith said sternly. “Gaius can take care of me and he gave you plenty of time off. He is worried about you and so am I. You will go on this trip and you will enjoy it.”
“Yes Mother,” Merlin said sulkily as he sat down next to Arthur. He sipped his tea and nibbled on a sandwich. He glared at Arthur, who had a big grin on his face. “Why are you grinning like an idiot?”
“I still love the fact your middle name is James,” Arthur chuckled.
“What?”
“Your first and last name are so...extraordinary. Then you go have the most boring and normal middle name in the world!”
Merlin huffed and turned to his mother, “See what you have done? Why did you have to tell him my middle name in the first place?”
“He asked,” Hunith replied with a gleam in her eye.
Merlin gaped at her then sighed and closed his eyes. “Maniacs, the both of you.”
Arthur hid a smile behind his hand and coughed. “Now, our boat leaves tomorrow at eight in the morning, so be ready to go. Bring whatever you like, I can buy us clothes if we really need them.”
“Arthur!” Merlin protested. “You cannot just buy things for me.”
“Why not? You are my friend are you not?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“It is settled then. Now,” Arthur clapped his hands together, “let me try those sandwiches. Merlin always makes the best sandwiches.”
The next day, Arthur walked into Merlin’s house only to be greeted by two steamer trunks and a small bag. He raised an eyebrow, but moved passed them and into the sitting room. There he saw Hunith sitting in her chair, with Gaius standing behind her. Gaius was Merlin’s uncle and the Pendragon family doctor. Arthur had been surprised when he found who Merlin’s uncle was. “Must have been fate,” Hunith had told them. Arthur had laughed, but he noticed that Merlin did not. He had always wondered why.
Arthur shook his head and bowed as he walked into the room. “Hello, Hunith, Gaius,” he said warmly. He then walked over to shake Gaius’ hand and kiss Hunith’s cheek. “I see Merlin has packed everything he owns.”
“Yes,” Hunith laughed lightly. “He does not want you to buy him anything.”
“Oh well in that case, I shall buy him everything.” Arthur grinned widely.
Hunith and Gaius laughed.
“Perhaps,” Gaius said with a quirk of his eyebrow, “you could get that young man of ours to relax and take it easy.”
“I can do my best. It might mainly consist of me annoying him though. It manages to distract him from almost anything.”
“Hardly,” Merlin snorted behind him.
“Please,” replied Arthur haughtily. “Anything that annoys you makes you forget whatever you were worrying about.”
Merlin huffed, but didn’t deny it. Hunith and Gaius laughed once more.
“I wish I could see you off at the train station,” Hunith sighed. She wiped at her eyes. Gaius handed her a handkerchief. “Thank you,” she sniffed. Hunith dabbed at her eyes once more.
“We do as well Mother,” Merlin said softly. He grabbed her hand and kissed it.
She smiled up at her son and said, “Now, go. Before I cry some more.”
Merlin nodded, kissed her cheek, shook Gaius’ hand and turned to Arthur. “I am ready.”
He walked out the door and waved for the carriage driver, who came with Arthur’s footman. The driver and the footman picked up one trunk and put it on top of the carriage. Then they came back for the other trunk.
“I am not ready yet,” Arthur stated. He kissed Hunith’s cheek once more, clapped Gaius on the back. “Now I am,” he grinned.
Merlin rolled his eyes and grabbed his small bag. “Bye, Mother! Bye, Gaius! I will write as soon as we land!”
The two men walked out the door. Hunith got out of her chair and carefully made her way to the sitting room window and watched them get into a waiting carriage. She saw Arthur grin widely, while Merlin was glaring fiercely and waving an arm about. Arthur grabbed Merlin’s bag, passed it off as well, and then shoved Merlin towards the carriage door. Arthur saw her watching and waved. Merlin turned and waved as well. She waved back as they entered the carriage. As it pulled away, she sniffed into the handkerchief. Gaius placed a hand on her shoulder.
“They will be all right, Hunith,” he told her.
“I know,” she sniffled, “it is just hard to see my boys go off. They’ll be a little different when they come home.”
“Are you worried about Arthur finding out about Merlin?” Gaius asked with concern.
“No. I am sure Merlin will tell him when the time is right. And I know Arthur will not care; they are the different sides of the same coin after all.”
“Arthur,” Merlin said as they boarded the train. “I am not sure about this.” He glanced around the platform, looking for a way to run back to the carriage before Arthur could catch him.
Arthur sighed, took Merlin’s elbow and guided him to their private train car. “Look,” the blond said as they put their bags aside. “Do not worry. Hunith will be fine with Gaius looking after her. I gave him a list of all the places we will be staying and when we would be there, so if something does happen, which it will not,” he emphasized before finishing, “Gaius can get a hold of us quickly.”
“Oh.” Merlin bit his lip and looked shyly up at Arthur. “Thank you.”
“For what?” Arthur turned to fiddle with the bags and to hide his flushing face from the other man.
“For the trip, for making sure I went along, for taking care of Mother, just for everything.” Merlin came up next to Arthur and put a hand on Arthur’s arm.
“Well,” Arthur turned towards Merlin and grinned. “What are friends for?”
Chapter 3