Dancing Leaves (Merlin)

[Brynn Reade]

Fall… The season when the flowers died, but the leaves became colorful enough to compete with them in a different kind of exceptional beauty. It was also the times where the winds were strongest, and this was one of the reasons Brynn liked fall season even more than summer. It wasn’t yet cold enough to be chilly, but not warm enough to feel uncomfortably hot, just the way she liked it The constant cackling of her geese was lulling her into a trance-like state, leaning against the trunk of her favourite lime tree in the meadows. Her hands were toying with a grass halm and after some time she put it between her lips, looking up at the fast moving white clouds..Nature was slowly coming to a close, there were not even enough flowers around to bind the tiniest wreath, and so Brynn found herself killing time with dreaming. Which was not the worst way to spend a day, of course, all the more as she was really on her own today. Neither Gyrth nor El had accompanied her to the meadows, and however much she liked to be with them out here, it was also nice to have calm surround her instead of their constant squeeing and laughing.

Not that she was completely alone though. A friendly presence every now and again sneaked into the forefront of her attention, grazing her with teasing fingers, caressing her face, playing with her hair. Everytime it happened, Brynn smiled up into thin air, as if there really was someone watching her from above, some friend reminding her of his company. Over the years Brynn had ceased to think it odd she actually pictured the wind like a person, like a companion even, something with intentions and feelings it expressed. Of course she could never tell anyone about that, but she didn’t mind thinking about it when she felt herself being unobserved.

A gust of wind swelled up like an answer to her thoughts, tugging at her loosely fitting cap. Brynn grinned. “Someone’s in a playful mood, huh?” she called out and tried to adjust the cap again. “Search for some other things to play with, will you? What about those leaves here?”
She motioned to the few already fallen leaves on the ground, colorful speckles in the green grass. And really, the moment she had said it some of them started to move, then more until every fallen leaf eventually moved around Brynn in a graceful dance to some inaudible music the wind itself provided. Smiling blithefully, the goosemaiden watched them sway and tumble, turn and waft. What was the harm in enjoying this beautiful spectacle a bit longer. She was on her own after all, safe from prying eyes.

Tag: Merlin
Timeline s4-s5 gap
Time of Day: Midmorning
Notes: Feel free to spot her doing that, if you want xD I'd say they've been casual friends, but she never told him about wha she can do? ^^

[youngwarlock]

A gentle breeze swept around Merlin, ruffling his hair as he bent down to pluck at the large green dock leaves awaiting in the lush grass below. He'd grown more familiar with the plants needed for herbal tinctures and remedies now, and he enjoyed spending time collecting them away from the castle, the meadow in particular was one of his favourite places with its sheer beauty and wide open space, giving him a sense of freedom, plus there was no chance of getting lost in the woods out here.

He paused suddenly as a voice in the distance grabbed his attention, causing him to glance upwards, a warm smile spreading across his features as his eyes finally fell upon Brynn. He should have known. The young maiden from the kitchen loved spending time out here just as much as Merlin did, if not more.

She appeared to be talking, not to herself, but to someone else, although Merlin found that there was nobody else there when he tried to seek them out. It was at that moment however, that he noticed something out of the ordinary begin to happen. A gust of wind suddenly swept up a pile of colourful autumn leaves which had been littered on the ground. It hadn't seemed too much out of the ordinary, but what happened next had made his eyes widen considerably. The leaves had gathered in the air around Brynn and were sweeping around her in such a way that they appeared to be dancing.

Straightening up, Merlin stood in amazement to watch the spectacle before him. It really was quite a beautiful scene. Was she controlling the wind? Or perhaps the leaves themselves? Or both? Slowly, he began to inch closer, his boots shuffling quietly on the soft grass beneath and his heart thumping away in his chest. Did this girl really have magic? He hadn't sensed it before, but there was certainly something magical happening here now. But what should he do? Catching her in the act would almost certainly scare her off. She might even run away for fear of Arthur finding out and therefore being banished from Camelot, or worse, executed.

Merlin decided there and then, that the best thing to do would be to act the idiot and pretend he hadn't noticed anything. An annoyed expression crossed his features at the thought. He knew how lonely it felt to have magic and to be unable to share it without being severely punished for it. He was holding onto the hope that one day Arthur would mellow to the idea and allow magic to be used freely, for good. It was his destiny, after all.

Taking a deep breath, Merlin finally pushed forward, forcing a smile as he casually made his way towards the girl, dock leaves in hand. "Brynn!" He called out, making sure to stay oblivious to what was going on around her.

[Brynn Reade]

Sometimes a moment was just made to last forever. And this particular moment was one of them, Brynn decided, as she lost herself in the peaceful show her friend, the wind, had just come up with. Why she was able to… communicate with an element would be forever lost to the goosemaiden, but she also didn’t really care. There was no significant magic in her family, and if so they hid it all well. Some moments also were not made for ruining them with thoughts. She would simply sit here and watch the leaves as long as she felt like it, then maybe asking the wind to drop his little act. But not yet… it was such a wonderful sight!

Calling the wind was playing with fire, nevermind the pun, but some stubborn bone in Brynn just couldn’t and wouldn’t listen to reason right now. He geese did not pay any attention to it all, they were far too occupied with their own little lifes and minor problems, and Brynn supposed they could not even think far enough to notice leaves did normally not move this gracefully if the wind was only randomly playing with them.
In moments like this Brynn felt a little special, as she had only learned during the past few years that this had to be some sort of gift, that no one she knew ever had received such a special treatment by the wind, or felt as connected to it.

“You can be quite the charmer, you know that!” she exclaimed playfully, smiling broadly. “I have no doubt that if you were a man, the women would queue up for you! You mesmerize without even being seen… how much more must it be when—“
In that very moment she thought she heard someone calling her name and when she whirled around, half raising to her feet, it was like an iron fist colliding with her stomach.
“M-Merlin! Oh, that’s… that’s quite a surprise!”
Get it together! She chided herself and tried to think straight, fighting down the sickening feeling of panic flaming up inside her. So she had been too reckless after all! Any moment now Merlin would turn on his heels and run back to Camelot, telling her off to the king, and then…

“Stop it, please!” she whispered under her breath in a feeble attempt to stop the damage already done. Just a second later the wind calmed down as if on its own accord, tired of playing with the leaves. However much like a person he could act, he seemingly had no idea in what kind of danger Brynn felt herself in right now.

[youngwarlock]

Merlin winced inwardly at the reaction he'd stirred up. The poor girl was so startled he could almost see the colour draining from her face. He wished he hadn't disturbed her now. He could have left her alone to practice whatever it was that she was doing, but even if he had, there was still a chance she might have spied him in the distance, and seeing him head back towards the castle may have forced her into thinking he was hurrying off to tell the king what he'd just witnessed in the meadow.

No, this had been the best option, and perhaps Merlin could eventually encourage her to explain to him what had happened. His curiosity was already getting the better of him as he strolled towards her, especially since the display had not yet stopped! Interestingly the leaves continued their graceful dance around Brynn for several moments, despite her apparent state of shock. This was a sure sign that the magic was not her own, but then he already knew that Brynn was not born of magic herself. He would have been able to sense it when they'd first met. It would also seem rather silly at this point, to continue with his innocent act. She knew he was no simpleton, but he decided to keep it up for just a little longer.

"Bit windy up here!" he proclaimed upon finally reaching her, noticing the geese wandering aimlessly through the grass as he glanced around. Her two siblings however, were nowhere to be seen. Who had she been talking to? "Gyrth and Elinor not with you today?" he asked cheerfully, trying his best to dispel any awkwardness between them. He had no idea just how much she knew he had seen.

[Brynn Reade]

Slowly, Brynn’s frantically beating heart was settling down again, even though blood was still pumping heavily in her veins, making her get hot and cold showers all over and a VERY queasy feeling in her stomach, as the reality of what almost COULD have been caught up with her. How could she, thoughtful and considerate Brynn, ever have been so reckless, allow the wind teasing her in a place that might not be the town square but was still far from remote?! But Merlin didn’t look like he had actually seen something, and Brynn didn’t think anyone could be such a good actor as to hide shock over something that seemed out of the ordinary - and forbidden! – so well. And if he had seen it, no doubt he would have said something, yes? Because whatever you could say about Merlin, he wasn’t one of those shady characters who would fake innocence and then go telling you off behind your back. Anyone, really, but not Merlin!

So, she had just escaped exposure by a hair’s breadth and she could really thank every divine goodwill and spirit for getting away so lightly! She really couldn’t afford to lower her guard now, after all this time she had managed to tell no one about her strange friendship with the wind. It might not even be magic, Brynn couldn’t do anything else, like conjuring things, moving things or whatever she had heard and seen sorcerors do, she only was under the firm impression that the wind to her was more than a lifeless power, that it responded to her, not by command, but almost as if she was conversing with a friend or a brother. But living in Camelot had taught her well that even the slightest suspicion of something supernatural would be a death sentence, since especially under Uther there often had not been many questions as to the how and why. Now Arthur was king, things had changed a little, but Brynn honestly doubted magic would ever be allowed in Camelot again.

Working on one of her usually tentative smiles, Brynn leaned against the trunk of the tree and nodded. “It is… fall is coming onto us fast.” He then asked about her siblings, which made her relax even more. There was probably no topic in the world you could get Brynn to talk about more readily than her family. Her siblings had grown quite a bit over the last few years, and slowly she knew she had to say goodbye to the thought of seeing them as ‘little’. Gyrth was nearly old enough to start out with real weapon training and maybe following in his father’s footsteps. And Elinor already had been assigned task, leading her to become a servant girl, whether as a kitchen or as a maid, or even Brynn’s substitute as a goosemaiden remained yet to be seen. “Oh no, not today!” she agreed, shaking her head. “Gyrth is up with Gw—with Sir Gwaine on the ramparts, playing watchman, and Elinor is to be inaururated into the secrets of breadmaking today, she is quite excited.” No doubt Brynn would hear all about it, when she came home, but she looked forward to that.

[youngwarlock]

Merlin smiled warmly at the young maiden as he sat himself down on the soft meadow grass and crisp autumn leaves, making himself comfy on the foliage. Brynn seemed a lot more relaxed now and the young warlock was just itching to find out what had just happened. Should he ask? No, that would be too much for her, the poor girl would most likely start to panic again. Glancing up at her, he nodded to acknowledge what she was saying, though he was only half listening, his mind desperately trying to think up a way in which he could get her to open up about whatever magic she had possessed moments ago. He only wanted for her to be able to talk to him if she were troubled by it, though from what he had seen, she had been perfectly happy until she'd caught sight of him.

Pondering this for a moment, Merlin distracted himself by placing the dock leaves he'd been carrying, into his satchel. He hoped they wouldn't dry up before he got them back to Gaius, otherwise he'd be sent back to collect more. Not that it mattered if it meant coming back out here.

A soft breeze caresssed his face, forcing him to take a deep breath of the clean autumn air, still sweetened by the few meadow flowers that clung to their grassy stems, not yet ready to retire for the season. It was then that Merlin suddenly noticed how quiet it was, realising that Brynn had finished talking and was probably awaiting a response. What had she said? Something about breadmaking? He glanced up at her with a somewhat mischievous smile, his expression never changing throughout the entire sentence as he blurted it out.

"Sounds like fun, d'you know, I had a friend, in Ealdor when I was growing up... He used to be able to control which way the wind blew."

Merlin paused for a moment, suddenly looking thoughtful as he turned his head to gaze across the meadow, trying his best to look as though he were remembering a story from his childhood.

"There was a meadow, a bit like this one. We'd go up there and collect the apples that had fallen from the tree's, only most of them were bruised and spoiled. So William...my friend... he'd conjure up a huge gust of wind that shook the branches so hard the apples fell to the ground... we'd run around trying to catch them before they would drop..."

The truth of the matter was that Merlin hadn't had to try very hard to make this story up. For it were true... Only it hadn't been his best friend, Will, who had conjured the wind to collect the apples.

"He never did tell me how he'd done it..."

Merlin looked up at Brynn with a brief smile which faded the moment he glanced away, his gaze lowering to the grass beneath him. Will had been the best friend Merlin could have ever had during his time growing up in Ealdor. And now he was gone forever.

[Brynn Reade]

Even while she was talking, Brynn couldn’t quite shake off the feeling that Merlin wasn’t really listening to what she was telling him about her siblings. She knew that Merlin could be a little scatterbrain every once in a whie, but it didn’t happen often he was THAT far gone to not even care about his friends’ stories. If she didn’t know him better, she’d almost consider this rude, even though Merlin was one of the least rude people she could think of. It just didn’t seem to be in his nature to be mean to someone on purpose, he was very open and friendly, even to those who often might not deserve it. Brynn remembered this prick of a servant named Henry for example. He had wanted to tell everyone how their job should be done and he had even taken Merlin’s job for a while – but never a mean word about him from Merlin himself, he was quite the phenomenon!

So, if he now was not listening, he must be thinking about something else, something that occupied his mind quite a bit. The worm of unease started to squirme again in her stomach, as she considered this. Was he thinking about what he had seen after all, trying to make sense of it in any way he could? That would be a highly dangerous thing, and Brynn wasn’t sure if she could live with the tension of this situation for much longer, without either breaking down and confessing that she had no idea why she could do this and pleading him to never tell anyone. But if he hadn’t seen anything after all, that would only make things worse! He might be appalled and she might be in ever so much more trouble.

Her worst worries were unexpectedly met when he blurted out an answer, quickly getting away from the subject of her breadmaking sister to these things that really seemed to be on his mind… and that was exactly what she had feared he would say, even though his approach was… peculiar to say in the least. With her heart hammering against her ribcage she listened to his claimed by the by remark about this friend in his village who could command the wind. It didn’t matter if this friend even existed, the deciding factor was that Merlin REALLY had seen what the wind had done around her, and now wanted to build her a golden bridge to redeem herself. He was talking sorcery, no doubt… or was he? Was there maybe someone who could do that after all… someone like her? Not knowing what was happening to him, but having a sort of … gift, that was life-threatening all the same, because every oddity that pointed towards sorcery would be High Treason?

Now, what should she do? Should she accept the help he was giving her and pretend to be talking about his friend, while in fact she was talking about herself? Maybe… maybe that might be a good idea, just to go along with it. “D-did he?! He showed you that?” her surprise was genuine. “Wasn’t he afraid someone would accuse him of sorcery? But then…” she swallowed and took a deep breath. Now was the moment. “Maybe… maybe he didn’t tell you how to do it, because he didn’t know? Maybe this was not something he controlled… maybe he and the wind just, communicated of a sort. They were… friends.” It sounded weird to her own ears, but then she had never found a good explanation for things that just… were.

[youngwarlock]

Merlin was a little lost in thought, his gaze seemingly fixed on the blades of grass beneath although he wasn't actually looking at anything except the images within his minds eye. Images of the recent past... of Will and Ealdor.

“D-did he?! He showed you that?”

He lifted his head a little as though startled by the sound of Brynn's voice, though he was glad to be distracted from his thoughts. Snapping back to reality, he Glanced towards her, noticing how shocked and fearful she looked. Merlin wondered what she would say next as he began to regret his actions in telling her the partially made up story. He wondered what she was thinking and thankfully he didn't have to wait very long to find out.

“Wasn’t he afraid someone would accuse him of sorcery? But then…Maybe… maybe he didn’t tell you how to do it, because he didn’t know? Maybe this was not something he controlled… maybe he and the wind just, communicated of a sort. They were… friends.”

The young warlock allowed himself a smile. Brynn was one of the most genuine people he knew, and Merlin knew exactly what she was trying to do in her response. Of course she wasn't born of magic, Merlin would have been able to sense it if she was, but she didn't seem to be the sorcerer type either. Although not many people did, he supposed. Especially Merlin himself. For all he knew, every villager in Camelot could be using magic and keeping it secret. He highly doubted this of course but it was a definite possibility. Brynn however, seemed genuinely confused about whatever magic she had possessed earlier and her thoughts about communicating with the wind instantly explained why she had seemingly been talking to herself when he'd found her.

"Friends?" He asked, looking genuinely intrigued as he made sure to remember that this conversation was not about Brynn. "But how could someone be friends with the wind?"

Someone who did not possess natural magic, was what he had really meant. Controlling the wind as a child, had come naturally to him but surely some kind of spell would be needed for a sorcerer who hadn't been born of magic. This girl however, had not sounded like she had been incanting any spell at all. It had indeed sounded as though she had been chattering away to an old friend. This was something he would definitely have to ask Gaius about later on, if Brynn refused to enlighten him herself.

[Brynn Reade]

At least she seemed to have awoken Merlin’s interest now. That was something… he still seemed more intrigued than appalled, and maybe she could really start to relax a little. This was a first time for her herself, since she had never told anyone about what she could do, not even her parents, not even Alex when they had still been together. And now Merline knew… on one hand, she was still appalled by her own stupidity, but on the other hand, she couldn’t help but feel at least a little relieved. Finally it was out! Finally she could voice some of her thoughts that were usually running in circles inside her head, without any chance to get them sorted, since she had only her own experience to refer to. Well, of course, what would Merlin know about these things, and she also was sure this friend he had talked about didn’t exist. Trusting Merlin came easier than trusting most other people she could think of off the top of her head, since he was just a very trusted and genuine person, but that could alos prove dangerous. He might not want to turn her in jus yet… but where was the point he would start to get afraid of her?!

Putting it so that she called the wind her friend must really sound crazy to everyone who didn’t witness it himself, and even Brynn herself wondered sometimes, if she even was correct in assuming so. The wind seemed to like her, there was no doubt of it, as mischievous he often showed himself to be, but didn’t a friendship consist of more? How indeed could you be friends with an element? “I don’t know”, she replied honestly and shrugged with a still tentative smile. “It’s nothing I could describe.” Of course now she had given up the pretense of talking about someone else, and she hoped she could just let it go now, and have Merlin understand her still. “Can I be forward and assume you… saw something right now? And would want to know what exactly you saw?” She gave another sigh and doffed the white cap she was usually wearing. Immediately she felt a light breeze tugging at it playfully. Oh yes, he surely loved to play with her things!

“The honest truth is”, she continued then, “it is just something I came to know over the years and I have no idea at all what caused it. I just… FEEL the wind more present, it seems to be always around me, communicating in a wordless way. When I was a child, I thought everyone could do that… until I found out that wasn’t the case. I really don’t know how best to explain, since it’s just something I… witness.” The first time she had willingly asked the wind to do something for her, it had been a minor tease towards her little brother – and she would have never thought it would actually work. When it had, she had been shocked above anything else, and from this day on had kept her connection to the wind a close secret.

[youngwarlock]

“It’s nothing I could describe.”

Merlin looked at the girl with genuine surprise as the words fell from her lips. Had she made a mistake with her words? Or was she opening up to him? His heart seemed to skip a beat as she continued...

“Can I be forward and assume you… saw something right now? And would want to know what exactly you saw?”

Merlin found himself nodding his head in an immediate response to these questions. He couldn't quite believe it! She was actually opening up to him about what he'd seen. A small grin tugged at the corners of his mouth as he tried to contain his excitement, though his heart was practically racing!

He listened carefully to her story, his brow creasing into a puzzled frown by the time she had finished. So she hadn't used sorcery? Unless she had decided not to admit to that... no. Brynn wasn't like that. She was too honest. There would be no point in leaving out such details if she had decided to confide in him about something like this. Merlin was intrigued. The way she had described conjuring the wind just by sensing its presence, sounded like nothing except natural magic. But she had none, he was certain of it. So what was going on? This was a definite brain teaser for Gaius when Merlin returned to his chambers later.

"I don't understand" Merlin said. And he genuinely didn't. The young Warlock was utterly mystified. The only other thing he could think of was that perhaps she had been cursed somehow as a child, but the wind was so harmless towards her and she had it under control. It didn't make sense.

"Oh and don't worry... your secret's safe, I promise." He added quickly with a reassuring smile, realising that she was probably fretting about what he might say or do.

[Brynn Reade]

This was so not how Brynn had imagined the talks about her… friendship with the wind to go, should she ever find someone she could confide in, but at least it had gone far better so far than all those horror scenarios she had been thinking up in her thoughtful and fretting mind. If anything, Merlin seemed to be even more confused than Brynn herself, but that was only understandable, since he probably hadn’t even been close to something like that before. For him, the wind would be nothing but a force of nature, completely random and unanimated, nothing he would think twice on. He hadn’t been grown up to believe that the wind was communicating with him in his very own way, without a voice, but with intensity of blowing, and the odd trick and treat he was pulling on her that sometimes even made her think he was in a flirtatious mood.

Thoughtfully, her fingers hooked under the leather thong which held the blue stone pendant she had been given by the distant godmother she had never met. Someone of her father’s family or such they had said… on the one occasion she had actually bothered to ask. The pendant, just like the wind, had always been there, and as much as Brynn could be a thinker on so many occasions, she never had wasted anymore thoughts on it, just wore it all the time, because she simply always had. Sometimes, when she was particularly anxious, she grasped the stone like an anchor and it gave her some sort of confidence. A stupid superstition most likely, but it definitely worked.

“I am aware of it being quite… a handful to grasp”, she assured him with a tentative smile. “Most of the time I try not to think too much about it, just… let it happen. And I try to never use it on purpose, though I am not even sure the wind would follow my command, if he didn’t feel like it. He surely has his own mind! But… if it is something harmless and mischievous, he just might…” A rare, mischievous smile of her own tugged at the corner of Brynn’s lips as she craned her neck and muttered. “What do you think… doesn’t Merlin’s hair look a little TOO well kempt?” A gentle breeze rushed past her face like an affectionate tip on the nose, and suddenly a little whirl began to ruffle Merlin’s hair. Oh goodness… he WAS in the mood! Suddenly Brynn wasn’t even too sure anymore, if this spontaneous show had been such a good idea, and so Merlin’s promise was twice as welcome.

”Thank you, Merlin…” Her voice quivered a little as a huge weight seemed to be lifted off her shoulders. “Really, I mean it. This … goes by no means without saying!”

[youngwarlock]

Despite Merlin's utter confusion, a short burst of laughter escaped his lips as the wind seemingly obeyed Brynn's command, sweeping through his hair in the most playful manner any natural breeze possibly could. It was amazing to say the least, and although this girl apparently did not possess or practice magic, her curious gift somehow made him feel a little less alone.

Glancing toward her, he gave her a kind smile as she thanked him, yet his heart felt somewhat saddened by the fact that he could not share his own secret with her. It was tempting to say the least, but no one could know. No matter how much he trusted his friend, he simply couldn't risk it. "It's fine, honestly" he replied, his eyes hiding only compassion in their grey depths, for although he could not speak of his own magic, it felt good to release that heavy burden from someone else.

His gaze lowered to her fingers as she tugged at something small around her neck, noting briefly that it must be some kind of pendant, but thinking nothing more of it as he realised how nervous she must still be. "Are you alright?" he asked, knowing that although she trusted him, she may still worry about his actions. He knew only too well how she must be feeling.