The sun beat upon the desolate land, merciless and constant. Their quest had outlasted their provisions by two days and their water by one. They trudged on until their horses couldn't carry them, then they continued by foot.
Surely they were heading towards water. Behind them it was three days to the nearest decent tree to find shade, a week since the well they'd last filled their canteens.
Even Merlin's constant chatter had dried up in the scorching afternoon sun. For hours, Arthur had heard nothing but the wind, the skitter of scorpions, and the shuffle of weary feet.
Merlin was squinting into the setting sun, likely hoping for some sign of life before they had to pick the most comfortable rock to lay their heads upon, and hope they'd both wake come morning.
"I think—" Merlin suddenly sprinted ahead, turning back only to wave Arthur to follow. "Arthur! Green! I see something green!"
They ran together, driven by adrenaline alone, before the green blur became a bush, and then a second, and the silence of the desert faded into a trickle of a stream.
Merlin reached it first, having never given up his head start, and not weighed down by armor. He was already stripped to the waist when Arthur stumbled through the small copse to the glorious sight of running water. He fell to his knees, tearing at his buckles.
Naked, Merlin jumped feet first into the water; the splash hit Arthur's cheek like a revelation.
He fumbled out of his breast plate and mail, clumsy from haste and exhaustion. Before him, Merlin danced in the water, haloed pink in the setting sun.
Cupping his palms in the water, Merlin raised them to his mouth, again and again. The water spilt over his fingers, onto his lips, his chin, his nose, dripping down his shoulders and chest until he sparkled in the low sunlight like some sort of magical being.
Finally stripped, Arthur stopped at the bank.
He stood dazed, watching, until Merlin turned to him.
"Aren't you thirsty?"
Arthur closed his eyes and laughed. "You have no idea," he said and he pounced onto Merlin, dragging them both beneath the surface.
They came up gasping and kissing and clinging to each other, smiling like men having made the walk to the pyre only to be pardoned from a death sentence.
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branchandroot
Merlin/Arthur, thirst, 394 words
Date: 2012-03-28 11:34 pm (UTC)Surely they were heading towards water. Behind them it was three days to the nearest decent tree to find shade, a week since the well they'd last filled their canteens.
Even Merlin's constant chatter had dried up in the scorching afternoon sun. For hours, Arthur had heard nothing but the wind, the skitter of scorpions, and the shuffle of weary feet.
Merlin was squinting into the setting sun, likely hoping for some sign of life before they had to pick the most comfortable rock to lay their heads upon, and hope they'd both wake come morning.
"I think—" Merlin suddenly sprinted ahead, turning back only to wave Arthur to follow. "Arthur! Green! I see something green!"
They ran together, driven by adrenaline alone, before the green blur became a bush, and then a second, and the silence of the desert faded into a trickle of a stream.
Merlin reached it first, having never given up his head start, and not weighed down by armor. He was already stripped to the waist when Arthur stumbled through the small copse to the glorious sight of running water. He fell to his knees, tearing at his buckles.
Naked, Merlin jumped feet first into the water; the splash hit Arthur's cheek like a revelation.
He fumbled out of his breast plate and mail, clumsy from haste and exhaustion. Before him, Merlin danced in the water, haloed pink in the setting sun.
Cupping his palms in the water, Merlin raised them to his mouth, again and again. The water spilt over his fingers, onto his lips, his chin, his nose, dripping down his shoulders and chest until he sparkled in the low sunlight like some sort of magical being.
Finally stripped, Arthur stopped at the bank.
He stood dazed, watching, until Merlin turned to him.
"Aren't you thirsty?"
Arthur closed his eyes and laughed. "You have no idea," he said and he pounced onto Merlin, dragging them both beneath the surface.
They came up gasping and kissing and clinging to each other, smiling like men having made the walk to the pyre only to be pardoned from a death sentence.