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You know, I would really love it if you could do just a small fic of any and all animals the group comes across instantly falling in love with Merlin and everyone being just so incredibly confused by it.
The first time it happened, Arthur wrote it off as a fluke. They were out Hunting, him and his Knights, with Merlin behind them complaining about the poor animals that they were going to kill. Nothing out of the ordinary, but when did life ever decide to go smoothly for Camelot?
It ended with their horses spooked, and the boar they were chasing turned to them, tusks looking rather threatening. Arthur’s sword had gone flying when he’d been kicked from his horse, and his Knights were in a similar position, but Merlin seemed perfectly content to stand up, drawing the attention of the beast. Before the King could tell his idiotic servant to run, Merlin had offered out his hand, and Arthur watched in shock as the beast took a step closer, pressed into his palm.
Leon tried to stand, and the thing bolted, leaving a very confused Arthur on the floor, and Merlin staring at his hand like it was Magic.
**
The second time it came to Arthur’s attention, was when one of the Hunting dogs had a litter of pups. She was territorial, would let nobody near her precious hoard, apart from Merlin. With him, she’d turn from a snapping, snarling mess, to a calm lap-dog, content to lick and play with him like he was one of her pups. The staff noted it, and Arthur noted it, annoyed, because it was one of his favourite hounds. How dare it like Merlin more than it liked him?
**
The third time, Merlin wasn’t the only one that was with the creature. It was a spooked mare, who refused to be seen to by the man trying to fit a saddle to the beast. Arthur was ready to have the horse put down, or turned out into the wild to fend for itself, when Merlin walked into the field with a bright smile, and Lady Morgana by his side.
Now, Arthur wasn’t on the best of terms with his sister, not with her Magic, but he did know that she and Merlin were close. So, it shouldn’t have come as a shock that the two of them were quite happy to walk out, side by side, and calm the beast.
**
It was beginning to fit into a pattern, and he wasn’t the only one that noticed. Gwaine and Lancelot had gone to fetch Merlin from the fields where he was no doubt daydreaming, but they returned with a puzzled look. Well, Gwaine did, Lancelot just looked amused.
‘Did you find my wayward manservant?’ He asked, raising his head to look to them. Lancelot chuckled, Gwaine launching into a story about how they’d found him sunbathing in a warren of rabbits, which were quite happy to hop around him like he wasn’t a threat.
Arthur jotted it down, adding it to the list of odd things he’d noted about his manservant, which were all building to a picture he wasn’t sure he wanted to acknowledge.
**
It was a snake. Arthur hated, HATED, snakes. With a passion. If there was one thing he would quite happily banish from Camelot, it would be the damned scaly things, which always managed to find him at an inconvenience. Like now, when they were settled for the evening, a small fire cracking and the Knights laughing happily.
Arthur had gone to his satchel, when he’d spotted the creature lurking, yelped and jumped away. That earned laughter from the group, Percival coming closer to stare at the creature. It was long, Arthur would swear it was the biggest snake he’d ever seen, and none of the Knights looked keen to deal with it.
‘We could just chop it apart.’ Elyan pointed out, looking back to his sword, then to the snake. It slithered into Arthur’s satchel, much to his annoyance, and he groaned in displeasure.
‘Now what?’ He stated, looking to his Knights to see If any of them would volunteer to deal with it. Just then, his lanky servant with ears too big for his head returned, carrying a pile of wood and dumping it by the side of their camp.
‘What’s got you all clucking like hens?’ Merlin wandered across, to where Arthur was hesitantly nudging the bag with hit foot.
‘A snake.’ Leon stated, terror in his eyes, and Merlin snorted with amusement.
‘The King of Camelot, brought down by a snake.’ Arthur whacked him on the arm, Merlin dodging most of the hit and then brushing past them to stare at the bag.
‘I was not “brought down” by it, merely…’ He trailed off, trying to think of a manly way to save this situation, but Merlin just rolled his eyes. He crouched down, undid the satchel and reached inside, pulling the snake out. Arthur watched, mostly in horror, as the creature wrapped itself around Merlin’s arm and settled there, staring up at Arthur as if to challenge him.
‘It’s harmless.’ Merlin stated, running a finger over the creature and smiling when its tongue flicked out.
‘Get it away from me.’ Arthur said, uncaring about how enamoured Merlin might be with it. The servant sighed, took it into the woods and released it.
**
A hawk was the next creature Merlin managed to befriend, one that had stolen Percival’s broach that was pinned to his cape. The creature had talons that Arthur suspected were the reason for the tear in the fabric, and a nasty way of staring at the group of Knights as they debated the best way to get it down from the tree. It was perched, watching them with a beady gaze, and Percival was growing more distressed about the loss of his heirloom.
A whistle sounded, and the bird swooped from the trees, landing on the arm that Merlin had outstretched. He offered it the bit of bread he’d probably stolen from Arthur’s supply, taking the broach from its grip and throwing it to Percival, who was so shocked he almost dropped it.
‘Thank you.’ Merlin said sincerely to the bird, like it could understand him, before the creature took back to the skies. When he noted all of them staring, he just shrugged.
‘It was hungry.’
**
It was apparent that not only could Merlin befriend creatures of the sky and land, but of the sea as well. The Hunt had led them to the coast, a rarity that had Merlin sitting on the sand, stretching out his toes to the sea. Arthur wanted to shout at him to do something, just because he looked far too relaxed, but he didn’t dare.
Truthfully, the notion that Merlin had Magic had come slowly. He’d noticed how he acted with Morgana, the way the two could seemingly speak without even moving their lips. The obsession with helping people with Magic, the understanding of their plight. Will, the friend who probably hadn't been the sorcerer. One too many lucky escapes, unexplained disappearances of sorcerers that meant him harm.
And finally, his weird abilities with the animals. Arthur had set up a camp on the cliff, when Gwaine pointed to the beach and the group looked down. Merlin was walking through the water, about knee-height, and the water was clear enough to see the shoal of fish that were following him. Moving every time he did, wrapping around his feet, Merlin chuckling and talking to them, although they were too far away to hear what they were saying.
When Merlin finally returned to the Camp, he looked happy, a brightness in his eyes that made Arthur finally understand that the Magic hadn't changed him. That Merlin was still Merlin.
‘You’re good with animals.’ Leon pointed out, the unspoken revelation that was now being voiced. Merlin seemed to have thought he could keep doing such wonders without them questioning him, for he looked shocked that they had brought it up. Arthur snorted, rolled his eyes and stretched out on the grass, looking to the sky.
‘It’s his Magic. Makes him understand them better.’
Merlin’s choked sound was totally worth the reveal.