Chapter Text
“There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.” - Thomas Aquinas
“Did you hear that?” Gwen asked, her hand pausing over the hellebore petals that she was about to gather. Merlin glanced towards the source of the noise and froze. This was not good. This was most definitely, not good.
“Uh, no?” Merlin attempted feebly. In his mind, he attempted to shoo Aithusa away but only received a sad chirp in response. “Maybe it was a bird?”
“It didn’t sound like a bird.” Gwen replied as she stood and walked towards the trees where she had heard the noise. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it was definitely a creature that was in pain. She couldn’t just abandon an animal in pain, it was cruel. Gwen pushed aside some low hanging branches and gasped at the sight. “Oh my,”
“What is it?” Merlin asked innocently as Gwen knelt and scooped up the whimpering, injured creature. “Gwen?”
“It’s a dragon,” Gwen whispered before the realisation hit her. She was holding a dragon. She was holding an actual dragon. Admittedly, it was an adorable, snow white dragon with large sad eyes but still, a dragon. “It must be a baby.”
“Must be,” Merlin replied vaguely as Gwen gently stroked the cool, scaly head of the dragon. “Be careful,”
“I am,” Gwen said as she examined the dragon. One of its paws was at an odd angle and it let out a cry of fright before Gwen could even touch it. “Oh you poor thing, your little paw.”
“Let me see,” Merlin said as he stepped forward. Aithusa was his responsibility and she had been hurt. He knew that he needed to take care of her but how was he going to do that without Gwen finding out any of his secrets? Aithusa nestled her head against his touch and Gwen smiled at him.
“It’s as if you know one another,” Gwen remarked. She had a suspicion or two about Merlin, yet after Morgana’s betrayal, she had decided to keep them to herself unless she had proof. They had believed that with Balinor, the last Dragon Lord had died. Perhaps there was one more after all...
“Or maybe it’s a dragon who wants to eat me,” Merlin quipped. “What do we do?”
“What do you mean?” Gwen asked with a raised eyebrow. “We can’t just abandon him.”
“Her,” Merlin corrected quietly at Gwen’s suspicious look. “I-I think she looks like a girl.”
“Her then,” Gwen continued, her suspicion closer to being confirmed. “We need to make sure her little paw is going to heal.”
“And how do we do that?” Merlin asked. He had never expected this, usually Gwen was the pragmatic one and he was the one with the foolish idea that Gwen had clearly gathered. The two of them had gotten away with some extremely foolish escapades before but this was on another level. Usually they were trying to get the magical creatures to leave Camelot.
“We take her home with us. It’s only a baby. No one will find out.” Gwen explained. Arthur and the knights were too busy training and trying to hunt down Morgana. Agravaine had dismissed both of them as mere servants and Gaius had his patients to treat. When they wanted to, she and Merlin were able to get away with quite a bit of mischief.
“Are you being serious Gwen?” Merlin asked. He knew Gwen was a loyal and true friend, that her kind heart would never allow her to refuse anything or anyone who needed help but to help Aithusa, to help him; this was unexpected.
“Of course I am. The dragon is only a baby and it would just take a few days. Besides, if the Great Dragon is anything to go by, dragons are intelligent. If this little one remembers us showing kindness, maybe in the future, it will be kind to us.” Gwen reasoned; there had been many of the hunting dogs, palace cats and stable horses that she had won over with a piece of food and a gentle touch. Besides, things had been quite quiet for her and Merlin.
They needed some mischief to keep themselves amused before they had to rescue Arthur and the knights again.
“You’re truly wise,” Merlin said seriously. “One day, you’ll make a wonderful queen.”
Gwen blushed at the comment. Ever since Arthur became king, she was allowing herself to believe more and more that the future they had dreamed of was possible. However, until it happened, she would have to keep her dream to herself.
“Merlin,” Gwen whispered as she gently carried Aithusa to her basket of herbs. “What should we call her?”
“Um,” Merlin trailed off and nervously rubbed the back of his head. If he suggested Aithusa’s actual name, that would lead to even more questions. What was it that Kilgharragh said Aithusa meant? “Sunny?”
Aithusa chirped at the suggestion and Gwen smiled as she stroked the dragon’s head and scratched behind her ears. “I guess you like both of those, don’t you Sunny?”
Gwen carefully covered the basket with the shawl she had initially taken with her to prevent a chill and Merlin removed his own scarf and covered the basket too. Once they were certain that Aithusa was comfortable and more importantly, hidden, within the basket, Gwen hitched it onto her elbow and held it to her chest, supporting it with her free hand.
“This is probably one of the most reckless things we have ever done,” Gwen stated as they walked back towards Camelot with their new dragon friend in tow.
“Probably,” Merlin agreed before he grinned at Gwen. From the moment she had scooped Aithusa into her arms, he knew that he would be able to trust her. Together they would keep Aithusa safe until she was healed and avoid getting into too much trouble.
Hopefully.