Love, Faith and Family

Chapter 38

"Who were the Dragonlords?" Merlin asked as he and Miriam were packing their things.

"Gaius?" Miriam asked when the healer offered no response.

"There were once men who could talk to the dragons, tame them."

"What happened to them?" Merlin asked.

"Uther believed that the art of the Dragonlord was too close to magic, so he had them all rounded up and slaughtered," Gaius answered.

"But how did you know one survived?" Miriam questioned.

"I helped him escape."

"Well, Gaius," Miriam said as her brother laughed in surprise, both of them splitting the food rations.

"Have either of you ever heard the name Balinor?" Gaius asked and both of them were confused.

"No," they answered in unison.

"Your mother never mentioned him?"

Both of them froze.

"Our mother?" Miriam asked.

"She took him in," Gaius explained and their eyes widened.

"She stood up against Uther?" Merlin said in surprise as Gaius nodded. "She was brave."

"Uther discovered where Balinor was, he sent knights to Ealdor to hunt him down. He was forced to flee."

"Why didn't our mother tell us any of this?" Miriam asked.

"Merlin, Miriam, I promised her I would never speak of these things," Gaius began and the two began to grow wary.

"Of what?" Merlin queried.

"I've always treated you both as my children, but that is not what you are."
Miriam's breath got stuck in her throat.

"The man you are going to look for is your father."

Miriam sat down as her knees buckled, eyes clouded at the thought of having to meet the man who was never there for her.

Merlin, however, just took a few steps back as he gaped, eyes growing glassy.

"Our father?" Merlin asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Gaius answered, almost ashamed.

"He was a Dragonlord?"

"Why did no one tell us? We had a right to know," Miriam said, angrier than anything.

"I wanted to, but your mother feared it would be too dangerous," Gaius answered as Miriam reached up to take Merlin's hand, being the only other person in the world to understand him right now. "She wanted to protect you."

"We had a right to know," Merlin repeated before looking down at his sister whose eyes were lined with tears.

They were going to meet their father and neither knew how to feel about it yet.

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Half an hour later Miriam sat atop her horse, Arthur's waiting for him and Merlin attaching his saddlebags to his as he conversed with Gaius, Miriam not really wanting to talk to anyone right now.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Arthur said as he appeared and mounted his horse.

"You're ready," Merlin said in amazement and Arthur was annoyed as he slowly rotated his shoulder, grimacing in pain.

"No thanks to you," he replied.

"Are you alright?" Merlin asked.

"It's just a scratch," Arthur dismissed as Miriam dug a bottle full of pink liquid out of her bag.

"Drink this. It'll help with the pain. I'll check your wound once we make camp," she instructed as she handed it to him.

"Thank you," he said as their hands brushed and Arthur undid the cork with his mouth as he set his horse off.

"Whatever happens, Arthur cannot find out who this man is. Uther will view the children of Dragonlords as threats," Gaius warned and the siblings nodded their heads before they set off to find their father.