The Saur in the Stone
Mar. 19th, 2011 06:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mrcreekSo wintercreek has been trying to write a large number of Merlin (BBC) fanfics, and I decided to help her out, despite the following facts:
1. As you probably have noticed, I don't generally write fan fiction.
2. I've only seen one episode of the show, and it was a couple of years ago.
Nevertheless, it seems that Mary Anning was beaten by a few centuries by another M. [and] A. Apologies to any actual fans of the show who could undoubtedly do a better job (629 words):
The Saur in the Stone
“Is it going to be much farther?” grumbled Arthur as he and Merlin rode along the coast of the English Channel under a gray sky.
“Not far,” Merlin replied. “I really want to show you what I found.” The horses left deep hoof-prints in the sand beneath the cliffs as they hurried west.
“I really need to prepare for my trip to the North,” insisted Arthur. “We should return...”
“About that trip,” interrupted Merlin. “I could go with you, you know. I could advise you.”
“Advise me? Ha!” Arthur snorted. “You forget how well I know you, friend. I know all of your thoughts, all your opinions. I don't need you next to me, I can just picture in my head, what would Merlin advise? What use is there for you to join me?”
Merlin was silent for a moment. If only he did know me so well, he thought. If only he knew what I know, what I can do. And how I feel about him.
The wizard broke his silence with a shout. “There! In that narrow cove.”
They trotted up the beach to a hidden cleft in the cliff. There, as a perfect flat impression in the limestone wall, were the bones of great sea monster as long as one of the horses.
“A dead fish?” asked Arthur, underwhelmed. “You brought me all this way for this?”
“It's not a fish,” insisted Merlin. “It's just shaped like one. Look at the skeleton. Look at the bones around the eyes. It's actually more like a lizard.”
“It's clearly a fish,” said Arthur. “And anyway, who cares?”
Merlin hesitated. Should he do what he was about to do? It won't matter, he thought. He'll never know that they don't exist any more. It won't even occur to him that anything magical has happened. He casually laid a hand on the stony remains and quietly coughed an incantation. “Look, there's one down by the surf right now,” he announced. “I'll show you.”
Flopping on the sand at the water's edge was another sea monster, a live one, light green in color and blowing wheezy puffs of spray through its blowhole. Just like its skeletal brother, it had a long toothy snout, flippers, and the fin and tail of a fish. It looked at the young men running toward it with an intelligent gleam in its large eyes.
“Amazing!” exclaimed Arthur. “There must be an entire colony here!” They watched it for a moment. “It's so calm,” Arthur mused.
“It's not gasping for breath like a fish,” said Merlin. “See, it's breathing the air just like us. Touch it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Just be gentle.”
“If you insist.” Arthur laid his open palm on the beast's flank. “It's warm! And on a chilly day like this.” He stroked the monster's side. “Incredible. I never imagined such a creature. And if I had seen a fish-lizard like this without you, I never would have realized that I was witnessing anything but an overgrown herring.”
“You can't always assume that what you think you know is right,” replied Merlin without much subtlety.
“That's true, friend.” He paused. “You know, if you'd like to travel North with me, you are certainly welcome.”
“Thank you. I believe I shall.”
“We need to return quickly, but first, come here and feel it breathing with me.” Merlin joined Arthur beside the beast he had conjured and in awed silence they warmed their hands against it before carefully pushing it back into the waves and riding off. The fish-lizard swam a few strokes and then melted back into the oblivion from which it had been created.
wintercreek has been trying to write a large number of Merlin (BBC) fanfics, and I decided to help her out, despite the following facts:1. As you probably have noticed, I don't generally write fan fiction.
2. I've only seen one episode of the show, and it was a couple of years ago.
Nevertheless, it seems that Mary Anning was beaten by a few centuries by another M. [and] A. Apologies to any actual fans of the show who could undoubtedly do a better job (629 words):
The Saur in the Stone
“Is it going to be much farther?” grumbled Arthur as he and Merlin rode along the coast of the English Channel under a gray sky.
“Not far,” Merlin replied. “I really want to show you what I found.” The horses left deep hoof-prints in the sand beneath the cliffs as they hurried west.
“I really need to prepare for my trip to the North,” insisted Arthur. “We should return...”
“About that trip,” interrupted Merlin. “I could go with you, you know. I could advise you.”
“Advise me? Ha!” Arthur snorted. “You forget how well I know you, friend. I know all of your thoughts, all your opinions. I don't need you next to me, I can just picture in my head, what would Merlin advise? What use is there for you to join me?”
Merlin was silent for a moment. If only he did know me so well, he thought. If only he knew what I know, what I can do. And how I feel about him.
The wizard broke his silence with a shout. “There! In that narrow cove.”
They trotted up the beach to a hidden cleft in the cliff. There, as a perfect flat impression in the limestone wall, were the bones of great sea monster as long as one of the horses.
“A dead fish?” asked Arthur, underwhelmed. “You brought me all this way for this?”
“It's not a fish,” insisted Merlin. “It's just shaped like one. Look at the skeleton. Look at the bones around the eyes. It's actually more like a lizard.”
“It's clearly a fish,” said Arthur. “And anyway, who cares?”
Merlin hesitated. Should he do what he was about to do? It won't matter, he thought. He'll never know that they don't exist any more. It won't even occur to him that anything magical has happened. He casually laid a hand on the stony remains and quietly coughed an incantation. “Look, there's one down by the surf right now,” he announced. “I'll show you.”
Flopping on the sand at the water's edge was another sea monster, a live one, light green in color and blowing wheezy puffs of spray through its blowhole. Just like its skeletal brother, it had a long toothy snout, flippers, and the fin and tail of a fish. It looked at the young men running toward it with an intelligent gleam in its large eyes.
“Amazing!” exclaimed Arthur. “There must be an entire colony here!” They watched it for a moment. “It's so calm,” Arthur mused.
“It's not gasping for breath like a fish,” said Merlin. “See, it's breathing the air just like us. Touch it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Just be gentle.”
“If you insist.” Arthur laid his open palm on the beast's flank. “It's warm! And on a chilly day like this.” He stroked the monster's side. “Incredible. I never imagined such a creature. And if I had seen a fish-lizard like this without you, I never would have realized that I was witnessing anything but an overgrown herring.”
“You can't always assume that what you think you know is right,” replied Merlin without much subtlety.
“That's true, friend.” He paused. “You know, if you'd like to travel North with me, you are certainly welcome.”
“Thank you. I believe I shall.”
“We need to return quickly, but first, come here and feel it breathing with me.” Merlin joined Arthur beside the beast he had conjured and in awed silence they warmed their hands against it before carefully pushing it back into the waves and riding off. The fish-lizard swam a few strokes and then melted back into the oblivion from which it had been created.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-19 12:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-19 01:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-19 03:29 pm (UTC)I love fannish osmosis a ridiculous amount. If it makes you feel any better, I am contemplating writing my first bit of Merlin fanfic because of your wife too (and I've only seen a few episodes here and there, years ago).