pull down the mountain

Merlin's been quiet since their return from Camlann, on a patrol in the woods he finally comes back to Arthur. Merlin’s quiet and somehow everyone knows something changed after Camlann, even Gwaine doesn’t try to speak to him and Arthur watches that deep silence follow and muddy around his — around Merlin. He wonders if Merlin’s just being quiet because he’s scared Arthur will change his mind and exile him (burn him at the stake, whatever the appropriate punishment Merlin thinks he deserves), wonders how he’s ever going to trust Merlin enough to bring him back out of that tight shell.“Are you going to talk to him?” Gwen had asked before he’d left — she’d asked it many a time in the months since he returned from Camlann — with that steadfast look in her eye. But he hadn’t known what to say (hadn’t known what his answer was) and still doesn’t. The men ask him it every waking second, not in so many words, but with glances between them in the rainswept woods, and in quiet moments around the fire when Merlin would usually be entertaining them with mindless chatter.