Tabula Rasa (Merlin, Arthur/Merlin)

Edwin slowly crept forward on the branch, sliding along on his belly until he was in position to reach another apple. A lock of his messy black hair fell forward into his face as he reached for the next apple along the branch. He cursed softly and stopped to tuck his hair back behind one large ear before reaching forward again. The next apple along the branch was just out of his reach, barely an inch or two away from his stretched fingers. If he stretched a bit more, maybe he could reach it without falling off. He tightened his legs around the branch and grabbed onto one of the smaller off-shooting branches before reaching for it again, the upper half of his body dangling precariously in open air.

“Edwin!”

Granny Alrys’s shrill shout made Edwin jump. He squawked in alarm as he lost his grip and ended up upside down, his gangly limbs clutched frantically at the branch to keep from falling. Apples fell from the tree like rain and bounced off the hard ground nearly a full story below.

The old woman toddled over to stand beneath the tree. “What on earth are you doing?”

Edwin looked down at the ground and then over at Granny. “I don’t rightly know.”

Her face wrinkled into a smile and she waved at him dismissively. “Boys,” she said with a chuckle. “Well, when you’re done there I need help with the washing up.”

“Right.” Carefully, Edwin unwound his legs from around the branch and lowered himself until he was hanging from his hands alone. Closing his eyes, he let himself drop. The impact was lighter than he’d expected. He landed softly on the ground below, slightly delayed from when he expected to. “Right, Granny, let me just…” His voice trailed off as he glanced over at the basket. It was fuller than he remembered it being and the apples that had been scattered along the ground seemed to have disappeared.

“Are you coming?” Granny waited a short distance down the trail, one hand on her hips.

Edwin glanced once again at the neatly piled apples before quickly fastening the cover over the basket and slinging the strap over his shoulder. “Coming.”

He ran down the path, only glancing back a few times at the strangely bare tree.