Fic: Along a Wandering Wind (Merlin (BBC), Gwaine/Merlin, NC-17)

[hope]

Title: Along a Wandering Wind
Author: hope / angstslashhope
Fandom: Merlin (BBC)
Wordcount: ~64,000
Rating: Mostly PG-13, eventual NC-17
Pairing: Merlin/Gwaine, peripheral Arthur/Gwen/Lancelot
Notes: This story could not have been completed without the support of my various alpha, beta and gamma readers: winterhill, vanessarama, true_statement, doro, msilverstar and the amazing neifile7, who helped me make the major changes that carved the story into a much better shape (and also came up with the summary. Seriously, thank you). Title is from Tennyson.

Summary: Just when Gwaine finds a reason to end his roaming, he must leave Camelot again, this time on royal orders. Whether and how he returns may depend on the secrets Merlin—and others—are keeping from him. (A romance of letters, intrigue and knightly apprenticeship, set post-S3.)

Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six

Note: due to length restrictions of LJ posts, all parts are posted on Dreamwidth. Please feel free to comment on the Livejournal masterpost if LJ is your preferred feedback space!

Or

Read the whole thing on the Archive of Our Own

ETA: Also check out the lovely fanart by waltzing_mice: Thinking of the Quill and Merlin's Letter.

Comments

[destina.livejournal.com]

You know, I was just getting ready to leave you a gushing comment about your writing elsewhere, and I realized I had not ever commented on this story, despite having raved about it for months now to other people, and having recced it ten or twelve times in various places. I am a little behind the curve. *g*

I think this story was one of the formative stories for me in Merlin fandom (as I was burning through fic like wildfire late last year), because it is so spectacularly good. I mean, I was not about Gwaine at all, and then I read this, and I fell in love with him completely. It's almost like you breathed life into Gwaine, made him a full and rounded character with dreams and desires and connections and skills and doubts, and I was so invested in him by the time this story was over that I could not imagine Merlin being with anyone else, because he was Gwaine's. Considering how hard-core OTP I was before that moment, it's kind of amazing. *g*

Everything about this story is stunning, really. It has such an epic feel, such beautifully drawn characterizations. Lancelot! Gareth! Gwaine's pining and longing for Merlin, and their eventual reunion, is so gorgeous. I don't know. I'm not really doing the story justice; my feedback isn't adequate to the amount of love I have for the story. It is one of my all-time favorites, in any fandom.

[hope]

Thank you so much for this lovely feedback, you've made my week :D I'm really glad you enjoyed it! And thank you for reccing! :D

[earlyparade.livejournal.com]

Ugh. There's just - so much I adore about this fic. There is really nothing I can put into words, but I just want you to know from the first chapter to the very last word, everything you've written here has made me smile, laugh, cry, and really appreciate one of the greatest fanfics I've ever read. Seriously. Maybe I'll form coherent words later, but right now I want to thank you for writing such a beautiful piece. (:

[hope]

Thank you so much for the lovely feedback! Really glad you enjoyed it :)