Lines 1-4

At the start of "Merlin Enthralled," the knights of the Round Table are already aware of Merlin's disappearance. The first few words, "after a while," indicate that they have waited for some word of him or for someone to lead them into action. The fact that they have no clue about where to begin looking is made clear in the first line, which specifies that they are "aimlessly riding." The reference to their "drained cups" shows that the knights have held off their search until their drinks were finished. In line four, the lack of any "unnatural sound" presents readers with a paradox. If "unnatural" is taken to be a bad or threatening thing, the sort of mischief an evil sorcerer might perpetrate, then its lack is a good thing, but if Merlin himself is considered something different than nature, then the lack of unnatural sound...