Hello dearest readers! This is my first attempt to delve into the fabulous world of Merlin! *applause from the Merlin fandom*

This is a Watches-the-show fic. There are way too few of these (and way too many for HP!) so I decided to do my own! Thanks to EmrysLover12 for letting me shamelessly steal her transcripts of the episodes. *KISSES!* You should all read her fic, it's Fantastic!

Ladies, gentlemen, gods, and variations thereupon; it's time to play SPOT THAT REFERECE! First one who can correctly find the reference and name the Fandom wins a box of virtual Chocolate Frogs! (Btw, that is NOT the reference.) You will also be granted a shoutout on the next chapter's Author's Notes. There are two references in this chapter. May the odds be ever in your favor! (that's also not the reference…)

*Hint* both from different fandoms, both from the BBC (ain't it the bestest?)

oOo

This, thought Merlin, is why I detest hunting.

Not the heat. Not the work. Not the killing of poor defenseless animals (read, unicorn). All of that was terrible, but he would hate Arthur's hunting trips anyway.

Because they always went wrong. Every sodding time.

Like now, for instance. Merlin's pulse beat in his head, a vicious tattoo on the inside of his skull. He groaned quietly and tried to decide whether opening his eyes would be worth the effort. He tried to bring his hands to his forehead and was met with the rather unsettling realization that his hands were bound above his head. With a sigh, he let his head droop back onto his chest.

"Merlin!" A voice hissed.

Go 'way, he thought.

"Merlin, are you awake?" There was that voice again. "No," he muttered. Why wouldn't it let him sleep?

"Merlin!" That sounded a lot like….

His head jerked up "Arthur!" Not his best idea. The cave—why were they in a cave?—spun sickeningly. Merlin blinked furiously, trying to see and get his bearings. "Wha?"

"Oh you're awake, are you?"

As the room slowly decided that it would stop pirouetting, Merlin could see an irate King hanging by his wrists just like his servant across the expanse of the cave. Beside Merlin hung Gwaine and Elyan, beside Arthur hung Leon and Percival. All the knights were still unconscious.

Merlin tried to for his trademark quips. "Good morning, sunshine."

Arthur put on his best I-am-the-KING-and-I-am-Not-Amused face. "Stop that, Merlin, this isn't the time for your stupidity. Can you remember how we got here?"

"I-" Merlin's brow furrowed. "I'm not sure. I remember hunting…making dinner…you yelling at me for something….and bright light. And my head, it hurt."

"Same for me." Arthur sighed and looked around the dank cavern. "Well, whoever tied us here knew what they were doing. There's no way we'll be able to undo these knots on our own." The king trailed off into his own musings.

Just then Gwaine began to shift and moan next to Merlin. Merlin nudged his leg with his left boot, and said, "Hey, Gwaine. Can you open your eyes?"

"Wha'd we have to drin', Merl'n?" Gwaine slurred out. Merlin rolled his eyes. Of course, this would seem like a hangover to his constantly inebriated friend.

"We weren't drinking, Gwaine. We've been kidnapped." Arthur said, "Do try to keep up."

Gwaine's head snapped up. "Kidnapped?" He looked at Elyan, Leon, and Percival who were slowly making their way back to the world of the living, "Wake up, we've been kidnapped!"

The other three nights blinked owlishly. "Kidnapped?" Leon asked. "Do you know who, Sire?" Of course Leon's first priority was the King's safety, even more so than the rest of the knights.

"Unfortunately, no. There's no way of pulling free from these bonds either, I've tried." Arthur's blue eyes were darting around the dank, wet cave, constantly searching for useful information.

Merlin bit his lip. He was faced with a conundrum: allow their kidnapper to do as he wished with Arthur, or cut their bonds with magic. He couldn't allow Arthur to be killed or tortured (never! growled a voice inside him that sounded suspiciously like a dragon) but if he used magic while in such easy view of the others, he was damning himself to the pyre. Maybe I could just loosen the ropes a little. Make Arthur think he'd done it…

But before Merlin could really consider this plan of action, a strange voice was heard. "Welcome, King Arthur." From the dark mouth of the cave, a woman entered. She was simple, pretty, but would be easily overlooked in a crowd. Brown hair framed brown eyes in a small face. She couldn't be more than twenty-five years old. She wore a simple dress of brown and green, and her hands seemed accustomed to hard work. In short, she could have been one of any of the maidens in Camelot.

Her most distinctive feature, however, were the swirling, elegant tattoos that decorated her forearms.

Druid tattoos.

Arthur sucked in a hard breath. "Sorcerer!" he spat, "Release us, and your death will be swift."

She looked sad. "I'm sorry. I can't do that just yet. I will eventually. It's just- I need something from some of you first."

"What would that be?" asked Leon.

"We do not deal with sorcerers!" Arthur snarled, "Your kind killed my father, my mother, so many of Camelot—you will get nothing from us. Not when you have already taken so much."

"What I need," she continued like she hadn't heard him, "is a bit of information."

Merlin began to feel sick. With everything that the people in this room knew about the inner workings of Camelot, these people, if she could get them to talk, would be the key to the destruction of Albion and all he had worked so hard to build. Not to mention she would know who Emrys is…

Percival spoke up in his low, quiet voice. "We would all die before talking. Torture will not work with us."

The druid girl looked faintly sick at the idea of torture. "That's not my plan at all! I don't want to hurt you. I'm going to use this," and at that she pulled an amulet out of her pocket. It was silver, with a blood red gemstone set deep into it, with druidic runes scrawled across the burnished metal. It was a beautiful piece, but Merlin could feel the magic imbedded into it. It thrummed with the power; obviously many people had poured their skill and magic into this. "This just captures the memories that I need. It stores them so they can be viewed and used by others. It's also useful for testimony, because you cannot lie to it. The memories that go into this are nothing but truth. They are exactly what your eyes and ears saw and heard. Nothing more, nothing less."

She stepped forward toward Gwaine, who began to struggle a bit, and Arthur cried "Leave them alone, witch!" but to no avail. Her small hand pressed the amulet to Gwaine's forehead, and his look of horror faded, replaced by a blank look with closed eyes. As the others watched with rapt attention and concern for their friend, his eye began to dance behind his eyelids, like he was watching something that only he could see. Small noises of protest slipped through his lips, and he tensed.

After a second or two, she pulled the amulet from Gwaine's face, and his eyes flew open, and he looked around the cave frantically. "Did she hurt you?" Arthur demanded, "Gwaine, are you hurt?"

He seemed shaken. "N-no. It didn't hurt…but I was watching things that happened to me, years ago, like they were right in front of me. It felt real…" he trailed off. Suddenly his eyes sharpened. "What did you want with those memories? They shouldn't mean anything to you. That was stupid stuff."

The druid smiled a knowing smile. "Oh, Gwaine, those memories are more important that you know."

She moved on to Elyan, then Percival, then to Leon, all who reacted with confusion to the memories she chose to take, but she only stayed with them for a second. "I don't need very many from any of you. Now, from you," she stood in front of Arthur, "I'm going to need a bit more. And this might be a bit…well not painful. Not physically, at least. But like they said, this makes you relive the memories I've chosen. And some of the ones I need are a bit…emotional." She seemed genuinely sad for causing him pain.

She pressed the stone to his forehead gently, just like the others, and he went rigid. He began to breathe in harsh pants, and a tear slipped down his face. Worst of all, he moaned "No…no…"

The knights looked unnerved. Arthur was the epitome of stoicism, and to see him come apart was a blow to their confidence. Leon looked murderous, for he had almost raised Arthur, and felt a strong paternal protectiveness for the man. Merlin wanted to weep for his king. He had seen Arthur at his lowest points, after his Morgause and his mother, after his father's death, after Gwen…Merlin could understand how much pain that would cause for his best friend.

The girl pulled the amulet away from Arthur, who hung his head in shame. "Why?" he asked, sounding defeated, "Why that? Were you just trying to hurt me? Do you actually need any of that?"

She caressed his cheek, but Arthur violently flinched away from her. "I apologize for causing you pain. It's for the greater good." And slowly, reluctantly she turned to Merlin.

Gwaine lost it. "You leave him alone! He's just a servant, he doesn't know anything!" Merlin began to shake. Oh how wrong Gwaine was.

"You would be surprised by how much servants know. They notice everything, see. If you want to know something in a castle, go find a servant. They have dangerous knowledge."

Arthur just stared at his white faced manservant with fresh eyes, wondering how observant this idiot could actually be.

She was right. He knew so much, so many terrible things. If there was ever a time to use his magic to escape, now would be it, but strangely, he found himself paralyzed with fear. Fear from the girl, and from the look that Arthur would give him if he knew, that look of loathing. Merlin didn't think he could bear it if Arthur ever looked at him like he looked at that girl.

"Please," His voice sounded thin and thready to his own ears. "You don't know what you're doing. I'm begging you, don't do this!"

All the other stared at Merlin, astounded by the fear in his voice, and the fervency of his pleading. What did Merlin know that he wanted to protect so badly?

Her voice sounded thick, like she was trying not to cry, and her brown eyes swam. "I know, Merlin, I know. I'm trying to help, truly I am! I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry." And Merlin started violently at sound of her voice in his mind. I know who you are. I know what you have done. I wish for the golden days of Albion. For freedom, Emrys! This is what I need to achieve our goal.

You don't understand, he cried, whoever you will give this to will use this for ill, not for good!

Then she truly startled him. I mean to give this to you.

Swiftly, before Merlin had time to react, she pressed the stone right between his eyes.

Merlin screamed.

Everything from his first days in Camelot rushed through his mind. All his failures, all his mistakes, all his success, all his happiness, everything that made him who he was today, all lay out before him. In this state, he could not justify his decisions, or rationalize away all his mistakes. Mother, Gaius, Arthur, Freya, Morgana, Arthur, Gwen, Tom, Gwaine, Arthur, Elyan, Percival, Leon, Arthur, Will, Kilgharrah, Arthur, Father, Arthur, Lancelot, Arthur, Uther, Arthur, Arthur, ARTHUR!

oOo

This was one of the worst days in Arthur's life. Having a breakdown in front of his most trusted Knights, his Round Table, that was one thing. But watching his servant—no his friend, get tortured… This was inexcusable. As much as this sorcerer claimed that this was not a torture device, it was hard to believe her when Merlin—innocent, stupid, loyal, Merlin—was tied to the wall of cave with his back arched, head thrown to the sky, with a terrible scream of anguish ripping through his lips.

"NO!" Arthur cried, "Stop it! Stop!"

She took no heed of Arthur's protests. She merely held the amulet in place, weeping, and said to Merlin, "Stop resisting, Merlin! It will be over soon."

One minute passed.

Two minutes passed.

Merlin kept screaming. Every few seconds, the cries would quiet, but then as soon as he began to relax, he would seize again with fresh howls of torment.

These minutes felt like eons to all the men in the cave. All of them had a soft spot for the ridiculous servant. He was a good friend to all of them, especially Arthur and Gwaine. Gwaine was at this point thrashing against his bonds, the ropes cutting into the skin on his wrists, but he paid no heed to that. He was fighting to get to Merlin, the first real friend he ever had, the best friend he ever will have, who was suffering.

Then it was over.

The druid monster (as Arthur now referred to her) removed the thrice-blasted object from Merlin's face, and Merlin collapsed against his bonds. There was no pride left in the normally vibrant young man. He just hung, head down, with violent sobs tearing from his thin chest. Arthur was horrified. What was Merlin just forced to relive that scarred him that badly?

She was weeping with him, her hands pressed against his cheeks, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Merlin, it's over, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Arthur snapped, "Get your hands off him, sorcerer! You have what you wanted. Now go, let us free. Or did you lie about that too?" he sneered.

Her steady gaze met his. "I do not lie. You are all free to leave, once I go. I value my life, unlike other sorcerers who have gone against Camelot."

"Then leave, let us go, and take that thing back to whoever paid you for your services."

"No one paid me. I work for no one but myself." At the confused glances from the Knights, she sighed and explained further. "This belongs not to me, though."

She stepped back towards Merlin, but paused at the cries of "No!" that echoed through the cavern. "I will not use it on him again. Rest assured; I have all the memories that I need. I mean to give this to its rightful owner. And she took the amulet, strung it on a long silver chain and hung it around Merlin's neck. The sobbing man didn't seem to notice.

She said, "If Merlin so chooses, you may see what I've placed in the amulet. Only Merlin can use it, however. It will only respond to his touch. He will know what to do."

She looked at all the faces in the room. "Think about what you've seen here today. There is more to this servant than meets the eye. If he allows it, you would be honored with seeing his memories."

And she vanished in a swirl of light and smoke.

As soon as she did, the ropes binding the men loosened and fell free, and everyone stood, grimacing at the return of blood to their fingers, except Merlin, who crumpled to the ground, shoulders heaving with silent sobs.

Everyone rushed to help him, but Gwaine was first. He gently touched Merlin's shoulders, trying to ease him into a sitting position. "Merlin, mate, look at me. Come on, that's it," he said as Merlin looked up and around at all the concerned faces.

Arthur's voice was rough. "Merlin, are you…alright?"

Merlin raised trembling hands to his face and wiped away the tears that remained, "Um, yeah, just…I'm fine." He shook his head and make as if to stand, with Gwaine eagerly helping him up. "L-let's get out of here, yeah? Go home?"

Arthur smiled. "That, Merlin, is the best idea you've had all day."

oOo

Poor Merlin! I'm sorry!

If you feel I went too OOC with Merlin, just think about all the bad things that's ever happened to him. Think about reliving that all at once. I kinda stole from the dementors with this…my bad J.K.R!

And as for the reason I took a few memories from the Knights, Merlin didn't see everything. He wasn't always in the frame. I thought this would be the best way of making it fit. YES I KNOW I DON'T HAVE MORGANA'S MEMORIES DON'T JUDGE ME JUST GO WITH IT!

You Know You Wanna Be Kate!