Hey, I am dyslexic. Therefore, if there are any mistakes then I am very sorry but it's not my fault. Hope you enjoy. Please review.


Merlin awoke to Gaius voice. He didn't really want to get up as Arthur would kill him for being late, and then give him a giant list of chores. Gaius banged on the door again. Merlin was too tiered, so he didn't get a word that the old man was saying. He tossed and turned trying to block out the noise. Gaius then (somehow) opened the door and poured water onto Merlin. Merlin was wide-awake now.

"What was that for?" Merlin cried quickly taking his top off and rapping his bed sheets around him, his teeth were chattering. It may have been summer, but the nights had recently been freezing.

"You need to get up, Arthur will throw you in the stocks if you don't get up now!" Gaius walked out of the room leaving the young warlock to get dressed. Merlin never liked Mondays. Because on a Monday Arthur always drags him on a hunting trip – no matter what the weather was like. Therefore, he was trapped on a four-hour hunting trip.

As he ran to Arthurs chambers, he thought of what punishment Arthur would give him this time for being late. Stocks, cells, mucking out the horses - twice, make him walk around with a silly hate on like he did last Tuesday. Or make the four-hour hunting trip six hours (the one thing Merlin was praying that would not happen).

He grabbed Arthur's breakfast and ran, as if a monster was chasing him. He slid round a corner trying not to drop Arthur's breakfast. He then reached the door and stopped. He always remembered Arthur complaining about him not knocking. Therefore, to try and make up for being, late he knocked.

"Come in" came a voice from the other side of the door. Merlin then took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked in.

"Alright who died?" a frown appeared quickly on his face.

"Nobody, why?" Arthur just laughed at him. Making that frown even bigger. Merlin was even more confused.

"You never knock you idiot" Arthur snatched his breakfast out of Merlin's hand.

"Yah well, I was late so I thought I might, badly try and make up for it by knocking," Merlin said, gave him a goofy smile. Arthur shook his head.

"Just..." He pursed. "Just get me dressed there has been a urgent meeting just for the high court people, and yes Merlin you are coming and staying" Merlin was about to open his mouth and speak, but Arthur got in there first. "And you are coming and staying no matter what my father says. Oh since my hunting trip is cancelled you can do some chores instead. That is after the meeting".

Damn Merlin thought. He knew his day was going to be a bad one there and then.


Merlin hurried alongside Arthur to the meeting. He could tell by Arthur's face that he did not know what this meeting was about and that he wanted to get it over and done with as soon as possible.

They entered the grand hall, only to find a small amount of people. It must of been for the really, really high court people. The only people there were Uther, Gaius, Morgana, Gwen, Arthur, Sir Leon, Sir Ronald, Sir Richard, Sir Thomas, Greta and himself. If there were only these people then it was not good. This day was going to really bad.

"Now that you're here Arthur, we can begin." Uther said, his face quickly turned serious. This wasn't going to be good news, but then again it's never good news with Uther.

"The news I am about to tell you is not good" Knew it thought Merlin, and I bet it's about magic.

"Magic has been hiding under are very noses" Don't tell me something's been stolen Merlin grind in his head he couldn't be that right.

"Magic has stolen one of our most valuable treasures" Ok so I was right big whoop Oh don't tell me it's been taken far, far away

"It has been taken far away where even we haven't been" Ok this is just getting creepy Merlin thought.

"The item that has been stolen is the Dusk stone" looks of horror filled people's faces. Only his, Arthurs, Gwen's and Morgana's look confused.

"For the ones that do not know what the Dusk stone is, it is a magical stone that gives the holder great power, but the power that it gives is evil and cannot be controlled." Gaius said with emotionless look on his face. Merlin knew this wasn't a good thing, he also knew that Uther would send Arthur and some knight to get it back, which meant he would have to go too. This really wasn't going to be a good day.

"Father where has it been taken? Even if it has been taken far away where even we haven't been I'm sure we could go and try and get it back, since it's that powerful." Merlin couldn't agree more, but knowing he'll have to do all the dirty work, he wished that it wasn't too dangerous.

"Arthur, it will take a lot of time where it has been taken we stand alone on getting it back" Arthur frowned, he didn't get what his Father mean by 'We stand alone.'

Merlin didn't understand either nor did Gaius. Arthur was about to open his mouth when Uther spoke.

"The place it has been taken is the seven seas" Everyone that was in the room was looking at each other. They all knew that the seven seas were far away.

Gaius and Merlin exchanged and different look from what everyone one's looks where. As soon as Merlin meat Gaius's gaze, he was shaking his head mouthing "No, No, no, no, no please Gaius no, no, no."

Gaius frowned. He mouthed back "Not even for Camelot?"

Merlin made a pathetic look on his face.

"You're just making this hard for me now."

Gaius signed and mouthed back "What's the problem? You've travailed with him before"

Gaius noticed that Merlin had started to sweat.

"Please Gaius, keep quiet please!"

Gaius took that as a yes and spoke up.

"Sire, I know what you mean by "we are alone on this" the navy will not help inlanders like us, but there is someone else that might be able to help." All eyes were on him now. What Gaius was saying is that there is hope. Sadly, this hope has a horrible, life threatening twist that could cost them their lives.

"He is my cousin" Gaius continued, "He sails the seven seas a lot, but..."

Everyone knew that this "but" wasn't going to be a good one.

"But he is a pirate and one of the most wanted pirates on the seven seas. We would be taking a big risk if we sailed with him."

"How big a risk?" Uther asked.

Merlin bit his lip. He knew that if they went to find his uncle and ask him to help, then a lot of his past would be revealed. Not his magic but what he is known for on the seas. This wasn't good, Gaius is just throwing him into the frying pain and if they go and find his uncle to get the Dusk stone back then he will be thrown into the fire – and there's no water to put it out.

"The risk would be are lives if we are seen travailing with a pirate." Uther signed then pursed to think. Everyone's eyes were on him, waiting for his decision.

Merlin was praying in his head that he said it was too much of a risk, but this Uther and a magic stone that made everyone that touched it completely evil. Therefore, he knew what was coming.

"Will he be willing to help us?" Help! Merlin almost said that aloud.

"No." Uther was taken aback by this. Everything Gaius just said gave him hope, his words were like a beacon of light and then he goes and throws it out the window. Typical Gaius.

"But..." Uther looked up. More hope and a big price tag. How anyone can want that, Merlin did not know.

"I know someone that could make him help us-"

"Gaius, please, for my acing head enough of the riddles and rhymes and out with it already." Arthur's voice boomed around the hall. Gaius signed; he was not hopping to get that, but the prince had a point... This, and he was starting to smell Merlin's sweat.

"He is my cousin, which makes him Merlin's uncle." Everyone frowned and then looked from Gaius to Merlin, for all of them this wasn't making any sense.

"Eeerrr, Gaius, I said enough of the riddles and rhymes not give us harder ones." Merlin failed to keep a laugh in. Everyone turned and faced him, wondering why he was laughing especially with this bad news and troublesome problem. Merlin kept his head down hopping that Gaius would save him, which he did.

"Sire, Merlin is the only one in the whole world that can make my cousin do anything." Everyone frowned and turned to Merlin.

This was Merlin a positive, clumsy, got no brain, half-wit, stupid idiot. Moreover, he's sailed the seven seas with a pirate and is still alive, also he can make a pirate do whatever he wants. Gaius is getting old he must have got it wrong.

"So Merlin," Uther said while he slowly walked over towards him, still keeping his eyes on Gaius. Then when he reached him he looked at him and stared deep into his soul.

"Will you help us and make your uncle help us?" Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! He thought. Why does everybody always have to make it hard on him? It was his choice. One: he could say no and no one including himself could never forgive him or two: say yes and throw himself into the fire and pray that he doesn't burn to death.

Ok Merlin he thought say no say no, you'll live and you might be happy just say no say no say no SAY NO!

"Yes I will sire" No, no, no, no why did I say that why, why, why.

"Good you ride out tomorrow morning. Arthur and I will chat about it over dinner tonight?" He looked at Arthur.

"Of course Father."

"Good everyone you are dismissed." Everyone bowed and walked out.

Merlin and Gaius was last to leave. Merlin looked at Gaius and Gaius looked at Merlin. Merlin swallowed hard then opened his mouth and breathed in hard. He was sweating badly and Gaius knew there and then that Merlin needed a very long "tell me the problem" chat. He also had a strange feeling that was telling him that he had made a big mistake.


Gaius and Merlin chatted for nearly five hours and a half. The problem was bigger than Gaius had thought.

"So you're telling me that you are wanted at sea" Merlin sheepishly nodded. Gaius signed. He never knew his cousin was that bad – although he had only meat his cousin twice and both times where before he was a captain of a ship and before he robbed and killed people for their money and all the other things that pirates do.

"So remind me what have you done exactly to be the second most wanted pirate in the seven seas?" Merlin hadn't stopped sweating since the meeting that morning.

"Well..." he gulped. "Nothing much just sail with a pirate, I've been seen robbing a ship with him, even though I did nothing but watch since I couldn't do anything about it, I've been seen with him trying to kill the King of Jhordah, I've burned god knows how many navy ships with him and well – oh I could go on forever with the list." Merlin threw his hands in the air and slammed them on the table.

He differently wasn't having a good day.

He was having a very, very, very, bad day.


Arthur wished that dinner would end. Everyone wished that dinner would end. Morgana was worried about what would happen, because she knows they are going away to a place that they had never been to and Merlin was the leader... Well sort of the leader Arthur was leading Merlin was just the guidelines on what to do and what not to do. Gwen was worrying too, she and Morgana wanted to come they wanted to see the sea, but Uther wouldn't let them. Speaking of Uther he just wanted to go to bed, the silence in the room was unbearable everyone had something on their mind.

"Will someone please say something this silence is worse than being in the stocks" Uther boomed. Everyone looked up.

"And how would you know that?" Morgana's voice was sharp and deadly.

"Believe it or not Morgana but I was young once and my Father wasn't the best of Fathers." Like Father like son, Arthur thought as he drank from his goblet.


The next day Merlin woke up before Gaius. He made breakfast for him and Gaius. When he finest he started to pack a bag for the trip, he really didn't know if he was coming back. However, he just packed what he thought he would need. He packed some clothes, some food a dagger that his mother gave him when he first came to Camelot (just in case he got into trouble on the way and needed to protect himself) although he had his magic so he never knew why his mother had bothered giving him it, but he took it just "in case". He also packed some medicine and bandages; he also packed a map of the seven seas that his uncle had given him "just in case" he would always say. He would always had him a bottle of rum and then go drive the ship drunk. However, that was his uncle, sometimes it would be fun the next it's hard and the rest is sad, angry, funny and existing. Being at sea with his uncle was the best, but it had its prices.

Then there was a knock at the door.

"Merlin get up Arthur will want his breakfast and hang on is that my breakfast?"

"Eeerrr yah I couldn't sleep so I made me and you breakfast, but I've already eaten mine, so I've packed my bag," Merlin shouted, then quickly picked up his bag and walking out. Then putting it down on the table and then walked towards the door to get Arthur's breakfast when...

"Merlin" he turned round to face the old man.

"You'll be leaving early so I'll meat you out you out front to say goodbye." He lifted the heavy bag up, walked over to the young warlock, and gave him his bag. He smiled back and then ran off to get Arthur his food.

Merlin was about to knock on the door to Arthur's chambers when he remembered what Arthur said yesterday.

"OK who died?"

He didn't want Arthur to think that anything was wrong so he opened the door without knocking. He walked straight in. Arthur had just woken up.

"OK, who are you and what have you done with Merlin?" Arthur's face and voice sounded serious, but Merlin just laughed.

"It's me you prat I'm just a bit nervous because I'm going to see my uncle again. It's been four years." Arthur's eyes widen, he hadn't realised that. He also forgot that Merlin was what his would call a "peasant"; Merlin couldn't go off around the globe wily-nily, how stupid could he get.

"Sorry I hadn't realised and... Are you going to stand there all day or give me my breakfast?" Merlin smiled, he could always trust Arthur to be a prat and act as if nothing had ever happened. It was perfect.

"So," he asked. "How long until we leave?"


Merlin helped Arthur climb onto his house. He couldn't believe he was doing this, but he was willing to do it.

Morgana and Gwen had said goodbye to Arthur and now it was his turn.

"Well I'll see you when I get back then." Morgana and Gwen looked at each other then back at him. They then flung themselves into his arms giving him two hugs at the same time.

"Try not to die," they both chorused together. Uther and Arthur looked at each other then back to the so-called "hug."

They then pulled away and both kissed him on the check.

"See you when you get back Merlin," Morgana said smiling. Both girls then walked away.

Gaius was just laughing behind him. Merlin didn't hear him he was in his own little world just standing there staring into space.

"Come on Merlin you are leading the way to the nearest ship holding place."

"Dock."

"What?"

"Where bouts are tied up is called a dock"

"Oh," Arthur didn't expect Merlin to be right, but with the door knocking and being early and having to sort of lead this trip, he wouldn't be surprised if Merlin turned into a eight headed monster.

"Well come on Merlin we've got a Dusk stone to find." Merlin signed. If only he knew if only. But if only Merlin knew that the young prince will know. And oh how Merlin will have more than just a bad day.

He was going to have a very bad trip