A/N: Hi, this is my first story so my writing style might not be the best. I have been working on this story a lot and I hope you like it.

Information about story: Lancelot is alive, don't ask me how. Uther is dead, Arthur is king, Gwen is queen. I have no idea where in the series this story would fit so I suggest not trying to place it.

Disclaimer: I go on a trip and take with me; Merlin. Oh wait, I don't own him!

"...at one point he even climbed up a tree." Everyone has been listening to Gwaine's mindless chatter for hours. Though, this particular story seems to have peeked Arthur's interest.

"Wait, Merlin climbed up a tree all by himself?"

Gwaine nods.

"People do crazy things when they're scared, sire." Leon adds.

"I wasn't scared." Merlin says defensively, "I was-"

"Acting like a real princess." Gwaine causes everyone to laugh. Merlin wants to protest but is again cut off.

"What happened next?" Arthur asks eagerly.

"The boar turned around and decided to take his anger out on me instead. He looked me straight in the eye and I could see the fury inside of him. He charged at me with his big pointy tusks and with one swing of my sword he dropped to the ground."

"And that, my friends, is how the damsel in distress was heroically rescued by the handsome knight in shining armor." Lancelot grins.

"Sadly enough I wasn't wearing my armor. However, I've heard from many women that I indeed am very handsome."

Merlin snorts.

"What's so funny Merlin? Are you jealous?" Arthur teases him.

"Absolutely not! I too have been complemented on my looks by a woman."

Arthur laughs. "A woman... complementing you...on your looks? You must be joking!"

"Actually sire, he is not." Lancelot smiles.

"Really now, I've got to hear this."

"Well, not long ago he and I visited a tavern. After numerous women passing by our table there was one woman who fancied Merlin more than me."

"Was she pretty?" Gwaine immediately asks.

"It looked like she was growing a mustache." Merlin dead-panned. Everyone bursts out laughing. Even though Merlin is being teased he finds is amusing. He hasn't had this much fun in a while.

"Tell me Merlin, what did she say?" Arthur asks after they calm down a bit.

"She said my face looks cute..." Everyone bursts out laughing again. "...and then she pinched my cheek." Gwaine and Arthur convulse with laughter. Tears roll down their faces and they have trouble breathing.

"Merlin you really do look adorable." Gwaine reaches out his hand, "Let me pinch those adorable cheeks of yours."

"Those were the best stories I've heard in a long time." Arthur says after finally catching his breath.

They seem to have taken a break from storytelling. It has now been silent for a good ten minutes, apart from the occasional chuckle here and there. Merlin looks up at the blue sky and closes his eyes. He embraces the silence and lets the sounds of nature fill his mind.

'Emrys!' Merlin recognizes the voice inside his head. He panics and accidentally kicks the horse, causing it to suddenly jump forward. Merlin loses his balance and falls off. Still panicking, he quickly gets back to his feet. He frantically turns around and around looking between the trees trying to find the druid who spoke to him. He has to be close by to use telepathy. He turns around a couple more times and finally gives up when he doesn't see anything. I must have imagined it. Since the day they were ambushed a few months ago Merlin has been feeling tense and afraid whenever they go on a patrol. He takes a deep breath and calms down. He remembers he is not alone and realizes how odd his behavior must have seemed when he looks up at the others who stare at him confused.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asks with his usual scowl whenever Merlin does something weird or clumsy.

"Did you see something?" Leon adds while looking around.

"No, it was nothing."

"Are you hurt?" Lancelot gets off his horse and reaches out for Merlin's arm. Merlin didn't notice until now that he has been holding his left arm since he fell off his horse. Holding his arm has become a habit since he got that nasty scar. Merlin lowers it so that his sleeve covers the scar. No one knows about it and he likes to keep it that way.

"I'm fine." He dusts the dirt off his clothes.

Arthur sighs, "You can be such an idiot Merlin."

"I'm sorry, sire."

"Just get back on your horse." Merlin climbs back on his horse and Gwaine continues his endless story. Merlin is not listening, instead he is staring at the mane of his horse moving with every step. Did I really imagine it? It felt so real. This has been the usual thought running through his head every time he wakes up from a nightmare. This is the first time in a while that it happened again during the day. Merlin shivers as the memories he thought to have blocked out slowly seep back in. He can't do anything about the memories haunting his dreams at night but that doesn't bother him as much as being haunted by them during the day. People would notice and ask questions, he doesn't want to reminisce the whole thing again. The memories seep into his mind one by one. It's as if the voice was a trigger. He shakes his head as a means to rid his mind of the memories.

'Emrys I need to speak with you!' Merlin freezes, he wasn't imagining it after all. The voice is real.

'I remember you. You're Morgana's right hand man.'

'I was, yes, but-'

'Why are you here?'

'I have something that I have to tell you in person.'

'Why should I trust you after what you did to me?'

'I didn't do anything to you, it was Morga-'

'You stood by watching, leaving me to die!'

Merlin is clenching his hands around the reins. He is so worked up and focused on the conversation inside his head that he doesn't realize what is happening around him. His horse has stopped to eat fresh grass on the side of the road. The knights are so busy trying to follow Gwaine's story that they fail to notice Merlin's absence.

'After I found out who you were I was planning to help you escape.'

'But you didn't! I escaped by myself!'

'I… Morgana is hunting me.'

'Why should I care?'

'Because I have important information to tell you before she finds me.'

Merlin hears someone calling his name faintly in the distance.

'I can't trust you.'

'Emrys-'

'Leave me alone!'

'Emrys please, I-' Merlin blocks him out with magic.

"Merlin!" He jumps back to reality and focuses on his surroundings. The knights are positioned in a semi-circle around him, all with grins on their faces.

"Merlin, what are you doing this time?" Arthur asks.

"I uh…I must have dozed off."

"I guess we should take a break before we have to carry you back ourselves."

Everyone gets off their horse, tie them to trees and sit down together except for Merlin who, after giving the horses water, immediately walks to a tree further away and sits down against it. He has been acting a bit strange since he fell off his horse, Lancelot thinks. Why did he even fall off in the first place? He claims to be tired but I think something else is going on. I wonder if it has something to do with magic.

"What's wrong with him?" Leon asks.

"Don't worry, I've got this." Gwaine gets up but Lancelot stops him. If it does have something to do with magic then Lancelot might be the only one Merlin would be willing to talk to right now.

"Please, allow me."

Gwaine nods and sits back down. Lancelot walks to Merlin and crouches beside him. Merlin doesn't react. Lancelot notices Merlin's face being very pale and he is holding his left arm close to his body.

"Merlin what's wrong?" he doesn't answer, he doesn't even look at Lancelot, he has his gaze fixed on the ground in front of him. Lancelot puts a hand on Merlin's shoulder, startling him. Merlin looks at the hand on his shoulder, follows it up to Lancelot's face, looks around and finally stares at the ground again. He must've been in deep thoughts before I startled him. I wonder what he's thinking about. It must be the reason why he's so anxious. Lancelot kneels in front of Merlin and places his hands on his shoulders, Merlin is trembling.

"Merlin, look at me." Merlin looks up and Lancelot sees fear in his eyes. "What's going on? You're pale and trembling and you're jumpy. I can tell something is bothering you." Merlin looks away.

"Is something frightening you?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You know you can tell me anything. Let me help you."

"Please just… leave me alone." Merlin buries his head in his lap. Lancelot doesn't want to push him any further because clearly something serious is upsetting him. I'll let him cool off, maybe he'll be willing to talk about it later. Lancelot gets up and moves back to the others who look at him expecting a reason for Merlin's behavior.

"So prince charming, what did our damsel in distress have to say?" Gwaine asks with a big grin on his face.

"He didn't want to tell me."

"He's probably embarrassed because he fell off his horse." Arthur says, they all laugh.

Lancelot is worried and knows he's not the only one. Gwaine must have picked up on Merlin's odd behavior as well since he has glanced over at Merlin regularly over the past half hour and hasn't said a word since. In fact, no one has said anything at all, excluding Arthur who is taking a nap. It's as if Gwaine and Merlin are the only ones who can keep a conversation going. Now one of them is worried about the other and the other is sitting by himself anxious about something. Lancelot sighs, he wishes he could do something. Arthur wakes up and breaks the silence.

"Let's head back, it's getting late."

Merlin had fallen asleep short after Lancelot came by. He had been so tense that his body needed a break. He wakes up from Arthur's nudge.

"Wake up sleepyhead! It's time to go back."

Merlin is about to mount his horse when he hears the Druid's voice again. 'Emrys if you change your mind I'll be waiting at the ruins of Neshir.' Merlin looks up, his eyes widen and he stares out in front of him; entering another trance.

"Merlin!" He quickly snaps out of it and looks at Arthur. "Are you coming or would you like to sleep in the woods tonight." Merlin mounts his horse and for the entire trip home he doesn't say a word.

Later that night Merlin lies in his bed woken up by another nightmare; he was chased by bandits. He was running a fast as he could but it felt like he wasn't moving an inch. The bandits were quickly catching up. He saw Arthur and the knights about 20 feet ahead with their backs turned to him. He was screaming his head off calling for them. The knights slowly turned around and their faces were all replaced by the Druid's face. Merlin froze in horror. Arthur still had his back turned towards him. He couldn't move to Arthur or call him. He couldn't do anything. He felt helpless. Suddenly a high pitched laughter was echoing around. He turned around to find the source and saw Morgana standing behind the bandits. She grinned evilly as the bandits approached Merlin with their swords held high. Just before they hit, Merlin woke up panting and sweating.

He is sitting up with his hands leaning behind him on the bed and his head hanging back with his eyes closed telling himself it was just a dream. He calms down and takes a sip of water from the glass on his nightstand. He lies back down and his thoughts automatically turn to the conversation he had with the Druid.

Why did he contact me? He said he has important information but he could tell someone else. Why me? He knows I won't trust him and that I would never want to see him again. He did say that Morgana is after him, he probably hasn't told her that I am Emrys. I wonder why and I wonder what he so desperately needs to tell me. The ruins of Neshir are a few hours away on horseback. I would have to go on foot if I was to sneak out without anyone noticing. If I leave early it would only take me a day to get there, listen to what he has to tell me and be back before sunset if all goes well. If I get trouble along the way I have my magic to help me out. However… I would make everyone worry about me, unless Gaius makes up an excuse for me as he usually does. What do I do when I meet the Druid though? I will probably relive everything, but I'll be able to question him and find some answers.

After some time thinking about it his curiosity takes the better of him. He jumps out of bed and sneaks out of Camelot in the early morning. He sees the sun coming up between the trees as he walks through the mud. It rained during the night but luckily the sky is clear now. Merlin's thoughts trail off as the birds wake up and start singing. He has been going for a while now. His body is walking on autopilot while his mind is busy processing his rapidly changing thoughts. He doesn't notice multiple twigs snap behind him. He gets knocked on the head and falls to the ground, unconscious.

A/N: Let me know what you think!