Chapter 1- Within the Forests of Camelot
A strong gust of warm air pushed against Merlin and Arthur's backs as they walked on. Arthur needed to kill something. It was close to midday on their hunting trip and after the feud Arthur had just had with his father, the Prince needed another source of anger management. It couldn't be Merlin. Not everyday. But yet as they walked farther north, no game was to be found, not even a hare.
Rolling out the knot in his shoulders Merlin continued after Arthur like a lost pup. He was after all, the Princes' faithful manservant. However, the young sorcerer grew tired of listening to Arthur rant continually about his father. He normally could handle the ranting and reply with a hidden wit, but today for some reason, he felt off. There was a tension in the air. Not one the Arthur could feel, but one that only Merlin could feel and Merlin alone. Something was going to happen, he just had to figure out what it was.
It wasn't until they crossed a wide brook that they found her.
At first she looked like a traveler resting from her journey. But as they got closer she didn't wake or even stir. Could this be the thing was setting Merlin off?
Arthur continued on his way, sword angrily slashing about. He expected Merlin to follow, but he didn't.
Gingerly, Merlin couched down besides the sleeping girl. Upon closer inspection he realized that her arms were covered in aggressive looking scars and her skin was as pale as parchment. Merlin also couldn't help but notice that her lips were a dark shade of blue. He though that she was dead. Well at least dead until her eyes fluttered opened and then closed.
Quickly wrapping his jacket around her to try to warm her, he yelled after Arthur who had already gone a ways ahead.
"She's alive!"
Arthur backtracked to where he had left his manservant and saw that he was feverishly trying to warm the girl. It had been under his guess that she was dead. The Prince knew that nothing good would come of this.
Too many times had he been attacked in these woods. Too many times had he been sent out by request of his father in search of a mysterious beast. He couldn't even begin to count the times that he had almost died, but always a force saved him.
However, this time seemed different.
Arthur looked down into the eyes of his servant and saw something that he had never seen before; it was a pled for help. The Prince then in turn tore off his jacket and wrapped it around the girl who looked to be wearing nothing more then a torn piece of cloth.
"She needs Gaius. Now."