|Chapter 1| "Returning home"
Merlin and Arthur were walking to the great hall when Merlin saw his mother at the bottom of the stairs, as they walked down the stairs his eyes widened and a smile spread across his face he ran down the stairs and hugged his mother and asked "what are you doing here" with a smile on his face as he looked at his mother he realized something was wrong he asked "what was going on" and his mother looked down to the floor and looked back up at him "Merlin" she said in a really worried tone "there was a girl that came to us on horseback past out she was so skinny it was amazing that she was still alive" Merlin was shocked and asked where is she and his mother replied "back home Merlin I couldn't risk taking her here she would probably die" Merlin, looked to Arthur, "go get the horses ready we leave as soon as possible" Arthur said, Merlin nodded and went right to the stables and got 3 horses ready.
Arthur went to tell his knights where he was going and said that he didn't know when he would return sir Leon said that the king should remain in the kingdom just in case something were to happen but Arthur stopped him in his tracks and said "Merlin needs me there and Leon said teasing Arthur are you sure it's not you who needs Merlin Arthur shot up NO Arthur said in a Stern voice, all the knights smiled and laughed at him Arthur rolled his eyes but it was true he thought to himself he didn't want to be away from Merlin and he wanted to go to protect him, Arthur said "there is no changing my mind I am going" and the knights looked at him and Leon said "but my lord" and Arthur cut him off and said "but nothing I'm going with Merlin" Arthur snapped, yes my lord and Arthur left storming out of the room and going to get supplies he met Merlin outside with the horses and they got on merlin helping his mother on the horse and then Merlin got on his horse and they rode off galloping to the gates cantering through the woods after a long day of riding they decided to stop and set camp. Arthur got of his horse and looked around and Merlin got off and fell over and Arthur laughed at him and said "you idiot" and Merlin got up and rolled his eyes and said in a angry voice "I have been on a horse all day I'm tired" and Arthur said in a calm but teasing tone "so have I and you don't see me tripping over my own feet" merlin was always clumsy and fell over his own feet a lot. merlin rolled his eyes and Sighed and went to help his mother with her stuff and set camp Arthur looked at Merlin when Merlin wasn't looking and let out a sigh of relief and relaxed and stared at Merlin and smiled and then realized what was happening he snapped out of it and said to himself that "he must stop merlin is just his friend and nothing more" he thought to himself and went and sat on ground he was tired but didn't show it. He then asked Merlin to feed the horses and brush them down and to get wood for the fire after merlin did all that they all sat at the fire Merlin next to his mother and Arthur across from them, hunith got up and said good night to Merlin and Arthur Merlin said "good night mother" and Arthur smiled at her as she went to go sleep merlin looked at Arthur and asked "why did you come with me" Arthur shocked by what Merlin said was trying to think of a response fast he blushed and said ... uhh... I thought and paused and Merlin laughed at him Arthur rolled his eyes and said I came because you re my friend Merlin was a little taken back by how Arthur was so forward and he seemed to have meant it Merlin looked at Arthur with a little confusion and joy and said really with a little disbelief in his tone and there blue eyes met from across the fire Arthur wanted to go over there and kiss Merlin but he didn't act on his impulse and looked at ground and then he said "it late we should go to bed" merlin still looking at the golden hair King smiled and looked at the ground and they went to bed without saying another word to each other. It was the next morning Merlin was the first one up it was cold and a shiver came over him he looked around the camp and the Forest with a few big pinne trees, Oak and birch trees surrounded them he sat up slowly to see Arthur sleeping soundly he took a deep breath it felt like his heart was going to pound out of his chest as he looked at the golden hair king sleeping he was so beautiful he thought and he wanted to run over to him and curl into his chest but he stopped himself from lunging forward and sighed and looked at the ground and rubbed his face he knew that nothing could ever happen between them and he tried to push it out of his mind, he went to wake his mother by gently shaking her shoulder and saying good morning,' she woke and she looked up at her son and put her hand on his face and smiled and said good morning. Merlin went to wake Arthur, Merlin s heart pounded in his chest as walked up to the sleeping king he put his hand on his shoulder and shook him awake, Arthur was not happy about be woken up he hated being woken up early he sighed, but he looked up at Merlin and without even thinking about it he smiled at Merlin, merlin was surprised by this and looked away to bit his lip he then said "why are you so happy" and stood up, Arthur s eyes went wide and he sat up immediately and was silent, Merlin walked away smiling and went to make breakfast. After breakfast they tacked up the horse and packed up their stuff and left. After about A hour of riding merlin went up to Arthur, trotting, his horse s feet on the hard dirt sent clumps of dirty flying from the horse s feet into the air, he rode up beside Arthur and slowed down, Arthur was silent, Arthur looked over at Merlin and thought to himself "god I wish we were alone" and bit his lip, Merlin didn't notice. They finally arrived at the small village where Merlin grew up it had a big Field filled with all kinds of crops and a small pen beside it that held some pigs and a cow. the houses were small but well built and there was children running around playing and farmers working, the village was small there was about 20 houses a small tavern and a dirt path that leads into the forest, they got off their horses, Merlin padded his horse s neck and went to help his mother, no you must get to the girl where is she Merlin asked, "in my house you must go now" Merlin nodded and left immediately, he got to house and he noticed that Arthur wasn't with him he looked around to see him back with the horses helping Merlin s mom with their stuff, he smiled and went inside he saw the girl laying on a bed that was brought into the main room the house was small the floor was dirt to his left there was a small room it had a wooden door that looked very old and worn down, there was a table on the far side of the room next to the back door, the walls where a yellow color and smooth, built into the wall was a fire place it was a gray with smooth Stone, Merlin walked briskly to the girl she was sleeping his mother was right she was so skinny, all the sudden Arthur walked in, he scared Merlin half to death, "god you scared me" Arthur was confused and said "you scare at everything merlin" Arthur said shaking his head and walking to Merlin and the girl, he stopped and stared he was shocked at how this girl looked, Arthur said "she must have been locked up for some time to get that skinny" she was so skinny that her ribs stuck out and you could actually Count them, she had almost no muscle and her legs were so skinny that you could fit almost your whole hand around her Thigh, Merlin said in a very serious voice "get some food now!" Arthur was a little shocked by how Merlin had said it but he didn't say anything and he left to get food, Merlin was looking her over when he saw what looked like slash marks on her back he gently rolled her on her side to get a better look, before he could do so the girl woke up and jumped up, this startled Merlin and he said "hey it's ok I'm here to help you" the girl looked confused, she relaxed a little and her breathing slowed and her shoulders relaxed, "I m Merlin" he said in a soft tone, the girl didn't respond she just looked away, the girl had bright red hair with green eyes and freckles she was rather pale and there was no color to her lips or cheeks, and before Merlin could react she fell to the floor, he ran over to her, he checked her pulse it was extremely weak, he picked her up and put her back into the bed, " where the fuck is Arthur" right after he finished that thought Arthur came into the house, Merlin looked at Arthur with a little annoyance on his face and said "what took you so damn long" Arthur was a little taken back by this but he understood why Merlin said that, "sorry Merlin I didn't know where to get food" Arthur said with a apologetic tone, "sorry I should have told you where to go" Arthur didn't say anything, Merlin took the bread that Arthur brought back and Arthur also got some water as well, Merlin took the water from Arthur's hands and their hands touched a shiver went up Arthur's spine he loved when Merlin touched his hands when taking something from him, Merlin loved it too. Arthur wanted so bad to just kiss Merlin but he knew he couldn't he didn't want to scare Merlin or anything like that, Arthur let out a big breath "so what can we do for her?" Arthur asked, Merlin looked over to Arthur "unfortunately there's not much we can do" Merlin replied, he asked Arthur to get him a bowl, Arthur grabbed a bowl from the table and handed it to Merlin, Merlin took the bread and some water and put the water in the bowl he then ripped off a piece of bread and let is soften in the water, "what are you doing?" Arthur asked, which Merlin replied "I m making the bread easier to eat for her" he said In a low tone, Arthur nodded, after a few minutes Arthur said "I'm going to feed the horses" Merlin looked at him and said "don't hurt yourself" in a joking manner, Arthur slapped him in the back of the head and said "the only person getting hurt here is you" merlin rubbed the back of his head and sighed, Arthur left. Merlin started to try to feed the girl luckily she got some food in her, he didn't want to give her to much because her body would probably reject the food, he stopped and walked across the house to the table he put the bowl on the table, his mother walked in and asked "how is she" Merlin walked to his mother and gave her a hug and said "not good she may not live" hunith was very sad to hear this she said "is there nothing you can do" she was referring to Merlin s Magic, "no not even my magic could help her at this point"