A/N: This is my first story, so don't be too hard on me ;) Though criticism is appreciated.

We begin with S2 E13 as it initially played out, but the POV has been switched a little... I know we're on series 5 now but I reckon this could've happened. :)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 1

The snap of a twig echoed through the forest. Arthur's head whipped around.

"Overbearing," Merlin, who had been too busy listing Arthur's faults to hear the noise, continued speaking, "Very overbearing."

"Merlin!" Arthur hissed, now standing in a crouched position and swivelling the sword around as he tried to pinpoint the source of the noise.

"But you wanted me to talk," Merlin retorted. The sound of another twig cracking bounced off the trees and as Arthur moved towards the noise Merlin cautiously stood up to follow him, grabbing his own sword and walking quietly in Arthur's wake.

Another snap. The two young men turned hurriedly, Merlin pointing his sword in front of him.

"Careful boy."

Balinor stood before them, wearing a gentle grin beneath his dark brown beard.

"I thought you might need some help."

Arthur felt a wave of relief surge through him. The dragonlord had changed his mind – Camelot was saved! His city, his people, and his father were all saved. Gwen was saved…

"This is dangerous country," Balinor finished softly.

Arthur had to be sure he hadn't mistaken the man's words. He walked forward and asked, "And will you return to Camelot with us?"

When the man answered, however, it was not Arthur he spoke to.

"You were right, Merlin. There are some in Camelot who risked their lives for me. I owe a debt that must be repaid."

Arthur looked at Merlin in confusion. "Oh," he thought, remembering the way Merlin had hung back when they were leaving the caves, "Merlin must have been making another attempt at persuading the dragonlord to return with us…" He turned back to Balinor, but his mind was still thinking through what had been said. How had Merlin known what to say to this man? 'You were right, Merlin' – how had Merlin known that there were people 'in Camelot who risked their lives for' Balinor?

Arthur shook away his thoughts. He had to be absolutely certain that the dragonlord would come with them to Camelot.

"If you succeed in killing the dragon," Arthur assured Balinor, "you will not go unrewarded."

Balinor, much to the prince's surprise, chuckled slightly, before softly saying that he didn't seek a reward.

Arthur swallowed his amazement (why would someone who lived in a cave not want a reward?).

"Great!" he said, smiling and sticking his sword into the ground, all fear of bandits gone from his mind. He now remembered how hungry he was, as the smell of rabbit wafted towards him from the cooking pot that had Merlin had previously been tending to. "Let's eat."

Merlin held a damp twig loosely in one hand. He was alone with Balinor; Arthur was exploring the forest to make sure that none of Cenred's men were nearby. There would probably be no better moment for this discussion than now; Merlin knew that when they started their journey homewards, Arthur would stay as close to Camelot's saviour – the last dragonlord, and their last hope – as possible.

"When you healed Arthur," he said, bending to search for a dryer piece of wood, "I heard you mumble some words."

"An ancient prayer," Balinor explained, turning away from Merlin's gaze.

"I thought it might've been more than that," said Merlin.

"The Old Religion can teach us many things."

"The Old Religion, is that something you were taught?"

"It's not something you can learn. Either it's a part of you or it isn't." Balinor let out the smallest of sighs before continuing, "My father knew that, and his father before him."

"Were they also dragonlords?"

Balinor stopped picking up firewood and stared at Merlin with a mixture of suspicion and interest.

In a firm voice he abruptly changed the topic.

"We'll need some kindling."

Merlin gathered his courage. He stood up, preparing to reveal all to the dragonlord who was, as Gaius had only told him a few days ago, his father.

"Have you no conscience?"

"You should ask that question," The dragonlord spat, "Of your father."

As Arthur trod through the leaf litter, he couldn't quell the memory of what Balinor had said at the caves from surging to the forefront of his mind.

"You should ask that question of your father."

What on earth had the man meant? What had King Uther done to him? Arthur knew that his father was not a perfect man. He had watched, over and over, many men, women, and even, sometimes, children, being slain for breaking laws that Uther had lain down. He knew that his father was blind when it came to magic, burning sorcerers and druids at the stake without giving them any trial, even if they had only been using their powers for the smallest of things. Did Uther do the same when it came to dragonlords?

Gaius spoke up. "We need a dragonlord, sire."

Uther replied sharply, "You know very well that's not an option."

"Why, father?" Arthur wondered. "Why wasn't it an option? Why is this man, Balinor, the last dragonlord?"

A flurry of movement to his right jerked the prince from his thoughts. Spinning around, his eyes caught sight of a wren alighting on a sapling branch, causing the young tree to shudder with the weight.

Just a bird.

Arthur turned back and continued his sweep of the forest, paying more attention to his surroundings this time as he thought.

A faint murmur came from ahead.

"You took refuge with a woman."

"That was a long time ago."

Arthur heard voices through the trees. He slowed down, bent into a crouch and scuttled silently forward with all the skill of the hunter he had been raised to be.

"I grew up there."

"Ealdor?"

"Yes."

Arthur let out a sigh of relief as he recognised the voices to be those of Merlin and the dragonlord. He straightened up and immediately began planning the most amusing way to tell Merlin off for chatting instead of collecting firewood.

"I know the woman."

"Hunith? …She's still alive?"

"Yes. …She's my mother."

Arthur, who had opened his mouth to call Merlin, hesitated. Whatever they were talking about, it sounded… well, personal. It was none of his business, and Arthur was not an eavesdropper, especially when it came to the private discussions of a friend. Perhaps he should just carry on searching for evidence of bandits…

"Then she married. That's good."

By the sadness in Balinor's words, Arthur knew he had been right. He wasn't meant to be hearing this. He began to walk away.

"She never married."

Arthur stopped again. There was something… odd in the way Merlin said those three words. Was Merlin alright? He couldn't help himself. He started back towards the clearing that the voices were emanating from.

When he heard Merlin's next words to Balinor, his heart missed a beat.

"I'm your son."

A/N: Well there you have it. The first chapter of my first fanfiction. I hope you liked it. Please review and thanks for reading :) xxx Inimbi