Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights belong to their respective owners.

Back again with another one. This is set after The Lost Prince, so things might be a bit clearer if you read that one first. Not necessary, you'll just have to be aware of a few facts; like that Arthur and Merlin have already met in this, despite it being a young one. Please bear in mind throughout this that Merlin is only 13. His reactions/his magic is not going to be the same as what we are first introduced to on the show.

Hope you like! Don't forget to let me know!

It was a bright and sunny day in Ealdor, and most of the residents were either enjoying the river or trying to keep cool indoors. Children could be heard splashing and screaming with laughter as they played under the watchful eyes of their mothers. But as warnings were called to not go too far, even the women had smiles on their faces. The crops had done well this year and the weather was just adding a sense of happiness in the whole place.

One thirteen year old, however, was not joining in the fun. His lanky limbs folded awkwardly in order to be able to balance himself up his favourite tree, Merlin idly plucked a leaf off a nearby stem and rolled it between his fingers, thinking. Part of him wanted to be down there with the other boys his age, but he knew that Will would be the only one to accept him. The others wouldn't say anything as such, but the game would turn rough and he would be the one covered in mud by the end of the day with his ears ringing with their taunts. After what had happened with Gareth the last time as well, Merlin knew he couldn't risk it.

He hadn't meant for his magic to lash out like that and trip the boy up, he really hadn't. Merlin knew it was only luck that meant none of the others had seen what had truly happened, although Will had shot him a speculative look that had made Merlin squirm and look at his feet. His mother, however, had chosen that moment to pass by, and seemed to know exactly why Gareth was sprawled at the edge of the pig pen covered in who knows what. She had given him such a scolding that Merlin still felt tears prick his eyes if he thought about it now, allowed her wooden spoon to connect with the back of his legs and then pulled him into a fierce hug, her own eyes swimming with tears as she murmured reassurances in his ear.

There was nothing more confusing than being the one the other boys picked on, and knowing that they were actually right about him being different. His mother told him that he just had to put up with it, go along with what was happening and not rise to their baiting, for if the rest of the village found out what he could do, it would be worse than a few mocking comments. But it was just so hard. Half the time he didn't even choose to use his magic, it just came rushing out by itself, almost as if he couldn't control it even if he wanted to. That was the problem: he didn't want to. Why should he be the one to be picked on? How many of them could say that they had saved a prince?

Not that Merlin truly remembered that much of what had happened the time that Arthur Pendragon had been found at the edge of their village. He couldn't even remember what the other boy was like, only knew that he was a few years older than Merlin himself. The image of blond hair and blue eyes swam in Merlin's mind if he thought about it hard enough, but he wasn't sure. He would almost be a man now, and probably have everyone telling him how wonderful he was. Scowling, Merlin let go of his leaf and let it float down to the ground lazily. It just wasn't fair, he had to hide whilst people like Arthur only had to get out of bed in the morning in order to be praised. Yet at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to blame Arthur. The memories he did have seemed to be of someone scared and vulnerable, not at all acting like a prince.

"Merlin? Merlin, where are you, child?" Hearing his mother calling his name, Merlin risked a glance through the branches, only just being able to steady himself with his free hand whilst he did so. Knowing his luck, he would go toppling out and land at her feet instead of being able to hide properly. He could just make out the woman, standing almost directly below him with her hands on her hips whilst she looked around. Merlin knew full well what she was going to say, it was the same as every other time she caught him on his own. That he had to try and fit in, meaning that she would expect him to join in with the games that the other boys were playing. Craning his head back, Merlin could see them splashing each other in the river and sighed, pulling himself further back into the trunk of the tree. Not only did the tree offer him a place away from prying eyes, it had become something of a safe haven over the years. He knew full that it wouldn't stay as playful splashing if he should join in with the others, but more like who could get the closest to drowning him whilst pretending it was a game.

"Merlin?!" Said child was forced to bite his lip to stop himself from answering his mother. He knew that she only wanted what was best for him, but Merlin was at the awkward stage between man and boy. He wanted to be able to prove himself, but the only way he knew how was forbidden. He wanted to show that he was powerful, that they were picking on the wrong person. He wanted to go to Camelot and find Arthur, find someone that... No, not even Arthur would understand. Merlin may not remember much from those few days, but he did know the prince didn't know about his magic. From the stories he had heard about the King, Arthur was the last person he would be able to tell. Tears of frustration burnt at the corners of his eyes as his fingers gripped onto the bark far harder than necessary as he tried to stop himself crying.

"Merlin?" Jumping, Merlin slipped, grabbing onto the branch just in time to stop him from falling out of the tree. Whilst his mother's voice had still been in the same place, her tone had changed. No longer was she simply calling him in order to locate where her son was, but she was calling him down. Looking down again, Merlin winced slightly as he met her eyes. She knew precisely where he was. But it also meant that she knew he would have heard her original calls and the fact that he hadn't responded simply implied that he had been ignoring her. Merlin flushed slightly, knowing that he had been well and truly caught out.

"Merlin, come down." Despite knowing that there was no arguing with her when she used that tone of voice, Merlin still shook his head. He couldn't help it. Up here, he could think, he could even get away with using magic. He didn't want to go back down there and listen to their jeering comments again. Hidden away in the safety of the tree, he could be himself without anyone telling him off. After all, the birds and the insects didn't seem to mind if he used magic.

"I like it up here." He protested, realising that his argument sounded weak even to him. Even from his awkward angle, he could see the way her eyebrows rose and sighed heavily. "Please let me stay up here?"

"Come down, love." Biting his lip, Merlin carefully navigated himself further forward. He knew if he didn't do what she said, she would just go and get Matthew and his ladder. It had happened before; although Merlin hadn't hit his latest growth spurt the last time he had refused to come down from his tree. He almost fell the last part, scraping his leg up the bark of the tree as he scrambled for a hold, but eventually, Merlin was back on solid ground again.

"What were you doing up there, Merlin?" Whilst Hunith was sounding inquisitive, Merlin recognised the note in her voice. It was as if she knew that he was hiding, but just wanted to be able to hear her son say it out loud. Merlin, however, didn't want to play that game and simply shrugged, dragging his toe through the dirt and getting his boots filthy in the process.

"Merlin."

"I was just thinking!" Merlin practically yelled, immediately blushing when she looked at him disapprovingly. He was as tall as she was now, and he knew that he hadn't yet stopped growing. But regardless of his height, his mother still had a way of making him feel small and young.

"You promised me that you would try harder. You know how dangerous it is for you if they isolate you." Hunith muttered under her breath, taking a step closer and brushing Merlin's hair away from his eyes. Merlin's flush only deepened.

"I meant it, I am trying. But...Harold tried to push me in earlier. It's alright for them, they can just go home and change. But these are the only ones that fit me now, Mother. I'm fed up of being their target." Merlin made sure he kept his voice low as he spoke. If anyone overheard him, it would sound nothing more than a teenager whining. But the more frustrated with the whole situation Merlin become, the more his magic acted out. It was like it was a teenager itself, wanting to let the world know how unfair it was that he had to stay hidden away.

"Come on then, love. I need to go and fetch some berries if you want pudding tonight with your supper. Why don't you come up there with me?" Merlin smiled and nodded, thankful that she didn't seem to be too upset. Either that, or she knew commenting on their lack of clothing because of funds would just get her teenage son even more frustrated. Merlin didn't understand why he had all of these powers if he couldn't even get them some of the basic things that they needed.

Hunith took Merlin by the elbow and mother and son swiftly climbed a nearby hill. Not that Merlin remembered, but Hunith would never forget the sight of a terrified prince peering back at them from the undergrowth. All Merlin knew was that it got him away from everyone, but gave him a legitimate reason to do so. He took his mother's hand, resting it on his arm the way he knew a knight would escort a proper lady as he led the way to the hill, ignoring the laughs coming from the boys behind him. They reached the spot and Hunith handed Merlin a small basket, a knowing smile on her lips. Merlin took it with a grin – his mother clearly knew that she wouldn't have been coming up here alone.

The pair began gathering the berries, a comfortable silence between them now that they were away from people watching Merlin's every move. He knew that he had been careless lately, but he couldn't help it. His magic had been acting out, and he couldn't seem to stop it.

"Merlin, I received word from Gaius the other day." Merlin's face lit up at his mother's words and he almost instantly turned towards her.

"Arthur?" The look on her face said enough. There had been no word from the prince. His face fell as quickly as it had brightened and he nodded softly, turning back to his bush. He didn't see the expression on his mother's face, but nor did he need to. It would only be the same as every other time they had received word from Camelot.

"Merlin..."

"Don't. He was just busy, that's all." Merlin didn't want to see the sorrowful look in her eyes. Didn't want to hear her say that Arthur had just moved on. She knew how much it frustrated young Will that Merlin still claimed that his best friend was a boy he didn't truly remember and had only seen for a few days. She couldn't deny that there had been a bond between them, something that she could almost feel in the air. She had no doubt that Merlin and Arthur would meet again, but this constant hope of Merlin's was worrying her.

It had been almost six years. Six years and there had only been one message from the prince, a week after he had left them. Merlin was still clinging to the hope that someone he could no longer describe would come back for him and that they would be able to have adventures together in the way that Merlin didn't feel like he could do with the other boys. His gift hadn't been such a problem when he had been a child, but now that he was more conscious of the magic, it was proving to be a problem. It isolated him from the others, and his constant need for care meant that they saw him as not being as courageous as the rest of them. Hunith knew that her boy was braver than the lot of them put together, but telling that to a thirteen year old didn't go down too well. Instead, Merlin had idolised Arthur in his mind, making the boy out to be a perfect friend despite the fact that they barely even knew each other.

"Merlin..."

"No, Mother."

"Merlin!" Merlin whirled around at hearing her final scream, his breath catching in his throat as he saw two large thuggish looking men emerging from the forest. His heart was pounding hard as he immediately dropped his basket, stumbling towards Hunith in the same movement. He might have been trying to act grown up, but he was still a child. He didn't know how he was supposed to act when one of them ran a thumb along a cruel looking blade hanging from the belt at his waist. His mother grabbed his hand as soon as he was in reach, pulling him close to her as the men sneered.

"Pretty thing like you shouldn't be out here with just a whelp for protection." One leered, coming closer as he spoke. Merlin glared, but the man moved too fast, grabbing Hunith even as her son tried to hold onto her. The other just laughed, moving forward himself and kneeing the boy in the stomach. One muscular arm crossed over Merlin's chest, holding him back with ease even as he struggled to both get free and get to his mother. Merlin didn't quite understand what was happening, not understanding the sheer terror in his mother's eyes as the other man began tugging at her clothing, but he did know that something was wrong.

"Let my son go."

"Why would we want to do that?" The man sneered, pulling Hunith closer by wrapping his arm around her waist. Merlin felt a fury he didn't know he could possess awaken within him and he snarled.

"Let her go!" He growled, tugging at the man holding him. Despite the fact that he was a skinny thirteen year old against a man at least four times his size didn't even cross his mind. He was angry. For the first time ever, he made absolutely no attempt to hold his magic back and could already feeling it leaking out of him.

"Merlin, no!" The boy didn't hear his mother's scream as his eyes fell shut. When they opened again, their normal blue had gone, replaced with a burning gold. He could almost feel the magic humming in the air, making him feel more alive than he had ever done. He felt powerful for the first time ever, and this time, he wasn't going to be pushed around like he was a nobody. No one hurt his mother, no one put that look in her eye and got away with it.

"What the hell..?" The man holding Hunith backed off a step, allowing the woman to pull herself free. He stumbled backwards at the look in the child's eye, but before he could go any further, he was blasted off his feet. At exactly the same time, the man holding Merlin let go with a howl of pain, clutching his arm to him. Merlin took a step forward, his eyes still blazing as he turned to look at his attacker. He didn't even need to look to see the fierce burn running across the man's arm from where it had been in contact with the warlock.

"No one calls me a whelp." Despite the fact that his voice was significantly higher than the men's and therefore did hold the same weight, there could be no denying that Merlin sounded more than threatening as his eyes continued to burn. The power was racing through him stronger than he knew it could do and he could feel it burning out of his eyes. The two men looked at each other, glanced towards Merlin and raced for the trees.

The problem was, Merlin wasn't used to this kind of power, and could already feel a low throb in his head from where the magic was attempting to take over him. His eyes flickered slightly, a slither of blue showing through as he tried to pull the magic back in, his head steadily getting worse and beginning to affect his vision. He was vaguely aware of his mother hurrying forward, her hands on his shoulders and he could have sworn that someone was yelling his name. But even as his vision seemed to lurch and make everything appear double, a ringing started up in his ears, causing any sound to seem muffled and almost muted. The young warlock blinked, and just like that, the magic vanished.

"Are you okay?" Merlin asked his mother, his voice completely calm and neutral. Her face was pale as she simply stared at him, and Merlin couldn't figure out why she would look so scared.

Then he collapsed.


It was dark when Merlin awoke again, and it took him a few moments to realise that he was lying on the only bed that they had in their house. A candle was standing next to the bed, the flickering flame hypnotising him for a few moments. Trying to make sense of what had happened and how on earth he had ended up back at home, Merlin was hard pressed to hold back the groan that attempted to force its way past his lips. His head was pounding and even looking at the candle sent shooting pains through his skull.

After taking a few deep breaths, however, the teenager was able to bring himself under control a little more. It was only then that he realised that there was a soft murmur of voices coming from behind a rough curtain that had been drawn around the bed to give him some privacy. Making sure that he didn't move and therefore alert whoever it was to the fact that he was awake, Merlin almost held his breath as he listened as hard as he could.

"...not sure, never this strong."

"He is young, he will be able to handle it."

"His magic has never made him lose consciousness before though." Forgetting about not moving, Merlin sat bolt upright, his heart pounding hard even as his head throbbed its protest at the movement. That had been his mother's voice, of that he was certain. But he was as equally sure that she had been talking to Matthew. About his magic.

Merlin couldn't stop the flash of anger shooting through him, injustice burning through his very being in the way that only a thirteen year old could. She had spent his entire life telling him that no one could know about his magic, what he could do...and all along, Matthew had known. In a way, Merlin didn't mind, the man was almost like an uncle to him and never treated him any differently to the rest of the children. But that wasn't the point.

Slipping silently off the bed, Merlin had to grip onto it tightly to stop his legs from buckling underneath him. Whatever his magic had done to try and protect them had certainly taken it out of him more than he was used to, and even standing up seemed to be a great deal of effort. Somehow though, he managed to take a few steps closer to the curtain.

"I just don't know what to do with him. I think I'm going to have to send him to Gaius. He won't join in, he won't let what happened all those years ago go, just seems to think that Arthur will be waiting for him to be friends the way they were before. He's a prince, Matthew, he probably doesn't even remember that Merlin exists. They were just children, he wouldn't dwell on what happened. Yet I can't get Merlin to let it go."

Despite the effort it had taken him to get off the bed, Merlin found that his knees were threatening to give way and he only just made it back to it in time. Never before had he truly felt like he had been betrayed, but his mother's words were ringing sharply in his ears. Arthur didn't even remember him? He didn't remember what had happened? Tears stung at his eyes and Merlin was pulling on his boots before he even registered what he was doing.

He had had enough. No one here wanted him to be here, even his own mother wanted to send him away. The other boys picked on him, and the one friend that he thought he had didn't even remember that he existed. He had been taught to keep his magic a secret only for his mother to tell whoever she liked without his permission? There was no way that Merlin would be able to stay here. He was going to head to the forest, he was going to do something with his life that didn't involve other people telling him what to do. He had his magic to protect him.

Determined and adamant that he was making the right decision, Merlin pulled his boots towards him, freezing when it caught the leg of the small table and the whole thing wobbled, causing the candle to flicker ominously. There was a slight dip in the voices, and Merlin knew that if he was going to have any chance of doing this, it had to be now. Pulling on his boots, he climbed over the bed and headed towards the back door. Yanking it open, Merlin took one look back into the house and started to run. The door banged shut violently behind him and the child could almost instantly hear voices calling his name.

Regardless of the sounds of pursuit, Merlin hurtled up the hill, heading towards the cover of the trees. He knew his way well enough around this area despite the fact that it was dark, but he knew that once he was in the forest, he would be able to hide properly. Forgetting that Matthew was twice his size, Merlin had truly thought that he had made it when a hand caught hold of his arm, yanking him to a stop.

"Merlin, stop! You have to come back now." Up until now, Merlin had always trusted Matthew, always looked up to him in the same way that he assumed most boys looked up to their fathers. But all he knew right now was that the man knew his secret, and therefore he had been lying.

"Get off me!" Trying to pull away, Merlin fought with all his might as Matthew bent down, clearly preparing to put the young teenager over his shoulder.

"Stop it. You're upsetting your mother."

"She doesn't care! She wants to send me away!" Hating the fact that his voice broke halfway through his sentence into something that sounded suspiciously like a sob, Merlin continued to fight. As Matthew let his arm settle around the back of Merlin's legs, bracing himself as he did so, Merlin kicked out. His foot connected with Matthew's shin and the warlock's eyes flashed in the darkness. Matthew knew his secret, meaning Merlin didn't have to hide any more. His magic made him cry out as it made more pain shoot through his head. Although it wasn't with the same force that he had lashed out at the bandits with, it was still enough for Matthew to be sent stumbling backwards, slipping on the uneven ground.

Merlin didn't wait to see if the man was okay or not, but instead just turned and ran. He let his feet carry him blindly, knowing that getting lost was all part of the plan. After all, if he didn't know where he was, then how would anyone else be able to tell? The moonlight was just about filtering through the trees, and Merlin found that he was instinctively following the patterns they were leaving on the floor, as if that was his guide.

He was aching, his head hurt and he was more confused and hurt than he had ever been in his life, yet Merlin didn't let himself stop running. He had no idea how long it would be until Matthew got some of the other men and they came in after him. He knew that he wouldn't be given the chance to use magic again, and that he would be dragged back to face the consequences of his actions. The thought of his mother's anger at what he had done gave Merlin another burst of speed. Part of him was tugging him back towards Ealdor, telling him that he was making a mistake and that this had all just been a misunderstanding. But the larger part of him, the teenage warlock part, adamantly kept putting one foot in front of the other, getting as far away as he could.

Despite his determination, Merlin could only go so far until he skidded to a stop, his skinny chest heaving as he tried to suck in enough air to stop him feeling like he was going to pass out. As soon as his breathing began to get slightly under control once more, the boy felt the first tendrils of fear began to nag away at him. He now truly had no idea where he was, and the forest in the dark on his own was a scary place for a thirteen year old.

Squinting through the trees, Merlin frowned. He was sure he could see some sort of light just ahead, something that looked like a fire. Wondering if it would mean he could find someone to help (although whether to find his way back to Ealdor or get as far away as possible, Merlin wasn't sure), the boy headed slowly in that direction. He didn't even stop to think about how that could have been a very bad idea until he was stumbling into the clearing and finding himself face to face with one of the men that had attacked him earlier.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the little sorcerer." The man spat, the knife ending up in his hand before Merlin could even blink. He didn't know where the other man was until hands grabbed him from behind. The man's hands slipped under his shoulders, holding his arms fast and rendering him useless even as Merlin struggled. He tried to bring his magic to the surface, but all that he got in response was a thumping head.

"We should kill you for what you did." Merlin's sharp intake of breath, fear obvious in his eyes made the man laugh.

"But instead, I reckon we could get a good price for you somewhere. Bind his hands."

"No! No, don't..." Merlin yelled, but his words did nothing as he was pushed to his knees. He knew that he was crying, but couldn't find it in himself to care as the man holding him drew his arms behind him and stared lashing his hands together with a coarse piece of rope. Instead, Merlin's mind was racing as he tried to find a way out of his predicament. Just in the nick of time, he felt a spark of magic once again and allowed his eyes to flash, causing the fire to jump up with an angry hiss. The man tying him up jumped back with a curse, and Merlin quickly pulled his hand free before he could finish off the knots.

"Who are you, kid?"

"Someone who wants to join you." As soon as he uttered the words, Merlin suddenly felt a lot older. He didn't want people to tell him what he could and couldn't do, that was why he had left. So what better way than living outside of the law? He was already an outcast because of his magic, why shouldn't he make it more permanent?

"Excuse me?"

"You've seen what I can do. That was just a taste," Merlin lied, knowing it was potentially the only thing that was stopping him from being killed or sold into slavery. "Just think of what you can do if I help you."

"Very well." Merlin didn't really recognise the look on the man's face, didn't realise that he was being humoured. "But you should know that you have to earn your place." The bandit winked at his friend even as Merlin nodded.

"I'll prove myself to you." He promised, unable to stop himself from smiling at the thought that he had just found somewhere he could be himself and not have to worry about it.

"Good boy. Now your first job, clean these." With those words, the man tossed over a pair of filthy boots and an equally dirty rag. Merlin frowned, but then realised that the man's hand was once again resting on his knife and his friend was standing directly behind where Merlin was kneeling.

Nodding, he picked both items up, wondering what he was doing.