Bedivere approached the training grounds, a niggling of hope blossoming in his chest, despite his efforts to stamp it out. Word had travelled throughout the five kingdoms that King Arthur was now allowing peasants to train to become knights. So Bedivere had packed up his home and set off towards Camelot, sister in tow. Elwah, always talkative and giggly, had become increasingly quiet and demure the closer they got to the white city. Bedivere didn't blame her; they'd all been raised to believe that the knights of Camelot got the unnatural red of their cloaks from the blood of innocents. Bedivere had no love for the King of Camelot but he'd not pass up this chance to become a knight through his own merits.

He'd fought as a knight for King Caerleon and then for Queen Annis when Camelot's own King killed her companion. It wasn't a bad living but he was scared for his sister. She couldn't thrive in Caerleon; the men there were lechers and Bedivere dared not let her venture out alone. So he'd sent her away. But where he sent her was unsafe for different reasons. Besides, her love was left behind in Essetir. Bedivere wanted to be a knight for himself. Not because his Aunt and Uncle were of noble birth. He wanted to earn his place, not have it handed to him like a meal ticket. And so he had come to Camelot. To become a common born knight. After all, his mother was a noble woman who had absconded with a smuggler. He was no noble.

One of the palace guards had informed him that the King himself was supervising the training, and had pointed him towards the playing field. Bedivere paused on the edge of the turf; it didn't look like any King was in attendance. The only man who looked like he was in charge looked to be in his mid-thirties but he was no King. He had he was a tall, strong man with longish, curly, blonde hair. The way he carried himself screamed that he had seen horrible battles and was trying to shoulder the weight of them the best he could. He paced back and forth, through rows and rows of fighting men.

There were men of all shapes and sizes, nobility and rustics alike. The knight was calling out sword positions and watching the men preform them. Weeding out the unlikely, Bedivere thought. Bedivere knew he was a good fighter but he didn't think he'd be able to stand being in that group. There was no chance to shine, no chance to prove himself. Because that's what everyone else would be doing. He'd mentioned this fear to Elwah last night at the inn. She hadn't even glanced up from her sketch tome as she said "So save the King's life in some heroic way. That's how all his closest knights did it."

Bedivere cast his eyes about the pitch once more, seeking…something. His eyes fell onto a group of six men near the tree line. They were laughing and joking around with each other, sparring and throwing punches. Bedivere wished he was lucky enough to have such strong friendships. He only had two other friends and one of them, Will, was dead. Killed protecting some prince from a stray arrow while Bedivere was visiting his Aunt and Uncle in Caerleon . Bedivere didn't know what had happened to the other friend and was saddened by the thought of him.

As Bedivere looked to the group again they paused and looked at the forest warily. Two people walked gracefully out of the forest…Well the first, a tall, thin, blonde woman stepped out gracefully. The man stumbled out and laughed self-deprecatingly. Even from across the training grounds, Bedivere recognized the man instantly as… Merlin! He chocked slightly. Merlin hated…no, feared, all things Camelotian. So why is he here?

Instantly the group of six knights pounced on Merlin and the woman. Bedivere approached slowly. The men went through Merlin's pack and when they found only herbs they grumbled unhappily. The woman laughed and Bedivere noted with surprise that she was a knight. A woman Knight! King Arthur must be quite progressive in his beliefs! Bedivere laughed in surprise. And yet he still despises magic. So not quite as progressive as he would have you believe.

One of the knights, blonde, with the muscles of a boar, grabbed Merlin's bag and tossed it to the woman. He pulled Merlin away from the tree line and placed a sword in his hand. Even from such a long distance, Bedivere could practically hear Merlin's long suffering sigh. He'd earned his fair share of them growing up. The blonde, with no warning, lunged at Merlin. Bedivere flinched, expecting Merlin to be skewered. To his surprise, Merlin's arm flung up of its own accord and he blocked the blow. The blonde said something and Merlin responded, Bedivere could see the mockery dripping from his lips.

And the dance began. They lunged, parried, thrust, and engaged, stopping to mock each other occasionally. Merlin was no master swordsman, that was obvious, but he was far better than many of the men on the training pitch. The blonde was obviously the master. Just watching them, Bedivere knew that he could hope to best him. Merlin was no trained fighter, but neither was he a weakling. He was holding his own fairly well. Better that Bedivere would have ever expected. Merlin and his opponent were circling each other, searching for a weakness, when Bedivere reached the group.

The other knights glanced at Bedivere before going back to cheering on the duo. Merlin glanced at Bedivere and did a double take. His entire body seized up and several emotions flittered across his face almost too fast for Bedivere to catch them all. Shock. Horror. Fear. Anger. Merlin's face became a mask of indifference and he turned back towards his challenger. But he'd hesitated too long, given Bedivere just one second too much of his attention.

The knight slipped past Merlin's defenses and with a couple twirls of his wrist had Merlin flat on his back, sword at his throat. Merlin blinked in surprise. The knights laughed and a shaggy brunette said something that Bedivere didn't catch. Merlin grimaced and flashed him a rude hand gesture. The knights just laughed harder. The female knight rolled her eyes at them as though they were children.

"God, Merlin, you're such a girl." The blonde sighed wearily. "And here I thought you were getting better." He dropped his sword to the ground where it stuck fast, like a dart. The man rolled his eyes turned towards Bedivere and frowned in a bemused sort of way. "Can I help you?"

"Yes. You could stop being such an ass towards this man." Bedivere snapped, gesturing to Merlin who was propped up on his elbows, watching in interest. The knights all looked back and forth between Bedivere and the blonde, curious as to what would happen next. The blonde looked startled but the bemused expression came back a moment later. The curly haired knight from before approached, curious. "Let me help you up." Bedivere offered his hand toward Merlin who stared at it like it was diseased. "You don't have to let this ass holes pick on you, Merlin."

"Fuck off, Vere." Merlin snarled, swatting Bedivere's hand away. Bedivere stepped back in surprise. "I don't need your help or your advice. And I'll thank you to not insult my friends." He sat up and scowled at Bedivere. Bedivere frowned in surprise; he and Merlin had always been the best of friends and yet here Merlin was acting as though he hated the sight of Bedivere.

"You've called me worse things than an ass, Merlin." The blonde laughed, offering Merlin a hand. Merlin accepted it and was pulled into a semi hug.

"You deserved it." Merlin smirked. The other man scowled and cuffed Merlin round the head, pulling him into a headlock.

"What was that, Merlin?" Merlin struggled in vain to free himself. "I can't hear you."

"You are an ungrateful ass…milord." Merlin snipped and landed a solid blow to the man's abdomen. The man flinched and grunted, despite the layers of mail and clothing protecting him.

"Never took you for a cheater," the man said in pain, pressing his other hand to the spot that Merlin had punched. For him to be in that much pain, Bedivere guessed that Merlin had hit a recent wound. That is cheating! Sneaky. Bedivere was surprised to find that he approved of Merlin's tactics.

"I've always taken you for an ass." Merlin said. The man's sleeve rode up, revealing unprotected skin right in front of Merlin's face. Bedivere winced, knowing what Merlin was going to do a moment before he did it. Merlin licked the man's arm and he recoiled in disgust but didn't release Merlin.

"You take that back!" He laughed, giving Merlin a noogie.

"Never!" Merlin shouted in glee. The knight pinched Merlin's ear, earning a yelp. Bedivere couldn't help but feel like the bond between these two men was like that of brothers rather than friends. "You, sir, are a fat ass." Merlin said, slipping out of the headlock and bowed mockingly. "Your highness." The blonde took a step towards him and Merlin took off running.

"You dare insult your King?" The blonde shouted at his retreating form. Merlin's laugh echoed across the field and he flashed a rude hand gesture before ducking into the courtyard.

"Cheeky little bugger." The shaggy brunette laughed. The other knights and the King laughed in agreement. They turned to survey a now pale Bedivere. Bedivere had not only challenged the King, he'd insulted him and called him an ass! Twice! Oh Gods! Here he was trying to impress the man and he'd probably ruined his chances. He started to babble out an apology but the man held up a hand to stop him.

"Don't worry about it. I find such scrupulousness refreshing." He chuckled. Bedivere was amazed at the man. He was probably in his late twenties and yet he was a King! And not just any King he was revered as the most noble and just of all Kings. "So how do you know our Merlin?"

"And what the hell did you do to earn his ire?" the shaggy brunette laughed. The others looked on in interest. Bedivere looked at the spot where Merlin had disappeared.

"Merlin and I were boys together. I'm a fair bit older than him but we fought and played together as brothers."

"And you got him to hate you how?" a shaggy blonde asked, his voice laced with amazement.

"I don't know." Bedivere whispered.

"What do you mean Tristan?" Arthur asked in surprise.

"It's just that, well I've only known him three years while you all have had much longer to get to know him. But I've never known him to take a dislike to anyone. I can see that it would take a great deal to make him hate you. You," he looked at Bedivere, "and Mordred," he gestured to a black haired knight, "are the only people I've ever seen him be less than friendly with." The knights looked at him thoughtfully.

"I wish I knew what I'd done to earn his ire." Bedivere turned towards Mordred. "What did you do?"

"I exist." The man shrugged.

"For some reason, Merlin took an instant dislike to Mordred." Arthur said, shrugging as well. Bedivere surveyed Mordred. His eyes sparkled. Bedivere had no doubt that Mordred knew exactly why Merlin hated him, or he had some idea. Bedivere guessed that it had something to do with the magic he could feel thrumming in the boy's veins, bursting to get out.

Bedivere had only met two others whose magic felt as strong as this boy's. Merlin's had felt like this when they were children. Now Bedivere couldn't even feel it, as though it was shielded from him the thought puzzled him. Morgana's magic had been stronger than this boy's but still weaker than Merlin's had been the last they'd met. Merlin was seventeen then. What must his magic feel like now? Bedivere thought back and realized that Morgana's magic had to have grown stronger. The first and last he'd met her was when she came to help Annis seek revenge. The thought of her growing magic scared him. The druids he'd met had weak magic, strong for sorcerers but still weak compared to Merlin's. Bedivere had realized long ago that Merlin was the standard that he would hold all magic too.

"So…from the sword on your hip, I take it you're here to try out and become a knight." The King said, pulling Bedivere out of his musings. Mordred was frowning at him in confusion.

"Yes, sire." The King nodded and gestured to the curly, blonde knight with one hand, the other holding the spot where Merlin had punched him.

"Let's see how you hold up against Leon and then we'll place you."