"MERLIN I swear I should shoot you where you stand, you clumsy buffoon, sometimes I wish you hadn't saved my life just so I wouldn't have to put up with you every day!!!!" Arthur hollered looking angry and pushing Merlin into the snow. He wasn't the only one either, every knight there had looked at him with narrowed eyes. Merlin had accidentally sneezed and spooked the game they were hunting, it hhad ran off. Game.

"I'm sorry Arthur but I have a cold, I'm ill, and really it's your fault anyway" he had murmured.

Arthur turned back from where he was looking with murder in his eyes. Oops thought Merlin he had thought Arthur hadn't heard the last bit.

"What did you say Merlin I mean obviously my ears are deceiving me, but I thought you just implied that the game getting away was my fault", Arthur said this so quietly Merlin almost ran, but he didn't.

"No I didn't"

"Merlin shut up and tell me how this is my fault"

"Fine then but don't get angry. I'm ill and I'm ill because you keep dragging me out in the middle of the night to go hunting the sun hasn't even come yet" replied Merlin, gesturing wildly at the just lightening sky

"That is just stupid I get up before you and I'm not ill".

Merlin looked at him incredulous, "It's not the sleep Arthur, it's the clothes, look at what your wearing".

"What about what I'm wearing?" said Arthur taking offence instead of understanding.

"It's the middle of winter Arthur there's snow everywhere, icicles hanging from the branches. My hands are starting to shake. Look what I'm wearing a shirt, thin jacket, thin trousers, a thin cloak and shoes; hardly adequate for the winter. Now look what your wearing, long sleeved under shirt under trousers, thick over trousers, over shirt, tunic, long thick jacket with fur lining, socks, boots with fur lining and thick cloak with a hood; have I missed anything?"

"Gloves", said Arthur looking bored. Just then one of the men sniggered. Arthur turned and catching the Knights eye laughed too. "Well this has been highly amusing but seeing as our prey has departed I think we should as well".

"Oh Sire I wasn't laughing from amusement even though it is funny, I just thought of a way to settle this little dispute", said a older looking knight "if his highness would consent to hearing it".

"Go on", said Arthur never one to back down from a challenge.

"Well tomorrow everyone here gets up at the same time; the boy brings a set of what he is wearing now to you. You put them on and we all go out in the field and see how long you last without going back inside. If you don't last as long as the boy has, you give the boy a set of the clothing you have on now. If you win however… I hadn't got that far but…"

"If I win you have to do everything I ask without a single complaint for three months" decided Arthur looking at Merlin with unconcealed glee in his eyes.

"Ok done", replied Merlin.

****

The next day was far colder than the last with sleat and blistering winds that cut into even the knights clothing, but Arthur still went out onto the field with Merlin's clothes on and crouched as Merlin had. More than once Merlin and the knights fearing for Arthur's life suggested he go inside and for him to forget about it but Arthur was determined not to loose face in front of his men, his pride wouldn't allow it; if it had been just him and Merlin it would be different but it wasn't. Surrounded by knights and Merlin he stayed there till his lips had turned blue. When the time was up and the knights told him to get up Arthur tried to stand but failed he had gone numb all over and his limbs weren't responding. After a moment Merlin realised what had happened; he ran over to Arthur, pulled him to his feet and wrapped a blanket round him pulling him toward the castle with the knights trailing behind all looking worried.

As soon as Merlin had Arthur inside he told a passing servant to go fetch Gaius to Prince Arthur's chambers. Laying Arthur down on the bed Merlin started pacing when Arthur spoke, "M M Mer Mer Merlin gg gggg gggg get m mmmmm me sssss sss some warmer cloooo clothes" he chattered

"Oh God yes sorry Arthur" worried Merlin going to his wardrobe and grabbing some warm looking clothes. Merlin helped Arthur take off his wet cold clothes and put on the new ones.

At that point Gaius appeared hurrying to Arthur's side and feeling his head. "We need to bring his temperature up", he told Merlin "run him a bath quickly". Merlin hurried out of the room and fetched the bath. Getting a large bucket of cold water Merlin lit a fire and started waited for the bucket to boil. Gaius on the other hand didn't think they could wait for each bucket to be warmed so went over to Merlin and whispered "Fill the bath and heat it with magic Arthur's hardly conscious he won't notice".

Doing as Gaius instructed thy soon had Arthur in the in the tubs warm water and Gaius looked a little less anxious. Gaius left then to get a sleep draft for the prince, telling Merlin to make sure Arthur got into bed. Still half not there Arthur got into bed feeling like death and promptly fell asleep exhausted. Laughing silently at Arthur Merlin silently cleared away the bath tub and took his clothes that Arthur had worn to wash them. He would tell Gaius that the sleeping draft wasn't needed.

****

The next morning it took Merlin twicw as long to get to Arthur's chambers because everyone kept stopping him to ask about what had happened yesterday. Apparently thknights thought Arthur had been "Brave" and "Gallant" and "Unyielding"; Merlin just thought it was stupid. When he finally got Arthur's chambers he found the prince sitting up in bed red nosed, coughing and spluttering all over the place. The first thing the prince said was "I think" sneeze "we know" sneeze "who won" sneeze "yesterday" sneeze.

"Yes but in case you didn't notice now you're sick which was my point in the first place". Merlin said smiling triumphantly. "But yes you did win so no complaining for a month".

Arthur groaned and fell back on the pillow "It was three months!"

"Dam I thought you forgot!" replied Merlin with a slight smirk.

"Just get me breakfast"

"Right here Sire" chuckled Merlin as he was about to put the plate (of sausages, eggs bacon, chicken legs and every other fatty thing he could think of) down. Merlin was always surprised at what Arthur could eat for breakfast.

"Oh god" Arthur moaned and promptly threw up all over Merlin "sorry".

Someone knocked at the door "Arthur? I know it's early but we have a problem…" The king entered the room and stopped dead. "Arthur what's wrong?" Uther stared, looked at Merlin saw the plate in his hand "What have you done!" roared Uther taking a step toward Merlin, "you've poisoned him".

"Noooo" drooled Arthur his head lolling "it was my fault father he told me… they all told to go inside".

"What is he on about?" Uther asked Merlin.

"His Highness was outside yesterday for a very long time in rather inadequate clothing Sire".

"Why?"

"I was…it um… I…um… he…"

"Spit it out boy!"

"Well you see the day before yesterday I sneezed, I scared the animal they were hunting away Sire, Arthur got angry but it was because I was ill. I said it was because I had very little clothing that kept me properly warm. The knights challenged Arthur to stay out as long as I had in the same amount of clothing; he took the challenge but the weather was a lot worse than it had been for me, but Arthur stayed out there he wouldn't come in. When I got him back up here he was frozen. I called Gaius he told me I had to get his temperature up so we got him to have a hot bath; he warmed up then and went to bed. When I got here this morning he was like this then when he smelled the food he threw up", answered Merlin hurriedly.

"Is that what happened Arthur?" Arthur nodded. "Right I'll come back later when you feel better", the king left then shouting at one of his guards as he went.

"Have I ever told you that your father is REALLY scary sometimes" squeaked merlin as he dropped to his knees to clean up the puke. Arthur laughed but by the time Merlin had cleared up the puke Arthur was snoring. Going to his room Merlin changed into some clean clothes and went back to Arthur's room to do some of the chores he needed to do.

Arthur didn't wake up till late evening "Hello sleeping beauty" taunted Merlin "you know your not supposed to wake up until a hansom prince gives you true loves kiss right?" Merlin laughed at his own joke.

"Well aren't we funny, Merlin go get me some food I'm famished"

"Are you sure that's a good idea you might throw up again and these are my last set of clothes" smirked Merlin. Arthur just glared. "All right I'll get you some food if you can drink a whole glass of water and last for ten minutes without throwing up, sound sensible".

"Alright ten minutes give me the water" Arthur scowled. Drinking the water Arthur felt a bit nauseated so stopped only having drunk half. "Ok I give in, no food for me". Arthur lay back down feeling dizzy, then he remembered something. "Merlin you said to my father that last night you got me to have a hot bath but you would have had to heat the water right: well how did you heat the water so fast I'd only been lying on the bed for what, two minuets?

Merlin momentarily froze with fear thankful that his back was to Arthur, regaining his composure "I don't know what you mean I heated the water the normal pace, the normal way, bucket by bucket and it took a while, you probably fell asleep". He could just feel Arthur's eyes on his back, plucking up the courage he turned round.

He had been right Arthur was looking at him with a quizzical look on his face. "Yes, probably" he agreed somewhat half heartedly. Just at that moment a knock came from the chamber door, it was Uther looking rather annoyed.

"Oh good your up" smiled Uther "I came to tell you what the problem was this morning".

"Problem?" questioned Arthur looking slightly drunk.

"Yes", said Uther looking a little worried now. Shaking it of he continued "You know that people have been going missing a lot this week twelve in total and you know as well that there seemed to be no connection between them. Yesterday a cave was found in the mountains, they were all there".

"But surly that's good news?"

"Well from what the report said it's like they weren't really human any more, and they didn't come out of the cave when they were found. No one could get in to them either; they could see people but it was like a invisible barrier was there. I can't tell you much more; the report wasn't very good just a quick message really to say the people had been found and what the situation was. It's obviously the work of magic. Some were better than others it said but that could mean anything. There was one person there, a little girl she had been screaming that's how they were all found, they heard her screams from down in the village. Apparently she had been screaming all night but no one went up there because it's dangerous at night. They didn't go up until the next day. It also said something about writing everywhere; but again no specifics.

As Uther explained Arthur's face seemed to grow steadily graver "When did you get this report, why are you only telling me this now?".

"I tried to tell you this morning that's what I came to tell you. That I wanted you to go to the cave with Gaius see what he makes of it".

"Gaius why?"

"He has the most magical knowledge. He might be able to find out what is keeping the people trapped".

"Very well father I will be on my way shortly", Arthur said while getting out of bed and immediately fell over.

"Your Highness you need your rest, your ill", said Merlin in a slightly panicky voice as he helped Arthur to his feet.

"Nonsense Arthur is well all he needs is a little fresh air right son?" questioned Uther.

"Right" replied Arthur a little unsurely.

"Good I will leave you to get ready for your trip then" Uther happily concluded leaving Arthur propped up against Merlin. As soon as the door closed Arthur swayed and Merlin not being able to support Arthur pushed him onto the bed so he didn't fall on the floor again.

"Why didn't you tell your father how sick you really are?" asked Merlin clueless.

"Because they are my people in danger Merlin and I couldn't leave the job to anyone less qualified. If someone was hurt or killed because it wasn't me there helping them then I don't think I could live with that". At that moment Merlin couldn't think of a time when he had been prouder of Arthur than that moment, he almost seemed to glow. Whatever, it didn't matter how proud he was of Arthur, he probably wasn't going to survive the journey if Merlin didn't do something.

"Right then if you are going to be all noble then we need to get ready" decided Merlin. "Lie there while I go tell Gaius that he's going on a trip, then I need to pack the bags and ready the horses. But you just stay there".

"I can do that" said Arthur closing his eyes.

****

Review please, its my first story I've ever put out there but don't worry be as harsh as you want, I'm thick skinned. Constructive criticism is always good. Ideas welcome!!!