"Who did that?" Arthur didn't take even a second to decide if finding out was important. The magic hadn't harmed anyone on their side, but magic wasn't a matter to be taken lightly. No matter what had been done with it.

"What?" Merlin said.

Arthur could tell by the look in his eyes that Merlin knew exactly what Arthur was referring to - yet he lied. Arthur tried not to wince, or let his feelings be shown. It was entirely possible that Merlin, clumsy and idiotic as he was, had been the one to conjure the wind storm.

"Wind like that doesn't just appear from nowhere," Arthur snarled. "I know magic when I see it. One of you made that happen." And if it's you, Merlin? If it's you - no, it couldn't be him. Merlin didn't have the patience to sit down and learn the complicated language that was needed for magic. Arthur may have been exhausted, still breathing heavily from the battle, but his mind was still as sharp as it ever was.

Merlin looked briefly at his friend before taking a step forward and starting to answer, at last meeting Arthur's eyes. "Arthur.." Merlin's voice stopped, and he never did get to finish his sentence.

"Look out!"

Arthur felt his body forced sideways as the boy beside Merlin pushed him roughly out of the way. Arthur heard the chink of the arrow leaving the crossbow, but by the time he had turned around, Merlin had already called out his friend's name, and Will was falling to the ground, an arrow in his chest.

The arrow that would have hit Arthur in the back.

Kanen hadn't been dead, although he was certainly dead now. He hadn't been dead, and he had been able to hold a weapon and take aim at Arthur.

"You just saved my life." Why would a sorcerer save my life?

Will grimaced. "Yeah. Don't know what I was thinking."

"Come on! Get him inside!" Arthur didn't hesitate to get the man help. At the moment, he didn't know whether or not Will had performed magic. He only knew that he was indebted to him. A couple other men from the village helped Merlin and Arthur carry William inside, where again he spoke.

"That's twice I've saved you."

"Twice?" Arthur saw Will's mouth move, even in the dim light of the room, but his mind still seemed to need confirmation anyway.

"Yeah, it was me. I'm the one who used magic."

Will's body shook as he fought through the pain of the wound that would surely kill him, but his voice spoke with such finality that Arthur could believe him. He wanted to believe him.

"Will, don't," Merlin interrupted.

Arthur looked at him. Don't what, exactly? Will was already dying. The least he could do was make sure that Merlin wouldn't be joining him as he left the land of the living.

"Whatever happens out there today," Merlin had said, "please don't think any differently of me." Had he said it because he knew already what would happen? Had he known that Will would use magic, and that, under Camelot's law, Merlin could be executed just for keeping that knowledge secret? Or was that look given for some reason? William and Merlin seemed to be close.

Would Will cover for Merlin if he had been the sorcerer? Will dying for Merlin would make a great deal more sense than Will sacrificing himself for a foreign prince. Both William and Merlin had saved his life at some point. Going along that reasoning, neither of them should have had magic. What sorcerer would want to protect the Prince?

If Merlin was the sorcerer, Will's sacrifice would make more sense. But, nothing else would. Maybe there were exceptions to the rule of evil sorcery? There couldn't be, or he would have heard of them. Laws would have been made differently. There had to be something else.

"It's alright, Merlin," Will whispered. "I won't be alive long enough for anyone to do anything to me. I did it. I saw how desperate things were becoming and I had to do something."

"You're a sorcerer?" Arthur questioned. It hadn't meant to come out as a question, really. It was just Arthur thinking.

"Yeah." Will laughed lightly. "What are you gonna do? Kill me?"

Maybe that's why he'd done it. Will had known that, at this point, it would be either burn at a pyre, or take the arrow. The crossbow would have seemed a good option if you were to look at it that way.

Arthur shook his head anyway. "No. Of course not." He nodded to Merlin as his servant bent over Will's sickbed. "Do what you can for him." Arthur placed a hand on Will's shoulder for a moment, then lead the women out of the tent. Of course, Will wouldn't survive. Arthur knew that much and was almost glad of it. It would be much easier on his part - he wouldn't have to decide whether or not to execute someone who had just saved his life. Of course, if Will had survived, Arthur could have just left. Ealdor wasn't within Camelot's borders, and it wasn't Arthur's job to pass judgment on people.

But could he have done it? Just left, when his father had told him how bad magic was? His father would have brought Will back to Camelot for an execution, Arthur was sure of it.

It didn't matter what he thought now though, because thoughts were only that, and didn't count until they were put into actions. Arthur would never have to face that choice. Merlin would comfort Will in his last moments, and it would be over.

~~o0o~~

Will's funeral, along with all the other's who had died, was held later that evening. Arthur hadn't seen Merlin since Will had passed. Arthur didn't attempt to join the people of Ealdor as they mourned for the ones they had lost in the fight. He didn't feel that it was his place to step in and speak about the people he hadn't know, hadn't seen every day for years. He figured that whatever he had to say would be no more than empty words. Empty words that came from a stranger, no less. Yes, this stranger had helped lead them to victory, but there was a big difference between the encouragement of a general and the comforting of a friend.

So Arthur sat beside one of the houses, sharpening his sword, and trying not to think of death, and magic, and war, and everything in life that seemed to be swirling around him in a confusing tangle of wrong and right.

He looked up when Merlin took a seat on the bench next to him.

"I'm sorry. I know he was a close friend," Arthur said.

"He still is."

Arthur chose not to comment on Merlin's apparent denial. Or perhaps Merlin believed in some kind of afterlife in which Will still could watch over him. Something Arthur thought was pointless, and silly, but he'd figured out at some point in his life that, unless the person is your enemy, it usually does more harm than good to take away their hope. On to the next subject it was, then.

"You knew he was a sorcerer, didn't you? That's what you were going to tell me?"

Merlin didn't meet Arthur's eyes. "Yes. It was."

"You know how dangerous magic is," Arthur told him. "You shouldn't've kept this from me, Merlin."

He didn't wait to get a response, but got up and walked over to talk to Morgana and Gwen. Merlin stayed behind.

~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~

"Arthur?" Merlin called. It was only a few days since they had returned to Camelot from Ealdor. Arthur still hadn't been able to breach the subject of magic in any of his conversations with Merlin. He had tried to, several times, but the words always stuck in his throat, and he always seemed to divert the attention to something else, like cleaning his room or polishing armour.

And now Merlin was here, acting all weird. Since when did Merlin stand in the entry to Arthur's room, and almost seem to request entry instead of just barging in?

"Finally decided to treat me with the respect I deserve, have you?" Arthur commented.

Merlin hesitated but didn't step forward.

Arthur sighed. "What is it now, Merlin?"

Merlin walked towards Arthur's table, his stride seemed to be more fluid for some reason. He didn't look likely to trip at any second. He pulled out some change from his jacket pocket and placed it on the table.

It wasn't much. Several copper and silver coins, all of the Camelot design. Arthur didn't see anything odd with it. Just some spare change to Arthur.

"You pay me nearly twice as much as what the other castle servants get," Merlin stated.

Arthur shrugged. So what if he did?

Merlin continued. "The only one I know of who gets a comparable amount is Gwen, who still gets a silver penny less than I do." When Arthur still didn't answer, Merlin got to what Arthur assumed was the point of this visit. "Why?"

Arthur was taken aback at the question. He gave Merlin some extra money, but he didn't ever think he'd have to talk about it. It was Arthur's way of - saying thank you, he supposed. Gwen always said he did much too little of that, but in truth, Arthur guessed that most people just didn't notice the nonverbal thanks he gave. Arthur preferred it that way. He didn't enjoy the protests he got when he offered unexpected gifts to people, nor the endless thank-you's back, or the hugs. It was easier this way.

He cleared his throat and fumbled around for something to say. "Well. You're not exactly a normal servant, are you?"

Merlin raised his eyebrows.

"You don't think that I haven't noticed all the extra tasks you do, do you? You may be a terrible servant, for the most part, Merlin -" there was no need for Merlin to know just how much Arthur appreciated him, the boy would get a big head - "but you've followed me into situations that aren't in the job descriptions of 'servant.' That hasn't gone unnoticed. Servants don't drink poison for their masters voluntarily. Servants don't go into danger with no armour or weapon."

"That sounds almost as if you're saying thank you, Arthur." Merlin grinned, his blue eyes teasing.

Arthur scowled. Why did they have to talk about it? Couldn't Merlin just accept the extra coin, and leave Arthur's emotions alone?

"Don't you have stables to clean or something?"

Merlin shook his head. "That's not really part of my job description either. The stable boys -"

"Merlin!"

Merlin laughed. "Fine, I'll go, but now I know how you really feel about me."

Arthur waited until Merlin had scooped up his money and the door thudded at his exit before pulling out the coin from his pocket.

It was a gold one, not copper or silver like the most common coins. Most of the change in circulation was adorned with Camelot's dragon on one side, and an engraving of a crown on the other, but this one was different. It was by no means unique, but unusual at this time. It was older than most, from a time when Albion was more united than it was now.

One side had five stars circled around a crown, which represented the united rule of Camelot, Gawant, Nemeth, Caerleon, Essetir, and Mercia. On the opposite side was a shield and wheat, representing the soldiers and farmers that supported the kingdoms.

Arthur's father didn't approve of these coins, but they weren't illegal, and no one could be punished for using one.

Arthur ran his thumb over the coin's rough surface. Maybe he would have given it to Merlin too, but thinking on it now, it seemed like a bit much.

Especially since he had missed out on yet another opportunity to get Merlin to talk about magic. If Merlin was friends with those who used it - or even used it himself, Arthur couldn't reward him for that. But he couldn't have him killed for it, either. Not after everything they had gone through.

Magic corrupts, he'd been told.

Magic corrupts and produces nothing but evil.

But Merlin wasn't evil. Merlin wasn't evil, and as much as Arthur had seen the bad in magic, he was starting to have his doubts about whether it was always that way.

Thanks for reading my first Merlin fanfic! I'm really looking for advice, so please do let me know how you think I did in writing and character personality.

This might be made into a slightly longer fic (a two shot - 6 or 7 chapters) but no longer.