Merlin, Arthur, and the Knights of the round table, were logging around a fire at night, after a long days hunt. Gwaine was just passing around the mead, for the 7th time, when they heard a branch snap somewhere nearby and the sounds of movement. The men all grabbed their swords and made a circle around the fire, ready for a fight. They all swiveled in the direction of another snap.

Out of the darkness came a girl, covered in mud and cuts, and in a tattered green and blue and purple dress that might have once been made of fine fabric. She had long brown curly hair and she looked malnourished.

Merlin let out a small gasp and Arthur heard his sword tip to fall into the ground. He was about reprimand Merlin about lowering his weapon in the face of a potential enchantress when he heard him whisper "Freya?".

The girl looked up and, upon seeing him, also gasped "Merlin?".

He dropped his sword fully now and took a few tentative steps forward. "Are you really..?"

The girl, Freya, ran forward. "Merlin!"

He ran to meet her too and they both hugged each other tightly and slid to the ground, both crying at finding each other.

The Knights lowered their swords and Arthur said, "Merlin did you know her?"

A stupid question really, but this is Arthur.

Merlin ignored him and pressed his forehead to Freya's.

"Freya how.?"

She shook her head slightly and they hugged again.

"You're freezing Freya! Here," He helped her towards the fire. As he turned around he saw that the Knights still had their swords drawn. "Ahem." He said forcefully. At their confused expressions he said "Swords!" They put them away quickly. Freya smiled sweetly as she scooted closer to the fire. The others watched as he began to tend to the cuts on her arms and legs immediately, using more care than he had on the knights. Not to say he was careless, he just didn't go to these lengths to be this gentle, as if she might break or dissapear.

"Sooooo," Arthur said slowly. "How do you two know each other?"

"I was in Camelot once." Freya spoke up, addressing the others for the first time. "Around the time when the baset was attacking."

Arthur nodded. "I'm sorry you had to see that. Not one of our finest moments."

Freya shook her head, smiling again. "You saved many people then. You are a good man." She lowered her gaze to the fire seemingly lost in thought.

"I met her then. She was scared and was trying to leave Camelot as there were people being cruel to her and she was trying to go home. I promised to help her and we left the night you killed the baset. We were separated and I haven't seen her since. I thought the worst." Merlin looked so lost in thought then, it spooked the others. They had never seen their happy go lucky bumbling friend so troubled. Freya slid her hand onto his and they stayed like that for a bit.

Later when they were all asleep, Merlin sat up and shrugged off his jacket, and laid on Freya's shoulders. She already had his spare bedroll and his pillow, but it didn't matter to him. He would have given anything then, and he still would now. She smiled in her sleep, and snuggled deeper into the extra warmth.

Merlin laid down, and fell asleep immediately, not cold in the slightest. He had her back, and that's what mattered