CHAPTER ONE : KNOCK HIM DOWN TO BUILD HIM UP

Merlin had been Gaius's apprentice for close to three-quarters of a year. He'd experienced the breathtaking beauty of the late winter with its bone chilling nights, the wetness of the spring and the drowsy heaviness of the hot summer days. His life had been varied and he faced each new experience with an adventurous spirit which had on a few occasions caused him grief.

He had become embroiled in an ongoing argument between one of the more senior menservants and a young upcoming servant. It had come to his attention upon seeing the older man purposely trip the younger man as he served at one of the banquets over the harvest celebrations. It was an obvious move on the part of Dexter and the young man landed heavily on the flagstones but not before loosing control of his heavily laden tray. The food went everywhere and what did not land on the table was quickly pushed away from the area where the servants would be passing.

A few of the knights had given a half-hearted round of applause at the sound of the crashing pewter and wooded platters. However, almost immediately the volume of talking was once again at its regular level. Merlin watched carefully and by the lack of response from some of the other senior table servers it was apparent that this was not the first time that Dexter had pulled that stunt. He wondered if it were maybe an initiation of sorts for a newcomer. If it were, it was a flagrant waste of good food not to mention any injury the man might have sustained.

Merlin could imagine that once all the torches and candles had been extinguished, the local rodents would have be having their own celebration. He knew that early the following day, the young server would spend most of his times on his hands and knees as he cleaned up the mess he had made. Servants aspiring to serve at table had to be strong, agile and capable of negotiating uneven stairs, flagstones and heavily laden trays with ease.

He accepted the fact that he would have made a frightful servant as he could trip over daisies and dandelions without any provocation.

-0-0-

He remembered walking with Arthur who one pleasant spring afternoon had insisted that he would accompany him on his herb gathering and how he had said, "Merlin, watch out for the root at the top of the bank!"

…and he did honestly watch out for it but still managed to get it entangled in the tip of his boot and stumbled and if it hadn't been for Arthur's quick grabbing of his jacket he would have unceremoniously slid on his knees to the bottom of the gully.

Arthur had released him once he realised that he was all right and had laughed at him. Not in an unkind way as Merlin could see from Arthur's face a mixture of relief that he was not hurt, before the realisation that it had been funny struck him. Merlin had grinned as well.

Smiling Arthur dragged him to his feet saying, "There is no need to prostrate yourself in front of me, a nod of your head is quite acceptable, or really nothing as in your position you are subservient only to my father and not me…well, not until I become king and then I will expect a formal bow of recognition each time we meet."

"Don't hold your breath!" Merlin had said with a cheeky grin as he dusted off his trousers.

Arthur laughed thinking how he couldn't take offence at what Merlin said because there was no maliciousness in it. He wondered what would happen if he used the same phrase on his father the next time he was told to do something which didn't appeal to him. He could see it. His father would say seriously, 'Arthur, before the dignitaries arrive, you as crown prince will peruse our legal standing on the treaties in question.'

He closed his eyes and imagined saying, 'Don't hold your breath, Father!' He smiled to himself, he would certainly have been in trouble and probably forbidden from training with the squires or doing anything which he found pleasurable.

He smiled before saying, "Does Gaius often allow you out on your own? He must know something that I don't and have the utmost confidence that you will return safely in one piece."

-0-0-

Merlin came back to the present as Dexter walked past Gaius and him smiling. That evening in the dining hall, what had annoyed Merlin most had been the smirk on Dexter's face as some of the other servants quickly came to the younger man's aid. Merlin decided to make it his business to watch the older man to see how he interacted with the other servants. He had a minor position of importance as he was in charge of seeing that the tables in his section were served. He overdid the bowing every time a knight acknowledged him and Merlin was pleased that he was stationed across the room and nowhere near them.

The king had not been present in the hall which was good as he had an unfortunate habit of enjoying seeing people embarrassed and his action seemed to set the mood for the situation.

He would laugh out loud drawing people's attention to the unfortunate soul. Some of his cronies would also remark about the situation but others would have a fixed smile on their faces as if the king's behaviour made them feel uncomfortable. Merlin had mentioned it to Gaius who had said that the king would see it differently if it had been his meal or pitcher of mead which had landed on the floor.

The servants for the king's table were handpicked and experienced, everyone worked smoothly together and if the king had been asked to point out who had served him, he probably would not have been able to do so. He had his own meat carver and wine steward and his personal manservant was always at hand.

Through judicious questioning without raising any suspicions, Merlin found out that the young servant was Sam the oldest son of Arthur's manservant Martin. For years there had been competition between Dexter and Martin and now Dexter was taking every opportunity to make Martin's son's life a misery.

Merlin hadn't seen much of Arthur recently, he was keeping well and it was infrequently that their paths crossed. However, he knew that with the upcoming Harvest celebrations, Arthur and the king would be present at the meals.

Gaius had given him an idea of the importance of a good harvest. He had explained that the meat from animals slaughtered in the autumn would keep the castle going over the winter. Hunting of the king's deer by the royal huntsmen would supplement this, however should the weather be unsafe for hunting, the kitchens relied on the meat butchered in September, cured and kept hanging in huge lockers near the kitchens. Everything was organised according to the type of food being stored. Whereas villagers might subsist on vegetables and grains, the inhabitants of the castle expected better.

Over the winter there were always house guests and they were fed in the custom there were used to. Even going over the top if they were there to be impressed by the ruler of Camelot. Merlin was looking forwards to some of the celebrations. Gaius spoke fondly of the Harvest supper which in some cases was rivalled only by the Yuletide feast.

-0-0-

One day Merlin was returning from the senior knights' wing, where he had made a delivery of medication for Gaius and while there had checked on one of the elderly knight's ulcerated leg. He was coming back along the corridor his mind miles away and he had heard a hushed voice saying his name. He'd spun around but had seen no one. He was ready to high tail it out of there when he saw an arm coming out of a doorway and the fingers on the hand beckoning him.

He had two choices, stand and face the consequences of being curious or take off. This time the voice was clearer and he caught his name accompanied by the command, "Come here! Merlin, it's me!"

He then recognised the voice as Arthur's albeit rather muffled, he walked towards the door which was suddenly opened and he was grabbed and hauled in. He spun around to face his surmised aggressor who by then was unwinding a woollen muffler from his face and grinning. He was facing a very pleased with himself Arthur.

"What was that all about? When you grabbed me, I could have turned on you and seriously hurt you!"

Arthur looked at him and smiled benignly saying, "I doubt it!"

"I could have…I might have…if I hadn't recognised you…"

Arthur smiled, Merlin was so cute when he was all riled up, "Well, sorry, I didn't intend to frighten you…"

"I wasn't frightened! If I had been frightened I would have run off down the corridor. I was curious but being careful. You might have been a stranger planning to do awful things to me…

Arthur looked at the tousled haired man in front of him and his mind surprised him by thinking, 'Don't give me ideas!'

"…and I might have been tied up in this room and left here to starve to death and never found and Gaius would have been sick with worry!" Merlin glanced around the room which was furnished with dust sheets over most things, "What's this room used for?"

"It used to be my nursery but then I was moved to the royal floor when I no longer needed a nursemaid."

Merlin huffed insinuating that he felt that maybe Arthur might still be in need of one.

"No, honestly it was. I can show you my toys if you want."

Merlin would have quite enjoyed looking through Arthur's childhood treasures but he remembered that he was on a job for Gaius and said, "I don't have time right now as Gaius is expecting me back." His voice softened as he added, "We could do it again sometime if you like."

Arthur sighed, "Merlin, do you think I got you here to look at my toys, I got off track when you asked me what room it was. I needed to see you because Martin is very upset as his son Sam has gone missing!"

Merlin forgot Gaius and his need to return to his own chambers as Arthur moved over a dust sheet to reveal the end of a rather large bed.

"How did you ever manage to sleep in that bed as a youngster? You must have been lost most of the time?"

"Martin's Sam…!"

"Right!" Merlin said but couldn't help sharing, "When I first slept by myself it was in a corner near the fire, on the floor no less and I had to decide which way I wanted to lie before doing so as it was such a small area that I couldn't turn over. However, it was warm and my Mam had given me a blanket of my own and I had a pile of dried grasses to lie upon."

Arthur raised his eyes to heaven but didn't interrupt as he was actually interested in what Merlin was saying.

"During the really cold weather, my Mam and I used to share a bed and one winter it was so cold that old Mrs. Jones and her husband Alfie came and joined us along with their three grandchildren. We only had one fire going instead of two but were surprisingly warm all cuddled together."

Arthur's mind was ahead of him as he asked, "…and do they still do that in the villagers if the weather is inclement?"

"Only if it is dangerously cold as otherwise sleeping by yourself in a bed might mean a premature death. You can share body heat, you know!" Merlin said as he fingered the heavy coverlet which they were sitting on. He thought to himself, 'Imagine being so rich that you could leave bedding on a bed in a room which was no longer being used.'

Arthur was wondered how warm it would be wrapped in a blanket on a bed of dried grasses snuggling with Merlin…he shook his head as he came back to the present and Merlin saying, "But, I digress, tell me, what happened and why does Martin feel that his son has gone missing?"

Raising his eyes to heaven and sighing, Arthur said patiently, "Because neither he nor anyone else from his fellow servers to the cooks, has seen him."

"When did he go missing?"

"Three days ago…"

"Does he often take off like that?"

"No, he has a young wife and she is according to Martin in the family way. They live with her parents. Her father works as a slate roofer in the castle."

"Well, it sounds improbable that he just up and left." Merlin said, then he remembered the situation between Dexter and the young servant.

"If I can get a few hours off tomorrow and Gaius could give you the time, could we search for him?" Arthur asked. "I know Martin and his brother would be willing to join us."

As the castle was full of knights and squires, Merlin couldn't see how four people would accomplish much. Surely the king could have told someone to arrange a search party and then he realised that a lowly under-servant would hardly call for such an elaborate search. To the king and the majority of knights, villagers were a dime a dozen and could easily be replaced. The main function of a villager was to make the castle residents' lives easier as personal servants and general castle staff. He realised that it made more sense for the search party to be made up of fewer people who would be able to pass by unnoticed as apposed to half a regiment of soldiers.

Merlin still had his doubts, as searching through a castle the size of Camelot when he was only just figuring out the layout himself might prove difficult. He decided to do it with one provision, "Could I go with you when we search, Arthur, as if I also get lost then you would be searching for two missing people."

"But we wouldn't need to search for you as we would know that you were just lost and like the proverbial hound would finally turn up when you were well and truly hungry." Arthur looked at him and realised that he had possibly believed him so he added, "Don't get all downfallen, I promise that I won't lose you and certainly would never abandon you…even if I did!"

"Well, that makes me feel a little bit better at least!" Merlin said. He couldn't really understand why he had mentioned getting lost as he had an acute sense of direction and although he might go a roundabout way, he always managed to reach his destination in one piece. It was however, comforting to know that in his off-handed way, Arthur did value his company.

Rising off the bed, Arthur said, "Great, we will make up one team." He turned to look down at Merlin and his heart expressed truth as he said quietly, "…and I will take good care of you."

Merlin smiled as he stood and said, "Don't know if I should consider that a promise or a threat. Just don't leave me all by myself in some abandoned area of the castle. But now, I really have to go, Gaius will be thinking that I have absconded…" he placed the linen bag over his shoulder patting it affectionately as he said, "…with his bag of tricks."

Shaking his head, Arthur laughed, "After having been on the receiving end of some of the contents of that bag, I might suggest that you ditch it. Gosh, some of the things Gaius has had me consume under the guise of life-saving medicinal substances and the like have been disgusting!"

He reached the door first and holding it open, ushered Merlin and his satchel out of the room. "Let me know when Gaius can give you a few hours and I'll try to fit it into my busy schedule."

Merlin grinned and raised his eyes to heaven, "You're not the only one with a high-pressured job you know! I'm the one and only apprentice, to one who regularly saves lives."

"And I'm in training to be a lifesaver as a knight and also way down the line to being a king," Arthur said jostling him slightly. Of course, Arthur's jostle was a little more forceful than he had intended and he had to grab Merlin who was then off balance and in danger of brushing face first against the stone walls of the corridor.

"Sorry, got a little carried away," Arthur said as he twisted him around and straightened him up against the wall. "I'm used to the rough and tumble life of the squires when you give back more than what you got to begin with."

"Possibly, survival of the fittest?" Merlin mused. "Dread to think what you might do to an enemy if that is what you do to a friend!"

Arthur stood their motionless, one hand near Merlin's shoulder and the other hanging onto the strap of the physician's satchel. He could hear his heart beating in his ears and all his energy seemed consumed in taking in the young man in front of him.

He glanced at Merlin and realised that he was looking back at him intently with a glint in his eyes and a soft smile forming on his lips. Arthur smiled and broke the spell as Merlin pulled back and shook his head, "Arthur, I have to be on my way."

Neither of them were conscious of a portly figure further down the corridor. Gaius shrugged his shoulders and smiled to himself, at least he'd found his missing apprentice.

-0-0-

The search party set out mid afternoon two days later. Merlin had done some prior checking and found out where in the maze of servants' quarters Dexter slept. While most of the servants were at work, Arthur, Martin, Norman Sam's younger brother and Merlin made their way through the castle. They split up and started checking common servant areas first and then made their way to one section next to the servant's quarters which because of the need for repairs had been abandoned. In a large castle, the list of repairs was always long and priority was given to areas used by the majority of people and the servant quarters did not rank highly on the list.

Merlin had reported to Arthur and Martin what he had witnessed in the dining hall and Martin was not surprised and said, "He's got a nasty streak that Dex. No love lost between our families."

They split into two groups and made their way quietly into the abandoned area. Standing perfectly still they waited but their arrival had not resulted in any cries for of help. Martin called softly, "Sam, it's me your Da! Are ye there?"

This time Merlin picked up sound which might have been a displaced stone hitting the floor. He motioned for the others to stay and crept across the main room to a passageway on the left. He stopped and motioned for Martin to call again. This time they all heard the rumble as more objects hit the floor.

Arthur was beside him in an instant and the four of them advanced beyond the passage way into a large dormitory with a few discarded sleeping pallets. They stood still and again Martin called, "Sam, make noise again!"

Moving deliberately ahead, Arthur led the others into an antechamber and lying awkwardly on the floor, bound hand and foot and gagged was Sam looking the worse for wear and covered in stone dust.

Merlin followed Martin to him and refused to let him be moved until he had checked him for broken bones. Norman handed him a water-skin and Merlin convinced that he was not too badly injured allowed him two sips of water.

Martin released his son's ankles as Arthur unbound his hands, he immediately reached for more water. His father tenderly brushed the stone dust from his face. "Son, we were so worried!"

The whole story came out as the five of them made their way back to Martin's quarters. Dexter had tricked him and managed on the pretence of helping to clear sections prior to repairs being done, to overpower him and drag him into the abandoned section. "I was so stupid," Sam said, "I should have seen through his ruse."

Arthur told him not to blame himself and later that evening as he got ready to retire, told Martin he would speak to Humphrey the assistant to the Lord Chamberlain about another position for Sam. Knowing that many times being a manservant runs in families, he intended to suggest that he start his training by assisting the menservants of the elderly knights. The further he was away from the serving staff the better.

-0-0-

That night in bed, Arthur was satisfied in his involvement with the outcome of Martin's son's problems. Martin was a good manservant who suited him and if his son in a couple of years was of the same calibre he would also be a credit to his family. He thought about their luck in finding Sam alive and dust covered.

He had a strange deja-vu feeling that his brain was trying to tell him something he was missing, some knowledge in the back of his mind which he couldn't quite grasp…a celebration, tall buildings, stone dust and especially Merlin hovering over someone, pain and an eerie wailing.

He couldn't figure it out and instead, let his thoughts wander and Merlin drifted into his mind as he did regularly before he fell asleep. He thanked the powers that be who had sent him to Gaius and smiled as he recalled the great team the two of them had made.

Unbeknownst to the others, Arthur also had a few words with the head of the serving staff and Dexter was removed from his dining hall position and relegated to kitchen duties.