Hey, this story was my friends idea, so thanks Emily for telling me this. This story is set during series 4 after episode 3, however set as if Uther didn't die and he was recovering, so Arthur hasn't become King and he doesn't hate magic just yet.
The sun shone through the thick trees that made up the woods that they were currently treading through. Merlin was finding this much harder, of course, than prince Arthur was. In a moment he would hear the prince loudly shout 'Merlin,' a signal to let him know that he was too far behind or that he was walking to slowly.
As predicted not even a minute after the thought had passed his mind came the shout. Merlin shook his head before running forwards to try and catch up with the now stopped prince.
"Sorry sire," He said as he stopped next to the blonde, "My legs are getting tired."
Arthur shook his head and sighed, "Can you do any thing Merlin?" Arthur was only half asking that question to his servant.
"Obviously not sire." Merlin replied.
"Well you managed to get the correct answer for once." Arthur joked, enjoying the small amount of time that he had to spend alone with his servant. No one could interrupt them out here. Arthur didn't know just how wrong that thought would be though.
"I must be learning then, sire."
"Yes, now if only you could apply that knowledge to other things like-" Arthur stopped speaking at the rustling of some leaves near them.
"Other things like what sire?" Merlin asked not realising why Arthur hadn't finished his sentence.
"Shh Merlin." Arthur whispered.
"Why, what have you seen?"
"Merlin shut up, I can hear it, but I can't see it." Arthur replied.
Now Merlin did as he was told and shut up for once. He suddenly had a bad feeling about this hunting trip. His magic was telling him to be careful and that was a feeling that he couldn't ignore, no matter how hard he tried.
Suddenly from out of nowhere a creature appeared and started to charge at them and although Merlin couldn't recall what the creature was called he could remember that it could only be defeated by magic. Merlin looked around desperately and then started to panic when he saw that there was no way that he could use his magic here and now with out Arthur spotting him using it.
As the beast came closer Arthur pointed his sword towards it's heart, however he seemed to know that it wouldn't do much even Merlin knew that it would do nothing. They needed a miracle. Well it was either that or Merlin revealed his secret and neither of them seemed like good options to have.
The creature reached out a claw that only just managed to scrape across Arthur's shoulder causing the prince to drop his sword to the ground in the shock and pain of his new injury.
Just before the beast reached the pair it fell to the ground with a loud screech. Merlin and Arthur looked at the now dead creature in shock. How did that just happen? Arthur and Merlin both managed to notice the shinning sword blade that was in the beast's heart. The same blade that brought many questions to Merlin's mind.
"You should probably watch your surroundings next time," A voice shouted out to the pair, however when they looked around they could see no one, "Your lucky that I was here or I know that you two would be dead by now." Merlin suddenly felt the tip of a sword placed against his back and he froze.
"Arthur." He spoke quietly.
"Be quiet Merlin." Arthur replied nervously. He was worried as to what would happen, after all neither of them knew exactly what they were up against.
"You can turn around, Merlin." The same voice spoke again as they removed the sword from Merlin's back. The black and blonde haired youths turned around and to be honest they were both shocked at the sight that they saw in front of them.
A girl about their age with long hair of a sort of medium brown colour with streaks of blonde running through it stood before them. She wore chain mail and armour just like Arthur, however Merlin could see some thing different that he couldn't decipher in her emerald green eyes.
"Who are you?" Arthur asked still looking quite shocked.
"I think that I'm the person who just saved your lives." She replied. Merlin wasn't sure whether he and Arthur would or wouldn't like this girl.
"But, I.. I mean." Arthur paused trying to find the right words while the female just cocked an eyebrow as she looked at the pair. She and Merlin had most of their attention focussed on Arthur.
"You mean what Arthur?" She asked.
"Well you're a girl," Merlin didn't have to be a genius to see that the female didn't like this comment of the prince's, "Girls don't fight like knights do. I mean take Merlin here he's just like a girl especially in battle."
Merlin had to admit that even he was quite offended by that last comment.
"Well it seems like I shouldn't have bothered to go through the trouble of saving the life of a what I didn't know to be a royal prat." She replied with a smile. Merlin was even more confused now. Even Arthur was beginning to look confused, "Come with me and I'll sort that shoulder of yours out." The girl turned and began walking away in the direction that she had came from.
Arthur turned to follow, however he couldn't leave with out giving Merlin a comment of some kind, "Try and remember to keep up this time, Merlin."
"Yes Sire." Merlin replied before he and the prince began walking again.
When the two males saw the camp site they could see that it was nothing at all special, however the thing that they instantly noticed was a black horse. The horses whole body was pure black and it's head was close apart from a few thin hairs of white. It had small round hooves, but even they still looked like it could easily stomp on any thing that dared to walk on the ground underneath it.
Merlin didn't think that he had ever seen a horse that looked so strong before in his life. There was some thing about this pair that Merlin wasn't sure about.
Arthur sat down on a log that was nearby and Merlin just decided to sit down on the floor. The female was quickly sorting out Arthur's shoulder and Merlin could see that she was already doing a better job than he could do with out using his magic.
"We still never got your name, I don't think," Arthur said as she finished doing the bandage around Arthur's shoulder, "So what is it?"
"That's a complicated story. You see my mother calls me Arthia." She replied as she stood and headed over towards the black horse. Merlin had never heard of such a name and he didn't think that Arthur had either.
"I've never known any one called Arthia before." Merlin said simply from his position on the ground.
"Well you do now then, Merlin." Arthia replied. How she had remembered his name Merlin had no idea, but then again she remembered Arthur's and that was easy to remember. She also seemed to know their names before she had even spoken to them from what Merlin could gather.
"Where's the name come from then?" Arthur asked. He was only really trying to fill the space of time. After all it didn't seem right to just leave after she had saved their lives and was being so kind as to help them out right now.
"Arthur was the name of my best friend, I also had a friend called Sophia and my mother's sister is called Sophia as well, so my mother mixed the two names together. Taking the Art from Arthur and the hia from Sophia." She explained as she untied the black horses reins and allowed it to move freely.
"You said that it was a complicated story though?" Merlin asked.
"Well that's the name that my mother calls me, however my father calls me Morgan."
"Why two different names?" Arthur asked.
"I only know that my father was meant to be the one who gave me the name of Morgan in the first place, but when he disappeared my mother changed it, but I don't know why she did. She refuses to tell me that."
"So what do you want us to call you?" Merlin asked unsure as to which name the girl preferred.
"I don't mind either of them, but I tend to go my the name Morgan as more people know me by that name."
Merlin watched her closely. Arthur wasn't so much interested in what she was doing as he seemed to have found interest in the food that was infront of him. Any one in their right mind would never let a horse just be allowed to wonder around freely. It could chose to go any where it wanted and you would never catch it. Yet this didn't prove to cross Morgan's mind and Merlin didn't know why she seemed so relaxed when it came down to being in the middle of wood land.
He hated it.
No one could ever be this calm in potentially dangerous territory.
But there was some thing different in Morgan that Merlin had never seen in any girl that he had ever met before. She was so calm and yet so collected at the same time. She seemed to be so in touch with the creatures around her, but so far away from them at the same time. It almost made Merlin wonder if she could speak animal.
"Why did your mother mix two names in to one?" Merlin asked trying to bring back conversation to the small group. For one he didn't like the silence and two he didn't trust the horse and he wasn't sure about the girl.
"I don't really know," Morgan started, "She liked both of the names and they were her two favourite choices for names, however she just decided to try and put the two together. I always thought that there may have been another reason, but she always denies that." Morgan finished as she sat down on the ground next to Merlin.
Merlin shifted uncomfortably on the ground. It may have been a long time ago, however he still remembered how he had trusted 'Cara' (who was actually Nimue)only for her to poison him. He couldn't put in to words how he felt about Morgan, even her name was strange like Nimue's.
She could easily be one who practised dark magic. However if she did then why did she save their lives a moment ago. It didn't make any sense just yet.
"So what can I do for you since you saved my and Merlin's life?" Arthur asked putting the food down for a moment.
"Nothing Sire." Morgan replied sending a sweet smile in Arthur's direction.
"No there must be some thing," Arthur persisted, "Money, power any thing you want, Camelot can easily give it to you."
Merlin really wished that Arthur would stop offering this girl things. He still wasn't sure as to whether or not to trust her. Power and money were the last things that he needed her to gain as that would make it harder for him to tell what sort of person that she really was.
"I told you that I wanting nothing sire."
"Then at least come back to Camelot with us?" Arthur asked her.
Morgan smiled and nodded slightly, "That offer I won't deniegh Arthur Pendragon." Why she had used his full name even she didn't know.
"Great," Arthur replied in the same strangely happy tone that he had used before after he had been cured by Balinor, "We can head back to where me and Merlin left our horses and ride back to Camelot from there. Come on Merlin, breaks over." Arthur finished as he began walking back through the woods.
Morgan followed with her horse reins in hand, "Don't worry Merlin, most prince's are complete prats." She said before she continued to follow Arthur. Merlin did the same.
It seemed like a long time for Merlin's tired legs, however the walk actually didn't take them all that long. Soon the three of them were riding towards Camelot at an extremely fast pace. What surprised Merlin though was that Morgan was in front of Arthur. The black horse was much faster than any of the horses that he had seen in Camelot before.
When they arrived back in Camelot later that day, Merlin realised that since he and Arthur had returned early that he would still have tons of chores to do for Arthur before he could even rest. He sighed as he dismounted his horse. His legs feeling stiff as he landed on the ground. Morgan had made riding through wood land look more than easy.
"Your good," Arthur said as he walked over to Morgan who still held her horse's reins as Arthur handed his horse to a servant, "Tell me where did you learn to ride like that?"
"I just learnt Arthur." She replied.
"Nobody can learn to just ride that way." Arthur spoke back willing to start another one of his battles of words that he so commonly had with Merlin.
"I told you Sire," Morgan started again adding Sire on to the end as more servants walked by, "I just learnt." Arthur didn't really know what to say in reply to that.
"Well you can give your horse to one of these servants." Arthur told her as he called one of the younger servant over.
"That won't be necessary Sire, I'm more than used to doing my own work." Morgan replied as she followed the servant who was now walking beside her directing her, even though she seemed to know where she was going with out any help.
Merlin could see that she and the servant (who he had recognised as the young boy that Arthur gave a job to just the other day) were already in deep conversation on some thing. And Merlin was sure that he saw the boy laugh at some thing that she had said.
"Merlin!" Arthur called from the top of the palace stairs, "Hurry up will you!"
"Coming Sire," Merlin called as loud as he could before beginning to walk up the stairs, "Clot pole." He mumbled under his breath.
The doors to the throne room were thrust open and Arthur walked through, his father gave him a light smile as he saw his son. Arthur was happy. His father was still weak and ill, but he was slowly recovering. He was speaking a bit more now as well as smiling. Although Morgana's betrayal still haunted him he was trying to push that behind him, to move on and be happy, to enjoy the rest of his time with his son and his kingdom.
"Arthur." His father said as he stood from his throne meeting Arthur part way down the room. Not even registering that his son had come back from his planned hunting trip earlier than planned.
"Father." He replied with an equally happy smile. But then his father noticed his shoulder wound.
"Arthur what happened?" He asked. Arthur could register the worry in his fathers voice. It was pure, genuine worry.
"Nothing serious father," Arthur started, "Me and Merlin had the best of help." Arthur gave his father a smile to try and brighten the after noon for them both.
"From who?" Uther asked his son, "They must be rewarded."
"I have already asked them that and they desire nothing." Arthur replied as his father turned and sat back down on his throne.
"I would like to meet this man." He replied. Arthur began laughing slightly, however Uther couldn't understand why, "What's so funny?
"My helper was female, father." Arthur managed to say between his laughter.
"Then I will meet her." Uther replied, now looking slightly embarrassed to say the least.
"Of course father." Arthur replied as he left the room. Even when he was gone and the doors were shut behind him, Uther could have sworn that he could still hear his son laughing.
Merlin had thought it best to wait out side for Arthur. What he didn't expect was the prince to walk out laughing.
"Merlin bring Morgan here, my father would like to meet her." Arthur told his servant, his laughter having finally seized.
"Sure, but what's so funny?" Merlin asked, however that only caused Arthur to start laughing again as he walked down the hall. Merlin shook his head and went to do as he was told.
After looking around for Morgan and bringing Arthur back with him, the three headed to the throne room. Uther sat in the room on his throne alone as soon as the doors opened and he saw Arthur he smiled. Merlin remembered how a few months ago Uther was just a broken spirit.
"Arthur I assume that this is the person who helped you?" Uther asked as he rose to stand and walk over to the three of them.
"Yes father." Arthur replied.
"What's your name?" Uther asked turning his attention to the female.
"It's quite a complicated story, but you can call me Morgan, my Lord." She replied.
"Alright Morgan, my son tells me that you want nothing in reward for saving his life, am I right?" Uther asked as he sat back down.
"You are my Lord." Morgan replied, "I only wish to be allowed to stay in Camelot for a while."
"Of course, you can stay as long as you wish."
"Thank you, my Lord." Morgan replied before bowing and leaving the room. Merlin followed her out of the room and Arthur did the same before he turned towards the training grounds. Merlin continued on to Gaius's, Morgan walked by his side.
"Gaius is a great position from what I hear." Morgan said.
"Yeah he's the best." Merlin replied quietly. The two walked up the rest of the stairs in silence and when Merlin pushed open the doors to Gaius's chambers he was surprised to see Gwaine and Percival there. The two knights turned to face them as they walked in and that wasn't Merlin's last surprise for the day.
"Morgan?" Percival's voice spoke over the silence in question.
"Percival what are you doing here?" Morgan asked back as she headed over to the knight. Merlin was at a lose for explanation as to how these two knew each other, but he was sure that he would find out soon enough if he waited.
"I'm just here to make sure that Gwaine didn't fall down the stairs," Percival replied. Merlin gave the knight a slightly confused look while Morgan just seemed to already know why Gwaine was here, even though she had never met him before, "He's drunk again." Percival added sensing Merlin's confusion.
"Ah." Merlin replied before Gaius called him over asking him to look for some kind of herb for him. As he started looking on the many selves through the numerous bottles he could see Percival and Morgan walk out of the door.
There was some thing about Morgan. Some thing that Merlin liked and some thing that he hated.
I don't really know why I decided to write this. It was my friends idea and she said that she thought that I could write it well, so I guess I thought why not. I hope that you enjoyed this, please review and thanks for reading.