Thank you so much to everyone that has read, favourited, followed and taken the time to review. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, as opposed to the washing machine on a spin cycle my stomach experienced just after I posted the first chapter!


Chapter 2 The Physician's Chambers:

Merlin was late; he had run from the armoury to his shared chambers, where he was supposed to be helping Gaius. The Warlock burst through the door and was forced to stop. This was no easy task, the forward momentum of his trunk propelled him over his feet and he only managed to halt his progress by coming onto his toes and wind milling his arms frantically. His body may have ceased to move but it felt like his brain kept going and was being bounced back and forth against his skull.

When his vision re focused, Merlin examined the raised index finger that was inches from his chest, the person that it belonged to was engrossed in his work.

"I've spent all morning preparing this, I need to concentrate" was the only explanation, "Could you pass me the cedar wood and thyme please".

Gaius held out his hand, beckoning with his fingers expectantly. Not once did he look up from the potion he was brewing.

Merlin went to a cluttered shelf and selected the appropriate vials, handing them silently to his surrogate father.

Merlin watched in horror and fascination as the pale pink liquid morphed into a viscous and black homogenous mass and began bubbling uncontrollably. Smoke swirled from its surface ominously and then it erupted like a rampant volcano. Molten projectiles were sent in all directions and created smouldering craters whenever they landed on Gaius work bench and possessions. Glass jars exploded and little fires sprang into life igniting anything that had come in contact with the tar like substance.

Merlin's eyes flared gold and the ebony river solidified, he blinked again and it disappeared along with the fires and broken glass. The warlock let out a sigh, his outreached hand dropping to his side with a resounding slap, the sound was echoed by Gaius, as he emerged from his hiding place behind a table and clipped his ward around the ear with considerable force.

"You stupid boy, what were you thinking?" the furious physician barked.

"I didn't think..." Merlin's attempt at an explanation was cut short as Gaius stormed

"No, that's the problem, you don't think. Your head is in the clouds, your own thoughts more important, all I asked for was two simple herbs, it's not complicated, it's not difficult, the names were clearly written on the bottles all you had to do was look" he flapped his arms in desperation, sighed and turned his back on the dejected Warlock.

"Gaius, I'm sorry" Merlin gazed at the bottles in his hand, how could he have made a mistake like that? It was careless and he felt foolish and like the idiot he was frequently accused of being.

The old man turned towards his ward "Perhaps you should go to the training grounds, Arthur will wonder where you are, I'll clear up the mess in here" he said curtly.

Merlin knew when he had been dismissed. He should really stay and clear up, but he did not want to, he wanted the room to open up and swallow him whole. Ironically that would have probably happened if the out of control potion had run its course. For an old man in the caring profession Gaius packed quite a punch and the servant did not want to be on the receiving end again, so he nodded an apology and headed for the training grounds.