Hearing about the reason for Merlin's sudden disappearance was heartbreaking, really, but if he was honest, Percival would not have expecting any differently from Arthur. Not at first, anyway. Arthur was a headstrong and stubborn man, hardly every deviating from whatever decision he made, good or bad. The only times he ever truly renounced a verdict was when Merlin talked him out of it or someone was hurt. It seemed neither would dissuade Arthur from… banishing Merlin, but the King appeared convinced that this was the only solution. Percival simply figured that after a few days to calm down, the king would have seen reason and allowed Merlin home with open arms. Time had, unfortunately, proven that was not the case. Percival himself had went to talk to the King and was greeted by angry shouts and sneered comments before news of Merlin's departure even came to him. It was surprising, but understandable, considering the situation.

He still felt Arthur was wrong in his choices and was more than willing to ride out with Gwaine, even if it did seem like some kind of wild goose chase. Merlin was one man, one man who left Camelot days before. For all they knew, he was already set up as a physician in a small village in some far kingdom, happy and safe. In any case, he would still be miles and miles ahead of them in any direction they went in. It wasn't that he didn't want to find the young man, but leaving the castle for something that could take them weeks, made turning back and looking another day all the more appealing.

That is, of course, until they saw the red neckerchief and brown jacket hanging from a clothes line. Anyone who had ever met Merlin knew about his insatiable obsession with neckerchiefs, why it was hanging outside of a run-down shack was beyond him. Wouldn't Merlin have tried to look for a village? Possibly look for apprenticeship in another kingdom? He turned his horse in the direction of the small shack and Gwaine was quick to follow.

They jumped off their horses as they came to the small hut and tied them both to a tree. Gwaine and Percival both hesitated before leaving their swords in the scabbards connected to the saddles. They didn't know what exactly they would find after all. For all they knew, some old Hermit was living in that shack and had stolen Merlin's clothes. Unlikely, but a possibility nonetheless. Tentatively, but restlessly, they walked up to the front door, though it seemed like a half attached piece of wood.

As luck would have it, Merlin opened the door just as the duo were about to knock. Not being the most nimble person in the land, Merlin had made a rather shocked exclamation and stumbled back, droping the small satchel he had been holding. Of course, after he collected his wits about himself, he smiled. And that was Gwaine's first red flag.

It was empty, far from the Merlin he'd known, and before saying anything he reached out to lay a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly.

Naturally, Merlin was surprised to see the two knights, but was more than happy to have them as a comfort for a while. Well, as happy as he could be. "Why are you two here?" he asked after inviting the two inside his (make-shift) home. He felt a tad bit awkward, but once again, faked a smile.

"Because our great King Arthur is an ass," Gwaine answered immediately, sarcasm laced with Arthur's title. Percival shook his head slightly but followed Gwaine in anyway, closing the door.

"What he means is that Arthur is in the wrong, and that you have the support of the knights," he corrected in a much less venomous tone, smiling sadly at Merlin.

Merlin sighed. "I appreciate the support- I really do, but you didn't have to come all the way out here and tell me. I'm fine." Alright, worst lie he could fathom, but he didn't want to show the knights how much he was hurting. It was bad enough that he couldn't come back home, now he had blatant reminders of that fact standing in front of him. "Sorry to say, but it was a wasted trip."

"It wasn't," Percival assured, shaking his head. Merlin could try to tell them he was fine, but the smile he was managing was too far from his bright grins to be believable. "It's not a wasted trip. Elyan and Leon stayed behind... No doubt they are trying to convince Arthur to look beyond his fear of being betrayed again to see what actually happened. All of us can see it. It's only a matter of time before Arthur comes to fetch you himself." It may have been wrong to say with such sureness, but he did believe it, and Merlin looked like he needed something to hope for.

"You should have seen the way he looked at me." Merlin defended and leaned against one of the house's support beams. Blue eyes filled with hate and disgust and betrayal flashed across his vision and Merlin clenched his fists. "I'm the last thing he'll ever want to see…" His shoulders sagged slightly, but he immediately corrected it and looked up defiantly. "And quite frankly, I don't want to see him right now." Finally being away from all of Arthur's drama and his constant need for supervision had really given Merlin the opportunity to reflect on his life within Camelot. He truly didn't like what he saw. He felt that he had wasted all those years and given up so much for the damn prat and he had gotten little to no recognition beyond being a clumsy fool. At least; that's what he tried to convince himself of. Maybe Merlin just didn't want to face rejection again, maybe he was scared. What if he simply wanted to run away from it all, so as not to get hurt?

"I saw his face well enough when I went in to yell at him," Gwaine cut in. "He's just a coward, Merlin. That's what it is. He's a bloody coward who's pushing you away before you leave him of your own volition. Which, for how he treats you, I still don't understand why you didn't years ago."
That got a laugh out of the raven, empty and a little hurt. True, Arthur didn't always give him respect and stepped on him sometimes. But Merlin always felt it was worth when they both came out victorious against any adversary; at least, that's what Merlin thought… He bit his lip in slight apprehension, looking off to a random corner and folding his arms over his chest.

"That's not the point," Percival reminded, fondly exasperated by Gwaine's temper. "The point is, this is not going to last long, Merlin. He needs you; anyone can see that." He stepped forward and placed a large, warm hand on Merlin's shoulder. "I'm sure if you came back today, Arthur would welcome you back with open arms. We both know he misses you, even if he won't admit it."

Merlin bit the inside of his cheek, then shuddered and shook off Percival's hand. "I-I don't know... I just... I don't think I'm going to come back. Not now, anyway…" There. He said it. It was out in the open.

Gwaine looked to their friend with understanding. "Alright, Merlin. Just give us a heads up on when you come back." Gwaine said, making it a point to say 'when' and smirking like Merlin hadn't just announced his not coming back. This only made Merlin roll his eyes, typical of Gwaine to be like this. Percival, however, frowned sadly and placed his hand stiffly to his side. He could tell Gwaine was just as disappointed, probably even more so. They had come to retrieve and bring the warlock home, not bring back a message of him never coming back. It seemed, though, that Merlin still wasn't ready to come home just yet and the knights would respect their friend's wishes.

The remainder of their evening consisted of normal banter, keen on not speaking of Merlin's choices of staying away. Merlin would ask how Gaius and the other Knights were doing and Gwaine would go on long and extravagant stories of his trips to the Tavern and Percival would Blush when he was brought into said stories. It was nice. No rank or public view to stop them from being simply the purest of friends. It was truly enjoyable. Eventually, Gwaine brought up the nerve to ask: "So, what will you be doing now?"

That made Merlin think. "I honestly don't know..." he looked out the small window with a faint smile. "I may start traveling through the kingdoms. Might be worth a shot to put my teachings as a physician to good use, helping the sick and injured." He said with a shrug. Gwaine and Percival nodded, they could see Merlin becoming a great healer, he already was so good with Gaius and helping the people of Camelot, other kingdoms would be lucky to have him.

"Can you show us?" Percival asked meekly, ducking his head and giving a shy smile. If he was honest, he had been looking forward to witnessing Merlin perform magic.

"My, Sir Percival, You wish to provoke treason from an innocent civilian? Shame!" Gwaine threw his arms about dramatically, before waggling his eye brows in the young man's direction. "So, can you?" Leave it to Gwaine to openly flirt and ask for a forbidden art to be performed at the same time. Merlin blinked at them owlishly, sitting straighter and a bit more cautious.

"Show you…"

"Magic, of course." Gwaine stated blatantly, putting on a sincere expression and leaning a bit more forward on the small stool he was perched on. Merlin, once again, blinked, then sighed and looked away.

"Arthur told you…" It wasn't a question. It was a statement beyond finality. Had Arthur already announced his banishment? Already told everyone that he was a dangerous Sorcerer who was to be killed on sight? Gwaine nodded, placed a hand on Merlin's knee.

"Only when I demanded it of him. As far as I know, he's told no one else of your reasons for leaving. For all the kingdom knows, you quit or are on temporary leave to visit home." The Brunette promised and Merlin wouldn't question what Gwaine of all people was telling him. "So… Can you show us something? Anything is fine." Merlin shifted a bit awkwardly, looking around, before nodding and raising his hand to a small basin of water across the room.

Without the use of any words, Merlin's eyes flashed a glowing ember hue and the two Knights stared in utter awe as the water began to ripple, then glow an unearthly blue. They had seen magic before, but never like this, never in such an elegantly perfect dance as strings and drops of water rose and swirled to form intricate patterns and figures in midair. This was magic in one of its most pure forms, elemental manipulation, using the forces of the earth and creating something using only what you have. Merlin glanced in their direction before twisting his wrist ever so slightly and the water rivulets suddenly diverted and floated over to the two nights, the glow making their chainmail gleam with magic and light. In front of Gwaine, the liquid morphed and shifted into a beautiful water nymph, flitting and twirling around his head, making him smile brightly. Before Percival, several dolphins formed and leapt through an artificial surface of an ocean. Eventually, though, Merlin had to release his hold on the water and guided it back into the basin.

"Tada…" The warlock said meekly, shrugging his shoulders and blushing up to his ears. Percival was at a loss for words as he just continued to stare at the basin filled with plain, ordinary water that no longer glowed or moved. Gwaine, however, was transfixed on Merlin.

"Merlin…" He stated before laughing joyously, "You are amazing."

~X~

The two knights left the next morning, being sure to give Merlin a heartfelt farewell. They still didn't like the fact that Merlin was not planning on returning to Camelot, but as of that moment, there was nothing they could do. Merlin was an adult, he could take care of himself and make his own choices. The journey back to Camelot was filled with a thick silence as Gwaine stewed. Percival knew first hand that Gwaine was over protective of Merlin and was furious with Arthur for even thinking of turning his back on his own servant and friend. It was understandable, and Percival was in agreement, to some degree. It was wrong of Arthur, but Merlin did lie…

By the time they finally made their way back to the castle, Arthur was waiting by the gate with Gaius, looking much older, hunched behind him. Gwaine was hardly surprised when the King's eyes darkened when they did not find Merlin riding behind them. He glared at the Noble when he dismounted his mare. "I hope you're happy." The brunette bit out as he stalked past him. "Now Merlin's never coming back." He did not waste any energy by hiding the obvious distaste and scorn. Let the sod suffer for a bit for what he did. Let him grieve over wasting the opportunity to work with and befriend someone as incredible as Merlin, wasn't his problem. Percival was at least polite in greeting his king, stating their finds before walking with Gaius back to his chambers, the poor old man's features dimmed.

Arthur had shut himself in his chambers for the rest of the day after storming off, throwing back a strained "Good riddance!" In his wake. No one would know that there was a broken mirror and a few knocked over chairs that night and no one questioned when the King was found the next day with a cut up fist. Nobody needed to.

~X~

Weeks passed, slowly, but surely turning into months and no one heard from the banished warlock. Many of the Knights had expected him to at least write, Gaius being the most disappointed to never hear from his long since gone ward. Gwaine had even gone back to the shack in hopes of catching his old friend, but it seemed Merlin had gone through with his plan. When Gwaine arrived, all of Merlin's belongings and Merlin himself had vacated the hut and it seemed it had been vacant for quite a while. Gwaine had, of course, told the Knights at training and Arthur had overheard. That day of training lead to many of the knights needing to go to Gaius.

Of course, no one could blame Merlin for leaving and Arthur's sudden rise in temper. If Merlin wasn't wanted in Camelot, why shouldn't he leave and travel? It would certainly pass the time. And why shouldn't he? He was a free man now, with now stubborn royal to babysit or have his heart broken over. Why shouldn't he travel and maybe find a welcoming village in another kingdom to settle down in. At any rate, it was clear that Merlin had moved on and was not coming back. As for Arthur; Merlin was his friend, best friend really. It's no surprise that he would be upset by the news. The Knights and servants knew that it would be hard for the King from now on, but no one was prepared for the repercussions of Merlin's officially permanent absence.

Arthur's reaction was the most devastating.

He still ruled the kingdom as well as ever, but something had been reduced, taken away. He still went to meetings and feasts, doing all the movements, but not with any emotion. No soul. No... anything. He seemed to have turned into a shell of someone that once was. It even went as far as he would miss training and lock himself in his room for hours on end, not allowing anyone access.

And it did not go unnoticed by the citizens and knights of the entire Kingdom. Something needed to be done and fast, or else Camelot's ruler would surely lose more than just his charisma and brightness. The Kingdom was threatening to implode in on itself.

Against his better judgment, Arthur had allowed himself to be dragged on a patrol with the knights. It wasn't the most kingly thing to be doing, being that it was only something he could do while a Prince, but it was a small comfort. The Knights and been doing things like this for a while, trying to get him to come to the Tavern or to bring him out of his chambers even for a walk. Although Arthur would have preferred to be alone, he was appreciative for the men's efforts. Being out of the castle's stone walls and in the open, the free air of the forest really did help with Arthur's thoughts. He could breathe easier without having all his normal duties to plague his mind and push off more important matters.

Matters like Merlin.

The sodding git had been gone for this long and it seemed like more of a punishment for Arthur himself than the sorcerer in question. Never in his life would Arthur have thought that one's heart could feel so empty, so entirely off-kilter. Arthur sighed from his place in the camp as the rest were talking and eating their supper. They had decided to go around the outskirts of the kingdom and make it a four day trip. Arthur had no objections to getting out and staying away from his duties for a few days, but things were still slightly strained between them and the King knew that that would only change if Merlin came back. And as they all saw, that wasn't happening any time soon. Some of the men laughed and conversed, eating the soup that just didn't taste the same as when Merlin made it. Eventually, Gwaine pulled out the few deer skins filled with ale that they had brought along and the Knight's cups were soon filled. Arthur did not take any of the drink offered. A half hour passed and the men were quite drunk by this point, not to the stage of falling over, but most definitely had acquired loose tongues.

"So, who's the sod who'll clean up after us?" Sir Owaine asked loudly as he took another gulp of ale. Some of the men giggled, but Gwaine's features turned somber.

"Merlin would…" The Knights suddenly dimmed and looked down into their cups and bowls. "Merlin would have cleaned this whole camp with a smile and a smart comment…" Gwaine went on and Kay shrugged his shoulders.

"Guess that's over…" Was all he said and Leon nodded, looking over at Arthur. The King refused to meet the gaze.

"What ever happened to that boy?" Owaine asked, Gwaine frowned deeply.

"He was…" He stopped and sighed. "He was turned away, turned away and scorned. Merlin couldn't take the Heart break and he left. Found something better with his life-" Arthur didn't let the Knight continue.

"I think I'm going to go to bed." He said as he stood on his feet and set his full bowl of food down. There was no way he could stand to listen to another word, from anybody, especially Gwaine. The blatant verbal accusation that could only have been made for Arthur was something he did not want to deal with in front of his men. The Knights looked up at him, but didn't question it as they went back to their banter. He was happy to realize that the men were not in a questioning mood. Arthur just felt tired, extremely so that he was almost asleep before he got to his tent. He stepped inside, latched the opening closed, stripped off his chainmail and boots, then simply laid on his cot and closed his eyes. Within seconds he was out.

Ever since he was a child, he would have dreams, dreams of a lake far from the castle. It was a beautiful lake with mountains outlining the horizon, wild flowers sprinkled across the banks and grass beneath the large trees, and positioned so that the moon, sun and all cycles in between gleamed across the calm waters elegantly. It seemed so untouched, so beautiful that it was almost like some other worldly sanctuary for him. Here, he could just sit and think without anyone to try and persuade his train of thought or remind him of his father's beliefs. This seemed to be one of those dreams.

He walks calmly through the forest, letting the sounds and smells overtake his overly stressed mind, allowing his feet to deftly guide him to the large log on the bank of the water that he would sit on. So much nostalgia come to him as he looked at all the familiar trees and foliage, not even needing to look ahead of him to know where he was going.

As he finally pushes past the thick bushes and over growth, he froze, spotting a figure by the lake, on his log, staring out at the water. But- No one ever came here. And if they did, they wouldn't come to such a remote section of the lake's edge. This was his dream, his place. Whoever this person was, was in his head.

Before his mind could register what his limbs were doing, he was walking towards the person. Nothing other than pure curiosity and an odd pull guiding his legs. As he neared, his heart stuttered as that familiar mop of black hair came closer, too-big ears got bigger and the profile of that much too needed face became clearer.

He stopped his movements only ten feet away, now knowing exactly who was in front of him, but realizing he hadn't thought of anything else to say, other than:

"Merlin..."

~X~

A dark brown cloak billowed in the wind of the night as a figure hurriedly scurried through the forest. Twilight lit the scenery in an almost silver tinge, brightening the leaves of the trees and darkening the trunks to cast shadow upon shadow on the foliage covered ground. The cloak brushed against the floor occasionally, picking up a few stray leaves that had fallen prematurely before autumn even set in. An Owl sounded in the distance and swooped down to snatch its dinner of an innocent field mouse, its claws taking hold of the poor creature and flying off with the cover of night being to its advantage. As the figure neared their destination, they pulled a slender dagger from their boot and turned to an ancient oak to the right of the path. Looking for the correct knot on the old tree, they skimmed their hands over the bark. Finally seeing the correct hole, they stabbed the dagger into the knot and watched as a door carved itself out of the wood and opened silently with a small glimmer of gold. The figure entered through the door and waked down the set of steps that led deep into the earth. At the end of the stair case, an entrance to a chamber of sorts, one made of magic and stone and darkness. At the head of the chamber, The Witch sat on a cold throne of iron.

"What news have you brought that you call me on such short notice?" The Witch spoke and the cloaked figure shuddered.

"The… The King's servant, Merlin has fled. The King is weak in his grieve, he's only getting worse by the day. The Kingdom is falling." Morgana grinned at the announcement, standing from her throne to walk to her spy. The Witch pressed the pad of her forefinger to the underside of the person's chin and tilted their head up.

"You've done well, Anna. I'll send you with the potion to save your brother…" Anna gasped as Morgana suddenly slashed her cheek with the nail of her thumb, letting the blood run in a slow trail. "But you got it from a far off Market, and were attacked." She chuckled and glanced at the tip of her thumb to see the glistening blood, "I will know if you say anything, little one." Anna nodded shakily.

"Y-yes,.. Queen Morgana…"

End Chapter 2. To Be Continued.