A/N: Yadda Yadda, re-written.
Chapter Two: Strength And Magic
Gaius was teaching his new pupil on how best to dress different kinds of wounds, earlier on she'd done well removing Sir Lucan's final bandage, it'd been a week since the hunting trip. They were talking about why you leave whatever's in a puncture wound in, before you get to somewhere you can work properly. He'd been unsure about getting a new assistant, particularly given how old he was beginning to feel, but Merlin had talked him into it, explaining that the likelihood of him becoming the Court Physician was low, besides he had a different court position in mind. Gaius chuckled to himself at his wards tone, he looked over at the young woman in front of him. She'd led a hard life he knew, she'd been orphaned as a child and left on the streets, Camelot was a brilliant city but there was and will always be the poor. But she was smart and eager to learn and knew some of her letters already which was surprising and once he'd introduced her to books he found it hard to get her to leave them. The old man was interrupted in his musings when the door to his quarters slammed open. "Gwaine! What are you doing here?" Gaius asked in all astonishment, when the man burst into the room, disturbing the old man and his young new apprentice.
"Sorry Gaius, oh hey Sara! Have either of you seen Merlin anywhere?"
"Hello Gwaine!" The knight smiled at the energetic young former street urchin, one of the ones he'd seen skulking around in the lower town and one of the few that would talk to him. When he had first suggested knowing someone to Merlin he'd been wary unsure how the fifteen year old girl would react but she seemed to adore the old man and he her.
"I sent him out a while ago to collect some herbs. I suspect he is now at the tavern, though."
Gwaine chuckled, "Always a good place to be."
"Is there a reason?"
"Gwen is looking for him." Gwaine called over his shoulder as turned on his heel and headed through the maze of passages and outside the castle. He called in at the usual haunts, desperate to stop and wet his lips with a nice cool mead but Merlin wasn't anywhere to be found. The knight gritted his teeth put out that the man hadn't been easy to find, he wondered if he was still in the forest collecting herbs. He wouldn't be out now, would he? For all Gwaine knew he was prancing around waiting for a herb that had to be collected at night or some such. Sighing to himself the knight nodded to the guards on the night watch, "Heading out to bring back Merlin."
"He missed getting back in time for Arthur again?" One of them called back.
"No, it's worse!"
"Gaius then?" Another jeered.
"Nope, Gwen."
The group chuckled, "The Queen sure has a temper on her but she's a good one!" One of them commented and the others nodded in agreement, "One of the nicest maids there were, he's done right by her."
"I'd best best be off. I don't really fancy being locked out!"
"We'll leave the gate door open a little longer for you!" One of them called out, when another added, "If were in a mood for it we might let you back in, just don't take too long."
Gwaine walked through the gate and trekked down into the forest bitter at how he'd had to forgo the customary drinks of the evening. Muttering to himself he walked through the undergrowth and he let his feet lead him, he'd been walking for a while and the forest was starting to close in on him. When he realised that he should have stayed with the knights and hoped the man got back soon, he had no idea where Merlin was and it'd be hard to find him at daytime, let alone now! Stopping, he looked around and blamed the lack of alcohol for his incoherent thoughts. "This is ridiculous, I'll never find him!" Shaking his head at his stupidity he turned to go back the way he'd come. He paused and looked around at the dark green foliage as the forest got darker. Which way was that exactly?
Gwaine ambled through the forest, hoping to see the lights of Camelot in the distance. Branches cracked and trees rustled, the whole forest screaming of restlessness, when he heard a voice. Gwaine stood still his ears straining for a sound on the whispering wind. A smile broke out on his face when he recognised Merlin's voice.
He crashed through the undergrowth into a large clearing. Finding Merlin standing still, his usually lanky self talking one of the Catha and a Golden Dragon. Without thinking, he drew his sword, "What in God's name is going on here?"
"Gwaine!" Merlin exclaimed jumping around at the explosion, "It's not what you think."
"It's not what I think?" He'd said bewildered looking at the dragon, "You're talking to a Dragon and a sorcerer how is this not what it seems?"
"I, you right, itis what you think." He paused glancing back over at the two behind him,mentally tellign them to let him handle it, "They're my friends Gwaine." Merlin said quietly, "Will you put down your sword and listen?" Merlin shifted nervously, "Gwaine, earlier on the way back from the hunt, you were saying that not all magic users were bad, let me prove that to you."
Cautiously Gwaine lowered his weapon, "What do you mean?"
Merlin nodded slightly to the Dragon and the Catha who moved back a respectful distance, "I have magic."
"Y-y-you?!" He exclaimed sputtering, his sword now forgotten, "That's not pos-" He broke off, remembering the tavern fight they first met in, how things seemed to go flying at their own violation. He thought of how they always seemed to beat the odds, even when magic was involved and it should have be impossible. "Of course, we really would all be dead without you. Wouldn't we?"
"Yes." Merlin answered calmly.
"Why did you choose to learn it?" Gwaine asked moving forward.
"I didn't," Merlin stated, "I was born with it."
"What are you talking about, people choose to learn magic; they're not born with it."
"I was." He replied quietly.
Gwaine stared at his youn friend, "Are there others like you?"
"Possibly. It isn't the most common occurrence, if someone has a natural talent it starts appearing towards the end of their childhood, particularly if its a strong gift. Some people can teach themselves to have it though. I was different, I was throwing my toys around and setting candles alight since I first drew breath."
"Why are you in Camelot?"
"To protect Arthur."
"Are you mental, Uther wanted you dead, Arthur will too!"
Merlin shrugged, "I have to protect him."
Suddenly something clicked, "Courage, Strength and Magic. You're magic."
"Yes."
Gwaine thought for a moment before nodded to himself, "What about them, what's going on here?"
Merlin looked over at the other two, "Kilgarrah and Alator have something to tell me."
"Kilgarrah?" Gwaine asked tentatively, his grip tensing on his downward pointing sword.
"The Dragon."
"Why are you talking to a Dragon? Wait, how are you talking to him? I'm not sure I want to know. " His voice broke slightly, but he wrestled with it, not wanting to lose control.
"I'm the last Dragon Lord." Merlin said shrugging slightly. "My father's name was Balinor, I mentioned him to you once, I met him very briefly before he died, he passed his gift on to me."
"Let me get this straight, you're a sorcerer from birth and you're also a Dragon Lord, any other big announcements?"
"I have a destiny to protect Arthur and bring magic back to Camelot?" Merlin practically asked.
"Well you've definitely got your work cut out for you. I on the other hand need a drink." With that he turned to leave.
"You cannot leave, the quest is yours too." Alator calmly stated.
Gwaine looked back finally recognising the man, "Why are you talking to him, doesn't he work for Morgana?" He started forward, raising his sword, "He tortured Gaius!"
"Gwaine, stop! I know, but he broke their alliance and sided with me."
"Did he now?"
"I did, I hold no favour with the witch."
"None of us here do." Kilgarrah growled, "If you'd killed her when I told you too we wouldn't be in half the mess we are in now."
"You know why I did not do so." Merlin said looking up at the Dragon, "Are you saying she's the reason you've come?"
"No." Alator stated eyeing the Dragon, "It is another matter entirely."
Kilgarrah grumbled under his breath, "She could very well have a hand in it."
"You know that she doesn't." Alator replied, holding his stance as the Dragon prowled towards him.
"You speak the truth, Catha. But that doesn't not mean her involvement is not hidden from us."
Gwaine stared dumbfounded at the argument starting between the two magical beings.
"PEACE!" Merlin shouted, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Tell us your information; stop squabbling like the children you both aren't."
"Young warlock you do-."
Merlin roared something incomprehensible to Gwaine's ear and the dragon moved back appearing cowed.
"What the hell was that?"
"I reminded him of who I was." Merlin said nonchalantly, "Are you going to explain yourselves, or not? You lead me out of the castle at a time where people can stumble across us and have done just that -." He was interrupted by the Catha.
"The druids are missing." Alator whispered, awed by the Warlock's power, he knew of the Dragon Lords but seeing them in reality was a different matter entirely.
"What do you mean missing?"
"Taken," Kilgarrah responded, "Magical beings be they sorcerers, fae or other such creatures have been disappearing."
Merlin froze, "How is this possible?"
"We do not know, whoever has done this must have power themselves or at least access to it."
"Where are they being held?"
"They've been disappearing from all over Albion, but I think the place to start looking is Caerleon."
"I need to save them."
"Save who?" Gwaine asked.
"My people. The people I fight for and to protect."
"You're a druid?"
"No, but they are my people. Just like other knights are yours."
Gwaine nodded in understanding.
"Merlin, we must be going." Kilgarrah said, "We've been here too long as it is."
Merlin nodded almost to himself, "One last question, how do you know each other?"
"We met on our travels." Alator said shuffling uncomfortably before quickly disappearing into the forest, glad to be away from the warlock, the Dragon, the knight and Camelot.
"What's that meant to mean?" Gwaine wondered out loud, surprising himself.
"I found him not that far from here, when he said he had a message for you, I was going to kill him unless you showed you knew him." Kilgarrah said, "Shame, I do quite feel like a hunt."
"This is insane." Gwaine groaned.
Kilgarrah turned a yellow eye on the small man in front of him, "And here I thought you were courage." With that he flapped his wings and took to the skies, leaving behind a bewildered knight watching the Dragon grow smaller and smaller.
"Gwaine." Merlin started looking at him, "You can't tell the others."
"They don't know?"
Merlin hesitated, "Only Gaius does."
"Lancelot knew didn't he?"
"Yes, he discovered my magic long ago, he was a good friend and confidant."
"Up until the end at least." Gwaine commented.
Merlin smiled, "The Lancelot that came back wasn't him, it was a shade, a shadow of the actual Lancelot, it was never him. He knew nothing about me as the one who raised him didn't know." He smiled sadly, "Gwen was enchanted, she never was truly unfaithful to Arthur. I wish I could tell them that."
"One day you will."
"Arthur would never accept me."
Gwaine grimaced, "You'll never know if you don't try."
"I suppose." The Dragon Lord said, looking back up to the sky.
Gwaine moved to enter the forest. "So when are we leaving?"
"We aren't, I am."
"Think again Merlin, I'm coming with you."
Merlin laughed and lead him through the forest. "We'll probably leave it a day or so to get everything in order. I'd like to leave tomorrow, but we'll be gone for some time and we can't just up and disappear, they'd search for us."
"That makes sense. How are you going to leave?" He asked, "I mean, I can find a reason but you?"
"I'll probably hint to Gwen that I want to go and visit my mother, I haven't seen her in a while."
"Sounds like a plan. Just don't go running off on me, I will come after you and who knows what sort of trouble I'll bring with or get myself into!" Merlin laughed and there was a comfortable silence before Gwaine's voice cut through it, "Tell me some more about this destiny of yours?"
Merlin's brow furrowed, "I don't really like talking about it, but Arthur is the 'Once and Future King', he will unite all of Albion. I on the other hand am meant to protect him."
"Do you have anything to do with that Emrys character, the one Agravaine was asking about?"
"He asked you about me?"
"No, I overheard him talking about it." Gwaine paused, "Wait you?"
"It's what the Druids call me." Merlin shrugged.
Gwaine rolled his eyes at the warlock in front of him. "So what else are you hiding, next thing I know, you'll be sprouting wings and announcing you're a deity!"
"That only happens on Tuesday's and the occasional Sunday." Merlin joked, smiling at Gwaine's antics, thinking any minute now, he's going to ask me about - .
"What tricks can you pull with magic?"
'Right on time,' he thought to himself before answering. "A lot!" Merlin exclaimed, "Me and Will, my friend from back home used to play them all the time! We'd move objects to around and make carts stick, one time I turned someone's hair blue! By accident, mum wasn't happy about that!" Merlin looked over at Gwaine who was laughing his head off at the same time as looking like he'd just found what he'd been searching for all his life. "Will was forever getting me into trouble, trying to cheer me up, you two would have gotten on well."
"He sounds cool, I'd like to meet him."
"He's dead."
"I'm sorry," Gwaine said quitely whilst wondering just how many people the young man had lost, changing the top he asked, "Ever pulled any on Arthur?"
"A couple, but one time I made him dimwitted so I could get him out of Camelot safely, I've never seen someone take to being a fool that easily!"
Gwaine laughed, can turn things into other things? Can you levitate objects? What about potions, what can they do? D you use magic to heal?"
"Yes, yes, there are many different types and yes, but not without someone knowing, magical healing leaves traces and can speed up the process."
Grwaine nodded to himself, wondering what else to ask before inquiring, "Could I have magic?"
"Possibly." Merlin paused, "Why are you taking this so well?"
"I wasn't born in Camelot for one, I grew up travelling the world, I met a lot of different people. A druid once healed me you know," He said pulling up his sleeve and showing a thin silver scar dissecting it, "It's strange living here with everything that's happened I'd forgotten all the good things magic could do." He thought for a moment, "Well, not forgotten but it went to the back of my mind, if you get what I mean."
Merlin nodded in acquiescence, "Come on we'd better hurry up or we'll have to sneak back in."
"Why does something tell me that's something you've done a lot!" Gwaine commented as they sped up, luckily the same guards were on duty and let them slip through the gate door.
"You're lucky that we're nice, else you'd have to keep the lovely Queen waiting until morning!" One of the guards jeered.
"What's he talking about Gwaine?" Merlin asked.
"Oh, I forgot. I knew I needed a drink, Gwen wanted you, that's why I was looking for you."
"Why didn't you say?" Merlin said picking up the pace.
"Well I got a bit distracted," He paused, eyeing up a pub.
"Come on, you got me into this you're coming with. Beside it'll do you good."
"Got you into this?! I was the one search around Camelot and surroundings for you!" Gwaine exclaimed, "Besides it won't do me good, I'll have a headache in the morning!"
"You usually do!" Merlin retorted.
"Too right, you're explaining more of this at a later date."
"I know." Merlin inwardly sighed, he wasn't looking forward to that conversation.
"You don't have to you know." Gwaine said picking up on the warlocks emotions, God, he needed a drink.
Merlin glanced over at the knight, "I want to tell you." Silently adding, 'About some things,' in his head.
A/N: Cheers to the reviewers, I'm glad people are enjoying this. ^.^
Reviews are lovely!
