It proved to be a rather pleasant walk back. The sun pushed through the clouds, warming the day and Arthur took his time, being mindful of the fact that Merlin couldn't go so fast. Merlin, however, didn't seem to mind the pace. In fact he kept running ahead of Arthur, until he tottered too dramatically. Now and again he fell down, sometimes backwards onto his rump, and some forwards on his face.

Merlin didn't make much of a fuss about it. Neither did Arthur, he just picked him up, dusted him off a little, checked him for injuries and let him go on again, warning him to be careful. Now and again Merlin snivelled when he fell, but Arthur's attention seemed to settle him.

It wasn't lost on the prince that the more Merlin ran about, peering at things from his new lower level, the steadier he got, as if he was getting used to the new scenario and was adapting to it. Arthur frowned as Merlin ran to the side of the road and clambered up the banking. He took a firm grip of some sort of plant, and tugged vigorously, pulling out several stems. Arthur paused and watched him quizzically. When Merlin had four or so of the stems, topped with clusters of white flowers, in his grasp, he slid back down the bank on his belly, landing heavily and dropping onto his backside again. He gave a little yelp as he landed.

Arthur reached down to pick him up. Arthur tugged the tunic down where it had rumpled and dusted him off, yet again. Merlin waited throughout the procedure, although he batted Arthur on the head with the flowers a couple of times.

"Are you happy with that?" Arthur asked, wondering what the whole flower thing was about. Merlin lifted them up, batting Arthur in the face this time.

"For Gaius," Merlin said in a serious tone.

For a moment Arthur wondered how often Merlin picked flowers for Gaius, and then his logic took over. It was obviously a plant that Gaius had wanted to collect during his foraging trip, and it was still in Merlin's head. At least present day things seemed to be lingering in his brain, and as an adult he could sometimes seem so childish that Arthur could try and interpret what Merlin was doing now.

"Okay, do you want me to carry them?"

"No!" Merlin said sounding insulted, and he headed off down the track. Arthur followed him, rushing to hold Merlin's hand as they took a steep slope downwards towards the main road to Camelot.

It was not a short walk, and although Arthur had to admire Merlin for persistence, and energy, his new little body couldn't cope. He started to stumble and whinge a little. At that point Arthur reached down and swung Merlin up onto his right hip, settling him there and balancing him with his arm. Merlin murmured in surprise and then put his head down on Arthur's shoulder. Arthur shifted his crossbow and the game he had caught to his other side, and balancing both carefully continued on his way.

And so it was, that the inhabitants of the Lower Town, and the guards at the entrance of the citadel, were treated to the sight of the Crown Prince of Camelot walking back from a hunt with his crossbow loosely held in his left hand, dead animals casually slung over his left shoulder, and a small child carried on his right hip.

Arthur didn't pause to talk to anyone, although he was very aware of the interest. Two of his knights stopped dead and gawped at him. Arthur nodded at them curtly and handed over the stuff in his left hand, so he had one less thing to deal with, before heading on. Merlin turned his head to peer over Arthur's shoulder at the stunned men, and Arthur heard him snigger.

"Stop it."

Merlin huffed and put his head back down on Arthur's shoulder. The prince felt Merlin's head loll slightly before pulling back up. Arthur shifted Merlin on his arm. It was starting to ache and he was thankful when he made it to the courtyard. He wasn't sure if it was good or bad fortune that Uther and Morgana were there with their horses, ready to go out for a ride. Since everyone else became distracted by Arthur's appearance, both Uther and Morgana were forced to turn to see what was going on. Merlin huddled tighter to Arthur, especially when the prince tried to put him down.

"It's all right, come on."

Merlin let go but wasn't happy, and he stayed as close to Arthur as he could.

"Arthur?" Uther asked. The tone could be clearly interpreted as 'explain this'.

"I was out hunting, he was wandering in the woods. I wasn't about to leave him."

"At least you didn't kill him to be roasted on a spit," Morgana murmured sarcastically. Merlin squeaked and hid even more behind Arthur.

"Morgana!" Arthur snapped at her. Morgana winced. Arthur turned to Merlin, taking his hand and pulled him out from behind him. "She didn't mean that. I didn't know what else to do with him," Arthur continued. "Except bring him back here."

"Quite," Uther agreed. Arthur felt Merlin tense with surprise. Arthur took it as a chance to put the bit between his teeth and run with it.

"He's not been very talkative, so I don't know where he might have come from. I sent Merlin to the nearby villages, to see if he can get any information, although it might take him a day or so to come back."

Uther nodded, looking at the little boy, and thankfully no recognition appeared to register with the king. Morgana eyed the little boy again, and then smiled at him. Arthur was a little less sure of her, although if needs be she could probably be trusted with the truth. However, Arthur reasoned that the less people that knew the better. Merlin then surprised Arthur, by thinking on his feet with a distraction technique. Moving around him, Merlin trotted forward a few steps and thrust the flowers he was carrying at Morgana, and then he beamed at her.

"Oh, thank you," Morgana said, taking the slightly wilted flowers, and wincing at the rather mangled stems where Merlin had pulled them, and held so hard.

"You're pretty," Merlin said in a sweet, piping voice.

Arthur restrained the eye roll he felt coming on, but still had to admire Merlin for thinking on his feet. Pity he could never do it as a grown up, Arthur mused. Then he turned his attention back to his father.

"I was going to take him to Gaius, just to make sure he's all right. I need to take a patrol out, but I'm sure Gaius won't mind looking after him."

That moment was the one that Gaius chose to magically appear, carrying his collecting basket and looking like he had just returned. As Uther called him over Gaius gave Merlin and Arthur a curious look. Arthur took over, before his father could issue any orders.

"I found him wandering in the woods, could you just give him a check up, and just keep him for the rest of the morning while I'm out. He's probably tired anyway, it was a long walk back for him."

"Of course," Gaius said. "I have a few things to do in my room, I need to dry out some herbs, I'm sure I can find him something to do. I wouldn't mind a rest myself."

Merlin frowned but stayed quiet. The situation so far was working out fine, until Uther said, with some disapproval.

"I'm sure Arthur wouldn't mind if Merlin went out to collect anything you needed when necessary, you shouldn't be straining yourself like that, Gaius."

There was something in Uther's tone that put Merlin on alert. He looked at the physician sharply, staring at him as if trying to see what he had missed.

"He was already out hunting by the time I had checked the stock. I don't mind the walk," Gaius said. He and Arthur shared a guilty look.

"It's fine," Arthur said in a rush. "As long as Merlin lets me know."

Merlin had a sudden urge to bite Arthur on the leg.

"Well, shall we?" Uther turned to Morgana, who turned to a nearby servant and handed them the flowers.

"Could you take them to Gwen, and ask her to put them in some water for me?" she asked. "Thank you," she said turning back to Merlin, and then she frowned and looked at Arthur.

"What's your name?" she asked the little boy.

There was a short pause. Merlin answered it by turning and hiding himself in Arthur's leg, with a clear hint of 'sort that out'. It wasn't something they had thought to cover, Arthur thought in a panic. Neither he nor Gaius had considered it, and they couldn't exactly start calling him Merlin.

Arthur paused for probably a few seconds longer than was reasonable, before saying.

"Jake, he said his name was Jake."

For heaven's sake, Arthur thought, no one please here remember it was the name of the stuffed toy I had years ago.

No one appeared to. Morgana and Uther mounted up and clattered out of the courtyard. Merlin huddled next to him as the horses passed. Arthur knew he didn't much like horses. Merlin slowly extracted himself from Arthur's leg and looked up at him. Arthur turned him round.

"Jake, you go with Gaius now, he'll look after you okay?"

Merlin hesitated a little, but Arthur wondered if he was doing that just for the sake of the crowd. Then Gaius held out a hand.

"Come on young man,"

After a moment Merlin stepped forward and took Gaius' hand and Arthur watched the two of them trot away. He stared for a moment, looking at the two of them together.

"Sire?" a voice to his left asked. Arthur turned round and focussed on the knight hovering by his side. "We're ready when you are."