"I'm sorry Arthur" Gaius sat on his chair in his chambers, chin resting on his hands. "Uther's right. We can't risk your life for Merlin when he may have just run away. I can manage without him, I did before he came."

"No, Gaius, don't be, and you know as well as me we can't just not search for him. It's not your fault Uther has no regard for anyone but himself." Arthur looked into the old physician's eyes and felt a jolt of sorrow for him. His eyes were brimming with tears. "Gaius, I'll find him, dead or alive, and bring him back. He could have just gone back to Aealdor to see Hunith."

"Maybe." Gaius sighed, "I forget sometimes. I go into his room expecting to find him sitting there reading or polishing your armour and then I remember he's missing." A tear spilled over and ran down his cheek. Gaius rubbed it away hastily.

"Don't cry Gaius. I've trusted you for so long; I need you to trust me." Arthur sat next to him, and put an arm round the old man's shoulders. Gaius just nodded. "I'm leaving tonight to find him, and I will find him."

"Arthur-"

"Gaius, I have to find him"

"I know, but…" Gaius trailed off and sighed. "I want to find him too, but it's just too dangerous."

"Not you aswell, I've had this from Uther. He thinks I can just replace Merlin just like that, but I can't, not Merlin."

"I know, I miss him but I don't think he's coming back." Gaius' voice cracked.

"Gaius, if he's…dead I want to be the person to find him." Arthur got up and walked to the door. "I'll find him; he's got to be out there somewhere. He means too much to me to just let go of."

Gaius smiled. "Your relationship is safe with me."

"I trust you, Gaius, always have. I will leave tonight; if father asks where I am tell him you don't know or that I've gone on a hunting trip. He'll work out where I've gone soon enough though."

Gaius nodded to him. "Thank you, Arthur, and goodnight."

"Goodnight, Gaius. I'll see you when I return." Arthur turned and, with one last look at the old physician and the room where he and Merlin lived, he set off back to his chambers to prepare for leaving.

As Arthur left Camelot, his heart was in his mouth. He galloped out under cover of night and looked back at the towering turrets of the imposing castle, eyes lingering the longest on the window to his chambers before turning his head forwards and spurring his horse faster. He suddenly got a horrible image of Merlin lying dead and battered after an attack, blood staining the ground and his clothes, eyes open and vacant. Arthur shook the image from his mind. "Merlin!" he spoke to the darkness. His horse's ear twitched backwards towards his voice. "I'll find you Merlin, hold on."

Morgana watched him go from her chambers. She'd had a terrible dream the night before which showed Arthur falling into a glowing chasm of light, and a strange alien world he would eventually die in. "Goodbye, Arthur." She sighed and watched his silhouette disappear into the darkness before closing her window, a sly smile on her face. Arthur was galloping to his death, and this time there was no Merlin to save him. Uther would be preoccupied with the search for his son, leaving the throne and Camelot vulnerable. Now was her time to act.

"So, Merlin, what's Camelot like?" Merlin sat at the long table in the room the team called the briefing room. A foil container full of 'egg fried rice' sat in front of him. He looked up at Gwen, who was a pretty woman with long black hair and a fairly rounded face.

"Well, it's quite busy, there's always something going on. As a manservant to the prince I get to see a lot more of what's going on."

"What do you do as a manservant then?" Ianto smiled.

"Well I polish Arthur's armour, help in battle training, help him with his armour before battles, and keep his chambers tidy, muck out his horses. The list is endless"

"And you do all this every day?"

"Yep, I help Gaius too; I run errands and deliver medicines and stuff like that. I also have to be present as a member of court for audiences with the king." Merlin nibbled on one of the white cracker things. It tasted sweet and melted in his mouth, He enjoyed it.

"Wow, and I thought working here was hard!" Owen shoved a forkful of noodles into his mouth and smiled.

"It's not really hard work, not once you're used to it."

"Don't you get tired?" Tosh piped up and smiled across at Merlin. "I mean all that work!"

"I get tired, but that's what sleep is for."

"Ooh, mind if I use that?" Owen smiled.

"Go ahead." Merlin took another mouthful of rice. "It's something Gaius says all the time."

"Who's Gaius?" Jack, who had finished his food, steepled his fingers under his chin in a way that reminded Merlin rather disconcertingly of Uther.

"Gaius is the court physician. I suppose you'd call him a doctor? He looks after me." Merlin yawned and pushed his rice towards the middle of the table. "I'm full" He announced and then realised what he'd said. "Sorry, was that rude?" He reached to pull the rice back towards him.

"No, no, if you're full you're full. The food won't go to waste." Jack smiled at the boy. "Do you have anywhere to go tonight?"

"No. I still don't know where I am!"

"That was a silly question, sorry. You are in Cardiff. You fell through the rift, a tear in the fabric of time. For tonight you can stay here in the hub, and then one of us will look after you."

"I'll look after him" Gwen smiled at Merlin. "He can stay with me and Rhys for now; I have a sofa bed I can make up for him." She looked across at him. "Is that okay with you?"

Merlin nodded. Gwen seemed kind and reminded him of Guinevere back in Camelot. "Yes, if that's not too much trouble."

"So polite, I wish all young people were like you." Gwen smiled again. "Of course it's fine. I'll let Rhys know and ask him to set up the bed. You must be exhausted."

Arthur slowed his horse as he passed between the trees in the rapidly darkening forest; He rode with his sword in one hand, ready to fight anything that was lurking in the shadows. His breath danced silver in the broken spots of moonlight and twilit sky that filtered through the canopy. His horse whinnied slightly and Arthur stopped it, instantly aware of his surroundings. He wanted to call for Merlin, but kept quiet, well aware that making any sound would alert bandits to his presence. A few silent, tense moments passed, the only sound was the creaking of the old trees in the chilled wind and the breathing of his horse. Arthur loosened his grip on the hilt of his sword and shifted position in the saddle, preparing to spur his horse forward again, laughing internally at his paranoia. A twig snapped somewhere in the shadows and Arthur was suddenly alert again. He tightened his grip on the hilt again and prepared to swing off his horse's back. "Who's there?" He called. "Show yourself!"

Suddenly a figure emerged from the shadows, sword glinting in the moonlight. Arthur swung off his horse and swung his blade. The stranger immediately blocked it and snarled at him with rancid breath, which made Arthur's eyes water.

"Arthur Pendragon!" The bandit's eyes glinted with glee at the thought of what he could get from the prince. He took a swing at his head and Arthur ducked it, swinging a blow at his opponent's middle. The bandit skilfully evaded it and took a lunge towards Arthur's own middle. Arthur jumped backwards and turned at the last minute, feigning a swing to the left e changed at last minute and pierced the bandit's stomach. His sword clattered to the floor as he looked in shock at the blood seeping into his clothes. Arthur removed his sword and pushed it through the man's chest, sending him crumpling to the floor.

"Arthur!" a deep voice sounded behind him and Arthur turned to see another bandit emerging from the shadows. This man was taller than the last, and broader. He raised his sword and advanced. "You should not have killed my friend" He spoke with broken words in a thick, heavy accent.

"Why not?" Arthur swung his blade up, stopping it short of the man's throat. "I'm a prince, you kill me and you'll be executed for treason."

"But nobody aint gonna find you out here, aint nobody come this way much." The man grinned. "Aint nobody gonna know it was me." Without warning, he swung his sword up towards Arthur's throat, Arthur only blocking it inches from his throbbing jugular. He pushed it back and went for a low swing, but found his sword blocked again. The pressure released and the other sword came dancing towards his chest. Arthur dodged the blow and brought a counterattack, stopped short of the man's chest by a skilful block and forced back. The strength of the man overpowered Arthur's and soon had him backed up against a tree, the Bandit's dark eyes boring into his own. "Not so strong now are we?" The man taunted. "Aint got nobody to save you here." He grinned, showing a mouth filled with yellowing teeth.

The pressure on his sword suddenly released and Arthur instantly jabbed his forwards. It went into the man's stomach. Arthur smiled a little. "I don't need saving, you do."

The dying man jabbed his own sword forwards in a desperate blow. It pierced Arthur's abdomen, sending pain shooting from the wound. Arthur looked down and then up in shock. The bandit gave a low chuckle, before his eyes glazed over and he slid to the floor.

Arthur shakily resheathed his sword and stumbled towards his horse, one hand clamped to the bleeding wound. He heaved himself up onto the saddle and spurred his horse on, leaning over slightly. He sped the horse up, he had to get to Aealdor, and quickly.