AN: Only two reviews on last chpter... But 7 reviews in less than 48 hour? I'll take that. :D Thank you so much to those who left thos reviews!
Chapter 3
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Merlin couldn't help the smile on his face as he walked through the city gates. For the last two days he had been free. He had finished gathering what Gaius needed the second day, most of which he would have been able to find easier if Gwaine hadn't followed him out into the forest.
But he still had an entire day to himself. No chores, hunting, patrols, or training from Arthur. No leach tanks, foul potions, errands, or herb grinding for Gaius. No magical or mundane threats that would lead to injuries, sleep deprivation, or anger from his two masters. A day completely to himself for the first time since leaving Ealdor.
The extra time let him practice spell that he would never be able to hid in Camelot's walls. He even practiced magic the way he had as a child. It was exhilarating! He was almost das to go back until he saw the city walls.
There was something about that white stone that filled him with hope each time he saw it like this. If Percival's reaction was any indication, the big man shared his awe at the sight. Merlin wasn't sure if it was the similarities in their upbringings or if all of Arthur's new knights felt that way, but he had never taken the time to ask.
He chattered with the townspeople he passed, he nodded to the nobles and knights he passed, and he grinned at the maids who seemed to have a soft spot for him. He was in no real rush to return to work, so he took his time getting back to his and Gaius's chambers. When he opened the door, he expected to see his guardian mixing herb or reading one of his medical volumes, not rubbing a paste onto the raw flesh of a patient's scalp.
The old man sent him a smile and nodded for him to set the bags of plants on the bench. Once they were off of his shoulders, Merlin decided to wrap and hang those that needed drying before seeing if Gaius needed help with the person he was tending. It took a few minutes, but when he was finished, help was clearly still needed.
Gaius handed him a cream to help with bruising and pointed to the man's chest. It took some time to tease the ooze soaked cloth from the fellow's injured flesh, but when he did, his heart leapt into his throat. There on the man's side was the very scar Gwaine had been telling him for most of their time together in the woods.
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AN: I will try to post the fourth chapter tomorrow, but I am making no promises.