Hey people's! Here is the latest update. I am really happy with this fic so I want to know your thoughts on it. Please review! Until next it time, enjoy!

The first light of dawn broke through the trees and shown down upon the forest. Chilled air rested softly over the acres of land and forests. Animals woke to sudden gush of wind and prepared for the day, while a group of six men simply tightened their hugs around themselves trying to keep warm. Only small embers glowed where the night before, a fire was lit. Elyan had his back against a tree, arms rapped around himself as to try and preserve heat. He was the last to keep watch and the first to see the sun that morning, and soon enough it would be his duty to wake up the others. So the knight sighed deeply, and seeing his own breathe, tightened his grip around his torso. Suddenly a moan came from the other side of their small camp. Elyan gazed over at the sight before him - Merlin, friendly, goofy Merlin... Was shaking and gasping for air as if there weren't enough.

"No... N-no don't leave me..." Elyan was by his side in an instant, bending down beside his friend and gently shaking him. Merlin sat up quickly, looking around frantically and fear could be seen within his eyes from a mile away. The knight set his rough hands on the servants shoulders reassuringly, snapping him back into reality.

"Merlin? Merlin it's alright, my friend." Elyan's voice was soft and calming so after a few deep breathes the warlock was out of his trance, away from the nightmare.

"I'm... I'm sorry. Um - we should probably awaken everyone else." Merlin was quick to stand and avoid being questioned. They always worried too much about him, and once a question came up, the knights wouldn't drop it until answered. So Merlin, recently, gained the useful skill of avoiding the subject all together. He knew he had a nightmare, he knew he had just mumbled something in his sleep, and he knew he didn't want to talk about it. So up he went, ignoring the glare the dark skinned knight was giving him.

"Is this yours?" Merlin turned around to see Elyan holding up a wooden dragon which he found lying on the ground aside the secret warlock. It was odd how such a small thing could mean so much. The very touch and feel of the intricate carving made among the wood made Merlin smile. It was only for such a short time that he knew Balinor. However, in that time he realized just what kind of man his father was, the power he held - the father Merlin was hoping he would be. No matter how proud he was of his father, the tale of of the old dragon lord had always been kept hidden, no one was to know. Even though the pain Merlin felt as his father died in his arms was overwhelming, it was just another mere incident to add to his list of secrets. The dragon the knight held in his air chilled fingers meant and symbolized everything Merlin knew and loved about his father in the short time he knew him. It was the only thing left to remember him by.

"Ah - yes! Y-yes that's mine," he grabbed the dragon from Elyan's grasp and held it in his hand slowly rubbing his thumb across the smooth surface of the wood, "it's just a small little trinket... Nothing of importance." The knight could tell that was a lie and just sat there watching as Merlin's grip upon the small thing tightened. There were so many secrets hidden behind the face of that servant, Elyan could tell, but question it - he did no such thing.

"Alright then. Well I suppose your right, it's time we get ready to set off. Help me wake up these lazy imbeciles?" Merlin nodded in response and soon enough the knights were moaning and mumbling as the pair fought them to awaken. Sir Leon was the third to rouse from his sleep as Elyan lightly shook him, while Percival was next when Merlin abruptly went over and kicked him in the back (not too hard of course). After that Merlin was starting to ready their things, slowly but surely packing them away and tying them onto the horses. Elyan was still trying to stir Arthur from his dream, but even that was a piece of cake to the challenge that presented itself when he had to wake up Gwain. "Wake up!" Elyan shouted in the sleeping mans ear. He wasn't gentle like he was with his other fellow knights, he simply hit Gwain in the head with the toe of his boot and urged him to stop being such a baby and get up. Eventually after much perseverance in the matter, as well as some much needed help from Merlin, they woke Gwain from his slumber.

Merlin's dream...

Merlin was running, running faster than he had ever seemed to do so before. He dodged his way past roots and large trees, stumbling every-so-often over some minor mound or rock. There was someone else there too... At first all the Warlock could see was a shadow, nothing more, but soon it gained a distinct look he knew all to well.

Arthur.

Why was Arthur here? Why was Arthur running beside him? Why were they running at all? Then suddenly a cry rang out into the still air. 'Was that Gwain?' Merlin thought, stilling running fast and hard.

He turned his head to see a new shadow soon turning into the figure of his friend, sir Gwain. He was saying something... Perhaps a name - Merlin could not tell. No sound was to be heard but the crunching of leaves beneath their feet. So he studied the knight closely, trying to find out that word, the word he kept mouthing over and over, the word he had soon before heard Gwain shout out.

Finally he realized what it was, sound was coming into play. He could here shouts and his heavy breaths. He could now hear Gwain yelling out his name.

"Merlin!" The knight screamed, "Merlin!" He wouldn't stop. Why? Why wouldn't he stop? The he heard a new voice. Arthur's voice. It was fretful like Gwain's. Full of worry and panic.

"Just hold on..." The king said, and repeated himself multiple times. Merlin didn't understand. Why did they sound so sad, so heart-wrenching. Was something wrong with him? So he looked down, still running, as if to scan himself for injury.

Merlins eyes grew wide. No - this couldn't be! He was bleeding out, a hole gushing blood from his stomach area. Then there was another wound - a deep gash on the side of left leg. There was so much blood. He could see the crimson, but could not feel the pain that followed. What was going on?

Then everything changed and he was somewhere else, no longer running but laying on the cool ground with Arthur and Gwain looking down on him. This time he could feel the pain, it was eveywhere, etching throughout his body like a disease. The worst of it came from his torso, where an arrow was stuck through his skin. He looked to his friends for help. He wanted them to reassure him it would be alright and that he would make it through this, to see another sunrise. He waited for them to do something, but then they just gave one long look at him before standing up and walking away. They didn't look back or respond to Merlin's desperate cries. They were leaving him for dead. "No... N-no don't leave me..." Were his last words before he felt himself being pulled from that terrible world.

Overall, it was silent. Except, of course, the noisy bickering and useless tales coming from Gwain at random points in time. They didn't mind the disturbance within the quiet surroundings though. It helped ease their thoughts of the journey. Gwain was just telling a bore of a story everyone was sure they had heard before, about a trip to a tavern while in Cenred's kingdom, and how there was this one girl whom caught his eye over all the others. Everyone listened even though no one really cared, until they reached the boundaries of the Ebony forest.

It was dark as night but without the glow of the moon. The large trees spread a canopy over the earth beneath them, blocking out all light. Nothing grew, nothing thrived, the only sounds were those of evil creatures of magic roaming in its midst - none of which were really dangerous. So the group lit their torches and began their trek through the winding trails. Merlin sat sturdy upon his horse and tired to look beyond the glow of the torch he held in his trembling hand. Nothing was there. Nothing could be seen or heard past their own circle of light as they found their way further into the forests depths. Rarely there would be a break or gap in the tree branches above letting in a small patch of sunlight and warmth, but it only lasted so long. So as the heroes slowly came to the edge of the dark forest relief washed over them and never had they thought the blue sky above them could be so beautiful.

It was late afternoon when Arthur and the knights finally arrived at Avarian - and as promised a small group of three villagers waited for them, to give them anything the group needed whilst trying to find the cause of destruction to their home. It was a small village, two large fields on the outskirts, and wooden homes placed neatly around each other creating a tiny community. It reminded merlin of his home, Ealdor. However, what use to be vegetables and wheat that were growing and all the houses that once stood tall and protected family's against the elements, were now destroyed. Everything was a dark ash, all contents of the village burnt to a crisp. Nothing could have survived the damage, especially those who didn't escape. It was truly a fretful sight. Arthur got down from his horse and walked to older man out of the three who were awaiting their arrival.

"I am king Arthur of Camelot, and my knights and I will do all we can to find the source of this monstrosity."

This was actually my least favorite out of all the chapters so far. I feel as if I could have done more or changed things, or really just improved it overall. On the other hand, I hope you guys still liked it! Please review, I would love to hear what you think!