At around noon, Merlin decided to go to the town to find out more about the "things" Arthur had spoken of.

As he prepared to leave, Freya watched silently and then said, "Wear a cloak."

"Is it cold?"

"No. . .I just have a bad feeling about this. . .You must go, but I don't want the person Arthur told you about seeing you, or knowing who you are."

Merlin nodded, hugged his wife, said goodbye to the children, and left with a cloak. Once he was in the hallway outside the room, he put on the cloak and pulled the hood low over his face. He made his way through the passages of Camelot, and then let himself out through the main door. He was in a black cloak, and was moving quite steadily when he saw Arthur. At once Arthur looked up.

"Halt! Who goes there!"

Merlin turned and began to run, hoping Arthur would give up the chase. He was wrong, however, for within five seconds he was pressed against a tree with a sword to his back.

"Let me go, clotpole!" cried Merlin. "It's me!"

"Oh, Merlin," said Arthur, frowning as he sheathed his sword. "What in the world are you doing dressed like this?"

"Trying to find that sorcerer you spoke of," said Merlin. "And I was trying not to attract attention."

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry," said Arthur, nodding his head and discreetly slipping away.

Merlin went unhindered, looking for anything strange in people's manners. He did not see anything strange until he ran into another figure in the shadows of a dark alley, hooded and cloaked like he was.

"Who are you?" asked Merlin.

"I know your voice," came the terse, slightly familiar tones from beneath the hood. "Lower your hood."

Merlin obeyed without a second thought, and he thought he heard a sigh of relief come from under the hood of the other.

"As I have shown you my face," he said, "do me the courtesy of showing me yours."

The other figure nodded, and a pair of hands lowered the hood, baring the face of a man Merlin had thought he would never see again.

"Lancelot!"

Lancelot grinned. He was a great deal more disheveled now, as if he had been traveling for days. Apart from that, there was a certain grimness in the eyes that had not been there the last time Merlin had seen him.

"It's good to see you, Merlin."