Another Merlin fic. I don't own it, BBC does though. This came to me after much reading of Merlin fanfiction. (I've become obsessed with Merlin fanfiction.) It will be slightly dark, not sure how dark, but there will be some violence and of course lots of smut, though that's later in the story. [sigh] I just love this pairing. Again I don't own these Merlin characters and be warned that this is a YAOI story, so don't read if you don't like that style.

Until Next Time

~Reiya

Chapter 3.

Arthur walked into Gaius's room without knocking and was met with the odd sight of Merlin sitting on the floor with one of Camelot's many hunting dogs, staring at each other. As he watched the dog seemed to give in and lowered it's head to Merlin, who reached up to scratch it ears affectionately.

Merlin looked up when he heard the door shut, but didn't stop scratching the dog. Seeing it was Arthur, he let loose one of his trade marked toothy and very goofy grins, that seemed to make his entire face light up. "Hello Merlin. Where is Gaius?" He just pointed to the door behind Arthur. It meant he was out of the room somewhere in the castle. "Oh. Than I guess I'll wait for him here than." Sitting on one of the benches in the room, he turned to look at Merlin, but the boy's attention was back on the dog.

It had been a week since he'd sent the messenger and he was wondering just what was taking so long. Merlin was recovering quickly, but it seemed as if he wouldn't be speaking anytime soon. Sighing, he leaned on the tables edge, placing his chin in his hand as he watched Merlin play with the dog.

That was one of the strange things that kept happening around him. Every time he came in here, there was another dog, or cat, and even once there had been a bird of prey that he some how come in through the window which was standing wide open. He was never without an animal companion. It was as if they knew him and he understood them.

Another thing that was strange, but no one mention, at least around Uther's hearing, was the fact the Merlin seemed to be healing at an alarmingly fast rate. He'd gotten over his pneumonia after the third day here. By the fifth, there was no infection in his leg and the bone was already starting to knit back together cleanly.

Though he was still alarmingly thin. The cook had taken it upon herself to feed him, sending up meals for him in an attempt to fatten him up. He ate it all too, though it didn't appear to make much of a difference. He was just a thin person to begin with. He was looking healthier though. He was still pale, but the color had come back to his too pale face, his eyes weren't glazed in pain and looked about at everything with evident curiosity.

He hadn't realized he dozed off until he felt something warm blowing across his face softly and opened his eyes to look into bright blue ones. He jerked back in surprise and fell of his bench with a clatter.

Merlin just stared at him for a minute before another smile lit his face. Arthur was confused about the sound he was hearing until he realized that Merlin was laughing at him. It was light and carefree and soon had him laughing, too.

"Well now, what is there to be funny about?" A soft voice behind him asked and he looked to see Gaius standing in the door way. Merlin just pointed to his sprawled figure on the floor. He thought he saw Gaius's mouth twitch slightly, but than his face smoothed out again. "Was there anything you needed, Sire?" He finally asked walking in.

Arthur was about to reply, but than saw who was with Gaius. He just glared at her, waiting for Morgana's smart comment. But her eye's were trained on Merlin. Than he realized that she hadn't seen him yet. She'd gotten sick the day after Merlin arrived and had only just gotten better the other day. "Is this him?" She finally asked, her voice soft.

"He is, My lady." Gaius said. He grabbed Merlin by the upper arm and helped him back to his pallet. "And you are supposed to be in bed." He said sternly, ignoring the dog that growled at him for his rough handling of it's new master. "It's time to take your medicine and go to sleep." Merlin made a face, but complied, taking the vial Gaius handed him and drinking it in one gulp.

He smiled at them and lay down, eyes already drooping. They watched the dog walk over to him, lick his face in farewell than leave through the still open door. Morgana followed it and shut the door behind it.

"Now come sit, my dear and I'll get you draught ready. Sire, it would be better if you got up off the floor. Who knows what your esteemed father will think if he sees you like that." He turned and went off to his work bench to start blending herbs.

"He looks so different. I remember seeing him from my window when you brought him in. He was so pale and faded, but now…now he looks in almost perfect health." Morgana said softly, looking down at the now slumbering form.

"Umm…m-mother." The soft sigh fell from his lips as he turned over, his face contorted in pain at what ever he was dreaming about. The room was deathly silent. Even Gaius had stopped at the one word.

"Gaius, I thought you said he couldn't talk?" Arthur asked quietly, breaking the stifling silence.

"I didn't say he couldn't, but that he wouldn't. Something has caused him to do this." He replied, going back to what he had been working on.

"Than why is he talking in his sleep?"

"Maybe, something in his dreams triggered his speech." Morgana said to him. She turned to look at him. "Maybe we can teach him talk again." She said softly.

"Hmm, maybe, but it would take sometime, which I don't really have." He mussed over this.

"Gwen and I could do it." Morgana told him, looking at him. "And while he's with us, we can keep him out of Uther's hair and free up Gaius."

"Don't you have things to do?" Arthur asked, looking at her suspiciously.

"I'm still 'weak' after my illness and Uther has ordered that I keep my activities to the castle, so no I don't have anything to do." She replied tartly, glaring at him. "Oh don't look so wary. I'm not going to eat him or anything like that."

"I guess, now we just have to wait and see what he wants."

"Well that will have to wait until tomorrow. You sire need to be headed off to bed, as do you my lady. This can wait until morning when we all have had a good nights sleep." They both nodded. Morgana took the vial from Gaius and thanking him, left. Arthur stood in the door way for a moment, just looking at the slumbering figure, than tearing his eyes away, marched down the hall to his own bed room.

Morgana watched Merlin as he explored her room, leaning on a walking stick to help take weight of his healing leg. He was like a cat, sticking his nose into everything, but she didn't mind. It let her and Gwen study him without actually talking to him.

"So how exactly are we going to be doing this my lady?" Gwen asked her, turning from looking at Merlin to look at her.

"Hmm. I guess just sit him down and start as everyone starts: naming things. We'll see if anything catches his attention and go from there. Merlin." She called to him. He turned to look at her. "Come sit." She patted the chair next to her.

He made his way over to where she sat and though he sat, he sat on the ground across from her. She shrugged mentally. "Okay. Merlin, I am Morgana. Mor-ga-na." She drew the word out and pointed at herself. "You are Merlin. Mer-lin." She did it again. He just looked up at her. "Morgana." Point. "Merlin" Point. She did this a few more times, but his head was just tilted to the side in the confused look.

Finally, she shook her head. It just wasn't getting through. She was about to turn to Gwen for help, when she saw him smile. He held out his hand in front of him and she gasped when his eyes turned bright gold. Smoke appeared and gathered over his palm and as she watched, a small creature and a figure appeared in his palm.

She looked at them closely. One was a small miniature Merlin, flying around the miniature Morgana, an exact copy of her and what she was wearing at the moment. "Morgana. Merlin. Merlin." He said softly, pointing to her copy, the bird than himself.

As she watched they began to fade until nothing was left. He just smiled up at her. "This is bad Gwen. We need to find a way to tell him he mustn't do that here. He could get killed if he's found out." She was watching Gwen to see what her reaction was. She nodded, trying to think of a way to tell him.

"Merlin." He looked to Gwen. "What you just did." She held out her hand and mimicked his posture, twirling her fingers. "You must not do that. That is very bad." She waved her finger back and forth, shaking her head no. "You must not use your magic. Do you understand?" She asked.

He nodded slowly. For once he seemed to understand perfectly what they were saying. "Merlin." He pointed to himself. "Morgana." He pointed to her. He pointed to Gwen, question clear on his face.

"I am Guinevere. Gui-ne-vere." She said slowly. He tried to pronounce it, but it just came out garbled. "Try Gwen. Gwen." She said pointing to herself.

"Gwen." He said softly, than smiled his goofy smile.

"This might take longer than I thought." Morgana told Gwen.

xXx

I'm sorry if Merlin is coming off as slightly mental or something along those lines. But it's what I came up with when I thought about how someone would act in his shoes. I mean he's been living on his own since nine or ten with no human contact what so ever. You tend to not need speech when your alone, and at that age, he barely knew the language. It wasn't a fixated thing in his life. Other things happened and forced the knowledge of how to speak that language from his mind.

So sorry, if you don't like it. He's still a little kid in some things, like life and living around people. So now Morgana and Gwen know he can do magic, Gaius suspects, and Arthur, is well Arthur. The next chapter will be up later when I can decide what I will type about.

Until Next Time

~Reiya