Okaydokey here's the newest chapter.

Disclaimer: Do not own and all mistakes are mine - happy to admit it :D

Omg! Newest season is fabulous! The second ep was so epic! And the ending omg! No! I think I cried!


Summary

When told, through their usual banter, that Arthur would not survive a week without Merlin, he predictably decides to give Merlin the week off to go visit his mother, in order to prove otherwise. Merlin immediately decides to not look a gift horse in the mouth, and takes advantage of the situation to get some free time. Little does he know that there are surprises in store for them both. With both friends and enemies surrounding him, Merlin will have to tread carefully if he wants to protect both Arthur and his secret.


Arthur looked around his chambers. Well, with only a few hours without Merlin he could say that it was going good so far….

Okay, so maybe not so much. There were clothes all over the place, Arthur's armor lay unattended to on his table, and he wanted to have a bath after a long day's training, but couldn't remember where the kitchen was in order to get the water. Not that it would matter after all. A Prince should never be seen entering the kitchen without a good reason. He could always get another servant to fetch him the bath, as well as some food – he wasn't going to fetch his own dinner after all. Perhaps he could ask Gwen….

'Hmm…maybe Merlin had a point…' he thought, not that he'd ever admit that.

He really should stop thinking and go find Gwen. She'd keep his secret, she wouldn't tell Merlin, would she? She was friends with Merlin before she got closer to him…. 'Nah, Gwen wouldn't tell' he thought, turning away from the mess that was his rooms, and left to go find Gwen.


Merlin walked over the small hill and looked down at the valley that lay below. He was now at the edge of the forest that showed the way to Ealdor. Another couple of hours and he would reach his home…. 'Home?' Merlin thought. Could he really call Ealdor home anymore? He had not lived there for over four years now, and had only returned to visit his mother. If it were not for his mother, he did not think that he would bother returning at all. He had a lot more to return for at Camelot. Camelot had everyone that he loved and cared for - besides his mother. All his friends and those he now counted as family lived in Camelot. He knew that he could not call Ealdor his home anymore, not when he knew that his real home was back in Camelot.

He knew that his mother knew this too, it just took him longer to realize that he had finally found somewhere that he could belong. Somewhere that he could fit in. If only his biggest secret wasn't one that could threaten that happy thought.

As if to knock him out of his negative thoughts, Merlin paused in his walking when he heard a twig snap somewhere ahead of him. Leaving the road, he hid amongst the trees, crouching down and searching out with his magic. It was dangerous times, and Merlin knew not to assume that every snapping twig and rustling bush was just another rabbit - like Arthur tended to sometimes do.

But Merlin could only find traces of magic around him. There had been sorcerers somewhere close not long ago, and were probably still nearby, but had left the road long ago, heading somewhere into the valley below him. He knew that this meant that there were probably more magic users somewhere ahead of him, and he'd be lucky if he got passed them without getting caught - especially with his rotten luck. Merlin continued down towards the valley and deeper into the forest, but kept off the road, and searching around him for any more traces of magic.

The sound of raised voices made him come to a complete stop, and he crouched down low, realizing that there were people ahead of him. He could hear the fire they had going crackle. Slowly kneeling down, and edging forwards, looking over a slight rise in the ground, he saw the camp that the mercenaries had set up. In total, Merlin had to take a guess and say that there were at least fifteen men there inside the small clearing. There seemed to be an argument taking place, which explained the raised voices that he had heard. Being the curious warlock that he was, Merlin decided to listen in.

"Do you even know what she's capable of? We turn on her and it'll be our necks that she'll come after, Alec!" shouted a tall, rather brutal looking man.

"Not if we get away first! She's not all knowing! Why should we work for someone like her? We used to do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted, and now look at us! Scrounging for work from anyone who'll hire us for the pettiest of things!" replied a shorter, but equally ruthless appearing man. Merlin assumed that this man was the previously named Alec.

"Are you insane? Do you know who you're talking about? She and her sister were the first ones ever to have broken into the citadel of Camelot itself! Do you honestly think that if we refuse to work for her, that she'll just let us go with a wave of her hand?" the first man retorted.

Merlin suddenly realized who it was that they were arguing about. It was Morgana and Morgause. 'Just great, what are those two going to try now?' Merlin thought, wondering why he couldn't ever catch a break. He needed to be careful, if he was caught and forced to use his magic to escape, he couldn't risk anyone escaping with that knowledge and letting it get back to the two witches.

"I do hope that I'm not interrupting something, gentlemen?" said a new voice. As Merlin looked around, he realized that this new voice belonged to a new person who had just entered the camp from the other side of the clearing.

He was taller than the other two, and a lot more bulky around the shoulders and arms. He, to Merlin, was obviously the leader of the group, commanding everyone's attention by merely being present. The two arguing men had now stopped, and looked over to their leader, their skin paling with every second that passed. The newcomer simply raised an eyebrow in a gesture that explained that he was waiting for an explanation - despite the fact that Merlin suspected that he already knew everything that had been said.

"We-we were just-" started the one called Alec.

"I know what you were doing. But you do not decide what it is we do, I do. You answer to me, Alec. If you have a problem following orders, perhaps we should have a little chat in private…" the newcomer interrupted fingering the hilt of the sword that hung from his belt.

Merlin saw Alec visible swallow as he stayed silent under the man's threatening glare. Despite being argumentative with Alec, the other man looked a little tentative also. Merlin knew that this man was not to be messed with. But Merlin had to find out what it was that these men and the two witches were planning, if only to warn Arthur. He had to stay there until he discovered their plans.

'Merlin, don't be an idiot' said the voice in Merlin's head, which sounded oddly like Arthur's voice. He just shook his head and got back to the conversation that was going on. The newcomer was now coming closer to the camp fire, looking around him as if to see if there was anyone who would like to openly disagree with his orders. He looked as if he were daring them to do something, he just wanted someone to act out, give him a reason to let out the anger that he was clearly not hiding well.

"Elric, if I may, how are the others getting on?" asked one brave man somewhere nearer to the fire, catching everyone's attention. They all wanted to hear the answer, but no one more than Merlin. Merlin now knew the name of the group's leader – Elric.

Elric looked to the man that had spoken, and a small smile appeared on his face, almost a smirk – but nothing in comparison with Morgana's. Now that he came to think of it, Morgana did smirk quite a lot – it was a wonder that no one had ever noticed anything until it was too late.

"They have called the three leaders in the north, and are now headed back to the meeting point. By this time tomorrow the Valerian Clan should be arriving, as well as Brayan – their leader. The Asa Clan should be here before the morning, Aster sent a message that she was coming with at least twenty-five healers. It won't be till the day after tomorrow that the Bala tribe arrives. Aleric managed to communicate with Peter, he'll be bringing as many people as he can" Elric explained.

Many of the men around the camp started smiling; realizing that their plan was going as they – or more likely Morgana and Elric – had planned. Merlin knew something of what was going on. He had recognized a couple of those names. He already knew that the Valerian Clan were a group of druids that believed in increasing their strength when it came to their magic – which is why their name meant 'strong' in Latin. He was able to hazard a guess that the other two – Asa and Bala – were also druid clans. He didn't know what these two words meant, but from what Elric had said about the Asa Clan, they were druids that focused on healing powers. He had little to no information on the Bala tribe.

"I assume you have managed to send out your messages to the rest of the druids?" Elric asked, and then continued when a few of the men answered in the affirmative. "Good, with any hope they will all be here by the end of the week, and then the Lady Morgana shall have the magical army that she desires" he said, smirking to his men, who started copying him.

'They're planning to attack Camelot, with an army of sorcerers…' Merlin thought, just managing to stop himself from gasping aloud at the revelation.

He knew he couldn't stay any longer, he had to go back to Camelot, and he had to warn Arthur. He slowly crawled back the way he came and stood once he was back up to a certain point, far enough away that the people at the camp wouldn't hear or see him. Getting to his feet, he quietly started walking back towards the path that lead to Camelot, with such light footing that even Arthur would be impressed.

As he got to the path, he heard more voices, except this time they were in front of him. He was standing at the edge of the road, knowing that any closer and they would soon see him, but he couldn't go backwards either. He crossed the road quickly and kept walking through the forest, going off at an angle from the path, but further away from the danger that he was trying to leave behind.

He could still hear the voices behind him, but they were getting further away now. When he was far enough away, Merlin stopped amongst the trees, leaning against a large oak as he caught his breath back. He couldn't hear the voices from the mercenaries anymore, and knew that he was far enough away to stop running.

He didn't really know where he was anymore, but he knew in which general direction he would be heading. After a moment, he decided to head off, but as he turned around, a flash of red was the last thing he saw before the blackness consumed him.


Thanks for any reviews!

Hopefully future chapters will be longer, and really start getting into the plot. I just really don't want to rush into the story – so many stories get ruined by doing that.

Reviews:

BigTimeGleekBTR - Thanks! Will do, I make it an aim to at least post once a week, if not more. It's usually Thursdays that I post, but if I get a lot written, I'll start updating more often - promise! :D

ShiverMeFunzies - Love the name btw! :D thanks! I love those two characters - I hate loving every character, because I never know which is my favourite (Probably Merlin though! hehe!). Thanks! And thanks for reviewing!

Lozzy-heartz-Bookz - woo! thanks! Your reviews always make me smile :D thanks!

HplcMlVr - great to hear that it's going well! glad that the length is good, but it's probably going to get longer anyway :D For some reason recently I start writing and find that I just can't stop! I wrote two whole chapters in one night! thanks!

horsegirl332211 - same! Gwaine's fab! loved him in 3rd season, and he's just as silly and funny in the 4th - from what I've seen of him in the first two episodes, the second one being funnier where he's concerned XD Hope this chapter was up to your expectations! :D thanks for reviewing!

Whirlwind421 - thanks! hehe, same I've written most of the areas ahead on my phone, and I'm writing them up on the computer so I can edit them :D

Arnia - Here you go! Thanks for reviewing! :D

Thanks to everyone!

Cookie dough and ice cream to every reviewer :D yum yum...

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