6.

Gaius returned home to find Merlin pacing the chamber, running his hand through his scruffy, dark hair.

"Anything?" he instantly asked as Merlin turned to face him. Merlin only nodded at the screen. Gaius frowned, realizing that Merlin had shed his jacket and neckerchief and that his sleeves were rolled up past his elbows. He looked around the screen.

Mirin slept on her cot. Fresh bandages adorned her hands and a damp cloth, neatly folded, rested on her head.

Gaius looked sharply at Merlin. "What happened?" He immediately began checking the girl over.

"I don't know, Gaius. I've no idea." Merlin shook his head, resuming his pacing.

"Good grief!" Gaius had pulled the cloth from her head.

"She was beating her head into a wall. Just sitting there. Pounding her head into the wall." Merlin's voice was tinged with frustration.

"Where'd you find her?"

"In the tunnels."

"Where exactly in the tunnels?" Gaius asked caustically, searching the nearby table for something to begin further cleaning her head wound. Merlin had been trying to get the clotted blood in her hair to soften.

"The relics chamber. The magical relics chamber." Merlin replied.

Gaius froze, consternation and a ghost of sorrow briefly flashing across his face. He drew in a deep, locating a fresh cloth and took over for Merlin. "Her hands?" he asked.

"She rubbed them raw on the bars of the gate trying to get past them," Merlin said coming around to stand behind Gaius. "How could she even get that far down there with no light? It's pitch dark in those tunnels, yet she made it to that vault and was trying to get into it."

"I don't know, Merlin!" Gaius snapped, then he stopped and drew in a deep breath. With a sigh the old healer said in a softer, calmer voice, "Help me with this, Merlin. You've done a good job with her hands. Let's finish it up. Did she say anything?" Gaius pulled a stool closer to the cot and sat down.

"Only that she wants to go home. The only thing she's ever really said," Merlin sighed in despair. "What can I get you?"

"This can't be stitched -it's too ragged- and since it isn't deep, we'll just clean it up, get me some linens. What was she doing again to cause this?"

"Beating her head into the wall. Deliberately. Repetitively. I had to hold her head away to get her to stop. She didn't even notice my presence or that I was even holding her head in my hands until I forced her to make eye contact," Merlin rambled, searching around for bandages.

As Gaius began to tend the wound, Mirin's eyes fluttered, and a mewl of pain escaped her lips.

"Merlin come around and hold her head still while I treat this," Gaius said, catching Mirin's hand before she could push him away. He gently tipped her head to one side but not before getting her attention.

"Mirin, this is going to sting, but you must hold still, do you understand me?" he asked firmly. She kept trying to push him away, her face scrunching with pain and a new round of tears. Gaius gripped her wrists. He looked pointedly at Merlin.

Merlin reached across to take her wrists in one hand and held her head to one side with the other. Easily switching languages, he began telling Mirin to hold still in a gentle but firm tone. At first Mirin struggled as Gaius began cleaning the wound on her head. Merlin, in a steady murmur of the Old Tongue, urged her to keep still, that she would be all right, and that it would be over soon.

Mirin had never struggled against them as much as she tried to that night. Finally spent, she lay still, tears trailing down her cheeks as Gaius finished cleaning the scalp wound. He finally set a warm, damp cloth on the wound and gently patted her shoulder.

"It's all done, child," he said softly, setting his things aside. "Merlin, do you mind finishing up?" he asked as he stiffly rose from the stool. Merlin barely nodded, still murmuring to Mirin, and reached down to grab the blanket at the foot of the cot.

It was Gaius' turn to begin pacing the chamber floor, and moments later Merlin came around the screen, seeing the look of consternation on the old physician's face.

"Gaius, what aren't you telling me?" he asked flatly.

Gaius glanced at him and shook his head. "Nothing, Merlin, I know nothing. I have no facts, no concrete evidence other than what we already know." He shook his head. "I won't jump to conclusions without any proof."

"But you have figured out something, I can see it on your face. What have you figured out?"

"All I have figured out is that we have a desperately homesick girl who seems to be losing all hope of ever getting home. Hence the self-inflicted wounds."

"Nooo..." Merlin responded, waving a finger at him. "You've figured out more than that. Why would she want to get into the relics vault? What could she possibly want in there?"

Gaius scowled at him, shaking his head. "Maybe we are looking at this all wrong," he rambled.
"Maybe she is being compelled by someone or something else to get into the vault for something. Could it not be that if she can get this item, she would get to return home?"

Merlin shook his head, "No, there's something more at play here and you know something about it. What is it?"

"I won't jump to conclusions!" Gaius snapped.

"Gaius," Merlin looked at him severely, "Is she dangerous?"

"Oh, for goodness sake, Merlin!" Gaius replied caustically. "She's still weak from the pneumonia. Of course, she's not dangerous! You've been living here with her all this time. What do you think?"

"That you're not telling me everything you suspect?"

Gaius stopped in his tracks and just turned his full intimidating glare on Merlin. Merlin instantly raised his hands in defeat.

"All right, as long as you're sure she isn't a threat. That still doesn't answer what she could possibly want in that vault."

"I only know one thing for certain," Gaius scowled and resumed his pacing. "She cannot be allowed to go back down there."

"Well, yeah, that much is apparent, but how are we supposed to stop her?"

"If worse comes to worst, let the guards catch her trying to get down there and see how she likes spending a night or two in the dungeons? Or maybe the stocks? All we can do is forbid her from trying it again," Gaius tartly replied.

"But then Arthur, or worse Uther, finds out about it, and what becomes of that?" Merlin shot back.

"We simply have to get her out of Camelot then," Gaius said softly.

"Oh, sure, pack her up and leave. And where are we supposed to take her?" Merlin asked.

"South, towards the Isle of Mora," Gaius grumbled, "Beyond Camelot, anyway, and preferably near the Sea."

Merlin stared at him for a moment, "Are you serious?" he blurted out. "You're talking Odin's realm, and if you haven't forgotten every time we've ever had to deal with him, he's tried to kill Arthur."

Gaius shot a glare at Merlin, "What would Arthur have to do about this anyway?" He snapped. Then he turned to a nearby table and snatched up a book.

"You ask me if I'm serious?" he asked rhetorically, "Look at this here." He flipped the book open and dropped it into Merlin's hands. "Mirin cannot read, but she was looking through it the first night she was able to stay awake. It's an illustrated book on the coastal villages along Camelot's western border." He turned and picked up another. "A naturalist's drawings on vegetation in and around coastal waters." He snatched up a third and held it up. "Illustrated book on coastal birds." He added it to the top of the one Merlin already had. He grabbed another, "This is a book, full of sketches, on creatures from the southern coasts. It made her cry." The book got dropped onto the stack that Merlin was now juggling.

Gaius picked up a few more. "More of my books, all focusing on coastal life." He dropped them onto Merlin's pile. Merlin staggered, trying to hold onto them all. "You haven't been around the girl as much as I have, Merlin. You've had your own duties and responsibilities to tend to, but I have had plenty of time to observe her, and I am telling you this girl comes from a coastal village or town. She is dying of homesickness."

"Dying of homesickness?" Merlin exclaimed. "Is that even possible?" He dumped the load of books he had onto another table.

Gaius just looked at him with a disgusted smirk and looked pointedly at Mirin's screen.

"This doesn't make any sense though, Gaius." Merlin shook his head, "Why doesn't she head south for the coast? Why head here, and why seek out the relics vault?"

"That is what I don't know, Merlin." Gaius said with a sigh. "I can't explain it. I just know that that girl is slowly dying. It may not be in a physical sense, yet. But here..." Gaius tapped his temple, "She is dying. Apathy as deeply entrenched as hers will drain the life out of anyone. She needs to be returned home if she is ever going to make a full recovery."

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Merlin asked.

Gaius heaved a sigh, reaching up to rub his forehead. "I don't know yet, Merlin, but we must do something. She's been in my care now since she came into this chamber, and I will not stand by and watch her die, not while she is my responsibility."

Merlin gazed at Gaius for a long moment. He could hear the very essence of the old physician's purpose in his life ringing through his words. Gaius was a healer in every sense of the word and it extended not just to the physical aspects but also to the mental aspects. When Gaius took a patient under his care, that patient remained under his care until they were better, had left, or were dead. One way or the other.

Merlin also knew the enormous load of guilt and regret the old physician carried on his shoulders from his long time association with Camelot, even more so from his association with the Pendragon household. Gaius would do whatever he could for his patients so long as he was able.

Merlin turned, looking around for his jacket and scarf, which he found carelessly draped on a stool.

A puzzled expression settled on Gaius' face as Merlin snagged up his neckerchief. "Where are you going?"

"Someone needs to tell Gwen that Mirin's been found. She's probably wrung her hands off by now with worry." He tugged the neckerchief over his head, swinging it into place.

Gaius heaved a sigh, reaching up to rub a hand across the back of his neck. "Yes, of course," he murmured turning to stare at the clutter of his chambers. "Merlin?" he said as Merlin tugged his jacket on and began heading for the door.

Merlin paused, looking back at him curiously.

"Merlin, if anything should happen from here on out, don't do anything rash."

"What could happen? You said she's harmless."

"She is, Merlin, but caution is the better part of valour. I only want you to be careful. Don't do anything to jeopardize yourself or Mirin, all right?"

Merlin looked at him a little perplexed but then acquiesced, "All right. Don't wait up for me, I may be a while." Merlin saw Gaius nod his understanding before he headed out.

Gaius, with a resigned look on his face, slowly sat down at his favourite table as the door closed behind Merlin. He had no idea at first long he sat there in a brown study, brooding over his thoughts, when there came a knocking on his door.

He shook himself out of his reverie when the door opened and Arthur poked his head around the door.

"Arthur?" Gaius asked as the prince entered the room. He rose to his feet, a little perplexed at the loss of time. It had been some hours now since Merlin had gone.

"Am I disturbing anything?"

"Not at all," Gaius replied, looking curiously at Arthur. "I'm afraid if you are looking for Merlin, he's stepped out for the night. He went to deliver a message to Guinevere, I believe."

"Actually, I came looking for you." Arthur said.

"Me? What can I do for you? You aren't...?"

"No, I'm fine!" Arthur waved him off. "Father sent me. We have some dignitaries visiting from Tregor. They are dealing with an issue of a magical nature, and Father believes some of the answers may be found in the tomes in the relics vault. He was wondering if you could look them up for him?"

A look of understanding crossed Gaius's face. "Ah, of course. I take it you have the keys?"

"Yes. Can you come?"

"Yes, a moment though?" Gaius, poked his head around Mirin's screen and was satisfied to find that she was indeed asleep.

"Will she be all right on her own?" Arthur nodded at the screen as Gaius joined him by the door.

"Yes, she's quite asleep. Shall we go?"

Gaius didn't pay any attention to the time as Arthur guided him into the tunnels leading to the relics chamber. The prince carried a torch for them, lighting others set into their niches along the way.

The answers Uther sought for his guests lay in the old books of magic long since locked away from anyone capable of using them. It was an interesting coincidence, the old physician thought, as Arthur unlocked the vault doors, that they needed to come into the chambers at such a time. Still, it afforded him a little time to surreptitiously glance about to see what it could possibly be that a girl like Mirin could be looking for. He was sadly disappointed in his search.

He located the books in question, searching for answers from a list of questions Arthur had carried with him, and after some time, their task was completed. When they left the chamber, Gaius waited for the prince patiently as he ensured the gate was closed and locked. Gaius gave them one last look satisfied they were secured and followed Arthur out.

Emerging briefly in the Square, he was surprised to see it had grown quite dark out, and very few people were about. Arthur thanked him for his help and parted from there while Gaius turned and headed for the south tower. He wasn't half way across the square when one of the orphanage children ran up to him with an urgent message. With a sigh, Gaius led the child to his chambers, where he quickly gathered together those items he needed into his apothecary bag, looked in one more time at Mirin, and departed.

The sick child he had been treating at the children's home had indeed taken a turn for the worse, not an entirely unexpected outcome, concerning the diagnosis the child had. Still, he had helped the caretaker make the child comfortable, and much later on he returned to his quarters. Gaius was half afraid that when he returned he would find Mirin gone, but when he looked around the screen, she was still asleep, having barely moved. He let out a relieved sigh, realizing how weary he had become from that night's events and he decided not to wait up for Merlin, who had not returned.

He settled in for sleep and before too long he was snoring contently.

It was then that Mirin woke up.