*AUTHORS NOTE* Hello you lot! Didn't I say I was going to carry on writing when I got a chance! I'll probably have another break after this, because my exams start again next week and I really should be revising, but I thought I'd give you all a chapter to read whilst you wait. How nice am I? Enjoy

Merlin sat under a broad leaf as the rain battered the forest. He was soaked through all of his clothes and he shivered violently in the fierce chill that bit into every part of his body. His heart roared with pain and anger as the memory of Arthur's violent dismissal ran rings around his mind. He hadn't fed for days, and was becoming weak and tired, and he knew it.

Arthur rode through the rain in silence, Leon behind. He shivered in the downpour that mingled with the tears streaming from his eyes. Merlin had betrayed him. The only friend he had ever known and understood, and trusted had betrayed him. He breathed a sigh of relief as they entered the waterlogged courtyard. "Merl-" Arthur stopped himself. He was about to ask Merlin to take the horses. He shook his head and smiled to himself. "Idiot."

After a few minutes a servant came out and took the horses. "Evening, sire. Where's your manservant?"

"Gone." Arthur sighed. "He's just….he's gone." He turned and entered the castle.

"Arthur!" Uther leapt to his feet, a look of relief and anger written all over his face. "Where have you been?"

"On a mission. If you must know, I left to stop Cenred from destroying an entire village of innocent people."

"I see. Did you find your manservant?"

"Yes." Arthur sighed. "But he's dead. We were attacked on the way back by a group of bandits. Merlin didn't stand a chance."

"I see. Has Gaius been informed?"

"No. Not yet."

"Are you not upset?"

"I am. Merlin was a…a friend. A good one. He did not deserve to die like that."

"I shall give you a rest period. You may mourn your friend after you inform Gaius of this terrible news. I shall punish you for going against my word later on. Off you go."

Arthur nodded and turned, biting his lip to stop the tears. He missed Merlin already, he couldn't stop himself from glancing to the side, expecting Merlin to be by his side with that crooked smile of his, and those sparkling blue eyes. Eyes that had flashed gold and betrayed him. But had he really? He had saved Leon's life. Arthur shook his head. Merlin wasn't his friend anymore.

Merlin shivered and curled up under the long trailing branches of a willow tree. In a desperate attempt to keep warm, he had changed himself into the wolf. He lay his long dark muzzle on his front paws and shut his eyes, hoping when he opened them the storm would be over.

Morning dawned over Camelot slowly, rousing Arthur gently from his light sleep. He woke, shaking the dreams that had haunted his coconsciousness out of his head. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair and got to his feet. It was early, but he knew Gaius would be awake, and wondering where Merlin was, as the news of Arthur's return had spread through the castle like wildfire. He got himself dressed and made his way down to tell Gaius the dreadful news of Merlin's death.

Merlin ran, the hare darting in and out of sight in a desperate attempt to escape his jaws. He bounded, closing the gap between him and his prey, and he enjoyed the sensation, the ground gliding beneath his flying paws. Suddenly, he was falling, turning in the air and landing with a sickening crack. The hare leapt away and into the brush, only just having escaped.

Merlin looked down at his front paw and winced. It had snapped, the bone protruding from the skin, poking out like an iceberg at sea. Merlin summoned up the last amount of strength in him and changed into his usual form, and tried to climb but it was to no avail. He was stuck. Every movement made his arm scream with pain. And then he noticed the cold iron spike that had gouged a hole in his back. As he studied it, he noticed it had been coated with something. Suddenly, a cold, sick feeling rushed through him. This wasn't just a trap. It was a vampire trap.

"Gaius?" Arthur gingerly stepped into the small workshop. It was still as messy as it had been when he left.

"Arthur!" Gaius climbed down from the ladder he used to reach books on the uppermost shelves of the bookcase and smiled. "You're back!" His face fell. "Arthur, what's wrong?"

"Gaius…I'm so sorry." Arthur's voice broke and he started to shake. Every instinct in him was telling him this was wrong. "It's Merlin."

"Did you find him?"

Arthur nodded. "Yes…yes, I found him" Arthur sat down heavily on a nearby stool. "Gaius, he's…dead." Arthur held back a sob as tears began to overflow from his eyes. "He…we were attacked. They took him…they…they killed him. Gaius, they knew where we were. It was an ambush. There…there was nothing I could do. I'm so…sorry."

"Oh, Arthur." Gaius pulled the sobbing prince into a hug. "Hush, It's alright." He rocked Arthur as he sobbed. "It wasn't your fault"

"But it was.." Arthur's body shook as a tidal wave of sorrow swept over him. "It was my fault"

"Shhhh" Gaius sat Arthur down. "Tell me, what did they do with him?"

"I…I don't know. They took him…and…and I don't remember the rest. I just remember seeing them drag him away."

Gaius nodded, sorrow burning in his light blue eyes. "I'll have to write to Hunith…"

"Gaius?"

"Yes?"

"Can…I go? I'd like to spend some time alone."

"Yes, of course. If you need anything, you know where to come."

"Gaius?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you…for everything. You were like a father to Merlin. I think he'd have liked you to know that."

Gaius nodded wordlessly and raised a hand as Arthur turned away, biting his lip to stop the sobs from exploding out of his chest.

"Merlin?" A voice roused Merlin from his sleep. He opened his eyes slowly and looked up at the top of the pit.

"Who are you?" Merlin sat up, hand still trapped in the snare. "How do you know my name?" He squinted up at the face that squinted down at him.

"Don't you recognise me?"

"Wynter?"

"Hello." She smiled. "Luke, it's Merlin!"

Luke's wolf appeared at the top of the pit and barked. "Merlin!"

Merlin lay back down. "How did you find me? How are we talking?"

"We're the same, we can understand eachother." Luke sat down.

"We could hear you. You were crying for help."

"What happened? Where's Arthur?" Wynter jumped down and landed ably by Merlin's side. "Ouch, that looks painful"

"You think?" Merlin winced. "Careful, that spike's coated with poison."

"I know, I've seen these before. You feeling brave?"

"I suppose so."

"Good, because this is really going to hurt." Wynter took Merlin's broken arm and with a quick movement snapped the broken bone together. Merlin gave out a strangled yell of agony. "There, wait a few moments and it will stop hurting, that's it. The bones should heal quickly"

"There. It's gone." Merlin flexed his wrist. "Thanks."

"No problem. Right, lets get you out of here." Wynter laced her hands together to make a foothold. "Here, I'll give you a boost."

Merlin put his foot into Wynter's hands and let her fling him upwards. He grabbed the top of the pit with both hands and hauled himself over. He turned and looked down at Wynter. "What about you?"

"Just you watch." Wynter backed up against the other side and leapt, using each side of the hole as a ledge to spider her way up and over the top. "Practice makes perfect." She smiled. "Where's Arthur?"

"Gone." Merlin looked at the floor. "He knows…he saw…what I am."

"Oh, Merlin. Merlin, I'm so sorry."

"It's alright. It had to happen." Merlin got to his feet and winced. "Ah" He gave a yelp.

"Merlin…are you okay?"

"No…" Merlin yelped again as pain seared through him. "Ouch."

"Merlin, stay still." Wynter helped Merlin to the floor. "Ouch indeed, it looks like you got scraped."

"I know…is that….bad?" Wynter sniffed the wound. "Oh, Merlin…it's Hemlock."

"Aah! Is that bad?"

"Merlin, I'm so sorry. It's fatal to newborn vampires."

"I'm dying?" Merlin shuddered. "And I thought today was already bad!"

"Wynter" Luke got to his feet and padded over. "If we can get him to the coven in time we can save him."

"Take me to Aealdor…" Merlin's breaths were becoming ragged. "My mother is a healer. She'll know what to do…Her name is Hunith…." Merlin shuddered and fell silent, chest rising and falling slowly. Wynter sighed ad scooped Merlin into her arms. "Hang on, Merlin. Stay with us." She set off in a flash, the forest speeding past her, in the direction of Aealdor.

"Arthur" Arthur was roused by his father's voice. "Arthur, wake up!"

Arthur sat up. "Mmm what's going on?"

Arthur I need you to get up, now and meet me in the courtroom."

Arthur stood in the centre of the stone room, the silver moonlight the only thing igniting the darkness. In the centre of the room lay a body, shining white in the pale light. Uther stood nearby, watching with worried eyes. Arthur looked between the two and crept closer. His stomach flipped as he recognised the body as Merlin. He knelt by it and heaved it into his arms as the memories came flooding back into his mind, flashing in front of his eyes as he held the silent manservant in his arms. Suddenly Merlin's eyes snapped open and they were pupil less and angry. He stood up and flung Arthur back against the wall, sending pain searing through the back of his head. "Don't you lie to me!" He shook Arthur violently, until he felt like his bones were rattling. "Don't you lie!" He threw Arthur across the room, sending him turning over and over in the air like a rag doll.

Arthur jolted awake, breathing heavily and shaking. Cold sweat stuck to him, plastering his hair to his head. Merlin's face was still vivid in his mind, twisted into an angry snarl. His empty eyes boring into his very soul. Arthur lay back, focusing on the ceiling. As his thoughts sped around his mind, he felt a twinge in his gut. Something was wrong, and he knew it was Merlin. He sat up again, heart beginning to speed up as he realised he'd made a mistake. He'd made a very big mistake, that had put Merlin in grave danger. Hurriedly, he pulled on his clothes, picked up his pack that he still hadn't dealt with after returning and crept out of the castle. Quickly, he tacked up his horse and galloped out of Camelot. He was going to find Merlin and bring him back. Alive.