I wanted to post this on my birthday (Wednesday) as a gift to you, but it was a busy day! May 10 is also Mother's Day (forever marking the one time in my whole life I was actually on time, even though I was technically early) so I couldn't really take time away from that.

So here is the new chapter, as a Friday gift and also a birthday gift!


Arthur tightened his grip as he felt Merlin slacken against him, afraid he had passed out. He tilted Merlin's head back carefully, taking in the pale complexion and glassy but focused eyes. Merlin was trembling so Arthur tucked him under his cloak and stood up. He took stock of the situation and his men.

Owain and Lamorak were soaked but appeared uninjured otherwise. Geraint was up, looking mostly unharmed. Galahad was leaning heavily on Leon, so unsteady that he nearly pulled Leon over. Bohrs was still leaning on the newcomer, his bloody leg held gingerly up. Caradoc was off trying to round up the horses, whistling for them to come back. There was no light from the moon or stars – the sky was covered in heavy, forbidding clouds. The fire they had started before the griffin attacked was struggling against the biting wind. Arthur could tell that the wind they were feeling now would be the mildest they could expect. It was time to get going.

"This storm came out of nowhere. We need to get to shelter." He looked around for Llamrei and not finding her, whistled.

Sir Bohrs, leaning on Lancelot, grunted. "We need to talk."

Arthur quickly looked around, taking in the carefully masked expressions of his men. The wind chose that moment to blow harder and Arthur pulled his cloak over Merlin's face to shield him from the cutting snow. And, if he was being honest, maybe he was shielding him from his men as well. Since that first heart-stopping moment when Merlin caught Galahad with his magic, Arthur hadn't had a chance to consider the implications of Merlin's magic reveal. It hardly mattered. He had committed himself a long time ago, though he never expected Merlin to reveal himself to his knights. A threatening rumble sounded overhead. When he spoke, his voice was as hard as steel. "We can talk when we've found shelter. Unless you would rather spend the night freezing your bollocks in a blizzard?" Bohrs ducked his head and gingerly held to his leg. "No? Then, let's get packed."

Owain was looking around. "We may be able to find a cave at the base of those hills. Or we could head back to the village?"

Lamorak spoke up from where he was struggling to secure his saddle. His hands were shaking from all the time he spent in the cold lake. "The v-village is at least a h-h-half day's h-hard ride away."

The stranger spoke up, behind Arthur, his tone hesitant. "There's an old hunting lodge a few minutes away. It's sturdy but there's no shelter for the horses."

Arthur nodded anyway. "We can build something before the storm worsens. Lead the way, stranger."

"My name -" he was cut off by a flash of lightning at the edge of the clearing. Merlin cried out from inside Arthur's cloak and jerked in a rough convulsion.

Leon was already rushing to Caradoc, leaving Galahad behind. "What happened?" Arthur hurried over.

Miraculously, Caradoc seemed unhurt. "It wasn't the lightning, it didn't hit me. I knocked into something like a wall. It threw me back."

Everyone turned as the stranger was thrown back with another flash of lightning. Again, Merlin whimpered and flailed as he tried to look out. Suddenly, Arthur became aware of a pressure on his side. His men must have felt it too, as they all shifted over. The stranger brushed himself off. "What were you thinking? You could have been hurt!"

He straightened, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "Not likely, Merlin's shields are still on us. I know what this is – it's a booby trap of sorts. There's a barrier to prevent us leaving. Every time you try to cross it, it disables you and moves in tighter. It's only Merlin's shields that have saved us from the strikes, but they won't help us cross the boundary. We have to destroy the anchor."

"How do you know so much about this? Who are you?" Bohrs had limped his way over and was glaring at the stranger.

The pressure returned again, forcing them to move. Caradoc said, "I thought you said it only tightens if we try to cross it?"

The stranger shrugged. "That's how it usually works. I'm not an expert; I can only tell you about the one I've seen."

Arthur decided he wanted answers as well. "And how do you know, Merlin?" This man had told Merlin to do something, say a spell – ordered it just like he'd ordered Arthur to raise his lance. Arthur had obeyed only because of the imminent danger, but he didn't like that this person was so comfortable commanding Merlin's magic.

Leon kept his head, as always. "Let's keep this short, shall we? Speak your name stranger, and describe the anchor."

"My name is Lancelot. I think Merlin's already found the anchor, I left it in the pile back there."

They turned as a group to head over. Arthur checked on Merlin and finding him aware, he ducked his head close. "Merlin, do you know Lancelot?" Merlin nodded. "Can we trust him?" Another nod and this time Merlin coughed. "Hang on, Merlin. We'll get you to shelter soon." He tucked his cloak back over Merlin's head.

At the pile of their supplies, Lancelot picked up a ring. "The griffin had it. It was using it to break Merlin's shields. It's very likely this is the anchor. Merlin can tell us for sure." He passed the ring to Arthur.

Arthur untucked Merlin's face. He held the ring up and asked, "Merlin, is this the anchor? For the spell keeping us trapped here?"

Merlin pouted as he studied it. He reached out to touch it but on contact, the ring sparked and Merlin drew his hand back sharply with a whimper. He nodded. Arthur dropped it on the ground. "Then we need to destroy it. Leon?"

Always at the ready, Leon drew his sword and swung it down. Lancelot called out a warning.

Leon's sword was wrenched from his hands. It ricocheted out of his hands and continued to bounce off the barrier that had invisibly shrunk around them. It finally came to rest in Arthur's saddlebags, after narrowly missing Bohrs.

There was a moment of silence. "Well, that won't work." Everyone groaned at Geraint's obvious comment. Leon apologetically promised to get him a new set of saddlebags. Arthur waved him off – he wouldn't need saddlebags if they didn't get out of this. Someone was bound to come looking to see what had sprung their trap.

"Lancelot, how do you normally destroy an anchor?"

Lancelot glanced pointedly at Merlin. Merlin was already wiggling out of Arthur's arms. "Merlin?"

"You need magic to destroy it." Lancelot at least looked apologetic as he said it.

Arthur watched as Merlin crouched next to the ring. "Is there no other way to destroy it?" Lancelot shook his head. "What happens if we don't destroy it?"

Lancelot scratched the back of his neck. "It depends on the purpose of the trap. It may continue to tighten until we are crushed, or it may simply hold us until…"

Galahad spoke up from where he lay on the ground. Arthur reminded himself to check on him later, he was very likely concussed from the griffin's initial attack. "Until someone comes looking? Probably someone with magic. And not the good kind."

Everyone else was gathered around Merlin, watching him curiously. Arthur felt a little unsure about letting Merlin use his magic so blatantly but he knew it was irrational – Merlin had rather blatantly revealed his magic many times that night. He kept a wary eye on his men but they would not meet his eyes. Their attention was drawn back to Merlin as he worked.

Merlin had contained the ring in what looked like a small shield but the ring was now glowing, fighting his hold. It rattled around inside its containment letting out horrible scratching and screeching sounds. A ray of light pierced the shield and Merlin cried out, his cheek cut by the magical ray. Leon bent down to staunch the bleeding without hesitating. "It's not deep, Merlin. Don't worry."

Merlin spared a glance for him before focusing on his task. He moved both hands onto his shield and rested more of his weight on it. Arthur could see the weakness in Merlin's hurt arm. The invisible pressure was at Arthur's back now, and lightning crackled overhead ominously. The shield tightened on the ring and the light coming from it intensified. A low whine escaped from Merlin, the effort obviously growing. Finally, with a ringing sound, the ring evaporated and the shield collapsed. Leon caught Merlin before he could faceplant and handed him to Arthur. He hurriedly wiped the little boy's cheek.

The pressure at their backs was gone. Caradoc braved a few steps out and nothing happened. The storm worsened, but there was no sign of further lightning.

Merlin was shaking in his arms. Whole body tremors intensified the shaking every few seconds. Beyond the fact that Merlin wasn't wearing a cloak, the drain on his magic would leave him cold too. Arthur tucked Merlin back under his cloak and urgently began to pack up. "We need to get out of here. Let's go!" He needed to get Merlin warm. He considered taking off his armor, at least parts of it, so that Merlin wouldn't be resting on the cold metal. He decided against it – they weren't safe yet.

Caradoc returned to the group leading four more horses. And Tidbit.

Who had Merlin's cloak in his mouth and was refusing to surrender it to Caradoc.

Arthur laughed. "Merlin, you rode Tidbit all the way here?" Tidbit pulled away from Caradoc to come to Arthur, or rather to Merlin. Arthur reached for Merlin's cloak and was allowed to take it after a (judging) look. Merlin peeked out and gave him a shy nod. Arthur shook his head with another chuckle. He pulled Merlin out long enough to wrap him in his own cloak before tucking him away again. Merlin determinedly wrapped one arm around Arthur's shoulder and Arthur did his best to support him from below, even more keenly aware of Merlin's hurt shoulder.

He accepted the pony's reins from Caradoc and tied them to his own saddle. "You'll ride with me for now, Merlin." Merlin didn't protest – he was holding onto Arthur like his life depended on it.

They were packed and ready to go in a few short, tense minutes. He left Merlin on Llamrei while he helped get Galahad and Bohrs on their horses. By the time they set out behind Lancelot, the wind was whistling alarmingly and the falling snow had blanketed the open areas in a thin, fresh layer.

The lodge was mercifully close. Arthur hung back to study the structure. The roof had an overhang over the front side of the building. He waved Leon over. "Do you think the roof would hold the weight if we braced a wall of logs on it, like a lean-to?"

Leon stepped closer to study the roof. "It might. Even if it gives, we can brace them on the wall."

Arthur nodded, plan set in his mind. He dismounted and called the men together. "Galahad and Bohrs, get yourselves inside and get the fire going. Owain and Lamorak, get changed and warmed. Unload the horses and get everything inside. The rest of you, break out the axes and start downing trees. Caradoc, see if you can rig something to help the horses haul the logs over. This storm is getting worse by the minute, men, so get to work."

Everyone jumped on their tasks, even the newcomer. They shed their mail and armor in messy piles just inside the doorway. Arthur stepped up to the doorway last and tried to pull Merlin away. "Stay inside, Merlin. I have to help the men but you can warm up in here." Merlin let Arthur put him down, but as soon as he was on his feet, he ran (swaying unsteadily) to Tidbit. Not in the way here.

Arthur shook his head. He couldn't spare the time now, but he would have to talk to Merlin later. Ever since the Yule business began, Merlin seemed to continually worry about being a nuisance. He refused to let Merlin think of himself that way – but now was not the time. He nodded reluctantly and joined the outside crew.

Arthur and his men worked in pairs to efficiently cut the trees and haul them out. When Arthur spared a look for Merlin, he found him curled up next to Tidbit, with the unhitched horses forming a wall to keep the wind off him. He smiled. It was like Ulric said, animals seemed to readily adopt Merlin. Confident that Merlin was well looked after, he returned to his task.

When he hauled his last tree out, it was to find that Owain and Lamorak had cleared a sizeable stack of the trees of their branches. It looked to be enough wood, so he called the men back. Caradoc stayed back, cutting grass as feed for the horses before the snow buried it. Leon studied the downed logs. "We have enough rope, Sire. We can lash them together to keep the wall together. But perhaps it would be better to split the logs. It would mean less weight on the roof."

Arthur sighed. "I agree, but splitting the logs, and doing it evenly, would take too much time."

They tried lifting one of the logs but it soon became clear that even if the structure could hold the weight, they would not be able to lift enough logs themselves.

Leon shook his head. "We have to split them and cut them just long enough."

Arthur swung his axe into the nearest log. He was probably the least injured and tired of the men, and still he did not even manage to start a split. It was one thing to cut across a tree, entirely another to split it down its length. He startled when Merlin tugged on his leg. I can help.

Arthur was ready to tell him no, to go rest, but Merlin was already gesturing for Leon's axe. Though some of the men had begun to watch Merlin a bit warily, Leon showed no such reservations. In a show of confidence, he crouched and held out his axe. Merlin placed his hands (Arthur could see them shaking) flat on either side of the blade and his eyes glowed. The axe looked no different when Merlin stepped back. Leon hefted it experimentally. He shrugged and moved to one of the logs. He aimed and swung.

The log split all the down its length, evenly, in half. The next log, longer in length, took only two strikes to split. Owain and Arthur let Merlin perform the spell again and began halving the logs. Meanwhile, after receiving the spell, Lamorak cut them to size, all of them needing only one or two strikes to cut through.

Geraint was looking at the ground. "We'll need to brace the logs into the ground too. I can dig a trench."

Arthur nodded, keeping an eye on Merlin, who was watching Geraint. This close to the mountains, the weather had not been as mild as in Camelot. The ground had been covered in snow for a while before today, and it was frozen underneath. Geraint was struggling to chop his way through to the soft earth with his axe. Merlin approached him and pointed at his axe.

Arthur watched warily.

Geraint spoke softly to Merlin as he held his axe out. Arthur couldn't listen in with the wind blowing so strongly but Merlin nodded in response and cast again. This time, when Geraint swung his axe at the ground, he cut through to the softer earth in one swing. He whooped and ruffled Merlin's hair. Arthur watched as he then pushed Merlin gently back towards Tidbit. He caught Leon's eye and received an encouraging nod – some of the men seemed to be accepting Merlin more easily.

It was hard to see by the time they began raising the logs. The snow was falling heavier now, and the wind was driving it forward. They worked quickly to raise the logs and lash them together. In no time at all, they had the main wall up and set to making side walls. When they raised one side up, Arthur spared only a moment to celebrate with his men. "Let's get the horses in and then we can finally focus on getting ourselves sorted out. Hopefully, the lads have hot water ready for us."

Arthur retrieved Merlin from his horse-huddle and carried him around the building. "What do you think, Merlin? Do you like our makeshift castle?" Merlin nodded happily, but then began to cough. When the coughs subsided, Merlin rested his head on Arthur's chest. Worried, Arthur headed inside where most of the horses, and Tidbit, had been led in. Even with the air blowing through the gaps, the makeshift barn was already warmer than outside.

On the threshold to the lodge, Merlin stopped him. Wait.

"For what?"

Merlin didn't answer but he was looking toward the open side. Arthur figured Merlin wanted to watch the last side be put up. A little exasperated, he put Merlin down and helped pull up the wall when the last horse was led in. When Arthur turned to Merlin, he saw him standing with his hands straight out to either side, palms parallel to the ground. With a stomp of his small foot, Merlin raised his hands and clapped them over his head.

Almost instantly, the sounds of the storm outside disappeared so completely that Arthur had to peek out of the gaps to check it was still there. From inside the lodge, someone whooped. "That's bloody brilliant!"

Arthur scooped up Merlin and walked inside. "What's brilliant?" It seemed to be a popular sentiment around Merlin.

Bohrs was leaning on the wall next to the window with rags in his hands. The window had been shuttered but there were gaps around the edges which Bohrs must have been plugging. "No draft anymore! What happened?"

It was Lancelot that answered, entering the lodge hesitantly. "Merlin happened. He's put up a ward."

Arthur tilted Merlin's chin up. "Merlin, you shouldn't have done that. You've been drained enough already."

Lancelot coughed, getting Arthur's attention. "It won't drain him, not really. Merlin has a peculiar way of putting up wards. He uses the earth's own magic to anchor them. He keeps the awareness, but the ward is powered by the earth itself."

Someone whistled and Arthur had to agree with the sentiment. "Alright, let's get ourselves settled. Anyone with injuries speak up and get checked."

"Wait, wait, wait! Arthur, we need to talk!" Bohrs hurriedly, and awkwardly, limped closer.

Arthur turned his most regal glare on Bohrs – he seemed determined to have this discussion. Arthur knew he couldn't keep postponing the issue, but he was concerned for Merlin's health.

Owain spoke up, "He's right, Sire. There's a glaring issue that needs discussing."

Arthur turned his glare on him, pulling his cloak over Merlin protectively. No one spoke up this time. Caradoc entered and pulled the door closed before he noticed the standoff. Wisely, he didn't speak but watched.

Arthur sighed. "What is the issue? Hmm? Could it have something to do with Merlin's magic? Merlin's magic that has saved us all once today, many times over for some?" He glared pointedly at Bohrs.

"You knew!" Bohrs was more often brawns than brains but his mind caught up to him as Leon stepped up beside Arthur. "Sire."

"Yes, I knew," Arthur admitted. "I've known since the day I found him. Merlin's never hidden it from me. He's only ever used it to help me. To save us." It felt important to lead off the conversation with that. His men needed to understand that Merlin was not a threat.

The room was blanketed in silence.

Caradoc cleared his throat. "I suspected." When everyone faced him, he continued. "After that scarred sorcerer, Edmund or Edwin."

Arthur nodded, relieved. He noted Lancelot's interest for later. "Yes. Merlin saved us then."

Owain stepped closer, "How? I mean, I suspected too, but… He wasn't with us then…"

Arthur rubbed Merlin's back soothingly, he could feel him trembling. "He wasn't, but it was him. It's all a bit complicated and I can't really explain it. All I can really tell you is that without Merlin, Gaius and I would have been burned alive and several of you would be dead. And it cost Merlin. You can ask Leon. When we found him, he was in shock and badly weakened. Rather like he's feeling now, I expect."

Some of the men had the decency to look contrite. "Does King Uther know? Merlin is his ward after all," Bohrs challenged. Leon shook his head, as in disbelief at Bohrs' pig-headedness.

Merlin whimpered under Arthur's cloak while Lancelot choked in surprise. Arthur hugged Merlin tighter. "No, my father does not know. And he will not find out. Does anyone here disagree?"

No one answered for a while. The only sound in the room was the crackling of the fire.

"Magic corrupts, Sire. That is why the King purged it from Camelot's lands." Arthur wished Bohrs were not here now. Bohrs, being one of the older knights, was reliable as a knight but definitely stuck in his ways and more tied to Uther.

Arthur sighed. "That is what my father believes, yes, but I have learned otherwise. Magic is a tool, and like any other tool, it can be used for malicious purposes. But it can also be used for good and Merlin uses his magic for good. To protect me. To protect you. Even though it hurts him, he uses it for us. Can you honestly tell me that after tonight, you think he is corrupted?"

No one answered. Galahad, not moving from his roll, spoke up. "I think I already said it, didn't I? Back there?" He waved his hand aimlessly. Arthur had no idea what he had said, and from the looks of his men, he wasn't the only one.

"What did you say?"

Galahad frowned at the ceiling. "Huh. Thought I said it out loud. I meant that Merlin is obviously the good kind. Whoever set that trap and set the – the…"

"Griffin?" Lancelot supplied helpfully.

"Yes, that, they are the bad kind. I know you all think I'm out of it, but it's still the truth. I've felt bad magic before, had it used on me during the – the whatchamacallit – Purge. But when Merlin caught me after the griffin threw me, it was nothing like that. I felt – it felt – safe."

"But what if it takes time? What if Merlin changes?"

Arthur soothed Merlin's whimper. "His greatest fear is that he is – or will become – evil, a monster. I promised him that wouldn't happen and I promise you the same. Trust me to speak up if he ever changes. All I ask is that you don't condemn him simply for having magic."

Caradoc spoke so quietly, Arthur unconsciously leaned closer to hear. "I had my suspicions before, Arthur, and kept silent. Even if that doesn't mean anything to you, I think you can trust that I never treated Merlin any differently. It doesn't really matter to me. I've seen enough of Merlin to know that he's just a hurt little boy learning to live. Someone hurt him deeply, and I cannot change that, but I can help him heal. His secret is safe with me."

Arthur nodded at him gratefully and finally let Merlin uncover his head to look around.

Bohrs spoke again, his tone challenging, "Leon, did you know?"

"Yes, nearly from the beginning." Leon ignored Bohrs' rude scoff and continued, "But I've also been studying Merlin from the beginning. When Arthur found him, it was obvious that what Merlin had suffered was nothing less than prolonged torture – I hardly expected him to recover. Out of all of us here, I think Lamorak is the only one that can possibly relate and begin to understand what I mean." Lamorak gave a reluctant shrug. Arthur knew he didn't like being reminded of his capture and subsequent torture at the hands of slavers. "And yet, he is recovering, and so grateful for every bit of kindness he receives. More importantly, despite his own condition, his own fears, he gives everything he has to protect Arthur. Merlin is just a little boy, yet he protects Arthur like one of us. He is not a danger to us - I've kept his secret, and will continue to do so."

Merlin had started to cry silently during Leon's speech, and Leon reached tenderly to wipe his tears away. Arthur was once again blown away by Leon's strength of character.

After that, one by one, the men swore to keep silent.

"You found him on that hunting trip, didn't you? After you fought with your father?" Arthur nodded at Owain. "Wish I could have known since then. It certainly would have explained what happened with Edwin. Which, by the way, you'll want to bring in Percival on this. He was awake too." At Arthur's frown, Owain explained. "We all talked, after everything, but as far as I can tell, only the two of us were conscious during your fight with him. We couldn't figure it out, but we suspected. He didn't use Merlin's name but you did."

Arthur nodded. "And your decision?"

"Your secret is safe with me, Merlin." Owain looked Merlin in the eyes as he said it. Looking at Arthur, he added, "And probably Percival too. He's very protective of Merlin."

Bohrs was the last to swear himself to secrecy. Arthur thought he did so rather reluctantly and frowned. He'd have to keep an eye on him.

Matter settled, Arthur turned to Lancelot. "I have questions for you, many questions, but I think we have delayed medical attention long enough. Everyone sort yourselves out."

Arthur turned to look for his bedroll. Not seeing it on the ground, he found it laid out on the rickety bed. He scooped it up, saying, "None of this now. Bohrs or Galahad get up on that bed. Someone put a pack under Bohr's leg to keep it elevated." Galahad would not be moved from where he'd lain during their discussion, so Bohrs took the bed.

Leon took Arthur's bedroll and shook it out in front of the fire next to his own. Arthur saw that Leon had already retrieved Arthur's bags. Nodding his thanks, he settled Merlin down on the bedroll. "Let me change, first, Merlin. Then I can focus on you."

In short order, Arthur was unwrapping Merlin from his cloak. He helped Merlin out of the ruined sling and his shirt, noting the torn sleeve and large tear on the back. He wadded them up, wiped the blood from Merlin's cheek, and threw them in the fire. To his surprise, with a whimper, Merlin's eyes flashed and the bundle bounced back. "Merlin?"

Lancelot, settled beside them, retrieved the bundle. "Don't do that, Sire, and don't you worry, Merlin. He didn't mean anything by it." He shook out the shirt and sling. "The shirt can be washed and mended, but the sling is ruined. We should dispose of it, Merlin. Don't you agree?"

Merlin nodded, trembling in Arthur's arms. When Lancelot threw the sling into the fire, he ducked his head away. Arthur had so many questions, more, but decided to hold off for now. He nodded his thanks for Lancelot's intervention and focused on Merlin.

He had already been bruised, thanks to those awful boys, but those bruises had started to drain. Over them, now, were several fresh bruises. His chest was also scraped and he would have to check for splinters. He turned Merlin slightly to look at his back and found one deep cut bordered by lighter welts to each side. With a sigh, he reached for a bowl and filled it with the warm water in the large kettle. Using a piece of his towel, he carefully gave Merlin a wipe-down. When he leaned close to check for splinters, Merlin began to squirm uncomfortably. "Just checking for splinters, Merlin. Nothing else."

He steadied Merlin and continued his check. Then, lifting his hand slowly, he began to press against Merlin's chest, checking to make sure no ribs were broken. "This will hurt, Merlin, but I need to make sure your ribs aren't broken."

Merlin whimpered but didn't pull away. Not broken.

Arthur didn't need to ask how Merlin could tell – it was either due to his experience or his magic, neither of which he wanted to dwell on at the moment. Luckily, Merlin's ribs felt intact and he would only need to wrap them to keep Merlin comfortable.

"I'm going to need some of that ointment," he called out. Caradoc offered a jar each of ointment and arnica. Bohrs called his name and threw him a roll of bandages. Looking around, Arthur realized everyone was looking at Merlin, taking in his condition. He was glad for it, they needed to know what it had cost Merlin, saving them, but he didn't want Merlin to realize it lest he become uncomfortable.

He kept Merlin facing him as he rubbed arnica into Merlin's shoulder and massaged it gently, speaking softly to him the whole time. He massaged it into his bruises too, before applying the ointment to his cuts and scrapes. He finished by wrapping Merlin's torso with the bandage roll. As he did so, he realized they didn't have any clothes for Merlin. "Merlin, did you bring anything with you?"

Merlin nodded and Caradoc jumped up. "He had saddlebags, Sire. Funny, I don't remember ever seeing such Merlin-sized bags." He said the last with a chuckle, passing the bags to Arthur. They looked just like any other saddlebags, but much smaller. He wondered where Merlin had found them.

Arthur opened one side and a single bark of laughter escaped him. "Merlin, why on earth did you pack a sack of oats?"

Merlin looked at him with a small pout. "P-provisions." He pointed outside, "For Tidbit!"

Now it was Caradoc who burst into a fit of laughter. He wandered back over and crouched to look. "Merlin, you don't need to pack food for horses or ponies. They can graze on most any grass. Oats are meant to be a treat for them."

Merlin was staring at Caradoc in clear disbelief. Several of the other knights were laughing now. Leon spoke up from where he was positioning his boots by the fire. "Oats are like sweets for ponies, Merlin. A sometimes treat, remember?"

Merlin nodded his understanding and Caradoc ruffled his hair before returning to his spot. Arthur opened the other side and found one of his old rucksacks. Inside it was a stack of Merlin's clothing, including a set of sleep clothes and a day's outfit, and a blanket. He pulled out the sleep shirt and was glad of Merlin's choice.

As he held it up to put on Merlin, Lancelot commented, "That's a peculiar shirt."

Arthur nodded as he helped Merlin into it. "Yes, one of a kind. When I first brought Merlin to Camelot, he was badly hurt. Particularly his upper body. His arm was broken and he'd taken a bolt to the same shoulder, not to mention all his broken ribs." More than one of his men winced sympathetically. "Morgana's handmaiden designed it when she noticed how painful it was to take Merlin's shirt off to change his bandages."

"Why not simply leave him without a shirt?" Bohrs sounded genuinely curious.

Arthur shook his head. "Not an option." He didn't want to get into it with Merlin listening, he was already ducking his head uncomfortably. "Her maiden designed this shirt. One side slips on like a normal shirt while the other side wraps around and buttons here. These ties can hold Merlin's arm in place like a sling," he demonstrated quickly, "and the final panel wraps over to keep his arm warm. Much easier, right, Merlin?"

Merlin nodded happily but Arthur could see that he was really fading now. His eyes were mere slits as he struggled to keep awake and his nose was running freely. It was time to hurry. He pulled off Merlin's boots and stockings, which Lancelot helpfully took to dry by the fire. Arthur quickly loosened Merlin's trouser laces and began to pull them down –

-only to have Merlin pull them back up with a startled cry.

"Merlin?" Arthur was concerned. He'd seen the blood on Merlin's leg and knew he was hurt.

Merlin kept tight hold of his trousers and ducked his head further. He was flushed, and Arthur could see his eyes furtively darting around the room. Arthur understood, "Merlin, no one here is going to hurt you. They all changed in the same room. It's going to be fine."

But Merlin desperately shook his head. Arthur sighed and looked around for his cloak. All of the cloaks had been hung up on the firewood stack, steaming as they dried in the rapidly warming room.

Leon saved the day. Shaking out his blanket, he held it around Merlin with a wink at the boy. "Some of us are shier that others, Arthur. Don't worry, Merlin. I'll close my eyes." He closed his eyes, a bit theatrically, as promised.

Seeing Merlin relax, Arthur pulled off his trousers. He quickly wiped him clean and treated the scratches on his leg. He pulled on Merlin's sleep trousers and turned him to Leon with a whispered suggestion.

Merlin tugged on the blanket. "Thank you." Merlin's voice was barely above a whisper.

Leon opened one eye, checked that they were done, and opened the other eye. "You're very welcome, Merlin." He ruffled Merlin's hair and walked back to his bedroll.

Arthur pulled out one of his own rolled stockings and pulled them over Merlin's legs. They were so big on him that they reached his upper thighs. Merlin looked at them with a frown and pointed to his own bag. "There's only one pair of stockings, Merlin. Let's save those for when we head back. Besides, you'll be warmer this way."

Merlin grizzled but dissolved into soft coughs. Arthur wrapped Merlin loosely in the blanket he'd found and settled him against his chest. "Wait, before you go to sleep, I want you to drink some water." He pulled out the waterskin he'd found in Merlin's pack and helped him drink from it. When Merlin was sated, he laid his head on Arthur's chest. Arthur settled him higher up and stood up. He paced and rubbed Merlin's back until he felt Merlin slacken. The knights quieted, giving Merlin a chance to fall asleep. For good measure, he continued until Merlin's breaths were even for several long minutes.

He sat and settled Merlin on the bedroll beside him. Merlin automatically rolled closer, searching for Arthur unconsciously. Arthur settled a hand on him and looked up to find Lancelot watching them with an almost wistful look. "Now, we have time to talk. So, tell me, Lancelot, how do you know Merlin?"

Lancelot matched his tone and volume to Arthur. Around them, the room had settled into silence once again as everyone leaned in to listen. "I know Merlin, because I was one of his guards."

Arthur growled warningly and tightened his hold on Merlin while moving to block him from sight. Leon stood abruptly, reaching for his knife. Merlin snuffled, hurt, and Arthur forced himself to lighten his hold.

Meanwhile, Lancelot was holding his hands up pleadingly. "I am not here to take him back! I swear it! I helped get him out!"

Arthur considered that. Merlin had said they could trust Lancelot – but Lancelot was not the man he had seen in Merlin's memories. "He didn't mention you. He described another man, scruffy looking with longer hair."

Lancelot was keeping his eyes on Leon but he answered. "Gwaine. He and I were two of Merlin's guards. He wouldn't have seen me that night but he knows I helped. Ask him. Gwaine was waiting with the horses but I was the one making sure Cenred was – distracted – while they made their getaway. I swear it. Ask Merlin if he trusts me."

Arthur waved Leon back. At his signal, several others relaxed behind him and Arthur was gratified to see their protective instinct intact. "I already did. Or you would not still be with us." Arthur settled Merlin as he began to cough. He would have to check for cough medicine in their medical kit. Leon helpfully passed it to him. "How did you get Merlin out?" he asked while he looked through the kit.

Leon spoke at the same time, asking, "How did you find Merlin?"

"Where were you?"

"Who was holding Merlin?"

"Did you know about his magic?"

And a dozen other questions echoed around the room.

Lancelot glanced between Arthur and Leon, then at the other men, now scooting closer. He was undoubtedly weighing the questions in all of their faces. He looked down at Merlin last, his gaze lingering fondly. "You're sure you want everyone to hear what I have to say?" He was looking at Arthur, now.

Arthur was sure. "They deserve to know why I have asked them to protect Merlin's secret."

Nodding, Lancelot once again glanced at Merlin. "Why don't I start from the beginning? He's deeply asleep, isn't he?"

Arthur nodded, feeling Merlin's relaxed form beneath his hand. "Why?"

"He carries too many unhappy memories. I would not force him to relive them."

Arthur nodded, understanding. He pulled Merlin closer, knowing that it would soothe Merlin even asleep.

Lancelot prepared himself with a deep breath. "I was not there when Merlin was taken from his village. Gwaine and I, and Dieter and Peter, for that matter, were naught but sentries in Cenred's army. Then, one day, we were called to the castle. We were told that we were to be guards now, for Cenred's newest… acquisition."

"Acquisition?" Arthur startled slightly as he realized Geraint was right beside him. All of his men had moved closer to listen.

"We knew that Cenred captured sorcerers, for his army. We'd heard, in rumor, that he was taking child sorcerers too. Before that day, however, we thought it was only rumor. Then we saw Mordred."

Merlin had spoken that name before. Arthur jumped in before Lancelot could continue. "Who was Mordred?"

"Another child. A boy, about six or seven years older than Merlin. Druid born." Lancelot sighed. "I don't know how long Cenred's had him but it's a good deal longer than he had Merlin."

"How old was Merlin? When he was captured?"

Lancelot was looking at Merlin, but his eyes were distant, unfocused. "He was just a babe. Two years old, still small enough to hide in his mother's bosom. Cenred took everyone from their village. Burnt it down, so they would have nothing to return to. The men were put to hard labor and the women were made slaves around the castle."

"And the children?"

"Cenred is raising them as warriors along with any other children he captures. Trained as fighters from childhood, and only loyal to him. They're kept from their parents, and any time not spent in training, they listen to indoctrination speeches. He hasn't had much success – they may be children but they're not stupid."

"And Merlin? He was a slave."

Lancelot shook his head. "Not at first. A prisoner, yes, but Cenred was overly kind to him. He collared Hunith, Merlin's mother, instead, to keep up the pretense for Merlin."

Arthur interrupted. "She had magic?"

"No! No, it was to keep her from leaving the castle. It would stop her from crossing the outer wards – from leaving the keep. He didn't want to collar Merlin at first. That's why we were there, to keep him in line without resorting to a collar. Cenred's plan, at first, was to adopt Merlin. Sort of. He wanted to raise him as his own. He treated Merlin and Hunith grandly at first. They were given a large room, very luxurious, and all their needs were tended to."

"What was the catch?" Even Bohrs was entranced by the story.

"The catch was that he wanted to train Merlin's magic for his purposes. I'll get to that later," he said, anticipating Leon's question. Leon leaned back. "Hunith was clever. She pretended that Merlin's magic hadn't yet manifested, and struck a deal with Cenred. She promised their cooperation if he saw to it that Merlin was educated properly, at least while his magic appeared. Cenred jumped on it."

"That explains why Merlin can read and write. How long was it before he came into his power?"

Lancelot held up one finger, "Actually, he won't come into his full power until he comes of age."

"Are you saying everything he did today, that was just a fraction of what he can do, will be able to do?"

Lancelot shrugged. "I don't really know. No one does. Merlin is one of a kind." He indicated with a second finger. "Second, he was born with his powers." He laughed. "Hunith used to tell us stories about how Merlin would levitate shiny things over himself as a babe. Or disappear entirely when it was time for a bath."

Amidst the chuckles, Lamorak remained stoic, skeptical. "She told you that? His guards?"

Lancelot sobered. "We're not bad men. Once we got to know them, well, could you resist Merlin's charm? Now imagine him half his size, except his ears and hair are just as big and messy. Talking up a storm about every little thing." Lancelot smiled, watching Merlin and Arthur smiled too. Having seen glimpses of Merlin's happy nature, he wanted desperately to see what Lancelot had seen. "Big blue eyes begging for kindness? We protected him from Cenred as much as we could. It was obvious he had power. All it took was a bit of distraction, a butterfly, a slip on the stairs, and his magic reached out to do as he wished. We understood why Hunith hid it, and we helped them hide it. For years." He shook his head, his volume dropping. "We did our best, but it couldn't last. We never found out how Cenred discovered it. Gwaine and I were called in and there, on stakes in the throne room, were Dieter and Peter's heads. We denied knowing, as much out of self-preservation as to protect Hunith. We narrowly kept our lives and jobs."

"What happened then?"

"He brought in four new guards and set the shifts so that one overlapped with the day and night shifts." Lancelot looked at Merlin again. "He collared Merlin. The witch was gone, so he used one of the spares used for new captures." His voice was quieter now. "It nearly killed Merlin."

"Why? And who is the witch?" Geraint was leaning in, like he wanted to pull the story out of Lancelot faster.

"Those collars cut a sorcerer off from their magic entirely. Completely block it off. But Merlin… he's different. He is magic. It's a part of him as much as blood is a part of us. The collar can't force it out of him, so the effect is like it's strangling him, or poisoning him. It took only a day before Merlin became seriously sick, and by the second day, he was comatose."

Arthur mentally compared Lancelot's explanation to what Iseldir had said. It sounded right, but didn't explain how Merlin was kept collared after that. "But when I found Merlin, he was wearing a collar?"

Lancelot waved his question aside. Arthur resisted the urge to demand an answer. "That day, the witch, Morgause, burst into Merlin's room. She's on Cenred's side, a powerful witch – a High Priestess of the Old Religion. She walked right up to Cenred and called him an idiot before slapping him. Apparently anyone with magic could feel Merlin dying. She removed the collar and dragged Cenred away. Merlin was given a few days to recover, but when they came back, Morgause put him in a new collar. The one you found him in. It binds Merlin's magic without cutting him off from it. Cenred controls it with the same ring he controls all the others. And it wasn't just Merlin's magic it controlled. It prevented him from speaking, punished him without having to be caught."

"How old was he then?"

"Maybe four? Hunith never told us Merlin's birthday, and she lost track of time being indoors all the time, but she used to say that the year he was born was the longest she had to wait for her Yule present."

Arthur shook his head. Merlin hadn't spoken for two, maybe three years? Suddenly, every word Merlin had spoken became that much more precious. And the first word he deliberately spoke had been Arthur's name! He hitched the blanket over Merlin a little higher and turned his attention back to Lancelot.

"After that, it went downhill quickly. Hunith was separated from Merlin and put to work as a servant. Merlin's training was stepped up, and everything but magic was dropped. He spent hours memorizing spells, learning to control his magic, and doing physical training. There were no illusions, now, about his purpose. Cenred was honing him into a weapon, and gave him no more kindnesses. His instructors were free to use physical discipline, and some of them took it further than that. Every distraction, every mistake, every disobedience earned him punishments. He spent almost every night in the dungeons, with only Mordred for company. He only ever saw his mother when Cenred wanted to remind him of what was at stake if he disobeyed. It was awful. Every day he faded a little more."

"What did you do? What need were you if he was collared?"

"We delivered him to his lessons and made sure he obeyed. Officially. Unofficially, Gwaine and I, we tried to help where we could. We'd sneak him to Hunith for a quick hug, bring him food, carried him to give him a rest. And not just us. All of the servants would sneak Merlin food whenever they could. Even Mordred looked after Merlin – kept him focused during lessons and helped him as much as he could. At night, in the dungeons, Mordred would keep hold of Merlin, so he wouldn't be too scared or too cold. At least, whenever Mordred was left down there, he looked after Merlin. I believe, that in his own way, Mordred loved him too."

Everyone processed that for a moment. Arthur could believe it – there was just something about Merlin that aroused a protective instinct in people. Perhaps it was his innocence, or maybe something purer. He rubbed Merlin's back, reassuring himself more than Merlin.

"Why did you wait so long to get him out? Merlin is six now, going on seven years if his birthday is soon."

Caradoc interrupted, surprised. "He's nearly seven years old? But he's so small!"

Lamorak answered before Lance. "Prolonged malnutrition and starvation." In response to their glance, he uncomfortably added, "Seen it before – with the little ones that grew there." Arthur took that to mean that the slavers had had children as well.

Lancelot was nodding. "We weren't waiting. We just weren't desperate enough. Getting caught would mean our heads, and certain death for Hunith! Cenred would have tortured her, long and slow, and forced Merlin to watch. We couldn't risk doing that to him."

"What changed? What made you desperate enough?" Arthur suspected an answer, and the look on Lancelot's face confirmed it. He braced himself; Merlin was safely asleep, and his men needed to hear this.

"This year, Mordred reached an important age for druid children. For some reason, Morgause wants him to keep his druidic heritage and rights so she takes him away to participate in certain rites. The spring equinox, they were away for a few nights." He took a deep breath. "Some of us had suspicions, Gwaine and I included, but we interacted with Mordred so little, we couldn't be sure. It was little things. Cenred's gaze would linger a little too long, his touches bordered on the inappropriate, but never with Merlin." He took a breath. "Never with Merlin…until that night." Lancelot turned away, as if he couldn't bear to look a Merlin anymore.

"Gwaine and I weren't on duty at night, but in the morning, we were called to Cenred's chambers. That's it. No explanations. We waited for hours, confused. Around midday, Cenred stumbled out, hungover, and waved us in. 'Get him cleaned up. He can have today off.' The bastard acted like he was being generous!" He clenched his fists.

The tension in the room was heavy – everyone was holding their breath. Lamorak, too, had turned away, making Arthur wonder what horrors he had witnessed while in captivity. Had he already guessed? Leon, too, was looking away, staring into the fire.

Lancelot pinched the bridge of his nose. "It was – " he took another breath. "You never expect to see a child like that. It shouldn't – it defies all the laws of nature. It's just wrong!" His voice rose, angry, but he quieted with just one guilty glance at Merlin. "He was so little, smaller than he is now." His voice was breaking. "Merlin was – we didn't know what to do. He was so hurt, the equivalent of various punishments inflicted on a single night on top of having been… hurt. Blood and… and – fluids – on him. Curled up so small as if to disappear. Unresponsive. I didn't know what to do. And Gwaine, he was falling to pieces. I told him to go get Hunith and it was like I'd told him to kill her. I left him to carry Merlin out and went to get her. I couldn't even – I couldn't speak." He trailed off, undoubtedly remembering that day.

"She threw us out of the room and I couldn't blame her. The next day, Merlin still hadn't responded. He was awake, but not really. Just stared blankly out of bleary eyes. We couldn't get food into him. His body rejected everything. We would slip water into him while he was unconscious only to have his body start to purge without ever waking! It was like the time with the first collar but worse. This time, he wasn't being killed, he was letting himself die."

As that statement sank in, Arthur felt his heart stop. He wondered if Merlin remembered it, those nights he dreamed. It would explain why he went limp – almost like an internal flight reaction.

"The third day, Cenred stormed in with Morgause and Mordred in tow, wanting to know why Merlin wasn't in training. I thought Hunith was going to castrate him right there. We kept her back, just barely. As soon as Morgause heard what happened, she jumped in on Cenred too. But while the adults were all fighting, Mordred crawled right into bed with Merlin. You have to understand, Mordred never cries, never gives away what he's feeling. The only people that could break his mask were Cenred and Merlin." Lancelot was a bit frantic, wanting them to grasp this desperately. "That day. As soon as Mordred saw Merlin, his face crumpled and he began to cry. Curled up beside him and held him like something precious. They were in their own little bubble. When Cenred tried to pull him away, Mordred raised a shield over them. It's the only time I've seen him defy Cenred and win. Actually, it was the only time he ever defied Cenred. Even Morgause pulled Cenred back. All we could do was watch."

Lancelot straightened. "I don't know what he did or how he did it. But he brought Merlin back. Stayed with him for the rest of the day and night. Only left when it was time for his own training, but by then, Merlin was awake. Inconsolable, but awake. Mordred stopped holding him, wouldn't let anyone except Hunith touch him. It was – tragic. I was watching one victim comfort the other despite knowing he couldn't protect him." He took a deep breath. "Cenred left him alone for a couple of weeks. And even after, most of his teachers seemed reluctant to punish him severely. I think Merlin very nearly died, let himself die that day. It was a shock for everyone."

"That was when you got him out?"

"That was when we started planning. Hunith was planning her own escape and we persuaded her to let us plan it. This had to work the first time or the consequences would be horrific for Merlin. The problem was that we simply didn't have many opportunities. We needed the witch gone, and preferably Mordred too."

"Why not get Mordred out too? Why leave him to continue to be abused!" Arthur was surprised by Lamorak's harsh tone. The man was a statue, unshakeable; Arthur rarely ever heard him so much as raise his voice.

Lancelot shook his head sadly. "Cenred broke Mordred long ago. Not only would he not accept help, but he would have turned us in without hesitation. A maid tried to sneak him food one day around this time – he turned her in that same instant. Her head was placed on a stake outside the servants' quarters, her body fed to his pets. Mordred turned a blind eye for Merlin's sake, but not for his own. We could not risk him turning us in."

Arthur absorbed that reluctantly. To think that a child had been mistreated and abused until he could not accept help – is that the fate that had awaited Merlin? Merlin coughed and this time Arthur clutched him to his chest, wanting to reassure himself that Merlin was safe, out of reach of Cenred. Merlin snuffled closer, responding to Arthur's proximity.

Lancelot was watching him curiously but at Arthur's nod, he continued. "Our only options were Beltane and Samhain. Beltane was too close, and too short. Samhain was months away but it was our best option. Cenred throws a weeklong festivity, feasts and flowing wine, usually spending the last two entire days drunk. Morgause and Mordred would be away for the entire week. We figured that if we took Merlin three nights out, Cenred would be too drunk and hungover to notice for three days."

Lancelot paused to take a drink, and Bohrs spoke up. "It worked, you got Merlin out."

Lancelot shook his head, hanging his head regretfully. "It was nearly over before it even started. With drunk-Cenred came – abusive-Cenred. The night we planned to get Merlin out, Gwaine and I came in to find that Cenred had taken him again. Worse, we hung around past our shifts, but he didn't let Merlin out. He came out, hungover and searching for drink, but didn't bring Merlin out or tell us to take him away. He was so deep in his cups, he probably didn't even remember."

"Couldn't you just go in and get him?"

"No. His chambers are warded. Without his express permission, no one can enter. But Merlin could leave, if he could move. If we could get him to respond. We changed plans. This was our line in the sand – we couldn't leave Merlin there anymore. The next night, I brought Hunith to Cenred's room. If anyone had a chance of getting Merlin to respond, it would be her. I stayed around long enough to make sure Merlin was moving and then I played my part. I had paid a girl to entertain Cenred for a while. She slipped off his ring so he wouldn't notice when Merlin crossed the wards. As soon as it was off, I gave the signal for Gwaine and watched as Hunith rode off with Merlin. Soon as they were through, I signaled again and the girl returned Cenred's ring. We left then. Gwaine and I laid decoy trails."

Lancelot shrugged. "Which brings me to how I got here. Gwaine and I planned to rendezvous and catch up to Hunith but he never made it. I followed Hunith's trail and found a tracking squad in the swamp. I disposed of them, but I couldn't find her trail. I checked local villages but found no trace. I headed this way because I heard that the witch had a fortress in this direction. And her other hangout, the Isle, is somewhere past these mountains."

"You planned to take on the witch alone?"

"No! I'd be dead before I knew it. No, I was planning to stake them out. In case they found Merlin."

"And Gwaine?"

"He wouldn't have missed the rendezvous without a good reason. I'm honor bound to find him, especially now that I know that Merlin is safe."

"So you don't want to take him?"

"Are you serious? He's safe where he is. I can see that. That's all I wanted – that and for him to be happy. That's all Hunith wanted for him."

Arthur was satisfied for now but Lamorak was not. "Why Merlin? Why is Cenred so invested in him?"

Arthur wanted to interrupt, to avoid this conversation while the discovery of Merlin's magic was still fresh, but Lancelot answered without hesitation. "There is a prophecy about a king that will unite all the lands of Albion under his rule. Cenred wants to be that king. To do that, he needs Merlin."

"Why Merlin? Surely his army of sorcerers could do it."

Lancelot shook his head. "The prophecy says that this king is destined to do this with the aid of the most powerful warlock to ever live. Two halves of a coin to unite Albion and usher in an era of peace."

His men were stunned. Arthur could see shock and skepticism in their faces. Bohrs even snorted. "Are you seriously trying to convince us that Merlin is that powerful? That Cenred will one day be High King over all the land?"

"I thought the same as you, but it's been confirmed. Cenred captured as many druids as he could to be sure. Merlin is Emrys and he is destined to help the Once and Future King bring about the prophecy. But they also said Cenred is not the Once and Future King. They already knew who it was – they said they knew him the moment Merlin was born."

Arthur jerked and all eyes fell on him. Lancelot studied him cautiously.

"Arthur?" Leon asked carefully.

Arthur sighed, glancing down to check that Merlin was still asleep. "I can confirm that Merlin is Emrys. And I know who the Once and Future King is… apparently, it's me."

Lancelot jumped up, his eyes a bit wild as if he was contemplating taking Merlin from Arthur in that moment. Leon stood up and placed himself between them. Lancelot tried to sidestep around Leon, saying, "So you are after Merlin's power too? So you can take power over the land? You'll use him just so you can take the title of Once and Future King!"

Arthur calmly shook his head and covered Merlin's ears. "No." He sighed. "Several years ago, I had a dream. I was in the woods, surrounded by druids. They didn't speak but they studied me from all angles, evaluating me like I was for sale." He still remembered the indignation he felt. "One by one, they kneeled before me, and declared me their king. The Once and Future King. They said that my other half was born, and now destiny had been set right. They each blessed me, and left. Except it wasn't a dream."

Leon, still standing between Lancelot and Arthur, spoke quietly. "He told us he sleepwalked out of the castle. He was ten years old. That's nearly seven years ago, about Merlin's age."

Lancelot still had not relaxed, still looked uneasy. Arthur met his eyes. "It's been confirmed to me since then. I brought Merlin to the druids to have his collar removed. The chieftain confirmed it himself." Lancelot stilled. "I talked about this with Merlin already. He knows that I know. I promised him that I would never try to control his power like Cenred did. Certainly, I don't intend to act on the prophecy any time soon. Merlin deserves a childhood, and I am not ready to be king. I'm not even Crown Prince yet! My only desire is to protect Merlin, to let him enjoy his childhood and try to make up for what he's suffered."

Lancelot seemed only slightly mollified. He settled back off his toes, no longer a man tensed for a fight. "Is Merlin happy? Are you sure he wants to stay with you?"

Arthur nodded. "Yes, and you can ask him yourself, tomorrow. Ask him anything you want. But ask yourself this, have you seen anything tonight, in his behavior or mine, that tells you otherwise?"

Lancelot shook his head. He grudgingly sat and Leon finally backed off. Around and behind him, his men settled back. Suddenly, Arthur was tired, done for the night.

He patted Merlin's back through another round of coughs. "Well, I still have questions, but I think we've talked long enough. Let's get some rest." He settled Merlin back on the bedroll and laid back beside him. As soon as he was flat, Merlin wiggled closer and rested his head on Arthur's arm. Arthur checked, but he was still deeply asleep. "We should be safe enough, but let's get a watch set up. I'll take second or third, just wake me up."

Leon volunteered for first watch, followed by Owain on second. Lamorak took third. Arthur protested but Lamorak said, "I don't think Merlin would appreciate a moving pillow, Arthur."

Galahad laughed, somewhat dazedly. "Arthur as a pillow? Does that make him fluffy?" He was slurring his words, indicating a concussion – not that Arthur was feeling particularly charitable now.

"Oi! Are you calling me fat?"

Merlin stirred beside him, stilling only when Arthur pulled him close enough to rest his head on his shoulder. Leon chuckled beside him, despite Arthur's glare. "I'll have you know I'm fighting fit!"

He glared until Leon hid his smile and settled in for the night. Lancelot watched him from his bedroll but Arthur didn't pay him any mind. He could understand his desire to make sure Merlin was safe. And safe he was, a tight little bundle at Arthur's side. He laid his other hand on top of Merlin and let himself be lulled to sleep by the quiet sound of Merlin's breaths.

Arthur was woken in the middle of the night by the sound of Merlin's whimpers. He quickly pulled Merlin tightly against him, whispering reassurances urgently. Merlin abruptly woke with a desperate gasp, struggling out of his blanket cocoon. "Merlin? Merlin, what's wrong?"

Owain stirred the fire and stoked it higher to give more light. Arthur had hoped the light would calm Merlin, but he continued to struggle. Arthur sat up and helped him. He kept tight hold of Merlin's shoulders, forcing him to make eye contact. He frowned, Merlin was icy under his hands, even through his clothes! "What's wrong?"

"B-bad magic!" Outside. Really bad. Looking for us. Angry! He struggled out of Arthur's hold and sat on his ankles, his free hand on the ground to support him as he bent over.

Arthur couldn't see any signs of magic at play. Around the room, the men had woken and were asking what was happening. "He says there's someone with bad magic outside. He said they were looking and… in a bad mood." Arthur stood up, gathering his sword, and moved to the window. He peered through the gaps at the bottom but was met with only darkness. Leon was peering over the upper gaps but shook his head to indicate he saw nothing. Caradoc opened the door to check on the horses and Lancelot yelled out a warning. "Don't go outside. We're only safe as long as we stay inside Merlin's ward."

Caradoc nodded. Arthur followed him out and saw him peering through the gaps in the logs. From here, Arthur could see that the snow must have piled up against the wall. Frowning, he mounted a horse and used the new height to look through the gaps.

The sky was faintly illuminated, as if the earth was emitting its own light in the absence of moonlight. It was enough light to see that the storm outside was raging, the trees' canopies waving impossibly under the weight of the wind. In the distance, about where he estimated the lake to be, strange lights were flashing. "Magic!"

Caradoc, having copied him, corrected him. "Bad magic. I think they're looking for their lost pet." The lights flashed as one and flew higher into the sky.

Leon called Arthur's name urgently from inside. Before he could dismount, there was a faint shimmering around him, and Caradoc, that faded away. He hurried inside and saw that Merlin had paled further. He was still crouched low, and was rocking. Arthur sat beside him and noticed the cold radiating from him. Bending low, he saw that Merlin's lips were tinged blue and the breaths he panted out were as visible as if he were outside on a cold day rather than inside a slightly cool lodge.

He looked to Lancelot, hoping for advice, but Lancelot looked just as concerned, just as lost. "I don't know what to do. I don't know what's happening. I think he's drained – he's released the shields on us."

Arthur pulled a blanket over Merlin and rubbed his back. So close, he realized Merlin wasn't just panting. He was pleading. "What? What do you need, Merlin?" Merlin ignored him and a moment later, Arthur decided Merlin hadn't been addressing Arthur.

Faint golden tendrils sprouted from the ground like new clovers in the first spring bloom. They quickly grew and thickened, forming a golden forest inside the lodge. Branches sprouted and reached up and out. Glancing outside, Arthur could see the same happening in the barn. The horses appeared undisturbed by their new environment.

Merlin's rocking eased but he stayed in his position. Minutes creeped by with nothing to show for it. Caradoc called out updates on the strange lights as they ranged out. For a tense time, they passed by the lodge, circling the clearing. They waited, unconsciously reaching for weapons, for any sign that they had been discovered. Nothing happened.

The lights moved away, continuing their search.

An endless eternity later, they disappeared. "I think it's over, Sire," came Caradoc's report.

The forest dissipated a moment later. Merlin sagged with a low moan. Arthur lifted him up, concerned that Merlin seemed frozen, quite literally. He wasn't even shivering! Leon, crouched beside them, murmured, "Hypothermia." Arthur understood the warning.

He tugged Merlin's shirt open and slipped him under his own sleep shirt, hoping Merlin wouldn't object or react badly to the skin-on-skin contact. Luckily, Merlin's only reaction was to snuggle closer, wrapping his icy arm around Arthur. Arthur grit his teeth and tried to will away his own goosebumps.

He moved closer to the fire, rubbing Merlin's arms and legs through his shirt. "I think so too. We probably shouldn't go outside for a while. They may come back."

"What was that? What was Merlin doing?"

Merlin was unreachable, drained to near unconsciousness. Everyone looked to Lancelot.

"More than likely, it was Morgause searching for us. I think the storm may have been a part of the trap. It didn't start until we killed the griffin, right?"

Heads nodded all around. "Then the boundary spell would have held us there, and the storm would have killed us, or at least made us easy targets." Lamorak's tone could be downright depressing sometimes.

Lancelot nodded. "I think that was the point, yes. Merlin was probably changing the ward somehow, to keep us hidden. I have never seen him face off with Morgause, but I imagine that may be what happened, indirectly. With all the magic he did before, he was too weak on his own. I think the earth was helping him to hide us, so that Morgause wouldn't recognize his magic."

"Wait a minute. Are you saying the earth can think? That it has magic and decided to help Merlin?" Bohrs hadn't moved from the bed, but he still found a way to be a part of the conversation.

"I don't know! It definitely has magic, infinite power according to druid lore. That's what most sorcerers use, when they cast spells. That's why they can be cut off from it. Merlin has a way of getting it to respond to him, without spells. I don't think even he knows how or why."

Arthur checked Merlin's face. He looked to be soundly asleep again (or unconscious), and was slowly warming. He was starting to shiver and his cheek was once again bleeding. "I think he's done in for the night. We won't be getting any answers tonight. Let's get back to bed."

Bohrs surprised him with his tender tone. "Is he alright?"

Arthur shrugged. "He's frozen, but he's warming. He might react badly if he wakes. If he does, pretend not to notice."

"Why would he react badly?"

Geraint reached over and slapped Bohrs on the back of his head. "Why do you think? Did you pay any attention to the abuse Merlin suffered?"

Bohrs rubbed his head, looking apologetic. "I forgot. Right. Don't react if he does. Got it."

Once again, they settled into their bedrolls. Arthur sat close to the fire until he felt Merlin's shivering subside. Reluctantly, he moved away from the warmth back to his bed roll. He would rather have put a layer between Merlin and himself, for Merlin's sake, but Merlin seemed at ease how he was. Hoping that would still be the case in the morning, Arthur pulled his shirt laces all the way open and made sure Merlin's head was firmly in the opening. Finally, he pulled his blanket over them and settled. Merlin's heartbeat was steady, in synch with his own thunderous heartbeat and he fell asleep glad for it.


Let me know what you thought of the chapter and what you think is going to happen! I promise to make time to write while I'm home and my internet is much better here so I anticipate updating regularly. I already have some written but I'm not sure how much fluff is too much fluff and whether you'd all rather I move the plot on faster? Kid!Merlin is just so cute! I'm open to opinions (hint, hint, wink, wink!).

As always, thank you all for reading and for your comments/reviews! We keep picking up new followers and favorites when I least expect it - I can't even believe there are 250+ followers and nearly 150 favorites. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! And since I have time now (and to show my love for you regulars), here are a few replies!

mersan123, Triscribe - I just loved writing about Merlin's race to save Arthur! It was exhilarating and I'm glad to hear it carried into the story. I think a lot of us could use a trusty friend like Tidbit.

Aaronna, OechsnerC - The knights (most of them) are in! I hope the discussion seemed realistic.

generalabbs - Thanks! I know they're still a bit ooc but I'm slowly working them back in-character but I love how they are now too.

Guest - Happy birthday! Wish you'd been logged in/left a name to give you a shoutout! Birthdays in May are the best :P

I know I missed some of you, but know that I love each and every one of you for taking the time to write!

**Remember to call your moms on Sunday! (even if it's not Mother's Day, I'm sure she'd love to hear your voice)