"Let's not get caught this time." Merlin suggested as the pair stood before another town.

Two nights had passed since they'd fled Alined, and they hadn't found anyone pursuing them, but had ended up in much the same circumstance as before: No food, no water, no warmth. Arthur had once again created his makeshift slingshot and they had taken to following the stream they'd found so they wouldn't lose the water supply. However the nights were cold and they'd suffered the first without even a fire due to the lack of flint.

Merlin knew it would be easier if he just magicked them a fire, but just thinking of it made him all too aware of the eager leaping in his stomach of his magic desperate to get out; To create fire, to burn things, to cause destruction. He couldn't bear thinking of his magic, so he ignored it. Pretended that there wasn't anything unusual under his skin, and shivered through the night until morning. Arthur had offered to share his cloak, but Merlin had disagreed, Arthur needed the warmth and it wasn't his fault Merlin was too scared to make a fire.

They'd found flint the day after, and Merlin thought that would be the end of it, except it had rained that night and doused the measly flames they'd managed to spark. Merlin had accepted the offering of the cloak that night, as they'd been unable to find any form of shelter in the dark and it was the closest thing to protection they had. Nevertheless both had woken soaked to the bone and freezing, the rain still falling.

Past midday, it still hadn't let up. Miserable and shivering, both were beyond glad to have found somewhere with roofs, somewhere dry. However the gladness all too mirrored the last time they'd found a town and hesitation caused them to halt as they looked on the settlement before them.

"That much is obviously desirable." Arthur scathed.

He'd been like this since it had started raining, evidently Arthur could get grumpy when uncomfortable. His moodiness was half the reason Merlin wanted to get somewhere dry.

"Well any plans for not getting noticed, o wise Prince?" Arthur glared at him.

"We need the shelter but we can't afford to be seen; Alined no doubt has knights after us. If anyone reports seeing us here... We sneak in, find somewhere to take shelter for the night and leave first thing in the morning."

Merlin nodded and they both went into the town.

XxX

"This'll do." Merlin suggested, slipping through a barn door. It was a small building on the edge of town, straw strewn on the floor with three cows kept inside.

"Well, at least it's dry." Arthur muttered, curling his lip at the cows and shuffling to the opposite side of the barn. Merlin screwed up his mouth but stayed silent, crawling into a shivering huddle beside Arthur, while the rain battered the wooden barn.

After they sat in silence for awhile Arthur spoke up, "We'll have to steal some supplies before we leave."

"I thought you were against stealing."

Merlin thought back on that day after their initial escape, they'd been freezing then too, and starving. Despite Arthur's disapproval he'd magicked their food out of the bags of the passing travelers. Back when he'd thought he knew his magic, when using it was so simple. His magic could do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted, limited only by other's fears. Finish his chores early, grow fruit on deadened winter trees, warm their hearth and make pictures in the fire. When his magic was innocent and he didn't have to fear using it.

The hum under his skin only continued to grow stronger these past few days, no matter how much he tried to ignore it; Prickling in his blood and making it itch inside where he couldn't reach it. It only heightened his surity that his magic was stronger and more dangerous and volatile than before. Something had changed about it and didn't know what or why. Perhaps something had broken that day of the storm in Deorham. But then that didn't seem quite right, before Deorham, before even stealing the food from the travelers, something was different. The day he and Arthur fled the bandits he'd thrown them back, he was sure he'd been in control then, more so than in Deorham, but how much magic had he used? He'd just recovered from a sickness, was exhausted and panicked, he couldn't quite remember what he'd been doing. Had something changed even then? Had he just not noticed until Lord Banbury?

"Are you even listening to me?" Arthur's petulant tone snapped him back to the present, as the other boy glared in his direction.

"What?"

"I said, that was before I got aquainted with survival without a castle and a regiment of knights and servants to ensure it for me." Merlin stared at him oddly, since when did Arthur mention his old life? He must be quite irritated Merlin thought. "What is it then?"

"What's what?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Whatever you're thinking about that's so much more important than me."

Merlin snorted. But, no, he was not telling Arthur about his magic.

"Just homesick." Arthur eyed him so Merlin continued, "Aren't you? Must be missing all those servants and knights to bow at you and wait on you hand and foot."

Arthur glared. "Actually no. It's suffocating."

Merlin scrunched up his face. "How? Wouldn't it be nice having people do things for you?"

"No. I can do things on my own. It's insulting. Father and the knights hardly let me fight my own battles even when I'm capable of it."

"Oh, so it was your competence that lead you to be gored and trussed up by bandits." Merlin said with wide eyes as though everything was suddenly becoming crystal clear.

Arthur didn't appreciate it. "No! Although I clearly need to rethink some of my life choices. Such as, how I ended up in a barn, soaked and starving, with a sorceror." He spat.

Merlin's breathing picked up. "I didn't ask you to come with me! You could have gone back to the field and your father and gone home to your horribly suffocating castle where you lie around all day and whine about your life!"

There was a creak and movement outside, causing both boys to whip their towards the door. Those were definitely footsteps.

"Now look what you've done." Arthur hissed at him. "They'll found us here any second now."

Grasping Merlin's wrist Arthur tugged him towards the door, but Merlin wrenched it back. "If you so regret my company then just go crawl on home by yourself, I'm not stopping you. No need for us to go together."

Arthur growled at him. "Are you mad? Just-" He huffed. "Come on!"

Grabbing Merlin's wrist again he dragged them out the door and around the corner before the owners reached the barn.

"Alfie?" A woman called out.

"Barn door's open." A man shouted back. After a moment of silence in which Arthur assumed the man was looking around he shouted again, "Cows haven't escaped! Must've been the wind or a wild animal. All's fine now."

Merlin snatched his wrist back again once the danger passed and glared at Arthur, although he wasn't sure the other boy could see it in the darkness. He stomped off.

"Where are you going?" He heard Arthur hiss after him as the other boy hurried after him.

"Why are you following me?"

"Because I don't want to just stand here in the rain." Arthur said as if speaking to someone particularly slow. "There're gone now, we should go back inside."

"Back inside? With a sorceror." Merlin raised his voice to a falsetto. "I wouldn't want to subject his highness to such-"

"Oh for godsake! You're being ridiculous."

"You're an arse!" Merlin yelled at him, turning around.

"Well, I'm certainly not the only one! You called me incompetent. Is that why you want me gone, can't trust someone so useless to take you home." Merlin could hear Arthur's voice wavering between emotions.

Like Arthur was the one hurt. So what if Merlin talked about his castle and his knights and his servants... this was unbelievable, Merlin thought. So he hadn't wanted to sympathise with a spoilt Prince, so what? "You called me a sorceror!"

"You are one!"

Merlin gaped.

Then the roar sounded.

In the tree line of the forest neither boy had realised they'd trudged back to, a beast appeared behind Arthur. Maw open wide and teeth bared, crouched and ready to strike.

Merlin scrambled back with widened eyes. He saw Arthur turn around at the sound and made to cry out but he was too late. The creature lunged. Sharp and deadly claws slashed at the Prince. Merlin looked around desperately for a stick, a stone, anything he could use as a weapon.

There was blood. He saw Arthur try to leap back only to trip. Lying still long enough for the beast to latch its claws into flesh. Arthur screamed and went limp.

Merlin screamed.

He couldn't help it. No matter what promise he made or resolution. No matter how much he tried to ignore it. The power prickling in his blood, making him shiver and itch, rose at his fear. There was no holding it back. One might as well try to move a mountain as to placate this rising tide to recede.

He screamed and with a loud explosion of light the beast screeched and was flung across the clearing.

Merlin rushed forward and with hitching breath knelt at Arthur's side. There was so much blood. Flesh missing from blatant wounds across his torso. Merlin didn't know what to do.

His magic hummed in his body, in the air around him, surrounding him with power, too much and everywhere and he didn't know what to do with it. His ears popped. His lungs constricted. His skin crawled. The whole forest suddenly seemed to teem with life and vitality, but if he couldn't do something then Arthur wouldn't.

Help. He pleaded with the power surrounding him. To anything that would listen he called out, help.

Help!

XxX

A/N: I'm cruel I know.

Too Moonlover04, I am sorry it took so long! However your message was very touching. I had no idea people would be so interested in still reading they'd comment about it. So thank you! And you did inspire me to hurry up with this update. A few things happened, including wanting to iron out what comes next before updating and writing myself into a corner, end of and return to school and many assessments, as well as a storm that knocked out our WiFi or I would've messaged you back sooner.

In any case here's the new chapter, next one shouldn't so far off.