A/N: Thank you Buckhunter, SnidgetHex, pallysAramisRios, and Guest for reviewing!

Chapter 4

Merlin woke to the sound of quiet voices murmuring around him and the pleasant feeling of being warm. He felt so sleepy, he could have happily stayed in that half dozing state, but there was a sense of urgency prodding at the back of his mind. So he forced himself to prize his eyes open and look around. The voices immediately ceased.

"Merlin?" Gwaine called.

He pushed himself up onto his elbows and rubbed at his eyes. "Hey. Where are we?"

"You don't remember coming here?" Elyan asked.

"After you collapsed because you couldn't stay at the beach and rest," Arthur added a tad tartly.

Merlin frowned and roved his gaze around the interior of the hut. Woven tapestries hung on the walls, and lots of furs lined the floor, several of which Merlin was cushioned on. He vaguely remembered a woman and the smell of lavender and some other herbs.

"Right," he said, still blearily putting the pieces together.

"How are you feeling?" Gwaine asked.

Merlin sat fully upright. "Better." He felt much better, actually. His chest no longer felt like a cow was sitting on top of it.

The others looked relieved at that.

"Here," Elyan said, passing him a plate of cut up fruits and some cured meat.

Merlin's stomach gurgled and he hungrily devoured the food. He hadn't been able to keep much down while on the rocking ship, so this tasted divine.

"Calla also left this and said you were to drink all of it once you woke," Gwaine added, reaching for a ceramic cup and handing it to Merlin.

He peered into the contents curiously and took a sniff. It smelled medicinal, like one of Gaius's tonics. "Who's Calla?" he asked as he took an experimental sip. The liquid had a tart sweetness that didn't make it entirely unpleasant.

"The chieftain's daughter," Gwaine answered. "She tended you."

"They seem like nice people," Elyan commented. "Took us into their home readily enough."

"But they won't tell us about the dóreaastrum," Arthur put in gruffly.

"Did you ask them?" Merlin said cheekily.

Arthur shot him an unamused glare.

"Kieran—he's the chieftain—said the flower is sacred," Elyan quickly explained. "He seems reticent about discussing it."

"Makes sense," Merlin replied and took another swig of the tonic.

"Yeah, well, we need it," Arthur said irritably and got to his feet to head outside.

Gwaine and Elyan exchanged a look before getting up to follow. Merlin stuffed the last handful of fruit into his mouth before hurrying after them.

The view of the village while standing on one's own two feet was different than the tilted one Merlin had gotten when Gwaine had first carried him in. Thatched roof huts made up the bulk of the humble homestead, with gardens attached to nearly every one. Torches surrounded the perimeter of the settlement, burning even though it was daylight out. Sheep were grazing up on the highland, and the mountain loomed up like a granite giant to the east.

There also appeared to be some community gardens where people were currently gathered and picking vegetables to place into baskets. Merlin quirked a confused look as he noticed two baskets were full already, and yet people were still plucking up produce. Then he noticed that between harvesting each piece, a villager would pause and hold a hand over the vine. Merlin's eyes widened as he saw a squash bud and then swell from a green bulb into a fully fleshed out orange gourd, all within a minute.

Arthur visibly stiffened where he stood, also watching the villagers use magic.

An older man with long black hair and a ceremonial looking headdress came over. "Ah, Merlin, it is good to see you up and about. I trust you're feeling better?"

"Yes, uh, thank you."

The man smiled. "I am Kieran."

"Pleasure to meet you," Merlin replied. "Uh, what are they doing over there?" he hesitantly asked, pointing to the garden, even though it was fairly obvious.

"We are preparing sustenance for you to take back to your companions on the beach. Based on the men we counted among your party, we calculate this load should last you a few days. And of course we will provide more after that. From the looks of your ship, you may be stuck here for a while."

Merlin blinked, taken aback by their generosity.

"They're using magic," Arthur bit out.

Merlin winced. And there it was.

Kieran frowned at him. "Yes. That is our way here." He canted his head in consideration. "You came seeking the star lily, did you not? To use its magic to heal your beloved. And yet you stand here in clear abhorrence of the magic we use?"

Arthur's jaw ticked. "Magic is why my wife is dying. It has been used for great evil in Camelot over the years."

"Here it is used for growing and nurturing life," Kieran replied.

Merlin watched Arthur carefully as the king tore his gaze away from the blatant magic use. It always made his heart ache to see Arthur despising magic, no matter how harmless and innocent it was. It would be a long road to Arthur accepting it, if he ever did. The only times his distrust was overridden was when he needed magic to save someone he loved, like now.

Arthur held himself stiffly as he addressed Kieran. "I understand the dórea- the star lily- is sacred to your people. But there must be something we can negotiate for it."

Kieran regarded him with a thoughtful pinch in his brow. "Your ship has been badly damaged and you have little to offer in trade. And even if you did, there is nothing my people are in want of."

"You have been generous thus far," Merlin put in. "And our cause is noble—to save a life."

"So you say, but your heart is in conflict over it," Kieran said, still looking at Arthur.

"I'm willing to put aside my reservations," Arthur said, glancing at the gardeners. "To save Guinevere."

"That is not enough," Kieran said remorsefully. "The star lily is a sacred gift of healing and life. It cannot be bestowed upon someone unworthy."

"How can I prove that I am worthy?" Arthur said earnestly.

Kieran pursed his mouth. "I will think on it. In the meantime, accept these supplies to tide you and your men over for now, if you are not averse to accepting help given through magic."

Arthur's jaw still looked tight, but he inclined his head in gratitude.

"Thank you," Merlin felt obliged to add when Arthur couldn't say the actual words.

The disappointment among them was palpable, though, as they prepared to head back to the beach. Merlin needed to find a moment alone with the chieftain, plead their case. Maybe as a fellow magic user, he could appeal to them.

.o.0.o.

Lily led Lancelot, Percival, and Leon out of the forest into sweeping green pasture where sheep were grazing, and just up ahead was a small village. For the first time since Lancelot had woken in a hunting lean-to in a strange land, he felt a measure of relief at the promised safety.

Many villagers were out and about, though they paid the newcomers little mind. All except for a woman close in age to Lily and an older man who came forward to meet them.

"Father," Lily spoke first. "This is Lancelot, Leon, and Percival. Their ship was wrecked near our shores."

"Ah, yes, we've met some of your people already, including your King Arthur," the older man replied. "I am Kieran, and this is my other daughter, Calla."

"Arthur is here?" Leon asked urgently.

"He was here earlier but has since returned to the site of your wrecked ship."

"Was anyone else with him?" Lancelot asked next, heart clenching with nervous hope.

"Three others," Kieran confirmed. "Sirs Gwaine and Elyan, and your king's manservant, Merlin. He was gravely ill when they arrived, what we call delayed drowning. But we treated it and he recovered."

Lancelot exhaled in sheer relief and shared joyous looks with Leon and Percival. They'd all made it and were okay.

"I will have someone escort you to the beach," Kieran added. "I'm sure you're anxious to reunite with your companions."

"Percival has a wound that needs tending," Lily interjected, gesturing to his bandaged arm. "We had a run-in with the cath palug."

Kieran and his other daughter stiffened at that. "Are you all right?" he asked Lily sharply.

She nodded. "I'm fine," she assured them both, the three of them sharing a dark look.

Calla recovered first and turned to Percival. "Come."

He glanced at his friends before following her into one of the huts.

Leon shifted his attention back to Kieran. "Arthur probably told you of our quest to find the dóreaastrum."

"He did," Kieran said, looking troubled. "But King Arthur's clear aversion to magic complicates things."

Lily frowned at that.

"Arthur's father is the one who hated magic," Lancelot put in. "It's a belief Uther worked very hard to instill in his son, but Arthur is learning to be more open-minded."

Kieran gave him a regretful look. "It may not be enough. In any case, I already agreed to think on it. Your ship is in dire straits and I'm afraid it will not be seaworthy for some time."

Well, that wasn't good news.

Lancelot nodded in acceptance of that, and Kieran excused himself to find them a guide.

"I'll pack you some herbs to take with you for your head," Lily said, moving away to an outdoor table where she unslung her pouch and began to unpack its contents.

Leon turned to go check on Percival, but Lancelot hesitated, going instead over to Lily.

"You knew exactly what flower we were asking about," he said. "Yet you pretended you didn't."

"I never denied knowing what it was; I only said I would ask the elders," she countered. "Which includes my father. Such a decision to share the star lily is his anyway. It is not given lightly."

"Why not?"

She shifted to face him. "It grows in a secret location known only to my clan, as it is our task to protect it. It would be easy for someone to use its power for ill gotten gain. And, no offense, but you are strangers in this land."

"I can understand that," Lancelot acknowledged. "I hope we can prove we mean no ill will toward your people or anyone else."

Lily canted her head at him in consideration. "You didn't seem to have a prejudice against magic when you saw me using it earlier."

"I know someone who uses magic for good," he responded. "And I've met those who use it for evil, but I do not believe magic itself is bad, only the wielder. Arthur has not had the same experiences I have. But he is a good man and a good king, and Gwen…she is a kind, gentle queen with a heart of courage, and all of us would lay down our lives for her."

Lily continued to regard him contemplatively for a prolonged moment. Then she turned back to the work table and gathered a few different herbs to stuff into two small sachets.

"Steep one of these in water tonight for twenty minutes before drinking, then the other in the morning," she said as she handed them to Lancelot. "That should clear up any residual headache."

He took the packets. "Thank you."

Lily smiled, then went back to sorting the rest of her herbs.

Lancelot turned and made his way into the hut the others had gone.

Percival was sitting on a stool, shirtless, as Calla threaded a needle through his arm.

"Everything look all right?" Lancelot asked in concern.

"I cleaned the wound thoroughly," Calla replied, eyes fixed on her task.

"Very thoroughly," Percival muttered through a clenched jaw.

"Better than developing an infection from that odious creature," she said primly.

Lancelot went to stand next to Leon as they waited for Calla to finish tending their friend. The three long gashes required several sets of stitches.

Lily entered the hut with a bowl containing what looked like paste. "I figured you would need this."

"Yes, thank you," Calla said, thrusting her chin toward a counter where her sister could set it, then Lily promptly left.

Calla finally tied off the last stitch and cut the thread. After that, she reached for the bowl and began to liberally apply a poultice over the sutures. When that was complete, she bandaged it with clean linen.

"Come back tomorrow so I can check it," she said.

Percival nodded. "Thank you."

A man stuck his head through the door. "Are you ready to depart?" he asked.

Calla waved them off in the affirmative, so the three knights exited the hut to follow the man out of the village and down to the beach.

The tilted wreckage of their ship being towed into the shallows came into view first, and Lancelot realized just how lucky they were to have survived. He also had no idea how they were going to repair it in order to get home…

An encampment had been set up where the gravel beach met flourishing woodland, and Lancelot caught sight of Gwaine, then Merlin stirring a cooking pot over a campfire. Merlin happened to look up and spot them first, his eyes widening with surprise and then delight.

"Arthur!" he shouted as he burst into a jog to come meet them.

Lancelot grinned as Merlin reached them, and he automatically reached out to pull his best friend into a hug, clapping him heartily on the back.

Merlin pulled away, a grin splitting his face from ear to ear. "We were so worried," he gushed.

"So were we," Percival said.

Gwaine, Elyan, and Arthur hurried over as well.

"Where the blazes have you been?" Gwaine asked.

"It's a bit of a long story," Lancelot replied.

"One we'd love to tell over supper," Percival added, stretching his neck to look past them. "Is that stew I smell?"

Merlin shook his head in amusement. "We met some villagers who were kind enough to share their harvest with us. Although it seems you already met them." He nodded to the man who had escorted them down to the shore.

The villager returned the gesture, then turned to head back without another word.

"It's good to see you," Arthur said with a warm smile, then added more seriously, "We all have a lot to catch up on."

And with that, coupled with the wrecked ship in the background, their joy at being reunited was tempered, because their quest was proving more challenging than any of them could have foreseen.