"Like this?" Callum swung his sword as Arthur had shown him, before looking over his shoulder at the king. "Is that right? Did I do ok?"

"Don't ask me." Arthur was leaning against a tree, eyes narrowed as he watched him. "I've shown you how to do it, you tell me, are you doing it right?"

Callum chewed his lip. He wasn't used to someone asking him what he thought… hesitantly, he nodded.

"You are." Arthur confirmed. The king suddenly sprang away from the tree, coming to stand beside the young boy. "Now-."

"Arthur, it's getting late." The wizard, Merlin, grumbled from where he sat on his horse. "You've been working with the boy for hours… Did you forget Odin's feast?"

"I don't have to remember things like that." Arthur cast his friend an arrogant smirk. "That's your job"

"No." Merlin shot back. "If I recall correctly, that's actually no longer my duty. I'm no longer your servant, Sire."

"You aren't?" Callum asked, surprised. "But… Everyone always says you are King Arthur's servant, that he only keeps you around because you're under his control. And-."

"That's not true." Arthur interrupted. "Callum… Merlin is my friend, as annoying as he is at times."

"Prat." Merlin muttered, though his words were half-hearted and his glare was trained on Callum, not his king. Callum's eyes widened and he glanced fearfully towards Arthur, wondering if the king would punish his subject for the disrespect. Arthur just shook his head in amusement.

"It is getting rather late." Arthur admitted, taking his sword from the ten-year-old's hands. "I'd best be getting back."

Callum's heart shattered… he didn't want Arthur to go… he didn't want to lose the first man to ever show him kindness….and he really, really, didn't want to have to go to the castle and serve Odin at the feast.

"Maybe… maybe you could show me some other stuff, later." Callum stared up at Arthur hopefully.

"He's the King of Camelot." Merlin snapped. "He doesn't have time to work with a serving boy!"

"I don't?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "What exactly do you think you were for years, Merlin? I'll decide what and who I spend my time with, thank you."

"Arthur-."

"We'll see what happens, alright, little warrior." Arthur ruffled the boy's hair affectionately, before turning to get on his horse. He waved a hand at Callum. "Come on."

Oh no… Callum shook his head, backing away.

"No thanks, Your Highness… I'm not supposed to be gone and if Odin sees me riding in with you…"

King Arthur's blue eyes glowed with warmth, and he inclined his head.

"So be it… be careful walking home, it's getting dark." He said.

Callum watched as the king rode away with his servant, a smile on his young face.

One day, he promised himself. I'm going to be a knight! I'm going to be a knight of Camelot and I'm going to serve King Arthur, I don't care what anyone else says!


Thomas slipped into what he had been told was the physician's quarters, a scowl on his face. It had taken him half the day to find a place to keep Moonlight, his mare, and now, dusk had replaced dawn.

"Hello?" The young man barked out. The place was nice enough… with a bed set up to one side of the room, and a door towards the back, leading to what Thomas suspected was a room. "Anyone home?"

The door at the back of the room creaked open and an old man stepped out. The man had long white hair and a wrinkled face. He was holding a bundle of stuff.

"Can I help you?" he asked upon spotting the young Druid.

Thomas nodded slowly.

"My name is Thomas Oak… I'm looking for work."

"Are you?" The old man hummed. He set the bundle down and came to stand before Thomas. "And you've come to me?"

"I heard you may require assistance." Thomas agreed curtly, taking a step back. He didn't like people invading his space, especially not Camelot folk.

"My apprentice is being given his own room in the castle." The man confirmed. "I'm going to need to take on someone new… you are interested, I take it?"

"I am."

The old man, Gaius, furrowed his brow.

"How old are you?" He asked.

Thomas hesitated. He could try and lie, but it was painfully obvious that he was young. His face was still pale and unmarked by stress lines and his body lanky. The only thing about him that would make a person think he was older were his eyes, which were darker than a boy's eyes should ever be.

And whose fault is that? Thomas choked down hatred. Camelot took everything from me. My mother, my childhood… and in a way, they took my father too.

"I'm seventeen." Thomas grunted honestly. "But I'm experienced, I've been taught all about herbs and healing, and what I don't know, I'm willing to learn."

He had been taught about herbs and what not, that wasn't a lie. An old woman, a healer among the druids, had treated him almost like her own son, teaching him all she knew.

Gaius's eyes were unreadable as he stared at the young sorcerer. Thomas ducked his head and looked for all the world like a hopeful young boy, wanting desperately to be given a chance.

Thomas could act well, you had to give him that.

"So be it." Gaius agreed. "We'll give you a try, then. You can start," he went over to his cabinet and pulled out a bottle. "By bringing this to King Arthur… can you tell me what's in it?"

Thomas took the bottle from the old man and held it up to his face. He inhaled deeply before responding.

"Easy enough, Cinnamon and Hawthorn… that's for the heart, isn't it?" Thomas cocked his head. "Does the king have… Heart troubles?"

"His heart was badly affected by events in Camlann," Gaius said briskly. "He takes that to help ease the pain."

So, Thomas resisted the urge to smirk. The Great King Arthur's suffering from heart pains like an old man… ha! Wait until I get the chance to tell Wishlin that!

"I see." Thomas dipped his head. "I'll bring this to him right away… there is one other thing though… I have no place to stay and…" Thomas glanced pointedly at the room.

"You want to stay here?" Gaius blinked in surprise. "I suppose it's no trouble if you take Merlin's old room…"

"Thank you, my friend." Thomas began to back away. "You won't regret this Gaius."

Well, actually, Thomas thought smugly, spinning on his heel and strutting from the room. You might. But I sure won't.


"These last two years have been a privilege and an honor, we are so grateful….no, wait, that makes Camelot sound weak." Arthur sighed, sitting on his bed. "How about, We are pleased that you have kept the peace, no…. We are pleased with the way things have been going with our respective kingdoms and it is a pleasure to have you and your men here with us."

Merlin was standing across from him, listening to the speech. He nodded, his tongue pressed to the inside of his cheek in thought.

"Short." He hummed. "But it's brief and polite… I mean, Odin knows you don't like him, and he doesn't like you. You don't have to give some heart-touching speech about how happy you are to see him, Arthur. Just say what needs to be said and eat."

"I suppose your… not entirely wrong." Arthur winced, pressing a hand to his chest. He glared at the door. "Where is Gaius? He's usually brought that potion for me by now…"

Merlin's eyes lit with alarm. He was at his king's side in a heartbeat.

"Arthur? You're not hurting too badly are you? Do I need to-."

"Merlin, Merlin," Arthur pushed the other man away. "I'm fine… look, I know what happened to me frightened you a bit, but-."

"Frightened me?" Merlin let out a choked whimper. "Arthur, you died in my arms… you stopped breathing! I…I thought I'd failed you."

"Failed me?" Arthur frowned. He'd never realized before how deeply Merlin's loyalty to him ran… they were alike in that way, both bound by duty. "Merlin, you never failed me. Whether I'd lived or died that day, you did everything you could."

"I can't lose you Arthur." Merlin whispered, eyes wet. "Your… your my friend."

Arthur wanted to say so much at that moment… he wanted to say the same was true about Merlin…

But he was Arthur Pendragon, and it wasn't in his nature to be all emotional.

No man is worth your tears, Arthur reminded himself. And no emotion that can weaken you is worth feeling… regret is something I can't have.

A knock sounded at the door and Merlin got up to answer it. Arthur, who had been expecting Gaius, frowned as he noticed a young man standing in the doorway.

"King Arthur?" The man said, voice as cool as sleet. "I'm Thomas Oak… Gaius just took me on as an apprentice, I'm here to deliver your potion."

Arthur went to smile at the boy… pausing only when he saw the look in his eyes. It wasn't the look a boy should have in his eyes…

His expression was fogged up by grief and hate.

"Where are you from?" Arthur tried to say with a straight face. "Around here?"

Thomas titled his head and grinned.

"You could say that." He said. "But… where I'm from doesn't matter, what matters is what I can do for you here, Arthur Pendragon."