A/N: Told you I've had it up quicker! Thank you Isi, my beta-reader, for actually beta-reading it for me! Well there you go…

- CHAPTER FOUR -

Nan and Charlie sat laughing on the pavement outside the grocer's shop, reading a Martin Miggs comic hidden under a sheet of newspaper. Kathy came out of the shop clutching a heavy bag. "Come on, you two," she called to her younger siblings.

"Did you get the stuff?" Charlie asked.

"Don't shout," Kathy said, "but yes, I did; I got an extra bar of soap, some toothpaste, and an individual fruit pie. Quick, put them up your jumper." She passed him the pie, bar of soap and toothpaste.

"Do you think Auntie'll find out?" Nan asked worriedly.

"No." Kathy shook her head. "I'll say I lost a couple of Knuts."

They walked home up the lane, when they came across a large group of wizarding children, all looking at them eagerly. Kathy span around and shouted at Charlie, "It was you! You told them!"

"No, I didn't," he said indignantly, "I only told Jackie Greenwood."

"You told them, and after I told you not to tell anybody."

"I didn't tell anybody, I only told Jackie," he repeated.

Kathy sighed and led them on, but the children followed behind them closely. She tried to ignore them, but when she reached the farm gate, she had to turn and confront them.

"What do you lot want, then?" she asked angrily.

"We've come to see him," a small girl whispered.

"Who?"

"Merlin," the girl said.

"Yes," said David, the boy who had been jumping in the puddles on Sunday. "We want to see Merlin."

"Well, you can't," Kathy said.

"Yes we can," a plump girl with freckles said loudly, "he's not your private property. Everyone can see him if they want."

"Well...if I tell you, if I let you see him, it's got to be a secret. You've got to promise; it's got to be a secret from the grownups. Do you promise? Because if you don't they'll come and take him away. Do you understand?" Kathy surveyed them all. "Right, you can't go past our house, for a start. You'll have to go right round. Our Nan and Charles will take you. You're not to make any noise and you're to wait for me. Do you understand? Come on."

Kathy ran off along the lane, while Nan and Charlie led the children along the edge of the field.

David started crowing and jumping up and down. Nan stopped suddenly and scowled at him. "Do you want to see Merlin or don't you?"

"Yes," David said quickly.

"Well, shut up, then!"

Up at the house Kathy was giving the bag to her Aunt.

"Here are your groceries, Auntie." She spoke quickly. "I'm just going out to play for a bit."

"Well, mind you don't get yourself all mucked up," her aunt called after her hastily retreating figure.

Kathy ran off to the barn where she met the children. "You're all to wait here until I say. And keep back out of sight," she ordered them. "Nan, give me the stuff. Keep back."

She went into the barn and found the man sitting in the straw. "I brought you these like I promised." She handed him the things, her eyes flitting to his scratched arms. "Oh, your arms."

"Yes. If you want to get me anything, you could get me some water and a bit of cloth or something," the man said quietly.

"Yes, sir." At these words, his eyes suddenly became bright. "I'll send our Charles." Kathy continued.

"Charles?"

"My little brother," Kathy smiled. "He'll get the stuff."

"Oh. Right. Who else knows I'm here?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh, only Charles and me sister Nan," Kathy smiled before frowning slightly. "And the other children."

"Other children?" His lips tightened. "How many of you are there?"

"Oh! They're not ours! But they're all right." She waved at the door before calling out, "you can come in now, but come in quietly!"

The children came in and gathered awkwardly around the scowling man.

"Go get some water from the yard, Charlie," Kathy said to him.

"What in?"

"Oh, use your loaf and find something," Kathy sighed, then she turned to the children. "Well, say hello. Go on, say hello."

"Hello, sir," they chorused. Kathy caught the flicker of a smirk on his usually unimpressed face.

Nan handed him the Martin Miggs comic. "It's got a free gift inside it. In there, it's a battery."

"Very nice," said the man, raising a thin eyebrow.

"Will you tell us a story, please?" asked Jackie Greenwood.

"A story?"

"Yes, please," the children said.

"What about?"

"Um...the Sword in the Stone!"

"No, Culhwch and Olwen!"

"No, the Holy Grail!"

"Go on, will you?"

"Yes, tell us a story."

"Go on, will you tell us a story?"

"Yes, please tell us a story."

"Story! Story!" they started to chant.

"Shut up!" he shouted suddenly, they fell silent. "You mustn't make so much noise. If you keep quiet, I'll read you a story. Sit down." He picked up the comic and flicked through the pages. "Martin Miggs, undercover, 'the stranger paused. "Yes, I have zee parcel," he said…'"

xXxXx

Outside Charlie was filling a rusty tin with water from the tap; he jumped when he saw his father and the animal Healer appear.

"How long has she been sick for?" the Healer asked.

"Oh, not long," Mr Bostock replied.

"Hello, young man," the Healer said, looking down at Charlie.

"Here, what are you doing? Look at your boots." He shook his head in dismay. "Turn that tap off." He and the Healer continued their conversation.

Charlie looked around anxiously and called out, "Dad! Dad!" Inside the barn Kathy and the man froze.

"What?" Mr Bostock asked irritably.

"Are you gonna look at the calf?"

"Aye, and you can't come, so don't suggest it." He turned back to the Healer and said, "Had bad luck with the weather, of course. That field should have been sown last month."

Mr Bostock and the Healer walked into the barn, to find the group of children standing in the middle, looking guilty.

"What are you lot doing in here?" Mr Bostock asked, "Come on, out of here. Go and play outside. Go on, all of you."

"Oh, can't I stay, Dad?" Kathy asked.

"No, Healer Weaver doesn't need or want your advice."

"Oh, please let me stay, Dad. I have been looking after her," she pleaded.

"Oh, all right then," he sighed, "as long as you keep out of the way."

The Healer went over to the calf, while Mr Bostock fidgeted a little. Behind him, the man was lying hidden under the straw; Mr Bostock took a step back, standing directly on his hand. The man winced, his face contorted.

"Well, don't see much wrong with her now," the Healer remarked, Mr Bostock walked over to him. Both Kathy and the man released a large sigh.

"Could have saved myself your bill, then, eh? No wonder you're not complaining."

"I don't know about that. Anyway, she seems to have got over it, whatever it was. Are you going to keep her?" the Healer said.

"Well, I was, but I'm not too bothered."

"Oh, what's this?" He picked up the comic that was lying on the floor. "Is this yours, young lady?"

Kathy nodded quickly, grabbing the comic from Healer Weaver's outstretched hand.

"Well, what do you say?" Mr Bostock said to Kathy.

"Thank you," Kathy said to the Healer.

"They don't take care of nothing. I don't know they're up to half the time," he sighed, and then he and the Healer left the barn.

Kathy crouched down next to the man. "It's all right. You can come out now, they've gone," she whispered. He crawled out from the straw, clutching his hand. "You all right?"

"It's fine," he said.

"We'll have to find you somewhere safer."

The man shrugged. "Thank you for not giving me away."

"Oh, we would never give you away. Not ever." Kathy smiled at him.

He frowned. "Why are you... and all of those other children... why are you helping me?"

"Because we love you, of course. Oh, I forgot. I brought you this." She handed him the picture of the Thirteen Magical Treasures of Britain.

He looked at it. "What is this for?"

"It's a picture of you," she said, pointing as the small drawing of Merlin walked across the frame, the man looked at her bewildered. "Of course it was taken a long time ago... But we won't ever let the grownups find you. You're quite safe with us, quite safe with us."