A/N: Slowly but surely, I'm updating!

Merlin seemed to truly be doing better now.

It wasn't that Arthur wanted Merlin to be sad, but twice in the last week Merlin had spoken to Arthur truthfully about feeling sad. He wasn't suppressing his emotions anymore, which was all Arthur really asked of Merlin. His eyes were brighter now, fuller now. They just looked more lifelike than before.

Merlin felt a bit differently than he looked, though. He was certainly in a better place than he was a few weeks ago, but was still far from normal. He missed normal - adventures with Arthur, sitting beside a fire cooking meals for their trips to the outlying towns in hopes of slaying a beast or capturing a sorcerer. He missed that more than he'd like to admit - and besides, working as the Court Physician was more taxing than he had thought it would be. He was up well before dawn, traversing the entirety of the lower towns before breakfast each day, and then returning only to brew the necessary potions most of which required constant, vigilant supervision such that one could not look away for more than a second without the possibility of travesty. He would then make his rounds again before dinner, and a final time afterwards, and then spend an hour after that caring for those who needed evening care. Throughout the day he also had to respond to the influx of patients during working hours and in evenings after people might be involved in bar fights at the tavern or otherwise questionable behavior seeking medical attention for their injuries. There was more than one time in the past week that someone had brandished a knife with intent to stab Merlin too, but a swift wave of his hand he stopped the offending party's fist in motion before Merlin sent an injection of a sleeping draft into the person's arm and let them sleep in his bed for the night. When they awoke they always seemed very cordial, and Merlin never offered information of their misconduct the night before. Simply advised them not to drink so much, and sent them on their way. It left him drained, not only physically but emotionally, and it was four weeks after he'd taken up the post of Court Physician when he finally went to Arthur with his proposal.

"Arthur, I need to ask you something."

Arthur had been sitting at his desk, eating breakfast and reading the list of tasks for the morning, but he stopped reading instantly and set down his fork as if it were perfectly natural to drop everything and direct his attention to Merlin like that. "Of course, ask away."

Merlin shifted a bit, not accustomed to this show of respect from anyone, really. "I can't manage the task of Court Physician on my own. Frankly, I'm unsure of how Gaius did it, but it's too much for me." He felt a bit embarrassed admitting this, but continued on, determined to make his voice heard. "I ask that you allow me to recruit an apprentice, train them to take up the field, and then take on a new job as traveling physician."

Arthur frowned a bit. "What exactly do you mean by traveling physician?"

Merlin cleared his throat. "I would come with you, on your adventures, and aid you, the knights, and those we might come across in the case that they need medical attention. If you were not planning to travel anywhere I could go on my own, and provide aid to the villages I stop off near. If you would allow me, I think this is what I need right now." He felt that the last bit of that was somewhat feeble, but forced himself to say it anyway. He needed to be away from Camelot, to travel the land around it and see what it was he was sheltered from within the castle walls. He needed a broader perspective.

Arthur leaned back in his chair, eyes showing some mix of impression and admiration. "Alright then, Merlin. I name you Traveling Physician of Camelot. I will refer a young apprentice to you for you to train. Only once they can confidently uphold the duties of Court Physician are you to leave this castle. Is that understood?"

Merlin nodded, excitedly. "Yes Si- Yes Arthur." He smiled, and left Arthur's quarters to return to his own.

Four days after Merlin's meeting with Arthur, he heard a gentle knock on the door. Assuming someone had come for aid, he went to answer it, although it was somewhat early, so he could not imagine the person on the other side of the door was particularly rowdy. He opened the door and saw the person smiling on the other side of it.

She was a young girl, maybe seventeen or eighteen. She had dark red hair, and a leather bag similar to Gaius' with her.

"Hi, I'm Winona. I've heard you're looking for an apprentice. Might I be the recipient of your knowledge?"