Ghost, man, and beast strode through the forest on the soft afternoon light – the first making no sound at all, the second only soft footfalls, and the third thundering along. They might have, had they had the opportunity to look at themselves, thought that they would have made a nice scene for a tapestry. Or at least, that's what Merlin would have thought. Arthur would have thought only that they looked rather funny, and Aithusa would have thought nothing on the matter at all, because art wasn't exactly her forte.

Merlin had spent the morning trying to convince Arthur he should talk to Gwen, or at minimum let her know he was there. Arthur, stubbornly, had ignored all of his pleas and even discounted a rather impressive (if Merlin did say so himself) lecture about destiny and Gwen being his true love, and how no amount of time would change that.

Now, after hours in the forest, that line of thought seemed like a lost battle.

"We've been walking for hours," Merlin said. "I think we've patrolled every inch of this forest with no sign of this mysterious man of yours."

"Getting tired, Merlin?" Arthur asked.

"As a matter of fact, I am," he answered.

"Why don't you just magic yourself some energy?"

"That's not how it works," Merlin said.

"Then what is the point of it?"

Merlin opened his mouth to say something either clever or profound – he hadn't decided which yet – when a scream echoed through the forest. Aithusa perked up, and the men looked at each other in the usual way they did when they mutually understood someone was in need of their help.

The trio broke into a full run – even Arthur, who didn't truly need to run to get anywhere. A few less alarmed "helps!" echoed through the trees, guiding them through the entanglement of brush, stone, and timber.

They seemed rather close to the sound when Merlin gracelessly slid on a patch of wet leaves and discovered the source of the problem, which turned out to be a large hole in the ground, by falling directly into it.

Merlin tumbled downward, letting out a few grunts along the way. Aithusa and Arthur stopped short and peered into the pit, where Merlin was tangled in his own gangly limbs.

"Alright there, Merlin?" Arthur shouted.

Merlin let out a string of mumbles which seemed to confirm he was well enough intact.

"I see you're no less clumsy than you were before," Arthur said, hardly trying to disguise a laugh.

"Shut up," Merlin snarled. He struggled to dislodge himself from his jacket, which had gone over his head in the fall. He sat up and indignantly knocked mud off his unevenly coated scarf.

Above, Arthur muttered, "I still cannot believe he's the greatest sorcerer of all time." Aithusa, if she had had eyebrows, would have raised one in a sort of mocking agreement.

Merlin, still focused on clearing a bit of the mud clinging to his person, swatted away a hand that reached for his shoulder, thinking Arthur must've floated nicely down into the pit.

"Sorry," said a clear, strange voice.

Merlin glanced up to see it wasn't Arthur who'd reached for him – it was a woman. She pulled back her hand shyly. "I only wanted to see if you were alright," she said.

Merlin stumbled to his feet in a flurry. The woman was of average height with no notable features, aside, perhaps, from her vibrant blonde locks. Her face and clothes, like Merlin's, were covered in dirt.

"I," Merlin stammered, "am fine." He turned and looked up – the pit was twice his height in depth, and too sheer to climb. "I heard someone calling for help," Merlin explained.

"Aye, that was me," said the woman. "This hunting trap was covered with leaves, I fell right in instead of the intended deer." She smiled softly, and Merlin realized she was beautiful in a very subtle, forgettable way.

"Well," Merlin said, "I've come to help you."

"That's very kind, sir, but it does seem you're stuck down here too."

"Not your finest rescue, Merlin," Arthur said from above.

Merlin pursed his lips. "It's alright," Merlin said, "My friend above will help us."

The woman knitted her brows together in confusion. Arthur likewise furrowed.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Arthur said, "I can't pull you up. Toss a few flowers around, sure, but not lift a person."

Merlin looked at Arthur and shook his head almost imperceptibly. Then, a wry smile broke across his face.

"Aithusa," Merlin said. The dragon peered over the edge of the pit, her clever eyes questioning.

The woman stumbled backward, letting out a delicate little gasp. Merlin spoke a sentence in Aithusa's tongue and the dragon spun around, lowering her scaly tale into the pit.

"That's an unusual animal you have there," the woman said. Was that fear in her voice? Or awe?

"She is," Merlin said, "but she's friendly, I promise."

The woman did not look entirely convinced.

"Here, I'll help you up," Merlin offered. He cupped his hands together, and stooped to give the woman a boost to better reach the dragon's tail. The woman hesitated, but ultimately stepped into Merlin's hand. He hoisted her up, and she grabbed onto the dragon's tail.

"Try to be gentle," Merlin said to the woman, "She's a strong dragon, but she's got a bad back."

"I've never heard of a dragon with a bad back," the woman said.

"Yes, well, she's special."

"I should think so."

Arthur, who interpreted this exchange as something in the realm of flirting, rolled his eyes.

When the woman was standing firmly above, Merlin reached up and grabbed the end of Aithusa's tail. Before he could begin to climb, the dragon flicked her tail upward, bringing Merlin along with it. He landed, a little surprised, squarely between Arthur and the woman.

"Does she have a name?" asked the woman.

"Aithusa," said Merlin.

The woman bristled, but Merlin didn't notice.

"And do you have a name?" she asked.

Merlin blushed a shade of pink that made him look almost sunburned. Now Arthur was sure some flirting was going on, and he didn't particularly care for it.

"My name is Merlin. And," The sorcerer turned towards his ghostly friend, almost forming the phrase this is Arthur before a sharp look stopped him. "And that's all," Merlin said. "It's just the two of us."

"You're alone?" asked the woman. There was something so tender and concerned in her voice that Merlin almost lost his train of thought.

"No," Merlin said, "I mean yes. I only meant we were alone at this moment." But then, he thought, Aithusa and he had been alone not that long ago, and for what now seemed like a very long time.

Arthur let out a long sigh. Merlin ignored him.

"We've got other things to do, Merlin," Arthur said. "Just make sure she's okay so we can get on with our search."

"Are you okay?" Merlin asked clumsily. Well, more clumsily than usual. "If you're injured I can help. I have some training as a physician."

The woman at first looked like should would decline, but she seemed to reconsider. She stretched out a pale arm, revealing a deep scratch. Arthur was almost sure he hadn't seen the mark when she was climbing the dragon's tail, but then, it wasn't likely it just materialized there.

Merlin sprang into action, combing the area for herbs and fresh spring water. He returned quickly with a bounty, dressed her wound, and then went on smiling stupidly.

This was getting worse by the minute, Arthur thought.

"Alright let's go," Arthur said.

Merlin glanced at him.

"Merlin!"

"I probably have to be going," Merlin said hesitantly. "Things to do. But, uh, if you have any trouble with that wound, you could find me in Camelot."

A smile danced on the woman's thin lips. "Thank you, Merlin. You've been too kind. If I should need your assistance, how would I find you?"

"Oh," Merlin said, "Just ask anyone in Camelot, and they'll point you in my direction."

This answer seemed to dissatisfy the woman, but she went on smiling anyway.

"Well then, I bid you farewell."

"Yes," Merlin said, "farewell."

The woman set off towards the east, and Merlin, Arthur, and Aithusa to the west. When they were safely out of earshot, Arthur let out the scoff to end all scoffs.

"Well, it looks like I'm not the one meant to have a run in with love today," he said.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked.

"The girl?" Arthur said. Wasn't it obvious?

Merlin shook his head. "I was just being nice, that's all. She needed my help."

"Mhmm. Sure."

"Come on."

"No, I'm sure your help was all she was after."

"Arthur."

"Come on, Merlin," Arthur said. "You aren't fooling me."

Merlin took a moment to focus on his feet, then looked back up with a rather large and goofy smile. "She was kind of pretty, wasn't she?"

Arthur rolled his eyes with a sort of I-told-you-so attitude, and then went on walking. The sun was beginning to dip low on the horizon, and though none of the trio had much to fear from night time in the forest, it only seemed right to head back to Camelot.

"Wasn't she?" Merlin repeated.

"I don't know," Arthur said. "I only have eyes for Gwen."

"Yes, and speaking of Gwen you should really…"

"Merlin."

"You brought it up," Merlin said. "Anyway, I probably won't even see that woman again."

"I'd wager not, since you didn't even ask her name."

"The name!" Merlin said, "I knew I was forgetting something."

"Every time I think you might actually be some kind of competent, Merlin, you go and prove me wrong," Arthur said. They broke through the tree line to see the castle casting long shadows on the greying day.

Home again, Arthur thought, and he felt oddly sad about it.

In the forest with only Merlin and the dragon, he could almost believe he was alive again. But here, in the city he used to know, scarcely a soul knew he was even there.

He suddenly had the urge to try to explain this to Merlin, but seeing his friend go on smiling stupidly, a spark of love just beginning in him, he decided to keep it to himself.

Death is lonely, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.