I'm sorry about not updating this yesterday and for this being a shorter than usual chapter. My life has been a little crazy here lately.

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or The Ranger's Apprentice Series.

Their group continued to travel late into the day. Everyone was on high alert so that they would know if they were about to be attacked once again. An hour before the sun was about to set, Arthur called the group to a stop. "We might as well make camp here. Leon, scout around the site to make sure there isn't anyone nearby. Merlin, go and gather some firewood."

Everyone dismounted from their horses. Merlin was about to set off and find some firewood when he heard someone call his name. "Merlin, I'll go with you." Turning around to look, Merlin saw Will approaching him. He sighed to himself. He really did not want to face the questions he knew Will was going to be asking him, but he did not see a way to refuse the offer. With that thought in mind, he simply nodded his head and waited for the man to reach him.

Together, Will and Merlin walked into the forest. Merlin bent down and began collecting wood. Will started at him before beginning to help. They worked together in silence for a couple of minutes. The silence, however, did not last long.

"I wanted to talk to you about what happened earlier. I saw you use magic," Will said.

In his mind, Merlin was trying to figure a way out of his current situation. "Like I told you earlier, I don't know what you're talking about."

Will stopped collecting wood. He stood up straight and stared at Merlin intently. "Look, no one could make a man go flying into a tree without the use of magic. Besides, I know for a fact that you weren't carrying any sort of weapon with you."

Sighing, Merlin stood up straight as well. He knew that there was no point in lying to Will anymore. "Please, you can't tell anyone about what you saw, especially Arthur." Merlin watched as a look of confusion came over Will's face.

"Why can't anyone know?" Will asked.

Merlin did his best to explain. "Magic is illegal in Camelot. If anyone ever found out about my magic, I would be killed."

"If it's illegal, why are you living in Camelot?" Will questioned.

"My mother sent me here hoping that Gaius could help me learn how to control my magic better. Besides, someone has to keep the prince safe."

Nodding his head, Will bent down and started collecting firewood once again. Before they set off for the campsite, Will said, "I won't tell anyone about your magic."

Merlin felt relieved at hearing the words. "Thank you."

The two walked back to the campsite. Once there, Will set his pile of firewood next to Merlin's and went to sit by Halt. Merlin set to work getting the fire started and then doing several other chores. He set out his and Arthur's bedrolls. Once that was done, he went back to the fire and started getting supper ready. After it was done, he ladled portions of the stew into bowls for everyone.

The group sat around the fire, each person eating their meal in silence. Every now and then, Merlin would glance over towards Will, still worried about the young man knowing one of his greatest secrets. Eventually, Sir Leon broke the silence, directing his comments to Halt and Will. "I've never seen someone use a bow with such speed and skill before."

A small smile appeared on Halt's face. "I wouldn't be a Ranger if I couldn't use my bow that well."

"What exactly is a Ranger?" Arthur asked.

Halt turned his gaze towards Arthur. "We're basically the king's intelligence force. We keep our eyes open for any threat to the kingdom and when the job calls for it, we handle threatening situations. Merlin watched as a thoughtful look appeared on Arthur's face. He could tell that the prince was intrigued by the concept of Rangers.

The conversation died down once again. The group finished eating their meal. Merlin gathered the bowls and washed them before putting them away until they were needed again. Soon, everyone, except for one of the knights that had first watch, were lying in their bedrolls and sleeping.

Merlin had a hard time getting to sleep. He was mad at himself for exposing his magic to someone. In his mind, he knew that he had had no choice but to use his magic in order to live, but the thought did not make him feel any better. He needed to be more careful and more aware of what other people were doing around him. If he was not careful, he could end up exposing his magic to someone who was not as open as Will. Eventually, Merlin managed to drift off into an uneasy sleep.

I hoped everyone enjoyed this chapter. Please tell me what you thought.