A\N OMG! Thank you all so much for favoriting and following my story! It means so much to see that people like my work! And I love hearing from you all as well, enjoy chapter five (One of my favorites) Leave a review and tell me about what you think! Thank you so much for reading.

| chapter 5 |

It was almost a month after what happened Gwen recovered completely, she and Lancelot had been together more and more after the whole ordeal and Elyan wouldn't let her out of his sight.

Merlin was back to doing his job the way he used to.

He overslept, after all, he wasn't getting much sleep. He would lay awake at night thinking about what would happen now that Katrina is dead, would Sara rage war on Camelot?

Merlin was running to Arthur's chambers and almost knocked over a maid.

"Watch what you're doing!"

"Sorry!" Merlin yelled back running down the hall.

He burst into Arthur's chambers. "Well it's about time," Arthur said as Merlin came in breathing hard. "Sorry sire," Merlin breathed out as he put a hand on his knee.

"Get my horses ready we are hunting today," Arthur said getting up from his chair and walking to the front of his table. Merlin looked over at him and raised his eyebrows. "we?" He asked.

"Yes "we" You always come with me Merlin" Arthur added not really thinking about it, once he realized what he said he quickly corrected himself. "I mean... who would carry all the rabbits and such," Arthur smugly smiled. Merlin stared at him, his eyes wandered to Arthur's lips then he met Arthur's eyes again.

"Oh, I don't know… Maybe, you!" Merlin grumbled he hated hunting. Merlin went down to the stables and got two horses ready, and got Arthur's crossbow. He's such a prat Merlin thought to himself as he grabbed Arthur's crossbow out of the armory.

Why do I love someone who will never love me back? Merlin sighed and tried to push Arthur out of his mind. he walked out of the armory and saw Arthur coming over to him.

"Did you get everything I need?" Arthur asked.

"yes, Arthur" Merlin said rolling his eyes as they walked.

They went outside the castle and got on their horses and took off, little did they know what waited for them in the woods. They were in the woods for a little over an hour and got nothing.

They were walking on a thin dirt path, on their right was a big steep hill and on the other side was a deep gorge. Merlin was getting annoyed and tired.

"Maybe we should just call it in for the day?" Merlin asked praying Arthur would agree. "We haven't even been out here that long" Arthur said.

"We have been out here for over an hour!" Merlin yelp.

"That's not that long Merlin, stop being such a girl," Arthur said turning to look at Merlin so he could see that annoyed yet cute look on his face.

"Clotpoll" Merlin hissed under his breath. Arthur pulled his horse to a stop and held up his hand.

"What is it?"

"Shh!" Arthur snapped. Merlin rolled his eyes.

Merlin heard a spring click and he felt the world slow down the memory of his death flash before his eyes. The arrow hit the tree behind Arthur, but Arthur could have sworn he saw Merlin's eyes go gold.

"Let's go!" Merlin yelled kicking his horse forward. A few bandits came running down the hill for them. Arthur kicked his horse into a canter, but an arrow hit his horse's leg and the horse fell to the ground.

Arthur flew off his horse as it hit the ground.

"Arthur!" Merlin screamed. Arthur scrambled to his feet. He turned to face Merlin and saw his eyes turn gold. The bandits were flung against the trees.

Arthur couldn't believe what he was seeing. Merlin jumped off his horse and ran up to Arthur. Merlin knew that Arthur saw him use magic he was scared of what Arthur may do to him.

"Arthur I-I uh" Arthur took a step back and just stared at Merlin. Merlin looked at Arthur in shock. What would Arthur do? Merlin thought. Just as Arthur was about to say something the ground caved beneath them, they tumbled into the gorge.

Dirt and rocks flew everywhere. Arthur rolled and hit his back against the hard dirt wall.

"Uh damn it!" Arthur shouted. Merlin came limping over to Arthur.

"Are you ok?!" Merlin asked frantically.

"You… you have magic," Arthur said looking up at Merlin. Merlin looked down at Arthur.

"I... yes… I-I'm sorry Arthur" Merlin stammered. Arthur could see the fear in Merlin's face. He looked so different to Arthur. He had never seen him so fearful, Did losing him scare Merlin that much?

"Merlin… Why did you never tell me?" Arthur asked trying to stand up.

"No! don't, you may have hurt yourself and... What?" Merlin looked at Arthur in shock. He thought Arthur would yell at him or tell him he was evil.

"Why did you never tell me?" Arthur asked again.

"I-I wanted to but, you would have killed me," Merlin said.

"Maybe when we first met, but not now I care about you too much," Arthur said without even thinking. Merlin looked at Arthur in complete awe at what he said. Could Arthur feel the same way Merlin felt?

Don't be crazy he just means it as a friend Merlin told himself.

"I think I broke a rib," Arthur said gritting his teeth. "Here let me see," Merlin said. he pulled Arthur's shirt up to see his back.

"it looks like you may have bruised a rib," Merlin said slowly turning Arthur onto his back. "Uh!" Arthur yelped.

"Sorry… how are we going to get out of here?" Merlin asked looking around the gorge.

"I don't know Merlin… And if we did get out of here we don't have any horses" Arthur said. "Merlin, what happened to your leg?" Arthur asked. Merlin had blood all over his left leg and what looked like a very deep cut.

"I cut my leg on a rock when we fell" Merlin explained.

"Are you ok?" Arthur asked.

"Yes I'm fine Arthur, I will heal fast," Merlin said standing up.

"I will see what I can find around here to start a fire" Arthur nodded. He watched as Merlin walked away until he was out of site. Merlin looked around the gully and found some sticks to start a small fire. He sighed. He went back to Arthur.

"We need to get you out of here," Merlin said dropping the sticks down.

"And how are we going to do that?" Arthur asked a little annoyed. Merlin was quiet for a moment. If only he had tied his horse to a tree then they would probably still have a horse up there.

"I'm not sure yet..." Merlin said.

Back in Camelot, the knights were growing worried about Arthur.

"They should have been back by now," Gwaine said. Lancelot was next to him in the armory.

"I'm sure they will be back soon," Elyan said walking over to them.

"We should go looking for them," Lancelot added.

"Are you sure? maybe we should wait a little longer," Elyan asked looking between them.

"No Lancelot is right, we should go look for them," Leon said stepping forward. Percival walked into the armory.

"Who are we looking for?"

"Arthur he hasn't returned from hunting with Merlin," Leon said.

"Ok, then what are we waiting for?" Gwaine said stepping forward.

They took off galloping out of the castle walls.

Merlin started a fire and he told Arthur of his magic.

"So you're telling me that the first time we met, you used magic?!" Arthur said in a high tone.

"Yes… It's kinda funny if you think about it" Merlin said chuckling. "You would have been killed if you were caught" Arthur snapped.

"Yeah, but I wasn't" Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Anything else I should know?" Arthur asked annoyed. "ohh…. Uhh well," Arthur looked over to Merlin, "Merlin?" Arthur said in a low tone.

"It's about the dragon….. Uhh"

"Oh god"

"I'm a dragon lord…" Merlin said holding back tears at the thought of his father.

Arthur looked him over. "Merlin... Merlin, I'm sorry" Arthur said with sympathy. He wanted to just hug Merlin, Merlin looked over to Arthur and their eyes locked, they looked at one another for a moment. Merlin looked ahead to the small fire.

"I wish that you told me, I would have made sure nothing happened to Balinor," Arthur said. Merlin looked back over to Arthur. A tear fell down his cheek but he smiled.

Arthur wanted to reach out and wipe the tear-off Merlin's cheek.

"I-I should go get more firewood," Merlin said standing up, Arthur looked up at him and nodded. Merlin walked away.

Arthur felt a sadness sweep over his whole body. All the times Merlin saved him, all that he sacrificed and he never once got a thank you. He had to thank him... but a simple "Thank you" wouldn't do.

"See any sign of them?" Leon called out pulling his horse to a stop.

"No... No sign" Gwaine said.

"Wait… look!" Elyan said hopping off his horse. he bent down to the ground. "what is it?" Lancelot asked walking up behind him.

"Hoof tracks," Elyan said standing up. "How do we know if it's their's?" Lancelot asked.

"It's all we have," Elyan said getting on his horse. Lancelot looked over at the other knights.

Merlin came back with no firewood.

"I thought you were getting firewood," Arthur said a little confused.

"There wasn't any," Merlin said sitting down next to Arthur. Merlin crossed his arms and dug his hands into the sides of his chest.

Arthur looked over at him and saw he was shivering.

"Merlin, you're shivering," Arthur said moving a little closer to him. "It's bloody cold," Merlin said through gridded teeth. Arthur moved over to Merlin and leaned against him.

"What are you doing?" Merlin asked looking over to Arthur.

"You're being annoying with your shivering," Arthur said, Merlin rolled his eyes. The feeling of Arthur's body against his was almost making him shake harder.

Arthur's heart was racing, being so close to Merlin just felt so right, yet so wrong.

"Good god's Merlin you're freezing!" Arthur said moving a little closer to Merlin.

Merlin's shoulders tensed, he could feel his heart in his throat but he didn't say anything. They just sat there in silence for what seemed like years, till

"Merlin…" Arthur said resting his head on Merlin's shoulder. Merlin bit his lip and stopped breathing for a moment.

"Y-yeah?" Merlin stammered.

"I have a secret of my own" Arthur said his voice now low and almost... scared. He had to show Merlin that he was thankful.

Merlin shifted and looked over at him.

"what?" Merlin asked locking eyes with Arthur.

"I um I"

"Arthur!" Merlin and Arthur looked up to see the knights. They both let out a sigh of relief. They threw down ropes and pulled Merlin and Arthur up.

Gwaine grabbed Merlin by the shoulders and pulled him into a hug. Arthur looked over at them and felt a pang of jealousy.

"Are you ok?" Gwaine asked.

"yeah, I'm… I'm great" Merlin said looking over to Arthur. Gwaine noticed how Merlin looked over to Arthur. he knew how Merlin felt About Arthur and it was obvious that Arthur felt the same way.

"It's a long story," Merlin said looking back over to Gwaine.

All the knights came over and hugged Merlin.

They helped Arthur onto the back of Percival horse, They rode back to Camelot the whole time Arthur thought of what he would do about the magic law. Of course, he couldn't kill Merlin he loved him, but what would all of his people think.

They got back to Camelot and Arthur and Merlin went straight to Gaius.

"You're very lucky you didn't get any more injuries sire," Gaius said giving him a bottle.

"Take this before you go to bed, it will help with the pain" Arthur nodded. Merlin was sitting on the table with his leg wrapped.

"So Merlin…" Arthur said turning to him. Merlin looked over to Arthur.

"I will be changing the law against magic, you can use magic all you want till then"

Gaius stared at them with his mouth hanging open. "Did I hear that right?" Gaius asked looking between the two of men.

"Yes, Arthur knows I have magic" Arthur smiled as did Merlin. "And I have come to see that magic isn't evil like my father said… he was wrong," Arthur said looking over to Gaius.

Gaius didn't know what to say, after a bit of explaining to Gaius Arthur went back to his chambers, but as he was walking out the door he turned around.

"Merlin" Merlin looked over to him. "Thank you, for... everything" Merlin smiled wide.

Arthur sat up in bed and thought of Merlin. "I almost said I love you to him... why didn't I just say it?" He said aloud.