A/N: So let's knight the druid boy Arthur, you know the one you saved and is most likely evil. Let's not listen to Merlin when he's been proven right again and again. Really, it's no wonder you are going to be your own downfall, and in the next episode Uther is back. Oh joy this will be a trainwreck. On ice. And yet i wouldn't have Merlin any other way. Final notes and review responses at the bottom!

"Why?"

Her voice is quiet, low, and heartbroken. The bandages and the ointment in her hands falling to the floor in a noisy clatter, she sinks into a chair her head coming to rest in her hands. Merlin almost approaches her, but he doesn't instead he stares down at his feet.

Funny.

The bandages are there, unrolled and pooled into a bundle of egg shell white, the ointments there too, right at his feet.

Except he can't this time.

It's midday when the old man approaches. Arthur who had been sitting on a rock – he was surprised when he didn't just fall through but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth – perks up the last few hours while – entertaining, had been useless, he wasn't sure why this was important.

Perhaps this was why.

"What are the two of you troublemakers doing?"

Merlin whips around from where he had been working on a smaller tree, and sets his axe down on the ground, he nervously smiles and speaks.

"Oh, Ol – I mean Simmons what are you doing out here – I mean its cold. And you're old. Wait! I didn't mean that! I mean, don't you usually get your wood from the market?"

"Yes – "

He circled Merlin who had stepped away from the tree and was now in front of Will – who still was hacking away at the base of the tree seemingly oblivious.

"- But I heard you two while out for a walk, and I knew where ever you too go trouble seems to follow, besides you wouldn't begrudge an old man the pleasure of a stroll through the woods would you? I mean you two wouldn't understand would you? To young, to stupid."

"Mr. Simmons I didn't mean – "

"Oh I know you didn't but that's because you never think, do you?"

"Mr. Simmons I don't know what Will and I did to make you – dislike us so much, but I can assure you we're deeply sorry, aren't we Will?"

"Not particularly."

Merlin glared at Will but quickly turned back to the old man. Arthur frowned, Merlin was jumpy, more jumpy then Arthur could ever remember seeing him actually. It was unnerving and slightly worrisome, this man was nothing special.

He was old, Merlin was right about that, probably older then Gaius, his back was bowed, his face wrinkled and ugly, pulled back in a snarl like it was, his hands liver spotted and wrinkled as well, he was certainly unpleasant but he couldn't seem to figure out why Merlin was so jumpy around him.

"Oh, it isn't William I dislike, he was a lovely boy if not a bit over confident before you came around – then you turned him into a terrible miscreant who enjoys causing trouble. But then again your mother was always trouble, and you are a bastard child, what can I expect?"

Three things happened at once:

One:

Merlin closed his eyes and Arthur raged because while he knew it was a common insult in the world they lived in, he had never thought it could ever be directed at someone like Merlin or someone like Hunith. Not them they just weren't.

It wasn't possible and it was a terrible insult.

Two:

Will struck a little too hard and spun around fast, furious, and the tree tilted dangerously, falling at the wrong angle, falling down towards Merlin, Simmons, and Will.

And Three:

And Merlin's eyes flew open wide, flaring gold.

The tree stopped, and Simmons and Will stared up at in unadulterated horror, then they're eyes turned to Merlin whose eyes were still golden, whose hands were still outstretched, and whose mouth was still frozen in a silent 'no'.

Merlin's already wide eyes widened even more to the point where Arthur could barely see the whites of his eyes. He must have released the magic because the tree fell to the ground barely three feet from the old man who jumped and spun widely.

"You – I suspected – but, you boy – "

He swallowed visibly.

"– You are in a world of trouble, a sorcerer? Ohhh you do not know what you have done! I won't tell anyone now boy, but if you as much as slip up once, your head will be on the chopping block faster than you can blink, I'll make sure of it!"

With that the man was gone, disappearing back into the trees on shaky feet.

Will spun on Merlin then.

"What was that?"

"I-I don't know Will!"

Merlin backed up, stumbling until his back hit a tree, his head swinging wildly from side to side looking for an escape, except he knew there was none, and instead he turned his too wide eyes on Will, who was now only an arm's length away.

"Merlin you know what it was."

"N-no I don't!"

Will touched Merlin's arm.

"You do, don't lie Merlin, it's okay."

Merlin shook his head widely, his cheeks wet with tears, he was terrified Arthur realized, more scared then Arthur had ever seen him.

"W-what's okay?"

Will smiled and Arthur saw something change in Merlin's eyes.

"You have magic Merlin, and I'm okay with it."

The scene changed and Arthur found himself in the same clearing at sunset, the snow sparkling in the sun's dying rays, he smiled slightly when he heard the bird song's on the wind, it's almost peaceful, he thought.

" – Merlin we've known each other since we were five, why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't Will, I couldn't! I was scared Will, bloody terrified, magic is – dangerous here, people fear it, people hate it, they would want me dead – I-I didn't want to die, I don't want to die! So I kept it a secret, and I wanted to tell you Will, but how could I?"

Arthur looked around for the two young men, he soon found them, they'd scrabbled up a tree and were sitting in one of the boughs, and Arthur frowned, Merlin was – well he was much as Arthur expected to find him, curled into himself resting against the tree trunk, But Will –

Will was lounging – because there was no better word for it – in the tree, spread out and laying on his back, one leg bent up at the knee while his head rested back, looking up into the upper branches. He looked relaxed, almost peaceful.

And Arthur wondered how he was so comfortable with a known sorcerer barely an arm's length away; he even appeared to have his eyes closed! Why wasn't he scared, Arthur wondered, why was he calm when Merlin was so close by?

How could he be, when Arthur himself couldn't?

"Like this – hey Will, I'm a warlock, I was born with magic, now let's go get something to eat – that's how Merlin. Why would you keep this from me?"

"You're not – not mad at me?"

"Why would I be? You saved me Merlin, I would be dead if it wasn't for you, and so would Old Man Simmons, you saved us today, I can't be mad about that, I am hurt though that you couldn't trust me, I know I trusted you."

Arthur winced, because hadn't he said something along the same lines to Merlin?

"I trusted you!"

"I know Will – I should have, but I didn't and I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so very sorry, I was an idiot, a prat, can you forgive me?"

Will sighed and the wind whistled through the tree's, the sun was almost gone by now, barely a sliver remained visible over the distant hills, and the fading light cast shadows on the ground, it was haunting and beautiful all at once.

"I suppose, it depends will you show me something magical, preferably something that can show us the way home because I doubt we'll be able to find our way back any other way?"

Merlin threw his head back and laughed as the scene changed. They were back in Hunith's home again; Merlin and Will were standing tensely a few feet away from the woman who was clutching a broom so hard that her knuckles were white.

"William, go home."

"What Hunith! Merlin didn't – "

"William, go home."

"But – "

"William!"

"He's my best friend!"

"Will…please, go."

Will turned to Merlin then and nodded.

"Fine, I'll go, but Hunith, I found out because he saved my life along with Simmons."

Finally the boy was gone and Hunith stared at her son.

"How could you Merlin?"

"I didn't do anything wrong!"

And then Hunith hugged him.

"I know my little falcon, I know, but I've decided Ealdor isn't safe anymore, you need to go away from here, do you remember me telling you about Camelot when you were small?"

"You're sending me away, to Camelot! The place where it all started!"

"I'm not sending you away Merlin, but I can't help you here either, I have an old friend there, he's a physician but more importantly he used to practice magic, Merlin you are – so very precious to me, you're the last thing I have of your father, but you need to go."

"You're powerful, so very powerful, more powerful than anyone I have ever known and I can't teach you, I know nothing Merlin, your magical and I'm not! I can't keep you here, I can't it's not fair to you, nor is it safe, you need to go to Camelot Merlin."

"Perhaps there you'll finally find out why…."

"Mum I don't want to go."

She ran her hands over his head, fingers fisting in raven hair that had never quite lost its childlike curl, her baby was growing up, and she knew she couldn't keep him here, Merlin was meant for so much more then this life.

She did not want him to go, if she could she would keep him with her forever, her precious child, but she knew it was time for him to go and test his wings, her little falcon was ready to sore.

"Sleep Merlin, you're not in trouble, I'm not mad. You'll need your rest; you'll be leaving in a week. I love you my child."

Merlin nodded against her breast and pushed away. He slowly made his way into his bedroom and fell down on the bed that hadn't changed since his childhood and Hunith sat in a chair by his bed like she hadn't since he was a babe.

She hummed.

And when Merlin was asleep she ran her fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead before walking slowly to her writing desk and sitting down. She grabbed a piece of parchment and her quill and began to write and just like before Arthur read over her shoulder.

My dear Gaius,

I turn to you for I feel lost and alone and don't know who to trust. It is every mother's fate to think her child is special, and yet I would give my life that Merlin were not so.

Ours is a small village and he is so clearly at odds with people here that, if he were to remain, I fear what would become of him. He needs a hand to hold, a voice to guide, someone that might help him find a purpose for his gifts.

I beg you, if you understand a mother's love for her son, keep him safe, and may God save you both.

Hunith

She sighed and just like before, she cried. And as the scene changed again and again, Arthur watched Merlin say his goodbyes and then he was off, and Arthur –

– Arthur could not control the tiny bit of excitement that bubbled up inside him, because Merlin was on his way to Camelot.

Merlin turned his eyes to Gwen, the gold having faded away leaving only electric blue gems glimmering dimly.

"I'm not all powerful Gwen, there are something's I just cannot do, I'm sorry, I truly am. But I don't know how to fix it all this time; Arthur, I think is beyond our reach…."

"No."

She says her voice firm, her eyes hard jewels.

"No you won't give up, we won't give up, Arthur wouldn't give up on us. We will not give up on him. We will find a way Merlin, we will – we have to – "

And then she cries, and Merlin, well he cries too.

A/N I really know how to make these characters depressed don't I? i suppose it's a talent...

Nameless Secret Keeper: He won't how else will Merlin get a hug he will actually remember? LOL

tigertiger: Your welcome! It's fun to write but sadly it's coming to an end, Merlin is off to Camelot *sniffles* my baby is growing up! LOL

Spinerofdark: Maybe?!

Angeleyenc: Is this quick enough? LOL thank you dearie!