Thank you so much once again for all of your wonderful reviews, they really mean a lot to me!

Another huge thank you to MerlinStar for the beta-ing - hope the bit we talked about reads better now!

In case anyone was wondering, I still haven't gained ownership since chapter 1.

As he ran, Merlin relished in the exercise, pushing his body further than he previously would have done so. Just as he reached his limits, the warlock's eyes flashed golden as he put on another spurt of speed. Reaching the lake, Merlin flopped down on the ground, breathing hard but unable to stop grinning. It had been way too long since he had been able to do that. As he gazed out across the calming water, captured perfectly between the rising peaks of the snow topped mountains, the warlock's smile slowly faded as he turned his mind back to what had happened. He had heard the exchange between his two friends as he crouched in the shadows and knew that Gwen, even Arthur – although the prince would never admit it – was worried about him. And if he was honest, he thought there was a good enough reason. Resting his head in his hands, Merlin seriously pondered the thought that perhaps Claton's attack had done more than anyone realised. Perhaps it had actually driven him mad?

For why else would he be seeing the sorcerer everywhere, constantly finding himself back in the cave? Why else would he be continuously watching Arthur die? It had originally started out as the nightmares, scenes from that fateful day playing out in his mind as he slept. Whilst he had confided in Gaius about the dreams, Merlin didn't think the physician's advice that they were only to be expected was quite true. The last couple of days, the dreams had started playing out when he was awake. Now it seemed he was beginning to act them out as well, putting everyone in danger, especially his prince. It unnerved Merlin when he considered how close he had come to killing Arthur. Although the prince would shrug it off and say his servant would never be able to defeat him, Merlin had seen the fear in his eyes when he faced him. Arthur, crown prince of Camelot, was scared of him, a mere servant in the prince's eyes.

Lost in plaguing thoughts, Merlin didn't notice the afternoon begin to slip away from him. He was trying to work out whether or not to tell Gaius of his suspicions when he suddenly shuddered. Pulling his jacket closer around him, Merlin looked up just in time to see the sun finish its final descent over the top of the mountains. Cursing to himself, the warlock jumped to his feet. Gaius would have his head himself if he knew the servant had been outside until this time.

Running back towards the castle as quickly as he could, Merlin couldn't help but notice how tired he was. The day had not only been a lot longer than the ones he was used to as of late; it had been both physically and emotionally draining. The event during the training added to his run meant the warlock was having trouble keeping his eyes open by the time he forced his weary legs up the stairs towards the physician's chambers. Slowly taking one step at a time, Merlin visibly jumped when the physician's door banged open with a force that caused the wood to bounce off the wall behind it, and who should walk out than the prince himself?

Passing Merlin on the stairs, the warlock flinched at the detached look in Arthur's eye. The prince had obviously not forgotten nor forgiven the earlier events. Whether it was the actual attack that troubled him, or the fact he knew Merlin had been lying to him, the warlock was not sure. He only knew he felt guilt gripping at his heart, twisting it in a way that made it painful to meet Arthur's accusing gaze.

Neither of the two spoke as they passed awkwardly on the narrow stairwell, but just as Merlin made to once more push open the door granting him access to Gaius' chambers, a voice called him back.

"Thought you might like to know Gaius thinks I put you on kitchen duty." With those words, Arthur spun on his heel and marched off down the corridor regally, leaving a speechless servant in his wake. Feeling a rush of gratitude that Merlin didn't even think was possible, the warlock watched him go. If Gaius didn't know he was dismissed hours ago, there would be no awkward questions. And if the physician believed he had survived through a normal day of work, then the annoying enquiries into his health would hopefully be less than the servant had been anticipating. Unsure of why Arthur had covered for him considering all that had happened, Merlin pushed the door open and stepped into his home.

"Merlin? Is that you?" Gaius' voice came floating through the door before the warlock had so much as crossed the threshold. A white head peered cautiously out from behind the bookshelf, causing Merlin to smile despite his heavy heart.

"Need a hand, Gaius?" he called up to his mentor, not forgetting the previous time he had witnessed the physician trying to reach something. Both times he had found himself using magic to help the old man out.

"No, thank you, my boy. I was wondering when you would get back."

"Was that Arthur I just saw leaving?" Merlin asked, feigning ignorance. He knew this was the only way he would be able to get a reason out of Gaius as to why the prince was here. As the physician began to climb stiffly down his ladder, a sudden thought struck the warlock, making him gasp in horror. Hastily covering it up with a cough, Merlin couldn't stop his heart from racing. What if he had actually hurt the prince during the training attack? It wasn't as if he had hung around for long enough to notice.

"Oh he just came to collect something," Gaius responded vaguely, dismissively waving his hand in the air and almost sending the book he had just retrieved flying. Grinning at Gaius' unusual clumsiness, Merlin flopped onto the closest stool, feeling utterly spent.

"Are you all right?" The minute he sat down, Gaius came bumbling over, resting the back of his hand against the warlock's forehead whilst attempting to look in his eyes at the same time. Pushing the hand away, Merlin let his eyes flash golden, smirking when the physician jumped in surprise.

"I'm fine, Gaius. Just a bit tired. It's been a long day, think I might turn in."

"Don't you at least want some supper? Your mother made it." Watching the back of Merlin's head in worry, Gaius couldn't hide the concerned note in his voice. It was most unlike Merlin to refuse food.

"Not really hungry," the warlock shrugged in a non-committed manner, making his way up the stairs to his room. Seizing his blankets, Merlin curled up on the floor, feeling his eyes drift shut the moment he lay down. Within seconds, Merlin found himself back in the place he dreaded more than anything, the reason why he was beginning to fear his own sanity.

"Too dark… no… too cold, no… can't… don't!"

"Merlin? Wake up, Merlin." Feeling a firm hand on his shoulder, Merlin snapped awake, scrambling backwards in surprise when he found himself nose to nose with Arthur.

"Sire? What… where… ?" Completely disorientated, Merlin stared about him wildly, his eyes big and fearful. In a few moments, he was able to establish that it was still dark, his bed was empty meaning that his mother had yet to come up, and Arthur Pendragon was crouched over him, concern radiating out of his blue eyes.

"It's only been an hour, you idiot," Arthur muttered, standing back up again and smoothing the non-existent creases out of his tunic.

"What are you doing here, Sire?" Merlin asked bluntly, his brain not having woken up enough to yet establish what was going on.

"I just came to tell you that I'm dining with my father tomorrow for breakfast, so you'll need to get to my chambers early. Are you sure you're all right, Merlin?"

Frowning down at his servant as Merlin rolled his eyes and stubbornly nodded his head, Arthur subconsciously bit his lip. He had walked in on Gaius and Hunith eating and when he had enquired after Merlin, was told he had already gone to bed. Rather than disturb their meal, the prince had insisted he delivered his message himself. On entering the warlock's room, the prince had immediately heard the boy muttering in his sleep, and a scene all too familiar to Arthur was playing out in front of him as Merlin restlessly tossed in his sleep, trapped in the realms of another nightmare.

"Right… anyway. Don't be late in the morning, Merlin." Finishing the conversation on a formal tone, Arthur made to stride from the room.

"Arthur?" The voice came out as barely more than a whisper, yet Arthur turned sharply to see Merlin trying to detangle himself from the blankets.

"Don't tell Gaius?"

"Get some more sleep, Merlin." Striding from the room, Arthur was aware of the stare burning into the back of his head as he through from the physician's chambers, only nodding to Gaius and Hunith as he passed. Shutting the door to the rooms quietly behind him, Arthur lent his head back on the wood. Why, precisely, was he not telling Gaius that his ward was clearly suffering? Heading back towards his own chambers, Arthur asked himself for the hundredth time that day whether he was doing the right thing. His thoughts racing, Arthur didn't notice his feet carry him into his room until he was suddenly sitting down on his own bed.

Pulling something out from under the pillow, Arthur stared hard at the little bottle, wondering whether he should be doing this or facing up to his own fears.

"Damn it," he whispered into the empty room, the look of fear in Merlin's eyes as he had awoken still fresh in his mind. Downing the contents in one, Arthur had just enough time to pull a face at the bitter taste before he was sinking back into the soft pillows. Fully clothed, Arthur was asleep before he had quite finished lying back. At least he would be protected from the nightmares tonight, even if Merlin wasn't.

MMM

Unaware of his master's own fight against the dreams, Merlin stood gazing out of his window, the peace of Camelot at nighttime soothing to his inner turmoil. Regardless of what Arthur had said, Merlin had no intention of getting any more sleep. He couldn't face the dreams again, not after everything that had happened today. Hearing footsteps on the stairs, the warlock threw himself back under the blankets and tried to even out his breathing, his eyes shut. The steps entered the room and paused. Strongly resisting the urge to peek, Merlin kept perfectly still, trying with every fibre of his being to look like he was asleep.

"It worked," a voice whispered from above him, telling the warlock that the physician was the one to have entered the room. "He is peaceful. Maybe being back at work was the best thing for him. I shouldn't have tried to stop him."

"Now, now, Gaius," a second voice chided. So his mother had come up as well. Listening hard, it suddenly crossed Merlin's mind that he hadn't slept this still for years. He was going to have to move in a moment if the act was going to work.

"You were only trying to keep him alive. There was no way he would have been ready for work before today. Although from what the prince said earlier…" Hunith broke off suddenly halfway through her sentence, unaware that she was leaving her son hanging onto every word. What precisely had Arthur said earlier?

Determined to listen to the end of the sentence, Merlin didn't notice himself stop pretending to be asleep and actually drift off, regardless of any earlier promises to himself. Only this time, there was no return to the cave. Something was different. Instead of seeing the scene that had haunted him for so long now, Merlin found himself somewhere completely different. He could see nothing, there was a darkness that couldn't be penetrated by anything. Hypnotising, the blackness seemed to lead the warlock deeper and deeper, clutches of evil taking hold of his heart and gently caressing it, almost making the warlock want to give himself up there and then and allow the blackness to enclose his mind as well.

"Merlin? It's time to wake up now." Blearily opening his eyes, Merlin could just make out his mother standing over him, the very beginnings of dawn slowly making their way over the horizon.

"That was the longest you've slept for in a long time," she continued with a smile, handing him a bowl of what he knew without looking contained her version of porridge. Not wanting to destroy her happiness, Merlin merely nodded, not yet awake enough to bother explaining the darkness of his night. It wasn't that he felt tired, more drained, as if he had been fighting something off for the entire time he was resting. Remembering the darkness trying to penetrate him, the boy involuntarily shuddered, thankful his mother had turned away.

Eating his breakfast, Merlin glanced up at his bed absentmindedly and jumped in surprise when he saw that his mother's belongings were strewn across the blankets as she began folding something else and placing it in the small bag by her feet.

"You're leaving?" the warlock exclaimed, the surprise obvious in his voice. Before Hunith had a chance to answer, Gaius walked in, looking very pleased with himself when he saw that Merlin had yet to get up. It meant the warlock had not already been awake for hours, something that seemed to have become the norm lately.

"Merlin. You are feeling better, yes?" At Gaius' strange enquiry, Merlin nodded, unable to stop himself thinking that that was more of a statement than a question.

"I have to return to Ealdor, sweetheart," Hunith continued, picking up from where Gaius finished. Sitting on the edge of Merlin's bed, Hunith watched her son closely.

"I don't want to leave you, but the crops won't plant themselves. If I want to return in the next year, I have to have a harvest to return to. And, although it pains me, darling, this is your home, not mine. I'm not destined to stay in Camelot."

"I understand," Merlin responded shortly. Truly he did, and was in a way pleased. His mother had been here for almost half the time he had been in Camelot, but if she was to leave, he could begin to set his life back up again. At the same time, however, he really didn't want her to go. Smiling sadly down at her boy and how mature he was becoming, Hunith crossed the room and dropped a light kiss on his untidy mop. Clearing his throat, Gaius drew Merlin's attention back to him.

"I'm going to accompany her to the border, Merlin, see her safely there. Then… if it is alright with you, my boy, I need to visit an old friend. I promised her I would stop by at some point, and well, I'm already half way there."

Unable to stop the wide grin splitting his face in two, Merlin struggled to stop himself from laughing. Was Gaius actually blushing?

"By old friend, you couldn't possibly mean a certain Lady Elizabeth, could you?"

Clearing his throat subconsciously, Gaius turned back to Hunith.

"Are you ready to leave, my dear?" At her nod, realisation hit Merlin hard.

"You're going now?"

Scrambling to his feet, Merlin threw his arms around his mother, hugging her closely. He didn't want to have to say goodbye so soon. Although it was probably for the best, it would mean he didn't spend the build up to the departure brooding over something he had no control over.

"Be safe," Hunith whispered, unshed tears constricting her voice. Merlin nodded softly, releasing his mother. Watching the two walk companionably towards the door, Merlin called after his mentor once more.

"Gaius?" The physician turned, his eyebrow raised in his standard manner at the cheeky look on Merlin's face. Opening his mouth to say something, Merlin caught one look at his mentor's face and instead ducked into his room, laughing. He hadn't meant to, only the expression on Gaius' face had been somewhat priceless.

A few moments later and a composed Merlin walked out of his room. It was time to get to work. Wandering through the almost deserted corridors, Merlin watched dawn break through the various windows he passed, marvelling at the liquid hues the sun sent gliding out across the horizon. It truly was beautiful.

Softly opening Arthur's door, without knocking, Merlin crept in. Pausing just inside of the door, the servant smiled at the sight in front of him. The prince hadn't even undressed himself, instead crashing down onto his bed fully clothed. Crossing the room, Merlin gently shook his friend.

"Arthur? Sire? Oh come on, Arthur, wake up!" Giving him a sharp prod, Merlin smirked with satisfaction as the prince began to stir. Setting the most innocent look on his face that he could master, Merlin crossed the room and began to select something for the prince to wear during his breakfast with the king.

Blearily, Arthur cracked open his eyes, sleep still coursing through him. Eventually, he managed to sit up, noting with surprise he was still dressed. That was the problem with the tonics, they knocked you out. Not only did it mean he had been asleep before remembering he was still dressed, but it certainly made waking up a lot harder; his brain felt even more sluggish than usual.

"Can't even dress yourself for bed without help, I see." An annoyingly cheerful voice floated across the room, making Arthur narrow his eyes at his servant, despite feeling relieved at seeing him so happy.

"I can manage perfectly well, Merlin. I simply didn't want to last night."

"I'm sure, Sire."

"Shut up." Climbing off the bed with a groan, Arthur hastily tried to cover up his stumble as Merlin headed towards him, a fresh set of clothes in his waiting hands. Feeling completely disorientated, Arthur quickly tottered his way over to the wash basin in the corner and splashed his face with some deliciously cool water, sparking his sleepy brain into use.

With the prince half functioning once again, the two boys set about getting him changed. The sun had just finished rising when Arthur declared he was ready to go. A soft knock on the door made him bid whoever it was to enter as Merlin set about gathering the dirty clothes. Looking up in surprise at the servant entering with a laden breakfast tray, Arthur bit his tongue, waiting for the boy to leave.

"I thought you were dining with your father?" Merlin asked, trying to keep the accusatory tone from his voice the second the servant had bowed himself from the room. It would be so typical Arthur to have dragged him out of bed before dawn for no reason. Rolling his eyes, the prince grinned at his servant.

"I am, idiot. It's for you."

"Me?" Merlin asked, sounding incredulous. Why on earth would Arthur have ordered breakfast in for him?

"You don't remember the last time Gaius went away then?" the prince continued, eyebrows raised. Merlin's face puckered in thought, causing the prince to look skyward again. Honestly, Merlin never seemed to remember anything.

"You forgot to eat for three days," he supplied, watching the guilty realisation spring onto his servant's face. "Forgot to tell me, only letting me find out when you passed out. Ringing any bells? I knew Gaius was leaving this morning, and we're going hunting later. I'd rather not have to peel you off from the forest floor."

"At least the stables were clean," Merlin muttered, secretly touched by the prince's concern. Tossing a discarded shirt into his servant's face, Arthur smirked.

"Enjoy." Without waiting for a response, the prince strode out of his chambers, feeling remarkably pleased with himself. As soon as Gaius had informed the prince of his plans to leave, Arthur had set about making the preparations to try and keep Merlin conscious until he got back. The boy was so helpless at looking after himself, it was beyond comparison really, but coupled with everything else that had happened, and Arthur felt himself feeling oddly protective of the clumsy idiot. Not that he would tell Merlin that, of course...

Glancing in disbelief at the laden table, Merlin cast an almost cautious look towards the door before he gingerly sat down on the edge of Arthur's chair. He still couldn't believe it, not realising quite how considerate Arthur could be when he wasn't thinking of himself. Which, admittedly, wasn't often, but that was beside the point. Tentatively pulling the first dish towards him, Merlin carefully pulled the lid off, half expecting something unpleasant to be waiting for him. He wouldn't put it past Arthur to try something like that.

Instead, a large platter of meat and cheese lay waiting for him. Opening one dish after another, Merlin knew within a matter of moments this was the breakfast the prince himself normally had. Sitting back in disbelief, Merlin was too stunned to actually eat anything. Eventually though, his growling stomach reminded him of how well Arthur knew him; he had indeed forgotten breakfast. Although, personally, he blamed it on Hunith and Gaius' departure rather than having actually forgotten.

It didn't take long for the servant to eat his fill. How on earth Arthur managed to put that much food away just for breakfast was beyond Merlin, he guessed it had something to do with being a knight and all the training the prince supposedly did. Shuddering at the memories of training, Merlin heaved himself off the chair, feeling as if he wouldn't need to eat for about a week, and began to put together some of their hunting gear for later. Surprisingly, he didn't feel like moaning that much, although he was sure that would change once the actual killing started. It would be good to get away from the castle for a bit. The servant had already decided that yesterday didn't count giving his state of mind at the time.

With the arrows retrieved, the crossbow polished and ready to go, Merlin found his patience beginning to dwindle as he waited for the prince to return. He was thankful he hadn't been dragged along as well, Uther seemed to have developed a very curious expression when he laid eyes on his son's manservant, thankfully not something that occurred that often. Merlin was sure it was a blaming stare he was receiving, he knew full well about how the king had felt regarding Arthur trying to rescue him from Claton. The fact Arthur had ended up in a cell in Camelot's dungeons just to stop him going was a clear testimony to that.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Merlin was quite content to pass the time just gazing into space. He was so lost up in his thoughts that he didn't hear the prince finally return, or see his horrified expression when he registered the far away look on his servant's face.

Suddenly brought back to reality by a boot hitting him square in the face, Merlin blinked a few times, bemused, before his eyes fell on Arthur. With only one shoe on.

"What was that for?" the warlock yelped. He had even got together their hunting gear without being asked! What reason could Arthur possibly have for throwing the shoe at him this time? Admittedly in the past there had been some good reasons, but this time, the servant was just flummoxed.

Sensing his servant had just been thinking rather than entering one of his weird zoned out times the boy seemed to keep drifting off into, Arthur smirked, trying to cover up his discomfort.

"You didn't eat anything," he responded, eyes falling on the almost full dishes residing on the table.

"Didn't eat anything?" Merlin retorted, the protest apparent in his voice. "I ate loads, thank you very much. How you eat that much every single day is a miracle!"

"Anyway," Arthur continued, glad for the change of subject. "Glossing over my eating habits, is the hunting gear all set?"

"Yes, Sire," Merlin replied, climbing to his feet. Smiling at the almost grumbling tone, Arthur turned away from his servant to hide his expression. It was good to have the old Merlin back for once. Following his servant down the corridor, Arthur tried to regain some of his regal posture as he scurried along after his servant, amazed at just how fast Merlin could walk when he put his mind to it.

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