Hey guys, here's the next chapter! I'm a little apprehensive though ... I added some (okay A LOT) of bromance that's probably bordering on merthur but I really couldn't help myself! :) I'm sure you all understand :D

Save Me

Chapter 4

Power is no blessing in itself, except when it is used to protect the innocent

Jonathan Swift

The door behind Merlin slammed shut and it rang in the silence. Arthur stood at the door, glowering at the guards until they walked away. It was only then that Arthur turned and assessed the cell.

Merlin watched as Arthur's eyes traveled from the beds to the windows, and then to the three other men who were seated at the far side of the room. Visible now that they were in the room was a chipped and damaged wooden table with three chairs around it.

One of the men appeared to be older, but it was hard to tell if his exhausted face was from age or experience. His face was sunken and worn, his brown eyes dull, and his grey hair was long and limp. He was lying on the furthest bed, and was dressed in ragged clothes and wrapped in a thin, ragged blanket. The next man looked to be about ten years older than Arthur, with a muscular build and hardened eyes. He was seated at the table with the third man who looked to be about Merlin's own age. Once the guards had left, the second man had resumed sharpening a piece of wood - from the destroying chair in the corner - with a rock. The third man was shorter than Merlin and even scrawnier, and had thin blond hair and washed out blue eyes. His face held fear and Merlin could see that he was flinching at any sound that came from outside the cell.

"Hello," Merlin said cautiously.

None of the men answered, but the old man sat up.

"I'm Merlin and he's Arthur," Merlin continued.

Merlin was glad Arthur was letting him speak up because knowing Arthur, he'd say something to offend the men.

The old man smiled.

"I'm Caillen," he pointed to the second man, "that's Joel," then he pointed to the third man, "and that's Aric. It's nice to meet you Merlin and Arthur."

Merlin nodded and smiled back. He opened his mouth, when Arthur cut him off.

"Merlin, you idiot, you're still bleeding. Let me help you so you don't become completely useless."

Merlin recognized Arthur's frustrated and snappy tone right away.

Arthur was scared.

Whenever Arthur could not come up with an answer straight away, or a solution to a problem, he would become angry because that was the only way he knew how to let his fear out. The fact that Arthur was scared made Merlin scared because it meant that Arthur did not know how to get them out of Nigel's castle.

"Alright, alright, keep your shirt on," Merlin mumbled.

"You can have those two beds," Caillen indicated the two on the other end, and then laid back down with a sigh, as if sitting up had physically exhausted him.

Merlin walked over to the beds and sat down on the one on the end. Arthur glared and flicked his head to the next one over. Confused, Merlin got up and sat in the inside bed.

The only difference is that the outside bed is closer to the door…oh. Merlin scratched the back of his neck and ignored the warm feeling in his gut. He honestly couldn't remember the last time someone had shown him some kind of protection, even if it was small.

"Take off your shirt." Arthur sat down on the end bed opposite Merlin and placed the bag next to him.

"What?" Merlin asked.

Arthur spared him a glance. "Well I can't clean and bandage your wound if you keep your shirt on."

"Oh," Merlin coughed, aware that though Caillen had turned away, their conversation could be heard, and Joel and Aric were still watching. Arthur returned to rifling through the bag. "Well, I can just do it myself. It's no big deal."

Arthur rolled his eyes without looking at Merlin. "Right, whatever you say."

"No seriously. I've bandaged wounds before, you can go meet our cellmates" Merlin added his signature goofy grin at the end to persuade Arthur.

Arthur looked at him thoughtfully. "Maybe you're right. I'll go talk to our cellmates while you try to clean and bandage your wound." Arthur dropped his act. "Take off your shirt Merlin."

"Fine," Merlin huffed.

Merlin untied his red neckerchief and slowly took of his blue shirt as Arthur took out fresh bandages, water, and some food.

"Alright, so," Arthur turned to look at Merlin and stopped. "Where'd you get that?"

Merlin looked down. "Um, that's the wound I got from Nigel's men …"

"I know that," Arthur snapped. "I meant the other ones."

"It's nothing," Merlin said uncomfortably.

Arthur yanked Merlin up and stood with him.

"Nothing?" Arthur pointed out various scars that adorned Merlin's pale flesh. "Does this look like nothing? This? Or how about this one that looks like a whip mark? Are these all nothing?"

"Yes, their all nothing!" Merlin hissed, backing up and sitting down on the bed while covering his chest with his folded arms. "Now, just please bandage my wound."

"Not until you tell me how you got those." Arthur sat back down as well, and gave Merlin a look.

"I got them when I lived in Ealdor," Merlin said.

"Don't lie to me Merlin," Arthur glared. "I saw you when you had a fever once back when you first become my manservant. You were sleeping without a shirt on. You didn't have nearly as many scars."

Merlin just scratched his arm and looked away.

"Merlin," Arthur said lowly, "Did someone do this to you? Is it another knight? A fellow servant? Because you can tell me…"

"No, no!" Merlin looked at Arthur. "No, no one is beating me up or anything. I got these from living in Camelot. You know, it seems like there's a new danger in Camelot every day!" Merlin laughed weakly, and Arthur just continued to stare.

"Fine." Merlin sat straighter. "I got this one from the time you threw a goblet at me and I wasn't looking." Arthur sucked in a breath. "I got this one from the time you and the knights used me as a target in training and I was injured so I couldn't hold the shield properly."

"Why didn't you say-"

"I did! But you just told me to stop being such a girl. I got this from when I fell down the stairs carrying your armour. I got this from when you put me in the stocks."

"But they only throw rotten food-"

"Yes, but the guards that lock me in the stocks get a bit rough. They like to push people around." Merlin looked up at Arthur, who seemed to be almost … horrified.

"So, you got all these from me?" Arthur asked in a weird voice.

Merlin blinked. "No, no. Not all of them. Besides, they didn't hurt much. Nothing that really hurt came directly from you."

"What about this one?" Arthur pointed to the scar that resembled a whip mark.

"I got that from a visiting knight." Merlin ran his finger over it. "You had said I would serve him. He liked show his power over his inferiors."

Arthur swallowed a lump in his throat. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Because there was no need!" Merlin hissed, suddenly inexplicably mad. He didn't like the weird look Arthur was giving him, especially because he never wanted Arthur to see his various scars any way.

"No need? Merlin, he whipped you-"

"And how does that make me any different from any other servant?" Merlin argued, breathing heavier from his frustration. "That's all I am, a servant. It would be my word against a knight's. And even if I could prove it, like with this whip mark, it makes no difference. Servants are treated this way on a daily basis. Why should I be any different?"

"Because you are different!" Arthur glared. "You're different because you're my fr- manservant."

Merlin paused at the slip up in Arthur's words.

"And because you're my manservant, you should be treated with respect. No one gets to discipline you but me." Arthur glared at Merlin, but it seemed he was angrier with himself. "Next time, you will tell me about any injuries and I will handle it."

Merlin huffed. "Fine. Whatever. Can you fix me up now?"

"Merlin." Suddenly Arthur's hands were gripping Merlin's face so that he had no choice but to look directly into Arthur's eyes. Quietly, meant for only Merlin's ears, Arthur spoke. "You are not just my manservant, Merlin. You are my friend. My closest friend because I know you know me better than anyone else. So you know that I'm being perfectly serious. Next time someone hurts you, even if it is me, tell me so I can do something about it. I can't help you if you won't let me. Promise me."

Merlin blinked, his breath suddenly hitching at the intensity and intimacy of Arthur's speech. Never before had Arthur said anything remotely as intimate, but instead of making Merlin feel awkward, he felt strangely happy.

Slowly, Merlin brought his hand up to cover one of Arthur's on his face, almost scared of ruining the moment.

"Alright. I promise." Merlin whispered.

"Good." Arthur released Merlin, and started to clean the wound.

When Arthur was done wrapping Merlin's wound, he noticed that Joel and Aric had gotten up and were getting into bed. Arthur glanced at the small window above his bed and noticed the sun had set and the moon had come out. The stars twinkled almost mockingly in their freedom.

Merlin thanked Arthur quietly and settled into the bed, covering himself with the thin, ragged brown blanket. Arthur frowned. Merlin was surely going to freeze.

Some guards had stopped by and handed Arthur clothes saying that he wasn't allowed to keep his armour. He grumbled, but quickly changed and handed them his armour. He was now dressed in black pants, much like Merlin's brown work pants, and a navy long sleeved shirt and a black jacket.

"Hey."

Arthur glanced up at Joel, who was standing beside the bed next to Merlin.

"Move over."

Arthur blinked. "Pardon?"

"Move his bed. I want my room, so move."

Arthur stared at him, before smirking and standing up. "I'm sorry, but-"

Joel suddenly held the sharpened wood before him, growling. Merlin shot up and immediately winced.

"I said, move over."

Arthur glanced over at Caillen, who nodded, and then held his hands in surrender. "Alright."

He grabbed the underside of Merlin's bed and yanked it over until it was right beside his own.

"Is that good enough?" Arthur asked, not able to keep some of the sarcasm out of his voice.

Joel growled, looking at the distance, before moving his own bed slightly further away. "Fine."

Arthur rolled his eyes. And Merlin wanted me to get to know our 'cellmates'.

Arthur climbed into the bed, pulling his own ragged blanket over himself, and turned over, seeing Merlin was already asleep.

Arthur rolled onto his back, sighing. Merlin's scars had affected him more than he admitted at the time. He never abused Merlin, well not what normal servants endured, but the physical scars seemed to tell a different story. He had thought it was teasing, but maybe things he had done – things he had said – had hurt Merlin more than he knew.

Arthur ran a hand down his face. He knew it wasn't going to be soon that he could escape with Merlin. Nigel had this place guarded almost as well as Camelot. That was why he had admitted to Merlin that he thought of him as a friend.

He turned his head to look at said manservant, to see that Merlin was shivering in his sleep. Arthur rolled onto his side and pulled Merlin closer, in attempt to share body heat.

After all, Merlin was his friend, and he protected his friends.

Merlin's eyes shot open when loud bangs tore through his sleep. He blinked, disoriented and confused – this isn't Camelot – until he remembered. He then became aware of something heavy on his stomach that kept him pressed to some kind of heat source. He rolled over and almost fell off the bed in shock. Arthur's arm was resting across his stomach, and Arthur's warm body was his 'heat source'. Merlin sat up, letting Arthur's arm slide off his body, and noticed that the bottoms of the doors where opening and a tray of food was set on the floor.

Merlin got off the bed, noticing that his chest felt much better, and turned back to Arthur.

"Arthur, you dollop-head, wake up!" Merlin shook him.

"Merlin." Arthur whined slightly, burying his face into the pillows.

"Wake up you prat! Food's here," Merlin grinned and walked over to the tray.

The wood spear Joel had carved was suddenly pressed against his chest and Merlin froze, looking up and the man.

"I get the food first," Joel glared, and Merlin swallowed.

Merlin was suddenly pulled back, and Arthur stepped in front of him. "Don't we all get food equally? We are all prisoners."

Joel laughed. "Right, equality. Don't make me laugh. This here's survival of the fittest. And in this cell, whatever I say goes."

Arthur sneered. "I don't take orders from the likes of you."

Merlin could see Caillen had pushed himself up and Aric was swiveling his head between Arthur and Joel in fear and in awe.

Joel barked out a laugh. "Do you really want to fight over this, Arthur? I could easily beat you."

"Well, then, why don't you try?" Arthur held out his arms very much in the same way he had done when he first met Merlin. "Go on, unless you're scared."

Joel's eye twitched, and he laughed again. "Remember, you asked for it."

Arthur grinned.

Merlin was suddenly shoved out of the way by Arthur as Joel lunged for him, the wood spear held tightly in his grip. Arthur quickly ducked, and spun around, taking a defensive stance. Joel steadied himself and went for another attack. This time, Arthur grabbed his arm, and then landed a blow to the back of Joel's neck. While Joel was stunned, Arthur grabbed him by the back of his shirt and flung him to the ground, kneeling beside him with the spear at Joel's throat.

"I think I've won," Arthur said softly, before standing up with the spear. Joel gasped for breath, still on the ground, and glared at Arthur.

"I will kill you when we meet in the ring." Joel snarled.

"Likewise." Arthur returned.

Merlin glanced between them, and when it appeared that the tensions had lessened, he strolled over to the tray and picked it up. He set it on the table, and rifled through the food.

"Bread, cheese, and water," Merlin called over his shoulder to Arthur.

"Good enough," Arthur walked over, keeping the wood spear in his right hand. "Give some food to Caillen first."

Merlin nodded and ripped open one of the buns and filled it with cheese, grabbed the water jug, and went over to Caillen. He sat down on his bed and handed him the bread.

"Thank you," Caillen murmered. "I've never gotten to eat first before."

Merlin smiled. "Here, have the first sip of water."

Caillen smiled at Merlin, and then at Arthur, and brought the water jug to his lips. He drank a few sips, and then handed it back. "You shouldn't waste it on an old man like me. Feed yourselves."

Merlin took the water jug back and returned to the table. He noticed Aric hanging around, so he smiled at the scrawny boy and handed him a bun with cheese. Aric smiled nervously back, before grabbing the food and settling on his bed. Arthur motioned for Merlin to take some food, so Merlin made two sandwiches for himself and Arthur.

"Here Joel, you can have your food." Merlin called across the cell.

Joel glared, but slowly walked over and grabbed the last bun and cheese. He turned and walked swiftly away, settling himself on the other side of the cell, obviously still smoldering about the embarrassing defeat.

Merlin sat quietly at the table with Arthur, who looked lost in thought.

"Hey Arthur," Merlin said quietly.

Arthur refocused and nodded for Merlin to continue.

"I was wondering…earlier you got upset when you heard that we were traveling to Andsaca?" Merlin asked.

Arthur nodded. "Camelot and Andsaca do not have a good relationship."

"So?"

"So, Merlin, it means that the Knights of Camelot cannot just ride into Andsaca to rescue us, even though I'm prisoner. They will have to sneak into Andsaca and not get caught. This also means that they cannot bring an army to get me back. I doubt we will get rescued anytime soon."

Merlin felt his stomach drop. "But Leon, Percival, Gwaine, Lancelot, and Elyan can do it."

"I hope so. For our sakes, I hope so."

A/N: I'm not really sure how I feel about this one ... I admit that I love when Merlin's hurting and Arthur protects him :) expect more of it!

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