Ok guys, here's the next chapter. I re-read the whole fic the other day and I've lost my good feeling about it, but I've given you the start so I can't not continue. That would be cruel- and I'm not the BBC. ;)

Thank you so much for the comments and favourites, they help me a lot. I'll probably get round to replying to them at some point.

Merlin had no idea where he was running. He just wanted to get away from it all. It was his feet and heart that took him most of the way, and within hours of leaving his friends, Merlin found himself stumbling, completely out of his mind, into his mother's hut in Ealdor.

She had only just risen and was getting her food ready for the long day ahead. She knew as soon as her son ran- no practically fell- into her house that something was wrong. In all her years she had never seen such fear, such desperation to fulfill some desire. Of course, in this situation, Merlin had no idea what his desire was. He wasn't even sure he remembered his name. The young sorcerer's mind was clouded with so many thoughts and fears, he was nowhere near his usual self, but he knew deep down that there was something else causing him to act this way. Was it delirium from his injuries? Or a spell that witch had somehow placed on him?

'Merlin! My boy.' Hunith fell next to Merlin, clutching him and pulling him out of the heap he'd created on his entrance. She began crying within seconds. After everything the broken family had gone through, she had never felt Merlin shake so violently, never seen his eyes as wide as they were, and most definitely never seen him so terrified. Arthur must have found out; the only thought flowing through her mind, surely the only thing that could cause Merlin to act this way. Abruptly, and as if on queue, Merlin was violently ill, vomiting and crying in unison, causing unusual choking noises and frantic breathing. He was back to looking like the young, lost boy who had left her years before, to start a new life; the last night before he left, he's made himself ill with anxiety. Hunith had held him until he cried himself to sleep, mopping the mess from around his mouth and soothing him with her calming words. The same as she was now doing. The only thing she could do, scared for the well-being of her son, she had no idea how to handle the situation until he finally calmed down enough for her to make sense of what was going on.

For what must have been half an hour, Hunith sat on the cold stone floor of her hut, clutching her stricken son, trying to calm him down and keep him from doing anything worse. Merlin was suddenly quiet, 'There, you see...' Hunith pulled her son's head up to look into his eyes, but found them closed. His body was limp and the only signs of life were his quickening pulse, harsh breathing and trembling body. She pulled him up and laid him on the bed, worrying more than ever for the safety of her son. Her plans for the day would have to work around him, she would not be able to venture far and the village work would have to wait. Kissing Merlin's forehead, and stroking his hair, she told him to sleep well and left, taking one final look onto her son. If it wasn't for his chest rising and falling, she would have thought him dead.

XXX

They'd looked as far as they could. Through every part of the forest they knew Merlin knew of. It had taken days but no sign could be spotted of their friend.

All of Arthur's closest knights, Gwen and Gauis sat around their latest campfire, having sent the majority back to Camelot. These few people were Merlin's friends and more tears were shed every night they had not found him.

'What of Ealdor?' It was Leon who broke the silence.

'What of it?' Arthur retorted.

'We'll have to tell his mother, and she may know of somewhere meaningful to him. Somewhere we haven't looked.'

'Do you think it wise to worry her so early?' Gwen was torn between wanting to contact Hunith and leave her out of the issue, knowing how delicate she was towards her son.

'She has the right to know. We'll set of at dawn, Ealdor is only an hour from here.' Arthur, similar to Gwen, was worried at how Hunith would react, but knew that she may know the whereabouts of her son.

XXX

They saw her as soon as they descended the hill into the small village. She was helping gather crops with a number of farmers. Villagers saw the King's men headed for them and began panicking- usually when Arthur Pendragon entered Ealdor it meant trouble. Hunith looked up, and immediately began walking towards her hut. Minutes later, Arthur was looking into her eyes, trying to gather the strength to tell her that her one and only son was missing, alone and injured.

'Can I ask...what happened!?' Hunith spoke so suddenly that Arthur jumped.

'I'm...I'm sorry?' He looked back at his friends and saw the same confused expression on their faces, none of them had said anything, nothing about why they were there, what had happened or why Merlin clearly wasn't with them .

With that, Hunith opened the door and walked inside, leaving Camelot's finest wondering if they should follow her in. It was Gauis who eventually chose to enter, knowing he was closest to her and felt it was his right to inform her he'd lost the thing most precious in her life. Everyone else followed but were shocked to find Hunith at the far end of the hut, watching over a lifeless body. Although the person was facing the opposite way and only their hair was showing, it didn't take much for Arthur to recognize the shaggy raven hair of his servant. Gwen let out a small cry and ran over to Hunith, who welcomed her into her arms, both silently sobbing.

'Is he...has he...gone?' Gwaine showed more emotion that he wanted, his voice breaking and cracking slightly at the thought of losing the man who had given him this life he now led.

'No. He's been asleep since he came here. He ran in and collapsed. So I ask again...' She turned her full gaze onto Arthur. '...What happened?'

So Arthur, along with the help of his Knights, Gauis and Gwen, explained everything about what had happened; from the fight, to his injuries, to Morgana poisoning his mind and finally, how he ran away from fear of death.

'I know my boy, and he would not have run away. However scared he is of dying, he would have accepted it and let it happen. There must have been another reason.'

'I think...from what we've observed, that Morgana wanted Merlin to run. I don't know why, and I don't know what she thinks she is going to gain from it. It was Merlin- what little consciousness he had left- that brought him here. There was a small part of him that was alive inside that told him the safest place to go was here. And if that small part of him had not overpowered whatever it was Morgana did to him, he could be lying down lost in the forest, somewhere even we couldn't find him.' Gwaine even surprised himself with this speech, but knew deep deep down that he was right.

'Well that explains how he got here but not whatever Morgana did, or is doing, to him.' It wasn't like Percival to speak up on an occasion like this but he knew everyone else was thinking the same thing.

The silence that hung in the air showed the emotions felt by everyone there; worry, fear, upset and a longing to help a fallen friend. It was in this silence that Arthur knew he had to take Merlin home and get to the bottom of it all, even if it meant having to deal with Morgana.

Arthur pushed forward and sat by his friends' bedside, ignoring the glances from Hunith. He knew she secretly blamed him somehow, deep down. He knew himself that, if he'd have been more understanding of magic, maybe Merlin wouldn't have been so scared. But how was he to know his friend had magic? And it wasn't his fault he'd been raised with such poisonous thoughts being fed into his mind.

'It's ok Merlin. I'm here. No-one is going to hurt you I promise. No-one is going to take you away, do you understand? You're my friend, my best friend, and I shouldn't have taken until now to realise it. I don't know what Morgana has done to you, or why, but I swear, I'm going to stop her. But I need your help, I...I...I NEED YOU!'

He could feel movement but was too lost in thought to see what was happening, he was firmly focused on Merlin's face, pale and feverish, against his raven hair. Around him, everyone had found a place to sit, and Gwen had guided Hunith over to a seat, leaving as much privacy as one could get in a small hut to Arthur and his servant.

The sudden hand clasping around his wrist made him jump, but nothing too severe. His friends mustn't have been looking as they didn't react or ask what was wrong. Slowly, and as if unsure, Arthur looked to the hand clamped around his wrist and knew instantly whose it was. In reality, it could have been no-one else for they were all out of arms reach from him. The calloused, hard worked hand of Merlin was squeezing his wrist, so much so that it was beginning to turn white. Arthur raised his eyes once more to Merlin and found them fluttering. With his free arm, he stroked the brow of his friend and and grabbed his hand to show he was there for him. Cautiously, Merlin opened his eyes against the glare of the sun and looked up to see his King. His eyes were distant, and Arthur could swear he saw a little madness within them- oh gods, what if Morgana was sending him crazy?

'Hey.' Arthur spoke the words softly, not wanting to scare Merlin or be too loud.

'Hay's for horses Clotpole...' Merlin smiled but closed his eyes again '...that's what you always tell me anyway.'

Arthur laughed through tears that had been threatening to appear for a long time.

'Yeah, well... Speaking of those horses, they need mucking out.'

'Do they now!?' His eyes were open again, and actually showed a little sparkle- or was it tears?

Arthur didn't want to scare Merlin or take any sudden action that may deter his friend but he needed to know.

'Is Morgana still talking to you?' He looked down at Merlin with a serious look, yet tinted with friendliness, telling him he was trying to help, not hurt him further.

Something changed in Merlin's eyes, and the edges of his mouth twitched. His grin sent a shiver down Arthur's spine, it reminded him exactly of Morgana. This wasn't Merlin. His eyes were strange, filled with loathing, greed and...Morgana!

Arthur jumped up, backing away from Merlin. He could see movement from his friends and held up a warning hand, telling them to come no closer.

'You let him go now!' He didn't know what else to do...Morgana was possessing his friend. He looked pleadingly at Gauis, silently asking him to help.

'I have books back at Camelot, but otherwise I don't know how to handle this. I'm sorry.' Gauis didn't need Arthur to ask anything, he knew what he wanted from him.

'I thought we were holding Morgana's magic in place, so she couldn't use it. How can she do this?' Gwaine really wasn't as thick as he looked.

Arthur looked down once more at Merlin, although it took a while to force himself to do so. Merlin was once again unconscious.

'I think we ought to change his dressings, they look dirty. No offence Hunith.' He suddenly added when he could feel the gaze on him.

'It's ok, I didn't want to cause anymore damage to him, so i left them.' Hunith had gone paler and a new grown fear was etched on her face.

'Yes Sire.' Gauis moved to collect his things and sat beside Merlin to begin aiding his wounds, he looked so young and helpless. 'Hello Merlin.'

Up next- what they find on Merlin will be a clue to his strange behaviour, but will they like the outcome? Dun Dun Duuuuun. :O