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My arm didn't burn anymore. There was still the occasional odd twinge that would startle me but other than that all that was left was the mark. It is usual for a bruise or a burn to fade over time but this one did not show any signs of going away. It was like a tattoo, permanently engraved on my skin. So with this scar on one wrist and the other bound and in a sling I reckoned I was entitled to be off work for a little bit. My boss, the head servant, had other ideas however. He told me that if I was not back to work within a day then I would be dismissed.

That was my worst nightmare so I was in the stable bright and early the next morning, despite Gaius' protests. I had to slip away when he wasn't looking just to get here on time, it was a dodgy business. Fortunately, Merlin wasn't present so I didn't have to evade him too.

I carefully relined the stall with straw, one handed, and a filled the empty trough with water so the beast could drink when it came back from the day's ride. It was a slow process, all this work, without the aid of both my hands and I soon grew hot, cross and frustrated. The final straw – pardon the pun – was when the hay bale fell on me and I couldn't lift it off. I was pinioned by dead grass.

I tried calling for help but no one came and I knew no one would be due to even come back until late afternoon. Eventually I decided to save my breath and get comfortable because I was there for the long haul. However, comfortable was not really a word you could associate with a flagged stone floor with its rough edges and sharp bumps. Why did this always happen to me? Was I a beacon for trouble? Anything that was bad in the world just homed in on me and made my life a misery.

Dozing was the only thing I could do under the circumstances, even in my seriously painful position. That was until I was woken by footsteps and shocked half-chuckle.

"What have you done, Emery?" A voice said, sounding incredulous. "Was this a planned nap or did it just happen?"

I tried to twist in my awkward position but it was impossible and I had to speak to Merlin with my back facing him. I felt extremely impolite; not that I could do anything about it. Suddenly his head appeared above mine, blocking out the ceiling on the stables, as he peered down into my eyes. I squinted; the sun was really bright beyond his right ear.

"It's a good thing I came to check on you, isn't it?"

"Why were you checking on me?" I snapped, immediately.

"Oh, okay, so no "Thank you, Merlin, its very kind to get me out of this ridiculous predicament" then?" His smirk irritated me no end. "You know for a stable lad you don't half get in a lot of trouble."

"I know," I grunted, "Now will you get this damn thing off me?!"

"Right, yeah, sorry." The young man bent over and heaved the heavy bale off me. It felt like such a relief when the pressure was lifted from my chest, I could breathe again! "Here, let me give you a hand up."

Merlin reached out and caught my elbow. I let out a strangled scream as agony exploded up the entire length of my arm. I couldn't conceal it, it hurt too much. The boy jumped as if he'd been scolded. He looked at me, undisguised concern etched onto his features.

"Are you all right? Were you hurt more than you thought? Have you got crush injuries? I remember Gaius saying something about…."

"No!" I gasped. He jumped again, like a startled rabbit.

"Then what?" His ludicrously blue eyes were full of worry. It was then he caught sight of my elbow and took a step back. "Did I do that?" he asked, aghast. The absolute horror in his face made me want to shrivel up on the spot. Was it really that bad? He looked disgusted.

I could barely see my elbow so I had no idea what he was seeing but I could guess it was bad. I craned my neck to try and catch a glimpse but found it impossible and gave up. I needed a mirror.

"Is it bad?"

"What is it?" Merlin's eyes were still wide with shock.

"Well, if it's like this one…" I rolled up my sleeve and showed him my marked wrist, "…Then I really don't know."

"But…" the youth moved forward, his fingers extended as if he was about to touch the blotch. I wrenched my limb away, staring at him was scared eyes. "So it is me!" The look of abhorrence reappeared on his pale face.

"I don't know," I admitted, fighting back tears; I could tell I was upsetting him and not just me.

"They are my finger marks," Merlin stated, his gaze fixed on the mark. His palm moved towards my arm but this time he hovered just above the print, matching his hand to it. They were the same. With his skin inches from mine I felt my hairs stand on end and my entire body began to tingle, little electric shocks shooting down from my shoulder to my finger tips. It was as if my body was in someway reacting to his, maybe even repelling it, like an allergic reaction.

"Can you feel that?" I whispered.

"Yeah," Merlin breathed his face intense with concentration.

It was odd. I felt like we were sharing this really intimate moment; feeling the magic between our bodies flow. Yet neither of us had initiated it and there had never been any feelings before. The experience was completely new and foreign.

"So," I began, "What do you reckon is going on?" I looked up at him and noticed, much to my astonishment that his eyes had turned topaz. It was an unsettling colour to see and I felt chills sputter down my spine. Was this something to do with the fact he was a magician? Did I react to sorcerers? Was I some kind of sorcerer detector?

"I…" Merlin croaked, then cleared his throat, "Have no idea….but I need to check something." And then he broke the link and I felt cold, deserted. He spared me one confused look and then ran from the stable.

Merlin skidded into the physician's chambers and began rifling through the books, spreading paper everywhere. He didn't understand what on earth was going on, why had he caused such a reaction in that normal boy? It had never happened before yet it looked like he'd scarred the child for life! Those wounds were inflicted by his mere touch and the sensation….the sensation that ran between the two of them sent sparks through his entire being.

He heaved several heavy volumes down onto a reading desk and began flicking through the pages, scanning the contents. But what exactly was he looking for? Odd marks? Tingling fingers? Reactions to sorcerers? When he tried the last one all he came up with was how much people hated magic folk in any shape or form. It was useless. And if Gaius' books didn't know then he doubted the doctor himself would. It was a fruitless search. Unless…

And he was off again. I'd watched him search through the shelves, then the books themselves and then look thoroughly put out. But now the light in his sapphire eyes had returned and he was charging down the corridors once more. I followed, slightly softer with my footsteps.

Merlin led me down several flights of stone steps into the very heart of Camelot Castle. It got colder the farther we descended and I shivered, cursing my disorganisation again. I must be the most unprepared person ever especially for the amount of nosing around I did. Eventually, he reached a large wooden door guarded by two soldiers, both of who seemed rather tired and bored. I observed as the young magician took them both out at once with a few quiet words that must form a spell. It was bizarre, because as he performed the charm I felt my skin tingle again and my heart beat increase. What was wrong with me? Merlin slipped through the door.

On the other side of this door was something I never ever in my lifetime expected to see – a dragon. A huge one at that, like the pictures from legends. At this point I'm sure I forgot to breathe temporarily.

"Dragon!" Merlin called, his voice echoing in the cavernous space. I couldn't help be awed by the underground chamber, it was so large and seemingly endless.

"Ah, the young sorcerer, what brings you here?"

"I need to know something."

"Oh?" The Dragon's voice was oddly mystical and light, not what I would've expected – not that I would've thought a dragon could talk in the first place.

"Well, there is this boy-" He still believes I'm male, even after all this! "And he and I, we had this sort of connection. When I touch him, well, he burns almost. But it's not a normal burn, its bright red and happens within seconds of my touch. But even if I get close to him there is like this current between us, I feel like my magic is flowing out of me. It's sort of scary really." I'd scared Merlin? Now there's a first.

"Ah, I understand."

"You do? Well would you mind explaining it to me because I haven't a clue what the hell is going on?!" Merlin shouted up at him, throwing his hands into the air.

"He or she…"

"He's a boy."

"I wouldn't be so sure," the Dragon continued, "Is a Mamur or Mamuress."

"A what?"

"A Mamur is what you could call the opposite to a sorcerer but not exactly. There are very few born in the world, they are extremely rare."

"What do you mean the opposite to a sorcerer, isn't that a human?" Or an un-sorcerer, I thought, that would have been a more simple name.

"Patience, boy," the Dragon warned, "A Mamur cannot create magic but they can manipulate it. Any spell or enchantment cast by a sorcerer can be repelled by them. It is a form of defence rather than offense. It is in their nature to deter magic, so that is most likely why you experienced such a reaction. It seems your friend is much more powerful than she could have ever imagined."

"I told you, he's a he," Merlin repeated, offhandedly, trying to process the information in his head.

"Why don't you ask her yourself and then we will see?" The Dragon said, jerking its enormous head in my direction, where I was cowering in the shadows, and smiled. A dragon smiled at me!

So, what do you think? Is Merlin in character?