And so we meet again for chapter 2! Hope this satisfies your wants for worried!Arthur etcetera. Enjoy!

-Love, Livvy xxx

"Arthur, this is ridiculous! We won't find him being as tired as we are, so let's stop for the night and rest and try again tomorrow," Sir Leon shouted over the sound of leaves crunching beneath the horses' hooves as they trotted. Arthur had been dead set on finding his manservant since he'd woken up to find him missing. The knights had been fully positive about going, but they did not realise how desperate their king would become in this task. All (except Merlin's dearest friends, of which there were only a few) grumbled under their breath to one-another about the fact that they'd been searching for about six hours without a break.

Arthur pulled the reins on his horse and rubbed his temples. Leon was right, of course: it was too dark to search. He called to his men to dismount and set up camp and an audible sigh of relief rose from many men at the order. Leon came over to his king and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"He will be found, sire."

"I can't make them," Arthur said, deciding to ignore Leon's words of consolation.

"Pardon?"

"The men. I can't make them do this."

"My Lord-"

"They should go back to Camelot - and so should you."

"Sire, I will not leave your side. You are not only my master, but friend. And I don't want you to face these trials of emotion and strength on your own."

"I appreciate that, Leon, truly I do. But Camelot needs authority and protection. Something I cannot give for now, and I don't know when I shall. I need you to..." Arthur struggled to recollect the phrase he'd wanted to say, "hold up the fort, as it were."

"Very well, sire. But on a condition."

"Which is?"

"Don't continue alone, Arthur. You may be strong and wise, but your head is a mess at the moment and you aren't thinking straight, which is understandable of course seeing as Merlin is such a great-"

"Sir Leon," Arthur interrupted, fearing Leon was going to make Arthur realise how much of a friendship he had with Merlin, "I will ask Sir Gwaine and Sir Percival to accompany me. Maybe even Sir Elyan. I'm sure they'd be more than willing. When do you depart?"

"At first light. Until then I shall assist in your planning, sire, if I may." Leon knew Arthur's reaction would be one of confusion.

"Planning?"

"You weren't seriously just going to just ride into the forest, were you? With no plans, no ideas of what you're going to do?"

Leon knew his king was struggling through a hurricane of emotions in his heart: worry, compassion, anxiety, confusion, sadness, fear, desparateness, and many more black feelings that the knight hated to think Arthur was putting up with. He wanted to be with him through this, but he knew Arthur would cope better with Gwaine and Percival and Elyan (who would not leave their two friends, Merlin and Arthur) than with him and the rest of the knights.

"I'm not sure what I was going to do," Arthur whispered, honestly. His servant being missing, possibly dyeing was a situation Arthur dealt with often enough, but Arthur had a bad feeling about this time, almost as though his gut was trying to tell him that Merlin wasn't coming back.

"I understand. What are you to do-"

"I shall think of a plan."

"If I may, sire, I was mulling over this eventuality on our journey here and I may have a bit of a plan."

"Continue."

"Well, the men who attacked us had forced scars on their left arms. There is only one man I know of who claims a man as his own by cutting a mark into their flesh-"

Arthur realised who Leon was talking about and finished the sentence for him. "Nomed," he said with grim finality.