A/N: More about Caledi in this chapter, it should show where her loyalties lie. Happy Reading!

Chapter 5

Caledi was running through the forest, avoiding the low branches ready to launch in her face. Different scenarios were running through her head, the most likely of them that Morgana was the one responsible for attacking them, breaking their unspoken truce of leaving each other alone. There was no way Morgana could possibly know of the events that had occurred the night before, that it had been Caledi's group who had defended the King and attacked Morgana's men.

Caledi had been avoiding a confrontation with Morgana. She may not have agreed with the witch's goals, certainly not the methods she had adopted to see them through either. But Caledi had decided, for the safety of her people, she would not confront Morgana. Caledi was under no qualms about her power; she knew she could never be a match for the power of a high priestess. With so much power at her disposal, Caledi wondered why Morgana, if it was her, had stopped her attack as she could no longer sense any magic directed towards them.

Caledi's spell could not have been enough to properly disarm Morgana, surely?

She was about to find out because she was fast approaching the area where the magical attack had originated. When she did, she saw the last person she would have expected to find in the Morgana-less surroundings.

Arthur didn't understand what had happened to Merlin. One minute he was fine, being his usual dithering self, being of no help at all and the next he was sprawled face down at the bottom of the tree. The only clue Arthur had was a loud thudding sound, but surely even Merlin could not be stupid enough to walk into a tree. So loudly too!

Although the way this morning had gone, Arthur would not be surprised if that was exactly what Merlin had done. At least there wasn't any bleeding. Arthur had checked Merlin over, and apart from a nasty bruise forming on his forehead, he knew the boy would be fine. Outwardly at least. He didn't even know much about internal damage. Looking after injured members of their company had been Leon's forte.

What Arthur wouldn't give to have Leon with him now. Maybe he should have brought along his first knight after all. But someone had to stay behind and make sure the new knights did not miss their training. With Percival busy helping Leon, Arthur had told Elyan to stay behind, to make sure Gwen had someone with her at all times.

Thinking about her now, he missed his wife even more. But she had gotten the better side of this deal. He was stuck in a precarious enough situation, whilst lumbered with the company of Merlin and Gwaine of all people. Hopefully his other men would be waking up by now and would soon look for him. If Merlin had managed to find him, it should not be a problem for his knights.

Grimacing at his luck, Arthur wondered how to proceed, after all if he did not want to be carrying around Merlin's body when he had no clue as to which direction to head in.

Grimacing at his luck, Arthur was just wondering how to proceed; after all he did not want to be carrying around Merlin's body when he had no clue to which direction to head in.

Before he could decide, Arthur sensed rather than heard someone moving in the trees that were just behind him. He had his sword out, ready, in case it was someone who he would rather not be found by, especially in in the vulnerable position Merlin had left him in.

Although, he had mixed feelings, and didn't put his sword down, once he saw who it was that had found them.

Caledi was somewhat surprised to find the King of Camelot where she had been searching for his sister. But she still thought they might be someone lurking around. Someone had used magic after all and it was hardly the King himself. Maybe someone had lured the King out here.

Caledi didn't think he was the type of man who would attempt an escape on his own whilst leaving all his men behind.

Turning to the two men behind her she said, "Gallahad, you take the right, Galen you go left. Find out whatever you can. You know what to look for."

Once they left, Caledi moved towards the King, who once again stood pointing his sword at her. Exactly how she didn't want their next meeting to have gone. But at least the King looked somewhat softer in his stance and seemed more unsure of what was happening and less wanting to skewer her. Or so she hoped at least.

"What happened?" she asked, momentarily forgetting the threat of danger upon seeing a body hidden behind a tree, just out of sight. On a second glance she guessed it was the Kings' manservant. Moving closer, under the watchful eye of the king, she recognised the red neckerchief on the boy.

As the woman appeared out from the trees, Arthur felt his previous suspicions rising again. But as she too looked confused to find each other like this, he realised maybe this wasn't her doing. He guessed she was looking for someone, judging by the way the two men behind her had dispersed in different directions, with their swords out.

Arthur was a little hesitant at allowing her so close to Merlin but he knew she would not hurt him. Plus, he was unsure how to actually answer he, when he himself did not know what had happened.

"Nothing. He just ... well, he fell."

Seeing how high her eyebrows went up, clearly she didn't believe him, but she chose not to question him, instead asking, "What are you doing out here anyway?"

"Walking." Was his curt reply. Which was true. Technically. He was most certainly not going to tell this woman that they had been walking aimlessly. After all kings did not ever get lost.

Looking anywhere but her, Arthur did not see as her eyes flashed gold and her whispers went unheard in the cold wind of the morning.

Caledi inspected the boy in front of her, to find the cause of his injury. As if a fall could cause such a blow to the head. Checking over him, she was surprised to find she could sense her own magic. But how could that be? She had only sent her disarming spell at their attacker. Had this boy managed to get in the way somehow? But she knew that this could not be the reason, as she had trained very hard, many gruelling hours, shooting spells from various distances to make sure they did not stray and always hit the intended target, and not some unfortunate innocent.

The only other possible explanation was that this boy had been the one to trigger their alarms. But she knew she had sensed magic. Could this boy have magic? Was it possible that he wasn't aware of his own magic? Why else would he be serving in Camelot, personal manservant to the King himself? The only ones Caledi had ever known, who were not fully aware of their potential, were young children who were just coming into their powers.

Had this boy and other around him, just overlooked any small incidents of magic and passed them off as accidents of a clumsy fool? Even for servants, who no one ever took much notice of, this would not have been an easy feat. Maybe in the other outlying kingdoms, but certainly not Camelot.

Caledi had too many questions for this boy. She could feel her thoughts threatening to overflow in her mind, as she whispered the words to undo her spell. As she felt it work, she also sensed something else, something that suggested this boy was indeed much more than he appeared to be. He had magic and by the way it was growing and responding to her own, there was no way he did not know of it. No one could be ignorant of their magic when so much power resided in their very core, just begging to be unleashed.

She was startled from her thoughts, as the boy in question started coughing. The king took no time in coming over, a suspicious glint in his eyes directed at her, as if questioning how his servant was now suddenly conscious.

"What did you do?"

As if he couldn't guess!

"Oh just a little trick I picked up."

The King didn't give her response much thought, as he was more concerned for his servant, who had now stopped coughing, and was now sipping water from the water skin given to him by his master.

Caledi didn't have much time to question the propriety of the concern this King had for his servant, as she saw her men returning. Seeing their state, faces flushed and raggedy breathing, Caledi wondered how much ground the two had managed to cover between them.

"There's no one around now, but there are tracks circling around for quite a bit. We can't tell how many people they were made by. Quite a lot of the ground has been trampled on so there could ha-"

"Sorry, I think that was us."

Caledi and the others turned around to the servant who had been the one to speak, interrupting Gallahad's report.

"What do you mean?"

"We ... well; we sort of got a little lost."

"How lost were you? The camp is merely fifteen minutes' walk away. How lost were you, to have trampled across so much ground, and yet still not make it back?" Galen questioned. He was one of the newest members to their camp and therefore unaware of the lengths Caledi had gone to ensure the safety of their camp and everyone living there.

But Caledi was pleased that her spells had kept these two men out. She knew they worked, it wasn't the first time a threat had caused them to evacuate, but seeing the spell so effective against a boy with supposedly so much power was no small victory. Maybe she could hope after all, for protecting others in her company from Morgana. Speaking of Morgana, she had better send a message back to the camp.

"Galen, why don't you go on ahead. Tell everyone it was a false alarm."

Annoying and time consuming as it would be to get everyone settled back into the site, Caledi still thought it was good to have a little practise in case of a threat where the danger was very much real. If keeping her people on their toes meant they would be more alert and were able to respond quicker, Caledi would do as many practice drills as needed.

"So it's not Morgana then?"

"No Gallahad, it seems just two lost men were the cause of all this."

"But I thought you sensed ma-"

"Later."

Caledi interrupted before Gallahad could mention the magic. She didn't want to raise the idea of the servant having magic, at least not before she spoke to him, and definitely not before the king. There would be time for everything once they got back in their camp.

The last thing Merlin remembered was using his magic to try to find their way back, before somehow being thrown into a tree behind him and knocking him out. Judging by the pain pounding in his head, he could tell there would be a lump forming already. He couldn't even be sure how long he'd been out for, or how he had woken.

He had felt strange magic reviving him and then his own quickly responding. He wasn't sure what exactly had happened, all he knew that right now, as he sat there sipping water under Arthur's gaze, there were three other people whispering. One of them was probably responsible for healing him.

Hearing one of the men talk about the trampled ground around them, as if worried they were surrounded by some sort of enemy, Merlin confessed, "Sorry, I think that was us."

Taking in their response, Merlin was surprised to hear the camp was only fifteen minutes away. They had been walking in circles for over an hour! From the look in his face, this piece of news was doing nothing to improve Arthur's mood.

Before either of them could say anything to each other, words from the others' conversation caught their attention. They were talking about Morgana!

But what exactly was being said was lost on them as the pair were now whispering about something else. Finishing their conversation, they now turned towards him, asking, "Are you okay to walk back?"

His pain was the least of his worries. "I'm fine, thanks. What were you saying about Morgana?"

Please don't let her be anywhere near, Merlin thought to himself. The last thing they needed was an attack from their former friend, the shape that some of the knights were in; they would not be able to withstand another fight. He certainly didn't want a situation where he would be forced to reveal his magic. A scenario that was becoming more and more likely, the more often they found themselves in situations like their current one.

However, he hadn't sensed Morgana anywhere, when he cast his magic earlier, but then it wouldn't be the first time Morgana had succeeded in cloaking herself from him.

So Merlin was more than grateful, when he was told exactly what he had wanted to hear.

"No, no Morgana. Not today at least." Caledi sighed, looking around as if the witch in question was about to jump out from behind a tree. "You guys had managed to trigger some of our alarms. We thought it might have been Morgana."

"And why would she be here?" The accusation in the question was only too apparent.

Caledi, rolling her eyes, answered the King, "Not for the reasons you might think. If I was on her side, do you really think I would have helped you instead of letting her men attack you?"

"How do you know Morgana had sent them?"

"She sends out patrols regularly, looking for new recruits. We make it a point to be aware when she sends them out. Wouldn't want them crossing into our camp, now would we."

"Why not?"

Caledi was getting really tired of the questions being fired at her, but she tried to be patient. Otherwise this day, as long as it was already, could potentially become even more unbearable.

"Let's just say she doesn't take too kindly to people who refuse to help her or disagree with her views. And we don't want her attacking us next!"

As everyone remained silent, Caledi, ready to head back asked, "So if you're finished asking me your questions, maybe we can get a move on. It's going to take time to explain to everyone that it was just two men who couldn't ask for directions, which caused them to evacuate their site." With that, she started moving back into the direction of their camp.

As the woman in front of him turned away from him, instead of following her, Merlin opened his mouth ready to ask the question that had been burning in his mind for quite a while. "Actually, I do have a question ..."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I was just wondering ... what your name was?"

Clearly the same thought has been on Arthur's mind, as he too asked, in an obnoxious manner that was quintessentially his, "Yes, who exactly are you?"

Arthur had been feeling quite perplexed at this woman. She had magic, yet she wasn't evil, apparently didn't even agree with Morgana. Just who was she!

The woman in question just smiled, as if amused at their choice of question.

"I have had many names, not all of my choosing, but you can call me Caledi. Just Caledi. We don't have titles or ranks here. It's not the rank of someone's birth we judge out here in the forest, but rather by their actions, my lord."

The slight mocking tone in the title she used did not go unmissed. But Arthur chose not to draw attention to it, for what she had just said, was a belief he held dear to his own heart. A belief he had built the foundations of his Kingdom on. And it was her conviction behind her apt words, which made him finally decide that he could trust this woman, Caledi. Magic or no.

And though they were now well past formalities, Arthur held out his hand in a gesture of friendship. "Thank you for your help."

If Caledi was surprised, she didn't show it, as she returned his gesture, smiling as Arthur asked, "So which way are we going?"

Merlin was shocked at Arthur's behaviour, not only had he shaken hands with the woman but was now allowing her to lead them back. He wondered what went on in that royal head of his. But he supposed it was a good thing, accepting someone's good magic, a small step towards the future he hoped they would soon achieve.

As he happily followed the three in front of him back to the campsite, he didn't even remember that the name Caledi should have been familiar to him. If he had, he would not have been too happy if he had remembered all of the Great Dragon's warning concerning a woman named Caledi, whose destiny had been prophesised to be entwined with that of the Once and Future King, bringing a time of suffering and turmoil.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. Unfortunately, next update will be slower as I have a few deadlines to sort out first. There were only so many times I could neglect my work before it snowballed and threatened to suffocate me.

Drop me a review. Go on!