I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. I want to warn everyone that there may be some cursing somewhere, but nothing too bad. Other than that, it shouldn't be very graphic with violence or anything. If you have any complaints or think the rating needs to change please let me know so that I can fix the mistake. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Have a great week.

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

"Um, hello. I'm Merlin. What are you doing in my forest?"

Everyone stood there, gaping at the young boy. Arthur didn't know how to react, and by the looks of it, neither did any of the knights or mercenaries. This was clearly unplanned in Drake's great scheme of kidnapping the crown prince of Camelot. The boy stared back at the group. He spent a few seconds apparently determining if the group of unknown men was a threat. The kid seemed to have decided the group of scary mercenaries with large pointy swords was not a threat as he gave a bright smile and began to collect some items on the forest floor. He must have dropped the plants during his tumble. While he flitted around carefully, collecting the plants, Arthur noticed a frayed blue neckerchief tied around his neck. There was also a small dragon pendant hanging onto a frayed rope, poking out from underneath the filthy blue cloth. He wore tattered boots on his feet. Arthur wouldn't be surprised if there were holes in the soles. The child, Merlin, also had on some very baggy brown trousers and an enormous brown jacket. The jacket swamped the young boy so much so that the sleeves had been rolled up several times just so the boy could use his hands. The bottom of the jacket stopped just below the kid's knee, making him seem like a boy wearing his father's clothes.

The kid seemed absolutely undeterred at what was going on around him. He was just humming a little tune, looking completely content with his surroundings. Someone really needed to teach this kid some self-preservation. Did the boy really not understand that he should run and hide? Even some of the most bone-headed squires still had the common sense to leave a scene such as this. Arthur saw Percival step forward and kneel down so he was on the boy's level. Arthur's gaze flickered over to the mercenaries to ensure they weren't about to cut off the large knight's head like they tried to do with Leon's. Luckily, they still seemed to be mesmerized by a child who didn't show an ounce of fear.

"Sweetheart, where are your parents at?" Percival asked in a very gentle voice. Despite his size, Arthur knew Percival was ridiculously good with children. He would often be seen in the lower town giving the children piggyback rides, helping little girls carry flowers, and showing little boys how to build things. Arthur had always meant to ask if Percival ever had a family, but it was never brought up in conversation and after Drake's little speech earlier, Arthur didn't want to know the pain his friend had endured in the past. The boy stood up and frowned.

"I don't have any. Freya said that was impossible, but I don't remember them. You still haven't answered my question," he explained. Percival looked taken aback and leaned back on his heals. Instead of answering the question, Merlin just created more that Arthur and everyone else wanted to know. The leader, who up until this point Arthur had forgotten about, decided it was time for him to speak.

"Listen, sweetheart," he sneered, "I don't want to kill a kid. So why don't you run along?" Arthur was grateful the man seemed uninterested in harming the boy. Percival had moved so that he was blocking Merlin from Drake's line of sight. The kid still didn't seem to have any fear towards the man.

"I don't like it when you call me that. Only he can call me that. He's nice," Merlin stated. He didn't look at the leader. He instead squatted down and began to examine a patch of flowers near the tree Leon was still kneeling by. The leader snapped his mouth shut and began to brainstorm how to best deal with the child. Arthur's heart was beating at a rapid pace. He now believed the kid had a death wish. Why else would you act like this around a man who was clearly dangerous?

"Merlin," Gwaine said, deciding to try his luck with the interrogation. He stepped forward carefully. "How old are you?"

"Does that matter?" the leader snapped. "I just want him gone!" A wolf howled in the distance. Merlin cocked his head to the side and looked at the leader.

"Rowena said you aren't nice. You need to leave," he said. Drake growled but made no move towards the boy. Arthur had to resist the urge to snatch Merlin up in his arms and run back to Camelot. Honestly, how dense could this child be? Furthermore, who the hell was Rowena? Now that was a question Arthur wanted to know the answer to.

"Merlin, you haven't answered my question. I'll answer yours if you answer mine," Gwaine tried again. Merlin pondered for a moment before nodding. He turned to face Gwaine and sat down. His legs were crossed and he was leaning forward slightly. His eyes were glued to Gwaine while the knight began telling the story.

"We were tracking down a wyvern that had been destroying some villages when these men took us captive," Gwaine explained. Merlin nodded his understanding.

"I took Jeff back into the mountains near Mercia. He was lonely. That's why he was destroying stuff," Merlin responded. Gwaine furrowed his brow, trying to see the connection. Leon stood up and made his way back towards the group.

"Jeff is the wyvern? How did you get it to obey you?" Leon asked.

"That's what you want to know?" Elyan cried. "I want to know why he named the damn thing?" Merlin stuffed the yarrow back into the pockets of a jacket that looked to be six sizes too big for him before answering.

"They listen to me. I don't know why. It's like they have to. And what's wrong with the name Jeff?" Merlin asked, turning to Elyan and staring questioningly at the knight. Elyan bit his lip and said nothing. Drake had had enough by this point.

"Listen, you brat, leave and I won't hack your head off," he threatened. Drake had stomped up to the kid and was now towering over him. Arthur noticed Merlin's eyes get even larger than they already were. The boy hunched in on himself while still staring pleadingly at the man who looked ready to step on him.

"Shut up, Drake. I need answers," Gwaine snapped. Merlin whimpered and darted back towards the tree at Gwaine's outburst. Arthur now knew the breaking point for the child's bravery. Granted, Merlin was still braver than Arthur would have originally given him credit for. Or possibly dumber than Arthur originally thought. Whatever the case Arthur now knew the kid did have some survival instincts.

"Great, now you scared him," Lancelot scolded. He slowly made his way towards the boy. Merlin had curled into a ball and was now whimpering and possible crying. The way his back was shaking indicated that he was at least trying to hold in some tears.

"For God's sake, it is a child! Leave it and let's get back to business," the leader groaned. Arthur knew that his knights were not going to let this matter go unsettled. Threatened or not, they were still knights of Camelot and would protect the innocent at all costs.

"We will do no such thing until this boy is safe," Leon replied. He threw a glare at the leader that made the man withdraw just a tad. Lancelot knelt down in front of the tree and went to touch the boy. He drew back his hand, not knowing how Merlin would react. Lancelot did not want to make this situation worse.

"Merlin, love, Gwaine didn't mean to scare you. He's not mad at you," Lancelot said gently. Merlin sniffed and raised his head to look at Lancelot.

"I didn't do anything," he whimpered. Lancelot figured it was safe to try and touch him and reached out, gently running his fingers through the boy's tangled hair. Given the state he was in, Lancelot had a feeling this boy lived out here. There were tear tracks that had washed away some of the dirt. Up close it was also easier to see how skeletal Merlin appeared. Lancelot smiled at the child and continued to comb his fingers through the rat's nest of hair.

"I promise you, you didn't do anything," Lancelot affirmed. "Can you tell us how old you are?" Lancelot asked in the softest voice he could manage. Gwen would really be better at this. Lancelot thought before turning his attention back to Merlin.

"Eleven," Merlin answered. Gwaine snorted in the background. Arthur agreed with Gwaine. If that boy was eleven, then Gwaine was a chaste virgin. Merlin gave a small pout before turning to Lancelot.

"It's true," he defended. Lancelot quirked an eyebrow. "Fine, ten." Merlin edited his answer. Lancelot still didn't buy it. He didn't want to scold the child; for fear that Merlin would retreat back into his shell. "Alright, eight." Merlin crossed his arms and looked away from Lancelot. Percival had crept forward during Lancelot's questioning and was now sitting next to the boy.

"Aren't eight year olds supposed to be a lot bigger?" Elyan whispered to Leon and Arthur. Lancelot and Percival were trying to get the boy to talk some more.

"This boy looks like he hasn't gotten a decent meal in his life," Leon responded. Arthur saw Merlin smile again. It wasn't as big or bright as before, but it was still better than the sobbing ball of fear Merlin had adopted. Drake let out a feral growl before lunging forward and throwing Lancelot and Percival back away from Merlin. Arthur cursed himself for forgetting about the situation at hand. Gwaine made to dash towards the boy but Elyan held him back.

"We don't have weapons and he's a sorcerer," Elyan reminded Gwaine. Gwaine still struggled against Elyan's hold. Arthur didn't know if he should try and help the child or not. Elyan had a point, but Drake could also kill Merlin without a second thought.

"You are going to leave whether you like it or not. This is not your forest and I will kill these men no matter what you say!" the leader shouted, gripping Merlin's shoulders and shaking the boy forcefully.

"Stop, you'll hurt him!" Leon cried. He lunged forward to help the boy. Arthur couldn't catch the man's arm as he flew towards the pair. Drake snarled and threw a knife at the knight. Arthur wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light but he could have sworn Merlin's eyes had turned gold. The knife managed to catch Leon's cheek and gave him a small scratch before imbedding itself in a tree. Leon hissed and put his hand up to the split skin. He drew the hand away to reveal blood on his palm. Merlin, meanwhile, kicked the man and managed to escape from his grasp. Drake gasped with pain and doubled over. He was clutching his stomach and his eyes were screwed shut.

"I'm not going to leave and you aren't going to kill anyone!" Merlin cried. He was shaking badly, but Arthur was impressed he was standing his ground. All it took for the boy to go hide was someone snapping in frustration. It must have been the threat to someone else's life that kept the kid from falling apart again. Merlin stood up a little straighter and squared his shoulders.

"Clearly, you need to learn to respect your elders," Drake snarled before lunging towards the child. Merlin managed to duck under the man's hands and skid out of his grasp. Arthur saw the mercenaries standing there, confused as to how to handle the situation. Arthur saw his opportunity.

"Start taking out the men," he ordered. While he wanted to fight after the child was a safe distance away, the distraction could be used to their advantage. There was also no telling what Drake might do to the boy should he catch him. With this order, the knights nodded and began attacking the rest of their captors. Gwaine had appointed himself to protecting the child. The others began punching their way through the horde of mercenaries. Arthur turned to see Gwaine had sent Drake sprawling in the dirt and now had a tight hold on Merlin's arm. The boy was pulled tightly against his side and was partially hiding his face against Gwaine's thigh. Arthur was about to order his men not to kill the mercenaries unless absolutely necessary when he noticed they were already practicing that. There was no need to scar the child more than he already was. Arthur dispatched another enemy with a well-placed blow when he heard a roar of animalistic fury. Every stopped and turned to see Drake standing up. The power and anger seemed to radiate off the man. While there was no physical change, there was something more animalistic in his features. Like a rabid dog, Drake was snarling and snapping. His eyes were narrowed and his posture seemed to become more threatening. Merlin whimpered and pulled himself tighter into Gwaine's side. Arthur began to search for something to throw at the man. Something to get his attention off of Merlin and Gwaine.

"You should have run while you still had the chance, boy," Drake snarled. "And now I get to teach you what happens when you don't obey me. The drunk will be the first to go!" he cried. Drake lunged towards Gwaine. Gwaine picked up a discarded sword and held it out. He was ready to pierce the mercenary's heart. Gwaine pushed Merlin behind him and squared his shoulders so that the blade would face him straight on.

"NO!" Merlin's tiny voice rang out. Arthur threw a hand up to cover his eyes from the blinding light that seemed to burst from the child. He was distantly aware that the mercenaries were being thrown back from where they stood. Yet, Arthur himself didn't feel like the light was affecting him at all. His stance was still steady on the forest floor. He felt no fear from the power the poured from the child. He actually felt rather safe and content. All he had to worry about was the brightness of the light. And Arthur had a feeling even that wouldn't do a lot of damage. Finally, the light died down to reveal Merlin curled into another ball. His arms were wrapped around his knees and he was rocking back and forth, tears streaming down his dirty face. Elyan and Lancelot immediately went to check on the men.

"They're still alive," Elyan called out. Arthur wasn't paying attention to him. He was paying attention to small boy who was still whimpering on the forest floor. Never had Arthur thought such power could come from something so tiny. The kid certainly didn't seem to have a personality that screamed dangerous sorcerer. And yet, it wasn't any of his men who had thrown several mercenaries off the ground with only a cry of distress. It was an eight year old who looked more like a six year old. A child who looked so delicate and fragile. A child who became afraid the moment someone showed anger towards him. But this was also the same child who had stood up to a man several times his size to protect someone he didn't know. Arthur felt a headache come on with all the thinking he was attempting to do. Nothing was making sense.

Percival and Leon were trying desperately to calm the small child, with very little progress. Percival had taken to rubbing Merlin's back while Leon was talking softly, probably about nothing. Gwaine was just standing in the same spot from before the burst of light. He was staring straight ahead, trying to figure out what had happened. Arthur decided Leon and Percival could handle the boy and went to check on the leader. Someone had hired this man to take Arthur alive. Hopefully Drake would be able to tell Arthur who. Drake was knocked unconscious, just like the rest of his men. He would need to be brought back to Camelot and interrogated.

Gwaine shook himself out of his own thoughts. One minute he was about to die and the next there had been a bright light. Gwaine assumed that was the light at the end of the tunnel, though he always assumed he'd be going to hell. He then realized that it was the child who had saved him. His scream of terror when Gwaine was about to be killed was what called upon such power. Surely such a child could not be human. Gwaine turned to see Percival and Leon trying desperately to calm the child down. Human or not, the kid was still very afraid. Gwaine wondered if it was because of the knights that were near him. Perhaps he felt threatened. The sky had began to darken and it looked as though it might rain. Gwaine looked to see the child's eyes were still glowing gold as he continued to do magic. It shouldn't be possible for one so young to have such power, but Merlin was definitely there. Gwaine made his way over to Merlin and knelt down in front of him.

"Hey, kiddo, everything's alright. You don't have to be afraid," Gwaine said. He reached up and rested his hand on Merlin's shaking shoulder. Merlin looked towards Gwaine.

"Don't tell him where I'm at," he sobbed. "Can't know. He can't know," he began repeating. Gwaine looked at Leon who just shrugged.

"Probably his former master," Percival suggested. Gwaine pulled the boy in so that he was tucked against his side and looked at the large knight.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"He's acting much like a slave. And I saw the brand on the underside of his wrist," he explained. Leon pried Merlin's hand away from his knee and flipped it over. He moved the rough leather from the coat away from Merlin's wrist and sucked in a breath. Sure enough there was a patch of burned skin in a clear pattern. It looked like a triangle within a circle. But the brand was distorted, probably due to the child's continuous growth. Gwaine fought the urge to growl, knowing it would probably only scare Merlin more. He hated the slave trade. He absolutely despised the idea that humans could be sold and treated like animals. The thought made his stomach churn. What made it worse was the fact that he was currently holding a shaking and sobbing child in his arms who couldn't be more than eight. A boy who was probably living in the forest in order to escape detection from his former master. Gwaine rubbed Merlin's arm soothingly before leaning down.

"He's not coming after you. We won't let him get you," he promised. Hopefully the man in question wasn't near the clearing and wouldn't know where the boy was located. Merlin sniffed before wiping his nose on his sleeve and looking up towards Gwaine.

"Promise?"

"Promise," Gwaine said, giving the boy on last pat on the shoulder before standing up. Merlin stood up as well and looked around.

"They're still alive?" he asked.

"Yes, Merlin. They are all still alive," Leon assured the boy. Merlin stared at Leon for a second before gasping.

"You're hurt!" he cried out. Arthur whipped around to see what damage his head knight had sustained. All he could see was the small cut on his cheek. Leon raised a hand to his cheek and wiped the blood away.

"It's nothing. It probably won't even scar," Leon replied. Gwaine felt himself be pulled down as Merlin attempted to climb on his back. Gwaine shifted and helped pull the kid up before he hurt himself. Merlin leaned over Gwaine's shoulder to study Leon before breaking out in another toothy grin.

"I can fix it!" he cried, leaping off of Gwaine and grabbing Leon's hand. Merlin stumbled a bit but managed to get ahold of his footing before setting off into the forest.

"That's really alright," Leon attempted to protest, only to have Merlin pull harder on his hand.

"No, I found a spell. I can fix it. And then you won't have to wait," Merlin exclaimed. Leon allowed himself to be led through the forest by the young boy, the other knights following with amused expressions on their faces.

"What about Drake?" Leon asked.

"He's secure. We'll come back for him later," Arthur informed Leon. Arthur may have been a bit harsh when he tied the ropes, but Drake didn't really need to use his hands for anything. So losing them wouldn't be a major problem.

"Have you ever done this spell before?" Percival asked. Merlin shook his head.

"I want to try it though. The book says you start with small stuff and work your way up," he explained.

"You can read?" Gwaine gasped. It was unheard of for slaves to read unless they were captured noblemen. He didn't even learn to read until he was nine. Merlin nodded enthusiastically and continued to pull on Leon's hand.

"Are you sure you won't make it worse?" Leon asked in a shaky voice. As much as he appreciated the child saving their lives, he wasn't about to entrust the boy to do something he may mess up. Leon didn't want to walk back to Camelot with an extra head, or bad breath, or even worse, baldness. Merlin didn't answer. He just continued to pull Leon through the forest, tripping over every root and rock. Leon was amazed the child didn't alert the mercenaries of his position before falling into the campsite. He was equally amazed that no one seemed to have tracked the boy's location yet, given that he was doing absolutely nothing to hide where the group was going.

"Here we are!" Merlin exclaimed, stopping in front of a large cave. Everyone skidded to a halt and stared at the massive rock formation.

"This is where you live?" Arthur asked. He couldn't help but wonder how such a bright and vibrant child had been reduced to living in a cave with clothing he had probably found discarded on the side of the road. There was something strange about Merlin. It could have been the magic he possessed, but Arthur felt it run deeper. It was almost as if he and Merlin were meant to find each other. As if destiny intervened and sent Merlin stumbling towards the mercenaries knowing it would be Arthur who would come back with him to the cave. Arthur didn't want to believe that the fates had planned his life out from the very beginning, but he knew he couldn't just leave Merlin in the middle of the forest. One way or another, Merlin was coming back to Camelot with Arthur and the knights.

I hope you all enjoyed that chapter. I should be able to post next week sometime. Have a great rest of the day.