A/N- Well, here's the next chapter. Thanks to all those that reviewed, it really means a lot, and helps me write and shapes the plot. I plan on updating on Thursday and Sunday, but we'll see how it goes. i have band camp the next two weeks, and it seems even more stressful than school! But I will be keeping it updated , I promise. You can yell at me if I don't :)

Merlin dared a glance over at the boy next to him. He seemed confident, almost to the point of cockiness. Merlin wasn't sure how to interact with him. Most of the boys in Ealdor played well together, and even if they didn't, at least they talked to one another. But the child beside him was silent. Merlin decided it was up to him to find out more about the boy.

"What's your name?"

Arthur started at the sound of the boy's, Merlin if he remembered correctly, voice. Had he really just spoken to him? He was the Prince of Camelot and peasants did not just start conversations with him. But, he remembered, I'm not a prince anymore. And he needed to make sure no one knew who he was. Surely they would have been told all over Camelot to be on the lookout for him. So, instead of answering Merlin's question, he asked one of his own. "What kingdom are we in?"

"Cenred's kingdom," Merlin replied, though it seemed he wasn't ready to give up on his last question yet. "What's your name?"

Arthur debated about whether or not he should tell him the truth. But, surely his father hadn't dared venture into Cenred's kingdom, even if it was for his only son. Camelot had been at odds with Cenred for awhile now, and Father wouldn't want to start a war. Plus, it would be easier to live a lie if there was some truth to it. "Arthur," he finally replied.

"Arthur," Merlin repeated. They travelled in silence for a few moments until Merlin couldn't contain all the questions piling up in his mind. "Where are you from? Why are your clothes so dirty? Don't you have any adults with you? Did you run away? Why did-"Arthur abruptly cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"Do you ever shut up, Merlin?" Arthur already had a headache from his never ending questions, and he had only known the boy for five minutes! He tried to decipher what Merlin had asked him, and what he could actually answer with the truth.

"I'm from far away, though from where is none of your business. My clothes are dirty because I've been sleeping in the forest. No, I don't have any adults with me and yes I did run away, but again it's none of your business as to why." He said all of this rather quickly, hoping if he answered fast enough; it would satisfy Merlin's curiosity. However he was quickly finding out that when it came to Merlin, hoping for things just didn't cut it.

"Well, why can't I know where you're from? And how come you slept in the forest? Why couldn't you find an inn? Did you not have enough money to pay for a room? That's ok; my whole village is rather poor. Especially me and my mother, since we live all alone and…" Arthur let Merlin ramble on and on, figuring it would be easier than trying to stop the little boy from his endless prattle.

It suddenly became very quiet, and the prince looked down at the peasant boy next to him, who was looking at Arthur with an expectant look. "Well…?" Merlin said.

"What?"

"Do you have a place to stay or not?"

"No," Arthur ventured cautiously.

"Great! Then you can come and stay at my house! I always wanted a brother! We can go to the creek, and go racing, and catch bugs, oh and I think you're tall enough to reach the really tall branch of the oak tree and-"

"Shut up!" Arthur all but screamed. He felt slight remorse when he saw Merlin's crestfallen face, but the boy had to learn that some people liked quiet when they were thinking.

Merlin had been excited at first by the prospect of Arthur staying with him. He had started to tell Arthur of all the things they could do, and all the games they could play. But then Arthur had yelled at him to shut up, and suddenly he started to regret his decision of asking Arthur into his home. But, he thought, maybe he could change Arthur's opinion. After all, he had a whole week until Will came back, and the boy beside him didn't seem too bad. It seemed he was only truly annoyed with Merlin when he talked on and on, so Merlin decided to be quiet for the rest of the trip home. He would change Arthur, he determined, and for the better.

Merlin was planning on being silent, that is, until he remembered that he needed to gather firewood. "Oh, right!" He had exclaimed.

"What now?" A very exasperated looking Arthur had asked him.

"It's just, I promised my mother I would gather some fire wood. That's actually why I was out here in the first place," Merlin explained.

"Well, then get to it," Arthur said. Merlin determined he said it in a very, for lack of a better word, prattish way.

As Merlin started to gather the fire wood, Arthur decided to rest at a nearby tree. He watched the boy fumble around. He doesn't seem very graceful. As if to prove Arthur's last thought, Merlin tripped over a tree root and, weighed down by the firewood he had collected, was unable to keep his balance and fell forward. He let out a small cry of pain as his knees brushed against the bark of another root before he landed in a heap on the ground.

Arthur wasn't sure what to do. Usually when people fell around him in Camelot, other people were there to help them up. It wasn't the prince's responsibility to help. But he wasn't a prince anymore. So he made his way over to Merlin and awkwardly put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Merlin tried to hold back his tears. He had only scraped his knees, after all. For some reason, he felt a determination not to show weakness in front of Arthur, something about him made you want to prove yourself. "Yes, I'm fine. But can you help me pick up the firewood?"

So both Arthur and Merlin started collecting the dropped firewood in silence, until Arthur started handing it back to Merlin.

"What are you doing?" Merlin asked in confusion. "Can't you carry it yourself?"

"Oh. Yes, I suppose I can." Arthur hadn't had to carry most things in his life, especially not other people's belongings. But he put his pride aside and helped the younger boy carry the wood back towards his village.

And so it was that the future king of Camelot and his future servant walked back to Ealdor, each pondering the other.

So, how was chapter 2? Let me know, and thanks for reading!

-princessmelia