A/N- Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I am almost caught up to myself with chapters and posting so I'll try to write faster. Right now chapter 5 is going through a slight change because of an event in chapter six that is still being written.
In this story I know that Arthur is acting a little more compassionate than we see him in the series, but I am trying to stretch his character a little without going too far out of canon. I tried for more of the playful banter that we have come to love on the show. I hope I managed it to your satifaction. Thanks again for reading and as always reviews are a wonderful way to keep authors motivated so please be generous with them. Thanks and enjoy
Alice I

Chapter Four

Merlin had never seen the cliffs of Essotier, which looked out over the pass that separated Camelot from Cendred's kingdom, so they decided travel west into the forest of Essotier. The young warlock felt lighter than he had in a long time. Telling Arthur about Freya, or at least what he could, had unburdened him in a way that he had never experienced. He still missed her, but Merlin had experienced loss before, regardless of what Arthur said. These 'powerful emotions' were no strangers to the young man. Arthur seemed to have forgotten that Merlin had also recently lost his best friend and felt much the same way he did over loosing Freya; although admittedly he had never wanted to run away with Will and start a new life. Even the recent undercurrent of tension that existed between Merlin and Gaius seemed far away and less important. It might not be the right time yet to tell Arthur everything, but Merlin now firmly believed that the right time would present itself — and when it did he would tell Arthur the truth about his magic. Coming to this decision was more than cathartic; it made him feel as though an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He felt almost giddy with the sense of euphoric freedom.

He grinned broadly at Arthur. "I'll race you to the tree line over the next ridge!"

Arthur smiled back. "You're on; the loser has to set up camp!"

With that, both boys kicked the flanks of their horses and raced off at top speed. Merlin was a decent rider, but Arthur was more skilled by far. Merlin didn't care though; he felt exhilarated to be racing along the landscape and allowed his horse to dictate the pace. The horse wouldn't stumble over the uneven terrain and knew instinctively when to jump over logs and maneuver around rocks with little guidance from Merlin. Arthur quickly pulled ahead and disappeared over the rise. It wasn't a problem. Merlin didn't mind setting up camp, but as he crested the rise he didn't expect to see Arthur waving his arms hollering for him to stop. The horse must have noticed that the landscape dropped off sharply forming a steep cliff and came to an abrupt halt. Merlin was completely unprepared for the horse to stop that way, and his forward momentum carried him right out of the saddle and over the top of the animal's head.

Arthur watched as Merlin's small frame sailed through the air and over the drop-off. "Merlin!" Arthur jumped down from his horse and ran to the drop-off looking over the edge. The young man was about five feet down the side of the hill holding onto a branch for dear life. Below him was a drop of over twenty feet into a deep water hole that wasn't quite large enough to qualify as a pond.

"Didn't you hear me shouting to stop?" Arthur called, frantically down at the precariously dangling Merlin.

Merlin looked up at Arthur not sure whether he was still exhilarated from the ride; scared because he was hanging onto a thin branch over what looked like a long drop, judging by the glimpse he had as he arched over the drop-off, or just feeling stupid for the circumstance he found himself in. "Well the horse heard you!"

Arthur shook his head obviously wondering about Merlin's sanity as he lay down on his front and reached toward Merlin trying to grab his hand but they were too far apart. "Can you climb up at all?" Arthur asked, in a strained voice as he draped himself as far as he dared over the edge.

Merlin tried to pull himself up; not being heavily muscled wasn't that much of a problem, since he was also rather slender and lighter than most men. He was able to pull himself up almost a foot and took hold of a large bunch of vines attached to the side of the hill. He started to pull himself higher when the vines began to pull away from where they were attached and he dropped almost his entire height still clinging to the vines. This effectively put him completely out of Arthur's reach.

"Merlin!" Arthur had lost his smile at the situation and now just looked, worried. "Just don't move and hold on. I'll lower down a rope."

Arthur disappeared from view for a few seconds. Merlin did as suggested and held on tightly, trying not to move at all, but before Arthur could return and lower a rope down to him the vines pulled out and away from the hill altogether. In a moment Merlin felt himself in free fall. He didn't even have time to scream before he hit the water below with an impact that felt like hitting the hard flagstone of the courtyard.

Arthur grabbed the rope that was coiled on the back of his saddlebag and turned to head back to the cliff when he heard a loud splash. He ran to the edge and looked down. Merlin was nowhere in sight but the ripples and churning water below identified where the young man had gone.

"Merlin!" he shouted as real fear surged through his mind.

Arthur had no idea if Merlin even knew how to swim. He didn't know how deep the water was or if there were hard or sharp stones lying below the surface. He considered jumping in after Merlin but he hesitated. After what seemed like forever Merlin popped up above the surface nearly three yards from where he had hit the water. He looked conscious and seemed fine. The young man looked up and after a second he spotted Arthur.

"Are you alright?" Arthur called down.

"Come on in, the water's great!" Merlin shouted up, with a ridiculous grin on his face.

Arthur almost dropped to his knees as relief flooded through him. "Merlin! You idiot! I told you to hold on and not to move!"

The young man began to swim over to the edge of the water and Arthur got up and went back to tether the horses. He found a steep but climbable route down to the water and met Merlin at the base of the cliff. The young man had climbed out of the water hole that was ringed by shale type rocks that provided good foot holds for getting out. He was soaked through and still smiling.

"You are a complete imbecile; you know that, don't you?"

"I'm not! I didn't move at all. The vines gave way," Merlin protested loudly.

Arthur just shook his head. He glanced at the hill beside him and then looked back at Merlin. "Do you think you can make your way up this climb without falling again? This time you wouldn't land in the water you know."

Merlin refused to be upset. He simply moved past Arthur and scrambled up the slope. As it turned out he was rather a good climber and scaled the slope more quickly than Arthur did. Once back to the horses, Arthur said, "You'd better change. We can hang the clothes to dry later."

The breeze had picked up and the water that Merlin had landed in was icy cold. The last thing Arthur wanted to deal with was a sick companion. Arthur bent to pick up the rope and just as Merlin pulled his soaked shirt off Arthur turned around to stow it. What he saw made him pause. Merlin's back had several old bruises. Judging by the color they were nearly healed and must be weeks old. His upper arms however sported newer bruises that were clearly made by large hands.

Still feeling the adrenalin from witnessing Merlin's fall over the cliff he spoke more sharply than he meant to. "What the hell happened to you?"

Merlin turned around, startled by the question and obviously confused. When the young man turned and faced him, Arthur could see that the bruising extended to the front of his torso as well. Arthur pointed to Merlin chest as he spoke. "Those bruises, where did you get them? It looks as though you've been beaten, or held and beaten or something."

Merlin looked down and seemed to realize that he was exposed. He quickly grabbed the dry shirt and slipped it over his head. "Oh those. They're old."

Arthur finished stowing the rope and approached the young man. "The ones on your back are, but what about the ones on your arms? Merlin, I thought we had decided that you weren't going to keep things from me anymore."

Merlin stood back and spoke defensively. "I know. Honestly I had forgotten about this. They look far worse than they are. When Aridian had me arrested, I got knocked about a bit. That explains the older bruises."

This shocked Arthur. "Aridian?"

"Yeah, the witch-finder. Before they tore up Gaius' chambers, Aridian came down to the cells to interrogate me. I know it looks bad, but it was nothing compared to what they did to Gaius."

Arthur was stunned beyond belief. "Why didn't you tell me that he had you beaten?"

"What would you have done? What did anyone do while the same thing was happening to an old man? I didn't see much point in telling you," Merlin answered, as he rifled through his bag for dry trousers.

Arthur felt badly about what had happened to Merlin and to Gaius during that time. His father had gone too far in hiring that man. Arthur didn't want to admit it to himself, but Merlin had a point; what would he have done had he known? He did know that Gaius was being mistreated and he did nothing to stop that.

"So what about the ones on your arms?"

"The guards with Halig who took me down to the dungeons were holding my arms pretty tightly. When Halig told them to hold me so that he could beat some sort of confession out of me they squeezed a little tighter, and the bruises are the end result. Arthur, this is what happens when people get arrested, or detained. The guards are not gentle."

Arthur frowned as he thought about all of the people who had been wrongfully detained. How many of them had suffered at the hands of his men, and therefore by extension at his hands? The thought made him decidedly uncomfortable. "Merlin, I'm sorry for what happened to you and to Gaius. All I can do is assure you that things like that won't happen when I am King."

Merlin nodded. "I know, Arthur."

They rode on in relative silence. Arthur's thoughts were a jumbled mess. This trip was turning out to be far more enlightening than the young prince had bargained for. He cringed to think what Gaius had suffered at the hands of the witch-finder and yet, like Merlin, the man had never complained. The more he thought about his father's tactics where magic was concerned the more troubled he became. His father had taught him from birth that all sorcerers and people who practiced magic were evil, and yet Gaius used to be a practitioner of magic. His father had attested to that fact himself. Gaius was the court physician and a trusted member of the royal household. He had tended to Arthur from the time he was born, as well as Morgana and the King himself. How could it be Gaius had ever been evil? The more he examined Camelot's recent past, the more contradictions he found.

It was well past midday when Arthur was pulled from his reverie by Merlin's voice. "Arthur, look up ahead."

Merlin was pointing to a figure some two hundred yards ahead of them and a little to the east. As they drew nearer they could see that a young woman, who looked ready to give birth any day, was pulling a travois that she had strapped around her shoulders. She didn't notice the approach of Arthur and Merlin as she bent to her task, breathing heavily. On the travois was an unconscious man with blood soaking the front of his tunic. As they drew closer Arthur and Merlin exchanged concerned looks and Arthur called out to the woman.

"Ho, there."

The woman looked up and fear clearly flashed across her features. She stopped and stared at the men on horseback before bowing her head. Arthur jumped down off his horse first and approached her. "What has happened here?"

She looked up terrified, but spoke clearly. "My husband was injured working in the fields this morning. He was attacked by a wolf, I think."

Merlin had also dismounted and had gone to check the man on the travois. "He's badly injured. Where are you taking him?" Merlin asked, obviously curious to know why she should be dragging him through the forest.

The woman glanced again at Arthur and her fear seemed to increase substantially. "I am taking him to a healer."

Arthur looked confused by this statement. "Where do you come from?"

The young woman bowed her head and answered in a meek voice. "We're from Itardya. It is a small village with only twenty families. We have no physician and no one comes to check on us. Please, Sire, you must understand we have no other option when someone is seriously sick or injured." The woman's voice had taken on a pleading tone and tears began to well up in her eyes.

Arthur took a moment to realize that this peasant woman had recognized him as the prince of Camelot. He knew of Itardya. It was a very small village on the eastern edge of the kingdom. "What is your name?" he asked her gently.

"My name is Inalira, sire," she replied, as she bowed low before him.

Arthur placed his hand on her shoulder causing her to flitch. "Inalira, how did you recognize me?"

"I have been to Camelot, Sire. My father took me a few years ago, before I was married. I saw you in the tournament."

Arthur gently lifted her chin so that she was looking at him and he was surprised to see tears rolling down her face and stark terror in her eyes. This woman was afraid of him which disturbed him on a very deep level. "Inalira, we can help you. Where is this healer you are taking your husband to? We'll take him for you."

His offer of help seemed to frighten the girl even more, which in turn confused Arthur. Merlin seemed to understand something that Arthur was missing. "Inalira, are you taking him to the druids?" Merlin asked, gently.

Inalira burst into tears and dropped to her knees covering her face. "Please, Sire, I've no choice. The nearest city with a physician is too far. Jacob would never survive the journey."

Arthur was stunned by her breakdown and looked to Merlin wondering if he had any clue as to her inexplicable behavior. Merlin seemed to understand what was confusing Arthur. He stepped over and spoke quietly. "She is afraid that you will arrest her for consorting with the druids. Arthur, these people have no one else to turn to. The druids fill an essential need for them. They will not turn away anyone who needs help. It is against their beliefs, but seeking their help is against the law."

Arthur remembered all of the people his father had him round up when Morgana was abducted by druids. Once again he was forced to examine how his father's brutal tactics were affecting his people. It was true that this woman had no other recourse. Where were the outlying villages to turn when serious injury or illness befell them?

"I have no intention of arresting you, Inalira. You are safe with us. Please let us carry your husband where you need to go."

Inalira looked up at Arthur, not believing what she was hearing. She nodded numbly and moved the straps of the travois from her shoulders. Arthur took them and began to drag the device over to his horse and was astonished at how heavy the thing was. He found it incredible that the young woman had been able to come so far, especially in her current physical state. As Arthur fastened the straps to the saddle of his horse he instructed Merlin to help Inalira onto the horse so she could ride the rest of the way. Merlin complied but rather than helping the girl onto Arthur's mount he put her on his own. Arthur wondered why Merlin had not put her on his horse as he had intended, but when Merlin took hold of the reins and bowed his head in deference to Arthur he realized that this show of servitude was for Inalira's benefit.

The young woman led them further into the forest until they came to a small clearing surrounded by a dense tree line to the west. In the center of the isolated clearing was a stone fireplace with piles of wood stacked beside it. Arthur found it to be the most peculiar thing to see a fireplace out in the middle of the forest. Merlin helped Inalira down from his horse and she moved over to the fireplace with Merlin following closely behind her. Arthur watched as Merlin loaded wood into the open fireplace at Inalira's instruction, curious as to what would happen next. The prince jumped down from his horse and released the travois from where it was attached to the back of his saddle lowering Jacob gently to the ground. The man was in serious condition and Arthur doubted he would live through the night even if he attained the help of a skilled healer.

Once the fire was going and thick black smoke began to waft up into the sky and through the tree tops Inalira moved to her husband's side. She had a tense look on her face as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. Arthur felt badly for the girl knowing what a precarious situation she found herself in. "So what happens now?" he asked, curiously.

Inalira looked up at the prince with a pained expression on her face. "Thank you for your help. It would have taken me hours to get here on my own. I appreciate your help and your understanding, Sire, but you must go now."

Arthur squatted down so that he was at eye level with the young woman. "Leave? We cannot just leave you here alone in the forest. This is a dangerous place and you are in no condition to fend off attack from man nor beast. The fire — it is meant to signal the druid healer?"

The young woman nodded. "They will come to the smoke, but they may not approach if they see you, Sire. Please understand. Jacob needs their help or he will die. I am begging you to leave so that they feel safe enough to come to my aide. I will be fine."

Arthur could not accept leaving a pregnant and defenseless woman alone in the middle of the forest. His sense of honor simply wouldn't allow that. He shook his head resolutely. "No, I can't leave you here alone. We will wait with you for the druids."

Inalira became agitated and more tears fell from her red and swollen eyes. "Please, Sire. I beg of you to take your leave."

Merlin stepped up and interceded with a suggestion. "Sire, she may be right. You are known to the druids and they may not come to her aid with you here. I can stay to protect her until help arrives. If you ride an hour to the north I can catch up with you after the druids come to help Inalira and Jacob."

Arthur realized the wisdom of the suggestion but he still couldn't help forming an objection. "Merlin, what would you do if you were attacked? You are hopeless with a sword. She needs the protection of a knight, not a witless idiot who doesn't know the blade from the pommel."

Merlin rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air. "Sire, if the druids refuse to help her because you are here then bringing Jacob to this place was for naught. Leaving me behind is better than leaving her alone, and I am not hopeless with a sword. I have been your sparring partner for over a year now. I think I can manage to protect her if necessary, besides it is the only option if Jacob is to have a chance."

Arthur knew that Merlin was right, so he reluctantly stood and walked over to his horse. He pulled out the crossbow and loaded it setting the string. He also took his sword and brought both weapons to Merlin. "Okay, Merlin, but keep your eyes open. If anyone approaches warn them off with the crossbow. You have a much better chance of surviving an attack if you can shoot an enemy from a distance." Arthur thought about that for a moment and went back to the horse and pulled out a full quiver of arrows. "As a matter of fact, while you wait it might not be a bad idea to try practicing shooting one of these things. For all I know you may not be able to hit the broad side of a barn."

Merlin looked offended and took the loaded crossbow in his hands. He held it up clumsily and pointed to one of the trees behind them and pulled the trigger. The arrow sailed through the air and landed with a solid thwack in the bark of the distant tree. Arthur was thoroughly impressed and raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Alright then. I stand corrected, Merlin. I will ride north for one hour and I will expect to see you by nightfall. If you haven't shown up by then I am heading back here to make sure you are both alright."

As Arthur rode off Merlin restrung the crossbow with a fresh arrow and gently placed it off to the side, but still within easy reach. He was pleased that Arthur hadn't insisted on remaining with them for he knew that the druids wouldn't come with him present. Arthur's last encounter with druids in this forest was disastrous and many people died. It was all Merlin's fault and he wasn't even sure that they would come with his presence there, but Arthur was right; they could not leave a woman on the verge of giving birth alone in the forest. Merlin stared off to the tree that still held the arrow he had fired. He would never have hit the tree without a slight, or perhaps not so slight, magical push. His aim was as bad as Arthur thought but he didn't need to know that.

"You are the prince's servant?" Inalira asked quietly, pulling Merlin from his thoughts.

Merlin looked over at her and smiled. "Yes, I'm sorry I should introduce myself. I'm Merlin. Have you ever done this before; coming to the druids for help?"

Inalira ducked her head down. "I have never come before, but others from my village have. I was told the way to get here."

Merlin could see how upset she was. "It's alright, Inalira. Arthur is a good man. He won't take you or any of your kin to task for using the only resource available to you. You must trust in him. He isn't like the King." After a moment's pause, Merlin looked out into the dark forest surrounding the clearing. "Do you have any idea how long it will take someone to answer your call for help?"

Inalira shook her head. "It should happen before nightfall, I hope. Jacob doesn't have much time left," she said, as she wiped his fevered brow with the hem of her skirt.

Merlin looked at the man and he was indeed in serious trouble. He was raging with a fever even while his lips were pale as cold stone. Merlin got up and moved to his horse bringing out Gaius' herb bag and began rifling through it. He tried to remember what needed to be used for fever and infection as Inalira looked on.

"Are you a healer?" she asked, stunned.

Merlin smiled slightly. "Hardly. I live with the court physician back in Camelot. He has told me often enough that I am no physician, but he has tried to teach me a few basics so that I am not completely helpless when I am out alone with Arthur, um Prince Arthur."

Inalira smiled. "I think it's nice that you are able to call him by his name. It is clear that you and the prince are close. He trusts, you. I can see that in his eyes when he looks at you. Is there anything I can do to help?"

The earnestness in her voice stopped Merlin for a moment. The young woman wasn't just being polite, she desperately wanted to help, so Merlin nodded. Can you get some water and a cloth from my pack? We need to try and keep his fever down."

Being as heavily pregnant as she was didn't seem to impede the woman's ability to rise quickly and move with purpose, and Merlin found himself impressed with her inner strength. While her back was turned he looked down at the injured man knowing that if he didn't do something he would be dead by the time the druids arrived. He was not skilled enough to help this man with Gaius' herbs so checking once more to be certain that Inalira wasn't looking he extended his hand over the man as his eyes glowed golden.

"Batian feberadl"

A pale blue light glowed from Merlin's outstretched hand over the unconscious man. Within a few moments his breathing became a little easier and Merlin could tell that his fever was not as high as it had been previously. He was a far cry from healed, but he no longer lingered on the threshold to Avalon.

---

Much to Merlin and Inalira's relief, a party of three druid men entered the clearing just as the sun was beginning to drop down behind the tops of the distant tree tops. They had only waited for two hours and Merlin could almost feel Inalira's relief as it washed over her.

The tallest man and clearly the leader walked up to Jacob without saying a word and bent to look over the young man. He held a hand out over the unconscious man and mumbled something unintelligible, even to Merlin. After a moment his head shot up and he stared directly into Merlin's eyes. The man never said a word but his piercing gaze bore into Merlin with strength and authority making the young man feel decidedly uncomfortable. He suddenly feared that he had done harm to the injured man rather than to help him. It was obvious to Merlin that the druid realized that Merlin had used magic to try and heal the injured man and Merlin couldn't tell what the druid thought of that.

"Where is your master, Emrys?"

Merlin backed up slightly at the question. This man knew who he was and had used his druid name to address him. He could only imagine what Inalira must be thinking. "He... He's not here. I stayed with Inalira to protect her from..."

The druid cocked his head slightly to the side waiting for an answer. "...well, from whatever might have come to harm her. We couldn't leave her alone out here. The forest is a dangerous place."

The man stood up and motioned for the other two to take up the travois. "Yes, Emrys, the forest is a dangerous place. My people have been hunted and slaughtered in this very forest."

There was hint of accusation in the druid's voice that made Merlin wince.

"So I ask you again, where is your master?"

"He rode to the north. Please, you have nothing to fear from him. He will not harm you. We only wanted to help Inalira and her husband."

The druid seemed to consider Merlin's words for a moment before he nodded slightly to himself. Then without a word he turned his back on Merlin and stepped over to Inalira. The girl looked frightened out of her wits as she followed the odd exchange between the two men. He helped her to her feet and spoke softly to her in what sounded like a reassuring voice. The druid never looked back at Merlin having effectively dismissed him. Merlin called out to Inalira, "You are in good hands, Inalira. Be well and I hope Jacob recovers soon."

The girl still looked frightened, but she turned to face Merlin directly even though the druid didn't. "Thank you, Merlin. I will not forget your kindness, nor that of your master. Please tell the prince that I am forever in his debt."

With that Inalira and the druid party moved off to the opposite side of the clearing. As they passed by the fireplace the tall druid waved a hand dismissively at the burning embers and the fire went out. Merlin packed up Arthur's sword, crossbow and arrows and mounted his horse. He rode off toward the north feeling conflicted. The druid who had spoken to him didn't seem pleased to find him there and he knew that the rest of the druid people probably looked on him unfavorably after what had happen the last time he had come into contact with them. At least they had agreed to help Inalira and her husband, and that was all that mattered, he supposed. But he rode off with a heavy heart all the same.

End Chapter Four