Err... I'm really sorry? I know that I've been gone for forever. I don't even have a great excuse, which just makes me feel terrible. I hope you're all still reading :)

Also: VHunter07 Thank you! I would love it if you could beta for me! I have no idea however, to actually enable you to do so. Little help?

..

Merlin liked to think that he knew his master fairly well. He also believed that his knowledge and understanding of the laws regarding magic in Camelot were superior to most people's. And so as soon as he grasped that his master was contemplating the flaws in his own legal system, to say he was taken aback would be an understatement.

'What if he really means this? What if... Maybe the time – my time - is coming?' The hope that Merlin was desperately trying to crush was bleeding into his thoughts. 'No, I can't think that. Come on Merlin, be rational. Arthur's been kidnapped because of magic. He's not going to forgive it now.' He cursed the people who had done this. Was the whole world really against him fulfilling his destiny? It seemed that whenever his prince left the citadel he was attacked by some form of magical creature/sorcerer/sorceress/someone who thought magic was a good thing. It really wasn't helping.

A memory popped into his head before he could force it down. His master's voice filled his head, the words grateful. They lashed at his heart harder than the whip had ever been able to.

"I am indebted to you Merlin. I had become... confused. It is once again clear to me that those who practise magic are evil and dangerous, and that is thanks to you."

It took every ounce of strength that he had, every moment of practising acting like he was the most plain, unmagical person in the world, to look up at the prince and force a smile.

"Glad I could help." The smile slipped off his face as soon as the prince looked away; He hadn't the heart to keep it plastered there. He was surprised that Arthur couldn't hear his world crashing down around him. It seemed remarkably loud to him.

He crushed the memory before his mind could take it further, to the days afterwards where he had to repeatedly draw on that false smile to divert uneasy questions, to the many, many sleepless nights listening for the sounds of the guards footsteps, and then to the dreams that always appeared whenever Arthur completely rejected magic. Those dreams, nightmares, had been haunting him more and more often; the ones where Arthur smiled down at his pyre, before watching him go down as a traitor, the life burned out of him.

In this one conversation, the prince had completely upturned everything Merlin had thought.

"What did Ragley say?" He asked in wonder. Arthur just shrugged and began to pace the tent again, losing himself in his own musings. The warlock disliked the quiet. It allowed him to think, to turn himself in circles over this new revelation, to worry himself stupid over their current situation, and worst of all, the pain crept back as soon as his mind was free to acknowledge it. "You know, now probably isn't the time to be worry about this," he pointed out bluntly, needing the distraction.

"Well, it's better than thinking about everything else, in case you hadn't noticed," Arthur snapped sharply. Merlin flinched.

"You think I hadn't?" He hissed back, acid and hurt leaching into his voice. How dare he suggest that he was oblivious to the fact that their lives hung in the balance. The wounds on his back should be testament enough.

His tone had Arthur staring down at him in surprise, before he realised his own words. His eyes closed briefly as the guilt washed over him.

"Of course you have. I'm sorry," he repented. Merlin threw a grim smile his way, a gesture of peace. "I just... I don't understand any of this. I hate not knowing what's happening."

"I know. Trust me I understand. Look, I've been thinking..." His eyes dropped to the floor, and Arthur knew him well enough to see that he was struggling to approach a difficult topic. "We can't stay here." The prince had some idea where this was going.

"I'm just going to stop you right there, Merlin. If this has anything to do with trying to run again, count me out." His eyes blazed fire and the warlock resigned himself to having an argument.

"Arthur. For once in your life, I need you to listen to me. I'm aware that you can be a bit dull witted at times, but you have to concentrate." Arthur sent a half hearted glare in his direction, but said nothing. He would listen, and the he would disregard Merlin entirely. "I've told you something similar before, but your life is worth a thousand of mine. I'm just a servant. You are the future king of Camelot, and that means that it's your job to defend my home, and all of my friends. If they are to be defended, you cannot be stuck here, in the middle of nowhere, because you were unwilling to risk me. I don't care about me. I care about Camelot, and I guess by some round-about route, that must mean that I have to care for you too." Arthur smiled lightly in acknowledgement. It was the closest they could come verbally to admitting their friendship without the situation becoming unbearably awkward. "I'm painfully aware of the fact that I can't go anywhere. I can't summon the strength to stand at the moment, but you can. Your shoulder is infected. I know you were trying to hide it, but I live with a physician remember? You need medical attention-"

"Says the boy who can't stand," Arthur retorted, then shut his mouth as Merlin's eyes spat sparks.

"You need Gaius," he continued. "Please, Arthur, I'm begging you. Please, please, get yourself out of here." His eyes bled with the sincerity of what he was saying. The prince was struck again with the knowledge that Merlin would willingly give his life for him. It was scary and touching in equal measure.

"If I leave here, if I manage to get away, or even if I don't, Ragley will kill you, Merlin. I'm not about to let that happen. The knights will be looking for us. They'll get us out of here."

"Arthur..." Merlin grimaced. He had known that the prince wouldn't listen to him easily, but his bone headed determination was stronger – and more irritating – than he had originally thought.

"No. It's my turn to speak, Merlin, so you're going to listen to me for once. You can tell me over and over that my life is worth more than yours, but you're never going to convince me, so save your breath. There is no way that I'm leaving you at the mercy of these animals. Even a servant as useless as you doesn't deserve that." He grinned to soften the insult. Merlin couldn't bring himself to smile back, he was too worried about the determined prat in front of him.

"You are of course aware that if you stay here and get yourself hurt, as soon as we return to Camelot, Gaius will guilt trip me and Uther will throw me in the stocks for a month. Trust me, this is a selfish thing as much as anything else." That was an utter lie – the last part anyway – and Arthur could tell. Merlin never had quite grasped the art of lying – he found his attempts rather endearing.

"And since when do I indulge you in such matters?" He pointed out with a cheeky grin, before sinking to the floor beside his servant. Merlin sighed, realising that there was little point in pushing for anything more, for now at least.

"You are such a prat sometimes," he pointed out, his tone annoyed.

"At least I'm not an idiot."

"If you were so smart you would be gone by now," he pointed out petulantly, and the prince briefly considered finding something to throw at him.

"How do you feel?" His voice dropped with concern that he hadn't the heart to hide.

"Stiff. I want to move, but that really wouldn't be a good idea," Merlin told him honestly. "The talking is helping."

"I will fix this, I promise. This never should have happened and-" The warlock had to butt in.

"Arthur."

"Yes?"

"Shut up." The prince blinked in shock. "How many times do I have to tell you that this is not your fault before it gets into that thick skull of yours? I don't blame you. At all. I don't want your apologies. I don't even want you to 'fix this' whatever that means, because it will probably end in you almost getting yourself killed; I mean, let's face it, when do any of your plans not end up like that?" Arthur opened his mouth to disagree and then slammed it shut. The boy had a point.

"I still don't understand you Merlin," he said quietly after a minute. "You don't..." He searched for words. "React to things like anyone else. I've never known anyone like you." The warlock averted his eyes; now was not the time to be delving into his actions and mannerisms.

"Thanks. I think."

"You're welcome."

..

The prince looked down at his sleeping servant, thoughts racing around his head and making him dizzy. He knew that the boy had been right when he had said that Arthur needed medical attention, but what Merlin had failed to acknowledge was that he was in need of it more.

As a battle hardened warrior, he had seen his fair share of wounds and more besides. And Merlin's scared him. There was a red tightness to the unbroken skin, and the gashes formed by the lash of the whip were weeping a vile yellow substance. Infection.

"Oh, Merlin," he sighed. His voice was soft; it wouldn't disturb the slumbering boy.

When he slept, Merlin looked unbelievably innocent. The tense line to his shoulders, that never seemed to leave him, faded, and his face was relaxed and calm. Beneath his closed lids, his eyes flickered in peaceful dreams.

"What are we going to do?" He muttered to himself, for the first time allowing the helplessness he felt to cover his tone. Now that there was no one in the vicinity that he had to pretend for, he decided that it was alright to let himself fall apart.

He could see no way out of this situation. He held a great amount of respect for his knights, and he trusted them to the death; the only problem was that the forests surrounding Camelot were vast, and they could be anywhere. It could take days, weeks even, to find them. And neither Merlin nor the prince had that time. Arthur couldn't feel much of the entire left side of his torso, and he had long since lost the ability to move his fingers. He was almost positive that if he unravelled the bandages around his shoulder then he would see a similar infection to the one he could see raging across his servant's back.

Merlin stirred slightly, twitching at his dreams. A small moan escaped him, and a few disjointed words tumbled from his mouth, causing the prince to look down in astonishment. He'd never known the boy to talk in his sleep.

"Protect..." He muttered, flinching and shifting, the movement eliciting an involuntary groan of pain before he stilled. Arthur moved closer to listen, intrigued. "Didn't want... Lie... Please..." The words didn't make any sense to the prince, but he struggled to try and put them together anyway. "Arthur..." The prince's head shot up, but the sleeping warlock had fallen silent. Merlin was dreaming about him? That didn't make sense.

He had the sudden urge to wake his friend and demand to know what he had been dreaming, but then he reminded himself that the sleep was sparing the suffering boy from further pain.

'I'll ask him in the morning,' he decided with a cunning smile.

He started to phrase questions in his mind, wondering what his servant's reaction would be, and for a few moments at least, he was happy.

..

A rather abrupt ending, sorry. I couldn't think of anything better. I know that this chapter isn't all that great and the wait has been awful, I'm really sorry. I'll try and make it up to you. I'm not sure how yet, but this one is determined :)

I know this one was a little heavy in parts, it will liven up soon. I swear :P