hey! got another one for you and thanks to the guest for the reviewing! I really want you guys to review they help me write. now on with the story.

Merlin walked over to the girl, carrying the heavy pile of fresh linen in his arms. She was laying on her chest, her was covered in the old bloodied cloth from earlier. Merlin sat down gently next to her and began to remove the old strips of linen and replace them with new, clean pieces. It was dark now outside and he assumed she was asleep, so when she talked he ended jumped out of his skin.

"Thank you," she whispered in a strained voice, either from pain or exhaustion he could not tell.

"No need to thank us," he said settling and getting back to work,"Why have you not said anything all day?" he asked. She remained quite, so he let it be.

"My words," she said slowly, swallowing nervously"That's what they-," she stopped;the words getting stuck in her throat. Merlin could guess what she was trying to say.

"They wanted you to talk?" he said, she nodded her head and swallowed again. She was so fragile, how could one so frail put up with so much pain? Merlin pealed away a strip of linen, it had one of the runes hidden underneath it. He bit down on his lip at the scabbing blood,"Castiel was it?" she nodded to confirm,"Castiel what did they want you to say?" he asked layering the clean cloth over her back, she shook her head and scrunched her eyes shut. She would not say any more. Merlin let out a slow breath and stud up to leave but she shot out a hand and grabbed his wrist. He turned his head back to her, she looked scared, her eyes pleaded with him to stay, "I will be right back," he assured her. She slowly released her grip on his wrist and folded her arm back under her chest. Merlin left closing the door behind him, he walked down the stairs, across the balcony and along the hall to Arthur's chambers, knocked on the large oak door three times.

"Come in Merlin," he heard Arthur call, so he did. As he entered he was met with a hard stare from a seated Arthur at his table, "How is she doing?" he asked, lifting his chin up from resting it in his hand.

"Better, but I wander how she could walk with those wounds," Merlin said getting to work on clearing the table of the empty food plates.

"What did they want with her?" Arthur said getting to his feet, the chair screeched against the stone floor as it was pushed back.

"They wanted her to talk, or to say something in particular," he replied, helping Arthur out of his armour, after piling the plates on top of each other.

"What was, it did she tell them?" Arthur questioned lifting his arms so Merlin could unbuckle the straps that ran under them.

"No, she stayed silent, so they tortured her more," Merlin said pulling the shoulder and breast plate from Arthur's form.

"How long did they have her for?" Arthur asked pulling his chain mail shirt over his head.

"We don't know that yet," Merlin said taking the chain mail in his arms and placing it on the table. He went to help with Arthur's sword, but Arthur stopped him.

"Thank you Merlin, but you should go back to helping the girl she needs you more than I do," he said unfastening his belt and placing his sword on the table.

"Her name's Castiel," Merlin said letting Arthur know to use it in future, taking the armour and plates from the table, "Night Arthur."

"It's King Arthur, Merlin!" he was annoyed now. Merlin smiled a cheeky grin and rushed out of the room before Arthur could catch him. Arthur rested his hands on his hips and shook his head disbelievingly, he finished up getting ready for bed.

When he arrived back, Merlin pushed open the door slowly and slipped inside. He glanced to Castiel laying on the cot, she was still awake her eyes met his and for the briefest of moments he saw a flicker of light appear in them, but it was gone. He walked over to her and sat down on the floor next to her, leaning his side on the wooden frame of the cot. She watched his every move, her eyes seemed to burn into his. He remembered the pendent she wore around her neck and wandered what it was.

"Can I see your pendent?" he asked holding out his hand to her. She looked uncertain but nodded her head and pulled AT the cord around her neck for Merlin to see the pendent. Merlin took the pendent gently in his hand, careful not to pull on the cord. He gazed at the small amber gem that was crafted in place by silver dragon claws, "It's beautiful," he breathed. She reached out, laying her hand over his, taking the pendent into her fist and back to her chest. She didn't trust people with it, not even Merlin. Merlin rubbed his eyes, they were starting to droop and get tired. He pushed himself up to stand, she grabbed his wrist again asking for him to stay, "I will be right back I'm just getting a blanket for myself," he told her, she let go and he went to his room and fetched his bedding. He sat back down beside her and wrapped himself in his blanket. She watched him, when he was settled she closed her eyes and relaxed her body so she could sleep.

Merlin gazed at her one last time before he too closed his eyes and started to drift off into sleep. An image was conjured in his minds eye, against the black of his eyelids. At first it was only a flickering flame but it grew and grew into the form of a dragon with its wings outstretch, Merlin was not the one forming this image in his mind, someone else was! He tried to open his eyes but they stayed shut against his will. The dragon looked at him and let out a roar that reverberated inside his head, when the roar ended his eyes shot open. He breathed heavily his whole body tense, on edge. He hesitantly looked at Castiel, she was asleep. What was that? He stared at her for a few seconds. He noticed her eyelids twitch and flicker, Merlin looked more carefully at them, leaning closer. There, He saw it! A flash of gold beneath her lashes. His breathing stopped and everything seemed to slow down as it dawned on him. She had magic.

There we go! what will happen next? stay tuned for the next chapter, don't forget to leave a review!