Merlin slumped down on the straw bedding in the tent that they had set aside for Arthur. After a moment Arthur dropped down next to him.

"Thanks," Merlin murmured.

Arthur settled himself, drawing his knees up so he could rest his arms on them, he flexed his damaged hand a little.

"Don't thank me just yet," Arthur said. Merlin turned, frowning at Arthur in confusion.

"What does that mean? I mean that guy was… well… it wasn't good," Merlin said.

"And it could have been nothing more than a test to see just how far I'll go," Arthur said. Merlin frowned.

"Are you sure?"

"When I broke out of here, I could have tried to escape into the forest, but I didn't, I came to rescue you."

"Thanks. I'm not too reassured by the noticing of the escape route."

"Sorry," Arthur said, smirking at him. "Habit, but it won't be a real route out, it's too obvious."

"So, you think they were just seeing if you would rescue me?"

"Maybe," Arthur said. Merlin opened his mouth to reply. Arthur reached out and grabbed his arm, eyes fixed on the doorway. His eyes shifted sideways to glance at Merlin and taking the hint Merlin stayed quiet for a moment. A second later the tent flap lifted and Galen walked in, carrying some chains and wearing an embarrassed expression. He was closely followed by two other bandits, who were watching Arthur warily. They weren't carrying swords this time but heavy looking clubs.

"Sorry, but I've got orders," Galen said.

Arthur shrugged. Stepping forward Galen knelt down and wrapped one of the shackles around Merlin's ankle, and then locked the other one to the other ankle. He checked they were secured before stepping back.

"Are you injured?"

"I'm fine," Merlin said. He was, as he experimentally pulled the chain by spreading his ankles. Galen looked a little uncertain but he backed up.

"I'll bring some food, you must be hungry."

"Thank you," Arthur said, politely enough, but it hinted at dismissal. Galen left, the two guards remained for a few seconds longer, eyeing Arthur in a very unfriendly fashion. Merlin watched them and so did Arthur.

"We'll be outside," one of them warned. Arthur shrugged.

"Fair enough."

The guards remained for a moment longer before leaving and letting the tent flap fall. Their attempt to intimidate Arthur completely failing, at least on the surface.

"Well, that was tense," Merlin observed.

"I just took out two of them without breaking a sweat, and it took eight of them in total to take me down. Merlin, they are not going to like me."

Merlin pondered that. He couldn't really think of an answer. Despite the arrogance of it, Arthur was just stating facts. No wonder he had such a fat ego.

"What are you grinning at?" Arthur demanded. Merlin pulled his face straight.

"Nothing, nothing at all. Did you see the bed in the other tent?"

Arthur tilted his head and frowned at Merlin, leaning away from him slightly.

"I'm serious," Merlin said, his eyes staying on the tent flap in case Galen returned. "Do you recognise any of the bandits, any of them at all?"

"No," Arthur said with a shake of his head and a confused frown.

"Not Barak, or I'lian, they're a little older, so maybe you might not remember," Merlin told Arthur, his voice distancing at it turned into an outspoken thought. Arthur's frown deepened.

"There are times, Merlin, when I enjoy the inane prattle that is quintessentially yours, but this is not one of them. Have you been hit too hard around the head again?"

Merlin jerked as Arthur probed the back of his head with the heel of his hand. Merlin batted at him, until Arthur flinched and Merlin realised it was his left hand.

"Sorry," Merlin said. Arthur rested his arm carefully on his knee and tried not to move his fingers. He exhaled heavily. Merlin leant in closer to him, lowering his voice.

"On the bed, mixed in with the sheets was a cloak, with the crest of Camelot on it."

Arthur turned his head to look at Merlin, answering in just as low a tone.

"That might not mean anything. Bandits have attacked knights before and the other way round. There is a chance they just could have taken it from one of the dead."

"And used it as a bed sheet?" Merlin asked.

"Maybe."

"I'lian behaves in a very well-mannered way."

"Yes, and like many people that kidnap nobles, he knows the rules, and he knows he will get the money. I might be able to get out of here, and attempt to come back with a unit of soldiers, but then I would be picking your corpse down from whatever tree they decided to string it from. Do you understand me Merlin?"

"Absolutely, without doubt, Sire," Merlin said.

They both started as Galen lifted the flap and brought in a tray of food. The person behind him followed with a tray of drink.

"Thank you," Arthur said.

"It's not like we can offer you a huge amount, we have to be careful with what we give and…"

"I said thank you," Arthur said again, forcefully. Galen blinked, looking at Arthur in mild shock. The healer glanced to Merlin, Merlin however, was entirely used to Arthur behaving as he did. He could make good manners seem like orders, it appeared to be a royal talent. Merlin smiled up at the healer.

"Thank you," he said a little more politely than Arthur. Arthur turned to him.

"I said that."

"I know," Merlin replied. "But in that way that is quintessentially yours you still manage to make it sound rude."

Arthur's eyes widened in outrage, "I do not! Was I rude?" he turned to Galen for an answer. Galen blinked.

"No, Sire."

"See!" Arthur snapped at Merlin. Merlin looked back and waved a hand at Galen.

"Well, he's bound to say that! Ow!" Merlin yelped as Arthur clipped him around the ear. Galen backed up at that point and left the tent. Arthur and Merlin both turned to watch him go.

"Was it something we said?" Arthur asked, before reaching for the chunk of bread on the plate. Merlin reached out for something and winced as Arthur smacked his hand.

"Ow!" Merlin yelped again. Arthur picked up an apple and tossed it in the air. Merlin caught it and glared at Arthur, stuffing his face with bread.

"I can't eat just an apple!"

"Yes, you can," Arthur said calmly. "I'm the prince, I get the food, you can have whatever I don't want."

Merlin's eyes widened. "You… arrogant, spoilt, excuse of a…"

He was shut up by Arthur ripping the bread he was holding in half and jamming it into his mouth. Arthur realised that Merlin was genuinely angry, his insults more direct, and lacking their usual imagination.

"Settle down, Merlin," Arthur snapped. "Do you really think I would leave you without anything to eat?"

Merlin pulled the bread out of his mouth, biting a chunk off as he did so.

"Prat!"

"Yep, if you say so," Arthur said, deciding that was a little better. While he ate he leant down to examine the shackles around Merlin's ankles. They were thick, with a very durable lock. The chain was only a little longer than the span of his hand.

"You're not going to be going anywhere in a hurry," Arthur commented in a low tone. Merlin hurriedly swallowed the chunk of bread he was chewing.

"I presume that's the point."

"Yep, you can't go anywhere, so they know I won't."

He sat back and separated the cheese into manageable chunks. Merlin snatched the biggest and put it in his lap, his glare almost daring Arthur to try and retrieve it. Arthur ginned at him.

"Calm down. The light is starting to fade, as soon as we have eaten, we are probably best to get some rest," Arthur said in his practical tone of voice.

"Is that it?" Merlin asked. "How can you be so practical about this?"

"Because it's my job. You can't run, I doubt I will be able to carry you the distance. There is nothing we can do for now. Eat."

Merlin did, conscious of taking nothing more than Arthur. In the end they shared the meal equally, while the encroaching night enveloped the tent. Galen came to take the plates, under the light of a torch and then I'lian came, and the two guards stepped sideways to let him through. He looked at Arthur.

"I trust you checked the shackles, they are the best, and they cannot be undone easily."

"Yes, I did, and I agree," Arthur said.

Merlin grimaced, he could get out of them, breaking the locks by magic, but he didn't think Arthur would believe a story of him suddenly getting out of them. It was one of those moments that Merlin had to think. There was the balance of using magic, or using care. He wasn't fighting some monster now, he was fighting people, who were, in their own way, trying to survive.

"Guards will remain outside the tent. They will use force if there are any problems."

Arthur nodded curtly, waiting for I'lian to go. He hadn't been very tolerant of any of them since the altercation in the other tent. Arthur knew all he needed to know, and didn't want to push any other issues. As they left, they took the torches with them and darkness took over the small space, with only the lowest glow coming through from the fires outside, Arthur gave Merlin a shove.

"You're on the inside there. I'll stay outside."

"What for?" Merlin asked, going with Arthur's none to gentle shove, as he put him down on the bed, close to the back of the tent. Merlin sprawled back, looked at Arthur's boots next to his head and sat up, moving so he was lying the other way, flopping down while Arthur watched him curiously.

"I'm not having your feet anywhere near my face," Merlin commented.

Arthur laughed, Merlin settled on his back and stared up at the ceiling, seeing nothing but black.

"So, why do I have to be here?"

Arthur was lying on his side, with his back to Merlin, shuffling about to get comfortable. It made Merlin want to smack him on the back of the head.

"Because if anyone comes into the tent, they have to go through me to get to you."

Merlin turned and looked at the canvas on the other side of him, also very black. "What if they come through the back of the tent?" he queried. Arthur lifted his head, and rolled over, so he was lying on his back, shoulder to shoulder with Merlin.

"Merlin, there is a huge oak tree at the back of the tent."

"Is there?" Merlin put his hand up and pressed against the fabric, feeling the rough grooves of the bark underneath his hand. He pressed it, exploring the width of the tree, while Arthur watched him in amusement, picking up a flicker of a shadow.

"Oh yes," Merlin said calmly. While he touched it, pressing into the grooves of the tree, realising it was a very old sturdy tree, the trunk of it almost four metres in radius, he tried to sense out any magic. It wasn't hard for him, he was a creature of magic. Merlin had learnt to accept that. He was like the dragon, like a magical object. The power was his naturally, he didn't have to incant to find it, it was his. Any sort of power responded to him. Merlin was amazed that he had stayed hidden for so long, but no other sorcerers could seem to sense power the way he did. He didn't sense it in them, it wasn't theirs, they were just borrowing it.

"It means they don't need guards around the back of the tent, there will be one either side of the tree, one there and opposite," he added pointing to the side sections. "And the two on the entrance."

"It took eight to get you down," Merlin said.

"Thank you, Merlin, but there's still you, and I'm not leaving you unprotected, so you sleep there. Now get some rest, it's going to be a long day tomorrow."

"Why?" Merlin said. "We're not exactly going to be going hunting."

"No, Merlin, but it is at least half a day's ride to Camelot from here, which means any message they get to my father will arrive tomorrow. If he pays the ransom, then it might be the day after until we get released, maybe even a day beyond that."

"Are you not going to do anything?" Merlin asked.

"Not yet, it does depend if my father is the one they will go to."

Merlin turned his head to stare at Arthur in alarm, just about seeing in the dim light. "What to you mean?"

Arthur turned his head to meet Merlin's concerned expression. "I am the Crown Prince of Camelot, remember."

"Yes, I was there, at the ceremony. It was rather memorable."

"So it was. I am sole heir to the kingdom of Camelot, and not everyone in the world wants to be our friend. There are a good many people who would pay a very high price to get hold of me, captive."

"But Uther will pay, won't he?"

"He's my father, so yes. Practicality as a king will also make him say yes. I am not something that he wants in the hands of his enemy."

"You make yourself sound like some sort of object."

"In a way I am. Only title counts for something in this scenario."

Merlin turned his head to stare at the ceiling again. "Great."

"Merlin, I will not let anything happen to you. You have my word on that."

"You can't promise that. You don't know what might happen," Merlin said. "You may not end up with a choice."

"Maybe you're right, about the cloak. I'lian seems like someone who will play by the rules."

"Are there rules to this?"

"Yes, and what they did to you shouldn't have been done. He promised your safety."

"I'lian?"

Arthur nodded. "Yes."

Merlin lifted his legs, looking at the shackles holding him. He slowly lowered them, only letting his feet drop as his stomach muscles clenched.

"Merlin?"

"Yes, Arthur?"

"I will do my best, I will do everything I can to protect you, I swear to you."

"I know, Sire. I trust you."

"But if it goes beyond that, if they do anything to violate the agreement, then do anything."

Merlin felt his eyes widen and he turned his head again. "Sire?"

"If they negate the agreement I made, then don't worry about me, you are to get away, any means you can, do whatever you have to. Beyond that, if you can do it, your orders are obvious, get to Camelot."

Merlin looked at Arthur, wondering if there was hidden meaning in the words. Arthur's face was serious, but there was no hint of any subtle meaning.

"You're a survivor Merlin, it doesn't matter what the situation is, you always find a way out unscathed. Just do as you are ordered."

Merlin took a deep breath and committed himself to a promise he would never keep.

"Yes, Sire."