A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! They really make my day!! Might not be able to update regularly coz of my stupid exams :( but I'll try my best :D I love reviews! They make my day...hint...hint :D

Chapter Two-Come to us...

Merlin landed with full force on the hard ground, breaking what felt like every bone in his body. He couldn't bring himself to move. It had actually worked! He lay there face down, breathing in the damp smell of the grass and listening to bird song and the sound of the wind rustling the branches of the trees. Judging by the fact his head still appeared to be attached to his shoulders, he seemed to be alive. That's a good thing isn't it?

Merlin picked himself up reluctantly from the hard ground and stared around him. He appeared to be deep in some forest, where the sunlight barely slid through the dense foliage. He despaired as he saw that he couldn't recognise the forest as being the one surrounding Camelot or the one around his home village of Ealdor. Other than that his experiences with forests were pretty limited. The trees here were older than any he had seen elsewhere, and seemed to be pulsing with some sort of strange magic. The intense power of it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

He placed his hand on the back of his neck, shuddering, remembering how close that axe had come to severing it.

He couldn't quite believe that the last three days had actually happened. Everything seemed like some terrible nightmare, which he hoped desperately to wake up from. It seemed strange to him, now that everyone knew his secret, the secret he had so fervently tried to keep all his life. He had always wished someone else could know, someone he could confide in, to keep the crushing pressure of his destiny at bay, someone he didn't have to lie to, but now, remembering the cold and hurt glare Arthur had given him, he wished it all back.

Merlin couldn't bear to have Arthur stare at him with such hate. Wasn't he grateful at all? Didn't he realise how many times Merlin had risked his neck to save his royal arse?

Of course he didn't, Merlin thought with a sigh. He was as blind as a Wildren, needed everything handed to him on a plate. He probably thought Merlin was part of some sorcerer's conspiracy plotting to take over Camelot. At least that what Uther had said.

"You are hereby charged with the crime of sorcery and the intent to use enchantments to bring down Camelot and commit treason against your King."

Merlin had to laugh at the irony. He had saved Uther's life at least twice and he was charged with treason! He hadn't even been born in Camelot, therefore Uther was not really his king, at least that was what he had preached when his mother had come to him begging for his help in Ealdor. And anyway, all his magic had only ever been used to save the life of his son and for the good of everyone in Camelot. His magic was being used to secure Camelot's future, to help Arthur become king, to bring peace to the lands of Albion!

He kicked a tree stump in frustration, which only added to the aches already covering his body, forewarning of the great bruises that would likely soon appear. At least the spell had worked. He was rather surprised it did. It usually took him several attempts to accomplish a spell that powerful.

He had been sitting in his cell, when Gaius had come in for a final health check before the execution. Merlin thought it rather odd Uther continued to do this, but he supposed Uther liked to have his victims in full health before they died, therefore he could take the credit for killing them himself.

Gaius had been strictly observed by the guards and could not speak with Merlin with arousing their suspicion. He had looked long and hard into his eyes, boring deep into his soul, pity and fear mirrored there, before handing him a water skin and telling him to get some rest,

Merlin had opened the water skin hours later to find that, instead of water, concealed inside was a small roll of parchment. With his back turned to the guards, he managed to wriggle the small roll out of its hiding place and slowly unravelled it. As his eyes met the incantation on the paper, copied out of his magic book which he presumed Gaius had stolen back, he smiled for the first time in what seemed like years.

Transportation was something he had been looking forward to learning for a long time. Ever since his first day in Camelot when he had seen that woman disappear in the courtyard he had been fascinated by it, a fascination which had only been increased when Morgause did the exact same thing when fleeing Camelot with Morgana. True, neither of those women were exactly anything to look up to, but Merlin still couldn't wait for the day when he could just disappear like that as well.

Of course, when Merlin had ever broached the subject with Gaius, he had been met with firm opposition. Transportation was considered one of the most dangerous pieces of magic to learn, owing to the disastrous results of being split into two if the incantation went wrong in the slightest. Gaius had often said it was far too dangerous, especially considering Merlin managed to get into an inordinate amount of trouble just by walking from place to place.

The fact that Gaius had given him the spell showed how desperate things really were. He had obviously exhausted every other possible method. This was the only option left, and it scared Merlin.

Despite appearances, when Merlin had walked so calmly to his death his entire mind was flooded with fear. He could barely think straight and was having trouble breathing. But he held his head high, and betrayed none of the fear that he was feeling; he would not give Uther that satisfaction.

The only times he almost lost his countenance were the times he looked into the faces of those he cared about. He caught Gaius's eye, who gave him a small nod, deathly pale. Merlin could tell that he was utterly terrified, Gaius was like a father to him. He was one of the reasons Merlin would not act afraid, he would not allow Gaius the pain of seeing him like that.

The next person he saw was Gwen. She stared at him in disbelief, tears silently streaming down her face. She looked to be in shock, not really taking anything in. She didn't look at Merlin in fear and hate like some of the others, she just gave a quiet acknowledgment. Merlin had thought at times that Gwen had suspected him of being more than he really was, but he doubted her mind had ever stretched so far as to sorcery. She was like a sister to him and it pained him to see her so distressed. He hoped Arthur would look after her, and finally stop being such a prat and tell her how he felt.

However, when Merlin looked up and saw Arthur staring down at him with such a curious expression on his face, a mixture of hate, anger, hurt, disbelief and uncertainty, it pierced him like a knife. He wanted more than anything to talk to him, to explain, to tell him he had never wanted to hurt him, to tell him he was still his idiot of a manservant, unchanged. But of course, Arthur wouldn't believe that. Merlin saw it in his eyes. He seemed to have resigned himself to Merlin's fate. He did not allow any of his own emotion to show in his face, the two boys had simply stared at each other.

When Uther had asked for his last words, he thought he might as well make them memorable ones. He could have gone for the cliqued: "You haven't seen the last of me Uther Pendragon!" or "Your hatred of magic will destroy your own kingdom" or even "I will haunt Camelot for the rest of your days, creeping up on you whilst you're undressing and shouting "BOO!" just for as long as I feel like it and then you'll be sorry!" although he did consider each of these. Instead he went for something more personal, trying to convey to Arthur that he was still the same person, the same Merlin he knew and hated/loved.

He didn't know if Arthur hadn't been to see him because he couldn't because of the king's orders or because he personally was too angry to come and see him, but he thought it was the former. Arthur's expression when the book had been found, and during the trial where Merlin didn't even try to defend himself, and even at the execution, had showed how truly conflicted he was. No, he didn't blame Arthur. He had been taught all his life magic was evil, had suffered at its hands, he had the right to be angry when he found out the servant whom he had trusted with his life had apparently betrayed him and learned magic.

Still, speculating wouldn't help him now. How was he supposed to fulfil his destiny and protect Arthur when he was stuck in some gods-forsaken forest in the middle of nowhere with trees that appeared to be watching him.

Watching him?

Merlin spun around on the spot, reaching out with his magic trying to detect some hidden danger, cursing himself for not doing so sooner. He shouldn't have been so stupid. Some form of magic had drawn him to this place, and he wasn't sure what it was. He couldn't detect anything amiss, so he ceased his search. However he could not shake off that feeling that something was watching him, and not just watching him, piercing his very soul. He had felt the same exactly three days beforehand, when confronted with the griffin in the town.

Merlin had ran up to Arthur, having abandoned the armour he was supposed to be carrying, only to find that Arthur was frozen on the spot, staring at the massive griffin that blocked their path. Merlin's heart sank; how was he supposed to defeat the griffin this time if Arthur was watching? But as soon as he thought this the griffin suddenly turned its amber eye on Merlin, causing him also to stand transfixed. The griffin's gaze seemed to enter into his mind and take control, it seemed to know who he was and was searching through his memories to confirm it.

Merlin knew something was wrong. Griffins were not supposed to be that intelligent, it knew something. Merlin then suddenly felt a great magical presence fill his mind, not dissimilar to the one he felt whenever the dragon used to call him. Its voice, also rich and wise like the dragon had reverberated in his mind.

"At last I have found you. You will come to us Emrys, you will come...you will join our cause...you have much to gain, as have we....come to us..."

With that the griffin had taken off, leaving Merlin to his very confused thoughts.

Merlin felt exposed, he thought as though everything in this forest could see right through him. His magical instincts told him something was terribly wrong and he wanted to run but couldn't. Why had his magic brought him here?

Suddenly, out of the gloom offered by the trees, silent figures came slowly striding forward. Merlin tensed and reached for his magic, in case he should need it, but the figures did not seem threatening, despite the fact they were all hooded and cloaked. Something about their presence seemed familiar and comforting to Merlin, certainly not menacing.

He lowered his defences as the cloaked figure in front stepped forward and lowered his hood. A tall middle-aged man, with weathered features was revealed. He had a careworn look, with eyes that seemed to be filled with many sad memories, yet he was smiling as he stepped forward. Merlin knew at once that this was a man who had suffered personally at the hands of Uther, his eyes gave it away.

The man spoke in a clear voice: "Welcome Emrys. I am overjoyed that you have found your way to us. My name is Fyrmest, and I am the leader of this small Druidic clan you see before you."

"You're Druids?" Merlin asked in surprise, although he had already guessed as much. The man shifted the cloak to reveal the Druidic symbol which was embroidered in his clothes. It appeared, that despite their apparent poverty and threadbare clothes, they still found the time to carefully and lovingly imprint this symbol on their clothes and wear it with pride. Merlin admired their dedication. They seemed to be expecting him to say something, but he remained silent, and offered them the chance to explain why they knew where to find him.

"Your magic must be powerful indeed if it could have transported you all the way here, we did not know what to expect from the Prophesised One but now we realise just how true the legends were."

"Where am I?" asked Merlin, his modesty not allowing him to acknowledge the strength of his Gifts.

"You are far indeed from Camelot, Emrys. I presume that is where you came from? You are here with us on the site of one of the most important places of power of the Old Religion. Just as the prophecies stated, your magic has brought you here to us on this very day at this very time, something my people have been predicting for hundreds of years."

Merlin remained silent as this. Someone know he would be appearing here at this exact moment in time? How was that even possible? What about his destiny to protect Arthur?

Some of his confusion must have shown on his face.

"Forgive us, Emrys. This must be indeed a confusing experience for you. Please come with us to our camp, rest and eat and we shall explain. There is much written about you, you and us both have much to learn. Do not worry for the moment, nothing can be wrong with this most joyous of occasions, for you have come to us Emrys...you have much to gain...you have come to us..."

Merlin slowly nodded and began to follow the figures out of the clearing. Suspicion grew in his mind. It had only been three days since he had last heard those words uttered by a being of magic. How many innocent lives had been lost or ruined that day?