Sorry I have not updated in a while I have had a terrible case of writers block and I just got a flow of a few ideas so I hope you enjoy this and please review if I have any readers left.

Chapter 7

The rest of the night was fun for both Merlin and Arthur for after the incident with the witch Ailya Arthur could not be separated from his brother. He was asking all sorts of questions about Merlin's life and his magic which Merlin was all too happy to answer. Merlin excused himself from his brother for a moment when he saw Ashen enter the room "Hey Ashen could you come over here?" Merlin called out to him Ashen made his way to Merlin and said "What can I do for you sire?" Merlin shook his head and said "Stop calling me sire and my lord Ashen I have already told you to just call me Merlin. But one things I need to tell you tonight and one thing I need to ask you. One I got my father to consent to you going to see your aunt Anna for a few days you have a week to see her and before you go I need you to come to my chambers in the morning there are a few things I need to talk to you about that is coming that you might need help with and a way I can help you. So will you stop by my chambers before you leave in the morning?" Ashen looked like he was going to burst with joy as he said "Thank you thank you thank you, you have no idea how much this means to me. I will see you in the morning Merlin I have to go pack and get the few gifts I have made for aunt and thank you again!" Merlin just nodded and smiled as he watched Ashen run off with a jump in his step that just made Merlin's smile grow.

The celebration lasted till late in the night Merlin had to help his drunk brother to his room while his uncle Balinor had to do the same with their father Uther. Merlin laughed at his brother who was acting like a complete idiot as he helped his brother get changed into his night clothes and dumped him into bed. The last thing Arthur says before he falls asleep is "I am glad you are home Merlin life is sure going to get interesting." Merlin chuckled and as he walked to the door using his magic to extinguish the candles and light the fire in the hearth saying "Goodnight Arthur I help you with that hangover in the morning." All Merlin heard as he closed the door was Arthur just laugh.

Merlin fell asleep quickly and in a blissful mood he had to admit this was the most interesting but also the best anniversary he had ever had.

When Merlin woke in the morning he knew that Ashen would be there in an hour so Merlin decided that he would go wake up Arthur and help him with that hangover he was sure to have.

"Rise and shine you lazy daisy!" Merlin yelled as he pushed the drapes open Arthur groaned saying "Merlin shut up I already have a headache." Merlin shook his head and said "That is what you get for drinking so much last night I bet you don't remember me saying when I dropped you in bed last night that I would help you with your hangover this morning." Arthur said he did not remember much of anything since a little before they left the party. Merlin sighed and said "I am so going to have to make sure you do not drink too much at parties from now on. Now sit up so I can help you get rid of that hangover our uncle taught me a spell that he has used on our father often enough that should work for you." Arthur was intrigued as he sat up he asked "And how many times had he had to use it on father before he left with you?" "From what I heard quite a few so he taught me well on every spell he knew so that if I had need of it which I think he knew I would I would know what to do now shut up you prat and sit still." Merlin said with a teasing tone. Arthur listened though and sat still while Merlin put his right hand on Arthur's forehead and said "Atheris fundunum esteria." Arthur watched as Merlin's eyes flashed gold and then he felt as if cold water washed over him and cleared his senses and his hangover just disappeared "Wow that's pretty handy, thanks." Merlin shrugged and said "That was nothing that was child's play for me but I am glad I could help." Merlin talked to Arthur for a while that morning but then right about the time that Ashen should be coming to Merlin's chambers Merlin said to Arthur "I have Ashen coming to see me before he heads out to Ealdor so I have to go for now but I will see you later." but Arthur surprised Merlin by saying "Well I will come with you because I think I need to apologize to him for all the times I have stopped him and yelled at him. I think he at least deserves that for what I did to him." Merlin walked out followed by Arthur saying "You know I think what happened last night actually was good for you." Arthur just chuckled and said his usually fond insult of idiot which Merlin replied with prat.

Ashen arrived right on time and Arthur first apologized to him which had taken Ashen aback but he accepted the apology and Arthur said that he would try not to be like that anymore. After he had finished his apology and Arthur excused himself because he did have to train with his knights this morning, but before he closed the door he caught the proud smile Merlin threw his way making Arthur smile back before he closed the door.

Merlin then turns to Ashen and started to tell him what to expect in two weeks "Ashen you know I have magic, I am very adept at sensing magic in others as well. In about two weeks I don't know how it will happen but you will use magic it will surface. I know you will probably be frightened but you will not need to be because I will be there to help you. What I want to ask you to do is be my manservant as a guise so I can help you learn how to control your magic and use it when it surfaces my uncle will be helping me out. So I wanted to warn you what will happen and ask you if you will consider what I ask so that I can help you." Ashen was shocked to hear that but said "I would be honored if you would help me and it would be an honor to be your manservant just because of how you have changed the lives of all the servants since you have arrived here I am more than happy to do it." Merlin smiled and said that he was more than happy to help but before Ashen left he said "Ashen you be careful and travel safely I will see you in a week and tell your aunt I said hello." Ashen said he would and left.

It was a little after mid day Merlin was reading one of the books that he had begged from his uncle the night before when the warning bell started to toll. Merlin was wondering what was going on when he felt powerful magic being used and he knew who it was. He slammed the book shut and ran to where his father and uncle would be and the only place he knew he would be able to get answers, his father's chambers.

When Merlin burst through the door of his father's room he saw that Sir Leon and a few other younger knights there in the room. Merlin looked at his father and asked "I know Ailya was here what happened?" Uther looked at Merlin like he had grown an extra head as he asked "How do you know Ailya was here even you uncle did not know until the knights just told us?" "There are some things I learned that even uncle Balinor could not teach me. I can tell when his magic is used because when he uses it I can detect the signature of it once anyone who has magic uses it once around me I can detect the signature then I can detect again if that same person uses it again within a certain distance of me. When Ailya used that teleportation spell last night to get away after she threw that dagger at Arthur I was able to figure out what the signature for her magic was. When that magic was used again a few minutes ago I knew she came back and when she left. It was quick she came here for something or someone and then she left with it. Now who or what did she take?" Merlin explained why he knew she was there and ask why, Uther looked at Balinor then back at Merlin and said in a grave voice "She took Arthur we don't know why." Merlin chocked on air then it hit him "I do, She did it to spite me for last night. She thinks that by taking Arthur in the way she did I won't be able to find her, she thinks that I won't be able to defeat her, and she believes that she is more powerful than me because she is older. Well she is going to find out just how wrong she is. I am going after him first I will go to where she took him which is the training ground I will pick up the signal of her magic and I can track her that way. I will bring him home." Uther shook his head and stood walking over to Merlin saying "No Merlin I am not losing you to her. I just got you back I will not lose you again. You stand no chance against her. Let the knights go instead they will find her and bring your brother back." Merlin shook his head and gave his father a small smile saying "Father if you send the knights it will be a slaughter and you are wrong I am the only one who can defeat her. You have to let me go or Arthur will pay the price. She will kill him to get to me and the longer we wait the more pain she will inflict on him before she kills him. I can't let Arthur die at her hands and I won't. I am going whether you say I can or not because I am the only one who can help him and I am not going to let him die and she will pay for this and I will be fine. But I am going and nothing you do will stop me so do not try. I will bring him home." Uther was about to try and say no but Balinor was beside him saying "Uther he is right he could do things most sorcerers can do at three years old when he was three he shape shifted into a wolf only powerful sorcerers who trained for decades can do that and few ever succeed he was three and never had even practiced doing it. The first thing he could do was levitate things with his mind at two days old the first thing he did was hit me over the head with a book well a few books. Uther the point is I talked to Kilgarra you remember the stories of Emrys and the once and future king that is your two sons Merlin is Emrys and Arthur is the once and future king you know the stories about Emrys and how powerful he is. Merlin is the only one who can bring Arthur back you have to let him go he will be fine. I have seen his magic grow stronger each day she is no match for him. You just have to believe in him I know I do and I know that Merlin can do it." Merlin nodded and Uther sighed but nodded saying "Alright bring him home Merlin but be sure that you keep yourself safe as well." Merlin said he would and left.

Merlin gathered what he would need for the travel and then headed towards the training field and he as soon as he was there he got the signal of Ailya's magic and latched his onto it so that it would lead him to Arthur. Merlin got a horse from his brother's stables and once he was at the forests edge he looked at the sun and said and thought "Hang on Arthur I coming for you just hang on." and Merlin set off.