Hey this is Chapter 5 to go with chapter 4 again allow me to apologise for the lateness, hope it meets all your standards.

Chapter 5

Merlin kept riding north. He kept going for a couple of days, until he realised that he was thoroughly lost. Of course it didn't help that Arthur kept jeering at him, because 'it was evident that Merlin couldn't even read a map', and, quite frankly, Merlin had come very close to squashing Arthur on purpose.

"For the hundredth time, Merlin, try turning it the right way round!" Arthur was referring to the map, which Merlin was scanning yet again.

"It is the right way round," Merlin growled between gritted teeth. "If you'll just shut up, I might be able to concentrate on it more!"

"Well, you've being concentrating on the map for daysss, you idiot! And we are no clossser to finding out where we are sssupposssed to go or how to get there. Can you blame me for losssing my temper???"

"Arthur, please, I'm trying but I don't know how to get there yet," Merlin pleaded.

"Get WHERE?" Arthur hissed frustratedly.

Merlin suddenly felt a presence touch his mind. He recognised it instantly: Dellarux.

"Am I sensing you are lost, Merlin?" Dellarux's voice entered his mind.

"I wish you would stop doing that! But yes we are lost," Merlin sent back.

A warm chuckle in the back of his mind was the response.

"Look towards the north of the Lake Meridor. I will wait for you just beyond the forest."

"Erm…thank you. Wait, do you know what I am coming to ask, Dellarux?" Merlin was slightly unnerved by the thought, and was surprised it hadn't crossed his mind earlier.

"Yes…" came the reply. It sounded like a sigh.

"Then will you agree to it?" Merlin asked.

"May we discuss that when I see you?" was the resounded response.

"I just need to know if I'm wasting my time and Arthur's," Merlin sighed.

"Please, Merlin, be reasonable. I need time to think about the circumstances for me and your ugly friend," Dellarux's voice was agitated.

"He's only like that because of you!" Merlin accused.

"Just meet me on the outskirts of the Lake, Merlin," Dellarux replied.

His tone left no room for argument, and Merlin felt the connection break.

"Well, so much for having a friendly discussion…" Merlin muttered.

"Friendly conversation with who? Merlin, what are you talking about?" Arthur was getting extremely annoyed.

"Erm, nobody…" Merlin replied dully.

"Merlin, you are the worst ssservant in the hissstory of worssst ssservantssss," Arthur hissed.

"Well, at least I know where to go now, and we might have you back to your normal self by tomorrow night," Merlin replied, trying to lighten the mood.

"It wont happen, Merlin, and how do you know where we're going?" Arthur asked.

"It might, we don't know yet. Oh, and I guess the only place reasonable for someone to live on the run would be near water and shelter, so we are going to the -"

"- Lake!" Arthur hissed excitedly. "Why, Merlin, I do believe you've jussst had the mossst sssensssible idea you've ever had, you might perhapsss even passs for reasssonable!"

"Reasonable what?" Merlin smiled.

"Ssservant of courssse!" Arthur's scales crinkled gently as he tried to smile.

"Thanks, Arthur!" Merlin grinned goofily. At least things were starting to look up between him and Arthur again.

Yet strangely he felt sad.

He felt sad because he realised that his judgement wasn't as sharp as he thought it was. He had thought that he might finally have found a sorcerer like him who wasn't evil, who wasn't going out of his way to kill him or Arthur. The realisation that this sorcerer was just the same as all the others, made him feel miserable.

Dellarux heard what Merlin was thinking, and hung his head despondently. Something had changed inside of him; it wasn't right. He had always felt it was his right to survive, ever since his father had cast him out. He had managed perfectly well on his own for centuries, but now something had changed. He had a longing for a companion…

But now he sat there on a tree stump, head in his hand and struggling to make up his mind. Was the price of making a friend and a companion, his eternal imprisonment? Was he never meant to survive and make a life for himself?

"Oh, what am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do?"

There's chapter 5 for you, Chapter 6 shouldn't be too long. Please read and review and again give thanx to my beta reader MagicByMerlin.