Arthur was able to breathe a sigh of relief when they reached the stables without being seen. Merlin was tense.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked as he entered Praeneuf's stall and began to saddle him, grateful the stable staff had left when the bell had gone.

Gedren's doing something, Merlin said slowly, reaching out with his powers.

A second later, Arthur felt him snap them back with a gasp. "What?" He tried not to flinch as Merlin let out an angry hiss.

When Merlin called Gedren some choice words, Arthur did flinch. Even he would never say such words, to anyone.

"Merlin what is going on?"

Arthur was immediately cut off by Merlin's shout of pain. Before he could say anything more, Merlin left him, appearing as a red-eyed wolf outside Praeneuf's stall. Startled, the stallion snorted.

"Easy boy," Arthur said, giving the horse a pat. Then, he turned to Merlin. "I'll leave you behind unless you tell me what just happened," he snarled.

Merlin flashed his teeth then sighed. He knows. When I reached out to locate him again, he hit me back. Now what do we do?

"Pretend you're not with me, and we'll go look for him. What exactly is he doing that caused the bell?"

Merlin seemed to shrug. All I can sense is that it doesn't bode well for Camelot.

Arthur finished saddling Praeneuf and led him out. "You're invisible and undetectable except to me," he said to Merlin and mounted the bay, ready to leave. "He shouldn't be able to sense you."

Well apparently he can, at least when I'm attached to you. I'll try again.

He did so and after a moment, he nodded. He didn't sense me. Guess it's just you.

"Ha ha, funny," said Arthur. "Let's go before the knights show up. Lead the way."

They left the stable quickly, Merlin using his sense of smell to follow Gedren's trail. Once they reached the edge of the forest, it was all Arthur could do to push Praeneuf to keep up with Merlin's long strides.

At last, Merlin slowed, stopping behind a massive oak tree. Arthur pulled Praeneuf up and after dismounting, tied him securely.

Joining Merlin by the tree, he scanned the landscape, and spotted Gedren's fire.

It was a bright, eye-watering blue, and, Arthur thought, way too big to be safe.

"What's he doing?"

Merlin sent out 'feelers' and found Gedren was mixing some kind of potion. I can't tell what it is, but he's cooking some sort of potion. I don't like this Arthur.

"Stop whining," Arthur grumbled, unsheathing his sword and moving out from behind the tree.

Arthur, no!

Too late. Gedren had seen them. A snarl twisted his face, eerie and uglier than ever in the firelight.

Arthur drew on his fighting prowess to dodge Gedren's blows as he came roaring across the clearing at them.

Merlin had him trumped.

While Gedren was distracted fighting with Arthur, Merlin leapt at him from behind, red eyes glowing, and sank four, three inch long canines into Gedren's left hip.

Unable to see Merlin, Gedren jerked back, howling and clutching both hands to his bloody pelvic bone.

"What the hell was that?" he cried, trampling snow.

Arthur tackled him as Merlin merged again. Gedren jerked as his eyes flared yellow.

Arthur smiled wickedly. "Gotcha," he said, hauling Gedren to his feet. "Now tell me, what are you doing out here?"

"I should turn you in!" Gedren snarled. "You're magic."

"Wrong," said Arthur, forcing Gedren to sit on his abandoned log. "I am merely a vessel for magic." He glanced at the fire, still burning a bright blue, and arched a brow.

"None of your business, prince," sneered Gedren and before Arthur could react, he was blasted backwards as Gedren threw him with magic from the fire's warmth.

Arthur hit a black cherry, the rough bark scraping his skin through his clothes. His head whipped back and connected with such a solid thump that he was unconscious before he hit the ground.

"That's for snooping," Gedren growled, looming over Arthur's still body. "If you weren't the bloody prince, I'd see you to the dungeons."

He walked away, leaving an incorporeal Merlin fuming with anger.

Fearing for Arthur's life, Merlin didn't move until he was sure Gedren had returned to the castle and couldn't detect him anymore.

Whining, he tried to make Arthur get up. When that didn't work, he switched to his incorporeal human form and, returning to the prince, made his body move.

As he started off, it occurred to him that he could have gone back to his body, but decided against it, as it would have meant risking running into Gedren, and it would take too long to get back to Arthur.

It took him nearly two hours to make Arthur stagger back to the castle. Avoiding the throne room, Merlin made Arthur go right to Gaius. By the time Merlin left him and returned to his own body, Arthur was beginning to come round.

"Sire?" Gaius was at his side in an instant. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I have an egg attached to my head," Arthur groaned, gingerly touching his temple area, where the tree had connected.

Gaius handed Arthur a cold cloth. "Here, keep it covered and the swelling should go down. What happened? I heard the bell."

"Merlin and I went after Gedren. He must have snuck out past the guards, because when we found him, he had a bright blue fire going, and Merlin said he was working on some kind of potion," said Arthur, handing the cloth back to Gaius.

Gaius went very still, the cloth suspended over the water bowl beside the bed. "I told you to be careful," he said sternly, dipping the cloth and handing it back. "If it hadn't been for Merlin, he could have easily killed you."

"He accused me of magic. Told me that if I wasn't the prince, I would have gone to the dungeons."

"I'm not surprised," said Gaius with a sigh. "I knew him a long time ago, when we studied magic together. We were friends and then, during our second year of study, he began to experiment with dark magic."

"You turned your back."

It wasn't a question, but Gaius nodded anyway. "Yes. Our tutors banned him from returning to the school, but he'd learnt enough. After he left, I didn't think of him again." Gaius sighed wearily. "At least not until he appeared in Camelot."

"What are we going to do about him?"

Gaius glanced out the window. "In the morning," he said as Merlin came down the stairs from his room, corporeal and still in wolf form. "It's too late to do it now."

Merlin gave Arthur a confused look. What're you talking about?

"Nothing Merlin. We'll continue in the morning. I'm going to bed."

I'll stay with Gaius tonight, said Merlin, turning to go back to his room. See you in the morning Arthur.

"Night." Gaius heard Arthur mumbled as he left for his chambers.

None of them had any idea a hidden Gedren had heard everything.