Past and Present Danger

A/N: Thanks again. Let me know what you think of this chapter!

Chapter 8

Arthur made little effort to hide his frustration as he walked down the same street in the lower town for the third time. He caught sight of Gwaine at the other end of the road and called him over.

'Anything?'

'Not so far, I've seen plenty of brown haired kids, but I don't think-' he began.

'You'd know if it was Merlin. He looks exactly like him just…shorter. He's even wearing a neckerchief,' Arthur added, rolling his eyes and trying not to panic.

It had been four hours since Arthur's argument with Merlin in the corridor and therefore four hours since Merlin junior had followed after the Court Sorcerer to see if he was alright. It had, however, only been an hour since Prince Arthur had decided to share the second piece of information with anybody and he had only shared it in the end because Gwen had got suspicious of the Prince's story that young Merlin was tired and still asleep.

Arthur had been in a Council Meeting when Gwen had all but burst into the room.

'Guinevere?' Arthur asked.

'My Lord,' she said, slightly breathless, offering a quick courtesy. 'If I might discuss something with you very quickly?'

Arthur had glanced meaningfully at the other council members, but her look of desperation convinced him that something was very wrong. His first thought had been that Prince Arthur had gotten hold of a real sword and stabbed Merlin's younger self. The second was that something had happened to the real Merlin. The Court Sorcerer's absence at the council meeting was painfully obvious, but the other members had sensibly remained silent on the matter.

He left the meeting quickly and pulled Guinevere into one of the side passages.

'What is it?'

'Merlin's gone.'

'I already know that,' Arthur told her in confusion. Hadn't he mentioned earlier that Merlin had stormed off? Perhaps he hadn't.

'No, Arthur, not our Merlin, young Merlin.'

'What?' He hadn't been able to keep the alarm out of his voice. 'When?'

'According to Arthur he followed Merlin after your argument earlier.'

'I thought he was sleeping. Arthur said…' Arthur tailed off at the words, clenching his fists at his sides. 'He didn't tell us.'

'No, he didn't,' Gwen said quietly. Arthur hid his disappointment at the difficulties that his young self was continuing to cause. He ran a hand through his hair.

'Where's Arthur now?'

'In the guest room. I found him some books and things.' Arthur pulled a face.

'That's not going to keep him entertained.'

'Well,' Gwen continued, 'I found some of your old things as well.' Arthur nodded his approval. 'I've asked at the stables and our Merlin went and got Halesha earlier. You said he was going to see Kilgharrah so I assume that's where he is, but he was alone. I asked if there was a boy with him and the stable hands said they hadn't seen anyone else.'

'And he's not in the castle?'

'I haven't seen him. Arthur, I'm worried. Merlin gets into enough trouble now as it is.'

'And six year old Merlin can barely use his magic.'

'We need to find him.'

Arthur had quickly dismissed the Council under some excuse and called together the Knights of the Round Table. He hadn't wanted to involve them -the fewer people who knew the better- but now he didn't have a choice. Keeping the boys safe was the most important thing and the knights were the best means of doing that at the moment. Merlin had to be found.

He had briefly taken a detour to the guest chambers intent on telling the Prince exactly how stupid he'd been keeping Merlin's disappearance a secret, but at the last minute changed his mind. He felt angry and upset with the boy and wasn't sure he could trust himself to say the right thing. Instead he had joined the knights in the search. That had been an hour ago and they still had not found Merlin, young or old. He wasn't too worried about his Merlin, he could take care of himself, but Gwen was right: a six year old Merlin could get into no end of trouble with very little effort.

'Where shall we search now, Arthur?' Gwaine asked. 'He's not in the town.'

'And he's not in the castle.'

Arthur thought quickly, running through the other possibilities. A few people had said that they'd seen a boy earlier, but no-one could tell Arthur where he'd gone.

'We need to widen the search to outside the town walls,' Arthur said with a sigh.

'I'll tell Leon,' Gwaine nodded. 'Don't worry Arthur, Merlin always survives,' he added, slapping Arthur on the back and then jogging off to find the rest of the knights.

Arthur made his way to outer wall gate, but stopped when he saw the familiar horse that was trotting through it. He gave sigh of relief as he saw Halesha and spotted the boy she was carrying. Somewhere along the way, Merlin must have picked up his young self and taken him to see Kilgharrah. Arthur would shout at him later for taking the boy without letting anyone know, but then where was he? Frowning, Arthur looked past the horse, hoping to catch sight of his friend walking behind, but his Court Sorcerer was nowhere to be seen. He walked forward and was met with a nervous smile from Merlin.

'Isn't Merlin with you?' The boy shook his head and said nothing. He looked pale and frightened. 'Is he alright?' Arthur asked, alarm creeping along his back at the lack of response and the evident fear on the boy's face. Merlin took a deep breath, evidently building up the courage to say something.

'He's gone to find Morgana,' he blurted out.

'What?'

'I'm sorry Your Majesty, I really am. I tried to tell him to come back to Camelot first, but he said he could do it alone; he'd even got food and things with him. And the dragon told him where to find Morgana and he's got to go and get the pendant off her so that we can get back, but I don't think it's a good idea and then the dragon talked in my head and he told me to tell you to go after Merlin because he needed help.' The boy stopped there, taking several deep breaths while Arthur tried to process the vast amount of information that had just been thrown at him. He knew what Merlin was like when he wanted to talk and it seemed he'd started the habit when he was young.

'Calm down,' he told the boy.

'I'm really sorry,' he repeated.

'Merlin,' Arthur said gently. 'This isn't your fault. Now tell me again, slowly. Everything that's happened.

By the time Arthur had got all the facts out of the young boy, his knights had arrived. They stared at Merlin with a mix of disbelief and awe, but also a fair amount of amusement as they watched the six year old boy use gestures and phrases that they had seen so often in their friend. It was evident just by looking at there faces that they would be as protective and fond of young Merlin as they were of the real Merlin. Arthur dreaded to think what they'd make of the Prince, whom he was sure they would now want to meet.

His worry over the knights' opinions of Prince Arthur, however, dwindled into insignificance very quickly as he listened to the dark haired boy explain the events of the morning. How could Merlin be so stupid as to go and find Morgana on his own, whether she was in a weakened state or not? She would still prove to be very dangerous. But unbidden the voice in his head told Arthur why Merlin had chosen to go alone and he felt guilt as the revelation begin to build up. Merlin hadn't wanted him there; that was the truth of it. Arthur words from this morning must have hurt more than he'd realised. What was Merlin trying to prove? That Arthur could trust him? That he could put everything right? Either way, going after Morgana alone was never going to be a good plan and evidently Kilgharrah had agreed. Arthur hadn't had much to do with the Great Dragon since he'd changed the laws on magic -the two of them still didn't really trust each other, instead they used Merlin as a middle ground- but he knew enough to trust the creature's judgement on the situation and if he wanted Arthur to go after Merlin then that was exactly what Arthur was going to do.

Arthur knew very little of the place the dragon had mentioned, except to know that it was dangerous and difficult terrain. He could understand why Merlin had sent Halesha back, rather than take her on a treacherous journey into the foothills of the Caleron mountains. But that didn't mean that they couldn't take the horses some of the way and then leave them while they went on into the mountains.

It would take no more than a few days to reach their destination, which meant that in all likelihood they could catch up with Merlin before the day was out. He evidently wasn't expecting them to follow, assuming that they'd have no idea where he was heading; it was only due to Kilgharrah that they had any clue where to look.

'We will leave in an hour,' Arthur said after a long silence. 'With any luck we'll find Merlin before night fall. From there we go with him to find Morgana and retrieve the pendant.'

The knights nodded and headed back into the castle.

'You did well, Merlin,' Arthur said to the young man who was still sitting on Halesha. Arthur picked up the reigns and began to lead the horse on.

'I did try to stop him, I promise.'

'I know,' Arthur nodded. 'Come back into the castle now. Guinevere has been worrying.' 'Did Prince Prat-' the boy stopped abruptly, horror on his face at what he had said. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. I meant Prince Arthur, really I did, I-'

'Merlin,' Arthur said with a sigh, trying to suppress the urge to roll his eyes. He was quite certain that the boy hadn't come up with that name on his own. 'It's alright. What was your question?'

The boy looked uncertainly at him and then continued.

'Did Prince Arthur,' he said slowly, 'tell you where I'd gone?'

'He did. Eventually,' Arthur nodded.

'I know I should have said something, but I wanted to catch up and I thought it would take too long otherwise.'

'You shouldn't go wandering about alone. You need to stay safe.'

'I know, but I was with Merlin,' he said hesitantly.

'Just let Guinevere or I know next time,' Arthur told him. He nodded.

There was silence for a while and soon they reached the courtyard. Arthur helped Merlin out of the saddle and then called over a stable hand to take Halesha back.

'Do you think Merlin will be alright?' the boy asked him as the horse was led off. He was still staring after her, unaware that Arthur was already heading towards the main entrance. Arthur stopped and looked back, before walking back to where the boy stood.

'I hope so,' he nodded. 'He normally is.' Arthur felt his shoulders slouch slightly and his head bow as he thought of where his friend was now. He didn't like the idea of Merlin being out there on his own. That was something he had never been able to shake. Even after finding out that his friend was the most powerful sorcerer of the age, he had still worried about him whenever they found themselves in battle or facing some terrible creature. He just looked so powerless compared to the horrors of the world, even if, in actuality, he was more powerful than most of those things put together.

And now…now Merlin was vulnerable. His magical protection currently rested on the dark haired boy at Arthur's side. All Merlin had now were his own powers and whatever he could think to do with them if a problem arose.

Arthur knew that his own magical protection had also gone that night in the clearing, but he had the feeling that Merlin had already begun to restore it. He could sense the magic on him, just the tinniest feeling in the back of his mind. He didn't know when Merlin had begun to restore the wards that surrounded the King, but he was sure that was the case. In any situation, no matter how large or small, Arthur knew that Merlin would not leave him unprotected; it was what experience had shown him time and time again. That truth had been taken to almost fatal extremes on the day that Arthur had finally lifted Merlin's exile and forgiven him.

At his side, Arthur felt a pressure on his hand and looked down to see Merlin's tiny one holding his own. He hadn't noticed the boy doing it. His initial reaction was to shrug it off. Merlin didn't need any encouraging when it came to being overly sensitive. But somehow, coming from a child version of Merlin it felt different. His Merlin would reassure him with encouraging, wise words and selfless actions, but this Merlin, this tiny child who had such familiar eyes and features…this Merlin couldn't do those things; he wasn't that man…not yet, but he still had a need to help people, to comfort them, to make them feel like everything would be alright. Offering a hand to hold was obviously the way that he did it.

'I think he'll be fine,' Merlin smiled. Arthur returned the smile and squeezed the boy's hand.

'I think you're right,' Arthur nodded. 'Come on. I need to prepare to leave, and you need to go and let Guinevere know that you're alright.'

They moved forward, still hand in hand as Arthur guided the boy back into the castle.

Prince Arthur eyed the reunion between Merlin and Guinevere warily. The boy had been gone nearly the whole morning; surely somebody would get suspicious of him.

'I was worried, Merlin,' Guinevere told him. She crouched down in front of the boy and put a hand on his shoulders. 'You shouldn't leave the castle. It's dangerous.'

'I'm sorry,' Merlin whispered and he actually looked it. So much so that Guinevere gave him a hug!

Arthur rolled his eyes from where he sat on the bed; a set of wooden soldiers laid out in formation on top of the blanket. That was hardly the right way to treat someone who'd been so stupid as to run off.

'If you don't want him to run off, you should put him in the dungeons. That's what I'd do.'

'Well when you're King, you can do what you like, until then you need to remember that I am in charge.' Arthur looked up to see his older self coming through the door and fixing him with a hard stare. 'You lied to us about where Merlin was.'

'It doesn't matter where he is,' Arthur replied angrily. 'He's a sorcerer.' He turned his back on the three people at the door. He didn't have to listen to them telling him off for something that they should already know. He expected them to leave him alone. That's what people normally did, but he heard heavy footsteps and knew that the King had more to say.

'Listen to me,' the man said quietly, but firmly. It made Arthur nervous. 'If you want to get back to your own time then you need to realise that it does matter where Merlin is, both of them, and where you and I are. We are in this situation together, each one of us, which means I should be able to trust you. And I don't.'

Arthur felt fury well up in him at the words. How dare anyone say they didn't trust him, let alone his future self? Didn't the King know how much Arthur loved Camelot? How much he wanted to be a good ruler like his father. He looked around the room and saw Guinevere watching the scene sadly and Merlin standing next to her, his eyes flicking between the floor and Arthur. The sight of him standing there so innocently made Arthur even madder.

'You don't trust me? What about him?' He pointed at Merlin, getting up off the bed and taking a few steps towards the boy before stopping and looking at the King. 'He's the one who ran off, he's the one who wanted to help a sorcerer rather than a king after we saw you arguing in the corridor. He's the one who uses magic!' he finished, yelling the words even louder.

'And you're the one who lied to the Queen!' the King replied, even more forcefully. Arthur stood his ground staring defiantly up at the man.

'Arthur,' Gunivere began, but the King didn't seem to hear.

'Merlin could have been in serious trouble,' the man continued.

'I'm fine, Your Majesty, really,' came Merlin's quiet voice. Arthur felt his annoyance fly even higher at the boy's words. There he was, creeping round the King and Queen again, trying to make himself look good and Arthur look bad.

'I wouldn't care if he was in serious trouble,' Arthur answered, putting his head in the air, refusing to back down. He was not going to be made to feel bad because of a sorcerer. 'He's not my friend and he never will be. As soon as I get back I'm telling my father about him. I already know that he lives in a village called Ealdor. He told me.'

Arthur waited for the rebuke that he was sure was going to follow, but nothing happened. There was just silence in the room. Arthur risked glancing up at the King, but the man wasn't even looking at him; he was frowning as if he was confused by something. Suddenly he straightened up and began looking around the room, until his eyes fixed on Merlin. He walked over to him.

'Is that the name of your village: Ealdor? Is that where you're from?' he asked, his tone urgent. Arthur just watched him. Was he going mad? Merlin seemed equally confused.

'Yes,' the boy whispered. 'I live with my mother.'

'And what's your mother's name?' the King asked.

'Arthur?' Guinevere said; her tone just as serious. 'What is it, what's going on?'

'What's your mother's name, Merlin?'

'Don't you know it?' Merlin asked; genuine surprise in his voice. Arthur rolled his eyes; why should the King know the name of a servant's mother?

'No,' the King whispered. 'I don't remember it.'

'It's Hunith, Arthur,' Guinivere replied sadly. The King looked at her. 'It's Hunith,' she repeated.

And just like that, the man walked out of the door, his wife following him, leaving Merlin and Arthur alone in the room.

'Do you think he's alright?' Merlin asked, looking over at Arthur.

'Don't speak to me, sorcerer. I wish you'd never come back.' Neither of them said anything for a long time, but eventually Merlin spoke up. Arthur didn't look at him.

'Did you really mean what you said? That when we get back you'll kill me?'

Arthur opened his mouth to reply that yes he would, as soon as he saw his father, but he made the mistake of looking at the boy and seeing his frightened face. He thought he'd enjoy seeing him afraid of what could be done to him, but instead Arthur felt strangely unsure. It made him hate Merlin all the more. He was a sorcerer; Arthur shouldn't need to think twice about it.

'Yes, I will,' he replied firmly. He turned away and waited for the boy to beg him to spare his life like he'd seen other people do when his father had ordered an execution, but Merlin didn't say anything. 'Don't you care?' Arthur asked turning round.

'Yes,' Merlin nodded, his voice very quiet, but he didn't look away from Arthur; he kept staring instead as if expecting the Prince to do something or say something.

'What are you looking at?' Arthur asked angrily. Merlin opened his mouth to reply, but then closed it again.

'Nothing,' he murmured, going over to the window and sitting down in the chair that was there. His lack of response frustrated Arthur even more. Why couldn't he just be like every other boy that Arthur had tormented in the past? Why couldn't he get cross and shout and try and hit Arthur and then end up thoroughly beaten up by said-Prince?

And why…Arthur started the thought, but couldn't follow through with it. He sighed and went over to his bed where the wooden soldiers lay. He picked the first one up and stared at it. They were old and broken now, bits chipped off them and arms missing, but they still had the red capes of Camelot on their shoulders, even if the material was faded and torn.

No-one knew, but he had seen the knights earlier when they walked into the courtyard. He'd snuck into one of the rooms overlooking the courtyard and even from there he'd been able to hear them talking about Merlin, about how much he reminded them of the sorcerer. They had smiled and laughed. They trusted him instantly, thought that he was harmless and innocent. Arthur had been fuming once again at how easily Camelot's finest were being taken in by the boy. What had happened to everyone that a sorcerer was so welcome?

He had been about to leave and go back to the room before Guinevere spotted that he was missing when he saw the King walk in leading Merlin on a horse. Unable to look away, he had seen the man lift Merlin from the saddle, walk back to him when he stupidly stood there staring into nothing and then…then. Arthur looked down at the solider in his hand and grabbed the arm, pulling at it until it snapped. He moved onto the next one and the next one until the soldiers were in pieces on the bed.

Why would a King let a peasant boy who would one day be a powerful sorcerer hold his hand? Why would a King even hold someone's hand? His father had certainly never held anyone's hand, not even his own son's. And yet King Arthur had held Merlin's hand, Guinevere had hugged him when he came into the room and the knights thought he was wonderful. Arthur picked up the remains of the soldiers and flung them against the wall.

Why did they all trust Merlin more than him? Why did they all listen to Merlin more than him?

Why did they all like Merlin more than him?

Looking round he saw Merlin staring at him from the window. He didn't look confused; he wasn't looking at Arthur as if he was an idiot, not exactly. He looked…unsure, like he wanted to say something to…help.

Arthur hated him. Hated him.

'What do you want?' Arthur shouted at him.

Merlin shook his head, sighed and looked away. Arthur turned his attention back to the soldiers, looking at them lying broken in pieces on the floor. He felt like one of them: scattered all over the place; not able to escape; being hurt by people; not knowing what was going on and being unable to do anything to make things right again.

He picked one up and began searching through the tiny wooden pieces, trying to put the soldier back together again.

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