Past and Present Danger

A/N: Thank you again for all the reviews. I think I may have to switch to weekly reviews for the next few weeks at least as I've nearly caught up with myself and haven't got much time to write at the moment. I'll update more regularly as soon as I can!

Anyway, here's the next chapter. Please review!

Chapter 10

'You know Merlin,' Arthur called as he nudged his horse into a quick trot. It didn't take long for him to draw level. 'Last time I checked, any member of the Royal Court planning to leave Camelot for an extended trip had to inform the King of where he or she was going.' As Arthur swung himself off the horse, the knights came to a stop behind him. 'Does that ring any bells for you?'

Merlin kept a straight face; he always at least tried to deliver his comebacks without a smirk; that came later.

'I think I must have missed that meeting,' he said, his tone serious. 'Was probably on an unsanctioned trip outside of Camelot.' He smiled at Arthur, although it wasn't to its usual intensity, which the King seemed to pick up on because the slightest flash of guilt crossed his face. He quickly covered it by putting a firm hand on Merlin's shoulder. Merlin knew the drill: if Arthur was going to apologise, which wasn't necessarily a guarantee, then he would wait until no-one else was around to hear. Merlin wandered absently if he should apologise; after all, he had shouted at the King, suggested that he would team up with Morgana and turn on Camelot and then all but run off without letting anyone know where he was going. He shook his head. Not this time. Arthur had deserved it.

'How did you find me?' Merlin asked instead as the knights dismounted. 'I covered my tracks with magic.'

'We noticed,' Sir Leon nodded.

'Good job we weren't tracking you then isn't it,' Gwaine added, coming round and giving Merlin a slap on the back and a wide smile.

'But…' Merlin tried.

'Merlin told us,' Arthur answered in the end.

'He didn't know where I was going.'

'No, but Kilgharrah did,' Arthur replied. Merlin frowned at him for several seconds and then realised his own stupidity. Of course Kilgharrah had told young Merlin; he'd thought it was odd that the dragon had given up arguing with him so quickly when Merlin had insisted on going alone.

'Honestly, Merlin, what exactly were you thinking?' Arthur asked him, looking at Merlin again like he was an idiot. Merlin decided it wasn't a good idea to fill Arthur in on exactly what he had been thinking as he was sure that would not help either of them to move past the issue of this morning.

'I was thinking that I'm a powerful warlock and you haven't got any magical protection on you at the moment so I didn't really want to risk the life of the King.'

'That's touching Merlin,' Arthur said, clearly unconvinced, 'but we both know that you've restored some of my magical wards and even if you hadn't, the knights are covered in them. They can help.'

'The wards on you at the moment will barely do anything,' Merlin pointed out. 'And I can handle Morgana.'

'Merlin,' Arthur continued, lowering his voice slightly. 'We have always faced Morgana together. So stop making excuses and start saying thank you to us for coming after you.'

'Thank you,' Merlin nodded, and he knew that he meant it. Even having them all next to him made him feel more confident that they would find the pendant and get back to Camelot to put this whole mess right.

'That's better,' Arthur nodded. 'Now, let's go. Merlin filled us in on some of the details, but he seemed even more confused and scared than you normally are, so we'd appreciate a more thorough explanation.' Merlin nodded and explained everything that Kilgharrah had told him while they went back to the forest and tied up the horses. The animals would be alright there for a few days while they went and found Morgana. There was plenty of grass and a stream, and wolves were not known to live in this area. It took a while until everything was ready, but before too long they set off, heading closer to the Pass of the Old Kings, and Morgana.

Arthur lifted his head from the pillow and listened intently for what felt like the hundredth time since he had been all but sent to bed by Guinevere. He was waiting for the stupid sorcerer to fall asleep, but for some reason the boy just stayed stubbornly awake. Arthur could hear him tossing and turning. If it wasn't for the fact that he needed Merlin to actually go to sleep, Arthur would have thrown something very hard at him by now, but the only way that would work to his advantage was if he actually managed to knock the boy unconscious and all he could really find to throw at him was a cushion which he didn't think would do the trick.

Now, though, when he listened, the breathing from the other bed was deep and steady. Perfect. As quietly as he could, which was very because of all his training, Arthur pushed back the covers and got out of the bed. He was still fully dressed, having gotten into bed like that while Merlin was saying goodnight to Guinevere –he had actually gone to find her and say goodnight! Arthur just wanted to shake them all and tell them exactly how Merlin was playing them.

Edging gently across the floor in the darkness, Arthur moved towards the door and pushed his ear against it to listen. He cursed as he heard the familiar clinking of metal as the guards outside the door shifted slightly in their chain mail. Inwardly cursing, he looked around the room again. It did have an attached room and he was sure that there was a passage from there to another room further round the corridor. King Arthur would have known about it, but perhaps Guinevere didn't. Maybe that entrance was unguarded. Picking up his boots from where they sat by the door, Arthur made his way into the adjoining chamber and searched along the wall for the entrance to the passage. He felt the tapestry that hung in front of it and quickly swung it out of the way. He smothered a cough as he breathed in dust, but then quickly felt his way along the passage.

It took only a minute or two to reach the other side and stumble out into the room. He stayed very still for a moment. He hadn't considered the possibility that someone might actually live in the room, but it seemed deserted. Quickly he slipped on his boots and then tip-toed his way to the door. This time when he listened he couldn't hear anybody on the other side, but it was still with great caution that he turned the handle and peered through the gap.

He grinned when he saw the corridor empty of anybody, guards or otherwise. More confidently now, he made his way around the corridors and down through the castle levels. He knew that the main entrance would be heavily guarded and so he used the smaller and lesser used servant corridors instead. He saw no-one and no-one saw him. In less than five minutes he was in the stables, admiring the horses that were kept there and choosing one for himself.

Having been around horses since before he could walk, Arthur was already more than capable of riding them with a skill and dexterity that most people would struggle to achieve even after years of practice. Preparing a horse, on the other hand, was a completely different matter. The fact was that usually someone did it for him. He had planned on going into the stables and riding out of them in less than a minute, now he would have to get the creature saddled. It wasn't that he hadn't done it before, but he was nowhere near as skilled in doing it as the stable boys would be. He momentarily considered going and finding one, but decided that they would probably report him –even though he was the Prince and the horses belonged to him any way- and then Guinevere would come and take him back to the room and post guards everywhere. That was something he didn't want.

No, this was meant to be a chance for him to get away from her watchful eye and instead keep his own watchful eye on his future self and his so called friend the Sorcerer. He would prove to all of them that Merlin was a fraud. Somehow he would stop this man from destroying the future of Camelot. If his older self couldn't see the enchantment that he was under, then Arthur would make sure he put a stop to it himself. This was not the future that he wanted for himself and he was going to make sure that it didn't come about.

After a frustrating few minutes, which involved climbing onto and falling off a stool several times while the horse just looked at him, Arthur managed to saddle the creature and climb up. The horse he had chosen was not one that had been bred for speed, but for stamina. He could tell by the stockiness of the creature and its gentle manner. In this light it looked to be completely black, but he thought their might be a few lighter patches on its back and legs.

Whispering soothing words to the creature, he started to nudge it out of the stables when a sudden noise caused the creature to take a few halting steps back. Arthur stayed very still, gently stroking the horse's mane to calm it, while peering suspiciously into the darkness.

'Who's there?' he asked quietly, but with as much authority as he could muster. Slowly, a shadow detached from the wall to reveal Merlin standing at the stable entrance looking at him with a frown of confusion. Arthur glared at him and debated whether or not to just charge at him with the horse, but decided it would take too much explaining later on. 'What are you doing here?' he hissed.

'I followed you. What are you doing here?' Merlin replied smoothly, stepping a little closer, although Arthur could see that he was doing so cautiously; evidently he too thought that the Prince might decide to trample him.

'I don't have to explain myself to you. Get out of my way.'

'Are you going after the King and Merlin?' he asked, ignoring the threatening tone in Arthur's voice.

'Why do you care?'

'Because I'd like to come with you.'

Arthur just laughed at him. As if he would ever let that boy tag along with him. He was hardly going to help Arthur break the enchantment on the King and expose old-Merlin's true motives. And what's more, Arthur hated him; they weren't going to wander off across Albion together.

'There's no way you're coming with me.'

'I could be useful,' Merlin argued. Arthur narrowed his eyes.

'If you use magic around me, I'll beat you up. There's no-one to stop me now.'

'I don't mean magic. I can't do very much of that yet. I mean I could help you to find them and I'm good at looking after horses. I used to look after them when the traders came to our village. And I'm also good at map reading-'

'I haven't got a map. I know where the Caleron Mountains are.' He smiled smugly at Merlin's surprised expression. 'Yes, I found out where they were going. It's easy enough to listen in on conversations when it's your own castle that you're being kept in.'

Arthur waited for the boy to mutter some stupid comment.

'You mean you don't know exactly where they're heading?' Merlin asked with a laugh. 'You're just going to head towards the mountains and hope that you find them?' With a click of the horse's reigns, Arthur sent the creature heading towards Merlin, wanting to scare him into being silent. The boy didn't look too concerned and Arthur had to pull the horse to a stop again.

'I'm an excellent tracker. I'll be able to find them.'

'What if Merlin's covered their tracks with magic?'

Arthur opened his mouth to reply when he realised that he hadn't thought of that at all. What if that was true? And was Merlin telling the truth? Was there a destination they were heading for that he hadn't heard when he was eavesdropping on the talk between the knights earlier? He studied the boy quickly and was annoyed to see something like a smirk on his face. Digging his feet into the horse's flank he directed it out of the stables.

'I know where they're going,' Merlin called after him quietly.

'I don't need your help.'

'If you don't take me with you I'm going to tell the first guard I find what's happened and they'll catch you before you've even got to the gate,' Merlin said in return. Arthur stopped the horse abruptly. Maybe he could still trample the boy with the horse. But that would just slow him down. He took several deep breaths and then, seething with anger, turned the horse around and trotted back to where Merlin was. The boy wasn't grinning at him, or acting like he'd won; he was just waiting for Arthur's reply.

'Why do you want to come?'

'Merlin said that it was his job to protect Arthur. So that means it's my job to protect you.' Arthur looked the boy up and down, doubting very much that this scrawny, feeble peasant could protect him from anything. Was Merlin really that stupid? And did he really want to protect Arthur; a person who hated him more than anyone else?

'I don't need your help.'

'You've got it anyway,' Merlin replied.

Arthur thought it over for several seconds. If he could just knock Merlin out with something then he'd be miles away before the alarm was raised, but what if the boy regained consciousness really quickly? With a heavy sigh he nodded.

'Fine,' he muttered, 'but if you fall off, I'm not coming back for you.'

'I won't fall off.'

He hoped onto the wall outside the stables and waited for Arthur to manoeuvre the horse next to it. Reluctantly Arthur did so. Quickly Merlin climbed into the saddle and then put his arms around Arthur's waist.

'I didn't say you could touch me.'

'Just go,' Merlin said quietly.

'I didn't-'

'You're just wasting time. Do you want to catch up with them or not?'

With something akin to a growl, Arthur gave up and urged the horse forward. He had a feeling that he could argue with Merlin until the sun came up and the boy still wouldn't let go of his waist. He was determined to come along for the ride, but there was nothing to say he wouldn't get lost on the way, Arthur mused to himself.

He put aside the irritation of Merlin for a minute and considered his next move. He knew that going to the main gate would get them noticed and so instead he headed for the east entrance, certain that there would be fewer guards and that, judging from the time, they would soon be changing shifts. As he approached, he could not stop a grin from covering his face as he watched the men begin to move away from the gate. He knew that the next two wouldn't be there for a few moments. Arthur took his chance and settled the creature into a gentle canter which echoed far too loudly on the cobbles for his liking, but no-one appeared to challenge him. With a grin, he snapped the reigns. The horse sped into a gallop, Merlin's hands tightened around his waist, while the countryside rushed away beneath them.

Merlin peered into the darkness, alert for any sound or movement. They had travelled for several hours after Arthur and the knights had caught up to him, but had been forced to stop well before night fall to avoid falling and injuring themselves on the uneven terrain of the foothills of the mountain. Merlin had managed to draw the short straw and get the very early morning watch. Dawn was still a few hours off and it was cold. He pulled the blanket tighter around himself, but resisted the urge to relight the fire that had burnt low a few hours before.

The sound of stirring in the camp caught his attention and he sensed someone moving towards him. Instinct told him it was Arthur and he soon made out the King's silhouette in the dull moonlight. Merlin didn't think it was time for a shift change yet, but perhaps it was later than he thought. But to his surprise, Arthur didn't offer to take the watch, or suggest that Merlin get some sleep. He just sat down close by saying nothing.

They hadn't really spoken about the argument the previous morning. The first few hours had been spent talking strategy and after that, with the knights around, Merlin hadn't felt like bringing it up, which he was sure was the same for Arthur. Maybe now though, he had decided to say something. Merlin was a little unnerved by it. Arthur tended to let these things lie and then carry on as if nothing had happened. Merlin had been more than happy to do the same.

'Can't you sleep?' Merlin ventured quietly.

'Not really,' he sighed. 'I'm worried that if I go to sleep, I'll forget more things.'

'I don't think that's how it works.'

'At least this way I feel like I'm doing something to avoid loosing them.' A silence fell over them, but it was heavy with worry and words that wanted to be spoken. Eventually Arthur carried on again. 'I don't remember your mother, or Ealdor,' he admitted. Merlin wasn't surprised. He had noticed certain blank spots in his own memory during the journey.

'Have you forgotten anything?' Arthur asked as if reading Merlin's thoughts.

'I don't remember yours and Gwen's wedding,' he replied quietly. 'I'm assuming I was invited.'

'Yes. Gwen insisted.'

Merlin smiled.

'Anything else?' Arthur continued.

'I'm sure I've forgotten some of the magical attacks from my first few years. Was there a troll at some point?' he asked, furrowing his brow; somehow it seemed familiar.

'Now that,' Arthur groaned, 'is a memory I'd quite happily forget.'

'I won't ask then. I think most other things are still there. Although I don't remember meeting Gwaine and I can't remember what happened to Lancelot.'

'Neither can I,' Arthur agreed, although the way he said it made Merlin think that he'd only just realised that that memory was gone. 'Didn't he seal the veil and stop the Dorocha?'

'Yes, but he came back again,' Merlin replied.

'Yes, I remember.' Merlin heard the clink of chain mail and could just imagine Arthur rubbing his face in frustration. 'I don't know what happened after that.'

'Nor me,' Merlin sighed. More silence and then more words from Arthur.

'This isn't good Merlin. I keep trying to remember Ealdor and I just…can't.'

'At least you remember the name,' Merlin offered.

'I didn't though. Merlin…little you, told me. Actually it was little me. He's a real pain you know.'

Merlin laughed. 'Who'd have guessed when you were always so pleasant and polite?'

He felt a fist connect with his upper arm, but it was gentle and playful. It made Merlin feel like they were back years ago, before everything was revealed. Before everything changed.

'I'd love to say that your young self was as irritating as you are, but he just isn't,' Arthur continued. 'What happened to you during the years in between?'

'It's just your skewed perception,' Merlin grinned. 'I bet young Arthur thinks little me is irritating.'

'He definitely does,' Arthur sighed.

'Are you sure it was alright to leave them together?' Merlin asked. He said it lightly, but somewhere underneath he did feel a genuine pinch of worry for his namesake.

'They'll be fine. I've known you for years and I haven't killed you-' Arthur stopped abruptly, and Merlin guessed why. An uncomfortable silence descended on them, but Merlin wasn't sure how to break it or even if he wanted to.

'Merlin-' Arthur began.

'Really, Arthur; it doesn't matter,' Merlin interrupted. He had sat through many of Arthur's terrible apologies. Normally the sight of his friend uncomfortably struggling for words and looking very much like he'd rather fight an angry dragon than utter a sorry, cheered Merlin no end, but this time it felt much deeper than all of their other stupid fights.

'No, listen, just let me explain.'

'I already know.' Merlin sighed and avoided Arthur's gaze. 'You've forgiven me, you understand why I did what I did, but you can't completely trust me.' He stopped and looked up at Arthur for confirmation. The dropping of the King's eyes to the ground assured Merlin that he had got it spot on. 'It's alright.'

'No, it's not,' Arthur argued, raising his voice. At a stirring from the sleeping knights behind them, he lowered his voice. 'It's not.'

'I understand. I lied to you for nearly six years, I used magic nearly everyday and I made some stupid mistakes in the process.' Merlin looked up towards the stars, marvelling at the distance between them and him; wishing for their cold distance from the situation, but it was impossible.

'I'm not going to lie to you and say that you're wrong,' Arthur began slowly and Merlin wished he'd just gone and lay down when Arthur came over. 'But you need to understand that I don't want to have this…mistrust of you. If I could find a way to get rid of it then I would, in an instant.'

'Maybe you'll loose your memories of me having magic,' Merlin murmured sadly.

'Don't be stupid Merlin, that doesn't solve anything. And whether you believe me or not…I'm actually glad that you have magic' he added; his disbelief that he had actually said the words and meant it evident in his tone of voice. 'And…' he sighed and Merlin looked across in surprise; he had thought that was it. '…you were right not to tell me all those years.'

'What?' Merlin asked, maybe not shocked that Arthur thought that, but definitely surprised that he had admitted it.

'We both saw how I reacted, Merlin; and that was after years of being friends and right after you'd just saved Gwen's life. There was never a good time to tell me. You're probably only alive now because you managed –and I still have no idea how- to keep it a secret for so long.'

They were quiet for a while, but Arthur quickly grew irritated by it.

'Merlin, will you say something!'

'Say what? That I'm really pleased everything came out when it did because any earlier and you'd definitely have tracked me down and killed me? I always knew that keeping it a secret was the best thing, if not I'd have told you.'

'You never once considered telling me?'

'Yes I considered it, but like you said; it would never have ended well. I needed to protect you and I needed you to trust me. Neither would have worked if you'd known.'

More silence and more frustrated sighs from Arthur.

'The thing is, Merlin, I know in my head that I can trust you. I know it completely. I just…' at this he stood up and began pacing the ground in front of Merlin. It made Merlin exceedingly nervous; he had seen Arthur pace on many occasions and it was never a good sign. 'Why is it that I can know something so clearly in my head and yet still not truly feel it?' He looked at Merlin, but the sorcerer was relatively sure that no answer was expected. 'And most of the time, it's not even an issue and then something will happen –like this- and I have to fight for what I know is true again. Why is that?' This time he stopped and looked at Merlin for longer, but his words had lightened Merlin's mood somewhat. No, it wasn't the unfailing trust that he wanted from Arthur –and knew he deserved-, but it was evidence that Arthur was trying to get to that point and that, at least on some level, the King knew that he could trust his friend.

'Well I always thought you were an idiot,' Merlin began in answer to his question, 'and this just proves it.' Arthur fixed him with a look that very much suggested he wanted to throw something, but in the end settled for a somewhat affectionate shake of his head and a smile. Merlin knew why; they had forgiven each other for the argument, even if neither of them had got the answer they really wanted.

'I always knew that you were an idiot,' Arthur eventually replied.

He sat down beside Merlin once again and they sank into a silence that was at last a comfortable one. On the horizon the sky began to lighten by the tinniest amount. The sign of a new day.

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