Previously: "I need to get some things back so I can accompany Mother back home." He was leaving? Gaius swore quietly to himself, normally he wasn't the type but the occasion called for it. "Don't you want to spend more time with your mother, here in Camelot?" Merlin shrugged. "Well I would, but Camelot isn't very safe at the moment, not with all that has been happening recently and we will have plenty of time on the journey to catch up." Gaius felt his heart sink, he would just have to hope. It was not his place to interfere.

Oblivious

Chapter 10: It's a Small World

Disbelieving, Balinor was rooted to the spot. On his way to see Gaius in the Physician's quarters he had rounded a corner and found himself stunned into paralysis. It was her. There could be no doubt about it.

Her hair was still the same light brown shade although longer than when he had last run his hands through it. He had seen a glimpse of her face, the same features were present although older now. She wasn't a conventional beauty but there was something special about her and the way she carried herself that made her stand out from other women. She had not yet seen him. Reflexively he called out her name and cursed himself as she froze mid step. It was too late to back out now though. She tentatively looked over her shoulder and made an odd squeak when she caught sight of him.

Now that she was facing him he could examine her properly, she looked well, not as unhealthily thin as before. It was likely that someone was now providing for her. A husband, perhaps. He tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach as he walked over to her.

"Balinor! I-I forgot you were going to be here."

"You knew I was coming?" He wondered how she had managed to find out what was likely to be confidential information. Uther would not have wanted it to become common knowledge that he had been forced to summon a magic user to save Camelot. He would not have wanted the people to think him too weak to deal with a dragon alone.

"Yes, I arrived a few days ago to visit… Gaius." Hunith looked unnaturally flustered and worried, a far cry from that confident and fearless woman he remembered. Fearless enough to hide him when soldiers questioned her about his whereabouts whilst he was hidden in her wardrobe surrounded by the few dresses she could afford. Balinor had never had as much respect for anyone, man or woman, as he had in that moment.

"It's good to see you." He said sincerely.

"You too." She smiled weakly and then it faded, "Balinor… there's something I need to tell you."

Oh hell. It was selfish of him to but he had always hoped she would not marry after he left. Yes, he wanted to be happy but the prospect of her being happy with someone else pained him. And now she was probably going to shatter his illusions and tell him of how she had moved on, something he really did not want to hear.

"It is really important." She said, eyes fixed on the floor, "Could we-"

"Mother!" The sudden interruption to the tense situation surprised both of them making them instinctively turn to who had spoken.

It was Merlin. Mother. Mother. Mother. Hunith had a son. Hunith was Merlin's mother. It was too much to process at once. Balinor was aware of being frozen to the spot as Hunith went over to speak to Merlin. Her son. He handed her a letter, telling her it had just arrived from Ealdor and glanced curiously between Balinor and Hunith wondering what he had interrupted. Hunith thanked Merlin and with fast deft fingers she opened the later and skimmed the contents anxious to speak to the two uncomfortable looking men. A frown marred her features and she read it again more carefully this time. Dread sinking its claws into her she read it a third time hoping the words would change.

They didn't.

"Mother!" Merlin cried in alarm and grabbed Hunith's arm before she could fall and quickly led her over to a nearby chair.

"It's gone." She murmured quietly, "Everything's gone." Balinor, slightly thawed now, picked up the discarded letter as Merlin tried to coax her into explaining. The Dragonlord read the letter and immediately understood the reason for Hunith's dismay. There had been a fire at Ealdor, not uncommon in the summer, it had spread out of control and while the villagers had been helping those trapped to escape, Hunith's house had been burnt beyond repair and most of the contents reduced to ash.

"Do you want me to get Gaius?" Merlin asked, once he too had read the letter that Balinor passed to him.

"No! No. It's okay. I-I just need a minute. Could you get me some water please?" Merlin nodded and quickly left in the direction of the kitchens. Once he had rounded the corner, Balinor moved over to Hunith's seated form.

"This is not my day." She whispered softly, "Why can't something just go right for once?"

"Unfortunately that's life. At least you have a chance to get out of Ealdor like you have always wanted."

"But where would I go? I've spent my entire life in Ealdor I can't imagine living anywhere else." She sighed and looked up at him contemplatively. "I wish I could have told you years ago."

"Told me what?"

"It's about after you left…" She hesitated and looked away from him, "And it's about Merlin."

"Oh." Balinor had a feeling he knew where she was going with this, although he had always assumed that Hunith had moved on with someone else, hearing the news from those lips, the same ones he had kissed during the cold winter months, would only make the reality much more concrete. He would have preferred to remain in his cave and speculate rather than be proven right.

"He convince me to come here. I didn't realise he was your son." A touch of pride brightened her face, "But now it seems obvious, you both look alike."

"That's nice of you to say, but he doesn't look very much like me." She took a deep breath to steel herself for what she was going to do. God, she hoped she was making the right decision. "He looks more like you actually."

"What?!"

"Balinor. He's your son."

AN: BAM! We have the first encounter! And the first mini reveal! And a cliff-hanger! Because I am evil! I was going to update this after my shopping trip this afternoon but after I checked my inbox and saw the insane response to last chapter I decided to update asap. Almost at a hundred reviews! Only four chapters left!

Thanks to reviewers: Valkyriexx, Tolleren, shell22, Lientjuhh, Laughy-Taffy the Grape, Amethyst M, SapphireShelle91, blackwolfs900, rmatri540, WE-ARE-SHER-LOCKED, ebonypol, SuperHeroFanGurl, SereneMayhem, IndiaMoore, MegamiTenshiHime.

Response to reviewers:

Valkyriexx: And we have reunion! Over-protective Merlin? Well you'll just have to wait and see!

Laughy-Taffy the Grape: Not sure if that was similar or not, but there's still the revelation to Merlin which might be more or less similar to the episode.

SapphireShelle91: Family hug might be a while, after all how is Merlin going to react now he isn't under as much pressure to accept Balinor?

WE-ARE-SHER-LOCKED: No battle I'm afraid, but the epilogue will have something interesting.