SO THIS IS A LONG CHAPTER...SORRY! I DON'T OWN BBC OR THEIR CHARACTERS, THE ONLY ONES I CAN LAY CLAIM TO ARE LALIA AND CORLISS/ LAUREN AND COURTNEY. THEY ARE FROM MY OWN MIND SO BACK OFF!

They high fived on getting the right door.
"Hello? Are you Gaius?"
"Ah! Hello what can I do for you?"
"Hello! I am Laila and this is Corliss." The girls curtsied "We have traveled a very long way to get here, we have heard of your talents. Our village was burnt to the ground and we no longer have our family and needed to find a way to support ourselves. We were told to come here and find you." Lauren explained to the old man.
"Ah! Theres no need to be so formal with me! Do you need work?"
"Yes we do, or at least a place to stay for a short while." Courtney explained
"Well I'm sure I could find something for you somewhere!" Gaius said, "However unfortunately I'm quite busy at the moment you caught me at a bad time I'm afraid."
"We are sorry is there anything we can do for you in the meantime?" Courtney asked.
"Well, MERLIN!" He called out
"Gaius is someone here or are you talking to yourself again?" The young wizard made his first appearance as Gaius was shouting for him.
"Oh! Hello!" He smiled, there was something contagious about his smile that made everyone smile back. He turned to Gaius "Who do we have the honor of meeting today?"
"Lalia and Corliss." Gaius replied, "They need work and were told to come here, I'm about to leave to take care of that outbreak of fever in the next village over, do you have anything you need help with?"
"No, Arthur has council meetings all day so I'm off free for the day!" He said cheerfully.
"Well I really need to get going Merlin, figure something out you're clever." The old man said as he packed up his bag and left as quickly as he could.
"Hi! I'm Merlin!"
"Lalia."
"Corliss."
"So where are you from?" He asked
"We-"
"Nowhere, well somewhere, but that's hardly of any importance as was burnt to the ground and there were very few survivors." Courtney quickly interrupted, looking at the ground, and acting upset by the memory.
Merlin of course didn't buy the story, he was automatically suspicious of everyone. Honestly, it wasn't his fault, it was just that everyone who came into Camelot wanted to kill either himself or Arthur.
"Well, I have the day off would you two like a tour?"
"Yes!" The girls cried excitedly.
The three headed off into the morning sun. Walking the ought the village houses cheerfully puffing smoke from last evenings fires into the cool air. The young wizard cheerfully pointed out all the important places, such as the well, the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, the blacksmith, and the seamstress.
"That is Gwen's house, she is one of the finest seamstresses you'll ever find in Camelot. She was the very first person I met when I came here."
"Oh! You're friends with Gwen?" Lauren pretended as if she didn't know.
"Have you met her?"
"Oh yes she was one of the first people we met as well!" Courtney said, "Holy crap we're like Merlin!" She thought excitedly, having a complete fangirl moment she broke out in a huge smile. As she looked over Lauren was smiling too. The friends made eye contact and both knew they were thinking the same thing. This did not go unnoticed by Merlin, who was still suspicious of the girls.
"What?" He asked trying to sound playful.
"Oh nothing, it, we-" Courtney stammered, freezing up.
"What come on something must have been funny!" He pushed on.
"We used to have an inside joke about meeting new people, that's all." Lauren rescued her friend. "That was really close, good save Lauren!" She thought, congratulating herself on her quick thinking.
"You two must be very close! It's almost like you knew what the other was thinking just by looking at each other!" He exclaimed seeming shocked.
"We have been very close for a very long time, we had two other friends that we could do this with too, they were killed in the fire..." Said Courtney, a silent tear rolled down her cheek as she realized it had been almost an entire day and the doctor wasn't back, and it would probably be a while until they saw Andrea and McKenzie again.
"I'm sorry." Merlin said gently, and he truly meant it.
"No, no, I'm sorry I'm letting my emotions carry me away." Courtney said, collecting herself. "Merlin, is there anywhere we could go where we won't be overheard?" She asked, as she figured that they should tell Merlin their real story. Lauren shot Courtney a questioning look and Courtney shot her best trust me look back.
"Um. Yes. But I think it might be better if we go after sunset if it's really important."
"Alright it can wait a few hours."
His blue eyes searched both girls faces and in that instant it struck him that they were trustable. He would still be careful, but they seemed alright so far.
AFTER DINNER
"I can't believe Gaius is still out!" Said Merlin as he peered out Arthur's window.
"MERLIN!" The young king called from across the large room. "What did you do all day!? Look a all the dust over here! I swear if you spent another day in that damned tavern I'll burn it to the ground!"
"What?"
"Are you even listening!? Merlin!" Exasperated Arthur picked up the nearest object, a particularly heavy vase, preparing to hurl it across the room at his servant.
"No! I mean yes! I heard you-" He ducked as the vase came flying dangerously close to his head.
Arthur began to go down a long list of chores to punish the young wizard. But Merlin wasn't really listening he knew as long as he made the bed, polished the armor, and shined the boots the new king wouldn't really care about much else. He couldn't stop thinking about Lalia and Corliss. What could be so important? And more importantly where did they come from? Who were they really?
"MERLIN!"
The young wizard jumped out of his thoughts. "Sorry what?"
Even in the dim light from the few candles that were still lit Merlin could see Arthur turning red with rage. He began to back out of the room before another vase could come flying at him.
"I'll be it done! Don't worry!"
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Um-"
Merlin remembered that he wouldn't get very far with out the keys to the tunnels.
"Did you hear that?" He asked
"Hear what Merlin?"
"You can't hear it? It almost sounds like its behind you!"
"Merlin! What are you talking abo- What is that!" Arthur turned around looking for the source of the noise, which was just Merlin playing with the latch on the window. It wasn't the best distraction he had come up with, but it worked as Arthur looked around the other side of the room the young wizard snatched the correct key and hid it away in his jacket just as Arthur turned around.
"It's stopped!"
"Did you find it?" Merlin asked.
"No, Merlin if there's another rat in this room I'll have you in the stocks for so long-"
"Ah, well I will look for it tomorrow!"
"Why are you in such a hurry?"
"I'm not!"
Arthur eyed him suspiciously, he knew his friend was up to something, probably trying to get off to the tavern again.
"Where are you going?"
"To my room!"
"If I see you leaving-"
"But you won't because I'm going to bed as soon as I'm done here! Do you need anything else?"
"No that will be all."
Merlin turned and left the room quickly, he knew he was acting strange, but Arthur should be used to him acting like this. It would be so much easier if he knew where Arthur stood on the whole magic situation. As he made his way back to his room he began to think about Lalia and Corliss again.