Hello dear readers,

Thank for following my story and thank you SwimmerGirl0726 for your lovely review.

It gives me the courage to continue on my writing.

Well here goes, here's chapter two.

Thank you for reading and please give me your thoughts on this piece.

Yours sincerely,

Bluewryter

Note: I forgot to mention it earlier but I don't own BBC's Merlin…. Unfortunately

Leon was heading towards the place where Elyan was keeping watch and looking out for possible tracks of Merlin. Since he went missing three weeks ago they've all had volunteered to go on a rescue mission. With they he meant the most trusted knights of Arthur and closest friends to merlin which included Gwaine and Percival as well. And even hell couldn't have kept Arthur away on going to safe Merlin. Although the council wasn't all too pleased with his decision. Well screw them, they wouldn't leave Merlin all on his own.

"Hey, found anything yet?" Leon asked.

"No nothing happening and nothing to find. Arthur won't be happy" Elyan answered with a sigh.

Leon sighed. "Arthur hasn't been happy about anything since Merlin's gone."

"I know, but it has been three days already since we found the last traces of the slavers. He won't like it when we have nothing to report."

"I just don't get it. Since we came over the border all the tracks have vanished. Overnight! How is that even possible?" Leon asked with a hint of desperation. They've been wandering around helplessly the past few day's hoping they would find something! But nothing so far.

The situation has been becoming though on everybody. They had anticipated the option that they would have to enter foreign ground, so they hadn't packed anything with the crest of Camelot on it and they kept rounds of keeping watch at night and when they spread out looking for tracks or any sign of the slavers or Merlin.

Currently it was Elyan on the lookout to see if anyone suspicious or hostile would come by when the rest was covering the ground for tracks.

"You here to relieve me of duty?" Elyan asked. "Yes and to tell you that Arthur soon wants to head out. They haven't found anything too." Leon answered.

"When will we lea –" "Shsst!" Leon gestured with his hand to duck low.

"What? What is it?" Elyan whispered.

"Someone or something is coming, so be quiet." Leon urged.

And sure enough, a few seconds later Elyan heard it too. Something was approaching fast. Crashing through the forest. It was clear that the person or animal didn't try to pass by unnoticed by all the noise it was making.

Then someone stumbled on the road. The person almost fell on his knees, but he righted himself just in time. It was a clumsy move, just like a certain clumsy servant they all knew. It was also a young man. All Leon and Elyan saw from behind the bushes was the backside of the person, but it was clear from the wounds and scars on his back that he had been through a rough time. He had a weird looking collar around his neck. The person was currently staring up at the sky.

"It looks like it is fleeing from something" Leon whispered, don't wanting to give up his hiding space yet. "Or someone." Elyan added.

"Maybe we should help him." Elyan started to get up.

"Get down!" Leon hissed. "You don't know who he is running from. He could be a dangerous criminal, a fugitive, for all we know."

Apparently they made some noise, because the person suddenly turned around looking at their direction. Both the knights startled, were shocked, when they finally found out who the person was. They couldn't move, couldn't believe they finally found the person they were looking for. Clearly the rescue attempt was unnecessary, since he got himself out before they could. How he even escaped the two knights couldn't guess. He was just a servant after all, and unarmed servant even. It seems that Arthur should give the young man more credit, Leon thought.

When they finally composed themselves enough to start moving towards Merlin, the man suddenly swore, turned around and started running again.

"No wait!" Elyan shouted after him, but it was too late. Merlin was already past hearing distance.

They mad themselves ready to go after him when Leon heard the sounds of howling and a large party coming through the forest.

"Elyan, we need to get back behind shelter now!" they both hid again behind the large bushes. Just in time, because the first hounds crashed through the bushes onto the road. the rest of the hounds followed soon after en the first men were behind them. The hounds started to circle the patch of ground Merlin just stood on a few minutes ago. Leon gestured to Elyan to keep down and quiet.

"The scum couldn't have gone far. As soon as the beasts catch his scent again we're off to capture that son of a bitch again and make him pay for getting the boss angry at us." A particular mean looking, heavy muscled man with a bald head and a big gash running on the left side of his face from the corner of his eye to the underside of his jaw, said to his fellow bandits.

"Slavers" Elyan mouthed to Leon. Leon merely nodded in answer. It seemed that Merlin was unfortunate enough that he came across some slavers. And unfortunate enough to make them pissed off as well. It sounded as if the man had a personal vendetta against the young man, although Leon couldn't guess the reason for it.

Then the hounds took off already in strong pursuit after Merlin. "Come on men. We've got ourselves a big price to catch." The mean looking man hollered to his men. They took off after the dogs.

"We've got to get to Arthur to report this and take after them." Leon said while he stood up after the slavers had left. He extended a hand towards Elyan to help him up. They both started to run in the direction Arthur was last in.

"Hold on, Merlin, hold on, we're on our way." Leon thought whilst running.