Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.


And that's how Merlin found himself staring at his ceiling contemplating the best way to get Arthur to let him have a short holiday.

O o O

It was based on the enchanter's branch of magic of manipulating the vocal chords. King Arthur would never fall for something so obvious, but Prince Arthur was about as gullible as they came.

"Arthur, maybe I'd better take a few days to pull myself together," Merlin said intently, voice lightly laced with hypnotic waves.

Arthur, continuing to stare in horror at the ruined breakfast spilled across his bedcover, said in a dangerous voice, "My breakfast, Merlin."

Merlin bowed. "I'm sorry, sire," he said with as much sincerity as he could manage, scrambling to remove the soaked and stained bedspread. He tried again. "I've been an absolute klutz this morning," he insisted. "You should dismiss me for a few days."

"Your absence would reduce my stress considerably, Merlin," Arthur said with a scowl.

Merlin stuck out his bottom lip.

"Tell Gilroy," Arthur said, eyes flashing, "that I don't want to see your face again for the next forty-eight hours. First your abysmal attempt to redress my bandages and now this."

Merlin tried attempted to pull a depressed look. "But Arthur..."

"Get out," Arthur growled.

Merlin clung to the bedcover, using it to hide his triumphant grin. "Yes, sire," he said, bowing awkwardly with his bulky burden. He barely managed to not skip out of the room.

He left the blanket clean and folded outside of his highness's doorway, the food and drink vanished in an instant. He knew full well that the first thing Arthur would complain to Merlin's replacement was that he was cold.

O o O

"Merlin, where are you going with that bag?" Gaius asked, suspicious, before Merlin could waltz out the door.

"I told you it would work," Merlin said smugly, hoisting the bag over his shoulders.

It took Gaius a moment to realize what Merlin was referring to, remembering their conversation from earlier that morning. "The prince agreed?" he asked, flabbergasted.

"He gave me two days," Merlin said. "Practically threw me out of his room."

Gaius narrowed his eyes. "Merlin, what did you do?"

Merlin shrugged innocently.

Gaius sighed. "Merlin..." he said in a warning tone.

"It's fine," Merlin reassured, even though it didn't seem to help Gaius relax at all. "Besides, I owe Mother a visit. I haven't written her a letter since I got here." His feelings about seeing her were mixed between guilty and giddy. No matter what age she was, Hunith would always be his mother.

Gaius blinked. "But that's over a day's journey," he stated, concerned.

Merlin bit his lip and looked at his mentor guiltily.

"Merlin..." Gaius said with narrowed eyes.

Merlin scrunched his nose. "I'm only going to use a little bit of magic," he conceded, using his fingers to indicate exactly how much magic he would use.

"My dear boy, a little bit of magic for you generally means something entirely different for someone like me," Gaius pointed out in an unamused tone.

Merlin clasped his hands together. "I promise I won't get caught," he said, meeting his mentor's eyes with what he hoped was a reassuring gaze.

Gaius shook his head and threw his hands in the air.

As Merlin walked out the door he said insistently, "One day you'll actually believe me!"

O o O

The trip from Camelot to Ealdor could have taken less than an hour if Merlin had decided to teleport from his bedroom, but the thought of a relaxing walk through the forest was too tempting to pass up. Not only had the temperature cooled slightly, but was considerably more tolerable under the tree canopy. That, combined with the clean scents of the forest (Camelot was wonderful in many ways, but no one had ever travelled there for its smell), made the conditions perfect for permitting himself to think of absolutely nothing stressful.

For two hours Merlin reveled in sauntering down the less-travelled paths through the forest. He ran into a patrol near the beginning, but they paid him little attention. The woodland creatures, on the other hand, were more open about their curiosity than usual, probably taking the opportunity to examine him at a closer range now that he was alone. Even though animals didn't really understand magic, they could sense it better than most humans, and Merlin didn't fit the normal magical pattern of anything.

"I'm not a vegetarian!" he warned aloud when a pair of squirrels threatened to assault his hair. They wisely refrained from pouncing on him, but the hyper mammals did follow him in the trees for a good quarter of a league.

The afternoon sun was threatening to sink lower in the sky by the time Merlin decided that he'd better speed up his journey. He wanted to be able to help his mother with some of her chores, and most of those had to be completed while there was still daylight available.

After a fairly simple teleportation, Merlin appeared behind the ever impressive woodpile of crazy-eye Ronald. He'd forgotten quite a few names of his childhood neighbors, but Ronald would probably stay with him for another few centuries or so – him, old man Simmons, and Hanna the harpy. Ronald, in particular, was proud of his wood chopping abilities in spite of his horrible depth perception, and took every chance he could to show off. His wife and children tolerated the quirk, if only because it was useful, especially in the winter.

Merlin peered around the logs, not expecting anyone to be near the woodpile this time of day, but cautious nonetheless (sometimes Ronald and his family could be a bit paranoid about their precious logs). Once he verified that no one was about, Merlin left his hiding place and stepped onto the main road that ran through Ealdor. It was from that point that the warlock realized he barely recognized his childhood village. The woods where he played appeared as any other strange forest would, and the small houses seemed poorer and more decrepit than they ever had. He supposed it was the consequence of staying away from his birthplace for over a decade. With his mother living in the castle, he'd never had a reason to visit.

To his good fortune, his brain hadn't decided to forget the location of his old home. He figured it would be extremely awkward to have to ask for directions.

Hunith was in the middle of wringing out a basin full of sodden clothes when they met each other's eyes.

"Merlin?" she inquired, surprise evident in her voice as she watched him step off the path.

"Mother..." he said, a warm feeling welling up in his chest.

"But... is everything all right?" she asked, folding the sopping tunic along the edge of the tub, drying her hands on her skirt.

Merlin realized how his sudden appearance might be alarming, especially since he'd given no warning. She was probably thinking that he'd been found out, that he was on the run from Uther's minions, and that this was their final good-bye until he hightailed to the wilderness like his father, leaving her alone to deal with the history of their broken family.

"Well, you look alright," Hunith conceded, examining him up and down. (Then again, Hunith wasn't usually that dramatic.)

"And you look lovely," Merlin said, holding his arms out. Hunith gave him a wry smile and stepped forward.

Merlin could only laugh as he held his mother, rocking her back and forth as her fingers curled around the folds in his jacket.

"Oh, my boy," she said wistfully, finally stepping away from him. She looked up at her son with adoration.

"It's good to see you, Mother," Merlin breathed, taking in her youthful appearance. Technically, at this point, she was about the same age as he was.

"I'm glad you thought to visit me," she told him, giving him a smile. Then her expression fell somewhat as she took in his disheveled state. "Merlin, you look exhausted," she said carefully. She gently touched the drooping skin underneath his eyes with the tips of her thumbs, gripping the side of his face with the rest of her fingers.

Merlin smiled crookedly. "I feel exhausted," he admitted quietly. "That's why I'm here now. Arthur gave me a couple days off, you know."

Hunith slapped him lightly on the shoulder. "The only reason I'm aware you work for the prince is because of Gaius' letters. You have yet to send me even one!" she scolded.

Merlin shrugged, a guilty-as-charged expression plastered on his face. "I decided to send myself instead," he said, rubbing her shoulders.

Hunith let out an exaggerated sigh and stepped away from him, but let her son catch a glimpse of her happy smile before she turned back towards the laundry.

"Whose clothes are these?" Merlin asked, setting down his travel pack out of the wet zone.

Hunith watched her son settle comfortably beside her, taking a wet garment out of the tub before she could protest. "Maggie's," she answered.

Merlin was pleasantly surprised to have a vague memory of the woman's face pop in her head. "This is all of it?" he asked incredulously, staring at the tub of clothes.

"Goodness, Merlin," his mother laughed. "With her family of ten? Of course not."

Merlin took a closer look at the breeches he was wringing out. They were designed to fit a young teenager. "We aren't washing..." he trailed off in horror.

Hunith laughed at his tone. "I'm washing the older children's clothes today," she reassured him.

Merlin grunted and squeezed the last of the water out of the legs. When Hunith did the clothes of Maggie's younger children, the nippers tended to run around nude (the older children at least had extra clothes) and found it hilarious to pee in the windows of people's houses.

With both of them working they finished hanging the clothes rather quickly (Merlin didn't bother pointing out that if she allowed him to use magic it would be done immediately), and Hunith decided there was enough time to invite her son inside for a cup of barley tea.

"What else do you have to do today?" Merlin asked as he followed her into his childhood home.

"I'm making a poultice for Henry," Hunith said. "His foot's been bothering him again."

Merlin nodded like he knew what she was talking about.

"Need me to cut any firewood?" Merlin asked, knowing that was a chore his mother didn't have any amount of passion for, unlike crazy-eye Ronald.

Hunith smiled warmly. "No need, my son. I have enough," she assured him.

While they waited for water to simmer, Hunith questioned her son about life in the castle, about the prince, and about his control over magic. Merlin hadn't decided how much to tell his mother about his exploits, but he did hint that he used magic rather frequently, especially when it came to the safety of Prince Arthur.

Hunith sent him a worried glance. "I'm glad that you have finally found a use for your gifts," she said, touching his arm. "But be careful, Merlin."

There was a knock on the windowsill, cutting off Merlin's reply. "Hunith?" a voice asked, a head poking through the opening. "Do you got that turf cutter of Raymond's? I was needin-"

There was a pause as the speaker's eyes met Merlin's.

"Merlin!" the young man exclaimed in happy surprise.

Merlin stared.

"Blimey, mate," Will laughed, stepping closer to the window so he could rest his elbows against the frames, "Hunith didn't mention you were visiting us. Get bored of the big castle, then?"

Merlin licked his lips and had to clear his throat before he managed to find his voice. "It was more of a surprise visit, really," he answered weakly.

It was almost hard to look at Will; he just looked so young – barely out of childhood in fact. In Merlin's mind, his friend had always been the same age as him, even after his unwarranted (and unwanted) death. He supposed that his subconscious must have added years onto his memories of the farm boy.

"Can I come in?" Will asked suddenly.

Hunith smiled and immediately gestured for the door. Will grinned and disappeared from the window.

"Will's been asking after you," Hunith informed her son.

"I don't doubt it," Merlin said slowly, staring at the space where Will had been standing.

Hunith raised her eyebrows. "Merlin, you look as though you've seen a ghost," she noted carefully.

Merlin started, realizing that his reactions to Will had been for more subdued than they should have been. He grinned at his mother. "It's been a while, is all. I'm happy to see everyone again."

Hunith smiled and patted her son's arm when her house door opened and Will barreled through.

Merlin met his friend's ecstatic smile with a grin of his own.

"It's so good to have you back!" Will said honestly, stepping forward to pull Merlin into a tight embrace.

"I'm glad to see you too, Will," Merlin said honestly, trying to keeping the crack out of his voice as he gripped his old friend's jacket. The first person to ever find out his secret.

Will finally released Merlin and stepped back. He crinkled his nose as he took in Merlin's appearance. "You look dead beat," he said. "Has that snob of a prince been working you into the ground?"

"Who, Arthur? As if," Merlin snorted. "Not for a lack of trying, I suppose."

Will smirked. "So no hope of you coming back for good?" he joked

Merlin's smile faded slightly and he said, "Life's too simple here, I'd get bored." Even though there had been many times where he'd been tempted by that very thing.

Will didn't seem to notice the subdued mood of his friend, for which Merlin was grateful, and replied, "I'm getting bored without you around."

"Not getting into enough trouble on your own?" Merlin asked with a smile.

Will snorted. "My uncle's trying to turn me into a man – wants me to be more independent, see?" he said. "And that wife of his keeps pushing the local girls at me. She figures that since I've got a house of my own, I'm more than ready to settle down." He shuddered.

"What? But doesn't she know that you're scared of women?" Merlin teased.

Will made a face and sent a half-hearted punch in Merlin's direction. "I'm not scared of them!" he insisted, face pink and his eyes avoiding Hunith's shining ones.

"Who was it that hid in the forest during the round of blind bandits? You or me?" Merlin reminded insufferably. It was the first time he'd ever kissed a girl. (The girl had been teasing and flirty as any other girl that night, but Merlin, in spite of his crush on her, had known that her parents would never allow him to court her.)

"That was one time!" Will protested.

"You'd better get a move on or your uncle will probably pick one for you," Merlin pointed out.

"Better than having to go through all that pointless romancing," Will said with a shrug.

Merlin laughed.

Will snorted and said, "Look, mate, I've gotta go now, but I'll see you later. Yes?"

"I'll be here till tomorrow morning," Merlin affirmed.

Before Will left he looked to Hunith. "No turf cutter?" he asked.

She shook her head and replied, "I believe Linda and Alfonso have been using it."

"Ah," Will murmured thoughtfully. As he walked out the door he turned and called back, "Don't you dare leave without talking to me, Merlin!"

"I won't!" Merlin promised. He stared nostalgically at the space Will had exited before turning back to his mother. "I've missed him."

Hunith smiled gently. "He's missed you just as much, I imagine. You are his best friend, after all," she said.

His only friend, Merlin thought, subdued. It had never really occurred to him before, but it was true. After his father died, Will became so irritable that the only people who stuck with him were Merlin and his uncle's family. He'd lightened up a bit before Merlin left for Camelot, but not enough to recover relationships he'd had with other youths their age.

"Can I invite Will over for supper?" he asked suddenly.

"Of course you can," Hunith replied without a second thought.

O o O

While Hunith and Merlin finished dicing the vegetables to fill their meager pie crust, the hearth fire started on its own.

"Merlin!" Hunith half-scolded, half-laughed.

Merlin grinned sheepishly.

His mother let out a small sigh. "Someone could have seen," she reminded him gently.

"They never do," Merlin said, even though that was probably stretching the truth just a little.

His mother shot him a stern look.

"Could my father do magic?" Merlin asked after a moment.

The question left a startled image of Hunith before she managed to school her features into a more relaxed state. To her, her son's inquiry may have seemed sudden, but in reality, it was something Merlin had been meaning to bring up all day.

"I'm older now, aren't I?" he pointed out. She'd always refused to talk about the man who'd sired him, barely mentioning anything more than the few physical traits that Merlin had inherited (the ears, the smile) and perhaps a sweet memory that didn't incriminate her lover.

His mother smiled sadly. "Merlin, that was a long time ago," she said.

Merlin focused his attention on cabbage dicing. "Then it shouldn't be hard to talk about, right?" he said, eyes fixed on the cabbage. He would really prefer it if his mother would just tell him about Balinor. Of course, he could always find the man on his own, it wasn't as if he didn't know where the dragonlord lived, but then he would have to come up with elaborate explanations for everyone as to why he knew more than he should.

Then again, he could just blame everything on Kilgharrah.

"I just don't want what happened to him, to happen to you, my son," Hunith said softly after a long pause.

"He had magic too, then," Merlin stated.

"Yes." The answer was quiet.

"What was his name?" Merlin asked, finally turning his head so he could see his mother's expression. To his surprise, she chuckled soundlessly at his inquiry.

"Bern," she replied. "Everyone in the village called him Bern."

Merlin knew this. He'd grilled his mother about this before, but at least then, she'd been more open because she'd known that he'd already met Balinor. Merlin waited a few moments for her to add that, by the way, "Bern" was not Balinor's real name, but no such statement came. He frowned slightly and considered the best way to convince his mother that it would be worth telling her son the full truth.

"Did someone find out about his magic?" Merlin asked.

Hunith shook her head. "Someone found out his name," she said gently.

Merlin blinked. Well that had been easier than expected. "His name wasn't 'Bern,' then, I gather?" he asked pointedly.

"No," his mother replied, looking wistful. "His name was Balinor. Uther was chasing him."

"Is that why he had to leave?" Merlin prompted.

Hunith gave a short nod.

"Is he still alive?" Merlin continued, watching his mother from the corner of his eyes.

Hunith pursed her lips. "Merlin..." she said with faint exasperation.

"Are you worried that I'll go looking for him?" Merlin asked, as though the mere thought of it happening were ridiculous. Although in reality, both back then and now, there was a very real danger that he would (in fact, those were tomorrow's plans). "He's alive, isn't he?"

Hunith bit her lip guiltily. "I've only heard rumors, son," she said gently, dropping the vegetables so she could grip Merlin's arm. "It's been years."

Merlin lightly brushed her fingers, soaking in her comfort, even if he didn't really need to be comforted on that particular subject.

"It's just good to know... a little bit about him," Merlin said honestly. If the situation had been real, and not contrived solely for his nefarious purposes, he probably would have been feeling a bit choked up.

Hunith breathed out slowly and released Merlin's arm to refocus on supper, relieved that her son didn't seem indignant or primed for a quest to find Balinor (the boy was always on the lookout for people who would accept him for who he was). Next to her, Merlin was plotting out his "first" conversation with the dragonlord, trying to decide how soon within meeting Balinor he could mention their familial status and still be polite about it.

O o O

Over supper, neither Hunith or Will seemed inclined to catch Merlin up on the affairs of Ealdor.

"So, what's it like skivvying for a prince?" Will asked, eyes animated.

"Do you ever help Gaius with his work?" inquired his mother.

"You get to ride horses?" Will asked.

"That sounds useful. Are you good at it?" Hunith asked with motherly interest. Similar phrases were repeated every time Merlin mentioned a chore or activity that he'd never had to do in Ealdor.

"Have you met any girls?" Will inquired slyly.

"Are you eating all right?"

"You get paid?!"

"How is Gaius doing? Is his back still aching?"

"Has anyone caught you using magic?"

(Merlin lied in response to that one.)

"Tell me how your control over magic is doing."

"Have you ever pranked the prince?"

Absolutely, even if half the time Arthur was too thick to realize it.

"You must be more careful, Merlin. What if you lost your job?"

"What if someone found out about your magic? I heard Uther burns sorcerers."

Or chops off their heads.

"How often do you do magic?"

Not often enough.

"Do you know anyone else in Camelot who can do magic?"

…Gaius?

Will stayed until it was completely impossible to ignore the fact that it was pitch black outside. Merlin and Hunith went to sleep soon afterwards, preparing to wake up with the sun.

O o O

The next morning, Merlin assisted with the chores before he proclaimed that it was time to leave. Will, in spite of his duties in the fields, kept finding excuses to return to the village in order to check that Merlin hadn't left yet, and caught the warlock right as he was hugging his mother good-bye.

"Trying to leave without so much as a farewell?" Will accused with a scowl, arms folded.

Merlin released his mother, who was smoothing out his jacket fondly, and replied, "I was planning to get you."

"Uh-huh," Will drawled doubtfully.

"You should walk with me for a little while," Merlin suggested happily, shouldering his pack.

With little protest Will said grumpily, "Alright, fine then."

"I'll visit you again, Mother," Merlin said, kissing her on the cheek.

"Stay safe," Hunith said with a small smile.

Merlin grinned, but didn't promise anything as he walked away.

After only a few minutes of walking, Merlin surprised Will by stopping once they'd reached a spot safe from prying eyes. "This is for the village," Merlin said, drawing a candle out of his knapsack.

Will raised his eyebrows, took the candle and twisted it around in his hand, looking for anomalies. "Blimey, Merlin. I don't know what to say," he said, patting his friend on the shoulder.

Merlin snorted. "No need to be sarcastic," he said, swiping at Will's hand. "I haven't even told you what it's for."

"For seeing in the dark?" Will guessed snarkily.

"It's magic," Merlin deadpanned.

"For seeing in the dark... extra well," Will said with fake awe, holding it up to the light.

Merlin swatted at his old friend. "You'd better not get it mixed up with your normal candles," he warned. "I know you too well."

"Well tell me what it does do, and if it's awesome enough," Will said, "I promise to store it somewhere extra safe."

"It's just a signal candle," Merlin said with an eye-roll. "Light it and I'll come here whenever you need me."

"Fancy," Will said, looking over the candle again.

"Been living in a castle," Merlin said. "It influences me."

Will grinned, then gave Merlin a questioning look. "So why're you giving it to me and not your mum?" he asked.

Merlin snorted. "You know how my mother is with magic," he pointed out.

Will looked at the candle, then back at Merlin. "Good point," he muttered.

"She's like Gaius, the man I live with now. Doesn't like it when I cheat," Merlin said with a small smile.

"I like it when you cheat," Will encouraged.

"Yes, and that's why I got into so much trouble growing up," Merlin accused with sparkling eyes.

"You'd have been completely boring otherwise," Will shot back.

"Probably," Merlin agreed.

They met eyes and laughed.

"And I'm a lot better at cheating than I used to be," Merlin said when their laughter died down. "If another tree lands on old man Simmons, it'll be because I mean it."

"Do you get proper magic lessons, then?" Will asked excitedly. "It's hard to imagine, getting that in Camelot."

"Gaius has helped a lot," Merlin said honestly. "He gave me a book of spells that he saved from the purge."

Will took a quick look around the lightly forested area before asking, "Can I see some?"

A wide grin spread across the warlock's face. "Absolutely. Showing it off to you was one of the main reasons for coming!" he exclaimed, delighted by the look of glee that dawned on Will's face.

"And here I thought you were going to leave

He watched the warlock flick a hand in a circular motion.

Will blinked. "Was that magic? Did you just do something?" he looked around wildly for signs of miraculous happenings.

Merlin laughed. "Well, yes," he allowed, "but it wasn't anything miraculous. I just set up a warning spell to alert me if anyone tries to sneak up on us."

Will's eyes lit up. "That would have been useful a couple months ago," he drawled.

Merlin had to pause for a moment to realize what Will meant. He smiled bashfully when he remembered, feeling like an idiot for not realizing that Will's "couple months" didn't match up with his. "Yeah," he agreed. "Mother was really upset." Back then, it had almost been traumatic. Now, the memory of Hunith discovering that Will had learned his secret was simply a fuzzy and slightly fond memory.

"How's it work?"

Merlin blinked. It had been a while since anyone had asked him that question. He put a hand on his chin, considering. "Probably a bit like a spider's web," he decided aloud. "Someone crosses the spell and I'll be able sense them."

"Right before you trap them and use their parts for black magic?" Will suggested.

Merlin wrinkled his nose. "Is Hanna still spreading that around?" he asked.

Will smiled crookedly. "As soon as you left, the harpy was proclaiming 'good riddance,'" he intoned.

Aside from Will and his mother, Hanna was the only villager who'd ever caught him practicing magic. He'd been about six or so, with the newfound ability to make illusions out of smoke. By then of course, most of the villagers already considered her to be a little batty and hadn't given her accusations any serious thought. Her claim that the communal well was haunted by her dead husband's ghost was only one of the many incidents that destroyed her credibility.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but there'll be no black magic this time," Merlin said and Will faked a look of disappointment. "I thought that I'd show you Camelot..."

Will eyed him with open curiosity, given no time to question his friend as Merlin had already begun the spell. Watching Merlin perform magic was almost as interesting as the actual magic himself. Like usual, the warlock's hand was held out in front of him, and the tell-tale glow of his eyes was present, along with the prickling that Will felt on the back of his neck (although that could just as likely be contributed to excitement as magic). Different however, were the indecipherable phrases Merlin would murmur under his breath once every few seconds.

"Watch."

Will blinked and had to look up at Merlin before he realized that his friend had said something in a language he was familiar with. He redirected his eyes towards the ground and watched with budding thrill that a small castle was forming, twisting and bulging until the tallest turret reached Will's waist.

"Merlin!" Will cried breathlessly, running hands through his hair to keep himself from reaching out and touching the image. "It's a castle!"

"Camelot," Merlin introduced proudly, examining the illusion with satisfaction. Back at home, he could do a much more detailed one, down to the number of bricks, but this one would serve his purposes quite nicely.

"It's huge..." Will exclaimed.

Merlin smiled, watching his childhood friend circle the castle, remembering his first experience walking into Camelot. "It's a horror to keep clean," he remarked.

Will sent him a look. "Like you couldn't just magic it clean in a few seconds," he accused, recalling the various times Merlin had cheated on his household chores. "I say you kick the pompous Pendragons out of there and keep it for yourself."

Only because Merlin knew Will was joking, he replied, "Bad idea – the paperwork would be a nightmare."

Will laughed and knelt down to getting view of the courtyard.

"Want me to give you a tour?" Merlin asked.

Will, who had finally given into the temptation of poking a finger at the image, didn't even look up. "You'd do it whether or not I wanted you to," he said absently, watching in fascination as his finger went through the seemingly solid walls.

"But you actually are curious, rendering your comment nil," Merlin stated matter-of-factly. "Let's start with the stables shall we? I seem to spend a lot of time in there..."

During the exploration and explanation of his longterm home, Merlin was gratified that Will kept his sarcastic comments to a minimum, even showing approval when they reached something that was particularly interesting or humorous. Will may not have liked noblemen, but at least he didn't take his hatred out on their home.

"I guess you got to go now," Will said, subdued after they finished and Merlin had banished the illusion.

Merlin smiled sideways. "I'll visit again," he promised.

Will lifted the candle up and waved it at his friend.

"Right," Merlin said. "Don't forget to light it."

"At the first sign of danger," Will committed with a nod.

"That candle's for you as well, Will," Merlin said seriously.

"Aye, I got it, Merlin," Will said almost too jovially, tapping the small prize with his fingers.

Merlin placed a hand on his young friend's shoulder, who quieted when he saw the look on Merlin's face. "I mean it," he said. "I know you've been good lately..."

Will didn't push off Merlin's hand, but he did look away.

Merlin bit his lip. "Look Will," he said, "I might not live in Ealdor anymore, but I'm never going to leave you alone, got it?"

"Right," Will muttered.

"You light the candle, and I'll come."

Will sighed, this time gently removing Merlin's hand off his shoulder. "I'm not daft, Merlin," he said, eyes hard. "I know you got a lot of responsibilities up at that castle. And now that you and that prince are best mates... I'm not gonna light the candle over something stupid."

Merlin sighed. "Will, you supported me through years of self-doubt and loathing. You were the one who showed me that magic isn't just something to be feared," he said firmly. "Not Mother, not Arthur, but you, Will. Mother's too scared for me and Arthur was raised by his father. There's no way I got my enthusiasm for magic from either of them."

A flicker of a smile crossed Will's face. "It is pretty neat, isn't it?" he said wistfully. "I've been jealous of you loads of times."

"Are you kidding?" Merlin asked. "There have been so many times where I wished I could be more like you." Ignoring Will's deadpan incredulity, he pressed on, "In spite of everything you've been through, you keep on living and caring. And you didn't even have magic to help you through that. I think you're amazing, Will."

Will's cheeks reddened slightly and his gaze slid away from Merlin's.

"Actually..." Merlin said, pretending not to notice Will's embarrassment, "there's something I want you to do for me – besides telling me when you need help."

Will's head lifted in interest.

"I haven't told Mother, but I'm helping people who get arrested for using magic get away from Camelot," Merlin admitted in a low voice.

A sudden, enthusiastic smile appeared on Will's face. "Merlin! That's great!" he exclaimed, pounding his friend on the back. "With magic?"

Merlin lifted an eyebrow. "Of course," he replied.

Will laughed.

Merlin grinned back then said, "Some of them might want to escape into Essetir. I was wondering if they might be allowed to stay at your place overnight."

Will blinked. "Well... I guess I could," he agreed slowly. "Won't the other villager's wonder?"

"The village puts up travelers sometimes," Merlin pointed out. "You could just say that since you're the only person living in your house, it's big enough to fit other people. And of course I'd warn you before they showed up."

Will looked at the candle hesitantly.

Merlin laughed. "No, I'll probably just pop in on you," he corrected.

Will frowned. "You'll travel to Ealdor?" he asked, skeptical.

"With magic..." Merlin added.

Will's eyes widened. "How? Is it fast?" he asked.

"It's called teleportation," Merlin explained with a bounce. "It brings you from one place to another in the blink of an eye."

Will's jaw dropped. "Is that what you did coming here yesterday?" he asked incredulously. "I didn't even know that sort of thing was possible."

"It is efficient," Merlin observed.

"Well, if it's that easy, you should visit all the time," Will declared.

Merlin smiled. "I'll try to come more often than I have," he promised. "You will use the candle, won't you?"

"What, so you can show off?" Will huffed, but he seemed much more cheerful about the idea than he had previously.

"What's the point of magic if not to show off?" Merlin asked with a wave of his hand. "Here, you can watch me leave if you want."

Will perked up excitedly. "Your tele-whatsis?"

"Quite," Merlin said, seating himself on the ground. "I'm going to need to concentrate now in order to focus on my destination."

"Oooh... fancy," Will teased, but seated himself a few arms' lengths away from his friend.

"Cheers," Merlin said, then closed his eyes. Will opened his mouth to say something, then decided better of it and relaxed himself against the tree.

For several boring minutes, filled with an all-too-peaceful silence, Will picked at weeds and stared unblinkingly at the warlock, scared of missing something. He lazily wondered if the spell worked a bit like a crossbow, shooting people across the sky instead of arrows. Merlin, he noted, seemed very serene. If his back weren't so rigid, Will probably would have accused him of being asleep. In all honesty, he was surprised that Merlin had developed the patience for this sort of thing in so short a time – while Will was definitely the more impulsive of the two, Merlin was usually right there behind him. It was one of the reasons that Will liked magic so much. It simply got things done so much faster.

After pulling the last of the weeds within reach, Will scowled at his friend, wondering how much longer the "fast as you can blink" magic was going to take. He's probably doing it wrong, he thought for the millionth time.

Just as he was about to voice this opinion, Merlin vanished.

Will blanched and rapidly pushed himself to his feet. "Merlin?" he asked tentatively. He took slow steps towards the still-bent ferns the warlock had sat upon.

There was no doubt about it, he decided as he kicked dirt into the spot. Merlin was gone.

At least this time, Will decided, clenching the candle in his hand, he didn't feel abandoned.


A/N: I was going to combine the Ealdor and Balinor chapters, but the Ealdor part just kept getting longer and longer. For some reason, I find Will to be a very fascinating character. It's kind of a headcannon now that Will suffered from chronic depression after his father died... and I've got a whole backstory formed. I'd like to think that I'll write it out one day, but it's probably not going to happen.