Here we go, onto the ext chapter. I am trying to make them longer than what is normal for me. So far, so good.

I do not own the characters of BBC's Merlin. However I did whip up the lullaby Hunith sings. The lyrics can be found in the italics on the page.

Hunith let out a scream. Why wasn't the mid-wife coming? Surely the entire village could hear the sounds of her labor. Tears ran down her face. Had they left her in her time of need? Did they find it scandalous that she bared Belinor's son without them being married? Had they lied when they said they had considered the couple married? They just waited for her labor to take her with no aid?

"Calm yourself Hunith." A voice said softly stepping towards her. "I merely have blocked the sound coming from here." The man rested a hand on her shoulder. She could tell he was from high-ranking blood, and of magic if his eyes were anything to go by. They blazed molten-gold.

"Why?" She asked him. Strangely enough she didn't feel threatened by his presence, quite the opposite really. She felt at ease.

"The son you will give birth to is special, in more ways than one." He answered with a smile. "Your son is destined for great things. I will help you personally."

Hunith had no time to say more as she screamed again. The man had already gone to work, offering words of encouragement as the baby came into the world. He brought the boy over to her cleaning him with a spell.

Hunith took the boy and gasped when he opened his eyes. The gold shining in them could mean only one thing. "Magic…" She whispered out. She looked at the man who was now smiling down at the child.

"Yes." He said, clear affection in his voice. "The only one of his kind. He is magic. Strong magic. Hunith, you have heard the foretelling of Emrys have you not?"

"I have…" She said confused. "But what has that to do with my son?"

"Hunith, this child is Emrys." He said brushing dark locks back from the young one's face. The gold had left his eyes leaving behind an electric blue. "You may name him whatever you like. Emrys is just his title. He will be a great asset to a King someday. The King of Camelot if truth be told."

"Camelot?" She asked in shock. "You mean Uther? He hates magic!"

"Not Uther." The man said with a chuckle. "His son, The Once and Future King. Arthur."

Hunith looked down at her son thinking on what she was told. "Merlin." She said finally. "His name will be Merlin."

"A King's Merlin." The man said heading for the door. He paused and turned to face her one last time. "I fear his health will be fragile for the first few years. I will insure that the crops of this land are plentiful enough to help. Yet in truth you will just need to wait it out. He will be great Hunith. I trust you to give him the heart he will need."

Hunith bowed her head. When she looked up the man was gone. She looked down at her son. He had started to cry. "It's alright, I'm here my son… My Merlin." She said softly. She began to hum as she fed him. Once he was full she began to sing helping him to drift off into sleep.

You're so small,

Yet I fear,

The burden you must bear is great.

Hunith let out a sigh as she patted a wet cloth on Merlin's forehead. He was sick again, and he had only just got better a few weeks ago from another illness. His health really was as poor as that man had said at his birth. She smiled anyway at her young son. He was five years old now. The magic he had already displayed left her fearing that her neighbors would talk and word would somehow reach Camelot.

Her nights were plagued with images of Uther sending his knights to drag Merlin off to be burned. So far nothing of the sort had happened. A sad smile graced her lips, she knew she should let Merlin use his magic more in the hut, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. She set the cloth aside and brushed his hair aside.

It was times like this she missed the blue eyes that were flicked with gold, the magic making itself known even in subtle ways. They always held so much joy even if he had to hide himself. Then there was his smile. Hunith grinned the image coming to her mind. His happiness was contagious.

A knock on the door had her leaving his side. "Eric." She said with a nod of her head.

"Here's some of today's harvest." He said handing over a bag of grain. "It's a good thing we've been so lucky with our harvests really. Poor boy might not have made it this long without the harvests so good."

Hunith smiled taking the bag. "I know, maybe he is our good luck charm." She said.

"I hope he is well again soon. His friend Will is missing his playmate." With that Eric left them alone.

Hunith closed the door and put a hand on a pot lowering it down onto the table again. "Oh Merlin…" She muttered going over to him while setting the bag down near the fireplace. She took the cloth and dabbed his brow again. A soft smile played on her lips as she started to sing to him softly. His features relaxing finally as he drifted into a deeper sleep.

Child mine,

May you find the strength to stand,

Even when you want to fall unto your knees.

While most of the village loved Merlin and his cheerfulness, there were a few who talked in whispers as the boy who was now eight ran by chasing after Will. His health had greatly improved finally, though he was now behind the other children in physical development. Yet he seemed to have intelligence about him.

Will was the first to notice it, after Hunith of course. Merlin had been at his house playing when he spotted a puzzle box of Will's that had been sent by the other boy's father. Merlin picked it up and started playing with it. His eyes getting even brighter as the wood moved with ease with his fingers.

Will couldn't help but watch in fascination as Merlin had the puzzle shifting into all sorts of different shapes. He seemed reluctant to put it down when he had to leave. "Keep it." Will had told him and so Merlin did. The puzzle box going with Merlin everywhere.

The few adults would whisper it was odd for a boy his age to be so interested in a puzzle box instead of pretending to be a knight or something along with the other boys. The boy was strange; they just couldn't put a finger on why though.

Merlin to his credit said nothing, even though he heard all their whispers. He even heard a person talk about if he had magic or not. Another had shushed the person quickly snapping that if the boy did have magic then the only thing they could expect from the boy was evil. It would make him a monster one day.

Was he nothing but a monster? His mother always told him to hide his magic, to not use it. Yet he could feel it humming under his skin even as he shifted the pieces of the puzzle box into the shape of a rabbit. He was born like this, his mother even told him that. Was evil from birth and just had yet to have thoughts of destroying everything around him? If that was the case when were those thoughts going to start?

His mother called him and he ran to her putting a smile on his face that made her smile in return. He could never tell her what a few of the other villagers said about him. It would break her heart, as well as make her remember she gave birth to a monster. No, he couldn't do that to her. He would just hold his fears inside and only offer her a smile.

A trail by fire you will face,

But never forget,

The heart that is inside.

Will and Merlin had been playing in the forest. They were at their favorite tree. Will was climbing the limbs and Merlin kept telling him it wasn't a good idea. The branch would break. "We aren't eight anymore Will!" Merlin called up fearful for his friend. At ten years of age he was starting to tower over the other children. He was still thin though.

"Oh stop worrying Merlin." Will called down. "You're right, we're not eight anymore. I should be able to get up higher now!" Will put his weight on a branch that until now had always held his weight. This time though it snapped and Will felt himself falling.

Merlin didn't think about it. His magic just reached out to slow Will's decent and prevent harm.

"What was that?" Will asked looking at Merlin as he stood from the ground unharmed. Merlin looked to the ground.

"Nothing."

"That wasn't nothing!" Will said a grin breaking out on his face. "That was magic!"

Loyalty shall be your course,

Fateful threads too strong to break.

Will never told a soul in the village. In fact him knowing Merlin's secret only brought them closer together. They started playing pranks with a higher success rate. It was fun. They even used it to help with their chores a little bit.

It was one such day. They were both sixteen and today, they were collecting firewood. "There isn't enough on the ground, can't you fell a tree or something?" Will asked looking around to make sure the coast was clear.

Merlin looked at the trees and found one to be suitable enough for what they needed. His eyes glowed and the trunk snapped and started to fall. They watched it fall to the ground and froze as a person started to stand up from the ground, clearly having jumped out of the way of the falling tree.

"Run…" Will said pulling Merlin along with him. Both boys didn't stop until they reached Merlin's hut. "Maybe we shouldn't use your magic on the trees again?"

The sound of breaking pottery reached their ears as they turned to look at Hunith. "He knows?" She nearly yelled at Merlin. "What have I told you time and time again? You mustn't tell a soul!"

"I didn't!" Merlin shot back. "Will's known for six years and he hasn't told anyone!"

"He saved my life, and he's my best friend, why would I tell anyone?" Will asked confused by the fear that seemed to grip Hunith. "I promise you that I won't tell anyone."

Hunith closed her eyes hugging herself. "You should go home Will."

"Sorry Merlin…" Will said leaving the hut to head home.

Scars will remain,

The silence nearly break you,

Faith to be all you sustain you.

Hunith watched Merlin as he slept. He was getting old enough now to question why he had to hide himself. Old enough to understand the reasons behind why he had to hide. She knew of the whispers of the village folk, they were getting louder every day. She could see the smile not quite reaching Merlin's eyes as he brushed it off.

"My son, what am I going to do with you?" She asked softly to no one in particular.

"Send him to Camelot." She turned sharply at the voice. The same one from when Merlin was born.

"Camelot?" She asked him moving closer to the man. "Are you crazy? He will be killed!"

"I wouldn't have sent him there this early if I didn't have to." The man said stepping around Hunith and towards Merlin. Her brushed the raven locks off the boy's face as he slept. "The people of magic are getting restless. Arthur will need a protector from magic."

"Merlin doesn't know any spells." Hunith said. "I couldn't get him a book of magic even if I wanted to."

The man tossed her a smile. "He is a Warlock Hunith." He said calmly. "He has a lot of raw power. The magic is as natural to him as breathing to us. Being a Warlock means he learns through combat. By the time he is done learning he will be scared. Yet the power he will be able to wield, only gods can compare to it."

Hunith looked at her son. "Must he go now?" She asked. If only she could have just a few more years with her son.

"Me must go as soon as possible." The man said. "Send him to Gaius. The man still knows a few tricks that will make his life easier. It won't be much, but it will be better than going at it blind."

Hunith nodded her head in understanding. "Will I see him again?" She asked fear in her eyes.

The man brushed her check with a kind smile in place. "He will make you so proud." He answered. "I wasn't lying when I said the boy was meant for great things."

You are the Earth,

Mountains will bow as you pass,

Power flowing freely in your veins.

Hunith sent word to Gaius letting him know to be expecting her son. She started packing a bag for the boy.

"I don't want to leave." Merlin said watching her pack.

"You must." Hunith said. "We can't have another accident like with that tree. Gaius will be able to help you learn to control it."

"But Will-"

"He will understand." She said standing and looking at Merlin. "I'm not upset you told him, nor that he knows how to be a true friend to you. You have so much of your gift that I fear without the proper training it will consume you. Gaius can help you find your purpose for it."

Destiny has claimed your soul,

Greatness in every stride,

Grace worthy of your pride.

"So you are leaving tomorrow morning?" Will asked.

"Yeah…" Merlin sat up looking at the stars. They were on the roof. "She isn't angry at you. In fact she is happy I have you for a friend."

Will nodded his head. "One last song before you leave?" He asked.

Merlin smiled. "I have no clue what the words mean." He said willing to sing anyway.

"Doesn't matter, it's comforting."

With that Merlin began to sing. The words were in the dragon tongue, he had no idea why he sang them. They just started coming out a few years back every so often. The songs were just natural to him. When he finished Will sat up.

"Be careful Merlin." He said. "Not everyone will be as understanding of what you can do as I was."

"I know."

A mother's wish falls on these lips,

May you find the light in your darkest hours,

May it guide you to your home.

Hunith adjusted the jacket on Merlin once again before pulling him down to kiss his forehead. "Gaius is the court physician." She reminded him. "If you get lost, ask someone. Don't use your gift at all."

"I know mother." Merlin said. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you my son." She said pulling him into one last hug. "Now go, you have a few days walk ahead of you. He is expecting you by Wednesday."

Merlin hugged her one last time before taking off at a light jog on the path towards Camelot. Hunith watched him disappear through the trees. Tears finally streaming down her face. Her lullaby for him coming to her lips one last time.

For now you are mine,

But one day,

You will be,

The Merlin to a King…

End of the chapter folks. please R&R! Next Chapter will start in with the series itself. Hope to see you then!