I'm walking in what seems to be a small clearing with only a few large trees. I hear children in the distance, their laughing but it's not in a way that sounds like childlike innocence. It sounds as if they're taunting someone.I run towards the sound and I see a young child in a tattered brown cloak and he was being chased by three other children. I couldn't see the hooded child's face but the children chasing the other child were throwing stones at him. "You freak! Go live with the other freaks. The ones with the tattoos. There is no place for you here. You're a freak." An older child seemingly approaching his teens spoke with such cruelty towards the young child it made my heart twist into something painful.

"No one needs your magic! A freak like you in our village will only get our families killed. The mean dragon king is going to kill you first and then your mother!" A little boy similar to the size of the bullied child taunted as he grabbed bigger rocks to throw. I assume by the mean dragon king that they are speaking of either me or my father, and considering I haven't done anything particularly cruel, I settle for the fact they are talking about my father.

"Yeah! and I've heard that everyone else has to work hard and study magic...but you were born with it. That makes you an extra freak! Your mama is probably scared of you too!"

I watch the bullied child finally stand his ground and for a split second I believe he is going to harm the other children. However, he doesn't do that. He holds out a hand at the feet of the other children, and makes flowers bloom all around them. With a slight motion of his arms the stems entangle the bullies, causing them to fall over, but other than that they are unharmed.I reach out for the child wondering who he is but the scene drifts away from me as I feel something shaking me."Arthur, wake up! Please wake up!"

I open my eyes and I see Merlin with Gaius. "What's going on? I told you to get food, not Gaius. Is something off with your hearing Merlin?" As I get up I look at the food on the table and I realize that it's probably been sitting there for an hour or so. "What happened?" I ask as I look between Merlin and Gaius.

"I would like to know that as well Arthur." Gaius begins to look at me with concern. "Merlin came down to the kitchens and gathered food for the both of you...I saw that...but then after he leaves the next thing I know he's running towards me, out of breath saying you're not breathing."

"I was dreaming just now. I had a strange dream last night as well. They felt so real it was like I was there." I feel my body suddenly go cold as a thought occurs to me. "I'm not turning into what Morgana was am I!?"

"No Arthur. You could never be evil eve. if you wanted to." Merlin places a hand on my shoulder, but it doesn't help.

"Gaius, whats happening to me?"

"Well, it depends on what the dreams are about and how you feel during them. Merlin, can you go fetch us some cold water and a wash cloth?" I sit up as Merlin leaves the room. "No what happened in the dream from last night? Give me a brief description and leave out names."

'Strange request but Alright.' "I was following a man wearing a blue hood. The man to me seemed peaceful and his footsteps seemed like they were made of light. He made a campfire and caused a dragon to appear. Later a little druid girl came up to him calling him master and he taught her to do the same thing. Then they talked about how what is conjured from the fire can resemble something unique about their soul mate and how soul mates can simply be best friends."

"Did you hear the man's voice?"

"No."

"What of the dream you had just now?"

I look down at my hands remembering how I couldn't see the child's face. It must've been tear stained. "I watched as a commoner child was being bullied by three boys and constantly being called a freak for having magic and that he should go live with the druids. They told him that his own mother might be scared of him. I know magic is evil but to bully a small child to the extent of throwing stones at him...and they said something strange...they said he was born with it. How is that possible?" I looked at Gaius who looked back at me in what seemed to be disbelief, though I couldn't place why his expression seemed so forlorn.

"Something or someone who is born with magic is considered to be a creature of magic and part of the old religion. They are said to be extremely powerful. Arthur, I'm not sure why, but I think your dreams genuinely mean something specific to you."

"How could a sorcerer mean anything to me!? Magic is evil! All it's ever done is take everything away from me!" I don't know why I'm angry but I remember everything magic has done to me, my family, and even at some points my own will and I can't help it.

"Gaius, here's the water and I grabbed a wash cloth from my room I hope that's okay."

I watched as Gaius turned his concern gaze to Merlin and he gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you Merlin, He is going to need a bath...he's dripping in sweat and he will need some of the water to drink and calm his nerves." He looks back at me again with a concerned look once more. "I truly believe what I said Arthur. You should probably pay close attention to them. I don't think you're ending up like Morgana but perhaps there is a reason for these dreams." With that he left me and merlin.

After a few trips of getting water, Merlin started my bath and gave me some warm water to drink. "Arthur, it may not be my place to ask this but..."

"And when has that ever stopped you?" I ask as I try to calm my nerves from Gaius' words.

"Never." He says with a smile and he continues to heat up my bath and I watch as he places lavender herbs into the water. "What did you and Gaius talk about while I was gone?"

'Should I tell him? perhaps if I tell him I can get him to tell me about his nightmares.' "I'll tell you on one condition...you tell me about one of your nightmares."

He gives a shrug and looks away from me. "I guess I'll never know."

"Merlin, tell me please." I realize what my voice sounds like but he found me not breathing and I jut recently discovered that he's having nightmares that seem real to him. I also don't know how long they've lasted.

He gave me a heavy sigh and began undressing me. "Fine but I'll tell you after you get in your bath."

Once I'm in the bath I realize that Merlin has already started using the wash cloth on my shoulders. "So, what of your nightmares? How long have you had them?" I ask with a slight wince as he goes over a recent scar on my shoulder blade.

"I've had my nightmares since before I can remember. My mother would come in and find me either crying, shaking, or screaming. Sometimes they weren't all that bad, but most of the time they were...awful."

I can't help but feel a sinking in my heart. Someone who has become a good friend to me has been suffering for such a long time...and I never knew. "Have you had any recent nightmares?"

"I had one a few nights ago. I was following someone in a red hood..."

'This sounds similar to my dream.'

"We were in the valley of the fallen kings...He seemed to be lost so I decided to help him. I built a fire and he caught us two rabbits. I couldn't see the man's face but he was kind and a bit frightened..."

"Sounds a bit similar to my dream last night...but I fail to see the nightmare portion of this." I say as I lift my right arm to be washed.

"Once we started the fire to cook the meal the scene changes a little. I'm suddenly surrounded by a bunch of people and they are all laughing at me and taunting me as I'm tied to a post. I didn't know what was happening but I suddenly felt fire creeping up my legs and onto my back...I thought it was real...I woke Gaius up with my screaming. He had to give me some medicine."

"Why were you tied to a post?"

"I had apparently done something wrong." I can hear the hesitancy in his voice but I choose not say anything. "Arthur, can I ask you something? "

"Awkward moment to be asking that while you're behind me but sure."

"This scar on the back of your ribs...its too big to be a sword and too narrow to be an arrow, where did you get it from?"

"I got that from our second meeting. When we were mace fighting...I can't believe I was that clumsy...I had slipped on a sharp cutting knife as well as the corner of something and I didn't notice until one of my knights said something about the blood on the back of my clothing."

"Wow, you must be really relaxed if you can so calmly share such an embarrassing story." I heard him laugh, but i was unamused.

"It hurt like hell when Gaius was cleaning it I'll have you know."

"Yeah...Gaius didn't hold back on my pain either."

"Pain? surely I didn't injure you that much." I don't know why but my chest felt colder than it should.

"I have the scar to prove it. Don't worry though, it healed nicely."

"So wait...your first battle wound was..."

"Caused by a royal ass of a prat." He handed me the wash cloth and he walked over to my wardrobe to gather some night clothes. I hadn't realized it had already gotten dark. I used the wash cloth to was the rest of my body and i got out to wrap a towel around myself. "Do you want to sleep in red, blue, purple, white, or black?"

"Purple?"

"It accidentally got washed with blue and red...it used to be white, now its a dark purple...because it accidentally happened more than once..."

"Purple it is then. Maybe the horrible accident you undoubtedly caused will help me with my dreams. Maybe I'll dream of more laundry mishaps."

After I'm fully dressed Merlin says goodnight and leaves me alone in my room as I sink into the silk and fluff that is my bed.