Arthur woke up the next morning to find Merlin and Hunith in a heated, whisper fight, and after dressing, kind of awkwardly, he left them to it, and went to check on the horses. He made sure they were well fed and watered, before starting to walk back in the direction of Hunith's house, but he paused, not so sure he wanted to return just yet. Whatever they might have been fighting about must be very serious. Arthur wondered if it were him, had he done something to offend Hunith? He hoped not, she was kind and sweet and seemed like a wonderful woman, Arthur was half tempted to take her back to Camelot and leave Merlin here...

His thoughts were lost to him, when suddenly something, or someone rather, ran into him and he nearly lost his footing. The other person did, and fell onto the ground. At first Arthur didn't recognize who it was, he had only been in this village a day, he couldn't possibly know what any of it's people looked like, but as soon as this boy started talking, he knew.

"Oi, watch where you're going!" he said, as he staggered back to his feet and glared daggers at Arthur. These Ealdor boys were really all the same, weren't they? Did their parents teach them no manners?

"I believe you ran into me," retorted Arthur, and he couldn't help it. The boy, Will, dusted off his trousers and glare up at Arthur still. This, this had to be where Merlin learned his disrespect, because it couldn't have been from his Mother.

"So what if I did?" he said, speaking to Arthur as if he were filth, the very dirt on your boots. "You aren't no Prince here, you're nothing...just like me."

Arthur was shocked by this, only for a matter of seconds, but then he shook his head. He wasn't going to start anything, even if he would love to run this boy through, several times over. But he was here for Merlin, and he didn't much think murdering his friend would be too nice. Arthur started to walk away, and he thought that would end it, but no...of course no.

"You might have brainwashed everyone in Camelot to think you're so great, you might even have done it to Merlin," he called out, and Arthur swore openly, and begged himself not to say anything, just keep walking. Nothing this boy said mattered. "But I can see you for what you really are!"When Arthur didn't say anything and was almost to Hunith's door, this seemed to displease Will even more. "You're a coward who hides behind his Father, and his crown, pretends all the bad things he has done are in the name of the King...I have heard the things you have done, Arthur Pendragon, I have seen the hurt you have caused...not your Father, YOU!"

All at once, and in less than a blink of an eye, Arthur was back in front of the boy, the front of his tunic bunched up and in Arthur's hand He pulled him closer, their faces were only inches apart. "You know nothing about me!" he seethed. "And you will shut your mouth, or I will shut it for you!"

"Arthur!" came Merlin's voice now, far off so it seemed, but then Arthur felt Merlin' s hands on his, making him release his grip on Will, who staggered back and shot a death glare at Arthur. "Go...go now," Merlin told Will, and his look turned to something else, maybe hurt, Arthur wasn't sure, because everything felt like it was slow, Merlin's hands were on Arthur's arms now, pulling him into the opposite direction of Will, who was running around a building, just up ahead. Arthur had a thought to chase after him, to punch every inch of his face, and show him, truly, how horrible Arthur could be, but Merlin gave his arms another tug again, and things started going right. Time fixed itself and Merlin let go, walking, slowly, along side Arthur.

"I'm sorry about him," said Merlin, after a moment. Arthur realized they had passed Hunith's house, and neither attempted to go inside. Maybe Merlin thought Arthur was still too hyper, and perhaps he was right. "His Father used to work for Cenred and he killed him, so how Will doesn't trust any royals, but he still shouldn't have talked to you like that...I don't know why he did, maybe he is jealous..."

"Jealous of what?" asked Arthur, and he realized his voice was still a little off, still held much anger in it. Merlin seemed to notice too, and looked over at him with a frown.

"Our friendship?" offered Merlin, and Arthur knew all of his very rude comebacks about how they weren't friends was due to his anger at the moment, so he forced himself to stay quiet. "Will and I used to be best friends, before..."

"Can't imagine why anyone would want to be friends with him."

"Not many people do," Merlin admitted, now and Arthur looked back at him, from where he had been looking at a passing chicken before. And Merlin looked a little upset, and away from him. "It was only me, we had a lot in common...neither of us were liked very much, they thought we were bothodd, me because I was tall and strange looking and Will, because he'd never shut up."

Arthur let out a laugh, making the last of his anger wash away with it. "You never shut up either..."

"I suppose that's another thing we have in common..."

"It's not fair they treated you differently, Merlin," Arthur told him now, and Merlin looked up at him again, from the passing chicken, who stood right in front of them, eating a bug.

"You think so?" offered Merlin and Arthur shrugged.

"Not for being different, it's who you are..."

"You do it," retorted Merlin, but his grin betrayed him. Arthur shoved him in the arm, as gently as he could, but still hard enough to let him know Arthur didn't approve of his cheek.

"Yes, but I am allowed."

Merlin laughed, a laugh Arthur didn't really understand, because it wasn't a making fun of something stupid Arthur has done or said laugh, or one that said the thing wasn't very funny, but Merlin was being kind for laughing. It was something else entirely, a laugh of fondness, if that were a thing and Arthur didn't reply to it. He only now, just kind of stood there, idly. "Let me show you around, I can show you all-"

But Arthur cut him off, almost at once, though he felt rather guilty about it after. "Show me around?" he said, forcing a laugh into his voice. "The town starts there, Merlin, and ends over there," he pointed from one house to another, between them and looked at Merlin, with a raised eyebrow. "Tour over..."

Whatever fondness for Arthur Merlin just had was gone now, and he frowned. "Well, fine...I was going to show you-" he stopped and sighed and shook his head. "You know what? Never mind, I don't know why I bother..."

And then he walked off, and Arthur stood there, feeling, if possible, more stupid than he had ever felt before. Why did he have to be like this? Why did he have to insult Merlin like this? True, yes, it was part of their nature to be a bit rude to each other from time to time, but sometimes...Arthur even surprised himself.

After that, Arthur wasn't sure where Merlin had gone to, but Arthur went back to Hunith's house, where she served him lunch that tasted like dirt. He could barely eat it. Hunith could obviously tell Arthur was upset by something, yet didn't ask. Perhaps that was a mother thing, he wasn't sure as he didn't have one to know. Suddenly, however, as Arthur stirred the dirt around in the bowl, there was a scream from outside, and Arthur stood up, in both fright and readiness, so fast that he knocked over the chair he had been sitting in. He rushed from the house, pushing open the wooden door, to reach the outside. Hunith was behind him. He turned around to her and stopped her, it was an instinct.

"Stay here," he told her, and she gave him a small, sad smile, and nodded. He walked outside fully, and saw as a man with a black horse come charging into the village. The person who screamed, a blonde woman, was being whipped, by a whip you would use on a horse, by another man, still on his horse. Arthur pulled his sword from the belt around his waist and suddenly, from behind him, he heard the door open and there was Hunith, running out into the village.

"LOOTERS!" she yelled out, frantically. "EVERYONE GET INSIDE!"

So, Arthur thought, for only a second. She didn't listen just like her son...

Arthur had no time to dwell on this though, he ran forward and got in front of the blonde girl, who lay on the ground now, sobbing, and barely conscious. He ripped the whip out of the Looters hand and threw it to the ground, pushing him off of his horse. The horse ran off, and the man stood up, pulling out a sword of his own. Three men, three men Arthur had taken down before Merlin showed up, following behind him was the boy, Will. So, that's where he had gone. But Arthur had no time to worry about that now, or if they had been talking about him the whole time, because the leader of the Looters, Kanen, was walking near him. Arthur had seen him before, on rounds with the Knight. He was ruthless, and Arthur had just killed three of his men.

"Far from home," the man said, with amusement. "What is the doting Prince Arthur doing in a nothing little village like this?" Arthur didn't answer this, only brandished his sword. Kanen only laughed, deflecting Arthur, with his own sword. "I'm not afraid of you, Prince..."

"That's your mistake," retorted Arthur. He laughed again and looked behind him, as if to gloat at Arthur, to his men, but they lay dead behind him. He turned back to Arthur, much less amused. "Leave...now, and maybe you can keep your life."

"So gracious, My Lord..."

Arthur walked away from him, back turning to him, he was allowing him to live, he knew Kanen had children and a wife he stole for, and it was hardly their fault the life he chose to live. But suddenly Hunith was screaming. "ARTHUR!" and Arthur turned back around to see Kanen sword's blade nearly touching him, but it was stuck in mid air. As if frozen there. Arthur stare at it, as did Kanen; This was magic, it had to be. Arthur looked around, the only people that were out, or conscious, where Merlin, Will and Hunith, and of course Kanen himself, but he very much doubted it was him, as he kept tugging on the sword, trying to get it to move, yet it would not budge. Arthur forced himself to focus for the moment, looking at Kanen, with anger.

"I LET YOU LIVE! HAVE YOU NO BRAIN?!" he yelled at him, and Kanen, though, the last time Arthur met him, was smug, now looked scared, sword still stuck in the middle of the air. Hope was lost for him. Kanen took several steps back, and then turned and ran faster than Arthur had ever seen a man run before. The sword, suddenly, dropped to the ground, and Arthur stare at it again. Arthur looked up once more, and stare at the three, confused. It couldn't have been Hunith, as in attempt to reach Arthur to protect him, she had tripped over something and fell. So...she was clumsy like her son, too. Arthur reached the other two at once, his face, he knew it was red, with anger. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" he screamed, yes, screamed. If he kept yelling like this anymore, his voice would give out and he wouldn't be able to talk ever again. "WHICH ONE OF YOU DID IT?"

Merlin looked rather pale, but it couldn't have been him, not Merlin, because Arthur knew Merlin, and there was not only not one single ounce of evil him, but also he was without doubt, not inclined to have any special talent, whatsoever. Just look at him. "Arthur..." he said, softly, reaching out to him, but Arthur already knew, he already knew who it was. He jerked back away from Merlin. "Arthur...please."

"It was me," said Will, suddenly, and Arthur glared at him, because he had already known this much. But he was conflicted, because although magic was evil, Will used it to save Arthur. "I...I have magic..."

"You saved my life..." said Arthur, very confused, because just hours ago Will was just telling Arthur how awful he was, he couldn't understand it. But as Will looked over at Merlin, it made sense. Merlin cared about him, about Arthur, and Will cared about Merlin...

"Yeah...I don't know what I was thinking," retorted Will, late. And Arthur couldn't look at him anymore, he looked down at the ground. "If you'e going to kill me...I'd like you to make it quick, alright, don't much fancy a long wait..."

Arthur looked back up at this, but he found he couldn't quite meet Will's eye. "I'm not going to kill you..." If his Father ever knew about that, he would never hear the end of it. All magic, used for good or not, used to save someone Uther cared about or not, was out of the question, was wrong and Arthur was allowing this man to go free, that was going against Camelot, his King. But he had saved Arthur's life, that had to mean something. "Of course I won't..."

Will stare at him, in owe, and Arthur refused to look at him any longer, or ever again, if he could help it. He didn't want to look at Merlin either, because he knew...he had known and he didn't tell Arthur. He chose Will over him, and maybe he had a good reason...but that reason was because he feared what Arthur would do, not magic itself.

Arthur walked over to where Hunith still sit on the ground, apparently, she was either shocked to find out this news about Will, or also feared what Arthur would do to him. Arthur refused to be angry at her though. He leaned down, and took her hand, helping her to stand. "Are you alright?" he offered her and she smiled at him, kindly, touched his face with the palm of her hand, and nodded.

(A/N: Arthur is soft for Moms, it's confirmed. Also, I didn't kill Will, because killing everyone off is stupid!)