The morning was warm and pleasant, a gentle breeze swaying the trees and stirring the scent of earth as the two walked beneath the branches. Arthur had decided rather suddenly to go on a hunting trip that morning, striding into the physician's chambers barely after dawn to wake the boy and tell him to prepare for it.

Normally Merlin would have been annoyed, those few extra minutes of sleep precious to him on any other occasion, but once they'd stepped foot into the forest he found himself glad to be out in the beautiful weather.

The citadel had been rather quiet the last couple of days after the disruption that the wraith had caused and while the young warlock would have enjoyed a few peaceful days himself, Arthur had seemed desperate to get out. Traipsing through the trees beneath the weight of Arthur's things, Merlin had finally come to terms with the fact that 'peaceful' and 'Arthur' were likely to never be used in the same sentence together.

"Merlin." Arthur spoke from ahead of him, the blond's crossbow held in one hand as he paused near a tree and glanced back to where the servant had fallen behind.

"Yes?" A glimpse of hesitation crossed over the prince's face, his eyes narrowing as he looked the boy over. Merlin paused a few paces away, a hand outstretching and falling against the bark of a tree as he waited for the question he knew the other was contemplating.

"Did anything happen between you and my father?"

Blinking in surprise, the warlock's brows knit together in confusion. "I haven't seen the king in a couple of days, Arthur, let alone spoken to him."

It was no surprise that Uther was far from Merlin's biggest fan, in fact the boy was fairly certain he was still under the impression that he had some form of mental illness that prohibited him from properly doing his job. Although he supposed things had been different since the fight, after what had been said.

"Before the fight then, with the Black Knight." Arthur pressed, turning away and beginning to walk again. "You prepared him for the fight, didn't you?"

"You show him the most extraordinary loyalty."

"That is my job, Sire."

"Beyond the line of duty."

"Well, you could say there is a bond between us."

Swallowing once, Merlin nodded. "I did." Uther hadn't actually told Arthur of their conversation had he? God, he would never live that down if he had.

"My father said that the sword he used in the fight, it was one that you had made for me."

Stepping over a tree root and keeping his eyes on his feet, Merlin responded. "Oh?"

"Did you?"

"Did I what?"

"Get me a new sword."

Glancing up, he found the prince's eyes on him as the warlock barely shrugged. "Yes. I just.. I felt you needed a better one for the fight."

"Why?"

"Because there was a chance you wouldn't survive." He stated, slowing to a stop and adjusting the quiver on his shoulder while meeting Arthur's stare. "So I had one made, one I felt would be better suited to you."

His body tensed at the way blue hues studied him, an unreadable mask covering the blond's face before he was turning and ducking beneath a branch. "My father said it was a good sword, one of the best he'd ever used."

Letting out a slow breath, the boy nodded. "It did its job."

"So where is it?"

Pressing his lips together and ducking beneath the branch himself, he nearly stumbled into the man. "Sorry, what?"

"Where is the sword, Merlin? It's not here, and you certainly haven't presented it to me. So where is it?"

Opening his mouth, the warlock found himself without an answer as the warning he'd received played through his mind. "I uhm, it must've been misplaced after the fight. I was unable to find it."

"You lost an entire sword?" Arthur asked incredulously as Merlin offered a sheepish grin.

"It just sort of happened. It will turn up somewhere, I'm sure."

"You're utterly hopeless, you know that?" The prince scoffed, rolling his eyes and turning away as Merlin bit down on his lip.

"Was that all that Uther said?" The warlock ventured, staring after the man as Arthur glanced over his shoulder.

"Why?"

"Oh, just curious is all." Merlin shrugged, doing his best to act normal as he readjusted his grip on Arthur's sword and dagger.

"Did you say anything to him?"

"What?" The boy blinked, his head shaking side to side. "No, no of course not. Like I said, I was just curious."

"Because if you did, I'd want to know exactly what was said between you." The prince stated, narrowing his eyes at the servant.

"I didn't say anything." He spoke quickly as Arthur took a step towards him. "It was all very.. quiet."

"Merlin-"

"Oh look, I think I just saw a rabbit taking off, right over there." The warlock gestured, cutting off the prince and directing his attention towards an empty field.

"Are you trying to change the subject?" The prince demanded, cutting his eyes towards the empty space before looking back to the boy.

"What? No." He laughed awkwardly, the sword he held beginning to slide from his grasp. "No I just thought we were hunting is all and you'd want to know."

"We?" The man stressed as Merlin's smile faltered.

"You. You were hunting."

The smirk that began to rise to the blond's face was one Merlin had become familiar with and in turn learned to be wary of. Normally it meant he was either about to be saddled with extra chores or on the verge of becoming the next source of the man's amusement, and neither was something he ever ended up enjoying.

"Alright," Arthur nodded, glancing down at the crossbow he held. "Let's hunt."

With no warning he was tossing the weapon towards him, the boy stumbling forwards just in time to catch it. Fumbling with the added weight, he fought to keep hold of everything as he dared a quick glance to the blond who was fighting a smile.

"What-What is this?" He questioned, adjusting the crossbow to keep it from pointing at either him or the prince in case of a misfire.

"That's a crossbow, Merlin. Surely you've seen one before?"

"That's not what I-"

"You have handled one, haven't you?" Arthur pressed, the smirk widening at the warlock's growing discomfort.

"Oh, sure, loads of times." Merlin muttered as he shifted the weapons beneath his arm and managed to straighten out the bow with his other hand.

"You never have, have you?"

"Course I have!" He stated, meeting the other's eye and finding a dubious expression staring back at him.

"Really?"

"Well, once." He shrugged, drawing the bow closer. "Sort of."

"Like I said, hopeless."

"Why would I need to use one, anyway?" He grumbled as the man strode forwards and pulled it from his grasp.

"Well we're hunting, aren't we?"

"No, you're hunting."

Letting out a brief laugh, Arthur shook his head. "You know, you're the only man I've ever met who is so adverse to it all."

"I just don't think killing animals for sport is considered fun." He muttered as they began walking again, the weapons pressed tight against his side.

"I suppose it does take a great amount of discipline and determination. Two things you obviously lack."

"Or perhaps it just means I actually have a heart." The boy mumbled under his breath as the prince's eyes cut towards him.

"What was that?"

"Oh, I said I just, haven't mastered the art yet." He spoke louder, noting the brief glimpse of uncertainty before he was looking away.

They walked in silence for some time before the prince paused, lifting his hand in a silent gesture for the servant to still. In the distance the warlock could see a rabbit, its nose twitching as it moved through the brush.

"Maybe you'll actually learn something." Arthur commented softly, his voice barely a whisper as he crept closer and readied his crossbow. His steps were precise and careful, never once touching down on a fallen leaf or branch.

Merlin himself lingered back, watching the creature rather than the prince. Its ears pricked in warning, dark eyes moving as its head turned towards them, its sleek body tensing before beginning to sprint away. It didn't make it far however, a few steps into its run before it halted, its body jerking strangely as its ears turned again.

The sound of the bow firing had the boy glancing away, wincing ever so slightly at the sound of the arrow striking its target. Hunting for food was one thing, but to kill an innocent creature merely for sport? He wasn't sure he'd ever come to understand what drove another to find such enjoyment out of it.

"There, you see?" Arthur declared, turning back to look at the servant with a triumphant smile.

"Yes, you did quite well." Merlin stated, stepping closer and gesturing towards the fallen creature. "Except that it got itself caught in the vines and underbrush, so really, it's not all that impressive."

The smile the blond wore faltered as blue eyes landed towards his prey, long strides carrying him closer before he knelt beside the rabbit. Merlin didn't work very hard to keep the grin from his face as he trailed behind, the prince frowning down at it.

"Well regardless, it was a clean kill." He huffed, extending his hand out to the boy. "Give me my dagger, I'll cut it free and we'll continue."

Fumbling around for a moment, the prince's sword fell to the ground as he grabbed the dagger, ignoring the pointed glare that was sent his way before the warlock was passing the man his knife. While the prince cut away at the vines that had condemned the rabbit to its fate, Merlin stooped to retrieve the sword that had fallen. As his fingers wrapped around the soft leather sheath, a branch cracked in the distance and the boy's head jerked up, blue eyes peering through the trees.

"Did you hear that?" He asked quietly, standing up and holding the sword close.

"Hear what?"

"It sounded like someone's out there. I heard a branch and-"

"You're just hearing things." Arthur muttered dismissively behind him. "There's no one else out here except perhaps a patrol."

"You're sure about that?" The warlock asked, his head twisting to see further.

"Course I am, stop acting so jumpy. Here." He stated as the boy hesitated, backing a step towards him but keeping an eye around them. "Merlin! Stop looking for things that aren't there and take this!" The man snapped as Merlin's nose wrinkled in a frown, switching the sword to his left hand and reaching out for the rabbit.

Maybe he was still just on edge after the past few days, but the forest seemed to have grown too still, and it wasn't rare for bandits to lurk around. Stretching his hand out behind him, the prince thrust the creature up at him in annoyance. Or at least, he'd thought it was the creature.

The pain was immediate and excruciating, the blade of the dagger catching one side of his open palm and tearing across his hand as the boy jerked back and yelped, the sword falling from his grip once more as he drew his injured hand close.

"What are you doing?" Arthur demanded as he looked up with a horrified expression.

Merlin only grimaced in response, his fingers wrapping around his right wrist as blood gathered in his palm and began to spill down the side. "What am I doing?" He ground out, his hand pulsing in pain. "I thought you were handing me the game!"

"I was handing you my knife!" Arthur shot back, the dagger still in hand while he stood as the warlock caught sight of his own blood coating the blade.

"Who hands someone a knife blade up?" He asked, moving his hand to cup the other as crimson spotted his other palm.

"I wanted you to clean it!"

"With what, my blood?" Merlin scoffed, groaning as he tried to curl his fingers in over the wound.

Stepping in front of the boy and tossing the dagger to the ground beside his sword, Arthur reached out as the warlock pulled away, staring at him with wide eyes full of apprehension. "What are you doing?"

"Taking a look at it." The man replied sharply, though he'd frozen at the inquiry as the two stared at each other.

"Yeah, I think I'd rather have Gaius take a look." He said slowly, drawing the injured appendage closer to his chest while Arthur quirked a brow at him.

"You'd rather spend the rest of the day hunting and the walk back with it bleeding like that?" Merlin hesitated a moment, eyes flickering down towards his palm that had begun to gather a small pool of blood that was beginning to paint his fingers with the same gruesome shade. "You are aware that I'm trained for this sort of thing on the battlefield?"

"Well this isn't exactly a battlefield." He retorted as Arthur took another step towards him.

"No, it's not. That scratch is nothing compared to what I've seen."

"Scratch?" The boy scoffed, glaring at the blond. "You practically stabbed me!"

"Don't be so dramatic, Merlin." Arthur rolled his eyes, reaching out suddenly and grabbing his wrist, yanking it out towards him while the warlock let out another pained sound.

Holding his wrist in one hand and forcing his fingers to uncurl with his other, Arthur frowned down at the wound as the servant grimaced. The blood that had pooled dripped down across the prince's fingers as Merlin's hand shook, the boy biting back the pain that coursed through him.

"It's not that bad." Arthur remarked when he finally let go, the warlock quickly drawing his arm back and glancing down at it before looking back up.

"Not that bad? I'm not going to be able to close my hand for a week!"

"That better not affect your work." The prince stated dryly, dragging his hands along his trousers to rid them of the blood. "Give me the pack and sit there." He instructed, holding out his hand for the bag.

Merlin hesitated only a moment before he did as he was told, carefully setting the quiver beside the sword and dagger before he pulled the pack from across his shoulders and passed it to the prince. Once the bag was out of his hands Merlin backed a step away and sat heavily on a tree stump, resting his arms against his knees while holding his hand out and watching the blood that had yet to stop.

"Keep your hand raised." Arthur murmured while he rifled through the bag, pulling out and setting one of the waterskins beside him.

"What? Why?" Pained blue hues looked up in confusion to find the prince staring at him as if he'd suddenly grown a second head.

"Have you learned nothing from Gaius?" He demanded, his mouth open in disbelief as the boy stared blankly at him. "You slow the bleeding by putting pressure on the wound and keeping it above your heart." The blond muttered, leaning over and grabbing ahold of his wrist. "While I look for something to put on it, keep it raised." Shoving his hand up the boy grimaced at the motion as the prince went back to rifling through the pack.

"Where did you learn this?"

"Have you forgotten that I'm the head of the knights?" He muttered, eyeing the boy whose shoulders slouched. "Not to mention that Gaius has been around my whole life. And unlike some, I actually listen when he tells me something."

"I listen." Merlin defended.

"With selective hearing I'm sure." The blond grumbled as the boy pressed his lips together and looked back to his hand.

"Well it's still bleeding, and all lifting my hand has done is caused it to drip down my arm." He sighed, pulling his sleeve up and wiping away a drop of crimson that had trickled down his skin.

"Merlin?"

"What?"

"Did you pack this?" The prince questioned slowly, his movements stiff as he stared inside.

"Yeah, why?"

"When did you pack this?"

"This morning." He answered, tilting his head to one side. "When you told me we were going. Why, is something wrong with it?"

"There's nothing in it, that's what's wrong with it."

"What do you mean there's nothing in it? There's a lot in there!"

"Nothing of actual use!" Arthur scowled, shoving the bag aside. "Where did you learn to make a pack?"

"It was a half day of hunting, I wasn't expecting anyone to be maimed." Merlin murmured quietly, shifting his gaze away as his answer drew a heavy sigh from the man in front of him.

"That's the whole point of a pack, Merlin! To be prepared for what might happen!" Fully turning his head away with a soft apology being uttered, Arthur's shadow dipped across him. "We're just going to have to make do."

"Make do? What are you talking about?" Looking up, he found the prince retrieving his dagger from the ground. The warlock's eyes widened when the man stepped closer, hovering next to him. "Arthur, what are you doing?" He asked warily, starting to shift away as the prince met his gaze.

"Making do." Reaching out, the blond's fingers began to pull at the knot tying the scarf around the warlock's neck as Merlin stiffened, his good hand reaching up and trying to pull him away.

"But I- no, Arthur, no. No, no, n- oh.." The warlock groaned as the fabric was torn away. In the next moment the sound of the material being cut had the boy dropping his head and squeezing his eyes shut. "I liked that neckerchief.."

"You can mend it later."

Jerking his head up, Merlin stared at the chunks of cloth that the blond held. "You ripped it to shreds, Arthur, there is no mending that!" The boy cried, accusatory eyes falling to the torn scraps as Arthur knelt in front of him.

"Perhaps this will be a lesson then for you to pay more attention to your work."

"Or perhaps you shouldn't thrust a knife blade up at another without a warning." He shot back, receiving a glare at the comment as the prince held out his hand.

Offering his palm up reluctantly, Arthur took hold of his wrist and pressed one of the pieces of the scarf against the open wound firmly, eliciting a low groan from the servant as his head dropped at the sudden spike of pain.

"Calm down, Merlin, it's not that bad."

"How would you know?" He hissed through clenched teeth, the pressure causing his hand to tremble as the prince steadied it, keeping a firm but careful hold.

The two sat frozen in silence for what felt like ages, Arthur keeping a steady pressure while Merlin kept his eyes on his boots. Finally the cloth was removed and the boy looked up, watching as Arthur grabbed the waterskin and pried off the top with his teeth before he poured a portion over the boy's open hand. Biting back another groan, his hand flinched, held in place only by the blond's grip as blue eyes flickered up to him.

"Keep your hand steady, Merlin, or you'll only make it worse." He spoke slowly, taking a second piece of the scarf and cleaning the blood, water and dirt from the wound.

Instead of looking at the jagged cut that had torn open his palm, Merlin directed his gaze to the prince while he worked. He wore a calm yet focused expression, eyes darting over the boy's hand as he began to wrap a longer piece of the scarf around his palm, securing it tightly and surveying his work before he was finally letting go.

"There, good as new." He declared, retrieving the waterskin and pouring some over his own hands to clean them of the blood.

Lifting his throbbing hand, the warlock turned it over in apprehension. "You and I have very different definitions of new."

"It's fine." The man stated, pushing himself up and dropping the half empty skin in the pack before he was retrieving his dagger and wiping it clean.

"It still hurts."

"Merlin, if you lose your hand then you're welcome to complain. Until that point, shut up." Sliding the sheath of the dagger into his boot, Merlin looked away, his fingers running gently over the makeshift bandage.

"Arthur."

"Merlin, I don't want to he-"

"Thank you."

Pausing with his sword in hand, Arthur glanced towards him briefly before he was turning away, tying the belt in place. "I couldn't very well have you bleeding all over the place while I tried to hunt." He muttered as the boy smiled, dropping his head before a piece of the ruined neckerchief landed in his lap.

"Clean yourself up, for as small as it was you still somehow managed to get blood everywhere." Picking up the scrap, Merlin looked up and watched while Arthur returned to his fallen prey before he began to scrub as the trails of crimson that had left streaks on his hands and wrists.

As he was finishing up the prince strode back over and retrieved his quiver of arrows, slinging it over his shoulder. "Come on, let's go." He instructed as Merlin pushed himself up.

Reaching down for the pack and slinging it over his shoulder, he waited for the other objects to be handed to him. Instead, Arthur turned away and began to walk, his crossbow in one hand and the rabbit in the other.

"Where are you going?" Merlin called out, noting the different direction the prince was headed in.

"I know you're slow, Merlin, but I thought you'd at least know how to get home. No wonder it takes you so long to gather herbs for Gaius." Arthur scoffed, not even bothering to look back at him.

"I know where home is." The boy shot back, readjusting the pack and trailing behind him. "I thought you were hunting."

"It's getting late. Besides, I've no interest in listening to you complain about such a minor injury for the rest of the day."

Glancing up at the sky and ignoring the second part of his comment, Merlin walked faster to catch up to him. "It's barely midmorning."

"And?"

"And normally your hunting trips last longer and have more to show from them." The servant countered.

"Unlike you, Merlin, I am a prince. I don't have the luxury of lazing about all day doing nothing. I have work to attend to that requires me to do more with my day than spending it out here."

Opening his mouth in shock, Merlin stumbled over a branch and let out an angry breath. "I don't laze about all day! The last thing I do is laze about!"

"Whatever you say, Merlin." The prince replied as the warlock stared in irritation.

Grumbling softly as they continued, the blond finally looked back with an amused expression that he'd obviously failed at hiding. "I can hear you back there, Merlin."

"Just admiring the forest, Sire." He commented dryly, waiting until the man's back was turned before he flashed him a dirty look.

Stepping over a mess of fallen leaves, the boy's eyes drifted to his still aching hand. The wrapping would need changed into something more sustaining, and he'd happily allow Gaius to look it over and prescribe a salve to help with the healing, but Arthur had managed to get the bleeding to stop, and though the wrap had been made rather crudely he'd done a fairer job at it than he'd expected.

In fact, despite the comments he'd made, he'd even taken care of in a far gentler manner than he'd have expected from the man. Looking to the prince, Merlin's mind wandered back to what he'd been instructed to do earlier.

While Arthur had eaten he'd declared they wouldn't be back until the afternoon and that Merlin was to tell the servant tending to his father those exact words. And yet he'd said just now that they needed to get back because he had things to do. Things that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere? There was no reason for them to be heading back so early, not unless..

Holding up his hand, Merlin's eyes darted between it and the prince, the realization settling over the warlock as a small smile rose to his face. Arthur had begun to list off a myriad of things that Merlin could do that afternoon since he claimed he didn't 'laze about' but the boy was hardly listening.

For as annoying and self-centered as the prince could be at times, he did have his moments when he cared. Not that he'd ever admit it of course, but perhaps what he'd told Uther had indeed been true. Maybe a bond had begun to form between them, and perhaps Arthur was beginning to view the boy as more than just his servant.


A/N

I love them, have I said that recently? Because I DO. I started rewatching season one so I could finally get around to watching the rest of the series and my HEART.

Also can we talk about those stupid people in television who need blood for one thing or another and cut their palms open? (Supernatural I am looking at YOU) like that is the WORST thing to do. The palm of your hand is so sensitive and you can do a ton of damage with just a small cut and agh it hurts to even think about it.

Let me know if you guys liked this one or if you have any ideas or anything at all! I love to hear from you and comments make my stressful life a thousand times better! ^-^