This is a story I have been toying with for a while. Let me know what ya'll think. I'll keep going if you like it.

Chapter 1

It was treacherous ground to travel and his legs felt as if they were on fire from the strenuous hike up the ridge. It being the third day on the road was not helping matters at all. He was weary deep in his bones but knew stopping was not an option. Hoping the descent would be less painful, he quickly pushed himself up the last few feet to the top. Resting only a moment, for he knew they would leave him in a heartbeat, he scampered after the entourage.

He found out quickly that descending the ridge was actually far harder than the ascent. He was using muscles he hadn't even realized existed. The heavy and awkward burden he carried seemed intent on tipping him forward at the slightest provocation. So intent was he on his burden that he did not notice the increasingly unstable rocks under his feet until it was too late.

The ground beneath him seemed to teeter for a moment and then abruptly gave way as the unstable rock he had stepped on fell away from the hillside and sent him careening down the side of the ridge. It was not a graceful fall. There was nothing to grasp to slow his descent and even if there was, every piece of the heavy burden on his back seemed to be falling down his arms and flying off his person impeding him from stopping his fall in any way. A searing pain tore deep into his left leg and he gasped with the sensation, and threw his hands out. By some miracle his right hand brushed a tree trunk and he grabbed hold with all his might. But his joint was no match for the speed at which he was moving and a sickening pop followed by indescribable pain in his shoulder demanded he let go. He fell for several more feet before his head collided painfully with a boulder and his consciousness fell away.

-Arthur-

Arthur turned at the sound of a body crashing to the ground. That'll be Merlin, he thought. To his displeasure it was Merlin and at first he laughed as he watched his bumbling servant fall down the hillside. But his amusement turned to horror as Merlin picked up speed and was unable to stop his fall. Arthur could do nothing for him and could only watch in shock as Merlin's hands scrambled for purchase. Arthur was granted a short reprieve when Merlin grabbed the tree trunk; marveling that he had not run head first into it instead. But was unjustly rewarded with the nauseating sound of Merlin's shoulder dislocating before he continued to fall. Arthur watched in dismay as Merlin's tumble skidded to a halt near the bottom of the ridge and panic began to swell when he realized Merlin wasn't moving.

"Merlin!" Arthur bellowed and began a rapid climb down toward his manservant.

All too aware of the dangers of the slope, Leon called out to his king, "Slow down sire!"

Slow down? They want me to slow down? Arthur was incredulous. That was Merlin down there, and he needed their help, he wasn't about to slow down! But somewhere in the back of his mind reason poked a hole through his panic clouded thoughts and he slowed his steps to a less dangerous pace. He was still practically sprinting down the slope; all of Merlin's friends followed at similar paces.

As Arthur neared Merlin he observed several things. First, and most importantly, Merlin was still breathing. He loosed his own breath of relief after noticing this. Second, Merlin may be breathing but was definitely bleeding too. The blood pooled around Merlin's left leg and around all of the belongings he had fallen with. That was the third thing Arthur noticed; there was an unusual amount of gear surrounding Merlin, and he had even passed several things that had already flown off of Merlin's back. Why did he have so much? Arthur pushed that thought to the side in order to focus on more important matters.