Balinor's child.

Summary: What if Kilgharrah was placed into a position where he had to look after a newborn Merlin. How would he deal with it?

Flying high above the world Kilgharrah felt at peace. He looked down to the land surrounding his mountain home. Endless green forests split by rivers, the rivers flowing endlessly past towns and villages in the distance. The tapestry of the world laid out beneath him.

Up here at the edge of the world, no war disturbed him, no conflicts troubled him. If he didn't have to eat, he felt as if he could spend an eternity above the clouds. Left in peace for the rest of his time, with nothing but the warm winds pushing him up. It was a fate to be wished for.

Then he felt his spirit shudder, a voice call out to him from across the winds, "O Drakkon" it roared, powerful and mighty. Kilgharrah's spirit shook as his Dragonlord had called him.

The Dragon reached into himself to feel the part of his spirit that he shared with Balinor and was surprised to find that the Dragonlord was close to where he was now.

Without wasting any time his wings burst forth and the sky seemed to split as he ripped through it. Balinor's shout shattering the sky like thunder.

As he neared the ground Kilgharrah saw his Dragonlord chased by Knights of Camelot across the fen, who seemed to be more than happy to hound the Dragonlord as if he was some wild boar.

He flew low, using the trees to cover his descent, his wings silently gliding along, as he got closer and closer to his prey. Then, in a burst of speed he swooped over them, extending his claws to toss the knights away like they were dolls.

He circled around, looking to make sure that the knights dead or incapacitated from his attack; ensuring that they would no longer bother his Dragonlord before landing in front of the exhausted man, noticing that he was holding something tightly to his chest.

"Kilgharrah." Balinor said thankfully, bowing his head in respect. "you came."

"Of course Balinor" Kilgharrah rumbled in the language of the humans, "As always it is a pleasure to see you, and harm Uther's vermin whilst doing so. However," he continued "I suspect that you were more than capable of protecting yourself." He paused, "What are you holding, child?"

Balinor realised how tight his grip was, and slowly loosened it to reveal the sight of a human baby wrapped in cloth.

"Kiindrog Dovah." Kilgharrah murmured uneasily.

"Kilgharrah" Balinor said uneasily, "this is my son, Merlin."

The Dragon sighed having hoped that he wouldn't be roped into another human drama, "I take it this child's story is long, and unfortunate?"

Balinor nodded, "His mother is dead."

"Uther?" the Dragon asked.

"Yes." Balinor confirmed.

"Did I not warn you?" Kilgharrah asked, feeling anguished at how no one seemed to have the wisdom to listen to him "Did I not say of the coming rain Dragonlord? Do you now see the mad King Uther as I do? His eyes are of blood and his flesh is of fire! He is soulless, hollow. A traitor and betrayer-"

"Enough" Balinor barked, stopping the dragon in his triad. "He was once my friend."

The Dragon looked intensely at the man, "He is now your foe."

Balinor looked lost, ragged, tired and drained of all will and purpose. Kilgharrah softened, feeling his pain from their bond, subtle and distant. Far enough away that he hadn't noticed it at first, but now that he looked, truly looked, it seemed as if the man had been drowned in pain, little by little that it had gone unnoticed, rationalised as one of the trappings of war. Yet-

"Sit, young Dragonlord." Kilgharrah said, speaking to him once more as a brother as opposed to a petulant child. "Rest, tell me your story."

"Do you remember what our last conversation was?" Balinor asked. Kilgharrah recalled Balinor telling him that he would meet with Uther to discuss peace, and how he had retorted that eating mud seemed to be a much more pleasant course of action. Balinor told Kilgharrah of how he was treated with kindness within the walls of Camelot, only to be asked to bring Kilgharrah so Uther could apologise for his genocide in person.

Balinor told the Dragon how he refused Uther's request, knowing about the Dragon's resentment of the man, only to be imprisoned by Uther in return. Kilgharrah was told of Balinor's escape with the help of an old man named Gaius, his time in Ealdor, of his wife Hunith. Of how Uther found him after his son had been born, and killed the woman he had wed and his escape to ensure the safety of his child.

Kilgharrah looked wearily at the bundle held in the man's arms, feeling the magic leaking out of the child, the blaze of his spirit, like that of his father, like his own. The soul of a Dragon, dormant and waiting to burst into life.

"What shall you do now?" Kilgharrah asked.

"I shall fight." Balinor answered resolutely, as if this was the final point of his life, as if all that he had previously suffered for was lost. Kilgharrah could understand in a way. The man's friends and brothers had betrayed him or had been killed. The woman who he had loved had been murdered, and the child he had with her was doomed to a life of being treated as a feral beast. To be tortured, burned and drowned.

Kilgharrah was the last of his kind and knew what the Dragonlord was feeling very well.

"What of the child?" Kilgharrah asked looking down towards the small bundle once more.

"He can't come with me. He can't take part in the life I shall lead." Balinor grimaced.

"So where will he go?" the Dragon asked, considering the potential power that the child would wield.

"To someone who can protect him, and teach him how to control his magic." Came the reply.

Knowing that the man was holding something back the Dragon asked "Who?"

Balinor looked into the Dragons eyes and replied calmly, "You."

The Dragon froze.

"No."

"Why?" Balinor asked.

"Because I am not the boy's father." Kilgharrah explained.

"You're still his family." Balinor countered.

"I can see how I am related to the boy. It is oh so clear to me Dragonlord, his scales look just like mine!"

"See told you."

Kilgharrah sighed, "I was being, what you humans call, sarcastic."

"You've been learning how to speak like a human, I'm impressed."

"It was difficult work, it's irritating not knowing when one of your kind means what they say." A pause "I will not take the child."

"You must."Balinor insisted.

"Why?"

"Because he's your kin."

"Your hatchling is not my kin."

"He is my son."

"He is not mine." Kilgharrah protested.

"You are my kin." Balinor continued, "He is my son."

There was silence before Balinor slowly continued, "He is your kin."

They looked at one another. Two creatures who had lost everything. A Dragon and a man, a Dragon and a Dragonlord.

"I could command this task to you." Balinor said breaking the wall of silence that had arisen between them.

"You could." Kilgharrah admitted, knowing however that the Dragonlord would not abuse his power in such a way.

The silence returned for a few moments as the two stared at each other, hoping to think of some way to get the other to yield. Yet knowing that there was only one way that this conversation would end.

Balinor sighed. "Overgrown lizard."

"I am not a lizard, young Dragonlord." Kilgharrah replied. "I do not do that" pause "thing they do with the tongue. You would do well to remember that before I decide that you would make an excellent lunch."

"Ok." Balinor agreed, "So you'll take care of Merlin then?"

"No."

This be an attempt at a young Merlin fic, pray I emerge victorious, yarr.

Although you must be warned, updates for this story will be sporadic if there are any updates at all.

I tried to bring up the personalities of a Balinor and Kilgharrah before their respective exile and imprisonment. Years left to oneself changes a person, and I tried to show how they were a type of family before all of that, an awkward family of two different species, yet still... family.