Merlin was out helping his mother with the crops when the knights from Camelot arrived. Their village was a small one that seldom got visitors, but everyone knew why they had arrived. They were poor farmers who hardly grew enough for themselves let alone any spare. Hunith immediately ordered her son to go to their hut and wait quietly. The villagers all looked up excitedly at the men on their large horses with red capes emblazoned with golden dragons, things had been better since Camelot took their small village from King Cenred. Cenred had never cared what happened to them but Camelot and King Uther did. They paid their taxes and in exchange had regular patrols that stopped the bandits stealing their crops. The other change of course was Uther's stance on Magic. Cenred hadn't worried about magic being used but Uther hated it and burnt all sorcerers. The village knew about young Merlin's magic but kept silent as he had helped most of them in small ways. He tried not to use it now, being too scared, and the villagers knew he was not evil like Uther claimed. The other reason they kept quiet was that his mother was the nearest thing to a healer they had.

The lead knight approached the village elder "We are not here for tax's but to collect any Omegas in the village that have reached their twelfth birthday, or older and are unbound. We will take them to the omega den for protection."

The elder looked up at the knight who he knew from previous visits. "Sir Leon we have only one unbound omega who is fifteen, but it is the healer's only child and helps her we need him here with us. Please let him stay." He pleaded.

Sir Leon looked sympathetic he knew how much small places relied on all the young people they had. "I'm sorry, I really am but King Uther has decreed that all Omega's are to be gathered up. They are getting rarer and if the Alphas are to find their true mates it would be best if the Omegas were in one place."

Sir Leon also privately disagreed with Uther's stance on Omegas, the King saw them as nothing but broodmares, needed for breeding more Alpha's. Even the Kings own daughter was treated as such, although her eventual mate would have to also take her as his wife, unlike most of the others, who were not given that privilege. Leon thought the whole thing was ridiculous and wanted to find his omega and treat her like he felt Omegas should be treated with kindness and love. How could a true mate just be kept for breeding like an animal? But he knew better than to argue with the King. He needed to be careful as he didn't have his normal knights with him but many of Uther's. He knew this was to make sure he collected all omegas so he quoted the Kings mantra.

"Please tell me where I can find the omega, that way we can allow the family time to say their goodbyes as we rest the horses." Leon looked around as he spoke. He immediately picked out the mother of the omega. He recognised the look of misery on her face. The families knew they would never see their child again and also knew of the lives most of them would live. He got off his horse and approached the woman.

"I am sorry my lady, but it is the king's orders. I can give you an hour to say goodbye as we need to rest the horses. The Omega can bring one small bag nothing more."

The woman looked at Leon tears in her eyes. "He is all I have, please don't take him I beg you"

It pulled on Leon's heart strings but he was a loyal servant of the crown. It was then that he realised they had a male Omega to collect. Male omegas were rare and much prized, Leon couldn't remember ever seeing one, although the King himself was less enthusiastic about them, feeling that male omegas were one step away from magic. "As your only male relative your village will have an adjustment on its tax's to compensate for us taking him. Please don't resist we have to do our duty"

Being a healer Hunith knew only too well the damage the knights could do, nearly all Alpha's they were stronger and more aggressive than most Beta's could even hope to match let alone farmers who never had to fight. Looking at her small home she turned and went inside. Leon had taken the precaution of having men posted around the village should any omega's try to run. So he left the woman to speak to her son alone.

Hunith went into her simple home and found her son waiting, he looked at her before saying "I have to go don't I?"

"I'm so sorry Merlin you do, there are too many of them and people will only get hurt. We knew this day would come." Hunith hugged her son "I hope your true mate is kind to you, if you can please let me know how you are. And remember whatever you do hide you magic. Or Omega or no the King will have you executed"

Merlin looked at his mother, she was right he had known the day was coming, in fact at his age he had stayed with her longer than he had expected to. In a way he was lucky if Camelot hadn't taken over the village the bandits would have taken his by now and he would have been used in a cruel way and then probably either killed him or sold him on. Or worse still Cenred who had used magic users to fight his wars. At least this way he had a chance of finding someone who might care for him. "Look after yourself, mother, I will think of you every day" Merlin said tears in his eyes.

"And I will think of you son, now we have an hour, let me fed you something, you have a long journey ahead. Find out the things you want to take with you, remember only a small bag. They will clothe you so you have no need to take too much."

Merlin went to the corner that had been his home for fifteen years and looked at his small collection of possessions. He picked up a small bag and in it placed his neckerchiefs, he always wore them and each had been sewn by his mother with love. He had a small carving of a dragon that he had played with as a child. His mother said his father had carved it for her. Then he picked up a small polished stone that had a hole in it and a leather strap so it could be worn around his neck. He had stopped wearing it when he had lost it. It had been found by his friend Will. Looking at his mother he asked "Mother, where did this come from?"

Hunith smiled at her son "It was my Uncles, he gave it to me when he visited many years ago. I haven't seen him since."

Merlin handed it to his mother "Then you have it"

"No son, please keep it, I have another and it is small enough for you to keep." Hunith smiled "Even if you have to hide it"

The door opened with a bang and Merlin's friend Will came bursting in "Come on Merlin I can hide you, you can't go with them. I won't let them take you"

Merlin smiled at his friend "I have to go Will, otherwise the village will suffer, anyway if not now it will happen sometime, and might not be knights. Once my heats start I will be claimed by an Alpha and it might be someone much worse." Fighting back his tears Merlin hugged his friend "Look after Mum for me"

Hunith looked at her son and his childhood friend "We will look after each other, come Will join us for a meal. We haven't much time"

They finished their meal as there was a bang on the door, it was Leon. "I'm sorry but we must get going. This was our last village and we need to get back to Camelot."

Leon looked at the two boys but could easily see who the omega was. Will was stocky and more muscular. Whereas the other boy was slender and had fine features. Leon held out his hand "You must be Merlin, I am Sir Leon, and my men will be escorting you to Camelot. We have three other omegas with us. You will share a horse with one of the others. Can you ride?"

Merlin looked at the hand and slowly took it and had it shaken. "Only an old work horse, and not for long" Merlin admitted

"Like the others then, don't worry we will keep an eye on you and the horse is gentle." Leon looked at Hunith "I will let you know that your son arrives safely, but that is all I can do"

Hunith hugged her son once more "Remember what I told you and be careful, none of your lip my boy. I love you so much and the fact you won't be here won't change that"

Merlin had tears in his eyes "I love you Mum" then he hugged his friend "Look after her please"

"Look after yourself" Will said gruffly.

With a final hug from his mother Merlin was led from the hut. They had already decided that Hunith would not watch them ride off, it was better that their goodbyes were in private.

Leon took Merlin outside and helped him get on a horse with another omega and they rode of out of the village. The girl he was sharing the horse with was a couple of years younger than him and Merlin could see she had been crying. As had the other two on the other horse. They rode for a few hours. Merlin and the others getting sore from the riding. Leon finally called a halt so they could rest in a clearing by a stream.