"Merlin, you idiot, hurry up!" Arthur called back at his bumbling servant who lagged behind him.

Merlin carried his Masters' gear which included a spear, crossbow and for some odd reason even his sword that should be safely placed in its sheath along with the water skins and the packs for the two men needed for the hunting trip.

"Clotpole…" Merlin hissed under his breath.

"Merlin, have you any respect to those above you?" Arthur lolled.

"As long as they aren't you, sire." He smiled. He got an eye roll in response.

They continued to trudge through the forest until Arthur abruptly halted and raised his hand to signify Merlin to mock him.

"Wha-"he started, only to be quieted by the whiz of an arrow passing in front of him and hitting a nearby tree.

"Run!" The King yelled. Normally the man, backed by knights and not completely alone with his useless servant, would fight back; but they outnumbered them too much for Arthur to allow a proper fight to brew.

They ran from the rogue barbarians, side by side and darting between trees. They were gaining and Merlin knew.

"Run faster!" Arthur called to him when he started to slow.

"I can't!" In truth Merlin was already weak from the day of rigorous hunting and being woken too early to eat. I another truth it didn't matter, they were surrounded now.

"Well, well, well, what have we here? A knight and a serving boy? No doubt you have something I need, money perhaps." The leader taunted.

"We have no money or valuables, we are hunting." Arthur said, going along with the knight charade.

"Yes, is that true boy?"

Merlin only nodded as to not open his mouth and get them into more trouble.

"Right then, kill them." he commanded.

The henchmen drew their swords and began to close in on the two.

"What now?" Merlin whispered.

"I don't know you bumpkin, why do I have to come up with everything?" Arthur responded in frustration.

"At least we'll die together." Merlin smirked.

"Really Merlin, how can you smile right now?" Arthur shouted. He didn't know what Merlin was about to do, what he was about to give up. Smiling was his way of letting the pain go, telling himself it'd be alright.

Arthur's eyes betrayed him then. He thought he saw Merlin's eye color change to a golden yellow and his lips uttered what he believed a was a spell. He thought he saw all the bandits fly through the air, pushed by an invisible source.

"Run!" He thought he heard Merlin say.

He allowed himself to be pulled by Merlin hastily. Blindly running he didn't think about what had just what happened.

"Ah, Emrys, you have met my mortal friends." A tall, hooded figure emerged from behind a tree in front of them.

"Who are you?" Merlin or now Arthur heard Emrys, answered back.

"Rylinius, a druid leader. But you don't care do you? Not since you gallop around and protect the King who is the very ruin of our kind."

"Arthur is a great King."

"The prophecy has yet to come true Emrys and we're tired of waiting for freedom. Give him up and join us or accept the consequences." Rylinius sternly stated.

"Good thing I never take the easy way." he responded.

Arthur still stood frozen in shock of Merlin's secret revealed to him. He registered more words said and more magic thrown.

But magic was evil, right?

"Arthur, stop standing there you dollop-head and run!" he called.

Arthur was angry and took this opportunity to do as he was told and leave Merlin there. How dare he lie to him and betray him!

He ran until he couldn't hear the spells any longer and the quiet of the forest surrounded him.

Merlin, a sorcerer! All these years, living right under him, someone he called a friend! A friend? A friend! That was exactly what Merlin was. a friend. So, he uses magic. He'd never hurt him or Camelot! He'd always been there for him and he had just left Merlin there by himself with a sorcerer who could kill him because of him!

He ran to the place he left Merlin. He saw nothing but stillness. The sorcerer wad truly after Merlin not Arthur. Now, his neckerchief lay on the ground, the faded blue stained with a bit of blood hoped but could only be Merlin's.

He had to get him back, this was all his fault.

When Arthur returned to Camelot, the first person he seeked out was Gaius. The physician was not in his chambers and luckily was on the training field helping the next set of people he needed to talk to.

The knights.

Soon, after Arthur's pleading freaked them all out, Gaius, Percival, Elyan, Gwaine and Leon all gathered in the physician's chambers to here Arthur's tale of Merlin and his magic. Gaius looked perplexed about Merlin's magic which in turn told Arthur he knew.

"Gaius, you knew."

"Yes, sire, since the day I met him. He saved my life." The knights stared in disbelief.

"I always knew Merlin was special, always riding out completely unarmed with the likes of us crazed killers, he had to have something in him since he's not dead yet." Gwaine chuckled.

"Yes, and he must have some odd sense of self-concept if he thinks we're just going to leave him in the hands of some evil sorcerer." Elyan added.

"It's settled then, we ride at dawn."