The just prince part 4

Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months.

Arthur didn't stop, he walked through mountains, deserts and storms, but not once did he give up.

Some nights he woke to Merlin's voice, some nights he was laughing and other's he was talking to him about his life, but soon as Merlin looked at Arthur, he vanished.

It was soon a year, that is when on a cold winters night Arthur woke with a start.

"UTHER!" He cried with fear.

Uther, he would be searching for Merlin, he gave him is word for Merlin's safety, he felt a mixture of hurt and embarrassment.

Arthur was the most toughest, strongest and bravest man in Camelot but he couldn't even take the prince out for a stroll without him getting captured...twice.

Who even knows what their doing to poor Merlin.

Arthur groaned in anger, trying to ignore the thoughts, any horrid thoughts.

He stood up and picked up his bag and lit a stick and walked through the cold, dark forest.

He ignored the callings of the dark, the icy chill that ran down his spine and kept moving.

"Merlin, i have to find you...i have to..." Arthur whispered to himself as he marched on, feeling guilt hang heavy on himself as he took another step.

By morning Arthur reached a misty pathway.

"Who...goes...there?" Croaked a voice.

"Arthur..." He called.

"Arthur...a heroic tone rings in my ears..." An old man said as he was discovered in the mist.

"I'm looking for someone..." Arthur said, waisting no time.

"Who might you be searching for, young knight?" He asked, eyes keen.

"The prince of Camelot, Merlin..."

The old man laughed.

"So it was you who lost the prince, how can you let a prince, a prince slip through your fingers!?" He laughed.

"you saw him, where!?" Arthur gasped.

The old man grew silent.

"It's not good Sir Arthur..." he said gravely as he pointed to a terrifying forest.

The trees where thick, reaching high, it was black as night with a dull green moss that stuck to the bark as it spread across the sompy ground, the water was deep and the mud thick, the sky was dark and misty, monstrous sounds echoed around them.

"He was taken in there months ago, he was amongst slaves, him too treated as one, they where skin and bone, exhausted as they walked in...find them...bring them back..." The old man said and vanished.

Arthur turned to the forest and let out a breath as he put his sword back into the holder and took a step forward to find his foot sinking.

"Good luck, knight..." A voice echoed as he trudged into it.

Just a few miles in, Arthur fell to the thick swamp, exhausted, his breath was hard.

"ARRRGHHHH!!!" Arthur cried out as he tried to get his foot out of the swamp.

He soon succeeded and exhaustedly trudged through it, thinking of Merlin, as the man's smile gave him hope.

Soon night came and Arthur fell onto a mossy ground, exhausted.

He immediately fell asleep, dreaming of him and Merlin riding through the forest, their laughs echoing in the dream, a small smile tugged on his lips.

He woke to the bitter cold, his chain mail kept out his heat, the knight got up, shivering badly but only knowing how Merlin must feel as he got back into the swamp.

When he lifted his foot out of the thick mud, it felt as if it was torn off, it was cold and thick, he was soaked to the bone at mid-day.

He panted heavily as he lazily moved through the swamp, feeling jumpy as he felt something brush against him or a bat flew past his eyes, suddenly he fell back as something bumped into him, he slowly sunk into the muck, the knight cried out for help.

"GET HIM OUT!" Someone cried as he sunk deeper.

Someone grabbed his arms and pulled him out and took him to their hut.

Arthur woke to find his chain male gone.

He jumped up and looked around to find himself in a tent.

Soon someone walked in.

"You awake i see...no need to be afraid, we live here, your chain mail is too dangerous for you to wear, i think if you venture into that hell it might be a bit easier...tell me, why have you come here?" A middle age man asked.

"My prince...we where captured but when we escaped they found us, he's kept as a slave, their travailing through here..." Arthur said.

"I thought i heard something those months ago...don't worry, two slaves where killed, it's customary that if someone dies here they must grieve for a long period of time, just like how long you must have been finding him, it's a days walk where they are..." He said.

"You sure it's them!?" Arthur called as he walked out.

The man walked back in.

"Yes, i'm sure...were cooking fish, please join us..." He said and Arthur followed him to see a small community of people around a bonfire.

"Sit down..." He said and Arthur obeyed.

When the day wore on, Arthur talked of his prince, all where intrigued by his true tales.

"He sounds like a wonderful young man..." An old women smiled.

"He is..." Arthur nodded.

She held his hands.

"May you two be ever happy..." She said and patted his cheek and sat back.

Arthur smiled at her.

"I should get going..." Arthur said.

"No need, it's dangerous now...stay here till morning, we have ways of getting through here, i'm glad we found you...sorry about Billy bumping into you..."

"It's alright, thanks to him i found you...thank you..." Arthur said an walked into his tent and fell asleep.

During the night he woke to voices.

Arthur walked out and sat next to the leader.

"Whats that?" Arthur whispered as he saw torches in the distance.

"It's our rivals...they are the people who stole your prince...but be patient, our time will come when the sun rises tomorrow..." He said.

Arthur hesitated but nodded.

"I can't sleep now though...not when my enemy is on our doorstep...not knowing Merlin's out there..." Arthur said.

"I understand...but it would be wise to rest, if you truly want to save him, you better have all your strength for tomorrow..." The man said.

"So it's not selfish?" Arthur asked.

"It's just the opposite..." The leader smiled and Arthur went to the tent to rest.

The next day Arthur woke to see the leader above him.

"It's time to discuss the plan..." He said and they sat outside.

"We will take out the guards, you cut the ropes, my villagers will take the prisoners away to separate huts, you come here..." The leader said.

"Seems easy enough..." Arthur nodded.

"Lets go then..." He said and they walked to the waters edge.

Suddenly when the man's foot touched the water it became like ice.

"You have magic..." Arthur said.

"Yes..." He said simply and walked on it.

"Follow close behind me...it'll melt soon enough..." He said and walked on the ice, Arthur followed him.

They walked through the day, Arthur was quiet as he searched the woods for Merlin.

"I'll always find you, Merlin...like you said...i will..." Arthur said in his head.

Back at the camp, Merlin gasped as he heard Arthur's voice.

He hadn't heard his voice so strongly and vividly before for months.

Merlin looked up to the misty sky and smiled, tears rolled down his cheeks in joy.

Suddenly he felt something cut into his back.

The man cried out and fell to his side.

A guard wrapped his whip around his arm and walked on.

Merlin tried to catch his breath as he looked around.

"Keep looking, Arthur...i hope your near..." Merlin thought to himself, some how it reached the man and he stopped for a moment.

Feeling joy and love he smiled and walked on.

They reached it at nightfall.

Arthur spotted Merlin sleeping on the floor as a young girl lay in his arms, the man was trying to keep her warm as she was nothing but skin and bone.

"Cut the rope and try not to get noticed..." The leader whispered.

Arthur hid in the shadows as he slowly walked onto land.

He held onto a piece of string and took out his dagger and cut it off.

A young man woke and looked up, Arthur hushed him and untied him and gave the man a small knife to help free the other's.

The knight crawled to another and cut the rope and finally reached Merlin, he quickly untied his and the girls rope that wrapped around their wrists and waited for the young man to finish.

When he nodded at Arthur, the villagers took their stands and Arthur slowly held onto the girl and Merlin, slowly he stood up and sneaked off.

The villagers skated away with the prisoners and vanished into the dark.

Arthur's heart was beating fast as the leader and him ran to the hut.

When they arrived the leader made the village invisible and Arthur laid them down.

The girl was around five, tiny and thin in Merlin's arms.

"Merlin..." Arthur whispered and shook him awake.

The man slowly woke and looked up.

When their eyes met, there was life in Merlin's eyes.

"You can't speak?" Arthur asked.

Merlin shook his head, but smiled happily.

"I got food for you two..." Arthur whispered and gave him a bowl of fruit.

Merlin woke the girl and the two ate.

They stayed there for days, till Merlin and the girl named: Sarah where recovered.

"We better go..." Arthur said one day.

"Could i come with!?" Cried the girl.

The two nodded and waved the villagers goodbye and took another route home.

Weeks past and one night Merlin looked over to Arthur.

He gently woke him up and smiled sadly at him.

"I have to show you something..." He hushed to Arthur and got up.
"What is it?" Arthur asked as they stood alone.

Merlin gulped and turned to him and held Arthur's hands.

"Promise you won't get mad?" Merlin asked.

"I promise..." Arthur smiled and leaned in giving Merlin a reassuring kiss on the head.

When he drew back, Merlin smiled sadly at him.

"What will Uther sat about my magic...?" He asked, calmly.

Arthur's face dropped.

"Magic..." He breathed.

"I was born with it, i promise...i'm a warlock...im just scared...so scared!" Merlin said in a rush.

"Your'e father..." Arthur said.

"I know..." Merlin nodded.

"Don't worry, Merlin...i'll be there when you tell him..." Arthur said.

"TELL HIM, ARE YOU MAD!?" Merlin cried.

"Hey, calm down, it's okay..." Arthur said, bringing Merlin into a hug.

"-But he...he kills people like me...how...how will he react...?" Merlin wept.

"Don't worry, he's your father, Merlin...your his son, he won't harm you, it might seem he's disappointed at you, but he loves you so much..." Arthur said.

"Really?" Merlin croaked.

"Really..." Arthur said.

"Thank you..." Merlin smiled and gently broke the embrace.

He grinned and placed his hand on Arthur's cheek.

"Told you you'd find me..." He winked.

Arthur smiled.

"I love you..." He whispered and kissed Merlin lovingly.