" Yeah, well this "prat" has saved your worthless hide quite a few times." Merlin commented under his breath.
"What are you muttering about Merlin?"
"Nothing."
And they continued on....

A while later;
"Where are we even going, Arthur?"
"Why? Didn't I tell you?"
"No you didn't" Merlin knew Arthur was going to try an wind him up.
"Good" A board fgrin crept across Arthur's face. "You're just going to have to find out the arn't you" ...

(Soz, can't think of anything to carry it on)

"things will be alright, well cheer up" Arthur playfully hit Merlin
Merlin flinched
"you really think i was gonna properly hit you Merlin"
"yes"
"hahaha" Arthur chuckled "well i am" he grabbed Merlin in a head lock.
Then all of a sudden a bright blue floating crystal appeared and started to circle them
Arthur drew out his sword "what is that?"
"I am a prat so i don't know" Merlin smiled, he knew exactly what it was but he laughed at Arthur trying to swipe at the crystal with his sword "its Magic..."
"Well Done"
"no need for that sarrcy comment...sometimes Merlin i wish you weren't my servant"
"then we could be friends?" Merlin teased.

"merlin" said Arthur with an angry voice.
"i know i know I'll shut up" merlin reply with a smile on his face.

They had those little conversations every week, and it made Merlin laugh every time. It was more due to Arthur's annoyance by it all than anything else. At least Merlin knew how to quickly end it from ending into something a lot more painfull.

"Merlin, can i ask you a question?"
"you just did" he smiled
"no on a serious note...have you ever urm been..you know?"
"no i don't kow what you are on about"
"MERLIN IN LOVE? HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN LOVE?"
Merlin blushed, it wasn't like him to get embrassed.

"No" Merlin answard quikly, he didn't want to think about painfull memories.
"but come one wath is this quest all about". merlin was
traing to change the topic.Krystal floated over them.
Suddenly they heard someone laughing.
it was a girl's voice.
Merlin ran to the bushes, behind them was a girl.
he believed that she had to be at his age.
she was wearing pants and a red shirt.Her eyes were blue as the ocean and her hair was rich and thick with long curls and it was ginger.
She smiled at him.

(sorry i think i wrote it when @Mcgeeky posted so i had to reewrite it X) hope it is ok maby a bit long)

"don't worry i won't hurt you" she said
"I am Merlin, and this is..." he cut off, knowing the enemies the pendragons had in these parts, "fred"
"FRED" arthur mouthed as if he was sayng thats the best name you could come up with and hit Merlin over the head.
"do you need some water? sorry i never caught your name" Merlin handed her his flask of water from around his neck
"My name? what is in a name" she fluttered his eyelashes and took the water "thank you"
"MERLIN! hurry up we are on a quest after all and we don't have time for that thing"
"She's a girl, and a very pretty one"
"HA pretty? anways girl with no name what is your place here in camelot"
"are you always this rude, but i am here on business, to get some herbs for my master," she stood up and went to pat the horse, "you have very pretty horses, so can i join whereever you are going"
"OF COURSE YOU CAN" Merlin smiled "HOP ON"
"GRRRRRR" Arthur gnarled.

Arthur was grumpy, he muttered to heimself in the front.
"So what herbs do you collect" asked Merlin?
"Do you like herbs" asked the girl.
"No but I live with the court Physician and he is always asking me to gather herbs for him, maybe I can show you how you find what you're looking for?
"Thanks but I do not help."
"But you must have a name, a girl like you needs a name" merlin flirty asked.
"Well you can call me Katy" she replied with a singing voice "
"is Fred always so grumpy" she looked at Arthur and laughed

"Always" Merlin laughed
"You have a nice laugh" Katy replied, while twirling her hair
"are you hungry" Merlin asked
"no thank you" she smiled, she put her hands around Merlins waist, while humming to herself.
Merlin noticed what she had done and smiled
"i need a rest, i'll go fetch more water, we'll set up here for the night" Arthur trotted ahead, "i better go after him, you better stay here" she got off and Merlin commanded his horse to go faster, it galloped to where Arthur was leading, Arthur looked grumpier than usual.
"Don't worry i still love you, shes not taking your place" Merlin joked.
"Theres something up with her"
"oh is it cause she notices me more than you" Merlin said bluntly, he was sick of Arthurs attitude that all the girls must fancy him.

Katy sat down on a log on the ground.
She looked into the flame of fire.
a bird flew up from a bush, she was scared and looked around.
"It was only a bird Katy do not panic," she said to herself.
she was not the one who was often afraid, but now she was scared.
she would think of something else. she thought of Merlin, the nice boy who was so kind to her. she thought of his smile, how it lit up his face.
She also felt that there was something they had in common.

she chanted under her breath makin sure nobody could hear her, and out of no where came a ham joint, she placed it above the fire for cooking, she knew Merlin would be hungry when he came back..she then looked up into the sky and the stars twinkled..

"Merlin, i don't see why she has to be here, she could kill me, i have enemies, i am the kings son" he pushed Merlin as they were heading back with a few buckets of water.
"no, shes a normal girl" he replied and stared at his reflection that shimmered on the water
"thats what you said bout the last twenty girls to come into my kingdom" Arthur fumed
"no..Sir that was you, you were enchanted or posioned or nearly killed and...are you just not wantin me to be happy?, i am not just your servant" Merlin quickened his pace.
"No No No i never meant it" Arthur chased after Merlin. "Friends?"
"Sure lets get back she's probably...." Merlin stopped to see her around the already set up campfire with a large ham joint cooking

"hello boys"
"How did you do that, your just a girl?" Arthur looked shocked "MAGIC! MAGIC!"

"So, I'm magic? I'm not in camelot. And what makes yo uthink cooking ham is such a crime?" Katy grinned. Arthur frowned, opened his mouth to say something, then shut it. "You'd beter hope I don't catch you doing something suspicious." Arthur said.


After Arthur walked away to find some water, Katy and Merlin where left alone, just sitting there. Merlin decided to get to know Katy a little bit. "Do you have any brothers or sisters, Katy?" Merlin asked, his blue eyes glinting. "Well..." Katy looked away, tears in her eyes suddenly forming. "I'm sorry! Did I upset you? Don't answer it if you do not want to..." Katy laughed. "I had a sister. She was amazing. But when I was 9 years of age, she got death threatened. She killed the man, not thinking. One day, she went into the woods to get some wood... and she never returned." Merlin gasped. "I'm so sorry! What was her name?" He asked.

"Her name was Freya." Katy said.

Merlin swallowed and looked away.
"Have I upset you Merlin" Kati asked with a gentle voice. if it was something she didn't wanted was to hurt him.
"No of course not" he smiled at her.
"I think I knew her," Merlin whispered.
Katy looked at him with big eyes "how?" she asked.

"Err... well, where do I start?" Merlin tried to smile, but it was a painful one none the less. He shifted trying to get comfortable, but the memories that were flooding back were getting to hard to bare. "She came to Camelot" Merlin stiffened as he looked down into the burning fire. "She. She was brought to Camelot by a bounty hunter".
Pictures of Freya in the heartless cage filled his head as he winced at the thought. "She was so scared, so frail and delicate" he wispered so quite he hardly relized he said it...

he looked at her once more and continued
"i couldn't help but notice her, gaius told me to ignore her, but i just couldn't leave her there alone. i mean, do you know what they would of done to her-" merlin quickly stoped when he heard arthur coming back. "i'm back" said arthur "now, what were you two talking about?" merlin and katy blushed..

[i know im late :P ... this story is really good]

Arthur looked between the two of them then motioned for Merlin. When Merlin stood beside him, Arthur whispered,
" We have no time for flirting....Merlin."
" I wasn't!"
Arthur scoffed.
" Don't think I didn't see that litte look between you.."
" Well I don't see how that one look is any worse then the countless looks you've given Gwen when I'm around!"
Arthur started to say something, then shut his mouth and walked past Merlin.....

"Well, I think I'll go and get me some sleep.
it's dark and I think I'm the reason that you two are argueing all the time". Katy took her jacket and lay down by the fire and used the jacket as a blanket.
"So you are a druid?" merlin asked when Arthur had fallen asleep. Katie wrinkled her nose and opened her eyes.
"yes. but i don't call me that.I don't have the druide symbol. and I am stronger than most of them. i call my sel a sorcerer. I am not a witch I am not bad." She turned and looked up into the star-filled sky.

Merlin followed her gaze. The stars were beginning to shine their brightest now.
He thought about Katy's words for a few minutes. Tossing and turning them in his head. Dispite the cold night's air, her words brought an unexpected warmth to his body.
As the night continued to darken, he felt his eyelids gain weight, and he driftened into the fuzzy mist of sleep.

merlin woken up by a shock when he got called vaten in the face. he could hear a little laughter in the background. He sat up, he could see Katy smile at him, she sat by the fire and stirred in a kettle.
She stood up and walked over to him and handed him a cup.
"Good Morning sleepyhead".she said to him. Merlin blinked and shook his head and turned to Arthur.
"What was that for!!!!"

Arthur chuckled and looked away
Katy grabbed Merlin gently on his shoulder and sat down beside him
"drink your soup" she said in affectionate tone
Merlin looked up to her, smiled, and slowly started sipping his cup. Arthur rolled his eyes.
"when you girls are done" Arthur said rudely "can we continue with our journey?"

Merlin could see Katy blush, she got a bright red color in her cheeks.
She got up and went to pack her bag.
Merlin went to Arthur who stood with the horses.
"why must you always be so rude."
"I'm never rude."
"she has not done anything wrong, it's only because she has magic. you must learn that you can not judge a book its cover." Merlin went back to pack up Arthur and his own
things.

both Katy and merlin were packing their bags when they heard a loud booming thud. they both quickly jumped up to see where it came from. after a couple minutes of extensive searching, merlin finally realized.
Arthur was missing.

"What hap...."
"Where is Arthur?" Katy cut of Merlin. They looked around.
"Morgana!"
"Who!" Katy turned to Merlin but he had already started to run towards the sound.

katy followed him trying to keep up.
"who's morgana?" she yelled so merlin could hear
"there's no time to explain" merlin yelled back "just follow me!"

They came to a place in the woods. there was a large black circle, it looked as if the ground was burned.
"magic" Katy looked at the ground. Merlin turned to her, he had a suspicious expression on his face.
"It was not me!" Said Katy intimidated.

"i never said it was you" Merlin trying to reassure her but failed.Katy wanted to change the subject.
"so, who is Morgana?"
"not now" merlin investigating the black circle.
Katy being persistent said "but you mentioned someone named Morgana back there"
Merlin didn't say anything.

They stood and looked around. When Katy saw something.
"Hey what is this" she walked over to a bush and took something from a branch.
"A piece of fabric" Merlin looked at it.
"To be correct silk, it must must be someone who has money" Katy looked and felt on the purple fabric.

merlin already knew who it was. katy looked at merlin's face and saw a look.
"do you know who this belongs to?"
"yess, i..i..think i do" merlin said with a shaky voice "it does look familia-"
merlin stop when they heard pit patters from a distance
"someones coming!" katy yelled
"shh"
the sound grew louder when it finally came to stop.
it was arthur's horse.

It was very uneasy, Katy tried to calm it down.
"What is this? " Merlin pointed at the butt of the horse.
It looked like a brand.
"It looks like a symbol" Katy took on the mark.
there was a tree that was burnt inside the skin.

merlin shook.
"where do you think he came from" asked katy
"more importantly, wheres arthur?"
"he must be somewhere"katy said tryng to make merlin feel better "he could not have just dissapeared"

"Yes he can." Merlin nodded.
"What do you mean?"
"do you mean you have not seen what I have seen Katy. how great and powerful magic can be. how strong it makes you, you feel the energy race through veins."
"What are you saying Merlin." Katy looked at him scared.
"I think you know what I mean. there was someone who did this. "
"Morgan." Katy looked that Merlin
"But Merlin how can you say how strong it Makes you, you feel the energy racing through veins.?"

"because i know how it feels" merlin said knowing there is no turning back.
katy eyes widened "you mean your a.."
merlin nodded, knowing all he can do now is trust.

"Why did you say nothing? Arthur does not know?"
"Of course not he would have burnd me to the stakes if he had found out."
"I do not think so." She smiled at him.
"I see the way he looks at you, maybe he is behaving like a spoiled prince, but you are his friend and he trusts you." She walked over to him and gave him a hug.
"You know it's good to find someone else." she whispered.
"wow wow. Why did you call Fred Arthur." Merlin pushed Katy away.
"You did." Katy looked to heaven.
"No, you did it first."
"well it was not that hard to figure out. firstly Arthur did not like the name you gave him and secondly he uses a ring with the Pendragon symbol. he is too young to be King Uther that he must be the Prince Arthur.

merlin looked at her impressed.
merlin started to open his mouth but then all of a sudden arthures hose started running. merlin and katy followed quickly behind trying not to lose him.
"where is he going?" yelled katy
"i dont know!, but i hope he takes us to arthur"
they kept on running until they came to a field. the field had long flowing grass and you can hear the sound of crickets everywhere.
"where is this place" merlin said curiously
"let's find out" said katy as she ran far ahead of him.

"stop! katy stop!" Merlin tried to reach her, but Katy was full of energy and she was too far from him to hear.
Merlin was able to reach her, she had stopped.
"What is it?" Merlin looked at her, she stood and stared at something in front of her.
a large tree.

they inspected the tree closely. they can tell it was no ordinary tree. it had curly branches coming out of the trunk, leaves red as fire and the tree was as tall as the sky.
they were speechless.
merlin started climbing it.
"merlin! what are you doing?!" katy yelled
"im trying to get a better view"
it was difficult for merlin, the tree was very tall and there were branches in the way.
"are you okay up there?" katy said loudly
"i'll be fine! i know how to climb a tre-" then all of a sudden a branch broke.
merlin was falling then his eyes glowed yellow.

He managed to get time to go slowly. He grabbed a branch and jumped down. His eyes shone and the time was normal.
"If you do it all the time you're going to kill me!" Katy stood before him, her fists gripped his shirt. She had an angry expression on her face.
"sorry?" Merlin looked at her skeptical. Katy Merlin pushed down.
"My God" Katy looked up.The sky turned dark and all the red leaf fell down. They could hear a low laughter.

they tried to listen carefully but they had no clue where it came from.
"Nimueh...is that you?" merlin said aloud
"you know Nimueh to?"
"yah we met back then and- wait... YOU know Nimueh?"
"Well sorta, its a long story....."

<<finnish her sentence...i couldn't think>>

"Well." Merlin was impatient.
"She is my master ok."
"What"
"You know that my sister was cursing. Just before she turned into the monster she said that I had to run far away. I was the only survivor.
Nimueh found me and gave me a home.
"But she is evil" Merlin looked at Katy would not believe what he heard.
"No. She does things that maybe wrong, but she is not evil." Katy put a hand on Merlin's shoulder.
"How."
"She was Uther's friend. It was she who helped him to get a son."

"what does that have to do with you" he asked her
"what do you mean"
"why would she keep you and not ask for anything in return?"
"well..." katy said "there was this on time, but i told myself i would never speak of this again"
merlin looked worried, he wanted to ask but knew he needed to wait.

"It's okay." Merlin looked at her.
"It's ok. Of course it's ok, I have nothing to be ashamed of and I do not need your permission. I don.t eaven know you.
"But you said. Katy."
"Wath!" Merlin looked over Katy's shoulder. A black siluet stood by the tree.

it slowly grew getting biger and bigger by the second.
"did you miss me?" said a voice coming from the shiluet.

<<i didn't write much because i didn't understand the last two sentences>>

Dispite her words before, Katy felt her blood go cold. She slowly turned around, bring the figure into full view.
Merlin stood there dumbly, not knowing, or wishing, to make a move. He was so confussed. What on earth was happening today? To think the day started off as any other, and that it had lead to this...

"Why are you here" said katy as the darkened figure approached.
and Nimueh stepped out of the darkness "Shouldn't i ask the same for you?"
katy turned her head.
"what do you mean" merlin said with a dry voice.
"you mean she hasn't told you?"
Nimueh laughed
"told me what" merlin turned to katy with a suspicious look on his face.

"I would go and pick some herbs, I told you." Katy looked at Merlin.
"Yes. where are they?" Nimueh looked at Katy.
"Well, I forgot them" Katy looked at her with an uncertain smile.
"Yes, but there was something else you should." Nimueh looked at Katy with an annoying look.

i wonder if his story ever will end ??

" What?" Katy retorted, a little angry. " You won't tell me anything about your plans! How am I supposed to be of help to you if you don't trust me!"
" Katy, Katy Katy...." Nimueh purred. " So naive. I wouldn't trust you with any secret let alone something of this scale."
" What are you planning, Nimueh." Merlin said, forcing himself into the conversation.
" Nothing that would concern you, Merlin. You see I happen to be in contact with several people who will help me to achieve my goals. Pity. Wish the same could be said about you..."
" Magic will return to Albion, and it won't be your kind that finds refuge in Camelot when it does." Merlin said scathingly.
" Really?" Nimueh said with feigned surprise. " Hm. And here I thought we were becoming such great friends. Don't worry Merlin. Magic WILL return to Camelot. Whether it's good or bad....well, we'll just have to see now won't we."
Nimueh turned to leave.
" We haven't seen the last of each other." Merlin said. Nimueh made a half turn.
" I look forward to the day when we do see each other again, Merlin. Only next time, it will be you who will be scraping by and I shall be your superior."
Then without another word she disappeared from the clearing.