"A true friend loves freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangeably."

~William Penn

Merlin's POV

Arthur is getting worse. He hasn't said anything, but I can tell from my frequent, resented glances over my shoulder to check on him that he is getting paler. His breathing is growing more ragged and raspy. Every now and then, on a particularly turbulent wingbeat, I can hear an unbidden groan of pain escape his lips. I need to get him to Avalon, fast.

So of course Kilgharrah has to take a break.

I knew something was wrong when we began to dip lower and lower in the sky. Kilgharrah's wingbeats are coming slower and slower now. Farther and farther apart. Suddenly, we began to plummet rapidly. Below us, a sharp, tall-branched tree stretches up and I brace for impact. "Kilgharrah!" I shout.

Two huge wings come crashing through the air and our plummet stops with a jolt. Arthur lets out a cry of pain that frightens me in its clear involuntariness. Arthur would have to be greatly weakened and in severe pain to let such a sound be heard by anyone. Even me. Especially me.

Kilgharrah's voice shakes me back to the moment. "Are you two all right?" His words are tight with his own pain, and I realize how far he has already flown and how long we have yet to go.

"I'm fine." I turn around to look at Arthur. He sits tensely, his muscles tight. His pale face glistens with sweat and his lips are pressed into a hard, thin line, but his eyes are defiant. "Arthur, are you--?"

"I'm fine." he snaps, his cheeks flushing with anger.

"Are you sure? You don't look--"

"I said I'm fine." he hisses.

I nod and turn back around, swallowing the lump that his hatred and mistrust forces into my throat. "Kilgharrah, are you all right? What happened?" He doesn't answer me. "Kilgharrah, we've been going for a long time. If you need to--"

"I'm fine." He growls.

"Not you, too." I mutter. "Listen, if you need to take a break, take one. It's not going to help Arthur any if we crash into a tree." I add.

Kilgharrah is silet for a moment. Finally, he sighs, relenting.

A few minutes later we land in a clearing. I climb down from the huge dragon's back. I turn around to help Arthur down but he is already jumping off. He landsvon his hands and knees, breathing hard. I run over and start to help him up, but he pushes my hands away weakly. "I don't need your help!" he snaps.

I open my mouth and words come tumbling out before I can think better of them and retreat into silence. "What did I do to you? Has my magic harmed you in some way? Why are you so determined to hate me?"

"You lied to me."

"What was I supposed to do? Just tell you 'Oh, by the way, I'm a sorceror, you know, like the people your Father executes.'? What would you have done?" he doesn't answer me. "I wanted to tell you. It's such a big part of who I am, and I hated lying to you, to my friend, but..." I trail off. "Never mind." I rise, shaking my head. "I'm going to get firewood." As I walk away, I can feel his eyes into my back. I don't turn around.