Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

Hi! Not much to say on this end of the chapter apart from thank you for your support and I hope you enjoy =)

"How are we supposed to find the dragon?" Elyan asked. "We've already determined we don't know where Morgana is and presumably the dragon will be with her."

"Where's that map?" Arthur wondered, throwing back the covers. He swung his feet to the floor but was stopped by Guinevere.

"Arthur."

"But –"

"No buts, either. You are ill, all of you are, and you need to rest. We don't know what Morgana did to the dragon scale so we don't know the course your illness is going to take."

"She's right, Sire," Gaius added. "Because we now know the sickness is caused and controlled through the dragon scale, any medicines I attempt to give will be useless to cure you. They may make you more comfortable but that is it. It is imperative you keep to your beds as much as possible."

Arthur sighed.

"How am I supposed to kill a dragon from my bed?"

"You're not," answered Gwen. "There are plenty of other knights who would gladly take on a dragon for you."

"This is my fight."

"And they're your knights."

Arthur sighed again.

"What am I supposed to do? Lie back and watch Camelot fall under attack?"

"Of course not," Gwen responded. "You're to lie back and know that your soldiers are strong, smart, and brave. I will lead them and we will find the dragon and slay it."

Arthur smiled at his wife.

"Thank you, Guinevere."

Gwen smiled back.

"You're welcome. Now, I've got to go see a few men about a dragon. Merlin will look after you, won't you, Merlin?"

Gwen looked over her shoulder to where Merlin had been moments earlier but he was gone.

"Where did he go?"

"He left through the back door," replied Gwaine. "As soon as we realized we'd need to kill the dragon."

"If I didn't know him any better," Leon said. "I'd say he was running from a fight."

"Running from this lot is probably more like it," Gwen chuckled. "Finding a dragon is probably easier than nursing all of you."

A chorus of protests broke out and Gwen laughed.

"But I'm sure he's willing to do it," she added, pulling Arthur's blankets straight again. "I'd best be off."

"Please let me know how things are going," Arthur murmured and Gwen nodded. "Gaius," she added, turning to leave. Gaius held up a hand.

"No need to ask, I'll stay with them."

"Thank you," she said before leaving through the back staircase.

Merlin ran out of the city as fast as he could to the clearing.

"O drakon!" he roared. "E male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anakes!"

He waited, searching the skies for the Great Dragon and realizing this was a big risk. It was only dusk and the sunlight was still evident over the horizon. His only hope was that the guards of Camelot were too preoccupied with searching the lower town and preparing the city for an attack to notice the beast swooping down.

"This must be important, young Warlock, to be summoning me at such a dangerous time of day."

"It is," Merlin said as the dragon settled in front of him. "And I'm sorry but I must speak with you."

"What is the problem this time?"

"Morgana has used one of Aithusa's scales to make Arthur and his privy council ill."

"You're sure?"

"We found the scale; we're positive that's what it is. Gaius said only another scale from the same dragon can heal the sickness caused by the first but it will only work of the loyalty of the dragon has been changed by a Dragonlord."

"What he says is correct."

"No one but Gaius knows I'm a Dragonlord," Merlin continued. "They all think we must kill Aithusa. I need to find her before the knights of Camelot do."

"I can see the urgency in the matter." Kilgharrah answered. "As a Dragonlord, the thought of killing the beings you were meant to protect must be unsettling to you."

"I don't want her dead," replied Merlin. "Nor do I even want to force her to change her loyalties. I want all dragons to be free-minded creatures that have the right and ability to choose their own paths but Morgana is going to attack Camelot and kill Arthur. My destiny is a greater calling than my call as a Dragonlord."

"Are you quite sure?"

"Yes! At least, I think it is. Right now it is."

"Interesting," mused the Great Dragon. "So you have come to seek my council assuming that my loyalties are with you. You would have me divulge the secrets of dragons, turning me against the one other who is like me, even though you would place the life of Arthur Pendragon over that of a dragon?"

"Are you not the one who told me about my destiny?" challenged Merlin. "You're the one who continually tells me that my sole reason for being on this earth is to protect the Once and Future King and you yourself have helped me do it? Are your loyalties not already with me?"

The dragon smiled.

"Indeed they are," he said. "It is true that Aithusa does not answer your calls as I do," the dragon continued. "Though she hears it, her loyalties are to the sorceress Morgana."

"Yes."

"Which means you must command her in the flesh. When faced with a Dragonlord, she cannot refuse you but beware, a dragon's loyalties are not easily changed and though she must obey you, she will put up a fight."

"How do I find her?"

"Leave that to me," Kilgharrah answered. "There is more, Merlin. Dragons have always borne scars for the scales they have lost either by force or given willingly."

"What sort of scars?"

Kilgharrah held up his wing and Merlin saw a dark, empty hole where a scale had once been. Standing tall, the dragon sucked in a mouthful of air and then exhaled. A whip of fire leapt from his mouth and Merlin jumped out of the way. The dragon closed his mouth and stepped onto the burning patch of grass, extinguishing the flame.

"Now look again," the Great Dragon instructed, holding up his wing for a second time. The black hole was now glowing blue.

"We bear more than the physical scars of a missing scale," Kilgharrah explained. "The hide underneath tells a story of how it was lost."

"I don't understand," said Merlin.

"My scale was given freely and therefore glows blue. A scale that is taken by force, however, will glow red."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"If you are successful in changing Aithusa's loyalties, either using the power of a Dragonlord or genuinely, her hide will glow blue and Morgana will know that a scale was given willingly to one Aithusa considers a friend. It will put her in grave danger to change her loyalty, or have it changed by force, and she will have no way to conceal it."

"Can you not see that I do not have a choice?"

"You always have a choice, Merlin, but you must decide which of your destinies projects the greater calling. Protecting Arthur will most certainly mean hurting a dragon in the process."

"Can it not be both? Can I not be loyal to both?"

"I can't answer that."

Merlin sighed and repeated his question.

"How do I find Aithusa?"

"Come back here tonight at midnight and I will tell her where she is."

Merlin nodded.

"Choose wisely, young Warlock," the dragon cautioned. "What you're up against is no small task."

The dragon spread its wings and took off into the darkening sky and Merlin began walking back to the castle. He already knew his destiny; he needed to protect Arthur and Camelot but there had to be a way to protect Aithusa while doing so. Morgana was cruel to those who betrayed her and Merlin did not want to think about what would happen to the young dragon if Morgana saw her hide glow blue.

This was all assuming, of course, Merlin could change her loyalties. Even if he got the scale, it would not help Arthur unless the dragon's loyalties changed. Merlin did not like the idea of using his power as a Dragonlord to forcibly make her change loyalties and surrender a scale and he especially did not like the idea of having to fight her if she chose to make a stand against him. This meant he had to find some genuine way to persuade Aithusa that he was not the enemy but this led back to the first problem. If her hide glowed blue, Morgana would know and likely hurt Aithusa for committing treason.

Some days, Merlin thought with a sigh, it would be such a simple life to be a farmer in the country and not be able to speak to dragons, serve the king, or know his destiny.

It was almost an hour later by the time Merlin reached the castle and when he didn't find Gaius in their chambers, he realized the physician must be with the ailing party.

He didn't move particularly quickly towards Arthur's chambers but as he got closer, he heard the bustling of many people and one woman hurried by him with a bag of foul-smelling laundry. He broke into a trot but stopped in the doorway.

"What happened?!" he exclaimed.

"Remember when we realized Morgana wanted to be sure we couldn't defend the city?" Gwaine muttered, holding his hair back as he leaned over a pail resting on the floor beside his bed. "She clearly wanted to make sure we had no chance of being able to yield a sword."

Merlin grimaced at Gwaine's head dropped lower to the bucket and he began vomiting again.

"Gaius!" Merlin called. The physician was between Percival and Elyan's beds and looked up.

"Get me some towels," he said in lieu of greeting. "And then run back to the chamber and find peppermint oil."

Merlin desperately wanted to speak with his mentor but he could see now was not the right time. Instead, he did as Gaius asked by fetching towels and then the peppermint oil.

"One spoonful each," Gaius told him and Merlin, after fetching five spoons from the kitchen, went first to Arthur.

"This will help," he said, pouring the liquid onto the spoon carefully.

"Where have you been?" Arthur groaned after swallowing the medicine.

"I think I ate something that was going off," Merlin lied. "It was a rather urgent call of nature."

Arthur seemed to accept this and clenched his teeth, wrapping his arms tightly around his stomach.

"What can I do?" Merlin asked.

"Nothing," snapped Arthur. "Where is Guinevere?"

"Presumably still in the throne room. Would you like me to fetch her?"

"No," Arthur grimaced.

"Merlin!" Gaius called. "Keep going with that oil!"

"Sorry!" Merlin called back. "Try to relax," he said to Arthur.

"The day it's possible to relax in this state is the day you can kill the dragon," muttered Arthur and Merlin raised an eyebrow before walking away.

He distributed the medicine to the others and strategically placed himself next to Gaius. He leaned away while Leon threw up into the bucket he was holding.

"Did you talk to Kilgharrah?" Gaius whispered and Merlin nodded.

"Yes."

"What did he say?"

"Exactly what you did," answered Merlin. "But he warned me that if I change Aithusa's loyalties, Morgana will be able to tell and will likely kill her."

"What are you going to do?"

"There's only one thing I can do. I need to protect Arthur above all but I wish there was a way I could protect Aithusa as well."

He felt the bucket in his hands being pushed away and he glanced back at Leon. The knight was pale, sweating, and shaky and had already lain down and closed his eyes.

"I don't know what to tell you, Merlin." Gaius replied. "You must do what you feel is right."

"Do you know anything about the loyalties of dragons?"

"Nothing I haven't already told you. How will you find her?"

"Kilgharrah is searching for her. I need to meet him in the clearing at midnight. What happened while I was gone?"

"Exactly what you see," Gaius answered, raising his voice to a normal tone so as not to rouse suspicions. "They started complaining of stomach cramps and almost all at once they began vomiting."

"Can't you give them anything to help?"

"The peppermint oil you gave out should settle their stomachs but I have no idea how effective it will be."

"Great," Merlin muttered as Leon pulled the bucket towards himself again.

Four hours later, Merlin was beginning to see why there had been so many people in the room when he'd arrived. It was exhausting nursing five patients and the nature of their condition meant a lot of laundry and emptying out a lot of chamber pots, buckets, pails, and whatever else they happened to vomit into.

"I've got to go," Merlin murmured to Gaius before slipping out the door without anyone really noticing him. He ran to the clearing for the second time and Kilgharrah was already waiting for him.

"Aithusa is with Morgana in a cave in the Darkling Woods."

"I know it," Merlin said instantly. "We took refuge there when Morgana invaded the city a few years ago."

"She is alone," the Great Dragon continued. "But there are soldiers marching towards Camelot across the northern plains."

"Thank you," Merlin said, turning to leave.

"Merlin, be careful. The power of a Dragonlord is great but Aithusa has been brainwashed by Morgana. To her, you are the enemy. You must be firm with her from the beginning or it very well may be the last thing you do."

Merlin nodded and left the clearing. He ran back to Camelot and found Gaius brewing a potion in his chambers.

"I'll be leaving at dawn," Merlin finished after telling Gaius everything the dragon had said.

"Then you must rest now," Gaius told him.

"What about Arthur and the others?"

"I can manage them, there's plenty of help around. What should I tell Arthur?"

"I told him I left earlier because I ate something bad and needed to go to the toilet urgently."

"Fine," Gaius said. "I'll tell him you have food poisoning. That ought to cheer him up."

"Gaius, if I don't make it back –"

"You will, Merlin. I have faith in you. Now, off to bed!"

"I need to find Gwen first."

"Gwen is with Arthur, what is it?"

"Tell her to prepare the defences on the north side of the city."

"Why should she believe me?"

"Tell her that it's something I remember hearing when Arthur and I were in Ismere. Something about a future plan of attack for Camelot. Do whatever you have to, Gaius, but make sure she believes you."

"I will," Gaius promised. "Good luck, Merlin."

"Thanks."

The two parted ways; Gaius back to the chamber and Merlin up to his bedroom. He packed his bag and then fell into his bed. He didn't sleep that well and at first light he dressed and left the city.

I have to admit this was really hard to write but I hope it lived up to expectation. Reviews are always appreciated, thank you!