Because English isn't my language and I have never studied it, there is errors.

I'm sorry and I hope that this will be betaed someday.

Let me still know if you like this story and I will continue.

Very light AU, set after season 4, bromance, No slash, angst, whump like always from me :)

And thanks Mer that you reminded me from this story, I really was forgotten this one.

A trip through the forest, on foot, without a clear path, in Merlin's view there was nothing particularly attractive, especially in hot summer day. He had already succeeded to cut both of his knees and palms when he stumbled after Arthur through the undergrowth; and loss his water flagon. Now in his boots abraded to be some pebbles.

"Arthur, wait a minute, I have to stop for a moment."

The young blond man ahead turned and looked anxiously his friend, who had already sat on the rock and took off his boot.

"Hurry!" He snarled, wondering why on earth he ever agreed to take on Merlin along in this journey. Then he remembered that actually he didn't agreed that, it had been Gwen who had send Merlin with him. Though he was lightly glad, that Merlin had came. If it wasn't Merlin, there could be some of the knights and that would probably be Gwaine. Arthur felt the chill going through of him. Never Gwaine again.

"I don't get any faster the stone in the shoe." Merlin muttered, and was soon back on his feet when he noticed a tiny plant near the rock.

Frowning he looked the plant for a moment, then snatched it and turned it in his hands excitedly.

"Flower picking?" Arthur looked over his shoulder, and Merlin sighed heavily. How in the world, one person in one sentence managed to spoil his good winds.

"Herb plant, this is rare. Help for the infected wounds. I promised to Gaius to keep an eye on it if I happen to bump into any of these. "

Arthur watched how Merlin put the plant carefully on his small canvas bag.

He always wondered how Merlin could be at times like two different people. Clumsy manservant; who stumbled and crashes and never be on time. Sometimes it felt like Merlin would create the catastrophe just by being there, not doing anything. On the other hand, Merlin had the wisdom and skills to deal with matters such as these plants, which the young man collected where ever they went to. He was always Arthur's support, always there where he most needed a friend. Little by little Arthur had noticed that he had begun really to listen when Merlin gave some vague judgments, because later these opinions appeared to be in good stead. And Merlin had been right with Agravaine. Arthur already trusted Merlin the most, but after his uncle's betrayal, Arthur trusted more and more what Merlin said. He didn't always agreed what his friend said, but what ever Merlin said, he considered it carefully.

And still after all what had happened, Merlin was a mystery, and it seemed to remain like that. It was annoying.

Arthur looked at the sky. It was a late afternoon already. The distance back to the river, were no longer than just under three miles. They were cut down by half a day by coming directly through the forest and would be back to Camelot late at night, and no longer need to stay out of woods.

Arthur was startled when something swayed before his eyes.

"Flowers sire? Flowers to your maiden? "Merlin mimicked the flower merchant, and Arthur laughed.

"That flower would never survive until Camelot. What flower is that, anyway?" He looked the blood-red petals.

Merlin looked at a flower in more detail. He had picked up the spur of the moment agitated of Arthur's comment. It was apparently field flower, but he had not seen anything like that before. He touched a single leaf from the edge and suddenly yelped in pain.

"Sharp." He took the finger in his mouth and sucked the wound, "Perhaps Gaius knows. I'm not very familiar with the flowers that are not herbs. "

Arthur searched his bag to find something to Merlin's wound. It was pleading surprisingly lot.

"Get that handkerchief. Come on, never mind the flower, that's just a small wound and we really need to get back to the boat already. "

Merlin nodded and put a flower carefully to his herb-bag, not touching the petals anymore.

If they had not have been such hurry, Merlin would be perhaps more precisely glanced around the area to search more of the rare plants. Then, perhaps, he would have seen the red flower sea and killed small animals around it. But it was too late even if Merlin had realized what the flower was. The wound wasn't deep, but it was enough. The consequences to picking up the flower would be something which would reverse the direction of their lives.