AN: Just a quick note up here. This story takes place post-Camlann from season 5, so spoilers ahoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

Scales scraped against the craggy walls when the white dragon squirmed for what little comfort their cold, rough touch could provide. Still, nothing eased the agony beyond physical pain. No matter how much she struggled or yearned, the hurt remained, one created by the overbearing shadow of destiny she strove hard to reject. With the thought of prophecy, anger erupted with the fiery that was the furnace of her core. With a growl, Aithusa spat another torrent of flames against the already molten walls. She continued until her flames sputtered out of existence with the last huff of her breath. The fire's touch left behind another glass swirl across the rock's surface, similar to the path in front of her.

How long was it since the battle, when the words of an unwanted master forced her away and damned her beloved friend to the clutches of death? Aithusa grasped at her anger and held it close, not wanting the gloom to enclose her, suffocate her until she is nothing but a trembling ball. The last few weeks were years to her mind, years since she cried out for her friend, years since she felt the ripple that swept her body of a fulfilled prophecy, and years still that she stumbled into these large caverns, crawling until she could go no further. Her abused body curled in the cave walls, tail towards the dark abyss behind her and face out towards the entrance, ready to kill any who dared disturbed her grieving.

The first time she awakened in her new home, the realization of what happened settled in her mind and a rage like none she ever experienced expanded into every corner of her soul that ate away her depression. For days, she roared and clawed at the walls around her, scoring to stone as though it was nothing more than parchment. When he claws were too torn and bloodied to continue, she released her flames, melting down the rough edges of the walls and ground in front of her until they were glossy. However, no matter how much she tried, nothing could alleviate the pain that grew too close to her heart.

How could she be the proud, mighty dragon spoken of in legends when she failed the one person that most mattered to her? Her bond with Morgana was something Aithusa could never have predicted. When she first reached out from the darkness, greeted by a warm voice into the world, the dragon had not suspected she would enter a reality full of hatred and fear. How could she even understand in those initial seconds of life that the first faces of her kin would be the only ones left? Had she realized the consequences, would she have allowed her curiosity to lead her to the darkest moment of her young life that ultimately formed a powerful bond with an equally powerful witch?

Yet it happened. It happened and nothing Aithusa could do could change it. At times in the cavern, regret shrouded her mind as she reminisced on the past, a regret that she then snuffed out in shame. So what if she could have avoided all this heartbreak, this agony, if she had not befriended the witch? The fact remained that the witch became someone she would give her life to protect. That was the promise she made, that was the promise she strove to keep and one she ultimately broke.

The gloom bore down on her, encouraging depressive thoughts to take over her mind. She tried to shove them out, but their claws dug mercilessly into her soul, whispering their cruel reminders. With a war waged against her emotions, Aithusa grasped for the bliss forgetfulness would grant her. All the while exhaustion seeped further into her bones, gravity tugged at her eyelids. After a moment, she relented to her slumber with hopes of a dreamless sleep. Yet, nightmares squashed wishes, and she was swept away by her subconscious guilt.

Her dreams led her down a twisted path, guided by a familiar voice that called for her only to gut and rip her to pieces. The soft coos of her friend coddled her in her kindness only for the sweet nothings to turn into whimpers and shrieks. The nightmares consumed her and drew her further and further into the abyss that took control of her much the same way it claimed Morgana. The world seemed to tremble and the earth shook with such a force she woke with whimpers stuck in her throat. She took a moment to catch her breath and calm her fluttering heart, not realizing that during her panic, someone stood watch over the spectacle.

The stranger stood by in silence with one hand outstretched towards the dragon where it rested lightly against the grime-covered scales, too soft for Aithusa to notice initially. A cloak settled on their shoulders and a hood was pulled up and over their head, obscuring their face in shadows. With the cavern's limited light, even Aithusa draconic eyes could not discern anything distinguishable on the human. However, once she somewhat regained control of herself, she stiffened when the hand began to rub across the scales of her neck.

With a snarl, Aithusa snapped her head around towards the intruder, her lips pulled back to display her impressive array of teeth. Though she was still young, Aithusa was more than enough to handle a puny human, regardless if the human was of magic in nature. All the magic in the Albion wouldn't be able to stop her fangs from tear apart their scaleless skin. Especially in these close quarters, she could have the human's skull crushed between her jaws faster than any sorcerer could cast an enchantment.

The stranger lifted their hand from her scales while their other raised up, backing away with palms faced forward and finger splayed in a gesture of peace. Or in preparation for defensive magic. Didn't matter which for Aithusa kept her teeth bared, maintaining her warning. From her throat, a growl reverberated as she tried and failed to form any semblance of language but still managing to give a voice to her irritation. Throughout the aggressive display, the stranger just stood still, patient to let the dragon release her ire before attempting to get closer to the creature.

Minutes passed, and still neither budged until Aithusa was forced to acknowledge that her threats left the stranger unfazed. Her growls faded as she pressed her lips firmly together and glared at the intruder. Though she realized this stranger posed no immediate danger, she remained tense. Aithusa took a small step back, her tail bumping against the walls as it swung to and fro. Cocking her head in curiosity, her eyes focused on the stranger, trying to pierce the shadows that masked their face. A flare of her nostrils caught a familiar earthy scent, bringing with it the unwanted memories of her past. After a moment, the human reached up, pausing for a moment, before tugging the hood off and revealing the man below.

Aithusa's eyes narrowed.

Time changed him, appearing to have aged for decades rather than weeks. However, she still knew those blue eyes, full of kindness and wisdom beyond his short life. His hair hung in shaggy locks, covering his ears and giving him an almost bedraggled appearance though a small, trimmed beard accentuated his jaws. When he once stuck to the shadows, he now stood with confidence only those in power possessed. New wrinkles etched into his face gave evidence to the hardships. Those eyes, once filled with cheer, held only determination with an undertone of sadness. Whether that grief was for her or the late king of Camelot, Aithusa couldn't care less.

Instead, she felt conflicted. Before her stood the man who held such a large influence over her life. Her first moments were those man's joy-filled eyes welcoming her to the world. He watched her make her first steps and her first flight to the sky. He was the reason she had come into the world, his voice was what coaxed her from her egg. Then she never saw him again, left to explore the world in her naivety. He left her on her own, to approach and help humans with thoughts of her kind Dragonlord, to be caught by humans and chained into a pit for their amusement. To be tortured at the hands of men and the ever-enclosing pit as her body matured. Her Dragonlord was not there to pull her from the darkness, only Morgana, her kindred spirit in agony. The witch became her constant companion, her closest friend, the same friend who her Dragonlord had slain.

Aithusa didn't know whether to love him as before or hate him all the more for killing Morgana. All she knew was that she must try to understand one thing: Why? After all this time, why now? Why find her after weeks since the Battle of Camlann or why had he not simply called her?

What was Merlin's goal?

Attempting to express her questions, Aithusa huffed at the warlock and cocked her head to the other direction. Her eyes narrowed further, as if demanding for the answers. And Merlin watched each movement with thinly veiled sympathy and guilt. Those eyes only angered her more, human pity was disgusting.

"Aithusa…" he whispered, hand reached out again. Aithusa snapped at his fingers and pushed further into the cave, her scales rubbed against the narrow walls.

"Okay," he cooed, his hand up again to calm the agitated dragon, "It's okay. I won't hurt you."

In response, Aithusa released a low whine to accompany the growls. She wanted nothing to do with him, not after everything that happened.

Merlin released his breath slowly then knelt down, removing and folding the cloak on the ground beside him. With a whispered spell, his eyes flashed and a brilliant blue and gold ball of light formed in the palm of his hand. The two colors swirled together in a mesmerizing dance, each twirled around the other without truly combining. Yet the beautiful display only irritated her eyes, as it was brighter than the dim beams that barely managed to pierce through the depths of this cave. Aithusa whimpered as the light seared into her eyes, forcing her to turn her head away. She lifted her wings enough for her to tuck her head beneath, effectively blocking out the light while growling out her discomfort. Realizing his mistake, Merlin mumbled an apology and waved the light away.

Then he sat there for hours in the dark, keeping a silent vigil over the dragon though she occasionally growled and snapped at him. Time eventually took its toll on her as Aithusa's growls died down to whimpers and then silence. The longer time stretched the more Aithusa lost hope of gaining her solitude back. She mentally cursed the warlock for not allowing her any peace. The emotions that plagued her led her to toying with the idea of chasing the sorcerer away with her flames. While the image of a frantic warlock on fire amused her, it wasn't enough to overcome the fatigue.

The heaviness of her eyelids returned and Aithusa fought against it, not willing to allow slumber to take he away and leave her vulnerable before the warlock. Try as she might, she could not prevent her eyes from drooping or the slowing of her breaths. Without choice or awareness, her eyes fluttered closed and she found herself immersed back into her nightmare. And somehow it was different, the nighmatee barely begn before the storm, blood, anger, and fear that she associated to her nightly visions was swept away by a tide of warmth and comfort. She felt a sigh escape her jaws and her body relax for the first time in a long while.

Thus, Aithusa slept on in peace. Her dreams created picturesque mountains with a lush forest at its foot that housed plenty of prey elusive enough to provide a satisfying hunt. The sun shined down and around her, caressing her scales with its warm touch. She felt energy unlike any before, not since she was a hatchling. In fact, she stared around in surprise and realized she was just that, the newborn dragon that knew nothing of the world but the ancient knowledge inherited from her ancestors.

In the cave, her body curled further into a ball, snuggling against the wall as she allowed her dreams to pull her further from the waking world. In her happiness, she had forgotten about the warlock who stepped away from her slumbering body. His lips held a small but sad smile as he watched the young dragon for a moment before turning away. He picked up his cloak, snapped the clasp into place, and allowed the fabric to settle around his shoulders. With one last look at the dragon, he retreated to the cave's mouth. Determination burning in his eyes as he whispered to the dragon.

"I'm sorry, Aithusa."

Merlin returned a week later, much to Aithusa's annoyance. When she hadn't seen him during the days following his first appearance, it led Aithusa to believe that his visit was but a figment of her imagination. She was even more annoyed when she found herself missing the idiot warlock. He may be her Dragonlord, but she refused to serve the man who killed her friend. Still she couldn't squash the excitement as he made himself known to the dragon. No proper dragon should be this happy to accept a human responsible for her current misery.

He hesitated when she noticed him, glancing back over his shoulders at something nearly beyond her line of sight. Aithusa growled when she spotted the two figures standing just a ways away from the warlock, carrying a large bundle between them. Even from her position, she could smell the scent of their fear mixed with the metallic tang of blood that drifted from them. Behind each figure a ball of light, plain in its white brilliance compared to the warlock's, lit up the cave and burned her still too sensitive eyes. It seemed that Merlin dared to bring other sorcerers to her cave.

The low growl grew into a dull roar as she clenched her eyes closed, away from the light and bared her teeth at the sorcerers. It was already bad enough that Merlin had chosen to disrupt her solitude but to bring sorcerers, ones who may strike her out of fear? She didn't care if Merlin could order her into submission, enough was enough. She would rather attempt to drive the group away than cower like the deer she preyed on.

Aithusa pushed her legs beneath, clawed feet pressed firmly on the stone, before she pushed up. The quick motion was too much for her weakened state and, instead of charging at the group with draconic fury, her right foreleg gave way and she slammed down onto her side. Her roar turned to a whimper from the pain of a tail crushed by the weight of her body. The pain spiked down her spine and, gingerly, she lifted her body just enough to slide her tail from beneath her. The sorcerers behind Merlin shifted their feet, nervous at the angry beast before them. One of them murmured to the warlock loud enough to be heard but too quiet for Aithusa's ears to catch in her distress. The warlock answered with a shake of his head without looking away from the dragon and inched towards to Aithusa until he knelt in front of her.

"Aithusa, can I?" Merlin asked, his hand extended in the direction of Aithusa's aching tail.

The dragon huffed and turned away, not wanting to make eye contact with the Dragonlord before her. Though she didn't want his help, she didn't stop Merlin from extending his arm until it hovered over her injured limb.

"Ic hæle þina þrowunga." Merlin incanted, his eyes glowed gold and a warmth spread through the dragon's tail, driving away the pain.

Aithusa turned her head back to him, giving him a measured look before she turned her head to watch as she flicked her tail. Resting her head down, atop her paws, she continued to stare at the warlock, her eyes weary. Even if the warlock healed her, she still wouldn't trust him, too much had happened since her hatching, most of which she refused to forgive or forget.

"We brought you some food. It's not much but we can get you more later," Merlin offered, gesturing to the two behind him. Hesitant, the the other sorcerers walked closer, slow as to not startle the dragon. Her eyes shuttered close again as the lights grew closer and brighter.

"Merlin…" one of the sorcerers whispered his nervousness almost tangible.

"Don't worry, she won't hurt you," Merlin said, his voice calm in confidence.

Aithusa huffed and cracked an eye open to glare at the warlock. Of course, she was a damned tamed beast before a Dragonlord. If it wasn't for his presence, she would have torn those sorcerers' heads from their shoulders. It would be simple to kill them, their magic nothing compared to her might, weak as she was.

At the glare, Merlin sighed as he brushed his hand through his hair, "Not like that, Aithusa. I doubt you would attack even without me being here to stop you. You can barely stand let alone take on these guys."

The dragon's growl was follower by a flame that shot out from between her lips and licked at the ground Merlin stood on. The warlock yelped, a noise that brought her satisfaction, then looked back to her. His expression was a mixture of irritation and amusement, as if unsure whether the dragon truly meant any harm to him or was just acting as a spoiled child.

"Alright, I get it! You're not that helpless, still need to put some meat on those bones," Merlin said as he jabbed a finger at her direction. "Lena, Gildon, bring that over here."

Aithusa huffed. How dare he act nonchalant around her, as if she was just a hound acting up.

"Sir I don't think helping it-"one of the sorcerers said, his voice trembling.

"Her name is Aithusa. Now no complaining, Gildon, you were the one who wanted to know where I went last time."

The sorcerer, Gildon, grumbled as he along with the quiet Lena dragged the bundle closer. Aithusa opened her eyes further, still uncomfortable with the light source but wanting to keep an eye on the two when she noticed the golden glow of their eyes. It seemed that not only were they using their magic to produce lights but also in aiding them with the bundle. Between them, they held a strange object swaddled in burlap that glowed softly with the presence of magic, lightening the weight for the sorcerers.

It was the size of three adult humans combined and must have weighed even more, too much for the average human to carry by normal means. The smell of blood grew closer until it pervaded the air all around the dragon. The humans dropped the bundle right in front of her before they scurried back to a safer distance, eyeing the dragon with distrust. Merlin laughed at their fear then waved his hand over the bundle, his magic tugging the burlap open to reveal the carcass of a freshly killed cow.

Aithusa eyed the dead animal with forced distaste, as if trying to prove to herself and not just the warlock that she was in no need of the meat. Unfortunately, that did not stop the plea that rumbled from her empty stomach. While dragons could go on for weeks between meals when food was scarce, Aithusa had gone without food for even longer. Her hunger was easy to forget when she allowed her mind to sink into depression and hide away from the world, but with Merlin's attempts to draw her out and the delicious scent of freshly slaughtered prey, it became all too difficult to ignore the pangs.

"Go ahead," Merlin urged with a smile.

That was all it took for Aithusa to sink her fangs deep into the flesh, her dagger-like teeth and a jerk of her head tore chunks of meat from the carcass with ease. From behind the warlock the sorcerers watched, both looking a bit green as they watched the dragon dig into the cow.

"Oh, that is just disgusting," moaned Gildon.

"Shut it," snapped Lena, talking for the first time. "I'm tired of your constant complaining."

"And you don't complain enough! This is just me doing the work for the both of us."

Lena rolled her eyes and relaxed her stance, "I see your mouth moving but nothing you say makes sense."

As Gildon was about to retaliate Merlin cut in, "If all you two are going to do is argue, I suggest you take it outside. I'm almost done here anyways."

They gave a small bow of their head to the warlock before they walked out, taking their lights with them. Gildon glared at Lena the whole way, his voice echoing back to Aithusa as they continued to argue. It was as they were almost out of sight did Aithusa notice the worried glance Lena shot back at Merlin, afraid to leave him on his own against a dragon. Silly for her to think Merlin was in any kind of danger from Aithusa, not with his inherited abilities.

She gnashed her teeth. Humans were horrid, Dragonlords and all.

When the last of the light faded away, Aithusa's sight cleared as she continued to feast upon the carcass. She was already halfway through her meal when Merlin cleared his throat and caught her attention. She lifted her maw from the remains, her jaws coated in blood, and met Merlin's even stare. They sat there for a few minutes, watching each other, measuring. Aithusa still could not figure out what could be on the warlock's mind or what his motives were for finding her. What was he doing here now after all this time? If he had really wanted to see her, why didn't he just call her from hiding, or for that matter get Kilgharrah if it was a dragon he needed help from?

"Aithusa," Merlin sighed and looked away for only a moment before turning back to her, "you don't have to be here anymore. You need to get out of here. Staying here any longer will kill you."

This time it was Aithusa who turned away, her appetite suddenly gone.

"Please, Aithusa," Merlin tried again, getting to his feet. "There's plenty of room for you in Camelot. I can help you. Just… think about it."

The warlock began to leave, the sounds of his boots slamming down on the stone echoed around Aithusa. In that moment, panic rose. Panicked on being left alone yet panicked on having to interact with the man responsible for killing the most important person of her life. The rising emotions forced a low whine from her throat that stopped Merlin's retreating back. He stood still for a second then turning around, his long cloak swirled around him by the movement, and eyes met once more with the dragon.

"I'll be back, I promise."

He kept his promise.

Instead of a week, Merlin came back daily. Every day he brought with him more food, from cow to deer to even the occasional pheasant; it was always what he was able to scrounge up to feed a carnivorous beast as large as Aithusa. Accompanying him were various sorcerer, though mostly it was Gildon and Lena. She soon grew fond of the duo. Their constant presence became familiar, though Aithusa made sure to remind them that she was still a threat with a burst of flame or a small growl. With each passing day, Aithusa felt her strength return and her eyes became more acquainted to the sorcerers' balls of light.

This morning, Aithusa awoke once again by a soft call from Merlin and watched the warlock as he strode into the cave, the blue and gold ball of light bouncing happily behind was different with this visit and it did not take long before Aithusa realized what had changed. The warlock was alone this time, no one tagging along to bring the prey for her to devour. The dragon felt her mood drop at that realization, more from the missing sorcerers than the meal, though she did not care to admit it.

She cocked her head and chirped, questioning the warlock.

Merlin lifted his brows, already accustomed to interpreting Aithusa's gestures and wordless cries. "What? Missing them already?"

She narrowed her eyes and growled.

"Don't worry, they're here. How about a little change of pace, hmmm?"

She cocked her head again.

"They're outside, with your food. I think it's about time you got out of here Aithusa," Merlin answered, his voice losing volume with the last suggestion. After all these days of bonding with the dragon, Aithusa knew Merlin was still cautious around her. "Come one, Aithusa, you need to get out of here."

Aithusa growled and shifted in place. She casted her eyes around the cave, observing the glassy swirls that littered the walls and floor. Then with a huff, she rose to her feet, strong enough this time to support her own weight unlike her pathetic attempt during the warlock's initial visits.

Fully standing, she nodded her head to Merlin to which he smiled, one just as wide as the one he held when she had first hatched from her egg. With a motion of his hand, he led the dragon through the cave, making slow progress to allow the dragon to keep pace. She had just enough strength to walk. Best she took it easy and avoided unnecessary injuries.

It took a while, but finally Aithusa was nearly outside with the mouth of the cave just a few steps further. Merlin stopped and glanced at her before he stepped aside and gestured for her to go on past him. He held his smile in encouragement as she hesitantly stepped towards the entrance, her claws clicked against the stone as she got closer. At the edge of the sunlight, she watched the forest outside with squinted eyes. It appeared that those little balls of light were nowhere near as bright as the blazing sun.

A ways away from entrance, she saw Gildon and Lena standing beside a dead deer, fidgeting as they waited for the dragon to appear from the cave. She looked back at Merlin, who nodded before she stepped outside for the first time in months. The warmth struck her dirtied scales, sinking into her flesh and bones, swaddling her.

It was like her dreams with a warm embrace that soothed her in way the rocks could not.

She blinked, trying to focus her eyes in the light. Then she took more unsteady steps, not to the sorcerers and food, but to the small lake she spotted to the right of them. At the edge, she dipped her snout into it and drank deeply from the water, relishing in its clean coolness as it soothed her aching throat. It was the sweetest thing she had ever tasted, better by far in comparison to the dank water she desperately licked from the cave walls.

The cool water ran down her dry throat, forcing a small moan of relief from the dragon between each gulp. Behind her, Merlin emerged from the cave, still smiling a smile that reflected from the faces of the other sorcerers. When she had her fill, she leaned back and observed her reflection in the lake's swirling surface.

What she saw saddened her.

Her once brilliant scales were covered in grime and mold, no longer the pure white she used to be proud of, the only feature she loved even after the humans mangled her body.

With a grunt, Aithusa shook the annoyance from her mind and chose action rather than self-pity to deal with the issue at hand. She pushed her legs against the shore and slid her body into the water, clinging close to the sandy floor. Immersed, she flipped upside down and rubbed her back into the sand, using the granules to scratch what grime she could.

After a few minutes, longer than a human capable of staying underwater, Aithusa's head shot above the surface. From the shore, she saw her Dragonlord laughing at her antics, which irritated her. She may be like a hatchling in the water but she would not allow a two-legged animal to mock her, not even her Dragonlord.

Especially not Merlin.

So, with a mischievous grin, Aithusa unfolded her wings from her body and flapped down hard against the water, splashing water at the warlock. She huffed out a laugh as she saw Merlin try and fail to dodge the water. Drenched in water, he chuckled and returned the favor back to the dragon with a flash of gold. Soon the situation devolved into a mock battle as warlock and dragon threw waves after waves at each other while Gildon and Lena watched on in amusement, neither daring the join.

In the back of Aithusa's mind, she realized that this was the first time in a long time since she had fun. She couldn't even remember laughing or smiling her toothy grin during her time with Morgana.

Still, even as she played like a newly hatched dragon, she still could not forget that thought in the back of her mind that reminded her of the Dragonlord's transgressions.

AN: I almost did not post this. Still unsure about it really, it was a cool idea when I started out but pretty nervous to see what others think of it.I want to explore the Aithusa and Merlin relationship after season 5, so this won't focus too much on Camelot itself. There will be some struggles on Camelot post legalized magic, but this will stay centered around Aithusa and Merlin.

This entire story has been outlined and I'm ready to write more of it; however, I worked on this in a rather relaxed pace, so not sure if I can promise speedy updates. I'll try to balance my time between this and the other story I'm starting.

I'll post a tentative update date on my profile (I'll try to post by July 11th).

So let me know what you think! Reviews and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated

UPDATE 5/19/2016: I edited and trimmed this chapter a little while rereading. Story wise nothing was changed, just wanted to go through it so I can begin writing this fic again.