"W-wait, raised by dragons?" Merlin asked, holding his hands up in disbelief.

Serella nodded. "Yes. When I was a young girl, about five years old, my mother died. Father was distraught; he didn't know what to do with me, as he was a traveling merchant. One day, he took me on a travel through the woods on a journey to another kingdom. He needed other places to sell his goods, you see." she looked at the fire and sat cross-legged beside it, patting the ground next to her for Merlin to occupy.

Merlin crossed the forest floor and sat obediently, all thoughts of doubt relinquished for the moment.

"One night, we settled down to make camp and rest. When I awoke the next morning, he was gone. That was when Kilgara found me, lost and wandering in the woods."

"But you are also a Druid. And you worked for Lydia. How is this all possible?" Merlin questioned, beginning to become suspicious once again. Serella sighed.

"Only for about five years I lived with the dragons. Then I was turned over to a camp of Druids, where I stayed until I was eighteen. Lydia's men attacked, and my people fled into the forests."

"But you were caught." Merlin clarified, staring into the flames.

"Yes." Serella confirmed. "I was caught." She became silent now, and said no more on the subject.

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Merlin fell into silence. She had never even known what it was like to be a normal child. Of course, neither did he, but at least he had had his mother, for however long or short a time it had been. Suddenly, Merlin felt a weight on his lap and he looked down, startled to see Serella curled up beside him, her head on his lap, asleep. He chuckled and hesitantly stroked her glossy hair.

"Goodnight, Serella." he whispered.

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The next morning, at sunrise, Serella was shaken awake gently by Merlin.

"Time to go," he whispered softly in her ear. At some point during the night, they had ended up lying on the ground side by side, Serella's head on Merlin's chest and his hands wrapped securely around her waist. While she was startled at their position, she made no move to undo herself: she had never felt safer or more secure.

"Do we have to?" she mumbled, burying her head into his jacket. He smelled of mint and the forest... Serella loved it.

"Yes, we do." Merlin said quietly, stroking her hair. "It's getting late, and I would like to reach Cambria before the end of the month you know..."

Serella huffed in annoyance and sat up, letting her hair down and redoing it in its original braid. When she finished, Merlin was already securing the satchels on Serella's horse, his horse finished already.

"Ready to head out?" He asked, and Serella nodded, swinging herself up into her saddle. Merlin untied the reigns from the sapling trees and swung up into his own saddle, taking the lead as the two rode swiftly through the woods, heading North.

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A/N

Hi!!! No, this story isn't dead, and I'm really sorry that I haven't updated in months, but I kinda hit a writers block and I got lazy... So ya. Don't hate me please!