Unusually quiet for a simple spring day, Merlin observed. The low and near-silent roar of his fire, the running of his stream outide of his cottage, the birds, were all making their sounds as normal today, except each and every thing that was making some semblance of noise seemed to be heard from a hundred miles away. Merlin would always make small, almost unnoticeable observations like this, knowing that everything had a destiny, and everything had a purpose.

It had been twelve years since he had left Uther Pendragon to his grave. The king had betrayed him. He had killed the Duke of Tintagil castle, even when Merlin had told him not to. But, Uther was not totally to blame. Merlin was the one who disguised Uther as the Duke so that Uther could have the lady Igraine. 'Twas not a total loss, though, for while Merlin was losing a "good" king, he was gaining a boy, born of Uther and Igraine. That boy was out there… somewhere. It had also been two months since Merlin had seen the vision of the boy. He was thirteen years old, Merlin had known. He knew not why he knew. He also knew not why he knew that this boy would become somthing great.

He had put this thought back into his head when he heard a furious and exiting chirping from somewhere. He knew it was a bird, caught in the grasped vines. A.. a falcon. Yes. The falcon had flown from the sky, and got caught in the dead vines that would reach out from the top of the forbidden forest, their intent to hold anything near and bringing it inside. Grabbing his staff as it leaned on the corner, he ran out from the cottage.

He was still hearing the chirps when he exited the cottage, but the falcon was nowhere in sight. He decided that his magic was helping him to hear an extended distance. He ran the way his ears told him to run, dodging old branches and even older trees, running, running, running, until finally, he reached the imprisoned winged one. Withdrawing his staff, he pointed the stick of oak wood (which was one head taller than his body) towards the bird and the vines. Immediately, the vines broke away, leaving the bird to drop onto the ground. Merlin picked up the bird and slowly, silently, carried him home. He realized that none of the birds were chirping now, not even in the far distance.

At first, Merlin had believed the bird dead, but another small pang in his mind told him that the bird was still living, albeit barely. Taking his herbs and other healing tools, he began to patch up this fallen angel. Merlin cared for the bird for the entire spring and summer, and on into fall. When the bird would make obvious progress, Merlin would chuckle to himself, and say, "Well done, falcon." It was the first day of winter that the bird finally was awake. Merlin had all but given up hope, but the falcon had pulled through. Merlin housed the poor creature through winter, until spring came.

The bird had refused to leave. Chirping wildly when Merlin had tried to let him go, the falcon seemed to be talking to Merlin. I cannot leave, he said. I owe you too much.

Merlin's head dropped as he smiled from ear to ear. It was just as well, for Merlin craved companionship anyway.

It had become clear that he would have to give the falcon a name.

"What must I call you, my bird? What, indeed..."

A memory popped in. Merlin sighed. His brother...

"Merlin! Merlin, where are you?"

"Over here."

"Where?"

"Here, Ayden."

Merlin tapped his brother's shoulder, then ran. Ayden giggled as he chased Merlin around, finally tagging him. Merlin dropped to the ground, laughing.

"Ayden, you always seem to tag me!"

"'Tis because thou art so slow!"

Merlin laughed again, and stood. "We're the best of friends, right Ayden?"

"The best of the best, Merlin."

Merlin was thrown back into the present as the bird chirped in annoyed dispatience. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was... remembering..."

Merlin drifted off for a few seconds, then an outburst surprised the bird. "Ayden. I shalt call thee Ayden."

The following weeks proved very good. Ayden helped with a number of things around Merlin's cottage and yard. You see, Merlin would be forgetful sometimes, and would forget such things as his staff, his herbs, or something else, and Ayden would either find the said item, or improvise with something even better. Spring had rolled around again, bringing with it sunshine, and the grass turning green again. The forest was in full bloom when Merlin foresaw his vision again, that of a young boy, hobbling along on.. on the edge of the forest. He was with a larger boy, probably near on to twenty. Merlin knew that if you had two visions of one subject, it would definitely happen the day of the second vision. All he had to do was wait.

While he waited, however, he prepared tea and crumpets, a favorite of both Ayden and Merlin. Ayden would sometimes sip gradually at the tip of Merlin's tea cup, his thin tongue sipping up the warm liquid. Merlin would pay no mind to germs, and he and Ayden would do this together every day. Ayden was almost always on Merlin's shoulder, and if he wasn't there, he was either going to get something for Merlin, or perched from a bit of thick stick protruding over the mantle and chimney of the old hut. Merlin had grown to love the bird.

It was nearly noon when Merlin exited his cottage to get his water from the nearby stream, frustrated by these middle age practices, and knowing that the future held better things. It was while he was doing this when he saw an arrow hit just near where he was standing. Filled with curiosity, Merlin picked up the thing, then threw it down. A few minutes later, a boy appeared from the darkness of the forest. It was the boy in the vision.

Time passed, and thus, after a time, Arthur Pendragon became king of England, by pulling the sword Excalibur from the stone, uniting Britain, and making equality of everything. There was a time, however, that, while Merlin was residing in Camelot, that Ayden departed, to find the blind boy who was called Garrett, and help him in his life. It was something Merlin wanted, and he discovered after the adventure when Sir Ruber stole Excalibur that Ayden's destiny was to be with Garrett... at least until he returned to Merlin.

Kayley and Garret were probably to be wed, Merlin realized. He had watched the boy from birth to this moment, but he had not watched Sir Lionel's daughter. Merlin believed that he should have, for it was she who ultimately stopped Ruber. But, then again, Garrett had been blind, and Merlin and Ayden had been his eyes. Merlin was glad that Ayden was back to him, even though it sounded quite selfish. The falcon had returned to him in the end, and Ayden was met with Merlin's kind eyes and wide smile as he heard the words of Merlin that he had heard half of his life.

"Well done, Ayden. Well done."