Let me start off with saying that this is just something for me to write to try and get past my writers block so I know it sucks. I'd appreciate reviews though. I'm gonna continue it soon.

Gawain stumbled out of the bar, not really drunk but inebriated enough to effect his balance. Deciding to take a walk around the outer edges of the town to clear his mind with the cool night air, he walked around the tavern with one hand on the wall to keep from falling. Now that he was away from the louder crowd and rowdy drunks he was able to think of why he was there in the first place. Since he was pretty much banished from Camelot, he stayed out of its boundaries but kept to the bordering villages. He wanted to stay close in case Merlin needed help or if the prince happens to come by, so he can egg him on into a fight. Chuckling at the thought he walked closer to the forest edge, outlining the village and heard a small whining sound.

He came to a stop and listened carefully, wondering if it was just an animal. Just when he was about to ignore it and keep walking, he heard it again but louder. Unable to contain his curiosity he made his way to the sound, finding a cart behind the village's inn. He frowned, noticing one male guarding the cart. "What could be so valuable?" he questioned. Wanting to know what he was guarding, Gawain waited until he stepped away from the cart before quietly walking up to it. He saw several different crates in the cart containing different objects he'd never seen before. He figured they held some magic power seeing as how several glowed or had strange runes on them.

Just as he had moved one crate away from the cart, he heard the whining sound again along with the obvious sound of crying. He stepped away from the cart and saw there was a second one behind it. Figuring that's where it was coming from he walked towards it and saw the cage in the back.

"Help….please…" The soft, feminine voice made Gawain pause before he jogged over. Looking into the cage he saw a small girl curled up in the corner, hugging herself and crying. Her icy blue eyes stared at him in the dark, tears falling form them as she tried to hold back her sobs. "Help me, please..."

Not one to leave a woman in danger, Gawain looked around for the guard before getting up in the cart, looking for the lock on the cage. "I'm going to get you out, promise," he whispered quietly. Finding the lock he held up to the barely visible moonlight. He cursed under his breath and looked around, hoping to find a key or something to break the lock. A large chink of… something caught his eye and he quickly picked it up, happy that it was quiet heavy before he started to hit the lock with it. After a few hits the old lock easily broke off. Gawain grinned before jumping off of the cart and opened the cage. Holding his hands out he urged the girl to come out. "Come on, before he gets back."

She seemed reluctantly to get out of the cage and looked around. He watched as her eyes suddenly got wide and she pushed herself out of the cage, tackling him to the ground. He grunted from the force of the fall before catching the glint of a sword about to slice through the air above them. Reacting immediately he rolled out of the way, taking the girl with him before jumping up, drawing his own sword and blocking another attack. Gawain's legs buckled a bit under the force of the other's sword, and he cursed himself for drinking that last mug of ale. Digging his heels into the soft ground he pushed back with his sword and smirked as the other stumbled back before jumping out of the way of Gawain's blade. The two fought each other with almost equal strength before the guard used the hilt of his sword to hit Gawain in the face, causing him to lose his sight for a minute, long enough for him to deliver a final blow to Gawain's side.

If the girl hadn't jumped in that moment to push him out of the way, crying out as the blade sliced into her side. Using that moment to right himself, Gawain pushed himself off of the ground and ran his sword through the guard's stomach. Using his foot to push him off of his blade, Gawain wiped the blood onto his shirt before turning away to check on the girl. She was leaning against the cart, holding her side while her long brown hair covered her face.

He walked up to her and pushed her hair back from her face, stunned by her beauty, before leaning down slightly to look at her side. He grimaced, the wound deeper than he had first thought it was.

"Thank you…"

"Huh?" Gawain looked up just in time to catch her as she fainted. Frowning, he picked her up and glanced around for any other guard before walking away from the village. He heated the idea of it but he knew he there was only one place where he could get her help.

X-X-X-X-X

"Merlin, see who that is."

The young warlock sighed before putting the broom away and walked past Gaius who was busy with making medicine for one of the knights who fell ill recently.

Merlin had barely opened the door before it was pushed in by a hooded figure that quickly closed it behind them, an unconscious girl held close to their chest.

Merlin stumbled back, prepared to use his magic if necessary as Gaius stood up from his bench, frowning at the intrusion. "Who are you and what do you want?" He asked irritably.

The hooded figure slumped against the door, breathing heavily before pushing his hood back, revealing a tire yet grinning Gawain. "Hello to you too."

Merlin relaxed instantly and mirrored the man's grin he walked up to him. "Gawain? What are you doing here?"

"I needed help and knew I could come to you."

"Even though you are forbidden to enter Camelot?" Gawain asked, not really upset but wondering what was so important he'd risk his life.

"Yes well, I didn't know what else to do." Gawain's grin dropped then as he held up the girl, showing her blood stained side. "She's been injured."

Gaius stopped questioning him and immediately had Merlin get some water while he instructed Gawain to lay her on the old cot in the room. Using a small blade he cut open her dress so he could examine the wound better. He told Gawain to stand back before he started to clean the wound. It had stopped bleeding long before Gawain reached them but her pale skin showed the extent of blood loss.

Merlin stood beside Gaius, ready to help if it was needed, but was distracted by the pull he felt on his magic. When Gaius left her side to get a salve to put on it, Merlin reached out to lightly touch her side. Without warning, his magic reacted on its own and his hand glowed with a golden color.

"Merlin!"

Gawain and Gaius watched as he pulled his hand away, revealing healed skin. Gawain stared wide-eyed as he walked over before looking up at Merlin. "How did you do that?"

"I… I don't know," Merlin replied.

"You used your magic to heal her? How?"

"I don't know! I just… felt something pulling on my magic and then… it just happened." The warlock looked just as confused as the other two did. "What could of made it do that…?"

"I'm not sure," Gaius answered, looking the girl over. "Either way, we need to get her something to wear. This dress is barely holding together, even before I cut it."

Merlin nodded before heading out to find a spare dress they could borrow for the girl. He returned a little while longer, followed by Gwen and Morgana. Gaius gave him a questioning look to which Merlin replied with a shrug. "I didn't know who else to ask."

"I'm glad he did," Morgana cut in before the physician could question him further. "What happened to her?"

"I found her locked in a cage. I think she was going to be sold in to slavery if she wasn't already." Gawain frowned, remembering the fear in her eyes.

Gwen gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "That's awful. She's lucky you found her then."

"Yeah no kidding."

"We should get her dressed now though." Morgana gave the men a pointed look. Once they turned away, with Gwen's helped she got her out of her torn dress and into one of Morgana's own dresses. It was a simple jade green dress with a sheer brown layer peeking out from the bottom. While they changed her they washed away the dirt from her skin and combed out the knots in her hair. Once they were done they let the guys know.

"Gawain," Morgana called out to the brown haired man. "What's this?" she asked pointing to the metal collar around her neck.

He frowned and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, I saw it earlier but didn't have a chance to ask."

"It looks like it has something engraved in it. Gaius, can you read it?" Gwen questioned the old physician.

"Let me see." Grabbing his reading glass he leaned down to look at it. "That's strange…"

"What is it?" Merlin wondered, looking at it beside his mentor.

"It's a sealing collar. It was used during the great purge to seal away a warlock or witches magic."

"So she…?"

Gaius turned away from the others to look at Gawain, his stare hard as he asked. "Just where did you get this girl?"