AN: The reason The Blacksmith and the Prince is taking so long to update (much less the other two massive fics - Secrets and Kings and Queens) is because of this - my reverse big bang fic. But it's all done now and I'm relieved.

This is really a gen fic since the focus is not on the romances. :)

Upon hearing Arthur's detailed description of his dream, Gwen raised her eyebrows but said nothing. She had expected her silence to be discouraging but Arthur seemed to misunderstand.

"And as you can see, I have to go." He was still in bed, most of his bare torso covered by his blanket, yet Gwen found herself unable to tear her gaze from him. Arthur, on the other hand, didn't share her sense of need, far too concerned with his dream.

"Alright." Gwen said calmly. A big proponent of learning from the past, one thing she had learnt was that the man she was in love with was a stubborn ass and he was incapable of turning down anything that resembled a quest. And Gwen didn't believe in fighting losing battles. "When do you plan to leave?"

"I need a few days off," declared Merlin as he stumbled into the room. Late, of course, which was why Gwen was in Arthur's room, helping him with the chores. Merlin flashed her a quick, apologetic smile before repeating his request again.

Arthur frowned and pushed himself off the bed. "No."

"What do you mean no?"

Gwen went back to wiping down Arthur's writing desk. This was shaping up to be yet another squabble between the two and the other thing she'd learnt was never to get in the middle, lest she found herself dragged into something she wanted no part of.

"I mean no. We have to travel to the Ewyern Mountains tomorrow morning." Arthur walked to the screen and Merlin immediately reached into his wardrobe to grab some clothes for him, tossing them over the screen. Gwen smiled wryly and wondered if the two of them ever realised just how married they seemed.

"Why are we going to Ewyern Mountains?" Merlin glanced at Gwen who shrugged and moved to make Arthur's bed.

From behind the screen, muffled, Gwen figured, by his clothes, Arthur answered. "I had a dream."

"That explains everything of course," said Merlin dryly.

Gwen stifled a laugh at Merlin's pained expression, fluffed Arthur's pillow a little, then grabbed her basket. "I've to go."

Normally, Gwen liked horse-riding. There was something soothing about being on a horse, away from the castle, fresh air in her face, the rhythm of the horse moving under her lulling her into a state of relaxation. Not today though. Somehow, despite all the lessons she'd learnt, she still ended up in the middle of a quest that Arthur had literally dreamed up.

Merlin's horse cantered next to hers. "We should take a break," he suddenly declared. "And wouldn't you believe it, there's a tavern over there."

"We've barely left Camelot's inner borders!" Arthur twisted around and glared at Merlin.

"I could do with a break," said Merlin, then faked a yawn for good measure. "I'm a little tired."

Arthur sighed deeply. "You are such a wuss, Merlin. Look at Gwen." Arthur's voice softened as his eyes met hers. "You're not tired are you?"

From the corner of her eyes, Gwen could see Merlin shooting her a pleading look. Resigning herself to never fully understanding the inner workings of Merlin's brain, she nodded. "I could do with a little rest."

"Alright, fine," snapped Arthur as he yanked at his reigns, directing his horse toward the tavern.

The tavern was like every other tavern that dotted the Albion landscape, loud, crowded, smelled slightly like unwashed laundry and home to a very familiar rogue going by the name of Gwaine.

"If it isn't the prattish prince," Gwaine slurred, knocking into a few chairs and tables as he made his way over to the three of them.

"Shush!" Arthur grumbled, his eyes darting around the crowd, "I'm incognito. What on earth are you up to, Merlin?"

That was a question Gwen wanted answered as well. As far as she knew, Gwaine had been banished from Camelot so why was he idling in a tavern just outside her borders and more importantly, how did Merlin know?

Arthur bustled them to a table in the shadows, ordered each of them a tankard of mead, then stared accusingly at Merlin.

"You knew Gwaine was here."

"Why are you two here?" Gwaine took a large drink from the tankard, slamming it down, then looking curiously at her and Arthur. "I didn't expect Merlin to bring help."

"Help?" Arthur spluttered, standing from the seat he'd just taken. "I have no idea what you mean but we're on a quest."

Gwaine's eyes widened. "A quest. How delightful. I am on one too." Another sip from the tankard. Then his voice dipped and Gwen had to lean over the table to catch his words. "I had a dream, you see, two nights ago and in it –"

"- was a faceless figure with a cloak?"

"Did you have that dream too, Gwen?"

Settling back into his seat, Arthur sniffed, "No, I did. I rather you didn't steal my quests."

"What did they want?" asked Gwen, placing a hand on Arthur, hoping that would calm him before he called the attention of the whole tavern to them. "I don't suppose it was a box containing –"

"- the Stone of Esthpet."

Arthur glared at Gwaine. "Why do you want the Stone of Esthpet?"

"Why do you want the Stone of Esthpet?" Gwaine countered, before taking another swig of his drink. "And I dreamt of it first."

"Doesn't matter. I'm prince so I get first dibs."

"Alright, alright." Merlin stood, raising his hands. "Stop it."

"Just because you're prince doesn't –"

" – don't care because you have no right even to be in this –"

Gwen pushed her tankard aside and cleared her throat. "Here's what I think."

At her voice, all three of them stopped talking and turned to her. "We should go together. It'll make the journey easier."

"Who gets the Stone of Esthpet when we get it?" Arthur demanded.

"How about the one who contributed most to the retrieving of the stone?" suggested Gwen. "Merlin and I will judge."

"That is –"

"- brilliant!" Gwaine emptied his tankard, slammed it onto the table and nodded agreeably.

Gwen slipped her hand in Arthur's and he squeezed it. "Fine," he said reluctantly. "Finish up. We should get going."

Watching appreciatively as Arthur walked up to the bar to settle the tab, Gwen didn't notice what happened but suddenly, there was a shout and when she turned to look, Gwaine had just hit someone with his tankard. Her healthy sense of self-preservation meant that she immediately took cover under the table, just as a large burly man stepped up and swung a fist at Gwaine. Merlin grabbed him around the waist – why, Gwen had no idea since Merlin was so slight, it would have been like a small dog biting the man on the shin. From under the table, Gwen crawled over, then using the flat side of her sword, she hit the burly man at the back of his knees. He buckled with a hoarse cry. At that moment, Gwaine promptly smashed a pot on his head.

When Gwen peeked out again, Arthur was in the midst of a sword fight with two men while Gwaine held off another fellow. Something moved beside her and Gwen turned, her hand still gripping her sword.

"Merlin!" She whispered. "Why are you under the table?"

"I could ask the same about you," he said with a shrug. "Seems safer here."

The fighting continued to rage around them and Gwen winced when Arthur was hit on the back, thankful it didn't seem to slow him down as he turned to punch his attacker. "Use your magic, Merlin!"

"I was hoping for a more opportune moment. I mean, it would be far more dramatic for me to use my magic just as –"

Gwen watched as Merlin was hauled out from under the table. "Use your magic!"

When it started to snow in the tavern, Gwen sighed. At least, the snow was shocking enough to distract everyone. She scrambled from under the table, watched as Arthur quickly disarmed the men he was fighting then yell at Merlin to bind them. Gwaine slammed his own foe onto the table and held him there till Merlin ambled over to tie him up as well.

"Fight's over!" yelled Gwaine to the other cowering patrons. "Sorry about the snow."

Sliding his sword back into his scabbard, Arthur shook his head and joined Gwaine in the center of the tavern. "Send word to Sir Leon in Camelot. He'll send men to pick up these people."

No one said anything.

"Snow, Merlin. Really?" Arthur muttered as they walked towards their horses. Merlin simply shrugged, refusing to offer any explanation. Arthur shifted his focus. "And Gwaine, have you ever been to a tavern without getting embroiled in a fight?"

"Not really but a tavern is often a hive of scum and villainy so it's not surprising to encounter thieves."

"You should know," muttered Arthur.

Gwen looked up. "Is that what happened?"

"Pickpockets," said Gwaine. "But no one ever steals from me. My reflexes are far too quick. I want to point out to our esteemed judges that I was the one who defeated the large man."

"And I held off two men at the same time," scoffed Arthur. "If anything, that should give me more points."

"You had a sword. Might I remind you that I only had the jugs and tankards to use?"

Arthur sighed. "What happened to your sword?"

"I might have lost it in a bet."

"That's brilliant. Just brilliant." Arthur rubbed the back of his neck and Gwen noticed the familiar clench of his jaw.

Shrugging, Gwaine grabbed his bag. "Look, all we have to do is get it back or get a new one."

"How do we get your sword back?" asked Gwen.

"Well, if Arthur here would give me some gold, I'm pretty sure I can trade that for my sword."

"Arthur –" Gwen quickly said. "Gwaine would be much more useful with a sword." Arthur shot her a look, then, huffed and pouted as he dug out his bag of gold.

"Here, although I have no idea where you plan to get a sword. There's hardly a smithy here for miles."

"Thanks." Gwaine marched back to the tavern. "A gold coin for a sword!" he yelled through the tavern doorway. Arthur closed his eyes, Merlin grinned while Gwen wondered what she'd really got herself into. Perhaps it wasn't too late to turn back to Camelot, where Gwen was sure laundry and other chores awaited her. Or maybe not.

Within minutes, Gwaine was back with them, brandishing a not-so-new sword.

"Not bad," said Merlin, grinning happily. "In my expert opinion, you got a good deal."

Arthur smacked Merlin's head. "Of all the people here, you know the least about swords. Now can we get going? We need to make through the Darkling Woods before nightfall. Or at least to a suitable clearing."

Gwen watched the three men cantering in front of her and her mind drifted to the many stories of heroic quests that her father used to tell her. If Arthur was the hero, then Gwaine was likely to be his second-in –charge. Merlin would probably be the brains although after his efforts in the tavern, Gwen wasn't very sure about that. Which left her as the useless chick. Her mouth twisted. Well, either that or the muscle and she very obviously wasn't the latter.

"A coin for your thoughts?" Arthur slowed his horse so they cantered side by side. "Since I'm apparently giving away money, you might as well get some."

"I was just thinking that we need someone really strong to round up the group." Then she sighed. "And I don't want to be the useless female in the group."

"This group?" Arthur gestured to Merlin and Gwaine in front of them, both engrossed in some conversation. "You can mend wounds, are the most sensible person I know so how could you ever be useless? Now Merlin – ask him to use his magic and he makes it snow – if that's not useless, I don't know what is."

Gwen smiled at Arthur, who reached over to brush a hand across her shoulder. "Thanks for coming, by the way."

"Well, I've never been on a proper quest before although I've heard about many. I thought it would be fun." What she didn't tell Arthur was she had impulsively said yes because she wanted to spend more time with him outside of Camelot where she wasn't a servant and he wasn't a prince.

Her answer made Arthur laugh. "Fun? I hope so, for your sake. With Gwaine and Merlin, I'm expecting it to be more frustrating than fun."

"Who do you think that hooded figure was, in your dreams? And why would he approach both you and Gwaine?"

Arthur shrugged. "I have no clue to be honest."

"Do you go riding out every time someone mysterious asks you to?"

This time, Arthur turned his frown to her. "Are you trying to imply something?"

Gwen pursed her lips to stop the smile that threatened to break across her face. "I was just thinking, it can't be hard to get hold of a hood and then –" Reaching over, Arthur shoved her gently and Gwen squealed, her fingers curling tightly around the reigns.

"Is everything alright?" Merlin yelled.

"Fine!" Gwen smiled, turning her attention back to Arthur. "I am just saying you need to be more selective."

"Getting a hood might be easy but infiltrating my dreams can't be that easy."

Gwen raised her eyebrows then shook her head. Arthur sighed dramatically. "I have a feeling you aren't taking this quest as seriously as I would like."

"I really am only here to spend time with you, Arthur." Gwen finally confessed, her heart warming when Arthur flashed her a fond grin. She lowered her voice. "I mean, you don't even know what the Stone of Esthpet is or what it does. It's a little hard to take it seriously."

His grin faded and Arthur narrowed his eyes at her, huffing. "I need a more understanding partner in life."

Gwen just grinned, then urged her horse on so she overtook Arthur.