A FEW DAYS PAST
"Do you see her? Is she close?"
"She was just over the ridge. She had a few dozen men with her, from the looks of things, she got herself some new recruits."
"Which means she lost some in the struggle and is now making her way towards our camp. How long before she reaches us?"
"A day, maybe less."
"That's hardly enough time to get us all to the haven..."
"I will remain here with what men we can spare. You take the rest with you to the haven. You must save the children."
"I will not leave you to the wolves-"
"Sister, I am not giving you the choice. You will go. The children need you, our people need you."
Shaking emerald eyes stared up into the identical hues that looked back with heaviness. The young woman standing before the tall, broad shouldered knight, was usually confident and so sure that things would turn out for the better.
But her eyes held doubt in them now.
Doubt and fear.
The man before her though, her brother, refused to let her be that way.
"You are strong, my sister." He said, his hands grasping tightly to her's. "Out of all of us, you can get our people to safety - out of all of us, you can bring us help."
The young woman's brow creased. "Help? Who would I go to help for? Most of the camps have been ravaged by the sorceress and there are no kingdoms around that would be willing to help us. A camp filled with druids."
"There is a kingdom though."
Silence fell over the two.
The woman began shaking her head, her eyes turning dark as she yanked her hands back.
"Are you telling me to do what I think you are?"
"Yes."
"No! I will not do it!"
"Push aside your pride! Push aside your anger! The kingdom's faults are in the past. They have a new King now. A better king. I have not always believed that he would be the Once and Future King that the legends and stories talk about...but Arthur Pendragon has grown these past years. He is a good man and he will hear you out-"
"He will hear me out then have me tossed onto the prye!"
"Sister..." The man cupped the young woman's face and brought her to him, resting his forehead against her's in a calming manner. The young woman seemed to fight against it. She wanted to remain angry and defiant, but her brother's charm worked and slowly she began to relax. "Protect the people. Speak with the King. Tell him we need his help. He will listen."
"How do you know?"
"I have faith that he will."
"How do you have this faith? Why can't I have it?"
He smiled faintly and pulled back, his thumb brushing against her cheek. "It's something you grow into, sister. It's not something you can just grasp out of thin air. Something tells me that your faith will grow soon enough."
Suddenly, a shout came and a man rushed over to them. Sweat beaded his face. His chest rose and fell frantically. He stopped, out of breath, looking very shaken. "She's nearing. The sorceress Morgana is coming quicker than we had expected."
Brother and sister looked to one another. No more words had to be said. They gave each other a nod, then parted ways. The brother, going to find his men to help defend their territory. The sister, rushing to get all those she could to take them to the haven where they would be safe until she could bring help.
"Do try to keep up, Merlin."
"Tell me, WHY did I pack almost every hunting weapon known to mankind if you were only going to use your bow?" Merlin grunted as he followed behind Arthur in the thick brush of the forest.
Arthur smirked, his eyes scanning their surroundings. "Because I like to make you feel like you're doing something useful with your life."
"Oh yes. Nothing like weighing me down with weapons upon weapons to make me feel like I have finally found my purpose." Merlin sarcastically replied with a roll of his eyes.
"Don't be such a girl, Merlin. You're fine."
Merlin peered at the back of Arthur's head, tempted to use a spell to make him trip or something, but, he decided against it. He'd use something like that for later on, when Arthur does training with the other knights. It'd be much more satisfying to watch him embarrass himself in front of Gwaine and the others.
Stopping behind Arthur, Merlin took the chance to glance around the woods. Gwaine and Leon were nearby, trailing the path of what appeared to be a deer while he and Arthur had gone after a boar that they had seen earlier that morning. They had lost it hours ago, thanks to Merlin's clumsy foot work, but Arthur was determined to find it and bring it back to the castle. He wanted surprise Gwen and have a feast in honor of her birthday that was coming up soon. Of course, he wouldn't tell anyone this. As far as his knights and Merlin knew, he just wanted the boar for the pure sport of things.
Of course, Merlin knew differently.
That was why he was trying his best to keep on the trail of the boar. He had been using magic here and there to listen out for it and had managed to steer Arthur in the correct direction, but they had been walking for hours and he was starting to worry that - with night fall coming in a few hours - they might run into some trouble before they get back to Camelot.
They always managed to run into trouble.
"Merlin, hold." Arthur's sharp tone filled the air in a rushed whisper as he dropped to a knee.
Merlin did the same and sighed to himself. 'See, trouble.' "What is it?" Merlin asked quietly. "Bandits?"
Arthur's keen eyes searched their surroundings as he said nothing. Merlin hated it when he gave him the silent treatment in times like this. He'd like to know what's going on, why they are being quiet, what Arthur has seen or heard, but of course, Arthur didn't think he really needed to know any of that.
But, of course, Merlin wasn't one to shut up for too long. "Arthur..."
"Shhhh."
"Arthur, what is it?"
"Merlin, BE QUIET." Arthur hissed, looking back at him, his eyes flashing with annoyance. But that lasted for only a second before a look of shock spread over his face and he quickly grabbed hold of Merlin, pulling him down farther into the brush about their feet.
Just then, Merlin heard them.
The foot steps approaching.
'Maybe it's just Leon and Gwaine. Maybe they've gotten the deer and come to help us get the boar...' Merlin thought hopefully to himself, but, things were never that easy.
"You lost 'em you idiot!" A gruff voice suddenly growled off to the side.
"I haven't lost 'em yet. They's around 'ere somewhere." Another voice spoke up. This one rapsy, like the person was trying to get over a horrible cold.
Merlin felt Arthur tense beside him and felt Arthur reach across his back to where his sword was drapped over his back. Merlin looked over at him and shook his head. Giving him a look that clearly told him not to do anything stupid.
"It's our necks if we go back empty handed." Gruffy stated matter of factly.
"I'll find 'em. No need to fret." Raspy replied.
Arthur slowly began to pull his sword from the sheath it was in and Merlin shook his head some more. "Don't." He whispered.
"They were obviously tracking us. They mean to do us harm. Only there's something that they don't know yet."
"What's that?"
"I mean to do them harm first." Arthur answered.
"You don't know how many there are." Merlin argued.
"Two from the sound of it." Arthur replied in that cocky manner of his.
Merlin wanted to pinch his head off. You'd think after years of growing up and maturing, Arthur would have grown a brain during that time somewhere. But no. Arthur was still as daft as the day he had met him.
"Arthur. Don't. You're the King. The last thing we need is for the bandits to wound you - or worse, kill you." Merlin tried to reason with him.
Arthur smirked. "Don't worry, Merlin. I'll be fine. You stay here and hide as usual." With that, before Merlin could stop him, Arthur got up from where he was hiding, sword in hand, and peered at the backs of the two men who had been following them. "Looking for me?" He spoke up.
Merlin huffed, annoyed, and got to his feet as well, letting the weapons fall to the ground as he stood there beside Arthur, hands clenched into fists. His nose wrinkled slightly as the two bandits turned to face them. They looked worse than they sounded.
Their faces were littered with scars and Raspy had several moles around his mouth and nose.
Gruffy looked like he smelled horrible - and Merlin wasn't about to get close enough to him to find out.
"Comin' out of hiding...tha' was a big mistake." Gruffy chuckled darkly.
Raspy chuckled along with him, then gave a whistle.
Merlin closed his eyes, already knowing what that meant.
"Don't. Say. A. Word." Arthur grumbled beside him.
Merlin wasn't going to, but, he did want to shove the fact that he was right about them not being alone in Arthur's face. He didn't though. Instead he opened his eyes and looked around as several more men came out of the forest around them.
"King Arthur, I presume." Raspy said, giving a mock bow.
"Who are you and what are you doing on Camelot's lands?" Arthur asked, ignoring Raspy all together, his eyes firmly settled on Gruffy.
"Who we are isn' important." Gruffy answered. "As for why we're 'ere...I think tha's a bit obvious. We're 'ere to get you."
Arthur scoffed and glanced around. He and Merlin were out numbered. There were six bandits. All of them armed. He could take down about three or four, but, then that left Merlin with the other two and he knew that Merlin wouldn't be able to handle it.
"Why are you here to get me? Who sent you?" Arthur asked, appearing to be calm and confident about the situation. Inwardly though, he was getting a bit worried.
"Tha's none of your business!" Raspy snapped. "You's know when we's want you to know."
Merlin felt his magic rising to his finger tips. The bandits had started to close in. He was going to have to do something. He didn't see this going very well and at least if he used his magic, it might give Arthur a chance to get away.
"You'll be comin' with us now." Gruffy said, holding out his hand. "Give me your sword and come quietly. If you do, then you nor your man servant will be harmed."
Arthur glanced over at Merlin.
'Don't give him your sword.' Merlin thought as he looked back at Arthur. 'Don't be a dollophead right now.'
Arthur seemed to understand and looked back at Gruffy and Raspy. "I'm afraid I can't do that. As King of Camelot and these lands, I order you to leave."