Gwaine walked across the empty land. He knew the path like the back of his hand. He examined the earth beneath his feet. Merlin tilted his head as he watched his brother. "What are you doing?" He asked.
"Looking for the river!" Gwaine said.
"Oh. Why?"
"We're out of water!"
"Oh."
Gwaine dragged merlin on. They sat by the river as they filled their bottles. Merlin drank about half in massive gulps. Gwaine refilled it. "Ready to go on?" Gwaine asked.
"Where are we going?" Merlin asked.
"You'll remember. You've forgotten but you'll remember!"
Gwaine got to his feet. He headed onwards along the river bank. Merlin paused for a while to let him go on. Then Gwaine stopped and looked back. "Come on! Or would you rather go back to mucking out horses?" He called.
Merlin got to his feet. He trudged along beside Gwaine and half listened to his relentless rabbiting.
Gwaine speered off from the river when they came to large spikey bushes. He instead came across a fallen tree. He walked across the trunk through the bushes. The needles tugged and ripped at the hem of his clothes.
Merlin was hesitant. "I think the branches are looking at me!" He said. Gwaine stopped. He was two thirds across and he turned to look at merlin.
"Oh simple thing where have you gone?! Merlin, were going somewhere only we know. So come on!" He said.
"Somewhere only we know?"
"Somewhere only we know."
Curiosity got the better of merlin. He braved the feeling of someone watching him and carried on.
Gwaine hopped down from the log. Merlin lost his footing and fell on Gwaine. Gwaine shoved merlin off and rolled onto his back to breath. Merlin did the same. Then out of nowhere they started to laugh. Slowly at first, then more. Then they laughed like they had when they were younger.
"Race you!" Gwaine yelled. He scrambled to his feet and started running. Merlin laughed and hurried after him.