Chapter two

Just a few feet away from the hiding place the sorcerer stopped running. Leon watched the alert man as he searched the ground near his feet. With dread he realised there were probably a few of his footprints left behind on the muddy path. When the man looked up his eyes were glowing. What sort of spell was he using? Leon had no clue, but all the same he felt the need to keep very silent while fear made his heart beat into his throat. Clasping the hilt of his sword he awaited whatever was to come next.

More footsteps came their way. The bandits! It seemed about seven of them survived. "Ulfric, this is useless. The Prince of Camelot must be long gone by now", one of them called out to the sorcerer.

Yellow eyes shot upwards, turning to deep brown again in annoyance. "An unconscious man can not walk away alone. A knight must surely be carrying him, which is just perfect for it will slow them down. If we want to challenge Uther Pendragon then we need his son as leverage. Spread out and find them!" There was a touch of arrogance in his ordered shout.

The look of fear on the bandits' faces before they ran off in different directions made Leon realise Ulfric was anything but a good man. No threat had fallen from his lips and nonetheless these hardened men feared him. Here was someone dangerous at best and someone hell bent on revenge at worst. Either way Ulfric had powerful magic at his disposal and this meant they were still in deep trouble.

A soft whimper at his side startled Leon. "Hush", he warned Arthur who blinked up at him groggily. Leon was happy to see him awake, but he knew the moment Ulfric heard them their lives would be worthless and so he put his hand on the prince's mouth to ensure the silence. The mumbled protest faltered when he shook his head before he pointed to the spot where Ulfric still took in his surroundings. To his relief Arthur nodded in quiet understanding.

Slowly Leon removed his hand. He wanted to ask Arthur how he was doing, but he knew of no way to do it silently. The awkward look on the prince's face combined with the way he hugged his left arm to his chest with a grimace of pain told Leon enough though. The younger man was injured even though he wasn't bleeding. Invisible injuries were always the most painful ones, something Leon knew all too well from experience. Turning his attention back to the path once more he wished the sorcerer away.

Luckily it seemed the Gods were listening to him. Ulfric finally decided to walk off, his assured footsteps fading rapidly into the distance. To be safe the two men stayed silent for a while longer. Sweat rolled off Arthur's forehead as he bit his lip, a clear sign he was trying to deal with the pain.

"What happened? How did you hurt your arm?", Leon whispered when he deemed it safe enough.

"A mace hit my shoulderblade full on", Arthur answered in a hushed voice.

"Show me", Leon half ordered before he helped with getting the chainmail and tunic out of their way. The bared shoulder was purple to the point of almost looking black in the shadows of the bushes above them. One look at the angle of Arthur's arm and it was obvious to him the shoulder was dislocated.

About a year ago Leon had seen a fellow knight sustain the same injury. Back then it was Wystan who set the hurt shoulder and he'd shown Leon how to do it. "You never know when you need to do this yourself", Wystan insisted. It had always been his friend's motto to learn whatever they could. None of them were physicians, but first aid was a welcome trait in the aftermath of battle.

Rolling his eyes at the bad luck of today Leon grabbed Arthur's left arm gently, knowing there was no way he could do this without inflicting pain. In all likelihood Arthur would scream out and their position would be revealed. He decided though it was better not to wait, because a knight needed to be able to use both his arms. It was a risk he was taking, but he believed in the long run it would be their best bet. Taking a breath to steady himself Leon warned Arthur they had to leave their hiding place once he was done setting his arm.

An uncertain look passed in Arthur's eyes before he asked, "Why? What will you be doing?"

"Setting your arm will not be painless, Sire. There is every chance I will hurt you, but at least you will be able to use your arm again." Leon smiled wryly, knowing full well he did not tell him how much it would truly hurt.

"I can handle it. Just do it", Arthur hissed out between his teeth.

Leon could see in the determined eyes he was unwilling to show weakness, or fear. "On three", he eased him into what was to come. It was one more lie he told though, for on two he quickly pulled on the injured arm to set it.

The blinding spike of pain to his shoulder had Arthur scream out. What did Leon think he was doing? This could not be a good thing, could it? "You lied to me", he could not help but be angry at the knight.

Leon only smiled wryly once more, "But it worked. I am sorry Sire, this was the best way." Arthur tended to disagree, but he began to realise the hurt was dulling down somewhat and he could actually move his hand again. So for now he decided to stay silent.

"We better leave this place. There is no way the bandits missed your shout." In spite of himself Arthur nodded at Leon's suggestion. He wished he could have prevented the scream, but the sudden burst of pain was just too much to bear. This had been nothing like the cuts and bruises he sustained in training.

Carefully avoiding the use of his injured arm Arthur allowed Leon to help him back into his tunic and chainmail. Only one look of determination was shared between them when they crawled out of their hiding place and stepped onto the path. Off they ran, deeper into the forest and away from the forest trail. It was their only way to avoid the bandits, or so they believed.

For about two leagues they ran on. The only sound around them was the wind between the trees and birds singing as if nothing was wrong. When dusk began to fall their pace faltered. The lack of sight made them both stumble a few times.

"We must take a break", Arthur said with reluctance after he nearly fell over yet another tree root. Leon only nodded his assent. They both were tired and hungry, and it began to show. They needed rest, even though it was dangerous to stop moving.

Finding some shelter underneath some low branches of old oak trees they sat down. It was getting colder as it grew dark, but Arthur knew it was best not to light a fire. Instead they sat close together for warmth. "I will take first watch. You get some rest." For once there was no title added to Leon's ever politely spoken words and it made him smile. Walking around with an aching shoulder was tiring and so instead of protesting he simply accepted the offer of friendship.

It was a few hours later when a restless dream woke him up. Images of the fight and the men he killed flashed before his eyes. Arthur was told killing was part of being a knight, but his first victims left him shaken. While the bandits were evil men they were still human beings. Maybe they even had families? He shook the thought from his mind. It was no good to dwell on these feelings when he had no other choice at the time.

Arthur looked up and found Leon sit only a few inches from him. His eyes were still open, but they stared off into the distance. There was a wince of pain as the knight shifted into a more comfortable position. Concerned Arthur glanced over his body and it was only then that he saw an improvised bandage wrapped around a thigh. He realised Leon must have seen to his wound while he slept. "You are hurt. You should have told me", he spoke quietly.

At the sound of his voice Leon turned his way and shook his head, "It doesn't matter, Sire. This cut won't stop me from doing my duty. I will get you back to Camelot."

The determined sounding answer made Arthur feel uneasy. Locking eyes with his newfound friend he disagreed, "It matters to me, Leon. My title means nothing if we don't work together. We are both trying to survive this and to make it back we need to look out for each other. Out here no man is worth more than another."

The words stunned Leon and they made him smile too. Arthur was so different to his father in this. Uther always seemed to look upon the knights as a means to an end. So many were sent to their deaths to do his bidding and sometimes Leon wondered if the King even appreciated their sacrifices. Arthur though almost looked upon him today as if he were an equal. Was it because of their situation, or was there more to it?

Their conversation had to end though, because in the corner of his eyes Leon saw a bandit appear between the trees off to their right. "Arthur…", he whispered as he pointed towards the area where he spotted the man. A nod told him Arthur now saw him too. Like one they got onto their feet.

Out of nowhere a bolt of lightning flashed, hitting a tree just above their heads. Leon ducked out of the way of a falling branch. One glance was all he needed to confirm himself that Ulfric had found them too. The sorcerer's eyes glowed in the night just before a second flash lit up the sky.

"Run!" Leon shouted to Arthur, who simultaneously came to the same conclusion. Side by side they ran off. Every few yards something exploded above them, or at their sides. Branches snapped and dirt flew around them, but they kept on going. They weaved between the trees, changing direction time and time again to avoid the magical blasts. Tired or not, they couldn't afford to slow down. How long would it take Ulfric to hit them full on?

The only advantage the two men had was their speed and stamina due to their training. When they made yet another turn Leon dared to look behind them. There were more yards between them and the bandits now. The sorcerer seemed frustrated when he send out yet another lightning bolt. A large branch just ahead of them snapped and it fell onto their path.

Quickly Arthur took another turn, taking an uphill deer track. Breathing harshly they ran on while the dark sky lit up once more. Leon ducked to barely avoid another falling branch. This time he could feel the heat of the resulting flames against his arm and while he stumbled he let out a yelp.

Arthur looked back, "Leon!" There was a touch of panic to his voice. Leon quickly pulled himself back up to his feet while he nodded to Arthur to keep going even though he'd fallen behind. Arthur was having none of it though and he slowed down until Leon had caught up with him.

"This way", Arthur decided as he turned onto a wider track. At full pace they belted down the hill. Every step of the way Leon felt his leg throb, but he could not break his vow to keep the prince safe and so he ran on regardless.

Just when he began to think they gained some distance on Ulfric and his men another powerful blast erupted above them. It hit a tree, snapping it in half with sheer force. Stunned at the power of the magic fear grabbed a hold of Leon's heart. The top half of the tree came crashing down on them and there was no way to stop it.