Princess Morgana, too, was eager to leave Camelot, so she and Gwen left as soon as the maid had ensured that there were enough brightly-coloured gowns and swords packed. They rode fast, Gwen glancing back over her shoulder every few minutes.
"Are you certain that King Uther is not angry enough at you to change his mind and have you killed instead?" Gwen questioned worriedly.
"Don't worry, Gwen. He wouldn't want to kill me even if he knew I could see the future in my dreams, and set things on fire with my mind when I'm upset." Morgana stopped talking abruptly, and her face got very red. Gwen was confused. Clearly Morgana wasn't actually capable of those things.
The companions travelled for many tiring hours, facing challenges such as a cyclone of serkets (which retreated after a flock of gigantic birds showed up out of nowhere), a pack of bandits (which retreated after the serkets showed up again), and flies incessantly buzzing in their faces (which remained the entire time, much to Morgana's frustration), before finally stopping in a patch of forest. To Gwen, it looked no different from the other patches of forest that they had past through. However, Morgana cocked her head to one side and frowned as though she was concentrating on something, and sure enough, after a few minutes of scanning the woods impatiently, a boy came running through the trees.
As he greeted them enthusiastically, Gwen realized that he was the child that she had helped her friends sneak out of Camelot. So they had found the Druids after all, it seemed. An older man soon followed the boy, moving with a slow dignified grace, and introduced himself as Tiernan, the leader of the Druid camp.
"Mordred told us that you were coming," he said, putting a fatherly hand on the boy's head.
Morgana smiled at Mordred, then inclined her head to Tiernan. "My father has banished me and my siblings from his court. I chose to come here because there is still much that I must learn from you, so if you are willing, I would like to stay with my servant." Gwen was puzzled. What could Morgana learn from the Druids apart from magic?
Tiernan actually seemed pleased at Princess Morgana's words, though. "By all means," he replied, and waved the boy forward. "Mordred will show you to the camp, and provide you with a tent," he said graciously. Morgana gave a slight bow in thanks, and beckoned to Gwen to follow.
The "tents," it turned out, were nothing more than cloths draped over branches and strings. The whole camp, in fact, was really one in name only- although cooking fires were scattered all over, and chickens and goats roamed free among the many totems planted in the ground, it was clear that the inhabitants could leave at a moment's notice. And that they would always fear that they would have to. But there were colorful ribbons overhead, and happy children running about, and Morgana was smiling like she never did in Camelot, so Gwen decided that she liked it.
After her mistress disappeared into the trees with Mordred and a man called Aglain, the servant busied herself tidying up the tent that they had been assigned. By the time that she had laid down a rug and arranged the tent of the cloth so as to better keep out rain, the shadows had grown long, and Druids were all gathering by the fires, chattering and laughing as they roasted meat and vegetables. Morgana and her companions returned and joined their merriment. The princess even helped with the cooking, much to Gwen's everlasting shock.
A bird whistled in a nearby tree, and Gwen smiled. This place was truly wonderful. Her grin faded, though, when she saw the look of concern on Tiernan's face. Glancing around, she noticed that all of the Druids were tense, listening to something that she could not hear.
"What's wrong?" Morgana asked, noticing the tension as well.
"Strangers approach our camp," Tiernan warned.
Gwen's breath caught in her throat as she tiptoed over to Princess Morgana and whispered, "I knew it, King Uther has discovered our whereabouts and has come with his soldiers to kill us all!"
"Shhh!" Morgana exclaimed.
They huddled together for an interminable amount of time. Gwen, terrified, jumped at every snap of a branch. Finally, after a period of silence during which Gwen feared that her heart would burst out of her chest, another birdcall sounded. She squeaked, and Morgana threw herself on top of Gwen to prevent the woman from exclaiming hysterically exactly how certain their death was.
But Tiernan relaxed at the sound. "There are only two," he said. "Both women. I believe one is your sister, Morgause."
Morgana was taken aback at this news. "Morgause?" she echoed.
"And a servant," Tiernan confirmed.
All the same, when Princess Morgause and Nimueh appeared, looking rather bedraggled and absolutely exhausted, and an army failed to materialize behind them, Gwen couldn't help breathing a hearty sigh of relief.
"What happened?" Morgana asked her sister, concerned.
"The Great Dragon," Morgause answered. "It attacked Cenred's castle. Nimueh and I were the only ones to survive."
Morgana made sympathetic noises. "And now I suppose you want to stay here with me," she sighed.
"If you let us, sister, I will give you my sword, which you have repeatedly tried to steal from me since were children," Morgause offered.
"Very well," Princess Morgana said loftily, hiding her delight, and waved her hands towards the camp. "You had best put away your things. Gwen, go help them."
Gwen bobbed her head, and led the older princess to their tent. However, she had barely begun to arrange the Princess Morgause's dresses (and those really were clever alterations- she must remember to do that to her own and Princess Morgana's), before she heard a great roar and a blast of heat, followed by screams.
She raced outside, ignoring Morgause and Nimueh, to find the camp in disarray. Druids were scattering, desperately trying to avoid attracting the attention of the gigantic dragon just visible through the tree branches above. Gwen looked around frantically for her mistress, and gasped when she saw a figure in a brilliant red cloak lying on the ground.
"Morgana!" she exclaimed, running over, and breathing a sigh of relief when she discovered that the other woman was merely in shock.
"We must find cover," Gwen declared, dragging Morgana to her feet. Druids fled past them in all directions. "Come with me," she ordered.
The princess needed no more urging. She shook her head to clear it, then ran off, her maidservant right behind her. The two raced through the woods, dodging trees and leaping over fallen logs, until at last they stumbled to a halt.
"Gwen," Princess Morgana inquired, unable to articulate any of the questions that she truly wanted to ask. "Are we lost?"
"Probably, my lady," Gwen answered.
Before Morgana could respond, both women heard a rustling noise and froze.
"Bandits again?" whispered Gwen.
"With our luckā¦" Morgana agreed. Mysteriously, the princess raised her hands and began mumbling something under her breath, but stopped when she heard a voice call out, "Morgana?"
"Morgause!" Morgana exclaimed as the voice's owner stepped out from behind a tree, followed by her servant.
"It is good to see you safe, sister," Morgause said, gingerly kissing Morgana on either cheek.
"And you as well. I was worried that I would be denied my sword."
Morgause glared at her younger sister, but managed to clamp down her angry retort. "So, what do we do now?" she asked instead.
"We should find Arthur," Morgana proposed. "I'm sure he's found himself somewhere nice and comfortable to live by now."
"And how do you think we should do that?" Morgause asked.
"I can sense him. I know where he is," Morgana replied. Gwen wondered what Morgana meant.
Morgause looked dubious, until a roar from above and a fireball igniting a nearby tree cut short their deliberations. "All right. Let's find Arthur," Morgause agreed. The two princesses ran, their servants close behind them.
