Chapter Two

The sounds of rushing water was the only sound Arthur could hear as he slowly came into full consciousness. He groaned as he tried to stretch out his stiff muscles. Opening his his eyelids slowly, the early morning light blinded him, after blinking a couple of times his eyes adjusted and he took in his surroundings. He was lying on the ground surrounded by tree and a small flowing stream of to the side, he could hear birds chirping and other animals rustling around the place, but couldn't make out any aside from a couple of birds flying from tree to tree. He recognized the place, he was in the forest that surrounded Camelot, and this particular place was a regular camp-site for him and his knights when they went on hunting or when he used to go on patrols. Looking around again he realized he was not alone, Morgana was half hidden behind a large fallen log.

Standing up was harder than Arthur expected, when he did he felt light-headed and weak, but he pushed passed it so he could see if his sister was alright. Kneeling beside her, he could easily hear her breathing so she was just unconscious, as he had been moments before. "Morgana?" She didn't stir so he shook her shoulder softly and repeated her name louder. This time she awoke, Arthur gave her time to take in where she was, once she did she just looked confused. "Arthur, what's going on? Why are we in the forest?" She sat up as she spoke.

"I don't know." As the blond said that though, memories of the meeting yesterday came rushing back. He had been discussing the little girls fate when some sorcerers appeared and spoke some nonsense, after that he couldn't remember anything. "It probably has something to with those sorcerers that were in Camelot." Morgana didn't miss the venom in her brothers voice as he spoke. "What sorcerers?" Morgana got a quick explanation out of her brother, of the events that happened yesterday, well at least what the expected was yesterday. There was no way of telling how long they had been gone for.

They talked for a little while longer, but soon decided to start the long walk home, they were both eager to get back to Camelot. There had been many attacks to Arthur's kingdom over the years and no doubt this was another, Arthur only hoped he would get back in time to help against this new threat before Camelot was lost.

The pair had been walking for about two hours when they heard the sound of hooves approaching. Arthur wasn't wearing his armor, he was just in civilian clothing as was Morgana, he cursed under his breath as he also realized neither he or his sister didn't have any weapons. If he had had a sword he might had confronted who ever was coming, but he would not risk his life or Morgana's if they were unlucky enough for the group approaching to be bandits, so they retreated of f the road, to a good distance where they wouldn't been seen but could see who was coming. Listening careful to them and Arthur estimated about three horses, when they came into view he could make out the red capes of the Camelot knights, knowing they would not attack him, he walked back to the road and waited for them to get closer.

It turned out to be, Gwaine, Lancelot and Percival, for which Arthur was glad, maybe they had some answer as to what was going on in Camelot. "Arthur, I'm glad your alright, we have been looking for you all morning." Lancelot said as he dismounted his horse, the other two did the same, all three came to stand before there king. Each had a troubled expression on there face even Gwaine, which was highly unusual which means whatever they were about to tell him was bad, very bad.

Twenty minutes later found all five of them standing in a clearing, just of the road where they had run into each other. Lancelot had just finished telling Arthur and his sister about what was wrong in Camelot, thought it is not what he expected in the least.

"You mean to tell me that no one remembers my existence?" Arthur said in a tone that implied he didn't really believe what one of his most trusted knights had just told him.

"That is what it seems like, no one remembers. They don't remember Morgana either, they only people that remember who the two of you are, the other knights of the round table, Gaius and Gwen." Lancelot went on to explain that all of them had woke up, and the events of yesterday came back to them slowly. When they came to check on him, they found his chambers empty and the usual guards that stood outside of the room, were no where to be seen. After that they when to ask around to see if anyone had seen the Arthur, but no one had known who they were talking about and mostly got strange looks, before Lancelot could say anything else, Arthur had just realised something and interrupted Lancelot.

"If they do not know of my and Morgana;s existence, they who do they think is king?" Gwaine and Lancelot looked at each other then at their king. Though this time it was Gwaine who spoke this time.

"No one, they seem to think that Uther just passed, and the court is fighting over who will take his place, the most likely candidate is your uncle Agravain." In a way it made sense to Arthur, his uncle would have been in next in line to take the throne if Uther had died with no heirs. Though he didn't doubt that his uncle had no memory of him, he still felt a little pang of betrayal that his uncle would take his throne so easily and make it his own so quickly. Shaking himself out of those thoughts he started question his knights again, it wouldn't do to dwell on what had happened, now he needed to find a way to fix whatever those six sorcerers had done.

"Does Gaius know anything about what could cause this? Or how to fix it?" Lancelot shook his head in a negative movement, "When we left he said he was going to look into it, but the last time I talked to him, he still did not know much about what was happening. Although we have been out looking for you for some time, maybe by now he has found something." Arthur hoped so, Gaius was the only link they had to magical knowledge, and the only one who might offer a solution to this.

Walking through Camelot unnoticed was something new to Arthur, he was walking behind his three knights on there way to the castle to see if Gaius had made any progress. Usually when he would walk through town people would stop what they were doing and greet him, some even bowed to him. That didn't mean that he wanted his people to drop everything for him. When he was younger he loved it, he basked in his people attention, but as he grew older he grew to notice that no everyone did this out of respect, some did it out of fear, fear of what would happen if they disrespected their king, fear that was inspired in his people while his father sat upon the throne. Over they years he had started to change that bit by bit, gaining the people love and respect, through the changes and choices he made instead of through fear.

Now dressed in his civilian clothing, walking the street no one gave him a second look, and the truth finally sunk in, his people had forgotten. Arthur trusted the knights, he just couldn't fully accept it till he saw it from himself. Looking at Morgana, he couldn't help but think that she was having the same thoughts as him.

A half an hour later everyone was in Gaius's chambers, everyone being those that remembered that Arthur was their true king. "Gaius did you find anything?" Arthur asked as everyone settled in the cramped room.

Gaius was sat at one of his wooden tables leafing through a large leather bound book, with other books piled around him on the desk. "Not much sire, what I did find, I don't think it is want you are hoping for." Arthur frowned at that, but gestured for Gaius to continue.

"When the six sorcerers appeared, they called themselves the Ealdgweorc, it sounded familiar but I couldn't place why, that is until this morning when I remembered I see the name in a book before." Gaius stood up and asked Elyan who had been standing near to him to bring the book that he had been looking at, over to the larger table so that everyone could see it.

Once placed Gaius flipped it to a page that had a lot of small writing in another language that most of them could not read, and on the other side was a drawing of six figures, that bore a eerie resemblance to those they had seen the day before. "The Ealdgweorc are said to be six beings, that appear when something has tipped the balance of the world and cannot be righted without intervention. Each of them represent an element that make up the world, fire, water, air, earth, future and past."

If Arthur had heard the tale about the Ealdgweorc, the day before last he would have just thought it to be a made up nonsense, but there was no denying that the figures in the drawing held to much resemblance to just ignore that it might very well be true. Even if it wasn't it was the only lead they had at the moment. "Does it say anything about enchantments in there or how we might be able to brake them?"

Gaius looked up with a sad expression gracing his face. "I'm afraid not sire, from what I have read on the Ealdgweorc not much is known about them. They are rarely seen and when they are it is only for a short time."

"How about a way to find them?" Gaius looked over the book again, the started reading out a small the paragraph."If it is the Ealdgweorc that you seek, then you must travel to the shore of the Great Seas of Meredor, there lies a cave where you must pass a test if you ever wish to meet those you seek."

"Well that sounds like a load of fun." Gwaine says from his spot in the corner where he had been sitting in a chair eating an apple, "When do we leave for this new fantastic adventure princess?" ignoring the 'Princess' in the question, he looked around his other knights and they all wore identical looks of expectancy, they didn't even consider the thought of staying behind, they would follow him anywhere. Sometime he questioned how he gained such respect and loyalty from his knights but he was extremely glad for it at the moment.

A/N: There in now a poll on my profile for what pairings should be in this story, so if you want to see a certain pairing go vote for them, the poll will stay open until i actually have to start writing the pairings which wont be for a while yet.

Thank you to all my new followers, i still can't believe there are 22 people who are following the story. Please feed me reviews, i think they help me write a little faster. *wink,wink, nudge, nudge.*

Review Replies:

Guest: It seems that a few people don't want slash, but the poll with most probably determined the pairings for this story.

Dhrubo (Guest): New update. The poll will ultimately decide what pairings there are but its seems that so far most people want no slash. Which is fine with me, i have ideas for later if i wish to write a story with Merthur.