Sadly I don't own Merlin. It belongs to the BBC.

Chapter four is up. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, put this story on story alert or made it one of their favorites. I love you all. :D

Enjoy :D

Arms held behind their backs, Merlin and Gwaine were shoved out of the tavern. "What did you do this time Gwaine?" Merlin asked as he was pushed onto his knees in front of a block with an axe leaning up against it.

"I can honestly say Merlin, I don't know. The blokes just jumped on me."

"No-one jumps on someone and causes a fight for no reason." Merlin stated. "Except you." he added when he saw Gwaine open his mouth to respond.

"Shut it both of you." the big man turned to face Gwaine. "And don't you say that you haven't done anything wrong."

Gwaine looked up at the big man who threw the first punch. "I have never seen you before until I walked into the tavern today, what have I done to you?" Gwaine asked.

"I saw you quietly leaving my daughters home this morning after spending the night."

"Gwaine!"

Gwaine looked at a shocked Merlin. "I have to get it somewhere." he said, shrugging his shoulders as best he could.

"You had to get it somewhere? I will kill you now. You took my daughters innocence when it should have been kept for her upcoming marriage." the big man snarled.

"I took your daughters innocence? Mate that was taken long before I came on to the scene."

Merlin whipped his head round and faced Gwaine. "Gwaine! Chuck the shovel away, you are only burying yourself deeper and deeper."

"Enough." the big man screeched. He picked up the axe and silently told the man behind Gwaine to hold him.

The man held Gwaine down as the big man took a swing of the axe and bought it down upon Gwaines' neck.

After a while of passing the fork in the path where Arthur and Merlin parted, Percival started talking again. "How far would you say it is to the village?"

"Not far now. We could be there a lot sooner if we picked up our pace."

"What are we waiting for then sire." Percival said before urging his horse to ride ahead of Arthur.

"Gwaine!" Merlin yelled. Gwaine turned and Merlin sighed with relief when he saw that his friend was alright, Gwaine had managed to struggle free from the hold the man behind him had on him and moved away just in time, the axe completely missing him but just caught his hair, cutting some of it off as the axe slammed into the block where Gwaines' head had been moments before.

As his hair always fell into his face, Gwaine noticed that his hair on the left side of his face was shorter than on his right. He looked up at the man who had pulled the axe back up from the block. "You chopped off my hair."

"Be thankful it wasn't your neck." Merlin said.

The man with the axe turned to face Merlin. "I've had enough of you wittering on. You don't look as strong as your friend, you won't be able to struggle free." he snarled as he laid the axe just above Merlin's neck before pulling back so he could bring the axe down upon Merlin's neck.

Arthur and Percival reached the village and saw a large crowd of people outside the tavern. "What's going off?" Percival wondered aloud.

The crowd parted a little and Arthur paled when he saw Merlin on his knees with a man holding him steady, his neck resting on a block, Gwaine beside him in the same position.

A man stood at the other side of Merlin, facing Arthur and Percival, axe raised high above his head. Arthur quickly looked at Percival. "How good is your aim?" he asked.

"Fairly well."

Arthur gave Percival a small dagger. "We need to get a bit closer. when I say 'now' you throw it at his left arm. I'll get his right arm."

Arthur and Percival rode their horses closer before coming to a stop. "Now." Arthur said, before throwing his dagger along with Percival, making perfect aim, both daggers pierced the mans arms, causing him to yell out and let the axe fall behind him. The men who were holding Merlin and Gwaine backed away and drew their swords when they saw Arthur and Percival.

Merlin looked up and saw Arthur jumping off his horse along with Percival, both unsheathing their swords as they made their way over to him and Gwaine. "Merlin move." Arthur shouted. Merlin scrambled to his feet and helped Gwaine to his. As soon as Gwaine was on his feet, he elbowed one of the men that was holding him in the face and took his sword. Merlin rushed over to Arthur, who pushed him out of the way as a bloke behind Merlin, took a swing at his back only for Arthur to move him in time and block the attack with his sword. "Merlin get all four horses ready. As soon as they are, we are leaving." Merlin nodded and went to get his horse and one for Gwaine. "Hurry up Merlin." Arthur shouted, ducking his head just in time as someone took a swing at him.

Merlin readied all four horses, having them face the other way so when the others got on their horse they could get away quick. Merlin got on his horse and looked over his shoulder. "Now Arthur."

Arthur saw that Merlin was ready with their horse and looked from Gwaine who was sword fighting with the man that was holding Merlin, to Percival who was sword fighting with one man, sword held in his right hand whilst he used his left hand to grab hold of a man that ran towards him, pulled him towards him before throwing him with all his strength, making the man land painfully on his backside. Arthur seeing this had to chuckle before yelling out. "Gwaine, Percival. We're leaving now."

Gwaine and Percival quickly got rid of the men they were fighting and made their way over to Merlin. Arthur, Gwaine and Percival got on their horses and sped away.

Once all four reached the split in the path, Arthur stopped his horse, causing the rest to do the same. Arthur turned as best as he could on his horse and looked at Merlin and Gwaine. "I have a question for the both of you. Firstly to you Merlin. Why is it that whenever there is trouble you are in the middle of it? And you Gwaine. Why is it that whenever there is a fight you are in the middle of it?" Arthur said looking at them both. "Whenever there is trouble or a fight, you two are always n the middle of it. What would you call that?"

Merlin and Gwaine looked at each other before looking at Arthur. "Bad timing?" they said in unison.

What do you think?

Chapter five will be up within a week but no later.

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