A/N: A huge thank you to reviewers catalONIAmaes, claire3loves3music, marxist339az, and Christina_Potter_09 for your wonderful reviews! And a special big thank you to archangelo137, hillevi, AudreySalvatoreNorthman, and emerald sorceress, whose reviews continue to give me strength! And the very insightful critique by emerald sorceress really made me look at what I was doing- thank you for taking the time to read it. I've finally got the hang of longer show-not-tell chapters :)

This chapter is again fragments from "The Third Time and The Month That Followed", which I didn't do justice to. So these are just moments from when Morgana stayed in Camelot for the first Treaty. Thus breaking the chronological flow again-just because I can. Muhaha.

Disclaimer- anything you recognize isn't mine. :) And credits to claire3loves3music for giving me the idea from which this little drabbl-y thing sprang with the review. By the way, Adar Llwch Gwin literally means bird-dust-wine in Welsh. Probably.

He can see them talking and laughing together. There's not anything intrinsically wrong with that- just the fact that they seem to be enjoying themselves a little too much. He steps closer, then thinks better of it and walks away. The wind is against them though, and he can hear snatches of conversation.

"'He has a destiny and doom will be yours if you touch him?' That's the ward you put on him? I would have thought you'd find a better message to send out to all magic users within 15 feet of his Royal Airheadness." Morgana's voice is mirthful.

"Well, it's true. And are you sure you should refer to him like that? After all, he is your host." Hearing Merlin, Arthur is thankful and starts contemplating giving him a salary raise.

"Even if he is a clotpole." Never mind, Merlin was going to have his salaries slashed. And clean the stables. Without magic.

"I'm intrigued by the knot seal you put to finish off the ward though. Quite classy."

"Well, I guess I am."

He loses track of the conversation as he stalks off without looking. And promptly bumps into Guinevere. She blushes.

"King Arthur. I've been looking for you."

He nods his head and smiles. "Well, I guess you've found me. What is it?"

"I was wondering whether Lancelot would be joining us for the feast in the Cornwall Princess's honor. It has been a while since you've sent him to deal with those bandits."

He shrugs. "That will have to depend on whether he completes his mission. I'll look into it." She smiles and walks off. Morgana and Merlin come out, arm in arm, and suddenly he has very tender feelings for Guinevere.

"Guinevere." Both Merlin and Morgana glance at him curiously. Guinevere turns. "Why don't we have a picnic? It's fine weather and it's been a while since we've had time together."

Guinevere's smile is wide. "I'd love to."

Morgana twitches. "I wouldn't recommend that."

Arthur smirks. "Why, jealous?"

She scowls. "No, because it's going to rain in a hour, Sire. And I'm afraid you're going to be defenestrated very soon."

He raises an eyebrow. He's just about to make a witty remark when the window shatters and Morgana pushes him out. Luckily it's the first floor and Arthur lands safely on the courtyard. He breaks his fall with a roll and is up in a flash.

"Morgana. What-" He never finishes his sentence as a giant bird swoops out of the very window he'd been pushed out of. He pulls out his sword and immediately goes into a defensive position.

Merlin crashes unceremoniously on top of him just as a second giant bird joins the first. Morgana calls out, "Are you alright?" before jumping down herself. Unfortunately, Arthur was just getting up himself and Morgana trips over him as she lands, going sprawling. All three end up in a big heap as the knights see the creatures and sound the alarm. Guinevere screams from the window. She rushes out, not a hair out of place, and screams again. One of the giant birds- too small to be a griffin, but too large to be anything ordinary- swoops at her. Arthur gets to her just in time, and swipes with his sword, sending it reeling up to the sky.

"Oh dear." Merlin groans, and Guinevere trips in her hurry to leave. Arthur helps her up and pushes her into the castle. Morgana joins him, her own dagger pulled out.

"What ARE those things?" Arthur shouts above their terrible screeching. Merlin snorts. "Obviously it's magical."

Morgana squints. "It's either a malnourished griffin or an Adar Llwch Gwin."

Arthur finds the time to roll his eyes. "And that helps us very much, I'm sure. But what exactly is it?"

Merlin chimes in. "And what kind of person names that monstrosity dust-wine-bird?"

The two birds simultaneously dive at them. Merlin chants at one and something blows up. The bird wheels away unharmed. Arthur and Morgana swing at the other at the same time, and it too is repulsed for a while.

Morgana snorts. "Don't insult them- they can understand everything we're saying. They follow the bidding of one magician; do you know of any with a vendetta against Camelot?"

Merlin ducks as one of them try to claw at his eyes. "Too many, we can't even count."

Arthur's knights come with lances and try to jab at the birds; they simply fly higher.

"Since you're such an expert on these...whatever you called them, why don't you tell us how to get rid of them?" Arthur curses as the bird lets out an earsplitting screech. It seems they have been set to target Arthur specifically; though they could tear any of the knights to pieces, they only focus on the king.

Morgana summons a yellow flame and hurls it at them, but it bounces off their wings and flies back at her. She trips over her skirts and barely manages to dodge it. Her skirts catch fire though, and she has to beat it out with her hands.

"Such grace you show us, milady. Maybe you should go back into the castle." Arthur manages to call back at her. She tucks the skirts up higher and growls. "Merlin, you try tracking the source. King Prathead here and I'll try to distract them." She summons water and earth to hurl at the birds, but they only dodge them. Arthur takes one of Morgana's daggers and throws it at one, and it shrieks as the blade finds its mark in its wing-joint. It flies lopsided, and the knife falls to the floor. Morgana is annoyed. "That dagger is worth more than your armory combined. Don't you dare chuck it. My old tutor- she said it would kill any magical being.". She realizes. "It can kill those things!"

Arthur picks the dagger up again. "Yes, Morgana. So nice of you to finally catch on." He throws it again, and Morgana sends a gust of wind that directs it closer to the mark. The already lamed bird bursts into dust. The other lets out a truly deafening shriek and dives at them. Morgana dives for the dagger while Arthur physically bats it away with his sword, which seems to have little effect on the bird. Morgana tosses the dagger to Arthur, and he lets it fly. It buries itself into the bird's heart, and it too bursts into dust. It lands right on Morgana's head, who was picking up the dagger from where it had dropped. She coughs and tries to shake it all out. It sticks to her hair, and she is thoroughly disgruntled.

Right on cue, Merlin stumbles in, an unconscious robed figure levitated at his side.

He looks around. "The birds gone, then?"

Arthur grunts. "No thanks to you, Merlin."

Morgana smiles. "You've found our mysterious enemy." Arthur stalks over and whips the hood off the figure. His eyes widen in recognition. "Is this-"

Merlin frowns. "We've seen him before. Haven't we? We were at an inn…"

Arthur exclaims, "That thief! Asgerd! But he was a lowly thief, no sorcerer."

Morgana shrugs, still shaking her hair and picking the particles out. "You can ask him yourself." She snaps her fingers and he comes to.

The man bolts up and, seeing that he was about four feet from the ground, immediately faints again.

Arthur runs a hand through his hair. "For the love of Camelot, wake him up, would you? And put him down."

Merlin dumps him on the ground and wakes him. This time, the man immediately starts trying to run away as soon as he regains consciousness. Two of Arthur's knights grab his arms.

The man blathers away without even any prompting. "It's not me, I swear! Some creepy lady gave me this ring and told me to be at Camelot if I wanted to earn some money! I swear I was just here!"

Merlin takes the ring from his finger and examines it. He turns pale. "I...need to go see Gaius."

Morgana snatches the ring from him and looks at it herself. She too is surprised. "Isn't this the sign of the Triple Goddess?"

Arthur has no idea what either of them are talking about, so he does what he usually does; he clouts Merlin on the head and sets off Morgana. "Well, if we're done gaping over that ring, I suggest we take care of this man."

Asgerd whimpers. "Mercy! Mercy!"

Arthur sends him to a nice stay in the dungeon for further questioning, and the group heads back in. Guinevere rushes at them and flings herself at Arthur, checking to make sure he is alright. He assures her that he is. He remembers what he was doing before. "So, the picnic, then?"

With a crooked smile, Morgana lifts her chin at the windowsill, now bare of glass. Droplets of water fall one by one, until they form a torrential downpour. "Still up for a picnic, milord?"

Arthur scowls. Guinevere smiles thinly. "Thank you, Morgana. I shall excuse myself then to attend to other things. Sire." She flounces off.

Morgana cocks her head, sending dust particles flying. "What does she do, again?" Arthur ignores the slight against his betrothed and stares at the window letting in the rain. "Get somebody to fix this window. And I want to know exactly how those birds got into the castle."

Morgana looks down at the ring she still holds. "I'm guessing they were in the ring when that man came into the castle. Honestly, are your guards so useless that they cannot sense an enemy? The mysterious robe and hood should have alerted them."

Arthur raises an eyebrow. "We at Camelot aren't so hostile to our guests. Or so suspicious. That explains the birds."

Merlin takes Morgana's hand. "We should look into this. I think I'll need your help." They walk off together to find Gaius. Arthur realizes no one's gotten the servants to fix the window, and goes to do it himself, grumbling.