Protecting A Camp

Emrys stared at the now empty bed and closed his eyes as he tried to calm himself. Just knowing that Arthur had been going through his things, that he could have quite easily destroyed his most treasured possession, made emotions stir inside him that he hadn't had to deal with in a long time. A week ago life was simple. He rescued people, brought them here and then went back to his tent to be alone. No complications. It was how it had been for so long that he was beginning to forget how to actually socialise with people, not that they'd want to talk to him, especially when they got a good look at the scar running across his face.

Arthur had treated him like he was any other person. Had even sought out his company when everyone else avoided him. It was the main reason he'd revealed himself by taking off the cloak. He'd wanted to see how the Prince would react if he got a good look at the 'famous Emrys' as he liked to phrase it. Surprisingly Arthur had looked at him in fascination rather than disgust.

Ignoring the good points about his royal highness, Emrys pushed himself up so he was standing tall and summoned the bedside table back into place so the note could be put back in the draw. Not before he took one last look at it. The writing looked so old that it looked like it was from another lifetime, nobody would believe him if he told them it was a little under two decades old. Tracing the words with his fingertip, he wondered whether life could ever go back to being as simple as it had once been. That one day he could write his own note to a loved one saying he'd gone out for bread. Except he'd actually return.

Don't think about that.

Slamming the draw shut with the note inside, he locked away a part of his life that had been long forgotten and flicked his hand as he left so the bed was made. Any trace of the Prince removed. Closing the drape behind him, Emrys went over to the cupboard to grab his cloak, needing to go talk to the elder before anyone else started waking up. They had a new member of the camp to sort out first. Draping the cloak around his shoulders, he transformed his clothes into the normal black attire and walked from his tent. Unfortunately for him, Emrys didn't notice the walking stick leaning against the table and he'd later regret it.

"Arthur, are you listening to me?" Morgana moaned as they sat around a fire for their morning meal. Arthur had been listening, at least until the point he saw Emrys in a heated discussion with the elder by his old tent, both having their heads down low and Emrys seemed to be resisting the urge to yell. They were too far away to be heard and due to Emrys wearing his cloak, Arthur couldn't lip read his end of the conversation. The elder on the other hand was doable.

"What if you had been caught?"

"One day that's not going to be enough. He'll find someway of-"

"Doesn't mean you can do anything you want."

"No … you shouldn't have left him but at least tell someone if you're going."

"Oh really, who?"

"I was just curious Emrys. No need to get mad."

"I'll try and find out where he's from, in the mean time go and have breakfast, you look awful."

"Arthur!" Morgana now said his name loudly and Emrys looked in their direction to see he was being watched. Instead of coming for breakfast like ordered, he vanished into thin air and left the elder sighing to herself. Great, now he looked like a stalker. "Modred is coming over, be nice, he's my friend." Arthur listened to the small request and moved his gaze to the approaching figure, only to recognise him as the young boy that had been due to be executed when he'd first seem a glimpse of Emrys. "Modred, this is-"

"I know who he is," Modred muttered and grabbed a bowl so he could serve himself some food. "Arthur Pendragon. Prince of Camelot. Father is Uther Pendragon who would have us all killed if he knew his Son was here." For someone so young, he certainly had an attitude. "Why can't you just go home? Every minute you're here is another minute we're at risk of being found."

"I'll be going home when I can, Modred. Until then I guess you're stuck with me and you'll have to lose the attitude if you want to stay on my good side."

"You have a good side? Kept that well hidden." Modred finished serving some soup and walked off to sit with some other people. Morgana was pouting next to him and then pounded her fists against his arm in annoyance.

"I asked you to be nice!"

Arthur was quickly left alone as she walked off to join her friend. He didn't really mind, she needed to bond with other people since he wouldn't be here long, soon enough he'd be back in Camelot where he could get back to his usual routine.

By the time dinner came around, Arthur was finding that he was more bored than usual and being restricted to one area was beginning to annoy him. His legs were feeling much better after a good nights sleep and he was able to walk for longer without them aching, Arthur was hoping that it would be tomorrow he could go home. Wherever that may be. He didn't even know where to begin when looking for home and it probably meant he'd have to ask for help, but who in their right mind would help Arthur get home when his Father was out for the blood of sorcerers.

Getting to his feet in hopes of finding someone to talk too, he realised that his walking stick was nowhere to be found, even when he checked his tent it wasn't there. Which meant it could only be in one place and as his eyes fell upon the tent, his heart sank. Emrys wouldn't be happy to see him. After this morning, Arthur hadn't seen the man lurking around at all which meant he was probably hiding in his tent, where his walking stick waited for its master to retrieve it from.

Don't be a wimp.

Gathering his courage, Arthur walked slowly towards the tent and ignored the looks of the camp mates as he passed. Yes, it probably did look weird that he was going to see Emrys since no one ever did. Yes, the fact a Prince was seeking out the most powerful sorcerer was rather odd. However, he needed that walking stick if he was going to get back home tomorrow. His legs may be strong but they wouldn't last all the way. When he stood in front of the tent he took a pause and then called, "Emrys?"

No response was given.

Frowning in annoyance, he didn't wait and pushed back the tent door to see the lights come on upon someone's arrival. Which meant the sorcerer wasn't home. Perfect. He could slip in and out without Emrys knowing about it and luckily his walking stick was right where he'd left it. Crossing the distance to pick up his walking stick, Arthur felt a small ounce of regret that Emrys wasn't here, so that they could work out their differences before he left. He doubted he'd get a chance to see the sorcerer again.

The moment he went to leave the tent however, a loud crash sounded behind him and he turned to see Emrys lying on the floor. Well he hoped it was Emrys, the person was definitely wearing his cloak and they appeared to be breathing heavily. "Emrys, you alright?" Arthur asked and slowly approached him, putting his walking stick on the table so he had both hands free. "What happened?"

Instead of Emrys looking back at him, there was a woman, a beautiful one at that. She had long, dark, brown, curly hair and her eyes were the deepest shade of brown Arthur had ever seen. Her skin was tanned and the clothes she wore beneath the cloak were well used, like those belonging to a servant. As she pushed herself to her feet, she made sure to move away from Arthur as she took in her surroundings, the hood of the cloak falling off as she looked at how high the tent was. "Who are you? Where's Emrys?" Arthur questioned.

"I was just taking a walk in the woods. Looking for some flowers. I live here, well not here here, but my tent is just down the hill. I didn't think anything of it when I went for the walk, no one was around and it seemed safe enough. Suddenly these knights appeared, dozens of them, out of nowhere! I ran as fast as I could, knowing I couldn't go back to camp incase they followed me and suddenly this cloak surrounded me. Next time I opened my eyes I was here, talking to you."

"Which means Emrys is out there … unprotected …" Arthur ran from the tent on suddenly strengthened legs and sought out the elder, hoping she knew what to do. The woman, whoever she was, followed after him just as quickly and he soon found the elder talking to Morgana nearby. "Something's happened-" he was silenced when her hand came up and she helped Morgana get off her lap. The little girl running away happily without being told why she had to go "-There are knights on the boarder of the camp."

He breathed heavily as he leant back against a tree, the knights slowly approaching the other side as they looked for him, knowing that he no longer wore the cloak that would protect his identity. The woman had been so close to being hit that he'd had no choice but to throw his cloak over her, unbeknown to all that it protected whoever wore it from attack and with a quick spell he'd sent her back to his tent. Now he just had the problem of getting rid of these knights. There were so many and he knew he could take them down, except he'd have to reveal himself in order to do so.

You can't.

"Emrys is near," came a woman's voice and Emrys frowned. A woman was with the knights of Camelot? Uther would never allow that to happen. As he peered around the tree, he saw a woman that had long blond hair, thin brown eyes, pronounced cheekbones and a long face. She wore a long dress that trailed behind her, her walking graceful and the large staff she held in her hand glowed the more she went forward. "As are the other sorcerers. Spread out."

Staring at the staff in her hand, he didn't have to be a genius to work out that she was using it somehow to locate people with magic, but it had to mean she was a sorcerer herself. Had Uther gone so far as to use the people he hated most in order to find his Son? "Come out Emrys, we have much to talk about, no harm will come to you." He didn't believe her. Why should he? "If you do not come out I won't tell you how to stop the ball of fire heading right for your camp."

She didn't need to say another word, he was gone before she could round the tree he was hiding behind and he appeared in the middle of the Druid camp. Most people already on their feet as the knights surrounded them, all holding swords and threatening to kill them if they did not surrender the Prince. Emrys looked around for Arthur, spotting him over with the elder as they talked, neither noticing what was going on around them. "Get in your tents!" Emrys ordered and the kids went first, the older sorcerers protecting them with their bodies as more knights appeared.

"Onhéaw!"

The sound of the spell left most of the sorcerers lips as the knights swung their swords, no longer having the patience needed and Emrys saw the woman from earlier helping one of the younger kids get into their tent. Running over, he took the cloak without asking and had it on within moments. He ran around whilst sending out protection spells around his people, telling them to get into their tents where they would be better protected. The knights quickly discovered that they couldn't enter the tents and if anyone entered, they'd be unreachable.

Hearing the sound of something coming his way, Emrys looked to the sky to see the ball of fire the women had been talking about. It wasn't exactly small either. Big enough to take down a wing of any castle if it wanted too. Knowing they had mere seconds, he brought his attention back to the camp to see only two people remaining. Arthur and the elder. He was attempting to help her back to her tent, but with her blindness slowing them down and his weak legs, they weren't going to make it before the ball hit and Emrys presumed the knights wouldn't be hurt when the ball hit.

"Arthur!" Emrys yelled and ran towards them, picking up speed as he went. The Prince turned to look at him and then his eyes widened when his gaze went past Emrys to see the approaching fireball. If Arthur died, then Camelot would never allow sorcerers to live peacefully among them since it was magic that killed their beloved Prince and Uther would claim it was their way of sending a message. Little did they know it was their King who had sent a sorcerer to do his dirty work. "Get inside the tent!"

He reached them a second later and spun on the spot, his hands already raised in front of him. "Clústor," the spell was yelled from his lips and a barrier surrounded the three of them. He held his hands firm as the ball put more pressure against the barrier, apparently the woman behind the spell was powerful herself and wasn't giving up without a fight. "Go …" Emrys hissed at Arthur who had covered the elder woman in hopes of protecting her. "You'll be-" he felt his body tense as the magic within him struggled to keep up the spell "-safe."

Arthur ushered the elder woman inside the nearest tent and then turned to look at Emrys, "You too."

"I have to stay out here and keep the barrier up, get your royal ass inside." Emrys dropped to one knee and ignored the taste of blood now dripping from his nose to his lips, his body telling him to stop.

"You don't need to be the hero here, you said we're safe inside the tents right? Which means if you get inside then you'll be fine too." Arthur appeared beside him and rested his hand on Emrys' shoulder, holding him steady as he began to sway. "You're not alone in this."

"The tents aren't protected Arthur," he said between gritted teeth and noticed the knights approaching the barrier which had been made just for stopping the fireball.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked.

"It doesn't-" he took a deep breath as the heat intensified "-matter. Go now! That's an order your majesty!" Emrys didn't give him a chance to argue as he sent a wave of power in his direction and Arthur was thrown into the tent. "Stubborn prat," Emrys muttered and was surrounded in fire a moment later.

What Arthur didn't expect when he was thrown into the tent was to find himself surrounded by trees and people. No evidence of a tent ever being there. He didn't have time to wonder what was going on since two sets of hands pulled him up and he noticed one of them belonged to the woman who had started this whole mess. "Where are we?" Arthur asked as they began to drag him through the forest. "Where's Emrys? What happened?"

"Be quiet Pendragon or you'll get us all killed," hissed Modred who appeared at his side and hurried ahead to walk with Morgana who he spotted amongst the other children. Arthur remained silent for the rest of the journey and saw that they were approaching a cave, a large one at that. Entering quickly, he saw small balls of light floating in the air and it reminded him exactly of who he was with. Sorcerers. So why hadn't any of them stayed behind to help?

"Where's the elder? I need to talk to her."

"I'm right here, keep your voice down." She fell back to walk beside him and he noticed how she didn't seem to have trouble walking around in here. "What's the matter?"

"Haven't any of you noticed that Emrys isn't here? He saved all your lives and not one single person tried to help him." He didn't know why he was getting upset over this. He barely knew Emrys and the one time they'd spent together, he'd ended up being transported from the tent. Wait … that was it. Somehow when he'd been thrown into the tent, he'd been transported here, wherever that may be. He had gotten them all to safety by transporting them all to another place. How could one person have that much power and still do what he did? "We should go back and check he's alright."

"He'll be fine, he's a tough young lad and a powerful sorcerer." She replied calmly and he was pulled down another tunnel towards a deeper part of the cave. Why on earth were they here? "Emrys wouldn't be taken down that easily."

"You didn't see him. There was blood running from his nose, he was on his knees trying to hold that barrier up and there is no way he got into a tent in time. He could be seriously hurt, do none of you care?" He looked around and saw none of them met his eye, "He's probably saved all your lives time and time again, you ungrateful people. The least you could do is go back! You're sorcerers aren't you? There's a reason my Father fears you. Use whatever power you have and help someone who has never asked for any. Don't hide away and be pathetic. That's what cowards do."

"And you're any better?" Someone spoke up and Arthur looked in their direction, "You have the power to change this. You could stop your Father from having people like us killed and yet you do nothing. We have a cave to hide in whereas you have a castle, you have no right to judge us." Everyone fell quiet and all eyes turned to the Prince who no longer was being restrained. Anger rippled off him like waves and even Morgana didn't dare approach him.

"I'm going back for him. Anyone who want's to join me is welcome."

Omg guys, thank you SO much for the reviews! I didn't expect to get so many all at once. It was definitely a nice surprise when I walked out the cinema to find I had loads of emails waiting for me.

I'm not sure whether I like this chapter or not ... I might change it if people agree it doesn't fit in with the story.

Hope you enjoyed it and please keep reviewing =] It's something that cheers me up whilst in the middle of my exams.