Part of this chapter was from by The Fall of Arthur by J.R.R Tolkien so don't worry if you don't understand it very well.
"So your friends with a dragon?" Gwaine asked.
"His name's Kilgharrah." Merlin answered quietly.
"Well I knew you had magic but I did not expect this."
Merlin's eyes widened in shock.
"You knew?"
Gwaine smiled cheerfully.
"Well when we first met and got into that bar fight I happened to notice flying plates."
Merlin looked to his feet sheepishly.
"I wasn't really subtle was I?"
Gwaine strode over to Merlin and slung his arm around his shoulders.
"Nope."
Merlin smiled with gratitude.
"It's nice to have someone to talk to about this stuff. Ever since Lancelot... I haven't been able to really speak to anyone about it."
"Well just think of all the pranks we can pull. All the free ale." Gwaine trailed off dreamily. Merlin just laughed and put his arm over Gwaine's shoulder and they started walking back to Camelot.
*~/0\~*
"Sir Gwaine!" A young voice called out once Merlin and Gwaine entered Camelot. A squire came rushing through the chaotic streets to meet the pair at the gates.
"The prince has sent for you, he wishes to speak to you in his chambers," The squire then turned to Merlin. "You should come also."
Merlin and Gwaine shared a glance and started running, and hopping, through the crowds. Seeing Merlin wasn't getting far Gwaine knelt down and pulled him onto his back.
Weaving through the streets and then hallways of the castle Gwaine burst in through the doors to Arthur's chambers.
"Is something wrong?" He panted. Arthur glanced up from his table which was surrounded by Percival, Elyan and Leon. His eyes flickered to Merlin still on Gwaine's back. Gwaine set Merlin on the bed before pulling up a chair to the table.
"We must prepare the city for siege, Mercia will be here sooner than we thought." Arthur fretted.
"And when is soon?" Merlin piped up.
"By nightfall."
Gwaine's mouth dropped open slightly.
"Nightfall? I thought we had at least another day to prepare!"
"Not anymore. Gather the knights, Merlin, if you're able, we need provisions."
"Of course." Merlin slid off the bed and hurried out the door.
"Let's go gather the knights." Arthur sighed.
*~/0\~*
"They've stopped at the margin of the forests, they want to fight in the open, not the castle." Leon informed. The king's face hardened.
"The castles our best weapon. We are not leaving."
"They refuse to leave if we do not fight back. If they do not leave it will cut off our trade and people won't be able to enter or leave Camelot."
Uther ran a hand down his weary face.
"Fine. If they refuse to leave we will make them. We ride in an hour."
*~/0\~*
Foes before them, armies behind them,
Ever east and onward eager rode they,
And folk fled them as the face of God,
Till Earth was empty,
And no eyes saw them,
And no ears heard them in the endless hills,
Save bird and beast baleful haunting the lonely lands.
Thus at last came they to the forest's margin under mountain-shadows:
Waste was behind them, walls before them;
On the houseless hills ever higher mounting vast,
Unvanquished,
Lay the veiled forest.
Dark and dreary were the deep valleys,
Where limbs gigantic of lowering trees in endless aisles were arched over rivers flowing down afar from fells of ice.
Among ruinous rocks ravens croaking eagles answered in the air wheeling;
Wolves were howling on the wood's border.
Cold blew the wind, keen and wintery,
In rising wrath from the rolling forest among roaring leaves.
Rain came darkly,
And the sun was swallowed in sudden tempest.
The endless East in anger woke,
And black thunder born in dungeons under mountains of menace moved above them.
Halting doubtful there on high saw they wan horsemen wild in windy clouds grey and monstrous grimly riding shadow-helmed to war,
Shapes disastrous.
Fierce grew the blast.
Their fair banners from their staves were stripped.
Steel no longer,
Gold nor silver nor gleaming shield light reflected lost in darkness,
While phantom foes with fell voices in the gloom gathered.
There Morgana smirked with glee,
She turned to address those who had not flee,
She loudly cried as a clarion.
Clear went her voice in the rocks ringing above roaring wind and rolling thunder:
"Ride forth to war,
Ye hosts of ruin,
Hate proclaiming!
Foes we fear not,
Nor fell shadows of the dark mountains demon haunted!
Hear now ye hills and hoar forest,
Ye awful thrones of olden gods huge and hopeless,
Hear and tremble!
From the West comes war that no wind daunteth,
Might and purpose that no mist stayeth;
Lord of legions,
Light in darkness,
West we ride to war once dawn has broken!"
Echoes were wakened.
The wind was stilled.
There evening came with misty moon moving slowly through the wind-wreckage in the wide heavens, where strands of storm among the stars wandered.
Fires were flickering, frail tongues of gold under hoary hills.
In the huge twilight gleamed ghostly pale, on the ground rising like elvish growths in autumn grass in some hollow of the hills hid from mortals, the tents of Arthur.
Time wore onward. Day came darkly, dusky twilight over gloomy heights glimmering sunless; in the weeping air the wind perished.
Dead silence fell. Out of deep valleys fogs unfurling floated upwards; dim vapours drowned, dank and formless, the hills under heaven, the hollow places in a fathomless sea founder sunken. Trees looming forth with twisting arms, like weeds underwater where no wave moveth, out of mist menaced man forwandered.
Cold touched the hearts of those encamped at that forest's margin at the mountain-roots. They felt the forest though the fogs veiled it; their fires fainted. Fear clutched their souls, waiting watchful in a world of shadow for woe they knew not, no word speaking.
Far and faintly following the fall of eve they heard a horn in the hills trembling, forlorn and lonely, like lost voices out of night at sea. The die had been cast, there was no turning back, as the horn that sounded signalled the beginning of war, Albion's great trial had begun.
A/N- Wow that was hard to write. As you can tell the next chapter is going to get very interesting as the war nears.
R&R
Just to say that was probably hard to read and understand so this is the only time I will write like that unless you like it now and then.
Incase you didn't understand a word, basically Camelot has gone to the forest to fight because Morgana refused to fight in the castle, it was night so they camped until dawn, then the horns sounded signalling the start of war :)