A/N well this took a little while but i moved house and a load of other stuff you literally wouldn't believe even if I did take an hour to write it all. Anyway, it's here now and I hope you like it :)

Morgana held Gwen to her tightly as the younger woman steadied herself at the front of Morgause's white horse. A soft, thick mist had settled over the surroundings, the trees stirred into a blanket of soft green and earthy brown in the watery peach fuzz of sunlight which caused the morning to feel even colder than it's predecessor. The birds were still huddled in tightly packed strings on the bare lower branches and every so often a shrill chirping would flutter through them as they stirred from their sleep.
Morgause crossed her arms around herself tightly against the chill as she watched Merlin dance around slotting swords into the sheathes that hung from around the saddle and securing each bed roll tightly in place. He reared backwards as the horse kicked at him and Morgause rolled her eyes fondly as Morgana told him to pin his ears back because they were spooking the animal. Merlin made a face and returned to Morgause.
"She never gives up does she?"
Morgause sighed. "She has a lot on her mind, Merlin. She'll come round soon enough."
Merlin sighed. "She'll be okay. Even if the goddess did claim her, she'd get sick of her after 24 hours and kick her out."
Morgause frowned. "I don't think the goddess can be kicked out."
Merlin made a face. "I wasn't talking about the goddess." He dodged as Morgause swiped at him.
"Watch it." She growled.
The horse drew level with the two before Merlin could lose a limb and they both looked up at Morgana and Gwen. They had decided to share a horse for a few reasons, but mainly because it all but got rid of the risk of being split up and they could take turns sleeping against each other on the move.
"Well. We should be going."
Morgause looked at her sister and sighed deeply. "Come home." She said sternly.
Morgana nodded, Gwen gave a small smile and the horse turned towards the mist.

Morgause's blonde curls had long since disappeared when Gwen first spoke. She was nestled comfortably against Morgana with her head rested against the sorceress' collar bone. The sun was a little higher in the sky after the few hours travel and so far the journey had been done in a settled quiet.
"Well," she said slowly "At least there's fresh air."
Morgana smiled. "That's certainly a very optimistic way of looking at it."
Gwen shifted slightly. "Mmm. Even if you hate him, I remember when you were friends and I don't think Merlin would make anything up to hurt you now. Especially not with Morgause to answer to."
Morgana kissed the side of Gwen's head and exhaled slowly. "No, I know. I just resent him. I'll get over it."
Gwen laughed. "Well now I really am worried. It's starting to sound like you're going to forgive him."
"I might be considering."
Gwen closed her eyes happily and let herself drift off to sleep against the dark sorceress.


When she woke again, it was approaching dusk. Morgana's arm was still looped protectively around Gwen and the scenery had changed a little since their departure. The tall trees had turned to thick pines and the floor was covered in their fallen browning needles. Ivy and ferns were the dominant undergrowth, unlike the blanket of brambles they had come from. She gazed up at Morgana. "Do you want to sleep?" She asked drowsily. Morgana looked distracted.
"You didn't sleep last night did you?" She sighed. "No, we should make haste. The sooner we get there and the more time we allow for the ritual the better."
Gwen decided her chances of persuading Morgana to let her take the horse for a while were minimum. She closed her eyes again and took in a deep breath of Morgana's scent. "Are you worried about it?" She asked finally.
Morgana kissed the top of her head affectionately. "Not for myself." She said slowly.
Gwen frowned. "But for someone?"
"I'm worried about what you'll do if anything happens to me. I'm worried about Morgause trying to fight with just Merlin if we don't make it back in time."
"We will. You'll be fine. You have to be, for me." She finished softly.
Morgana nodded. "Yeah..."
There was a pause before Morgana pointed out the path that they were about to take. "We'll follow this trail pretty much the rest of the way to the village now. We have a few more hours until it starts to get dark and when it does we'll have to sleep away from the road. Goddess knows how many low-lives call this place home."
Gwen smiled. "Does that mean we're low-lives for now?"
Morgana poked her gently. "Speak for yourself."
Gwen shrugged. "Im used to it. I am low born low, remember?"
Morgana rested her chin on Gwen's head softly. "No you're not."
Gwen nodded. "I am, even if it doesn't matter to you." She amended.
The older woman huffed. "Well it doesn't matter to me and anyone it does matter to can just... Die."
"I think thats probably our relationship in a nutshell."
"I think you're probably right."
Gwen looked up at the sky as a flock of dark winged birds flew squawking in the opposite direction to which the two women had came.
Morgana's expression changed and she turned the horse to watch them, listening intently.
"Little early for the birds to be going to roost." She murmured darkly, almost sing song. Gwen got as far as opening her mouth to ask what she meant before Morgana yanked on the reins, rearing the horse up and around. Gwen's eyes widened in surprise as she clung to the horses neck and two arrows whistled under the horses legs and gored deep into a tree behind them. As the mares hooves thudded back to the ground three men in rags which appeared as if they had once been storage sacks for potatoes and the likes ran through the trees ahead, each wielding a club and one with a club and a rust eaten sword.

The shortest of them ran like a blind ferret on its hind legs in a field of booby traps, his arms flailing as he launched himself over roots and boulders trying to keep up with his taller company. The other was his opposite, lanky and disproportionate, grasping his club awkwardly and seemingly needing to put a lot of effort into staying upright at what Gwen imagined was probably his top speed. They both had old bows slung around there neck, but only one quiver which was strapped firmly to the taller. The last of them, the sword in his right hand no doubt the most valuable thing the three men had and likely their prize possession, was better built, more muscle and with a better hold of his weapons. Like the other two, he was totally bald but he also exhibited a wild mess of a beard, matted and probably crawling with lice and maybe even the odd flea.
They slowly drew closer and to Gwen's disbelief, Morgana started laughing. She didn't move Morgause's horse an inch, and the horse itself was unflinching. Morgana held her hand out and muttered something, still smiling at the three men hurtling towards them as if they were awfully simple. Which probably wasn't far from the truth.
All at once the men seemed to hit an invisible wall, stopping unnaturally fast and then flying backwards, their weapons scattering into the undergrowth. Two of them careered backwards and headfirst into trees so hard they slumped unconscious immediately, and the third onto his back with enough force to punch the wind from his lungs. Morgana trotted over to the one on his back, the short one, and looked over the side of her horse at him like he was something disgusting. He wheezed and then spluttered and coughed horsely. Gwen noticed he looked sort of like Uther with a funny nose and less hair. Not that she hadn't seen Uther bald. She smirked.
"You're lucky that I'm on a schedule or I would have castrated you with your own teeth." Morgana said matter of factly to the man as she drew the horse away, continuing up the path they had previously been on. Gwen looked behind her at Morgana who was looking slightly more pleased with herself now that she had got to use her magic on somebody. Gwen kissed her jaw. "Well that was exciting." She said brightly.
Morgana smiled. "I would have preferred them dead, but as I said we are on a schedule."
Gwen rolled her eyes. "Well maybe they'll still be there on the way back."
Morgana grinned at the prospect for a good five minutes.
Another half hours travel and the sky was gathering itself for dark. Gwen was starting to wonder how Morgana was still awake but she showed no signs of tiring and it was Gwen's mentioning of a rest which seemed to remind her that they needed to at some point stop.
When they did Morgana lit the fire with a sweep of her hand and Gwen cuddled her knees and sat as close to it as the heat would allow. It was five or so minutes before Morgana sat down next to her but when she did, she sat close. Gwen leaned sideways and into Morgana as the warmth from the flames slowly curled around her. The sorceress sighed slowly and pulled Gwen against her slowly. "I wonder how Morgause is."
The younger woman closed her eyes. "She'll be alright, thinking of you probably."
Morgana nodded. "Yeah, probably. We should sleep, I suppose. I'll take first watch."
Morgana stood and went to sit with her back against a tree. Gwen lay down where she sat.
"Hey," Gwen said after a minute. "Do you have to take watch over there?"
Morgana stared at her blankly for a second before rolling her eyes a little and walking back over to Gwen. She sat down by her but Gwen pouted and the once stone-hearted sorceress ended up taking her watch on her side with Gwen nestled in her arms.