Author's Note: So I have decided to leave out the chapter with Mordred FOR THE TIME BEING. It will come, and things will be explained. Mordred's going to have a more important part later in the story again, and that's when I'll talk about his motives.
This chapter also marks the end of just the background info chapters. The story will be really picking up from here.
Gwaine had indeed gone back to his old ways. He was being kicked out of nearly every tavern in every village and town he went to. He abandoned everything he had been taught about the "knight's code" and chivalry. No one who saw him could see the noble he used to be.
He had been in a small village south of Camelot when he saw what he would describe as a ghost. He was drunk as ever, singing loudly (and badly) a love ballad to the inn keepers daughter, herself drunk and singing along. He happened to look to the back shadowy area of the tavern, and saw a dark figure wearing a black cloak and a familiar smile…
No, he thought. No, it couldn't be…
But he watched more, still singing loudly, and the smile was definitely unmistakable. He had known that goofy smile for far too long to get it confused, even if drunk.
The smile on the man's face disappeared as he got up to leave. Gwaine panicked. He needed to know, needed to just see his face one more time.
As he left, Gwaine abruptly stopped singing, mostly due to the inn keepers daughter giving him a big kiss full on the mouth.
Pulling away, he apologized. "I'm sorry to miss such a sweet night I'm sure I would spend with you tonight, but there's a damn ghost I need to catch or else I'll kill him for being dead."
The whole tavern laughed at this, including the girl, but she was soon left confused and alone on top of the bar as Gwaine did indeed leave to chase his "ghost."
Gwaine ran out into the street, looking wildly around. He turned just in time to see a dark cloak turn around the corner of the outer wall. He ran towards it, as best as he could when drunk, but he had had good practice maneuvering while intoxicated.
He reached the corner and looked around. All that was there was the forest, dark and foreboding, and the end of the wall. He ran to the end of the wall but saw nothing. He turned back to the forest and was about to run into its depths, but was suddenly pulled back by the inn keepers daughter. She slapped him with a force he would not have thought possible of such a skinny arm.
"What the hell are you on about?! You can't just leave, chasing ghosts of all things for God's sakes!"
Then the tavern keeper came and had his share of yelling about Gwaine needing to pay, then the inn keeper himself came and yelled, and by the time it was all over, Gwaine was hung over, broke, alone, had a bruise across his face, and had lost his friend yet again.
Author's Note: Here you go, for everyone who wanted Gwaine's story! More will come, I promise. This isn't the end of him.
Please review!