Oy vay. RavenclawMerlinFan, I think writing a chapter right after taking a nap is a BAD idea. The last chapter had so many mistakes in it. Thank you for pointing them out to me though. I will TRY to keep a eye on it from now on, or at least review the chapter twice before posting it.

As for the sequel, yup, I am totally going to be writing one. Already have a few things planned, so hopefully all goes well with the rest of this story.

KrisEleven, welcome to my story! I've enjoyed reading your reviews. They are great and I'm trying to use some of your suggestions for this newest chapter. *locks door* I'll finish the story, I promise! Just keep Morgana away!

-Monty

"Another dead end..."

"I was sure they came this way m'lady."

"Arthur isn't here. Nor do I see any Druids. You're wasting my time."

"I can pick up their trail, I swear it."

"Right, with your herbs. What are you going to do? Put some in a bowl and set them on fire and ask the wind to guide us to them?" Morgana stared down her Tracker. He had sworn to her that he could find where Arthur and the others went. That he had a special method of picking up their trail. So far all he had managed to do was lead them in circles and take them to no where special. Morgana was tired of it. She wanted to find Arthur and the Druids and this way was not affective enough. "You're done." she said coldly. "Go to the back of the line and do not let me see your face again."

Her Tracker's face paled, but he gave a bow of his head and hurried from her, not wanting to test her temper.

"What do we do now?" her guard asked, settling his horse next to her's.

"Something I should have done before all of this nonsense." Morgana growled. Her guard watched as she leaned down, gently stroking her horse's mane. She wore a sickly sweet smile that looked out of place on her usually dark and guarded face. "Lorg agus Arthur Pendragon aimsiú." She whispered to her horse. "Lorg agus Arthur Pendragon aimsiú. Cito." Morgana's eyes drooped as the last word left her lips. Her guard reached over, holding her steady.

"M'lady? Are you alright?" he asked.

Morgana took a ragged breath. The spell might not have sounded like much, but it was powerful magic that she had not wanted to use, but saw no choice in the matter. They were getting no where with her men, she would do whatever it took to get to Arthur and get the chance to kill him.

Forcing herself to sit up and show no weakness, she peered over at her guard. "I'm fine." she replied, then peered down at her horse. "Cito!"

All of a sudden the horse reared back and gave a thunderous cry. Morgana held tightly to the reigns and a mad sort of laughter began to bubble out of her. Her men watched her now, not in astonishment, but in fear.

True, they wanted what she did.

They wanted the fall of the Pendragon family and to take Camelot.

However, it was becoming clearer that the woman that they had decided to back was crazed and had an agenda all of her own. However, it was too late for them to back out. They were in this till the end and would fight by her side, slaying down any foes that dare to oppose her.

If things were different though, if they could turn back time, they probably would have given things a second thought.

Soon Morgana and her men were making their way through the woods once more, this time, Morgana herself in the lead. Her horse's hooves pounded into the Earth below, it's eyes wide, it's breath leaving it's nostrils and strained, heavy, puffs. There was only one destination in mind for the horse.

Ride to Arthur Pendragon.

It didn't know why it needed to find him. It didn't know exactly who he was. It just knew that it had to ride as fast as it could to this 'Arthur' person because wherever he was, was where it needed to be. Morgana's spell had worked it's way into the poor animal's mind and now controled it. It would no nothing but run until it made it to Arthur. The horse would not sleep, would not eat, would not rest until Arthur Pendragon was in sight.

Morgana cared not for the horse.

If it fell over dead the moment they reached Arthur, then fine. At least she would be at her destination. She would have no need for the horse then.

Riding atop, Morgana was smiling coldly.

The spell she had used may have drained her somewhat, but all it would take to kill Arthur was the right spell at the right time. There would be no need for sword play or a battle of fists. She just needed to get him into her sights and then she could strike him down.

"Your time with Morgana must have been horrible." Merlin had decided to strike up a conversation with Galahad as they made their way through the woods. So far, so good. No one had come after them yet. No scouts had been sighted. They were traveling slower than Merlin knew Arthur would have liked, but they knew that traveling with so many people would possibly slow them down even more. Hopefully they would get a good ways before they had to stop and rest for the night.

Galahad, who had been taking time to speak here and there to the people, to ask how they were or to deliver the grim news of a loved one's passing, pulled out of his thoughts (which seemed to plague him every time he got a moment of silence), and glanced over at Merlin. "It wasn't that terrible." Merlin gave him a 'I know you're lying' look and Galahad chuckled. "Alright, it wasn't the most desirable time I've ever spent with a woman. I'll give it that."

Merlin couldn't help but laugh lightly at that, though he quickly remembered that they were suppose to be silent and he shut his mouth. He was silent for a moment or two before he started speaking again. "From the state you were in, I would say that you would be scarred for life from your time with her, but you seem almost unphased by it." Merlin observed.

"Not unphased, just...trying to keep from thinking about it." Galahad replied, getting a distant look in his eyes. "It's easy to do that when you think of something better than the event itself, besides, I have been through all sorts of things. Morgana wasn't the first to get her hands on me...though she was the first to take the lives of my friends."

Merlin gave a nod.

He looked ahead at where Arthur was at. By Morgana's hand, Arthur had lost people. Those who lived in the Kingdom, knights, his father. Arthur wasn't the only one affected by her. Everyone in Camelot was.

"If you were to speak with anyone from Camelot, they would know your pain. They've seen plenty of cruelty from Morgana's hand." He said, feeling a twinge of anger in him. Morgana had betrayed them all and now she had turned into one of their greatest enemies. How someone can lose themselves in such a way that they'd feel nothing but hate for everyone who was once their friend was beyond him.

"I suppose they have, but you have always been there to pick them up and keep them going in the end." Galahad pointed out.

Merlin felt his face get a bit hot. "I do what I can, when I can - and sometimes that's not even enough. Besides, it's not just me. Arthur is a great King and the people are always looking to him. Whenever he speaks to them after a tragedy, he comforts them and his words have this way of healing like nothing I could ever do."

Galahad smiled some at that. "Humility. I like it. You are not at all what I was expecting when I invisioned the mighty Emrys." he smirked. "But I like this version of you."

"What exactly were you expecting?" Merlin asked, curious.

"I dunno...some big, powerful, man whom anyone would be insane to dare triffle with."

Merlin scoffed. "Well, sorry I'm not that."

"Don't be. You are who you are, there's no changing that and I wouldn't want you to." Galahad replied.

Merlin's head tilted to the side some, staring at him.

Galahad noticed and started looking himself over. "What? Do I have something on me?" He asked, brushing off his clothes, trying to see if maybe there was something on him that Merlin was staring at, but when he looked back at Merlin, the young man just shook his head at him.

"You remind me of someone I knew." Merlin's tone softened as he looked away. "He would have said something like that to me."

"Was this 'someone' a good man?" Galahad questioned.

Merlin nodded. "He was one of the best men I ever knew." Lancelot. Some days Merlin would see something or hear someone's voice or meet someone who reminded him of his friend. Those days were hard to get through, but he did, just like any other day. If Lancelot were around, he felt for certain that he and Galahad would have gotten along.

"I'm honored to remind you of him then." Replied Galahad. "I take it by the way you speak of him that this man is no longer among the living?" with Merlin's nod, he contonued. "What was his name?"

"Lancelot."

Galahad brought his hand to the collar of his shirt and reached inside, pulling out a silver chain that had a ring hanging on it. Merlin stared at it as a symbol on the ring caught his eye. The symbol of the Fisher King. He still had to tell Arthur of who Elaine and Galahad were, but, he wasn't sure how to explain to Arthur that the children of the Fisher King were traveling with them. He figured he would just let them both know that he knew who they were and then leave it up to them to tell Arthur.

Watching still, Merlin looked on as Galahad brought the ring to his lips. "Tutum itineribus et benedictionem in Lancelot." He said quietly to where only Merlin could hear. After he had said it, he placed the ring back under his shirt, securing it to where it couldn't be seen by anyone.

Merlin blinked. "What was that?" He asked.

"A blessing, for your friend." Galahad replied. "I asked for safe journies for him in the after life."

Merlin had no idea how to respond to that. This man who didn't even know Lancelot, or his story or anything, had just bestowed on him the highest honor from the Druid people. It was their tradition that, when a good man died, to ask those in the next life to watch over and protect the soul passing through.

To say that the gift Galahad had given to Lancelot wasn't overwhelming for Merlin would be lying. His eyes swelled with obvious thanks, but looked down at the ground to keep his emotions to himself. If Arthur or Gwaine looked back and saw tears falling down his face he knew good and well that they would stop and ask what was wrong.

He didn't want that.

He just wanted to be left alone, to cherish this, for the moment.

Thankfully Galahad said nothing else until Merlin had wiped the tears from his face. "So, what should I call you? Emrys or Merlin?"

"Merlin. I know the Druids call me Emrys, but, Morgana doesn't know who I am yet and I would like to keep it that way for now." Merlin answered.

"Very well, Merlin it is. I've always wanted a friend named Merlin."

Merlin's brow rose. "Really?"

"No. What kind of strange name is Merlin?" Galahad said, but then quickly winked at him to let him know he was just joking.

"Well, what kind of dingy name is Galahad?" Merlin teased. "Sounds like it belongs to a complete nutter."

"No. It's very prestigious. You should be jealous."

Merlin shook his head, lips pulling into a line. "No. No, I don't think so."

"I'm serious. Only the best looking and highly intelligent get a name like mine."

"Is that the lie you were told as a child?"

"Oh! My pride! It's been shot!" Galahad laughed.

From the front, Arthur glanced over his shoulder as the laughter reached his ears. He found Merlin and Galahad, walking side by side, laughing over something. Those around them had amused smiles on their faces from whatever conversation they had managed to listen in on.

He sighed, shaking his head. "What part of 'be as quiet as possible' do they not understand?" Arthur huffed quietly to Gwaine.

Gwaine glanced back at them and smiled. "Ah, I'm sure they'll quiet down soon enough. Besides, if Morgana finds us, she finds us. No amount of being quiet will help. Let them have their moment. When everything is said and done, you can twist Merlin's arm and force him to tell us what was so funny. It sounds like a joke I'd like to be in on." He grinned.