Gwaine tried, but failed to stifle the yawn.

Jaya looked away from the fire and smiled at him softly. "I suppose that's a very good point. I've kept you all day. I'm sure that you're ready to go back to town and sleep.

Gwaine shifted in his chair and looked out the window. "Oh. Uh…" Gwaine checked his watch and sighed. "Wow. It got late."

Jaya nodded and smiled tightly. "I'm sorry for keeping you from your friends, Gwaine."

Gwaine shrugged. "But this is so much better than that boring tour."

Jaya giggled and shook her head. "They try to make it interesting, you could have at least given it a try."

"I tried it. I suppose it got interesting about twenty minutes in." He smirked.

Jaya looked at him and shook her head. She scoffed softly. "You are always so smooth. Doesn't seem to matter what decade or century we're in."

Gwaine grinned brightly and gestured to her. "It's just your beauty, Daisey Petal."

Jaya half wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "Not your best work. But I'm flattered? I suppose." she stood up and tugged her shirt down so it rested on her hips. "Come on. I'll walk you out."

Gwaine stood up and watched her movements. "The queen herself is going to walk me out?"

"I can just have one of the staff walk you out if you would rather?" Jaya smirked, tilting her head.

Gwaine shook his head. "I'd rather spend the time with you."

Jaya stepped around the edge of her chair and started toward the door of the library. "All of the tour buses have gone to town a long time ago. I'll have a car bring you in."

Gwaine walked with her. He took an extra step and opened the door for Jaya. "After you."

Jaya smiled and stepped through the opening in the door. "Thank you, Sir Knight."

Gwaine chuckled and walked with her. A couple of hallways later he slipped his hand into hers.

Jaya looked down at their hands and smiled slightly to herself. She pulled her hand away from him and shook her head. "Gwaine?"

Gwaine looked at her and at their hands. "What? Have I never held your hand before?"

Jaya shook her head slightly. "I don't think that your girlfriend would appreciate it." she pointed out gently.

Gwaine stopped and stood where he was in the middle of the empty hallway. He had completely forgotten. "Oh. Angie…"

Jaya wrinkled her nose and nodded. "Angie. I'm sorry to have kept you away from her all day." She walked toward the front of the castle again. "That was incredibly selfish."

Gwaine trotted a couple of steps to catch up with her and walked next to her in silence.

Jaya pulled a side door open and stepped out into the courtyard that Gwaine had been in at the beginning of the day. "Ah. Ian. Thank you for coming."

A man with a dark suit paused a few paces away from her and nod. "Of course." He turned to Gwaine and gestured to the car that was running behind him. "Ready to leave whenever you are, Sir."

Gwaine looked at him and nodded once before catching up Jaya's nearest hand and kissing her knuckles. "Thank you. For today."

Jaya nodded and pulled her hand away gently. "Come back any time, Gwaine."

"You know I will."

Jaya nodded and smiled and nodded toward the car. "Go on. Go find Angie and your friends."

Gwaine stepped toward the car and smiled tightly. "Ian. Hello."

Ian opened the back door of the car and smiled. "Good evening, Sir."

Gwaine dropped into the car and waved at Jaya one last time before settling back against the seat.

Jaya watched the car leave the courtyard and turned toward the outdoor steps that sloped up to the top walkway that circled the inside edge of the outside wall of the castle. She strolled along the edge, not seeing where she was, trusting her feet and centuries of walking the same walkway to keep her from falling off the edge. She didn't stop until she reached the ocean side of the wall. Jaya leaned between the parapets and folded her hands as she looked out of the sea. "Merlin? I don't know if you can hear me…" she scoffed and looked around again. "Gwaine is back."

The wind whipped up suddenly and a bright flash of gold and blinding sunlight and sand and Jaya wasn't standing on the wall by herself anymore.

Jaya stood up and turned to face him. "Hello Merlin." she smiled at him warmly.

Merlin rubbed his fingers through his crewcut and took a long breath. "Jaya." he grinned and stepped forward to hug her tightly.

Jaya laughed softly and hugged him close before stepping back and holding him at arm's length. "Look at your hair!" she laughed softly. "Are those desert fatigues?" she pointed at his pants and then looked at him. "Are you in the army?!" she squeaked. "You look so handsome!"

Merlin laughed and nodded. "I am. I'm a medic. My unit is stationed in Iraq."

Jaya laughed. "I'm sorry...it's the hair. I never thought that I'd see the day that you would cut your hair."

Merlin chuckled and ran his fingers over his hair again. "It was required."

Jaya nodded like she understood and leaned against the wall.

Merlin closed his eyes and took a long breath and relaxed. "Ahhhhhhh. It's so cool here. And the salt water." He shook himself and smiled at her. "So. Gwaine...you must be thrilled."

Jaya nodded and hummed softly. "It's good to see him again. I missed him."

Merlin smirked and nodded. "I imagine. So this is the obligatory 'find the others' call?"

Jaya hummed. "I think we need to try Merlin. This might be it. This might be the time when he comes back."

Pain flashed across Merlin's face and he sighed. "Jaya, we survived two world wars without him. Or what about when Spain threatened to invade?! Why didn't he come back then!" he demanded.

Jaya shrugged and half shook her head. "I don't know, Merlin." she looked over at him and smirked. "You of all people should know how hard it is to get him up in the morning."

Merlin tossed his head back and laughed. "You know, the more I think about it, the more I think that we should just go to his grave and tell him that we have a hunt scheduled in the morning. He'll probably be the first one there."

Jaya laughed and nodded. "You're probably right."

"All right. I'm suppose to be on patrol right now. I'm going to go back. I'll start looking."

Jaya nodded. "So will I."

Merlin stepped forward and hugged her again tightly. "I missed you."

Jaya nodded and hummed. "Be safe Merlin. Try to not get yourself blown up."

Merlin snorted and nodded. "I'm much quieter now."

"Doubt it." Jaya smirked and waved the fingers of her right hand. "I'll see you soon."

Merlin nodded. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

A swirl of gold dust and a wisp of wind and Merlin was gone.

Jaya turned and headed back toward the castle. It was good to see Merlin again.

Gwaine opened the door to his hotel room and closed it firmly. It had been a crazy day and he was ready to go to bed.

He scoffed while peeling off his jacket.

This morning he had had a girlfriend and was taking her to one of the best castles in Ireland. And now all he could think about was the girl that he had met in the castle.

It took a long time to fall asleep.

Gwaine was up right away the next morning. The sun was just starting to come up over the edge of town when he caught a cab out of town toward the castle. Once they reached the outside wall of the castle, Gwaine stepped out and offered the cabbie a couple of bills. "Here, Mate. Keep the change." He turned toward the gates and looked at them with his lips pursed.

What did one do when the gates were closed and it was hours before they would be opened for the tourists?

He pushed his hands into his pockets and looked at the gates as the cab drove away. With no other choice, Gwaine started toward the gates.

A large man appeared next to him and cleared his throat. "Come with me please, Sir."

Gwaine started but nodded. "Thanks. Yeah...all right."

They walked through it and down to a small side garden that was on the side of the castle that didn't have a wall. Instead it was a plunging cliff wall that dropped straight to the sea.

Gwaine dared half a look over the edge.

No beach, rocks that he was sure were more like boulders jutted out of the pounding surf from the cliff face to a few dozen yards from the wall.

Clearly no need for a wall there.

Gwaine looked away from the danger of the cliff and focused on the small table that was set up just a few feet away from where they were.

Jaya was sitting in the far chair, her back to the castle and her face into the light breeze that was coming off the ocean. She was in a bright, deep green sun dress. Three quartered sleeves came down to the tattoo on her right arm.

Breakfast was laid out on the table. With two plates.

"Gwaine. You're up early."

Gwaine smiled at her. "Good morning. Am I interrupting?"

Jaya gestured to the chair across from her. "I figured you'd be back early. Thank you Finnian."

"Of course Highness." Finnian walked away from the table.

Gwaine stepped forward and sat down. He smiled and picked up his fork. "Wouldn't be breakfast in Ireland without potatoes."

Jaya smirked and nodded. "A very good point."

"So does this mean I can get more story?"

Jaya smirked and sipped her breakfast tea. "I have the whole day. I assumed I'd need it."

Gwaine nodded. "I'll take it if you can give it."

Jaya hummed. "Now. Where was I…" She sipped her tea again. "Oh yes. Right."

Jaya watched the door latch bounce against the wood a few extra times before slowly turned back to Gaius. "Looks like I've got a lot of reading to do. Are there any more that I should be starting with?" she wondered, her voice slowing down as Gaius pointed to nearly the whole of the books lined on the shelves on the second level. Her mouth hung open slightly for a moment and she sighed through the opening for the entirety of the breath and then snapped it shut with finality. "I'll be up there if you'll be needing me, then."

Gaius nodded once and picked up the book that was closest to him, the page still open to the Afanc and started reading it critically.

Jaya walked up the stairs, and looked over the books that she was going to have to slog through with something that bordered on an overwhelmed look. She set down the book that she had just finished and pulled one out at random and started flipping through pages, her eyes flying back and forth trying to find anything useful.

Merlin hurried down toward the dungeons, only pausing long enough to glance out one of the windows that faced the square. He caught sight of some of the guards beginning to build a pyre. Merlin didn't let his gaze linger long and almost ran down the next stairs, feeling sick to his stomach at the sight. He paused as he walked through the dungeons.

Gwen was curled up on the floor of her cell, sleeping from the way that her shoulders were moving up and down.

Merlin frowned slightly and touched the bars with one hand. "Gwen?" when she didn't stir Merlin shrugged. "I'll get you out of this. I'm working on it, promise." he promised.

Jaya looked over at the small stack of books that she had accumulated in the last few minutes. Sitting cross-legged on the floor of the upper level the books were nearly to her shoulder. The only thing she had accomplished so far was boring Ridire to the point that he flopped down next to her with a grand sigh, and she had very nearly ripped one of the old pages when the book had almost tipped out of her hands. She groaned slightly to herself and rubbed her eyes roughly before turning the page and continuing to read.

Merlin trotted down the last few dark stairs, torchfire blowing back over his shoulder as he turned the corner out of the small entryway into the large cavern. "Hello?" he asked.

"Hello." The dragon flew down and landed on the peak of his perch and looked at Merlin pointedly. "The great warlock returns. I thought that you might be coming around soon."

Merlin frowned slightly but didn't want to get off topic. "I need to know how to defeat an Afanc." he announced.

"I imagine that you do." Killgarah agreed, something like amusement edging his words.

"Will you help me?" Merlin asked.

"There are elements that are at command. Use them." The dragon instructed.

"Elements?" Merlin puzzled. "Just tell me what is it that I have to do?"

"You cannot do this alone. You are but one side of the coin. Arthur is the other." The dragon's eyes sparkled in the light of the torch. "And Merlin, it might be wise to bring Jaya with you."

"I...I don't understand." Merlin protested. "What is it that I must do?"

The dragon crunched down on his legs and took off up toward the darkness of the ceiling.

"No wait! Tell me what to do!" Merlin protested.

"I already have." The dragon called back, chuckling.

Merlin stood where he was for a moment, a look of mild irritation on his face. "Oh yeah, right. Thanks." he retorted sarcastically not loud enough for the dragon to hear him. He turned and started back toward the stairs and climbed them quickly, his mind spinning around as it tried to figure out what it was that the dragon had meant.

After a few more books, Gaius was called away and Jaya was left on her own to continue searching through the books. By the time she had a second stack of books that was nearly as tall as her, she had found three books that were duplicates in a different language. That had been frustrating.

Sometime between the second duplicate book and the third, Jaya had tipped over and around to lay her head on Ridire's back as she read through the books, relying on magic to pull books down to her and switch books up onto the piles that she had going. She heard the door open and close and the shuffling of Merlin's boots as he walked across the room. "Learn anything?" she asked, not moving more than just turning the page.

"Not really." Merlin grumbled, moving books around and reading bindings so fast that he almost didn't comprehend what it was that he read.

Jaya frowned. "I learned the Gaius has duplicates of books." she offered, sounding more bored than a human should allowed to be.

The door opened and closed again. "Merlin, what are you doing?" Gaius' voice asked.

"Looking for a book." Merlin answered, continuing to shuffle books around.

"Are you going to tell me which one?" Gaius wondered, setting down his medicine bag.

"A book on elements." Merlin responded, not slowing down.

"Elements?" Gaius questioned.

"Elements?!" Jaya cried. Her hands shot up in the air and she lost grip on the book that she was holding on her face. It fell with a muffled, moldy thump, the binding crashing against her nose. "Why?" Jaya's suppressed voice sighed.

"Yes. Which book would I find them in?" Merlin asked, not slowing down.

"Well, most all of them. The study of the base elements is at the very heart of science." Gaius gestured to the books scattered all over the room.

"They've been in nearly every book I've read." Jaya agreed, sitting up finally and catching the book by it's binding as it fell off her face. She sneezed hard twice and shook her head, looking like she wasn't sure that she didn't have to sneeze again.

"Apparently I need elemets to kill an Afanc?" Merlin wondered.

Jaya sneezed halfway down the stairs and almost lost her balance for a moment. "Sorry." She held up a hand in apology, her voice sounding scratchy and stuffed up.

"Bless you, Child." Gaius responded, not looking away from Merlin's search for a book to open. "Well, Merlin, an Afanc is a creature made from earth and water. That's two of the four base elements."

"What about the other two?" Jaya wondered, purposefully grabbing a book and handing it pointedly to Merlin.

Merlin didn't even look at it, and set it on a precarious pile that he had started stacking next to the edge of the table.

Jaya pulled a face, but didn't offer another book.

"Well, perhaps they will destroy it." Gaius offered. "You want fire. Wind and fire."

"How did you find this out?" Jaya asked, sounding exasperated. "Merlin! You didn't even look at that one!"

Merlin glanced at her and picked up the book that he had just set down to look it over before disregarding it again.

Jaya rolled her eyes and her hands flung up in the air in a frustrated motion.

"Erm...I just knew, you know? One of my powers." Merlin looked up at her.

Jaya's eyebrows rose.

"Anything else these powers tell you?" Gaius wondered, sounding skeptical.

"That I'm one side of a coin. The brighter side obviously." Merlin paused for a heartbeat with a book in his hand, but then rejected it as well.

"Who's the other side?" Gaius asked.

"I think it might be Arthur." Merlin shrugged, saving a book from falling off the pile and resetting it on the top.

Jaya snorted and suddenly gripped Merlin's forearm. "Slow down, there. You're not readin' any of them. You're just moving books around for...I don't know why, but this isn't really helping."

Merlin froze and looked at the scarred up knuckles, wondering distractedly if some of the scars had been there before he and Arthur had found her trying to punch a hole through the bag out on the training field. He looked up at her face and his lips pursed slightly and slid to the right for a moment. "Sorry."

The door suddenly flew open and Morgana glided in, her purple gauzey over-dress flowing behind her. "They're bringing up the execution. We have to prove Gwen's innocence." she announced without preamble.

The door quietly closed behind her and Freya walked into the light of the room, looking like she had had to run to keep up with Morgana. She slipped in next to Jaya and seemed to visibly relax when Jaya slipped an arm around her waist. A little shy smile crossed her face as she waved slightly at Merlin and a blush crossed her cheeks when he smiled back at her.

"What? When?!" Jaya demanded.

"Tonight." Freya responded, her voice barely above a whisper.

"We need to fix this." Morgana all but ordered.

"We're working on it." Gaius assured, not sounding the least bit insulted.

"Please. Just tell me what I need to do to help." Morgana looked around the room, her eyebrows twitching when she spotted how close to Jaya Freya was standing, her arms hugging her ribs.

Jaya caught the look and her eyes narrowed, a daring look crossing her face. Her chin tipping up at Morgana in a challenge, her arm tightened around Freya.

Morgana looked curious but turned her gaze to the two men in the room.

"We need Arthur." Merlin announced.

"Arthur?" Morgana asked, sounding as confused as she looked.

"There's a monster, an Afanc, in the water supply. That's what's causing the plague." Merlin explained, tearing his eyes away from Morgana and looking at Freya, his blue eyes soft. It troubled him how afraid she looked, and he wondered why it was that Jaya had turned the green-grey glare at him, challenging him to ask what was wrong.

"Well, we must tell Uther." Morgana stated like it was obvious.

"An Afanc is a creature forged by magic. Telling Uther wouldn't save Gwen. He'd blame her for conjuring it." Gaius pointed out, his voice both soothing and strong at the same time.

"So, what must we do?" Morgana asked, purposefully ignoring the curiosity of Freya and Jaya and looking at them as a group.

"We need to destroy it. Then the plague will stop." Merlin informed.

"Then Uther may see sense." Jaya offered her two cents.

"And that's why you need Arthur." Morgana nodded in understanding.

"He's our best chance." Merlin agreed. "But he won't want to disobey the King."

Morgana's perfectly shaped eyebrow twitched. "Leave that to me." she spun around and walked to the door, quickly pulled it open and closed behind her.

Jaya stood where she was for a moment and then pulled Freya toward the door, away from Merlin and Gaius. "What's wrong, Fey?" her voice so low that Freya had to lean forward to hear.

Freya hugged her ribs and looked around the room before looking at Jaya. "I'm fine. It's nothing."

Jaya glanced over at Merlin and Gaius in time to see Gaius hand Merlin the key to the water tunnel. She licked her lips and snapped her fingers, calling Ridire to her. She ushered Freya and Ridire out into the hallway and closed the door behind them. They walked up some more stairs and into a large room that Gaius used to store the herbs that weren't dry yet. "Fey. It's not nothing. And you're not fine. Tell me what it is, Lass."

Freya pulled on her right sleeve and looked the room over. "I'm just nervous."