Hello again, sorry for the delay but I do have some explanations.

1) I had to do some researches in order to have a neat timeline for the story. 2) I did write some stuff but then realized they shouldn't be in this file for they would distract the readers from the main plot (they will be published as semi-individual drabbles in the future). And also I was more focused on the next chapters (interesting parts) *evil smile*.

Aaand back to the story :D

…..

March 1918

Merlin wiped the sweat off his forehead and put the bloody bullet _that he had just extracted from a young boy's leg_ in a metal plate before starting to wrap the leg in bandages. The wound seemed gory but he was now used to injuries worse that this, that he didn't even flinch when they brought in the boy.

It had been four months. Four bloody months since he had treated his first patient in that room and Percy had made a full recovery. He was actually fit enough to join his troop three weeks later.

March had started bloody. Waves of new injured soldiers were sent to the white tent every minute now. They called it 'The Spring Offensive' but Merlin and others fighting on the front had long stopped memorizing the battles' names.

But all had not been so awful in those months. He and Arthur had met new people and made new friends. The first of them had been Gwaine.

Gwaine was Percy's friend. A skillful sniper who had come to visit his pal a few days after Merlin's arrival. He was a handsome fellow with dark hair and eyes and an endless pool of jokes, he had warmed up with Merlin almost instantly. The young medic liked the guy, he was cheerful and goofy and easy to talk to. He and Percy were so different it was strange how they had gotten along.

The next person he got to know was Elyan. He was from the American army and had joined them a few weeks before the start of German ambushes. Elyan was a dark-skinned muscular man with a heart of gold and bright smile. He too had found his place in the pack pretty soon ans now would spend most of his time with Merlin and others rather than his platoon.

The last person was the gangly little Daegal. He was a nineteen-year-old nervous kid who God knows why had joined the army and Merlin was super protective about him. He felt like Daegal was his own brother, like Mordred, and he had to protect him. Others had accepted the shy kid with open arms and they too had started to treat him with older-brotherly manner.

So now they were a gang of eight young men, hearts still untouched by the black claws of war. The nights that they weren't under ambush and Merlin and Leon could get some time off, they would gather together and spend their time joking and telling stories. Those long stressful nights had become considerably easier for all of them since.

It was one of these nights, cold and wet despite the spring. They had sat in a circle, blankets on their shoulders, shivering.

Elyan wrapped the piece of fabric around him tightly, teeth slightly chattering "J-jeez, it's c-cold"

Gwaine, smirked and elbowed him in a friendly manner "Never experienced Europe's blizzard?"

"Not really, haven't been to Europe before. Now that you ask, I used to live somewhere called Louisiana "He sighed and continued "It was like heaven".

"I'm sure all of us recall our homes as heaven. Actually anywhere but this hellhole feels like it." Arthur said with a heavy heart. It hadn't been an easy week for any of them.

They nodded in silence, all thoughts brought back to three years ago, to the world they used to know.

It had changed a great deal since then. So many families separated, so many sons dead, scars visible on the map and endless lists of battles and each army's progress were the only topic people would speak about.

"Was it warm?" it was Gwaine who broke the silence, looking questioningly at Elyan.

"Excuse me?"

"Your hometown, was it warm?"

"Ah yes, pretty warm, that's exactly why I'm not used to this weather" Elyan said matter of factly.

Gwaine nodded in acknowledgement "London's weather is not so different from here, except we weren't covered in mud back there" he chuckled.

"Wow you live in London?" Daegal asked, completely awestruck.

Gwaine smiled cockily and tried to look like an actual gentleman but failed so dramatically that everyone burst out laughing. He dropped his mask, joining the others, laughing hard "yeah I know, I don't really seem like someone who can afford a place in London, but believe it or not, I do live there and I have a decent job"

"What for example? You worked in a bar?" Leon said chuckling.

"No, I was a shoe maker, and a good one in that, in fact, I was the best" he answered, looking proud.

"How did a shoe maker end up as a sniper?" Lancelot asked before anyone else could.

"He had probably practiced throwing shoes at the street kids" Arthur said and another wave of laughter swept over them. Gwaine was laughing so hard that it took a few minutes for him to take hold of his breathing and be able to answer again.

"No I simply passed the training courses before coming here" he said, still chuckling and wiping his tears. "Though I have thrown a couple of sandals at some kids, they scare my costumers. Tina is a bit too kindhearted, she always accused me of being harsh to them"

"Tina? You have a girl?" Merlin asked disbelievingly. Percy snorted and Leon murmured, trying to hold back a laugh "Poor soul" and then they were all roaring with laughter.

"Hey" Gwaine said, trying to sound offended. "Tina is my sister and I'm a perfect brother. I'm sure one day I will be a perfect husband too". Leon gave him the sure-you-do look.

When they all sobered a bit from the laughing, Elyan asked "so it's just you and your sister?"

Something close to sadness flashed in Gwaine's eyes but he didn't drop his smile. "And my father, me and Tina look after him, he may be a little off these years but he used to be a great shoemaker, and an even greater father" he ended the sentence in more like a whisper, like he was speaking to himself than to Elyan.

"My father was a farmer. Each summer my brother and I would help him on the land. He always cared so much about education, and made sure we would both study more than him and find a decent job, not that farming wasn't decent." Lancelot said, smiling.

"Yeah mine was a farmer too, me and Arthur used to drive him mad jumping on the haystacks." Merlin said, laughing, recalling old memories.

"So, Lancelot mate, what about you? Got a girl back home?" Gwaine asked playfully.

Lancelot laughed at his tone "No, Richard _my brother_ was luckier than me, so I decided to stick to the teaching thing and wait for the right time".

"More than one bachelor in the pack then" said Leon, snickering.

Percy replied "In fact, I think the only non-bachelor among us would be Merlin".

"Merlin has a girl?" Now it was Gwaine's turn to look surprised. Arthur clapped Merlin hard on the shoulder, nearly knocking him over "We had the same reaction back home, I still suspect he somehow enchanted the poor girl" Merlin blushed and laughed.

"God, mate, what is your secret?" Elyan said, eyes wide disbelievingly. Merlin laughed but a hint of guilt and sadness was visible in his features. Percy _being the most observant of them_ noticed how Merlin tensed and decided the young medic didn't really want to talk about the current topic.

"Well, you all seem to have someone to return to, that's a lot of pressure" he said, trying to distract others from Merlin. "You're saying that like you have no one" Leon said, turning to face Percy.

He shrugged, looking like he didn't care "cause I don't, my mum passed a few years ago and I can't really remember my dad" he didn't feel pain mentioning his parents, he had a few good memories from his father and had been a responsible good son for his mother. It wasn't like that he had had an easy life but also it wasn't his style to grieve for the past.

Everyone was silent for a few minutes, feeling respect towards the tolerant large man. Daegal, who had been quiet, listening to others' stories, said under his breath "Wow, you guys are so..." but couldn't find the right words.

"Dramatic and crazy?" Said Leon _obviously_.

"Brave" the youth answered. "You don't seem scared or nervous, it's just unbelievable"

Merlin smiled and squeezed his shoulder affectionately "of course we are scared and nervous Daegal, but it doesn't do any good if we show it"

"Yeah, and we are stupid enough to make jokes about our concerns" Gwaine said goofily and suddenly jumped to his feet, grabbing his gun, looking like an exciting kid with a brilliant idea.

"You know what? I would say we are almost as brave and crazy as the knights of the medieval times" everybody sighed in frustration. "Drop it Gwaine, we are in 20th century not medieval times" Elyan moaned. Everyone was well aware that Gwaine just loved the stories of knights and sorcerers.

"Why not? We are soldiers, maybe not as ancient but definitely as brave" he argued with a wide grin. "Actually, you know what? I say we only need to make it official"

Suddenly he grabbed his blanket and threw it on his shoulders, turning it into something like a cloak. Then gracefully gestured to Percy with his hand. "Come closer Percival" he said with a kingly manner. Percy snorted and stood up, walked pass others and stood before Gwaine "You know it's Percy not Percival, right?"

Gwaine pretended like he hadn't heard anything. "Kneel before me Percival", his subject tried hard not to laugh and bent his knees, kneeling on the mud.

Leon chuckled "you know, I think it should be Arthur who 'knights' us, since he is the sergeant-"

"Someone else knighting me? No chance Leon" Gwaine interrupted, dropping the royalty mask for a second and then turning back to Percy, once again trying to look like an ancient king.

"Do you, Percival, vow to stay loyal to your comrades and fight with bravery?"

Arthur pretended to wipe off an emotional tear and everyone just burst into giggles and Leon was starting to turn purple for laughing so silently. Percy tried so hard to keep a straight face "yes my lord" he said, sounding as serious, Arthur and Elyan were now holding their stomachs and Merlin and Leon were wiping actual tears off their eyes.

Gwaine hold his gun in one hand and touched Percy's shoulders in turn "arise sir Percival, knight of Albion", Percival stood up, slowly and gracefully. Behind him Arthur and Elyan burst and were howling with laughter "Albion?" Merlin said between his gasps.

"Yup" came the answer. Gwaine then gestured to Elyan "came closer Elyan" the same way he had called Percy a minute ago.

"No no no no, I'm really not into this 'knighthood' stuff, and I'm an American by the way" Elyan was still trying to control his breathing.

"Ah come on, we are fighting on the same side, and Albion was not a name for a specific place, it was a name for 'the greatest kingdom in the world'. Now shut up and kneel before me" he said, sounding not as graceful as before.

Elyan sobered himself and kneeled before Gwaine just as majestically as Percy and Arthur roared with laughter behind him.

After a few more 'knighthood ceremonies' and more laughing, they were all knighted except for Leon and Merlin _"they are medics" Gwaine had said_ . "Ah come on, I'm dying to feel that gun on my shoulders" Leon had said, pretending to look annoyed but laughing instead.

"As much as you might crave it, mate, I cannot name you as a knight, but maybe I could name you The Court Physician" Gwaine replied, looking thoughtful.

Arthur, who was now shaking and lying weakly on the trench wall for laughing so hard, asked "Then what about Merlin? We can't have two court physicians in our kingdom now can we?" Elyan was patting his leg, laughing hard.

"Yeah you're right. you know, based on what Percy has told me, Merlin did an amazing job reviving a lost arm, and then there's the fact that he has just wooed a girl to marry him, I think he would be our court sorcerer" now all of them were rolling on their backs, laughing, unable to breathe.

So a couple of minutes later, Merlin and Leon too had their titles and all were sitting back, still snickering and no more feeling cold.

"You know, I'm really happy to consider you lot as my friends" they all became quiet and stared at Gwaine who had suddenly spoken so serious.

After a few moments, Elyan squeezed his shoulder, smiling "We too mate, and I somehow know we will always be this gang of bumbling idiots sticking together."

Gwaine's smile widened, he sat straight and addressed them with a tune of power in his voice.

"From this day to the ending of the world, but we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. For he today that shed his blood with me shall be my brother"

…

I had a great time writing this, just the bromance and fluff with the epicness of the last line (did you like it? I found it on Google and loooved it). Finally I like to thank everyone who favourited, reviewed and followed this story. You guys are AMAZING. I'm currently over the moon, thank you thank you thank you.

Dear Guest (Mar 28): I'm so glad you liked it *excited kid clapping*. I hope you like this chapter as well.

Dear Guest (Mar 20): Thank you, did you like the next ones? ;D