"Sounds like a good time. Jaya?" Arthur turned around and started toward the door.
"Arthur, it's dangerous!" Gaius protested.
"Extremely deadly beast, a rare flower that grows in deep caves that's hardly ever been seen, small chance of coming back alive? Who would miss that?" Jaya wondered, starting toward the door after him.
"Jaya!" Gaius protested.
"And if we stay here?" Arthur asked.
"The Mortaeus induces a slow painful death." Gaius admitted. "Merlin is strong. He might resist it for four days. Five at the most."
"So pack light and ride fast." Jaya grabbed the door handle and jerked the door open.
"Jaya, it's going to be dangerous. I was hoping you would stay here and keep an eye on Merlin for me." Arthur protested, following her out into the hallway.
Jaya snorted. "Sounds to me like you'll need all the help you can get then."
"Jaya."
Jaya stopped and looked at him. "Arthur. There are three people in there watching over Merlin. I will only be getting in the way. I can do more good going out and watching your back than tripping Gaius, Gwen and Fey. They'll take care of Merlin. And I'll take care of you." She started off again.
"What?" Arthur sputtered. "I don't need you to take care of me. I'll ask Father for some knights."
"The matter's settled." Jaya spun in the middle of the intersection of two hallways, her skirts flying out around her, "I'm going with you."
"No. You're not." Arthur watched her go and seethed slightly for a moment. Girls. He rushed off to his chambers, winging his arms out of his jacket as he went.
Jaya just waved and continued without a backward look.
Jaya rushed into her chambers and closed the door quickly behind her. "Ridire! Shall we go on a hunt?" she asked as she bustled through the room, pulling clothes out of one of the drawers and pushing them, semi-neatly, into her saddlebags. After a few attempts to get her dress off by herself, Jaya gave up and her eyes flashed silver.
The dress she was wearing appeared on the bed, laid out nicely so it wouldn't wrinkle. She was standing in her tall dark brown boots, her favorite pair of brown trousers and a dark green, flowy shirt that was held close to her by the tightness of her breastplate. Her bracers were on and the saddlebags were thrown over her shoulder almost in the same motion as she was buckling her swords around her waist and her magic was tying the dagger around her left bicep. She nearly tripped over Ridire in her effort to get to the door. The second attempt and she was out of the door, avoiding Ridire's bounding and was quickly working her way down to the stables, humming one of her favorite battle hymns to herself as she went.
Gwen had been helping Freya with trying to get Merlin cool when she suddenly realized just how long she had been in the physician's chambers. "Oh my goodness! I must get to Lady Morgana! I've been here too long."
Freya steadied the cloth that was on Merlin's forehead and smiled. "You go. I'll help Gaius keep an eye on him."
Gwen smiled and quickly rushed out the door.
Morgana looked up in her mirror as Gwen burst through her chamber door.
"My Lady, I am so sorry that I haven't been here to attend you!" Gwen apologized as she hurried forward.
Morgana smiled brightly. "Don't worry, I'm all right. How's Merlin?"
"Arthur and Jaya have left to get the antidote." Gwen smiled tightly.
"Then he'll be fine." Morgana smiled.
Gwen looked at her in the mirror and sighed.
"He's special to you. I can take care of myself for a bit." Morgana smiled again in the mirror. "Go."
Gwen smiled brightly and nodded. "Thank you."
Uther looked at Arthur sharply. "Honestly Arthur, if you're going to rush off to try to save the one tasting for you, what is the point of having a taster?!" he demanded.
Arthur's lips set into a thin line. "I won't fail no matter what you think."
"Arthur you are my only son. You are Camelot's heir. Why would I send you off to save the life of the serving boy."
"Oh, because his life is worthless?" Arthur demanded, angry.
Uther stopped and looked at him sharply. "Worth less than yours."
Arthur looked at him askance. "I can save him. Let me take some men."
"No." Uther disagreed.
"We'll find the antidote and bring it back." Arthur tried again.
"No." Uther stated.
"Why not?!" Arthur demanded, exasperated.
"Because one day I will be dead and Camelot will need a king. I will not let you throw your future away." Uther roared.
"This is not a fool's errand. Gaius says that if we can get the antidote-" Arthur started.
"Oh, Gaius says! Gaius says!" Uther sneered. "Fools errand. Indeed."
"Father...please. I can't stand by and watch him die for me." Arthur placated, trying his best not to keep worked up.
"Then don't look." Uther snapped. "This boy won't be the last to die on your behalf. You're going to be King. It's something that you'll have to get used to." Uther started walking away again.
"I can't accept that." Arthur stood where he was.
"You're not going." Uther threw over his shoulder.
"You can't stop me." Arthur threatened.
Uther stopped and glared at him viciously. "Damn it, Arthur! You're not leaving the castle tonight!" He turned and continued on down the hallway.
Arthur watched him go, suddenly feeling helpless.
"Say what you like about the food, but you can't beat our feasts for entertainment." Morgana pointed out as she swished into Arthur's chambers without knocking on the door.
"Morgana, sorry. I should have checked on you." Arthur looked up at her guiltily from where he was sitting in his wolfhide-covered chair.
"Disappointed actually." Morgana huffed. "I was looking forward to jumping into the melee."
"I'm sure the guards would have been glad for your help with handling Bayard and his men." Arthur noted dryly.
"Yeah, but why let the boys have all the fun?" Morgana wondered.
"Morgana, you shouldn't get involved. It's dangerous." Arthur pointed out.
"Spare me the lecture, I've already had it from the king. Jaya picked up a dinner knife and it seems like no one batted an eye." She pouted slightly.
Arthur pursed his lips. "She shouldn't get involved either."
Morgana looked at him haughtily for a moment.
"If it's any consolation, you weren't the only one." Arthur sighed, looking exhausted.
"Not that we listen to him." Morgana looked at Arthur pointedly.
"Who?" Arthur looked at her sharply.
"Jaya and I. Honestly, Arthur, try to keep up." Morgana looked at him like he was trying her patience. "Sometimes you've got to do what you believe right and damn the consequences."
"You think I should go?" Arthur asked.
"Why would it matter what I think?" Morgana pointed out.
"If I don't make it back, who will be the next king of Camelot?" Arthur questioned, standing up in frustration. "There's more than just my life at stake."
"And yet here you are trying to justify staying to me." Morgana tilted her head to the left slightly. "What sort of king do you want to be? One who would risk his life for a lowly servant?" she pulled Arthur's sword out and turned the hilt toward him. "Or one who does what daddy tells him to do." She held out the sword to him.
Arthur slowly took it and watched as she walked out his door without a glance over her shoulder.
Arthur walked into the stables and was surprised to find Jaya already there fitting a set of loaded down saddle bags behind her saddle. "When did you get here?" he demanded.
"A while ago. It took me a little longer than I would have liked to get down here. With all the rushing around the castle it's harder than usual to sneak out without getting noticed." Jaya gritted her teeth slightly and pulled on Courage's girth strap to make sure that the saddle was tightened down all the way. "I didn't think you would want attention drawn to the fact that we're leaving."
"How did you know that I would leave?" Arthur questioned.
Jaya looked at him and draped her arm over Courage's hindquarters. "You're here, aren't you?" she pointed out. "And without the knights, I see."
"I still don't think you should go." Arthur muttered, walking around the corner of one of the stalls and finding his favorite bay saddled and waiting patiently. Arthur stared at the saddle for a moment and then looked at the bridle. "Jaya?"
Jaya looked back at him, completely unfazed. "He is your favorite for excursions such as this." She shrugged.
Arthur turned around and tilted his head at her. "How did you get down here so fast?"
Jaya smirked and winked. "Maybe someday I'll tell you my secrets to getting changed quickly without help, but right now we're running out of time to save Merlin. So are you going to continue squawking about the fact that I made it here before you, or are you going to be able to pull yourself together enough to get those saddlebags on so that we can make it out of the city before they close the gates to make sure that they can round up all of Bayard's people?"
"I was not getting dressed this whole time." Arthur protested.
Jaya looked at him. "He told you no, and you went to your chambers and pouted, didn't you?" she asked, tipping an eyebrow, looking disappointed.
Arthur opened his mouth to protest that she couldn't talk to him like that, but then he realized that she could, in fact. She wasn't Merlin, though he almost heard the joking chastisement in Merlin's voice. He looked at her and pursed his lips. "Did you get food or are we planning on hunting mostly?" he wondered stiffly.
Jaya cocked her head to the side. "Are you doubting my ability to plan for this adventure?" she pushed her eyebrows up and her thick braid over her right shoulder. "It's not like I didn't have time."
Arthur groaned and pulled on the reins to get the knot that Jaya had tied them in out. "If you've forgotten something, I will never let you hear the end of it."
Jaya snorted. "Arthur."
He stopped in the door of the stable, his faithful bay stopping a step beyond him. "Yes?" he asked skeptically.
Jaya stepped over to where his saddlebags had dropped when he was processing the fact that his horse was already ready for him. "Did you want to bring these along then?"
Arthur looked at them and for a moment wished with all his might that he had drank the poison instead of Merlin. "Is this what this trip is going to be like?" he asked, his voice strained.
"Depends." Jaya smirked tossing his loaded saddlebags at him, smirking while he fumbled to catch them and still look dignified.
"On what?" Arthur growled, tossing them across the back of his saddle and tying them down.
"If you keep being forgetful." Jaya shrugged, walking past him, Courage muscling past the Bay with his ears back slightly, following Jaya even though his reins were dangling loose over his neck.
Arthur pursed his lips and groaned under his breath. He wished for a split second that Jaya had grabbed the goblet from him and drank it. At least with Merlin he could glare him into an insincere apology or maybe silence. Jaya...well, that didn't work with her.
Jaya was already in her saddle, her right leg haphazardly thrown over Courage's neck, by the time that Arthur made it out of the barn and stepped up into his saddle. She whistled softly to bring Ridire back by her from where he had deviated around the corner of the stable and swung her leg around and into her stirrup as Courage trotted forward after Arthur's bay.
They wove through the streets, picking up speed until they were galloping neck-and-neck as they thundered toward the drawbridge.
"Halt!" One of the guards called, holding up his hand and starting to close the gap with his companion. They scattered out of the way quickly as the two horses didn't slow and charged past them.
Jaya spent the first few hours fighting Courage to keep him from charging past Arthur's bay. She didn't know where they were going, and she didn't have a map of the areas to look over to even get an idea. About the time that the moon broke over the tops of trees, Jaya was starting to wonder how far Arthur was going to go. It was getting close to midnight, and they had to stop soon, the horses needed to be watered.
Arthur finally called a halt an hour later near a small, silver streak of a stream that was out of the way of the road. "We'll stay here until dawn." he informed.
"Yes, Sire." Jaya saluted as she stepped off Courage.
Arthur looked at her and put his hands on his hips. "What?"
"I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to stop. We can't run the horses into the ground, Arthur. It doesn't help." Jaya pointed out, simply letting go of Courage, watching him trot eagerly to the water where Ridire had already thrown himself down, drinking the water that passed by him.
Arthur looked at her sharply. "Are you saying that I-"
"I'm saying that we have to be smart about how we're traveling. We'll get there faster if the horses rest every few hours. I'm just as worried about Merlin as you are. But I'd prefer not to walk." Jaya snapped.
Arthur pulled back slightly. "So you are."
Jaya folded her arms. "I understand that you don't want me along, Arthur Pendragon, but the least you could do is respect me enough to know that I'm not going to slow you down. And understand that I wouldn't say something unless it was necessary. I'm not one of your knights or servants that you can just boss around and expect to keep quiet."
Arthur suddenly realized why she was so upset. "Jaya, I-"
Jaya wasn't finished. "You didn't say thank you when you found out that I had gotten your horse together for you. You just demanded to know if I had food packed too!" Jaya jerked the reins out of his hands and lead the bay over to the water, pushing Courage away from it so he wouldn't get sick. "I understand that you've always had things handed to you, and that you've rarely been responsible for the consequences of choices you make. You have to think of your horse. I realize that you have many in the stable, but you only have one here. He's just like you. He gets tired and thirsty and hungry. He works with you. He carries your weight and the weight of your supplies. You owe it to him to give him the breaks he deserves." Jaya continued, letting the bay's head drop into the water again and moving so that Courage could drink again too.
Arthur slowly leaned against a tree and watched as Jaya pulled both horses away from the water and hobbled them in some tall grass not far from the water's edge and hung their bridles on a branch so the reins didn't get stepped on. "Jaya, I'm-" he started.
Jaya held up her hand, cutting him off. "I'm going to get something for breakfast tomorrow. Think you can managed to light a fire on your own?" she asked as she stepped off into the forest, Ridire close on her heels.
"Sorry." Arthur mumbled to the quiet clearing. Feeling very chastised. He looked over at the horses and then started to put some stones that were by the water in a ring for a fire. As he worked he thought about what Jaya had said and realized just how right she was. He could see the white foam that had formed and was now drying around the straps of the horses tack, and the way that they were eating. By the time he was getting the fire started he felt more than guilty about the fact that he hadn't been the least bit grateful for what she had done for him. And the fact that she had insisted on coming on the quest with him on the first place, considering she was probably going to get into just as much trouble, if not more, as he was. He suddenly realized just how selfish he had been acting