Chapter 40

Don't Kill the Messenger

The night was still and cold. Time felt as if it had stopped. It was silent except for the rustling of leaves or the random snap of a twig beneath Cedric heavy boot as he trampled the ground. Cedric glanced up at the sky. It was scattered with gleaming stars. Their light a throbbing heartbeat that were made all the brighter with an absent moon.

Cedric remembered when he was a child, before the war began and they were free to practice magic, his father always said on nights like this...there were only five things a wise man truly feared; the sea in a storm, the anger of a gentle man, no magic, a scorned woman, and a moonless night. Cedric, and his family, were weakest on such nights. Not helpless, but not at full power either.

He paused once he was close enough to his destination. Arthur waited outside the borders of his now empty camp studding the Knights of Camelot as they readied themselves for battle. Cedric and his sister, Omari, watched him from the shelter of the trees, far enough away that Arthur would never suspect he was being watched.

A dark skinned beauty stood to Arthurs left, Queen Guinivere, a woman who was difficult to miss. Next to her was an old man, Giaus, Cedric would wager. Emrys had mistaken Cedric for the old man when he woke him enough times to put the pieces together. Next to the old man, a young knight stood, eyes glued to the forest behind the king and queen. However, the space to Arthurs right always stayed bare. Must be where Emrys used to stand.

Cedrics lips twisted up in frustration. He hated to be involved in this war. This wasn't the mission. His mission, as a dragon seeker, or rather a Dragon Keeper, was to seek out lost dragons and bring them home. Not to take sides in a war he was supposed to be neutral in and yet here they were ready to jump in the first chance they got. If it weren't for Omari he would have taken the dragon, Athusia, and gone home by now.

Cedric stomped away from Arthur, and passed a glare at Omari who sat comfortably on a fallen wych elm tree. Her back supported by the roots. The little orange hairs of the tree have all fallen off and the tree has started to decay, but it was still strong enough to offer support.

Cedric started to pace in front of Omari wearing a path in the foliage. Her eyes followed him though the rest of her stood absolutely still. She felt a weird tickling sensation at the base of her spine. It grew until even her palms itched.

"Would you stand still!" Omari snapped. "Your making me itch." She flexed her shoulders and shuddered.

Cedric cast her a peeved glare, his hazel green eyes glowing back at her, and continued pacing. Omari growled in irritation. Suddenly, a large knife embedded into the earth right at his feet. Omari smiled and laughed at his peeved expression. Her matching hazel-green eyes danced with mirth. Cedric pressed his lips together and ground his teeth. The knife disappeared and reappeared in his hand. With a quick fluid motion he turned around and tossed it back at her, not really trying to his her. She easily evaded it. The knife landed solidly in the rood behind her. She laughed even harder. He was surprised she didn't topple backwards over the tree.

"Would you rather be the one to come up with the plans, or do you like what you already do? Because your court trouble pretty well."

"I don't court trouble, trouble just likes to woo me." Omari purred, and laughed loudly. Obviously finding herself absolutely hilarious.

"Keep it down, will you, you hyaena?" Cedric snapped.

"Hyaena?" Please," Omari scoffed and knelt down, with arms braced on the tree below her. "I'm a she-wolf all the way." Omari tossed back her head again, but this time, she howled just like a wolf.

"Really?" Cedric huffed and continued his pacing. "For once, could you just come up with a plan?"

She raised her hands in surrender. "Not my thing. If all goes bad I do not want to be blamed for it. Lets just get this over with." She jumped from the tree and landed on the balls of her feet. "It shouldn't be to difficult to get Arthur alone. I overheard a Knight speaking with the old man about the kings injuries."

"Injuries?" Cedric frowned.

"Arthur has to get them bound before they march out. Catch him when he is with the physician. The wounds are not extensive but I suspect he will be compromised in the upcoming battle." Omari worried her bottom lip. "Should we try to convince him to stay out of it?"

Cedric ground his molars and shook his head. "From what I have heard of King Arthur, he doesn't back down. Not even when its certain death. And that was even before he knew he had the protection of a powerful warlock. No. Our best option is to convince him to head Morgana off. The first half of the army is most likely camped outside the walls of Camelot. It would be a miracle if her walls remained unscathed by the time Arthurs army arrived."

"Well that's what we're here for. If the Walls are down, Camelot is gone and we have to keep the once and future king safe." Omari broke in.

"Maybe, but the-" Cedric began, but Omari held up her hand cutting him off.

"And the issue would be what?" Omari pressed. She raised a brow. " Because I don't see it. We're either dead, or not dead. It's simple. There are no "but," and "maybes.""

Omari smirked at her brother when he wasn't looking. She loved to poke him. He was like an irritable grizzly bear. She wanted to pat him in the head and tell him he was "Good boy" for not killing anyone important. Even with his silly vow to not kill, he was formidable, intimidating, and impulsive.

Cedric shrugged. "Okay. Fine." He grabbed her hand and transported them straight into Arthur path.

The physician must have just finished with Arthur wounds because he was already walking away when Cedric and Omari showed up. Queen Guinevere was nowhere to be seen. King Arthur sat on a barrel twisting his black leather gloved in a white knuckle grip too caught up in his thoughts to be startled by Cedric and Omari's sudden appearance. However, the knights surrounding him were not. They drew their weapons.

"Well, this was stupid." Omari drawled.

Cedric let go of Omari's hand but refrained from drawing a weapon.

Casually she reached behind her and pulled free what looked like a small staff, but with a single thought and a pulse of magic it turned into a beautifully carved bow, which she raised and aimed it at the closet, and only, man to draw a bow.

"Do not aim that at my brother, young knight." The knight's arm quivered. "I think I'm more of a threat to you right now, lad. Aim it at me if that will make you feel better." The bow swung around to her. Good. She nodded curtly. She swung her bow to the next nearest threat who happened to be a tall strapping knight with short light brown hair, blue eyes with devilish dimples and no shirt despite the bitter cold. Hmm. She cocked her head to the side. She liked.

"I came to speak with King Arthur." Cedric crossed his right fist over his chest and bowed low. "We mean no harm. We come with news." Arthur didn't move. Didn't even glance up.

"I don't think they give a shit, brother." Omari voiced without glancing away from her target. She smirked and then winked at the tall muscled man before her.

"King Arthur?" Cedric said again.

Omari raised her bow higher when another knight stepped out from behind the large shirtless god of a man.

"Don't." Omari warned him.

He was short with curly blond hair and blue-green eyes. He raised his hands to say he wasn't a threat. "I am Leon. If you are no threat, then lower your bow." The baby faced man demanded.

She lowered her bow, but only to level it with his cock. " I wouldn't come any closer if I were you." Omari warned.

"Lower your bow, woman." Another knight called. He was a beautiful specimen of a man with his full brown mane of hair, brown eyes and charming smile. Ah, strength.

"No," Omari snapped defiantly. "Not until your men disarm."

"Omari," Cedric snapped at her. "Put your bow down."

"Them first." She grit past her clenched teeth.

"Now," Cedric demanded. The power he put into that one word made the ground beneath them rumble.

Omari huffed. Her hands tightened just fraction before she lowered her bow and relaxed her pose. She put the arrow back and then slung the bow over her left shoulder. She grumbled the whole time.

Cedric looked at the Knights as well. "You next." He hissed. Soon every sword, bow and ax was put away.

The curly blond Knight stepped forward. "My lord?" He asked. He stepped forward around Cedric. He placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder.

"This is courage, are you serious?" Omari scoffed. She glanced at the brown haired knight. "I can see strength. But..." She looked back at her brother and waved at Arthur's blank face.

"Arthur?" The blond Knight asked. She shook Arthur's shoulder.

"Hmm, yes. What?" Arthur murmured. he looked up at who had spoken. He noticed his knights were closer than normal. His eyes lingered on Leon's face a moment before he focused on the two new and unfamiliar faces. Arthurs narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

"I am Cedric. This is my sister, Omari."

Arthur put on his gloves as if he hadn't just been zoning out while a confrontation almost broke out. Arthur nodded absently. "And why are you here?"

"Emrys would have been here himself but...um, something, well," Cedric looked to Omari. She pulled out the seal Merlin gave them.

"Emrys gave this to us to present to you as proof of our good intentions." Omari presented the medallion to Arthur. He took the seal and spun it around in his hands. He looked back up at them.

"Is Merlin well?" Arthur asked.

"Merlin is fine..." Cedric assured. He hadn't lied. Merlin would be fine-ish. It was Emrys he was worried about. That half of Emrys, that wasn't a Dragon Lord, would always suffer, desperate to free Emrys from the curse. Mostly because it was a gift from the first dragon, not the earth, and Morgana had bound herself to Emrys magic. His essence and connection to the earth, leaving the rest of him to flounder for a way out.

Arthur looked doubtful but stayed his questions for the moment. He sighed. "What news do you bring?"

Cedric sighed. "Morgana out maneuvered us and we fell into her trap. Half her army marched out to Camelot. The other half is not far behind. If we leave now, we may be able to cut them off."

Arthur looked down at the medallion in his hand. The very seal he had given to Merlin. This was Merlin's way of protecting Arthur when Merlin couldn't do it himself. Arthur turned it over once more before he put it in a pouch at his waist.

He looked back up at his knights that surrounded him. Then he looked back at Cedric and smirked. "So..." Arthur raised his brows. "You ready to ride into hell and knock on deaths door?"

Omari smiled. "Yes, sir." Cedric inclined his head.

Arthur pressed his lips together and nodded absently as he and his knights wondered off.

Omari watched the bare chested man-god walk away. He glanced back a couple of times.

"I want one of those." Omari purred.

Cedric looked at his sister with a raised brow. Omari smiled at her brother, and giggled. "I think I'm going to go after that stallion I was going to kill," Omari's eyes danced with humor as she turned away and headed after that muscled man-god. She could use a good long hard ride before she goes to war.