Kagome slowly filled the bucket with water. She had found a place to camp nearby and waited until the sounds of battle ceased before returning to the castle to look for survivors. She to find some wounded soldiers and had snuck them out of Camelot while the Cenred's men were too busy storming the castle. The injured Camelot knights were wounded badly and in normal circumstances they would have bleed out slowly, which is probably what their assailants thought as well. Kagome, however, was not a normal healer. She healed the major internal injuries, leaving just enough wounds to be believable. Last thing she wanted was for her magical gifts to be discovered, by either the knights or Morgana.

Kagome made her way back towards the small cave she had taken shelter in. Now that they had full control of the castle, Kagome was certain that Morgana would be sending out patrols. The cave was damp, but it provided shelter and she could easily defend it. Entering the cave she set the water down by the make shift beds tucked off in the corner. The two men she rescued were shaking with fever, their wounds were starting to become infected. She would need to clean them and put some herbs on to stop the infection.

Taking the scrap clothes she made from their capes, she dipped them in the water. Gently, she set the cold wet clothes on the foreheads of the men. Next, she started to undress the wounds to clean them. She smeared the healing salve on the wounds before re-bandaging them.

A groan brought her out of her thoughts, alerting her to the consciousness of her patient. "Wh…Where….Where…am…I?" He rasped out, his eyes opening to stare at the cave ceiling.

"You are in a cave, just outside Camelot." Kagome gently replied, causing the man to turn his light blue eyes down to the woman dressing his stomach wound. He had seen her a few times around the prince and had noticed her fighting alongside Sir Leon during the battle, but they had not been formally introduced.

"How?" He rasped out again. The last thing he remembered was the immortal army attacking the main gate. He had been slashed across the chest before falling in one of the ditches.

"I found you wounded and brought you here." Kagome told him. She turned to smile up at the man. He was probably around the same age Arthur, judging by his appearance was. He long ear length brown hair with slight stubble on his face.

"You were quite heavy." Kagome laughed. However, she could easily lift him again. She was stronger than the average person was, just as Midoriko had been. "May I get you name sir knight?" Kagome asked playfully. She was happy she had someone to talk with. She had found them around noon, if her internal clock was right, and it was now getting close to sun down.

"I am Sir Lucan, milady." He managed to say. Kagome had heard of Sir Lucan, he was close to Arthur, much like Sir Leon. She would equate him to being Arthur's personal guard. He was one of the men that trained with Arthur.

"What of Camelot?" He asked after a bit of silence. Kagome could see he was struggling to remain conscious. He had probably dozed off a bit before remembering the battle once again.

"I am afraid Camelot has been taken." Kagome told him sadly. Straightening up she quickly finished dressing the rest of his wounds. "Rest, you will need your strength later."

The knight nodded before allowing sleep to take him once again. Kagome turned to look out the cave. She hoped Gwen and Gaius were safe.


Merlin quickly set Arthur down on the table bench in Gaius's room. They had almost been caught several times, managing to hide at the last minute. Arthur had complained most of the way, only becoming silent when footsteps were heard.

"You're disobeying orders, Merlin. I'll have you in the stocks for this." Arthur told him as he tried to sit up on the bench. His pain was getting worse and now his entire body ached.

"Fine. Now, stay put and try not to move that leg." Melin knew that the prince's threats were empty and even if they were not then it would be worth the minor embarrassment if that meant Arthur would live. He had hoped he would find Kagome and Gaius here, but it looks like he was on his own.

Merlin started looking through various potions. 'Why can't Gaius label these things? It would be helpful to know what they are.' Merlin thought picking up several different potions only to put them back. The sound of glass breaking startles him out of his search. The noise was coming from the closet. Quietly he picks up Arthur's sword and makes his way to the closet. As his hand reaches the handle, he suddenly swings it open hoping to scare whoever or whatever is in there.

"Gaius!" Merlin's eyes grew big and a smile manages to cross his face at seeing his mentor. However, he had to wonder what the man was doing in the closet in the first place.

"Merlin!" Gaius shouts pulling the young boy into a hug. He had thought he would never get to see him again. This was wonderful news, Arthur and Merlin were alive, which means Camelot's hope was growing.

"Are you alright?" Merlin asked him as he glanced over him for wounds. He had expected some sort of wound, Morgana knew Gaius did not trust her and thought she would try to have him killed.

"Yes, Kagome warded the closet and made it so none of the soldiers could enter. They gave up after a while and I became much better after seeing you." Gaius told him. The soldiers had come in the room, but he managed to make it to the closet. He had heard the cries of the soldier who tried to open the door. After a few attempts, the soldiers gave up and moved on.

Arthur's moan alerted Gaius to his presence in the room. "Arthur." The boy did not look so well, something was wrong. He tried to head over to him but was stopped by Merlin.

"I tried to heal him using magic, but it didn't work." He explained. Magic could only do so much and it was nothing like what Kagome could do. Now that he thought about it the girl he was surprised, she was not in the closet with Gaius. She obviously warded both the closet and Gwen's house, but he had not seen a trace of her in either.

Gaius nodded before making his way over to Arthur. He could smell the blood on the young man and noticed how he clutched his leg. "This may hurt a bit, Sire." Gaius warned before pulling the fabric back to inspect the leg. Arthur groaned in pain at the action

It was as he thought. "The wound's infected. I'll have to redress the leg to reduce the inflammation." He had started to move towards his workbench when Arthur called out.

"No, no, no, no. We haven't got time. Just give me something to keep going." Arthur tried to sit up. They needed to find Gwen and his father fast. The longer they waited the less likely their entrance would go unnoticed.

"Yes, Sire." Gaius nodded. Arthur really needed to have his wound dressed, but he was right, they did not have the time. He would have to redress it later. Both Gaius and Merlin walked over to the workbench. Kagome had taken most of the tonics, but he had the supplies to make a new one.

"It's the army of immortals, isn't it?" Merlin asked. He already knew, but wanted to hear it from his mentor's lips.

"We'll be lucky to get away with our lives, any of us." Gaius told him. Things were very dire indeed, but if they did manage to get out of the castle they may just have a chance.

"Gaius, where is Kagome?" Merlin asked. He hoped nothing happened to her. Kagome had told him that she could feel Morgana's hatred towards her, which means that if Morgana was able to capture her she would probably be killed.

"She went down to the city to help defend the Castle." Gaius told him. He had not heard anything from anyone since the invasion. Noticing the boy's crestfallen look, he decided to cheer him up. "She told me that if things got bleak she would run and find a place to hide."

"Do you really think she is alive, Gaius?" Merlin had seen how many were dead among the streets. Kagome may be a powerful sorcerer but there was no way she could take on an immortal army.

"Kagome is a smart girl and able to take care of herself." Gaius reassured him. Shaking one of the bottles in his hand, he walked back towards Arthur. "You may want to clench your teeth, sire, this is going to sting."

Gaius poured one of the tonics on Arthur's wound, causing the man to jump and moan through clenched teeth. This will help clean the wound and it will numb it for a time being. "Now drink this." Gaius said handing Arthur the other tonic that will reduce the inflammation. "The effect will be instant, Sire, but I cannot guarantee how long it'll last."

"Thank you, Gaius." Arthur said after finishing the tonic. Already he could feel the pain subside; now it was more of a dull ache.

The door burst open and their two companions raced towards them. "The King, Sire, he's alive." Elyan said managing to catch his breath before Gwaine.

"Where is he?" Arthur asked jumping to his feet. His father was alive, this was the first good news he had heard.

This time, it was Gwaine who spoke up. "They're taking him to the throne room as we speak."

Realizing how little time they have Arthur quickly turned around to grab his sword. "This may be my last chance." He needed to get there before they had the time to kill his father.

"Arthur, there's too many of them. You'll never make it." Merlin tried to reason with the prince. Now that the potions had kicked in Arthur was back to being his stubborn and insensible self.

"I won't leave my father to die here alone." Arthur told him before turning to look at the two other men. "Gwaine, Elyan, take Gaius and make your way to the woods beyond the castle. I hope we meet again."

Gwaine and Elyan nod before turning around and running out the door, Gaius following behind them. They did not like the idea of leaving Arthur behind, but the longer they were in the castle the less likely they were to make it out alive.

"Merlin, you should go with them." Arthur told him, offering him a way out of the dangerous mission he was about to go on.

Merlin glanced towards the door the others just left through before looking back at Arthur. "Nah, I've seen the woods already." His face did not show the humor that had been in his words and tone. It seemed he set the princes mind at ease though because he tossed him a small smile. The two men left the room and headed towards the throne room, hoping to make it there in time.

Merlin also hoped that his friend would be able to make it out of the castle alive. If anything happened to Arthur and Him then at least they still had their lives.


Gaius, Elyan, and Gwaine were running through the woods. They had been spotted by a patrol making their way through the forest, looking for Arthur and Melin. It had been two whole days since they had last seen them and they had heard no word that he was captured.

However, their search would have to wait. Several soldiers were right on their trails, if they could not lose them, they would be killed.

"Get down!" A female voice shouted from amidst the trees. Gaius immediately dropped to the ground recognizing the voice. He was glad the girl was still alive. Following Gaius's example the other two dropped to the floor too. They barely made it on the ground when a huge log came swinging overhead, hitting the pursuing men in the side and knocking them into a ditch.

Standing up, they walked over to look into the pit, all the men where in a huge pile, some groaning and some unconscious. "That won't keep them there for long. We have to hurry." Kagome said climbing down from one of the trees off to the side of them. She was immediately caught into a hug as soon as her boots hit the ground.

"Kagome!" Gaius said hugging the young woman. "Thank goodness you are alive."

Kagome wrapped her arms around the old man. "It's good to see you too, Gaius." Kagome said jokingly. Gaius pulled back to look over the young woman. She was no longer dressed in a dress. Instead, she was wearing a brown blouse with a black corset and tan skintight pants that were tucked into black knee high boots.

"Who is this lovely vision?" Gwaine asked walking up next to Gaius. The woman was one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes on. She had an exotic beauty about her.

"Should we not be getting out of here?" Elyan asked. The men in the pit were starting to come around and he did not want to be here when they escaped that pit.

"Elyan is right. We will have time for introductions later." Kagome told them walking around the tree she just climbed down from she picked up her sword and the game she had killed. Noticing the stares, she just nodded towards the direction she was headed. "This way boys, there is a cave not far that we can hide out in."

"So…Who is she?" Gwaine asked Elyan. The man had not spoken much, only stared at her with a puzzled look on her face.

"She works in the castle with my sister. However, I have never seen her like this." Elyan said, noticing the woman's armaments. She had a bow strapped to her back and on her side was the sword he made at her request. Guess it was not a gift after all. "She looks completely different."

"She may not be normal, but she is gorgeous." Gwaine said before running to catch up with the beautiful woman. Gaius and Elyan followed behind them.

"So, what was that back there?" Gwaine asked trying to keep up with the small woman. For someone so short she sure walked fast. He practically had to jog to keep up with her. "With the log, I mean."

Kagome looked over at the ruggedly handsome man. He was nice to look at, but he was too much of a player to interest her. "It was a trap I had made, just in case I was ever tailed."

Gwaine was shocked. This little woman managed to set a log trap, by herself. He would have thought the log would have been too much for her to hoist up.

Kagome lead the men to the small cave hidden behind trees and a rock face. She had been hiding here since the attack. It was big enough to shelter everyone and then some. Slowly she stepped down the slope that led to the entrance. Entering the cave she smiled at the two men that were resting along the caves walls. "I brought back food!" Kagome told them holding up the game she had killed, before nodding towards the people behind her. "And some friends."

Both men smiled at the young woman. She had nursed them all while they were unconscious. She had told them their wounds she be healed in a few more days, but until then she ordered them all to stay put. They learned fast it was not smart to anger the woman.

Setting the game down Kagome stood up and clapped her hands gathering everyone's attention. "I believe introductions are in order."

Gwaine was the first speak up, introducing himself. "I am Gwaine, my dear lady." Gwaine said picking up Kagome's hand and placing a kiss on it. "You already seem to know Elyan and Gaius."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Gwaine." Kagome said pulling her hand out of his and smiling the entire time. "And please, call me Kagome. I do not care for all the milady crap." Gwaine smiled, here was a woman after his own heart.

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused the heads to focus on the two men resting on the cave floors.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sir Lucan and this is my cousin Sir Jaufre." Lucan said pointing over to the slightly older man. You could tell they were related they both shared similar facial structure and the same light blue eyes. The only real difference was Jaufre had blond hair, though it was cut in a similar fashion to his cousin.

"Sir Lucan, Sir Jaufre, I am so happy to see you both alive. We had feared that all the knights perished." Gaius said looking at the two men. He knew these two young men. He had treated their wounds since birth. Arthur was always pushing them to train harder. It was good to see that they had made it out alive.

"We would not be alive if it was not for your kind assistant." Jaufre replied, causing Kagome to blush as all eyes went to her. "She found us, dressed our wounds, and nursed up back to life. We owe her much."

Kagome looked at the two men with a kind smile on her face. "You do not owe me anything. I could not sit by and let you die, when I could save you."

Gauis laughed at the girl. She did not know much about knights it seems. "There is no point in discouraging them. When a knight's life is saved, they are indebted to the one who saved them. It is a matter of honor."

Kagome sighed, knowing there was nothing she could do to sway them. Deciding to change the topic, she turned slightly to look at the three men. "So what were you doing in the woods?"

"We were looking for Arthur and Merlin." Gaius said, looking at the young woman. He could tell by her reaction that she was surprised. She must have not expected them to return to Camelot.

"You mean Merlin and Arthur are here?" Kagome asked. She could not hold back her joy. She had been worried that they were caught and being held captive in Cenred's kingdom and would not make it back.

"Yes, they returned right after Morgana took control of Camelot." Elyan told her. He was happy to see Kagome alive, but they needed to look for Arthur and Merlin. Arthur was still wounded and would need Gaius to dress his wounds. "We should continue our search."

"You, Gwaine, and Kagome can continue the search. I would only slow you down. I can stay here and treat these two." Gaius said.

"There are herbs in the back of the cave. I used all the tonics, but there should be enough herbs to create a healing salve." Kagome told him as she bent down to picking up her weapons. She wanted to find Merlin. She needed to make sure he was ok. It had been torture the last week, not knowing if she would ever see him again. She missed him greatly. He seemed to be the only one she could really talk too. The thought that she had lost him had broken her heart. It was then she knew that she had fallen for the quirky young warlock.

"Are you sure it is wise to bring her, Gaius?" Elyan whispered quietly to the older man. He did not like the idea of putting her in danger.

Kagome overheard his question but decided to ignore it and began to walk out of the cave "Are you two coming or not?" As she walked out of site, the two men realized she was leaving with or without them and rushed after her.


"So, Kagome, do you know how to fight with a sword?" Gwaine asked as he walked alongside the small woman. The sword looked like it would be too long and heavy for her to wield. However, if she could rig a log trap then she could probably wield it. "I could show you some moves."

Kagome looked at the man. It was obvious he was trying to charm her. His attempts made her want to laugh. "I have been well trained in the art of swordsmanship, but thank you for your offer." The poor man looked like she shot down his dreams. However, his sad pout did not last long.

"And the bow?" He asked. He was not the greatest archer, preferring to fight with his fists, but he could still use a bow.

"Archery is my specialty." Kagome said with a smirk. Her eyes glinted with humor. She was far more trained than either man here was, but she was sure none of them knew that. Women in these lands did not fight, they were maids or wives.

"Might I ask where you learned how to fight, Kagome?" Elyan asked. He was not sure he believed she could use a bow or a sword, but she has always been honest, so why would she start now?

"Where I come from women could learn how to fight. I had a friend that was trained to slay evil magical creatures and she was female." Kagome told them. Both were kind of true, in the future any one could learn how to fight and Sango was a demon exterminator.

The sound of a twig snapping caused them all to draw their swords. They were fairly deep in the forest for patrols to be out here, but if they were looking for survivors it might explain why they would come out this far. Suddenly Kagome broke out into a smile, quickly sheathing her sword she ran off in the direction of the sound. Neither man had time to stop her before she was out of reach. The best they could do is run after her.

Kagome ran as fast as she could. She knew that aura it belonged to Merlin. She stopped next to a tree. There he was, he was gathering water. Smiling she stepped out from the tree line alerting him to her presence.

Merlin heard the sound of leaves crunching underneath a foot. Turning face his attacker, he was unprepared for the young woman who barreled into his chest. Looking down he noticed the raven colored hair that belonged to only one person he knew. "Kagome!" Merlin shouted in joy as he wrapped his arms around the girl.

"Looks like you might have some competition." Elyan said as he watched the scene. It was obvious the two loved each other. Kagome was snuggling her face into his chest as he rested his on her head.

"No, he already won." Gwaine said smiling at the scene. A much as he loved romance, he preferred it when he was involved. "Merlin! There you are." He called out causing them both to jump back blushing.

"Gwaine! Elyan!" Merlin could not help the smile. Not only had he found Gwaine and Elyan, but he also found Kagome. He had tried to search for her, but he could not go too far, not with Arthur being injured.

"Looks like your safe." Gwaine said smirking slightly.

"I am but Arthur has a fever. I tried dressing his wounds, but I am not very good at it." Merlin told them pointing over to a small makeshift camp where the prince was laying. Arthur was shaking and sweat poured down his face. They needed to get him back to the cave where Gaius was.

"We should bring him back to the cave. I have herbs there and Gaius is there as well." Kagome told them walking up to the shaking prince. Subtly she let some of her powers seep into him, helping his healing process. It should help clear him of his infection, but the rest would be up to him.