Merlin and Rory sat side by side on the marble steps before the great oak front doors of the castle. The courtyard before them was packed with people all taking refuge in the Citadel and camping out in any space they could find. Taking up the space to the left, were the piles of dead, surrounded by their mourning family.

"So the attack came out of nowhere then?" Rory said eventually, watching a group particularly close to them with glazed eyes. A woman knelt over a body, tear tracks streaking down her blood and mud splattered cheeks, a small boy at her side with eyes matching hers kept tugging on her dress and asking why his father wouldn't wake up.

"Yeah," Merlin replied hoarsely, watching the same scene. "A bunch of Saxons attacked the town of Herador in the early hours of the morning, burning the all the crops and slaughtering everyone in their path. They had the element of surprise on their side as well as skill with weapons. The villagers didn't stand a chance."

The boy's tugging became more violent and he began screaming at his mother who didn't seem to register him.

"These people only managed to escape because they saw the smoke on the horizon and heard the cries. Yet even with a head start, the Saxons still caught up with them." And Merlin gestured to the piles of dead.

The boy began kicking the body of his father pulling at him and shaking at him, screaming for him to wake up. His mother just sat there, staring into nothing.

"Why leave some alive?" Rory asked.

"To carry the message of the attack." Merlin replied darkly. "Arthur is in the war council right now, though I don't see what can be done. The Saxons have been and gone. There tracks will have been concealed and the two towns and their crop burned to the ground."

An old man couldn't seem to take it any more and he got up and led the poor child away from the dead corpse of his father, and the living corpse of his mother.

Rory remained silent for a moment looking over the tired, mud and blood splattered who had barely escaped with their lives. Eventually she spoke again, putting her thoughts to words.

"Herador and Gamthor are two major farming towns along with Mandor in the East. They are, were some of the largest providers of wheat and barley Camelot has. The Saxons are attacking at our food source, shorting our supplies for basic things such as bread."

Merlin glanced at her. "You think they mean to starve us out?"

Rory sighed. "All I know is that we now have an entire village to house and feed, probably more by next week; I doubt the Saxons will stop with just these two villages. If Mandor is next on their list, we may find ourselves with less Corn as well. By the time the harvest comes, if it even does, we will have a Citadel bursting with refugees and half our usual supply of food." She glanced at the sky. "Winter is coming, Merlin. And I fear this year will be our harshest one yet."

Merlin closed his eyes to the courtyard taking in a deep breath and letting it out. "This is all Morgana's doing."

"Of course it is." Rory muttered. "I doubt the Saxons would have been clever enough to come up with such a plan without her."

Merlin snorted, though it sounded bitter. He opened his pale blue eyes and looked across at her. "Does Sir Kayne still think you are a sorcerer?"

Rory blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change of topic, and looked up at the oak doors above them, where somewhere beyond, the now newly knighted Sir Kayne would be sitting in a war council along with the rest of the Knights.

"Aye," She said quietly. "He still thinks I'm a spy for Morgana too. And in the light of everything that's happened they'll be keeping an eye out for spies more than ever now. No doubt one of the people in front of us is a Saxon disguised as a refugee." She nodded in front of them and moved her gaze from person to person, as if by looking at them she would be able to determine which one is the spy.

"Do you think he will try to out you to the rest of the court?" He asked.

"Now would be the best time."

Merlin shook his head defiantly. "That doesn't mean they'll believe him. He has no proof."

Rory began picking at her feet. "He's a Knight of Camelot, Merlin. My word against his."

"You word is just as good as his." He replied hotly and she shot him a grateful look before clearing her throat.

"How is Sir Percival?"

Merlin glanced up at window overlooking the courtyard, concern crossing his face. "He's woken up at least, though his wound is infected and will take a while to heal. He won't be up and around all too soon, not if Gaius has anything to say about it. But he'll be alright."

"Where is Gaius?"

"War meeting."

Rory nodded. "It should be ending soon."

"Yeah."

They sat in silence once more, a breeze ruffling through them, each lost in their own thoughts. Around them, the cries of the mourning occupied the air, men, women and children all brought to Camelot looking for safety. Rory looked back at the castle for a moment, before turning to Merlin. "The council's broken up now. You should get going; Arthur will need you."

Merlin nodded and stood up, not asking how she knew. He had learned a long time ago not to ask. For asking questions of Orhea Meadows would get you nowhere. If he was patient enough, she would tell him in her own time. So instead, he held out his hand. "You coming? Gwen will need you just as much as Arthur needs me."

"I highly doubt that Merlin," Rory said with her first smile in what seemed like days, her muscles stiff beneath it. "There is no comparison to Arthur's need for you or your need for him."

Merlin rolled his eyes and pulled her to her feet. "You make us sound like soul mates." He muttered under his breath.

Rory bumped her shoulder against his as they started up the marble steps. "I think a best friend is the ultimate definition of a soul mate."

"Oh? And why is that?"

She looked up at him with large solemn eyes. "Because they are so special they don't need romance in order to be the other half of you."