I'm soooooo sorry! I really am! please don't hurt me school has been killer and I've been extermely busy... again I'm sorry. Well here you go... enjoy :)

The next morning...

"How did you sleep?" He looked at the others. "Yes you, Merlin, how did you sleep?" his mouth opened wide and he let out a breath of surprise.

"How, how did you know I was awake?" he decided to dismiss the last comment.

"Your breathing changed. I was the last on watch so I accustom myself to the forest and the sleeping patterns of my companions to make sure nothing is wrong." She finally looked at him over her shoulder. Her amethyst eyes filled with amusement. His stomach growled when he smelt something delicious.

"I think your stomach is trying to tell you something." She laughed musically at his facial expression. "Well get over here before his highness wakes up and your two friends the mule and the bear."

"Uhh… I really shouldn't eat before Arthur…" she rolled her eyes with a tenacious smile.

"Alright then we better get him up. Come here and watch the food." he scrambled over and took the utensils from her as she stood up off her haunches. She stepped over the men and stood over Percival that had the misfortune to sleep in the middle. Merlin didn't have much time to register what was about to happen when she placed her hands to her mouth cupping them around to form a funnel.

"WAKE UP YOU GARGANTUAN BUFFOONS! BREAKFAST IS ALMOST DONE!" Merlin flinched and the men all jumped trying to get out of their sleeping mats only to get entangled in them. Arthur, now face down, groaned.

"Merlin!" He shouted through the blankets and dirt. Artemis laughed bending over with the ferocity of her laughter.

"Your highness, I don't think, you should moan like that." she let a very unqueenly snort escape. Merlin couldn't help but laugh with her. All three of them were messy and disheveled. Arthur had disentangled himself, standing by his bedroll. Staring daggers at them. His hair was spiked in all directions. Gwaine wasn't much better but he was a little more bleary eyed. Percival's eyes were wide like a fish his hand clutching his sword. She covered her mouth with her hand just as Fawn had but this time not in distress but trying to stop her laughter.

"I'm sorry, so very sorry but it was too good of an opportunity." She finally composed herself and walked back to Merlin and the fire taking the utensils back and shoeing him away. Merlin couldn't contain his grin.

"What are you smiling at?" Arthur's fierce gaze was now turned to him. His smile disappeared. He was trying to stay composed.

"Nothing sire." His grin breaking through as he said it.

"That's right." He looked at the queen by the fire busing herself with plates and forks. "Merlin why is she cooking?"

Before Merlin could answer Artemis was in front of Arthur shoving a plateful of food into his hands.

"Because your majesty I find cooking for others a joy, especially when I'm on patrol but that doesn't matter. I was awake. It needed to be done, so I did it. Now eat and get ready we've got a lot of ground to cover if you want to help that village of yours." Arthur gaped at her back as she busied herself again handing out food to his two knights and Merlin.

"I said eat." Arthur did not hesitate any longer. She had years of experience getting people to do as she said as did he but you should listen to a very dangerous and skilled woman when she tells you to eat. She glared at Merlin when he ate very little. She had her arms folded and was tapping her foot on the hard ground in front of the lanky manservant. He ate a few bites more and she seemed satisfied. She smiled and held out her hand for the bowl. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow worthy of Gaius himself.

"What?" She raised her own thin eyebrows in response.

"Uhh… I think I'll take care of that… My Lady…" She rolled her eyes as he stood.

She smiled at him politely shaking her head and began packing her belongings onto her chestnut horse. As soon as Merlin finished washing the dishes and had packed the horses saddlebags they were off. The first few hours were silent. The queen sat high backed and seemed to be daydreaming. Eventually they began to talk and laugh again getting used to the stranger's presence.

The king and manservant had been arguing over something frivolous and she couldn't help but smile with them.

"Idiot."

"Clotpole."

"Klutz."

"Cabagehead."

She laughed out loud and they turned in their saddles to look at her. She spurred her horse forward.

"What were you two arguing over?" She said with an amused smile. They looked at each other, their faces filled with confusion.

"I'm not quite sure…" Merlin replied. She laughed again. Her smile reaching from ear to ear.

"You two are like brothers, fighting because you can. You two must be very close." She chuckled and everyone was silent for a moment. Except Gwaine who let out a guffah. Merlin and Arthur looked at each other both with confused and almost amused expressions. They laughed as well.

Her smile reached almost ear to ear. Her fangs more pronounced than before. Percival looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"Why… why do you have fangs? You can't be a vampire… are you?" The laughing seized and they all looked at her as she chuckled quietly.

"Vampires are disgusting dark creatures I'd advise staying as far away from them as possible and no I am not, one I think… I'd have met my end by now if I was." Her gaze shifted to Merlin's.

"No Sir Percival my people sharpen their canines in tradition. It's how do I explain this." She looked down in concentration and gestured small circles with her hands. "It's a sort of coming of age ceremony. We do it at age ten. Our parents or someone we trust or love, sometimes even the child if they so choose, use uhh… a spell… that takes concentration on the younger generation's part. The better they concentrate the sharper the teeth. It's complicated and I will tell you no more as it is traditionally a secret ceremony. I apologize if you wished for more."

They all nodded their heads.

"How old is your niece then? She can't be more than ten by the looks of it." Asked Percival kindly. She nodded as she rode her horse next to his on the forest path.

"Yes, she in fact just barely came of age, her father was so proud." Her purple eyes glittered with their own pride and love. They were silent again. Listening to the peaceful forest with the occasional birdsong whistling through the quiet atmosphere. Again they began talking amongst themselves. She stared off into the forest and watched as a squirrel rushed up a tree.

"Arthur how far away IS the village?" Moaned Merlin after a few hours.

"Gods Merlin you are impossible, you know that?" Merlin huffed with a hint of a smile on his lips.

Hi... just a filler really sorry...