hullo people as promiced here is the next chapter, little hints of gore, as i have said before the rating on this is more out of over caution than anything else. anyhoo, last i checked i still didn't own merlin *checks again* yup still dont own merlin. do own my OC's

damn, just realized the title of this chapter has probably given away the twist in this part, oh well enjoy!

ride of the valkyrie

Arthur was tired. His bones were aching his chain-mail stained with blood and yet the enemy still out numbered them he had been fighting every day and most nights for the past eight days. He was loathe to admit it but they needed back up, and they needed it soon. Reports from the castle said that his father merlin and the older and youngest knights back at the citadel were experiencing similar woes, thought thanks to having merlin and Gaius using herbs and magic to heal they had suffered less casualties.

Magic, that's what started this all his sisters and others hatred of his father for banning magic, and his fathers hatred of magic for taking the love of his life from him so cruelly, and yet, merlin was magic. Seemingly in its purest form and all he had done for the last 8 days was defend and heal. He had even apparently reattached one soldiers severed hand. Arthur gritted his teeth nodded to his knights and charged again "for Camelot!" as he yelled this the great dragon swooped in low over his head and burnt a path deep into the enemy lines before sweeping up into the sky and back towards Camelot. Arthur could feel the residual heat as he ran along the scorched ground wielding his sword. He ducked instinctively when he heard a whistling and a boulder flew past his head and crashed into a sorcerer, he glanced over his shoulder to see Percival standing where it had come from.

"Elyan what word have we from the allies?" Elyan ran up level with the sprinting king. "Sire Odin's people will be here soon and Elena has sent some of her forces." Arthur raised his eyebrow at the new knight, Elyan explained himself "her father is greatly ill, she is now regent." Arthur bowed his head and chuckled despite the situation. "so we didn't need to marry to ensure their allegiance," it was Elyans time to raise an eyebrow. "later sir knight later" and then the prince was gone, cutting a path through the enemy, dodging swords and spells. Elyan turned to ask some one else what the prince had meant when he saw sir Leon riding onto the battle field at the front of a wave of fearsome looking knights but his eyes were drawn to the knight riding along side leon, it was most definitely a female in close fitting armor for movement as he glanced around the rest of Odin's forces he notices more female knights.

"Arthur! Reinforcements have arrived!" as he shouted this the female rider and her horse ran past so close that he felt its mane on his face. She threw her axe and took out an enemy that had been behind him, he smiled his thanks and returned into the fray, the female rider rode up next to Arthur, jumped off her horse and drew her short-blade. "Yet again I've been sent to clean up your mess my love." she said as she removed her helmet and let her intricately braided mahogany hair fall across her shoulders. "its all Merlin's fault, I assure you Gwenevire" the prince answered smiling. "I had forgotten that in Odin's kingdom women are allowed to fight, in times of need." he ducked under her arm as she swung it out to behead an enemy soldier she shifted her waist to the side as he stabbed another enemy with his own sword, the enemy fell instantly with the blow despite it being a mear knick "how could you forget about the valkyries?" they moved in sync again taking out four more opponents. "Named after the maidens of Valhalla who took dead soldiers off the battle field? Only fitting I suppose." Arthur answered as an arrow imbedded in his arm.

"honestly Arthur I heard our respective 'fathers' are planning on us marrying for convenience. At least try and stay alive long enough for me to be queen dear." Gwen smiled her gentle smile, and ripped the arrow out of his arm. As she was about to ask what to do with it, Tristain ran past and took it from her throwing it, it embedded itself in the shoulder of the archer who had shot it.

As he ran past the archer Tristain cut the bowstring rendering the archer weapon less. He threw himself back as a sword was swung at his head, when he looked up he saw that the owner of the sword was Galahad, he winked at the young knight and stabbed the double agent in the side, where there was nothing of importance as the young knight did the same. They both recoiled in pain, swung round and continued to fight other enemies, Gwaine smiled as he saw Percival grab an opponents foot that had been kicking him and just flung the man aside. He heard a whistling sound and found Leons sword next to his neck a crumpled arrow falling from the flat of his blade. "sir Gawane if you are quite finished making doe eyes at other knights we could use you help" leon's eyes twinkled with mirth and Gwaine ducked under the sword and moveed into position beside leon so they could fight in tandem " why sir leon are you jealous?" Gwaine answered with a huff of laughter as he deflected a blow meant for Leons chest. "oh god no, perish the thought mate" leon spun round so he was facing Gwain and thrust his sword forward you could hear the scrape of metal on metal as it grazed the new knights chain-mail and impaled the enemy soldier who had been sneaking up behind. Gwain pushed leon to the side and did the same. They took in their surroundings and headed off into the throng of fighters again.

"Elyan." Elyan looked over his shoulder and saw his sister in full armor calmly walking towards him while a team of knights fended off anyone trying to get to her. "milady" he responded pausing to bow. "M'lord" she answered with a slight smile. "gwen" he said, smiling "this is odd. Isn't it?" she nodded held out her empty hand and an axe was suddenly in it, Elyan hadn't seen one of her guards give it to her but one of them must have. He nodded at her and she nodded back. and then they started to fight side by side, they each knew exactly what the other was going to do, Elyan would lean back a fraction as gwen bent a leg around his front to kick someone at his side, gwen would duck down as he spun his sword backwards to stab an enemy behind them. Anyone watching would have had trouble seeing which blade which fist which foot belonged to which sibling such was the grace and ease of their synchronicity, elyan was impressed to see his sisters silent guardians standing fighting in a circle around them controlling who got near enough to their mistress, so that she could engage her enemy one at a time and formulate strategies as to how to deal with them.

Gwen's sword was knocked out of her hand, Elyan's sword was kicked out of his, he was about to ask what to do now when gwen yelled "duck!" he did as told and marveled as his sister undid her braids completely revealing a small sharp blade at the tip of each braid she spun round and the nearest enemies all had their necks cut, she flicked her hair and it caught one of their wrists and forced the sword out of her opponents hand, she deftly picked it out of mid air and cut and sliced at the remaining enemies, Elyan finally stood again, his sweet caring sister the gentle gwen was covered in blood and had a cruel scowl on her face, Elyan was surprised to find himself scared of his little sister.

mmwahahahahaha! yup my gwen is now a bone fide killer queen :D don't worry, old gwen is still there, just, not on the battle field, i don't know if its physically possible the have braid mounted blades but come on how cool would it be to have some if you could!

chapter nineteen will be up in the next week hopefully. reviews? they would be nice to have lol