[I don't think this chapter needs a disclaimer, so I'm just gonna disclaim all rights I suppose in the lame and unfashionable way.]

A day had passed already, with Shilo's thin arms wrapped fully around Arthur. She rested her head on his back most of the way, just looking up at the greenest tree leaves and feeling the warm yellow sunlight. At more than one point she sighed and flexed her arms so that they'd tightened around his chest for a moment. Uthur hardly looked away from his son and Merlin's cousin, the way she was just so close.

Night had come though and they'd stop for another night of camp. They could've kept riding except that the horses began to foam from the heat. It was strangely hot for mid-april, and the men had begun to sweat not long into the day. It was a bit odd for Shilo, being the only girl, and she'd get many stares from the soldiers. She didn't mind though, she'd never gotten any sort of attention from a male before. Merlin had always told her that she was pretty compared to the girls he'd seen at market. Shilo actually felt complimented, she didn't feel threatened in any way, even though her own mother had always said never to trust men, and never to let them near you.

They were setting up camp now, or what little they were going to need. Shilo just kind of sat to the side, not wanting to get in anyone's way. "Shilo," Gaius called.

She looked up at Gaius , "Could you please help me?" She smiled and pushed herself off the ground.

"I have to ask, do you feel… uncomfortable?" He asked as she stood beside him. She gave him an odd look as she began to take a pack off of Jinny.

"No, why would I?"

"It's just that you are the only girl here, if you were to feel endangered in any way…" He trailed off, becoming more serious than she'd yet to see him as.

"No, I am not. I have always trusted the kings' men."

"You shouldn't trust everyone," He said trading off what they'd been holding. They began to walk towards where the king and Captain were, setting their things down.

"I don't trust everyone, but I do trust the kings men,"

"Miss?" The captain asked, his attention grabbed by the subject of his men.

"Nothing," She bowed her head and walked away to get another quick load. She couldn't understand why they needed to unpack everything if they weren't going to use it all, just to end up packing it again in the morning. There was probably a good reason for it, after all, what did she know about the military?

.o0o.o0o.o0o.

She stayed far away from the rest of the men, but still curled up into her cousin quiet tightly. Unfortunately- her cousin being Arthur's lackey and all- she was right in-between the Prince and her relative. It was unusual, staring straight at the face of someone who ruled the land you lived on and the country you lived in.

"Merlin?" She whispered. He hummed in reply, letting out a deep breath. "Are you awake?"

"I am now," She smiled and turned on her side.

"I've missed you," she murmured and felt his arm lay across her middle, pulling her closer.

"I know,"

[I know it was short lived, but I just wanted this to be an in-between-chapters-chapter.

Review? You know you want to! ]