A/N: Sorry this is a day late. Chester Bennington's suicide really upset me. I couldn't write anything but my suicide awareness story.

Chapter Three

Stay Out of Trouble

"I hate council meetings," Gwaine muttered as he, Leon, and Fira stood side by side, waiting to exit the council chambers.

Two days since their tavern party, the three companions had been summoned for a special council session. In the meeting a representative of an outlying town had requested medicinal aid for a strange ailment assumed to be magical in origin. As full time Court Physician since Gaius' passing two years prior, Fira agreed to go. As Arthur and Merlin finally left the chambers, Leon, Gwaine, and Fira quickly followed after them.

"Gwaine, I want you to take Percival, Elyan, Galahad, and Tristan to Rylincroft with Fira." Arthur spouted orders as he walked. "Leon, I want you to take Tor, Morholt, and Bedivere on patrol towards Essetir as was scheduled."

"Yes sire," Leon said with a nod.

Fira frowned in dismay. She knew she had to go, but she didn't like it. Merlin immediately caught on.

"What's the matter, Fira?"

"Rylincroft was my village before I lived with the Druids. I've never returned there." She shrugged. "Just a bit disconcerting."

"You'll be fine," Gwaine smirked. "After all. You have the best knights in the land!"

"I'm not worried about defending myself, Sir Gwaine." She laughed. "I'm perfectly capable of that."

"You have gotten pretty good with that left sword," Leon agreed. "I'm impressed."

"Yeah well, when you only have one hand, you have to make the most of it," replied Fira with a smile. She held up her right arm which lacked a hand from the war seven years prior.

They all nodded. As the companions went to split up and go separate ways, Arthur spoke up again. He called out to Fira.

"Fira! I hereby give you permission to leave the Physician Chambers and live with Galahad." He smiled.

A grin plastered her face. "Thank you, my lord!"

"Now, go get ready," Arthur ordered. "You leave in the morning."

"Of course, sire." Fira nodded with a small smile. She hurried to the physician chambers to pack her medicine bag.

She didn't know what they would be facing. The townsfolk assumed it to be magical, as it began with killing the livestock and plants, but then progressed to the people. No cures had worked so far. They claimed it had originated from the nearby Perilous Lands.

Few ventured into that inhospitable place these days. Wyverns prowled the sky even more than before, and sinkholes had become commonplace. It was as though the land grew sicker with every passing year.

A knock jolted Fira out of her stupor as she packed. She turned towards the door in time to see a little blonde haired girl in a pretty purple dress poke her head around the door.

"Hello, Clarissa." Fira smiled at the girl and beckoned for her to enter. "What can I do for you?"

Little Clarissa walked in and shut the door. She turned to speak and frowned. "Will you keep my dad safe, please? Geralt doesn't worry, he says dad is the best knight and can't get hurt. But I worry."

Fira set down the potions she held and went to the patient's cot. With a pat on the bed, she invited Gwaine's daughter to join her. The blonde girl did as she asked.

"You know I will." Fira held out her hand for Clarissa to take. "It's my job. It's my destiny. I protect them all."

"I know," said the girl with a small smile. "But I also know my father gets himself into trouble."

Fira laughed long, and as she finished chuckling, another knock sounded. "Come in!" she called.

Guinevere and her son Jon entered. The queen smiled and waved. "Hello you two! Are we interrupting?"

"No," Clarissa shook her head.

"Clarissa here is very smart," Fira said with a wink. "She is convinced Sir Gwaine is going to get himself into trouble on this trip."

Gwen laughed. "He always does."

"Why does Sir Gwaine get in trouble?" Jon asked quickly, tugging on his mother's dress.

Gwen smiled at him. "Sir Gwaine is too brave and too… well what word would you use Fira?"

"He likes to save people." Fira smiled down at Clarissa. "Sir Gwaine helps anyone in need, no matter what."

"What's wrong with that?" asked the little prince.

Clarissa shook her head. "Nothing's wrong with that, but my dad does it without thinking."

The queen and the dame began to chuckle at The young girl's accurate assessment of her father. Jon simply shrugged. He didn't care that much.

Guinevere pulled herself together. "We just came to see if you needed any help, Fira?"

Fira looked around her chambers and made a face as she contemplated the Queen's question. "You know, I think I'm fine for once." She smiled at the queen. "I appreciate the offer though."

"It's no problem." She turned to the blonde girl. "Clarissa, would you like to join us? I was about to grab Juliana for a picnic to watch the knights train."

Clarissa smiled back and nodded, jumping up from the patient's cot. "Yes please! Can Geralt come too?"

"He's already outside," Gwen told the girl. "Fira, if you're done, feel free to come to."

"I'd love that!" The physician stood and grabbed a blanket from the side room, her old bedroom. "Are we ready?"

Jon tugged at his mother. "Let's go!"

Gwen rolled her eyes and laughed. Together the four of them walked through the citadel and out into the training field. A large tree near the Round Table's favorite spot offered shade for their late lunch. Fira smiled as she saw Geralt already there. He sat on a thick hanging branch and watched the training.

Out on the field, Leon and Gwaine sparred both with weapons and words. Elyan and Percival and Galahad fought against each other as they practiced two-on-ones. Meanwhile, in the tree, Geralt swung his wooden sword around aimlessly.

As they circled each other, Leon cracked a smile at Gwaine. "Geralt's watching."

"In his usual spot, eh?" Gwaine grinned and raised his sword. "Good. He can watch you lose."

Leon rolled his eyes and attacked. "Brave words."

Together they sparred. Gwaine and Leon remained pretty evenly matched as usual. Throughout the years they'd trained together, Leon had picked up a few of Gwaine's moves, and Gwaine, Leon's. The both knew that whoever won their mock battle probably won out of luck. Not that it lessened the victory for either party involved.

Geralt raised his sword and shouted for his dad as Gwaine landed a soft blow on his opponent. But Leon came back quickly, tapping Gwaine on the leg, harshly, with his dulled blade.

"That's going to hurt," Leon said with a smirk.

Gwaine smirked back and winked. "Not as much as I'm going to hurt your pride."

Leon scoffed as they went back at it after a short regroup. Their swords clashed above and below, before finally Gwaine managed to trip Leon with a fake to the right. The knight yielded.

Behind them, they heard a shout. "Go dad!"

Gwaine laughed to himself before turning around and waving at Geralt. He turned back to Leon who smiled at Gwaine's son. "Told you."

"You thought I'd let you lose in front of your son?" Leon shook his head and patted Gwaine on the shoulder. "Of course you won."

"You didn't let me win." Gwaine grew serious. "No one lets me win."

Leon simply smirked before walking away to join Arthur for a spar. Gwaine stood with an incredulous expression. After a moment, he sauntered over to Percival and Galahad.

"If I spar with you, no magic today," Gwaine said, pointing at Galahad.

The druid had studied over the past several years with Merlin, learning to channel his magic into a more concrete form of spells. He could still sense magic better than anyone, but now he also performed small scale magic.

Galahad laughed and shook his head. "Whatever, Gwaine."

Percival patted the younger knight on the back. "It's okay. We still care about you."

"Speak for yourself, Perce," Gwaine smirked. He glanced back at the partying picnic group. "By the way, your wife is here, kid. Don't lose!"

Galahad rolled his eyes. "Where's your wife? Isn't Lorie usually watching with Geralt?"

Percival chimed in. "She and Merlin are working on some sort of official treaty between the Otherworld and our world. At least with Roche Florie."

"Bout time," Galahad nodded.