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"AND UHHH HOW BOUT I BET FIVE COINS IN FA THIS GAME! I SSSSSUUREE TOOO WIINNNNN THIS TIME!" Gawaine yelled over the melodious cheerful music filling the tavern of drunken men arm wrestling, punching each other, and playing dice, knucklebones and Hnefatlfe. Gawaine burped at the end and smiled slurishly at the two other men as he picked up his dice to throw and get the highest number.
"AHHH HAAAAAHAAA, YA ALREADY LAST SA MANY ROUNDS!" Grinned one of the butch sweaty men. "BUT WE DON"T MINDD! HAAAAA HAAAA!" He added joyfully, turning to the other grinning man.
"AARRIGHHHHTTT- THENNN SO BE ATTTT! FIVE GALDEN COINSS ITTTT ISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" Gawaine yelled as he raised his jug of mead.
The door of the tavern opened triggering a bell to sound, though sound diluted in the otherwise rowdy tavern. Merlin stepped in cautiously smelling the aroma of stale urine and mead and scanned the insides for a set of long wavy hair, and felt surge of nerves when he spotted him. Walking towards Gawaine, Merlin ignored the men around and stood behind Gawaine to wait for them to finish.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Rejoiced the two men with their stained grins as they witness Gawaine losing in the dice game. "THAT'S ANOTHER FIVE GALD COINS! YA NEVER GANNA LARN!"
"ARIGHT ARIGHT! LAST GAMEEE!" Gawaine yelled determinedly. "I ARADY LOOST 15 GALDEN COINS! THIS TIME! I"VE PRAYED TO THA SPIRITS AND WAS TALD I WILL WIN BIG! I AM BETTING FAR FORTY GALDEN COINS!"
"Forty!" Merlin replied unintentionally, aghast to what Gawaine was doing. Gawaine turned around puzzled, and witnessed Merlin in high spirits.
"MARRRLIN! MY GOOD MANNN WHAT YAAADDOING HERE?" Gawaine said in a large grin, raising his jug of mead.
Uncomfortable, Merlin watched Gawaine deliriously welcome him in.
"I was hoping I could talk to you… "
Gawaine turned back around cheerfully and addressed the two men. "I BE BACK!" Gawaine said nodding frantically, getting up and gripping the table for balance. "I BE BACCKK!"
Gawaine, reaching out for Merlin, wrapped his arm around Merlin's neck and walked with him outside the tavern. As they exited the tavern, Gawaine looked around and pulled Merlin away from the tavern windows.
"Hey Merlin!" Gawaine greeted straightening up soberly. "How's it going!"
"Wha?-"Merlin replied, taken aback by Gawaine's sudden calmness and gain of orientation. Truly the air wasn't that fresh to allow Gawaine to regain his senses.
"OH, that." Gawaine said pointing his thumb back at the tavern. "All an act. Heh. The more they think I'm drunk, the better they think they have an advantage over me. So far I've been losing all my games with this faulty dice that gives it's owner a low chance at winning." Gawaine said pulling a dice from his right pocket. "Now I'm after some big winnings this round," Gawaine said winking, as he pulled a different set of dice from his left pocket.
"Still the same.." grinned Merlin as he chuckled. "But brilliant I suppose."
"So Merlin, what's going on? How'd ya find me?"
"Well, last I remember, after you left knighthood in Camelot, you said you'd be at the taverns near Ealdor for the next few weeks."
"And it's so sad it remains the truth..." Gawaine pondered dramatically. "So, what brings you here? Any news?"
"Uh, well yes." Merlin said looking away. Silence followed after that as Merlin thought hard to himself of what he was about to ask. "Uhm…" Merlin continued, looking up at Gawaine. "I- I …" Merlin stopped again, and began to breath shallowly.
"Merlin… not that I don't want to hear you out, but I do have a game to finish. They are going to think something is up." Gawaine commented nervously.
"I – have... Uhm." Merlin said looking up to the heavens. He shook his head and looked away and breathed out. "Look, Uhm... Gawaine. I – I was thinking. I wanted... to stop Morgana myself. I think I need to. But I need some help."
"Morgana..?"Gawaine replied seriously. "Merlin, Morgana's crazy." Gawaine simply put. "You're a one man army, and I- well, I don't even have magic. Me fighting her is like suicide. Besides, I thought … CAMELOT, was going to try and take care of her. I've been hearing a lot about a few attacks between Camelot and Cenred taking place already."
Merlin struggled to let the next few words to come out of his mouth.
"Gawaine… I – I think… I know wwhat to do. And I think... I know where her land is. And Uh, I found out... that, there's, uh, that, she has this magical thing... that she has. And if you take it away from her, she loses her powers."
Perplexed, Gawaine looked to his side and squinted. "Wow... Merlin, really? Where did you hear that!"
"Oh you know.. magical people just find out these things..." Merlin said fretfully, then remembering to smile. Merlin closed his eyes for a second and looked away. "Look, Gawaine, I was wondering if you can accompany me… uhm...and help me get this. So that I can take this thing... this thing away and therefore end Morgana."
Gawaine watched Merlin carefully.
"Merlin, look, I know what you are feeling. You have this brewing courage in your heart but you're struggling in your own self-belief! Look Merlin, I said to you when we parted that if you ever needed me, I'm here for you. I'm here for you this time. So yes, I'll come help you in this search for this magical-?"
"-Thing..." Merlin said, feeling his heart drop.
"Yes… thing. Merlin, do we know what this thing is?"
"Uh, yes, it's uhm... it's the jewel on top of her staff!"
"Oh... ok. Well, then, as I was saying, I'm here for you. And I do think it's probable we get this thing. But right after I win my thing- that is 40 golden coins. So please excuse me Merlin so that I may win 40 golden coins. I'll meet you outside after I'm done."
Merlin gave a half smile and watched Gawaine scurry inside.
"I need to make this work…" Merlin whispered himself in panic, covering his face as grief overcame him. "What the hell am I doing?" he said in misery as he closed his eyes.