I'm totally overwhelmed with the response I got after posting the previous chapter! You are all amazing! And I hope you'll enjoy this one as well... It's a bit long but I didn't have the heart to split it up even further.

AN: Again not beta'ed, so deal with the mistakes or point them out graciously...

Chapter 9:The Town of Drifters and Driftwood

"You! Get out." The man shouted back as he rose from his seat. Leon suddenly saw a knife flash and rushed forwards. Damn it, Gwaine!

"Let him handle this, Leon." Merlin hissed as he forcefully tried to hold the older knight back. "He asked us to." He didn't know why but his instinct told him not to intervene. It felt like a kind of test. Gwaine too had draw a knife, completely disregarding the sword at his side. Leon reluctantly halted, but kept his hand firmly on the pommel of his sword just in case... They watched as Gwaine took a few steps closer while the other man did the same. The warlock noticed that the other tavern goers where remarkably not impressed. Most of them resumed their conversations after the apparent novelty had worn off while others watched with disinterest.

"I told you not to come back." The other man said while lunging forward, missing Gwaine's shoulder by a mere inch as the latter quickly turned to the left, skilfully manoeuvring between the tables.

"When do I ever listen, Duncan?" Gwaine answered back and swept his knife down, which would have hit the others man's stomach if the latter hadn't jumped back at the very last moment.

"Merlin, this is insane!" Leon argued as he anxiously watched the knife fight enfold before him.

"Just wait." Merlin insisted, hoping his gut wasn't wrong. Gwaine and Duncan were still evenly matched. Suddenly Gwaine lost his balance on the uneven floor. Duncan seized this opportunity to kick Gwaine against the counter. A second later his knife was firmly planted on the knight's throat giving Gwaine no choice but to rest his head upon the beer stained counter.

"Ah! I win!" Duncan said triumphantly.

"Only if you can live without a liver." Gwaine grinned and looked down. Duncan followed his gaze while Merlin and Leon did the same. Indeed, Gwaine's knife almost protruded the other man's side. Duncan sighed and retreated his knife as Gwaine did the same.

"You know, you've got to stop doing this. It's no way to greet an old friend." Gwaine was still grinning as he clasped Duncan's shoulder.

"Nah, it's the only way. A man's true intentions are uncovered in the way he fights." Duncan disagreed amiably.

"Still drinking your own ale?" Gwaine observed the tavern owner knowingly.

"Still roaming the roads?" Duncan quipped back.

"Ah, well, about that. We're here," Gwaine motioned a baffled Leon and Merlin to come closer, "to find Tristan."

"You're from Camelot?" Duncan said voicing his amazement. The others were likewise surprised. How did the man knew, Merlin asked himself, unless...

"Is there some place we could talk – privately?" Gwaine insisted, unexpectedly following Merlin's line of thought.

A couple of minutes later they were all sitting down in a more secluded spot of the tavern although it was far from private. But no one could sneak up to them and eavesdrop without them knowing. As long as they kept their voices down no one in the tavern would be any wiser.

"He really is a knight of Camelot?" Gwaine just rolled his eyes again when a disbelieving Duncan asked this for the fifth time. At this rate they were never going to make it past introductions.

"Yes!" Merlin smirked. "But ask me a sixth time if you're not convinced yet."

"Oh, sorry man, I mean, you know, it's Gwaine." Duncan shrugged apologetically and motioned someone to bring drinks.

"That's Sir Gwaine to you."

"Don't push it or I'll be happy to live without a liver next time around."

"So you admit I won this time."

"It was a tie. I'm not surprised," Duncan sighed dramatically, "my old aches are getting the best of me." Merlin assumed the man was joking. He didn't look that old.

Gwaine snorted, "Don't let Maggie hear that, she'll be very disappointed if you can't keep up anymore. Ouch!" Duncan had kicked him underneath the table.

"Did someone say my name?" Merlin turned around. A women just entered from another door – he suspected it led to Duncan's private home – and was eyeing them suspiciously. Then her gaze softened and smiled as she walked towards their table. "Gwaine! What a lovely surprise! Finally here to settle down with a lovely girl?"

"You should know that all the lovely ones are taken, Maggie." Gwaine flirted, so Duncan kicked him again.

"Manners, love!" Maggie admonished her husband, "You know Gwaine's just teasing you." Duncan mumbled something inaudible, but Merlin clearly heard the words 'stab me in the back'.

"Speaking of manners, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?" Maggie looked around the table. When she heard the stable boys talking about generous travellers, she would have never suspected Gwaine to be one of them. But he didn't come alone and she was known for her curiosity. Next to her husband sat a handsome man, even sitting down she could just feel this was someone important, someone who carried authority and responsibility. Speaking of those, Gwaine looked a bit different as well, less ragged and genuinely more at ease. Of course he was always an easy going kind of guy, but now he seemed to have found a place to fit in. But it wasn't Gwaine or the other man that caught her attention. A young man with raven hair was the most striking presence. He just looked so... defeated. It wasn't really obvious, he laughed just as happily with the rest of them when Gwaine got kicked. It was something more fundamental. Whatever it was, it was enough for Maggie's mother instincts to kick in.

"Indeed, forgive me Maggie. This is S- Leon and my friend here," Gwaine said as he swung an arm around the young man, "is Merlin."

"So, you're all knights?" Maggie asked uncertain. The three men looked up to her in fear. They obviously had planned to keep this a secret. "You know almost everyone here is trained to spot a knight, lord of member of court from miles away? Don't worry, I won't gossip about it." She reassured them.

"I'm not one of them." Merlin said and drank some ale. "A knight I mean. I just got 'roped' into this journey."

"Oh, you poor dear!" Maggie suddenly fussed and patted his shoulder. "And so skinny too! Duncan, only you can offer drinks without giving them food. Don't worry, dear, I'll get you some stew." And with that Maggie left, leaving behind a table of dumbfounded men.

"Crazy she's, but I love here to bits." Duncan shrugged and continued. "So, you're looking for Tristan? Haven't seen him after he ordered me to send you lot that note. So me and the wife are seriously worried."

"You were his friend?" Gwaine blurted out. He had not anticipated this. Clearly he and Tristan had more in common than they ever suspected. After regaining the castle he hadn't had a chance to talk to the man, which wasn't surprising, Tristan's grief made him somewhat unapproachable.

"I still considered him one of mine, I don't think he noticed me most of the time, not since Isolde…" Duncan cleared his throat. "Tragic really, but so are most of the memorable stories. I bet in a hundred years people will still remember."

"He came here about a month ago, just stumbled out of the wilderness totally worn out, thin as a stick, rambling about how he lost her." Duncan shook his head. "You should have seen Maggie fuss over him. It took me a time to realize he was talking about two different women, Isolde and that witch he was looking for."

"He sat there, at that table. He was drunk most of the time since he came here. To be honest, I gave him the ale. In that way, I would now where he was at least, physically that is... Though, he did gave me a lot of trouble. Tristan always has been a volatile man, living with his heart instead of his head and Isolde... Well let's say, she brought above the very best in him. There are people who shouldn't be apart and they, well, you saw them together. You know." Duncan finished his tankard and waved at someone to bring some more. Merlin stared into his drink, he suddenly didn't feel like drinking anymore.

"Tristan wrote in his note that he was going after Morgana. Have you seen her maybe? Tall, dark, evil, scary beautiful?" Gwaine asked.

"Not that I can tell. I have my feelers out for Tristan and he dropped off the face of the earth."

Merlin sighed at this news. If the people here had no luck in finding Tristan, what were their chances? This journey was more and more becoming a waste of time by every passing minute. Still they had a quest to complete.

"Do you happen to know of anything magical happening around here?" Merlin asked, hoping for something, anything that would make these past days worth.

Duncan eyed Leon and Merlin suspiciously.

"Duncan, we won't cause trouble for anyone here. Leon's too honourable for that and Merlin's a dragonlord." Gwaine said loud and casual as if he just asked another tankard.

"Gwaine!" Merlin hissed. Why again did he had to be friends with someone who had no impulse control whatsoever? "I can't exactly prove it since there are no dragons around."

"Nonsense, saw one just the other day." A giant of a man walked up towards their table. "I'm Tom and saw a dragon two days ago." The man said and hold out his hand. Merlin shook it unsure, still shooting Gwaine foul looks.

"Have you found Tristan yet?" Duncan asked totally ignoring the man's claim.

"Afraid not, saw a dragon though." Tom grinned.

"Here we go again..." Duncan rolled his eyes. "And you have got to stop introducing yourself like that, it's becoming embarrassing."

"I'm telling the truth, I swear! At first I thought it was an ugly strange seagull-"

"It was a seagull." Duncan butted in fruitlessly as it didn't deter the other man at all. Tom just ignored Duncan this time, "But then it breathed fire-"

"The setting sun combined with ale." The tavern owner explained. Leon couldn't help but smirk.

"And then it flew just across my ship." Tom ended his tale. Duncan shot Gwaine a telling glance and mouthed 'mad' emphasizing his message by twirling his index finger next to his head.

"I swear on this tankard that I saw a dragon." Tom stated solemnly and grabbed Merlin's previously abandoned tankard. "A white dragon."

"What!" Merlin's elbow shoved of the table almost making him bang his chin before he jumped up. "Where?" His sudden serious tone made the giant step back as he pointed towards the door, "At the far side of the harbour."

Without another word Merlin bypassed everyone and stalked out. It took a few seconds for Leon and Gwaine to catch up with what just happened. Duncan was faster though. "Gwaine! You'd better get him back in here before the Murray twins beat you to it."

"They're still alive?" Gwaine asked alarmed as he hurriedly ran towards the door. Leon was right behind him.

"And kicking." Duncan added to no one in particular. He sighed and took a swig. The lukewarm beer did nothing to calm his worries.

Mmm, bursting out like that wasn't one of my better ideas, Merlin mused as he encountered another dead end. Not taking some light with him was another... or his jacket. Blasted rain! He turned around, went left and rounded another corner when Gwaine ran into him.

"Merlin!" Gwaine yelled in surprise and took his shoulder to guide him back, "You don't go roaming around here alone! Do you want to get your throat slit?" He wasn't exactly angry, but Merlin interpreted it that way.

"Get of me, Gwaine, I can walk on my own." Merlin snapped back and regretted it instantly. What was wrong with him? His friend was clearly just worried. "I'm sorry, Gwaine and I apologize to you as well, Leon." He said to the older knight who was equally shocked at his abrupt behaviour. "I ... I shouldn't have ran out like that."

"It's all right, Merlin," Leon assured him while Gwaine just nodded. "Look, it's dark, it's raining, I have no idea where we currently are, so let's turn back and get some rest, okay?"

"Not through there." Gwaine grabbed Leon's arm, forcing him to stop.

"Why not?"

"Let's just say I don't get along with everyone here in Nortcliff."

"That's an understatement." Leon snorted, "Your good friend Duncan drew a knife when he saw you."

"Gwaine, is there a tavern in Nortcliff where you wouldn't be greeted with angry glares?" Merlin frowned teasingly.

"Only for the first five minutes, then somebody usually buys me a drink. And after a few drinks there's a 50/50 chance of getting kicked out again." The knight admitted with a shrug."But seriously, guys, another way if you please?" Gwaine insisted and led them through a series of alleys.

"The twins?" Leon asked curiously. He's been wondering about Gwaine's connection to the town ever since the man admitted he had lived here, though he wasn't surprised. Still his fellow knight was always pretty tight lipped about his past which was rather curious since he talked about almost everything else.

"Which twins?" Merlin sounded confused.

"The Murray twins. They have this delusional idea that I owe them money. I can't help it if they're sore losers, but during our last 'encounter' they didn't really liked that argument so-"

"Which is one hell of an understatement." Duncan finished unexpectedly, "I lost count halfway through your stitches." They had arrived back at the tavern and saw Duncan and Tom awaiting their return.

"Are you saying my cousin here saw a real dragon?" Duncan asked suddenly. Merlin nodded.

"It is a possibility. I know that dragon." Duncan sighed and reluctantly handed the giant of a man four silver coins. "You should better get inside though." The tavern owner proceeded and hurriedly ushered them back in. "Tom here informed me the town took notice of your presence, Gwaine, I suggest you lay low after nightfall."

"Sorry for causing you trouble." Gwaine surprisingly apologized but the tavern owner shrugged it off and led them through another door behind the counter, across a small courtyard and inside another building.

"I suggest you all get some rest and keep a low profile tomorrow. I can only applaud your presence here, but between Gwaine on one side and this Camelot business on the other, you'd better watch your back." Duncan said as he pointed to several cots and gave Leon the lantern he'd been carrying. "And yes, I mean that literally. I don't have to remind you of how we found the Atkins kid." He added before closing the door behind him. Gwaine shuddered.

They were alone again. The room was small but perfectly adequate. Leon suspected Duncan's wife prepared it for them as he spotted a pot, a couple of bowls and some humps of bread on the table beside the door. There were three beds, one on the other side of the door and the other two were located in the farthest corners, which left just enough space to walk around a bit. Merlin sagged on one of the beds and closed his eyes. The new experiences and information finally caught up and he suddenly felt tired enough to sleep. Which was a good thing, because he was seriously starting to worry about that after the last nights.

"Right, what's the plan?" Gwaine asked as he too sagged down on his bed – the one next to the entrance – but not before carefully bolting the door and laying his sword down next to him. Leon imitated that last act.

"To eat, get rested, find Tristan as fast as possible and try to dodge trouble." Leon summarized and yawned, but got back up again and started to pour some stew in the bowls.

"Good luck with that." Merlin mumbled as he pulled of his boots and lay back down again. It was warm enough to sleep without a blanket, wasn't it? He vaguely registered Leon and Gwaine whispering some stuff before succumbing to a well deserved rest.

A brief knock and a soft but insistent 'Gwaine' alerted the knight as he tiptoed towards the door, carefully pushing the bolt aside. He and Leon had eaten a bit, but Merlin was already fast asleep by the time Leon turned around to hand him his bowl. They decided not to wake him up and settled for a quiet meal. At the moment Leon was sleeping as well, while Gwaine was trying to stay awake. He had assigned himself first watch again – not that the others knew – but Duncan had suspected the younger man to be still awake.

"Duncan." He whispered as he recognized his friend. "What are you doing here and what time is it?"

"Not so late. Can we talk?" Duncan pointed a lantern to a couple of chairs leaning against the house. It had stopped raining now.

"Sure." Gwaine said and took one of the glasses the tavern owner had brought with him as well. The lantern was put on the ground and it casted strange shadows upon the wall as both men took a swig. The town was never quiet after sundown and Gwaine could clearly hear the laughter coming from the tavern, but the room behind them was silent. He had left the door open, but his friends were still fast asleep. Duncan was the first to speak.

"I can't believe you of all people are serving a king. Did you forget what one of those bastards did to you and your mother? What he did to repay your father's loyalty!"

"Sst, Duncan, please." Gwaine worriedly motioned Duncan to lower his voice.

"What? They don't know?"

"Merlin does." Gwaine mumbled but Duncan just went on.

"What will you do when another stuffed royal casts you aside without a moment's thought?"

"Arthur's different."

"Arthur? You call him by his given name?"

"Behind his back."

"Ah, there you see-" Duncan started, happy he was proving his point, but was cut off by Gwaine.

"I mostly address him as 'princess'. It's so much fun to be at the receiving end of that scolding frown."

"You're joking."

"Nope."

"And you still have your head?" Duncan couldn't believe it and gingerly poured another glass, which he downed in one gulp.

"Obviously. Look, Merlin calls him a prat, a clotpole and a dollophead." Gwaine tried to explain, "Arthur doesn't mind."

"Merlin..." Duncan mused. "Who is he? He's not a knight. Mags was right, he's damn to skinny for that."

"He's Arthur's manservant or was when I first met him. Now..." Gwaine smiled, Merlin didn't seem to fit any label at the moment, which was rather appropriate actually. "He was made a councillor a few months ago and got sent on a highly sensitive mission with us."

"And he's not from a noble family?" Duncan questioned further. Gwaine shook his head. "Born and raised a peasant in the Ealdor, but he's one of the wisest an bravest men I know. He's... the king's friend. And mine, he showed me what kind of king Arthur will be." Gwaine was talking very serious all of a sudden. "He doesn't let greed or power guide him and you're going to think I'm sounding like a love struck girl when I say this, but Arthur follows his heart. He married Gwen, he knighted commoners, made peace with the Druids all because he knew in his heart that it was the right thing to do."

"A king who rules from the heart can be a terrible tempest-" Duncan started not entirely convinced.

"Or the long anticipated wind of change." Gwaine ended firmly. This surprised the other man even more. "You think he's?" Duncan purposely left that question unfinished. He wanted to know if Gwaine knew what he meant.

"I know he is."

"Well, to the king then." Duncan raised his glass.

"To the king."

The morning came too quickly for Merlin's liking. He had slept, but the images of pyres and destruction taunted his nightmares. Still he felt a bit better, although he wondered how long that would last. Maybe he'll die here with a dagger in his back? From what he gathered so far, this was an occupational hazard in this town. Merlin turned around, still pretending to be asleep. He reluctantly opened one eye and spotted an empty room. Immediately he jumped out of the bed, scrambling to stay upright as he hopped out the door while putting on his boots. He didn't see any trace of Leon and Gwaine in the courtyard, only Maggie who was doing some washing beside the water well.

"My friends... are they...?" Merlin stuttered worried as he got closer.

"Rudely eating breakfast without you?" Maggie helpfully added. "Yes, just go through there." She smiled and pointed at one of the doors. Merlin pushed it open and was met with laughter which died down quickly as the men saw his face.

"You two." Merlin started slowly as his relief was quickly replaced with anger. "You don't go without waking me up, okay! Not anywhere and especially not here after I find out some psychotic twins are aiming for your back! And you!" He now directed his anger towards Leon now who stopped chewing all together. "Between Morgana and Mercian knights it would be a miracle if we left here unscathed. What's wrong with you two, seriously!"

"But, but we were hungry and you were sleeping-"

"Shut it, Gwaine. Pass me that bread, please?" Merlin effectively stopped his stuttered explanation and sat down, thankfully accepting the bread one baffled Duncan handed him. Ten minutes later they were walking casually through the streets of Nortcliff.

"Shouldn't we be more inconspicuous?" Merlin finally asked after Gwaine greeted someone for the third time.

"The twins apparently left yesterday evening on some fishing business." Leon informed. "Duncan told us this morning."

"And you couldn't tell me this before?" Merlin was getting annoyed again. What is it with people not sharing information with him! Okay, that was rather ironic, but still, it was no excuse.

"You told me to shut up, remember?" Gwaine huffed and Merlin noticed his friend was still a bit peeved about his earlier outburst.

"Any idea where to start our search?" Leon asked Gwaine. The latter shrugged. "Here is as good as any place, I guess."

"You know, we're not even sure if he really saw Morgana." Merlin said quietly. Both men turned towards the warlock, carrying identical frowns.

"Wait, you think Tristan was lying?" Leon asked.

"No, but... Look, from what Duncan told us, I'm betting he could see anything he wanted to see. Grief is powerful in that way."

"Merlin's got a point, no one else saw Morgana." Gwaine conceded.

"True, but this is the first somewhat solid lead we had in months, I'm not going back home without being absolutely certain, you?" Leon looked at Gwaine before turning towards Merlin for his opinion. He realised that somehow during these last months of council meetings and skilful manoeuvring around a moody even volatile Arthur, Merlin had ceased to be a mere servant in his eyes. Granted this had been changing from before Gwen's coronation, evolving so subtle he didn't question it anymore.

"Of course not, I just wish Galahad was here, he would be able to sense her before we start out on a potential wild goose chase." Merlin said a bit frustrated that the druid had to stay behind. He'd expected to find obvious clues of Morgana's whereabouts here but there were none. Although the possible sighting of Aithusa was troubling. What was up with that?

"Well, we're doomed to make do without our sniffling druid." Gwaine waved at the surrounding alleys and streets."So shall we?"

"What's the plan? Or are we just going to wander aimlessly until we bump into Tristan by accident?" Merlin asked, hoping one of them had a better plan.

"For now, Nortcliff isn't that big of a village, not compared to Camelot." Gwaine said, clearly not happy about the turn of events.

"If we split up, we'll cover more ground. Let's say, we'll meet at the docks around noon." Leon concluded and with that the three men went their own way.

Noon came swiftly without any sign of Tristan. In the end Merlin miserably sagged down towards the docks. He'd been scanning the edges of the town where the scarce houses alternated with small of low growing bushes. He tried to look between the bushes, but only managed to get his shirt torn on the sharp branches.

Great. He felt like the whole town was conspiring to prolong his bad mood. It didn't help that he started to think about that again. Was it coincidence that Tristan summoned them here? Was Morgana involved somehow? Would this trip enlighten him or was it just a distraction, steering him away of finding a way out the dying bit?

"No luck?" Leon broached the silence as Merlin halted next to him. The younger man merely sighed in response. "Looks like Gwaine was equally unsuccessful." The knight remarked as they both watched Gwaine hurry towards them. They also noted the bottle Gwaine was carrying.

"No sign of Tristan, but you have to try this, mate. I ran into some folk who owed me a favour... Guess what this is."

"Liquor?" Leon guessed a bit amused.

"Not just liquor, Leon." Gwaine looked hurt as he caressed the bottle. "The best in whole Albion, take a sip."

"No thanks, Gwaine, keep it for when we find Tristan, then we'll have something to celebrate."

"Merlin?" Gwaine offered, but the warlock brushed the bottle aside. Something else had caught his attention.

"What's going on there?" Merlin asked spotting a crowd at the far end of the docks.

"Don't know, let's check it out." Gwaine suggested. Leon shrugged, he was out of ideas for now... They quickly blended into the growing mass of people. After a few well aimed pushes and elbow jabs they found themselves gazing upon an argument of sorts.

"Oh, this is going to be fun. You see that fool in the Mercian uniform?" Gwaine started to comment. Merlin nodded.

"Every few months King Bayard sends another of his lords to Nortcliff to oversee the law. Now, nobody wants to be sent here so most of these lords have disappointed him. This guy is clearly new." Gwaine explained further and pointed at the group of men. The red-faced lord was standing in the middle, pompously waving a parchment in front of two rough looking fellows who looked bored. Merlin immediately recognized Tom, you couldn't exactly look passed him. Two knights were standing behind the angry lord, clearly wishing they're were somewhere else as they barely glanced at the lord in front of him, preferring the sky or the ground... They'd probably drawn the short straw in escorting Lord 'Naive' to the port.

"Fishing accident." The other man loudly answered a question as he patted the blood soaked bandage on his chest, making the bystanders snicker in amusement.

"That's a sword cut!" The lord shouted almost stabbing the parchment into the man's wound. He presumably thought this would be intimidating. He reminded Merlin of a petulant child throwing a tantrum. He could see why King Bayard had send the man here. "You were clearly in the process of illegally acquiring precious cargo." The lord now waved the parchment around some more. "That lesion proves that an altercation took place."

"You can just say 'smuggle' you know." Tom winked amused, angering the lord even more. "We are rather simple here."

"What can I say?" The first man shrugged, before the lord had a chance to reply. "I'm oh so clumsy sometimes, ain't I Tom?"

"Dreadfully, always get's mangled or cut when we go fishing." Tom backed up his friends story. "Gerard, I say, you've got two left sealegs, boy. Ain't it so?" Gerard nodded sadly and let his head hang low.

"But they're fish, grey, slimy, FISH with no hands to hold the SWORD that gave you THAT!" The lord finally exploded, yelling and spraying spit in every direction.

"You ain't seen what's out in the deep." Gerard lowered his voice for a more dramatic effect, not in the least affected by the lord's ability to turn into a nice shade of purple. "I could tell you stories that would make my grannies bones shiver."

"She's dead." Tom added for information as the lord looked nonplussed for a moment.

"Don't be so insensitive, Tom. Anyway as I was saying: fishing accident." The crowds laughed again and the lord furiously turned around ready to lecture these filthy men about proper decorum. As he spun around his eyes locked on Leon. They had eye contact for the briefest of moments before Gwaine suddenly yelled something and punched his fellow knight so hard Leon fell backwards into the crowd.

Tom apparently got the hint and punched one of knights while Gerard punched another bystander. In a mere seconds the whole crowd was brawling in good spirits. In the commotion Gwaine hauled Leon back up again and dragged him into one of the alleys. Merlin followed with difficulty as he dodged several blows.

"What ... were you... doing?" Merlin finally managed to utter as he tried to catch his breath. He was puzzled. Leon was sitting down, leaning against a shed while Gwaine came back with a wet cloth and handed it to the older man. Leon nodded gratefully and held it to his face.

"Thanks."

"No problem, mate, sorry about the eye though." Gwaine commented and sagged down as well and addressed Merlin. "Did they follow us?" He had pulled Leon through a maze of alleys until they were at the edge of the town. The street ended in a rather abrupt drop as the coastline here was made up out of cliffs.

"No, got caught in the chaos I think. Why did you hit Leon?" He asked Gwaine, but Leon answered instead. "The lord, he looked familiar... but now he won't be sure who he saw."

"Do you think he recognised you?"

"Probably, yes, but I can't fathom how." Leon guessed and pointed to his clothes.

"You aren't dressed like one, but you sure act like the knight you are." Gwaine said thoughtfully, "You heard what Maggie said yesterday." He had gotten back up and scanned the alley once more, but nobody seemed to have followed them.

"I didn't do anything. I just stood there!" Leon defended himself.

"With this aura of authority you always carry." Merlin agreed with Gwaine. Leon was horrible in hiding himself in plain sight.

"Maybe he recognised Gwaine." Leon huffed.

"Nobody in their right mind would ever accuse Gwaine of being a knight."

"Thanks, Merlin." Gwaine snorted and playfully shoved the younger man aside.

"You're welcome." Merlin grinned.

"He went over there." A voice suddenly said. Gwaine and Merlin spun around quickly while Leon got back up again. They spotted an old man in a nearby doorway pointing towards the waterside as he chuckled at their reaction.

"Who?" Merlin carefully asked.

"That man you're looking for."

"And how did you..." Leon took a few steps closer motioning the others to follow him. He still pressed the cloth to his eye but studied the man intently with his other.

"'Ve got ears, boy and you folks aren't the silent sort." The man said rolling his eyes.

"So you saw Tristan going over there?" Gwaine asked and pointed towards the cliffs. "Why didn't you tell someone sooner?"

"I forgot, just remembered when I saw you strangers." The man shrugged tiredly.

"What's there?" Merlin asked curiously, he suddenly felt a light tug in his gut like a warning...

"Nothing much, rocks, cliffs, a few caves as well, but you can only reach them at the low tide. It's a death trap by boat. Very dangerous waters there, cursed some folk might say."

"Cursed?" Leon was sceptical. Merlin snorted. Yeah, because that's totally unbelievable, he thought.

"An old wives tale perhaps, but strange things have happened." The old man looked at them keenly and motioned them closer as he proceeded in a conspiring whisper. "Deadly things, some folks get curious and don't mind the warning of an old fellow like m'self. But I've never seen them afterwards...Or if I did, they're raving mad, covering their ears, clawing at them, bleeding to make it go away."

"What away?" Gwaine asked what they all wanted to know. Merlin shivered involuntarily. He didn't know what it was exactly but he didn't like the cliffs as he looked upon those unfriendly walls. The sunlight was clouded there making the grey stones that much more unwelcoming.

"The demons of old, the ghosts of the haunted, the voice of the slain... Take your pick."

"Any idea what's really out there?" Leon stayed sceptical.

"Do I look raving mad to you?" The old man suddenly shot back and then sighed sadly. "It's a shame for that poor fellow, but he already looked as if he lost a few marbles."

"Do you think we should go there?" Gwaine asked his companions.

"We don't really have a choice, do we?" Merlin reluctantly agreed.

"No, and even if we did..." Leon trailed off. He knew the others agreed on what he had left unsaid.

"Bravely spoken lads, but foolishly. Alas, it's always the young that perish, while the old witter away, lost in tales, wandering the past, never moving forward, always looking back..." The old man mumbled as he shuffled back into his house.

"I don't know about you all, but I bet the old man was raving mad." Gwaine whispered as they walked towards the edge of the cliffs.

"Maybe, but as always..." Leon started channelling Arthur's parting message.

"Be cautious." Gwaine finished and looked down. There was a small path or something that could earn that description, but it was really steep. The bottom was still unreachable as white grey waves washed up driftwood. It was cast upon the sharp rocks with a crashing sound. Gwaine sighed. "Looks like a lovely place, really. Perfect for a picnic."

"How long before low tide?" Leon asked as he walked along the edge carefully assessing their route down.

"An hour perhaps, maybe more." Gwaine guessed.

"We should start now, the path will be clear once we get down." Leon decided. Gwaine nodded and was about to lower himself over the edge as Merlin grabbed his arm.

"How long before the flood traps everyone down there?" He asked concerned.

"I don't know, Merlin, let's better not find out."

Their descent was a quiet one since they couldn't exactly walk next to each other. Gwaine had taken the lead, Merlin followed him closely noting carefully where the knight put his feet. The path started very steep before straightening again until it was almost horizontal, leading them further and further away from the town. From time to time Merlin cast a glance behind him. Leon was following equally careful: one hand on the hilt of his sword, another used to keep his balance. Merlin didn't hear anything except the waves below as they effectively drowned out the sounds of the boisterous town. They walked for more than half an hour and the path became more obscure with every passing minute. Big rocks and smaller rockslides obstructed their process and Merlin was now permanently grabbing onto the rocks next to him for some support. He looked back again to asses Leon's progress. All of a sudden he tripped. The rock he was holding onto jagged lose due to the abrupt shock and plunged into the deep. Merlin franticly sought another anchor but only managed to grab air. He leaned dangerously over the edge willing himself to regain his balance. The waves below him mocked the feeble attempts, Merlin yelled as he lost his footing completely... Your death, young warlock.

"Watch it, Merlin!" Leon suddenly grabbed his arm forcefully and pulled the hyperventilating man safely back up. Gwaine was with them in a few seconds, he too had tried to get to his friend in time. The horror he had felt when he heard rocks shift and fall down, Merlin losing his balance, imagining dead weight in the water below,...

"Alright, mate?" He asked worriedly. Merlin was still wheezing a bit while Leon pushed him even further against the cliff. Satisfied that the young man had regained his balance, the older knight let go and stretched his white knuckles.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked a bit unsure. Merlin looked up confused and rubbed his upper arm gently. It did hurt, he probably had a hand shaped bruise there. He didn't care.

"I'll live." Merlin grinned, while Gwaine punched his other arm. "Don't ever do that again!"

"Gwaine's right you know, if you died on our watch..." Leon shuddered, thinking back at their departure from Camelot. He knew Arthur would never forgive them.

"There are so many caves here. But I don't think we should split up again." Gwaine said as they walked past another entrance. It had taken more than an hour to get down. After he had tripped Leon and Gwaine were behaving ridiculously protective. It annoyed Merlin to no extend. Gwaine made sure he kicked away all loose rocks before continuing down, while Leon walked behind him so closely Merlin could feel the knight breathe down his neck.

"We should have brought torches..." Leon grumbled a bit, but Gwaine assured him most caves had a stack of torches hidden somewhere. Relieved they were finally giving him some leeway, Merlin walked a bit further when he suddenly halted. Oh, no...

"Over here!" He yelled as he sprinted towards a prone body a couple of metres before him.

"Tristan!" Merlin quickly kneeled down. Gaius' training kicked in immediately as he scanned the man still form quickly. Tristan didn't look good, he looked... dead. But the man was still breathing albeit very shallow and his pulse was even worse: too feeble and much too quick. Merlin cursed, he didn't have any of Gauis' supplies with him and healing the man with magic?

"Tristan, Tristan, you need to wake up." Merlin said firmly and gently shook the man. He got no response.

"Is he?" Leon whispered and swallowed hard. This was not good, not good at all...

"I must warn Emrys…" Tristan suddenly mumbled and fluttered his eyes half open.

"Sst lie still, Tristan." Merlin said soothingly and looked up. With a much more forceful voice he started to order his friends, "Gwaine give me something to stop the bleeding. Leon, scan the area."

"What? We don't have..." Gwaine looked around helplessly.

"Anything, Gwaine." Merlin already untied his neckerchief, but Tristan was bleeding out of multiple wounds. Most of them looked rather shallow, but then they should have stopped bleeding by now, right? Gwaine pulled of his jacket and started to rip the sleeves off.

"You don't understand, Emrys…" Tristan mumbled again and kicked his legs in an attempt to get up.

"It's all right Tristan, we'll pass on the message, just lie still, please?" Merlin tried to calm the frantic man. He didn't know where Tristan found the strength all of a sudden, but he feared what would happen if it ran out.

"What's the message?" Leon asked as he hurried back. He didn't find anything, no weapons, no blood trail, nothing...

"Dalbeth, 's coming," Tristan suddenly grabbed Merlin's shirt and pulled him closer, "You must be careful, Emrys…" He said intently before jerking suddenly as he closed his eyes again.

"Tristan. Tristan! Stay with us now." Merlin almost shouted and suddenly made a decision. He carefully held his hands above Tristan's wounds, recklessly summoning his magic. But Tristan unexpectedly brushed his hands away.

" 's fine, she's here…" Tristan focussed his gaze on the far horizon. He lifted his right hand for a few inches, stretching his fingers for a brief moment.

And then he was gone… with something of a smile still lingering on his face. Leon cursed loudly. Gwaine was still pushing down on the wounds, but Merlin felt like he was going in shock himself. What just happened here? He tried to wrap his mind around the things Tristan said, the words were slowly sinking in. It was Leon who finally broke his daze.

"We should make arrangements."

"We should bury them together, Tristan would've wished that." Gwaine proposed.

"They're already together, Gwaine." Merlin sighed as he closed Tristan's soulless eyes, "Wishing is for the living only."

You're so hating me right now, correct? In my defense I gave you a long chapter... Anyway, the plot thickens :)