Author's Note: Bit of a rambly drabbly chapter this one. Still poses quite a few interesting thoughts though. OK, so what's in here exactly? Urm, some Lancelot POV, some quite dark thoughts and actions from Ceira (you may find this a bit surprising - don't know what I was thinking of when I wrote it!), some thoughts on the Spectres from Emrys and finally some more thoughts from Arthur about Gwaine although they may be a bit late :S So yeah, nothing significant but just some stuff to get you thinking - hopefully! Right, I shall shut up and let you read. Enjoy! Review maybe? x

Disclaimer: I still do not own any characters of Shine and the BBC's TV programme Merlin (wish I did!) but any added characters and plotlines were completely my genius! All mistakes and splelnig errrors are also my own, which are not so genius…

Chapter Forty Seven

Playful

Ceira slumped down on her pile of blankets. They felt like clouds. After the two days of having to sit on an uncomfortable, swaying saddle, it felt like Heaven. Emrys pulled aside the drape and smiled at her. Ceira smiled back and shuffled up a little so Emrys could sit next to her.

"I've fed and watered the horses so they should be OK for the rest of the day. We've got a while yet until sundown. What do you want to do?" Emrys asked.

"Shall we go and see what Arthur's up to? I don't want him having any advantages over us. We have to be ready and anticipate anything he throws our way," she said. Emrys thought for a second and then nodded his head. They both smiled at each other, jumped up from the blankets and raced out of the hideout, all thoughts of relaxing gone.

~xox~

"One, two, three, four! One, two, three, four!" Arthur's chants rang in Lancelot's ears. His shouts were all he had heard since whatever stupid time he had got up this morning. That and the clash of swords as they relentlessly fought. He had surpassed having a headache and now thought that the battle that they had been creating throughout the day was raging inside his head. There were very little parts of his body that didn't ache. The persistent swinging of swords had made his shoulders throb with pain and the insistent running up and down had made his legs ache.

"One, two, three, four! One, two, three, four!" On each count everyone swung their swords into a certain position, then another, then another, then another and then over again. All of the other Knights were looking just like him. Like they wanted to go home and rest. Just the thought of it made him want to…

"Stop slacking at the back! Come on! Keep moving! One, two, three, four!" Lancelot's head snapped back up and his arms moved into the position instinctively. When was this going to end? If Emrys really was creating an army or whatever he was doing then it wouldn't be any old army. And certainly not an army that could be defeated with swords and battle strategies. No. It would be an army of magic and no amount of battle training would be able to ready them for that. But Arthur didn't seem to notice.

~xox~

Ceira moved her fingers tighter around the dagger as she watched the rabbit, through narrowed eyes, nibble nervously at a piece of grass. Its big, brown eyes glanced round anxiously as Ceira crept closer through the undergrowth. Brambles and thorns caught on her dress and ripped tiny holes in the fabric but she ignored them, concentrating only on her prey. She bit her lip as the rabbit sniffed the air apprehensively. She hesitated and waited for the animal to return to its nibbling. When it did she took a couple more steps and lowered herself to the ground so only the top of her head showed over the bushes. The rabbit hopped over to another patch of grass and carried on munching. Three other rabbits came creeping over to join their companion. Ceira smiled to herself. They crouched there for a moment, contently feasting on sprigs of grass, the original rabbit now more relaxed with its friends around it. Ceira suddenly drew back her dagger and hurled it accurately at the original rabbit. The blade plummeted directly into the creature's shoulder. The other animals whirled around and, at seeing blood starting to leak from where the knife had hit, they left their strands of grass and scampered, abandoning their dying friend behind without a second's thought. Ceira smirked to herself. She shouldn't really get a thrill out of killing animals but she couldn't help it. Especially as she did it even without the help of magic. She climbed out of the undergrowth and advanced on her prize. It was still feebly kicking out its back legs, desperately trying to get away from the predator that had mortally wounded it. Ceira smirked again and crouched down next to the creature. She took the dagger in her fingers and wrenched it out of the rabbit's body. The animal's eyes suddenly went wide and it froze for a second but then its body slackened and its brown eyes went misty and clouded over. As she crouched over it, she saw her smirking face reflected in the unseeing eyes, her hair falling over her face in odd strands. She didn't bother to brush it back and instead took the unmoving rabbit by the hind legs and picked it up. She turned to head back to the hideout, her prize swaying limply from her hand as she made her way back through the undergrowth.

~xox~

Ceira dropped her kill next to the fire and stuck the bloodstained dagger into the ground next to it. She sat down next to Emrys who was sitting on the opposite side of the flames and looked round at him. He was staring absently into the blaze.

"I got a rabbit, it's not much but it will do us for the next few days," Ceira said.

There was a silence. Emrys seemed to be thinking about something. A look of apprehension was spread across his face. Ceira frowned. There was something wrong.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing…"

"It's hardly nothing. What is it?"

"It's just…I'm scared," he admitted.

"So am I," Ceira confessed.

"No, not in that way. It's the Spectres. I can't give them your blood," he said.

"It's OK Emrys. It's only a bit of blood. I can live with a couple of drops less." She tried for a weak smile but something was still troubling him.

"It's not that. There's something wrong. There's more to it. Something they're not telling us. I know it. They are all knowing. They know the past, present and sometimes the future. They wouldn't just ask for a few drops of blood and that's it. They know something," he said fearfully.

"What do you mean? What could they know?" Ceira asked perplexedly.

"I don't know. That's what scares me. It's probably nothing," he shook his head and looked up at her. "Sorry, it's just… I care for you so much. I don't want anyone to hurt you," he said apologetically.

"And I care for you too," she moved forwards and took up his hands in hers. "We'll get through this Emrys. We will."

~xox~

Arthur sighed and looked up at the sky as his men took a break. The day was drawing in and soon he would have to call his Knights in also. They hadn't done too badly, the only downside to the training session had been the permanent look of tedium plastered on each of the men's faces. Despite this, Arthur couldn't exactly blame them as even he had started to find the sound of his own voice rather monotonous. He looked round at each of his Knights. Leon, the most loyal and faithful of all his Knights who would do anything his Prince instructed him to do. Lancelot, the most brave and courageous of his Knights who was prepared to do anything for his Prince. Elyan, who would always watch his back in a fight and would usually come out of nowhere at the last second to save the day. Percival, although he may be a little slow in a chase, he was an excellent swordsman and he was certainly the ladies' man of the group. Olwyn, despite sometimes fumbling with the sword or tripping over his own feet, was always at your side when you needed a little back up. Braeden was the most accident-prone person Arthur had ever met, Arthur had only seen him without some sort of injury around three times in the whole time they had known each other. And then there was Delmar who may be a little thin and skinny but was full of little tricks, there was never a time that he didn't have a dagger concealed up his sleeve or hidden down his boot. Each one of them was a crucial member of the group and the Knights wouldn't be complete without each and every one of them. He was proud of them.

Although…there was something missing. Someone missing. Gwaine. The joker of the pack. Arthur missed his annoying jokes and his irritating comments. But most of all he missed the grin that was permanently stuck on his face. Even when times had seemed so perilous, Gwaine had always found something to laugh about and uplift the group in the process. In many ways, he was the one who kept them going. And Arthur was sure he wasn't alone. He knew that each and every one of the Knights felt the same way. Now more than ever, Arthur wished he could have Gwaine back.

~xox~

Darkness was already starting to take over the skies. The sun was creeping below the tree line, giving way to her sister.

"Come on then, better get to sleep. We've got a day of preparing tomorrow," Emrys said, stretching. Ceira nodded and drew back the drape.

"Goodnight," she called to Emrys as he started to climb up his tree. He smiled his response over his shoulder and turned back to the branches in front of him. She smiled and ducked into the shelter. She lay down on the blankets, tucked her knees up to her chest and clasped her arms around them. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips together. Everything would be OK.

Then why was she so unhappy? She felt like…something was missing. But what?

~xox~

Author's Note: OK, I'm pretty sure some of you Gwaine fans who were asking for some more thoughts on Gwaine's death will be wanting to review. Well, I hope you will anyway ;) Thanks a lot if you do! So hope you liked and please give the little blue guy down there a click ;D x