Chapter Five

Hello!

This one was a lot of fun for me! I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

Merlin was plotting.

To anyone else, it would simply appear that he was leaning on a stack of wooden targets, watching the knights train. But inwardly he was plotting on how to interrogate Gwaine.

Merlin had been concerned about his friend for weeks, but now he was certain that the knight's odd behavior had drastically intensified since the twins' arrival.

For the past few days, Elwin, still mostly confined to bed, had been driving both Gaius and Merlin mad with his trivial, constant questions. And his tricks; forbidden to leave the physician's chambers, he'd taken to pulling pranks that didn't involve him moving very far from his bed. The latest had been to slip extra pepper into Gaius and Merlin's stew.

Everard had scolded his brother thoroughly for that, but Elwin had simply ducked his head and grinned sheepishly. Merlin and Gaius had gotten the impression that this happened quite a lot, and Everard's muttered comment "…always getting into trouble…" confirmed it.

While Elwin was already showing himself to be utterly annoying (well, and amusing) to everyone he spoke with, Everard was managing to charm almost everyone in the castle. He still carried himself with an noticeable proud air, but he had excellent manners and had no reservations about using them.

He still spent time with his brother (and slept on the floor next to Elwin's bed, despite having been offered other quarters), but he also spent ample time exploring the castle and city as well tagging along with the knights. He rarely asked questions, but appeared to listen carefully. Most of the knights seemed to like having him around, and he had begun to join them on the training field.

In fact, while Merlin was scheming, Everard was engaged in an enthusiastic skirmish with Sir Leon. Though he was shorter than the knight and not nearly as experienced, the boy clearly knew how to use a sword, plus his footwork was excellent. Even Merlin could see that.

But there was a knight missing from the training field, just as he had been since Everard started coming.

Merlin was convinced that the appearance of the twins had driven Gwaine into whatever seclusion he was imposing on himself. He barely left his chambers except for necessary duties and those were few. After pestering Gaius for a while, Merlin had finally discovered why Gwaine wanted a sleeping draught: Nightmares. About what, Gaius didn't know.

Of course, this raised more questions than before. Where did these nightmares spring from? Why were they so terrible that Gwaine couldn't speak to anyone about it? How on earth were the twins involved? Why was their presence making it worse than before?

Finding the right questions to ask was one thing. Getting Gwaine to answer them would be quite another. Which was why Merlin was taking so long to formulate a plan. He'd come up with a few so far, only to discard them as worthless.

Take Gwaine to a tavern and get him drunk enough to talk.

The most obvious plan was probably the most impossible one at the moment. From what Merlin had heard, the often-drunk knight had, over the last few days, flatly refused to go to the tavern whenever Percival, Elyan, and Leon had asked.

Corner him and ask him outright.

Considering how his last similar attempt had gone, Merlin wasn't eager to do it. A cornered Gwaine could be a mighty force, even if Merlin asked Percival and Elyan to help.

Blackmail him somehow.

That just wouldn't be fair; Merlin didn't ever want to do that to a friend. Not like that. Plus he couldn't really think of anything he could blackmail Gwaine with that would work.

Make the other knights ask him.

Same problem as Merlin asking straight out.

Take it to the king.

Definite betrayal, or at least that's what it would be in Gwaine's eyes. Merlin really didn't want to possibly lose his friend that way…besides, Arthur might not even take the whole business seriously. Or not seriously enough, anyways.

Try to ease into it?

If he could catch Gwaine at a vulnerable moment…maybe...

Merlin's musings were interrupted by an outbreak of cheers on the sparring field. Looking up, Merlin saw Leon, looking rather out of breath, helping a panting Everard up from the ground. Arthur and the knights gathered around, laughing and clapping both opponents on the shoulders. Apparently Leon had won the match, but Everard had put up a fight. Merlin grinned and walked out to join them (supposedly to help them with any weapon or armor malfunctions, but really to join in the fun of the moment).

He'd decide how to tackle Gwaine later.

Gwaine slipped quietly out of his chambers, hurrying down the castle halls towards the training grounds.

It was getting late, but he still wanted to practice with his swordsmanship and knife throwing and by now the other knights would have left along with Everard.

Hopefully.

He managed to get out of the castle without being seen by anyone but a couple servants. But when he stopped by the armory to get a practice sword, he turned from the rack to find Everard standing in front of him.

Gwaine jumped, but struggled to conceal his deeper fear. "Hello, young Everard." he said as jauntily as he could manage, considering the circumstances. "How's your brother?"

He tried to keep his voice light, impersonal. But something of his very real anxiety must have seeped through in his tone, because Everard narrowed his eyes in clear suspicion. "He's fine." the boy replied stiffly, tossing his shaggy light brown hair out of his eyes.

Noting the glance Everard gave the blade in Gwaine's hand, the knight said quickly, "Since I missed training, I thought I'd go tear up a couple practice dummies." When Everard simply stared at him for a few moments longer, he added casually, "How's Camelot treating you then?" His voice came out strained and unnatural, despite his best efforts. Years of practice bantering didn't serve him now, not when the past was pretty much literally coming back to haunt him.

"The people are nice enough." Everard replied evenly. "Even the Pendragon."

The Pendragon. It had been years since Gwaine had heard the king of Camelot referred to like that. Though back then it had been Uther, not Arthur. "King Arthur's a decent fellow."

"Hmm." Everard stepped aside, gesturing for Gwaine to leave if he wished. Relieved that the boy was giving him a way out, the knight hurried out past him toward the training field.

But he froze at the door when he heard Everard ask softly, "Is that why you serve him, cousin?"

By the time Gwaine managed to turn himself around, the boy had left through another doorway.

That night was the first in years during which Gwaine woke up screaming.

Most people didn't like wyverns.

Hayden couldn't see why, really. Once you got past the razor-sharp claws, the pointed teeth, the glowing red eyes, and the notoriously foul temper, they weren't actually that bad at all.

At least, that's what Hayden thought. But then, he didn't have the last name Wyverndomitor for nothing. Wild ones…the ones with less intelligence then a fish…he didn't get along with those. His, now; his wyverns he could handle. Usually.

"Remind me again why I must take care of your pets while you run off to goodness knows where." Ryle glowered at Hayden with dark hazel eyes barely visible behind unkempt black hair. "You do realize that they hate me, right?"

"They don't hate you! Emerald is defensive, that's all." Hayden replied calmly.

"What about that scaly baby in the bushes over there? Peridot, right?" Ryle glanced suspiciously at the cat-sized creature rolling in the grass a few feet away.

"Topaz is the baby's name; Peridot's a adolescent now, Ryle." Hayden sighed. "You've been gone a while."

"Humph. Why must I baby-sit, then? Can't you just find someone else?"

"Well, you're the only person I trust with them, you know…"

"I suppose I should be flattered." muttered Ryle darkly.

"….so unless you want take a little trip south again to find Elen Barclayn…"

"That's the other option? Why didn't you say so?" Ryle laughed.

"Why? So you'll watch my wyverns?" Hayden asked hopefully.

"No, I'm going after that Barclayn lass. Lord knows what she'll do if someone doesn't." Ryle made a face.

Hayden frowned. "You'll have to travel with Aldwyn, and possibly Haralda."

Ryle chuckled. "Trust me, Hay, I've faced worse than his gallivanting highness Aldwyn and her strutting highness Haralda." Ryle shrugged. "I think you're baby is getting bored, by the way."

Hayden raised his eyebrows at his cousin-thankfully-several-times-removed as he strode over to his horse tethered nearby. As he swung into the saddle, Ryle called, "Where do I meet their audacious highnesses?"

"The city, of course. They'll be expecting me."

"Well, they'd better stop expecting you." Ryle turned his horse around. As he urged the beast into a gallop, he called over his shoulder, "Oh! Almost forgot! When I was down south before I may have seen G…" The wind blew away the rest of his sentence as he and his horse disappeared down the road.

Hayden sighed before calling Topaz over to him with a sharp whistle. The creature scampered over and scrambled up to drape himself over Hayden's shoulders. "That Ryle. But I hope he finds Elen; can't have her going after whoever abducted the twins by herself, can we?" He laughed as the young wyvern nuzzled his cheek. "You glad I'm not going with them, eh, little one? I wonder who he thinks he saw down south?" Hardly burdened by the weight of the animal on his shoulders, Hayden started down the road back to his dwelling. A couple minutes later, he froze solid, staring at nothing as an positively insane thought occurred to him.

"Why, Topaz, he couldn't have seen Gwaine, could've he?"

Okay, I know, that last section was totally out there. But I've had it in my head for days now and I just had to put it in. I appear to be developing an unhealthy obsession with wyverns :D But it all plays into the story, you'll see.

Review?