Somewhere in medieval Britain

March, 505 AD

I remember when a squirrel somehow got into the farmhouse once and my Uncle struggled for hours until he finally managed to catch it by putting food inside a cardboard box and waiting until it finally got in; then he released the animal outside.

I shouldn't even try to speculate upon how Hengist's minions managed to get a freaking wilddeoren inside the fortress. All I know is that there is a high chance that it might eat my friends.

In a flash, Arthur leaped over the metal bars that separated the enclosure from the rest of the room and landed smoothly inside. Almost like an Olympic gymnast. Merlin and I exchanged a stunned look.

The crowd did not seem amused by the developments as the Prince handed a sword to Lancelot, and they moved closer to the cage with gasps and unintelligible shouts. The wilddeoren started to back all three humans into a corner and my heart-rate accelerated even more.

"What do we do?" I asked my best friend in a whisper as my eyes scanned my surroundings for any way to help out. I mean, I can't really use the sword that Arthur gave me and I'll never be able to make the leap into the cage.

A chubby bald man suddenly pulled out a crossbow and aimed it at the Prince. Merlin was quick to use his magic to make a chandelier fall on top of him before I could warn anyone and I raised my eyebrows in slight amusement before going back to scanning the room for any way to get to our friends.

"Astra! Merlin!" I heard Arthur call out, sounding alarmed.

"Come on," my best friend said as he tapped my arm and he promptly moved to give me a leg-up. I gave him a wary look, but didn't argue as I allowed him to give me a boost in height so that I could reach the top of the cage and pull myself over it.

I ungracefully stumbled as I let myself drop inside and my arm barely escaped the wilddeoren's tusks as Arthur swiftly moved me behind him. I gave Gwen a little forced smile when our eyes connected for a second.

I can't believe I almost came here by myself!

Note to self: never, ever forget to bring my bow again. And maybe get some self-defence lessons. And learn how to climb things that aren't trees. And stay on Arthur's good side, or he'll probably feed me to the beast next time.

Merlin was soon standing between our two brave warriors, serving as a third human shield for Gwen and I.

I felt slightly dazed, my senses overheated by the angry shouts of Hengist's sea of men, and the chaos going on as Lancelot and Arthur fought to keep the wilddeoren back, and the slight ringing in my ears, and the racing of my heart.

In the midst of it all, I couldn't help but feel bad for the animal. It was a victim of circumstances as much as Gwen was.

"The tunnel! That is our only chance!" Arthur called out as he gestured towards – guess! – a tunnel that I only then realised was connected to the cage. That must be how the bandits transport wilddeoren.

I guess we're getting another round with claustrophobia!

"After them!" one of the enemy men shouted as he unlocked a door to the cage. That must be how humans are shoved inside. A bunch of men lined up with swords, ready to swarm in.

"Astra, Gwen, go!" the Prince commanded.

My breath got caught in my throat at the thought of the bandits somehow trapping the boys before they could escape; but I was forced to move when Gwen grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards the entrance to the tunnel. I stumbled a little as I begrudgingly moved my feet.

Fortunately, the boys entered right behind us; but that meant nothing when the enemy men were rapidly advancing.

I felt like Indiana Jones when he was running from the boulder.

"Take the girls, I will hold them off!" Lancelot stated.

"No!" Gwen instantly protested.

I was about to do the same, but Arthur grabbed my hand and forced me to keep moving. I stumbled behind him, trying to free myself so that I could run back and somehow help. Especially when Gwen remained frozen as she stared at Lancelot, who stood square and proud while facing the incoming avalanche of bandits with nothing but a sword. What's the whole point of this journey if she gets killed anyways?!

Suddenly, the gate to the tunnel fell closed and my eyes widened. Merlin must've done his thing!

I finally stopped fighting Arthur when my best friend, Lancelot and Gwen took off running behind us and I sped up so that I would stop feeling like a rag-doll being dragged through the grimy tunnel.

Arthur and I soon reached the other end of the tunnel. A gust of wind blew past the metal bars that covered it and I let out a sigh of relief at the feeling of the coolness against my face, which eased the heat I was experiencing from the flush induced by adrenaline and claustrophobia.

I went to push the gate, only to come to the obvious realisation that it was closed. And that it needed a key to be opened. My stomach churned and I gulped. The only thing worse than having to navigate a constricted space is being trapped in it.

Lancelot, Gwen, and Merlin reached us and, look, don't get me wrong, I was glad to see that they were all right; but the extra crowding made me feel even more agitated as my lungs strained to do their job.

Arthur gave my hand a gentle squeeze before finally letting go. I hadn't even realised he was still holding onto it. I stepped back and allowed him to have a go at the bars, figuring that his masculine strength could do much more than my… I wouldn't even call my arm strength feminine. It's just laughable. Especially when I'm already exhausted from the ridiculous wall climb.

Merlin was suddenly standing beside me and placing a hand on my shoulder. I'm sure he meant well, but I shrugged it off, the warmth not helping as I did all I could to not make my struggle to breathe noticeable while holding back gasps for air.

"Good to see you three," Lancelot commented as he moved to help the Prince. "Where are your knights?"

"It is just us," Arthur replied.

Merlin also joined the effort against the gate and, soon, the three of them managed to force it open and they gallantly stepped back to allow us girls to go first.

I all but flew out of the hell hole and sprinted until I found a tree against which I could lean to get some sort of grounding feeling as I finally allowed myself to gasp for oxygen.

The coolness of night soon got rid of the heat from the adrenaline, my breathing gradually returned to normal, and I successfully averted what could've become a panic attack. The last thing I need is to have my friends see me in such a state.

I straightened up at the sound of footsteps to find my four companions nearing me and I painted on a small grin.

Arthur placed a hand on my shoulder as soon as he reached me and that appeared to be the last bit of comfort I needed to release a long sigh. Should I be concerned that he seems to have the unexpected superpower of bringing comfort? How can that be, when all he does is turn my internal organs into a cringey circus act?

"Are you all right?" he asked gently.

"Oh, yeah, that was fun," I quickly responded. "But let's never do it again."

As we started to walk, I noticed that Gwen and Lancelot were holding hands, which caused me to frown. I mean, I remember her having feelings for him when they first met, but I thought she was over it and invested in Merlin. I gazed towards my best friend to find that he looked deflated, so I stepped closer to him and linked my arm with his in an attempt to show support.

I hate love triangles in movies and I won't stand to witness one in real life!


Unfortunately, probably mostly due to how exhausted we all were, we didn't manage to reach the horses after a whole day of travelling – none of us wanted to go through the wilddeoren tunnels again, y'know? – and we set up a camp for the night with the promise that we would likely reunite with them at around midday the next day.

I yearned for some horsey cuddles, but I didn't protest.

I sat on a log sandwiched between Arthur and Merlin. My head had, at some point, ended up resting against the Prince's shoulder. Normally, I wouldn't even have contemplated that action and would've used my best friend as a pillow instead; but I didn't want to reinforce Gwen's ridiculous idea that he and I have a thing going on, and the blond didn't seem to mind.

We're friends, after all, I guess…

The maidservant and Lancelot sat on another log on the other side of the campfire and I could see my best friend staring longingly at the girl out of the corner of my eye while she chatted with the former knight in hushed whispers. Frustration was slowly pooling in my stomach and I feared I would snap at some point. This is between Gwen and Merlin. I can't butt in.

"I am surprised you would undertake such a rescue mission with just the three of you," Lancelot noted as he turned his attention towards the Prince.

"My father would not risk the lives of his knights for a servant," Arthur responded with a sigh.

"And yet you disobeyed him and came here anyway," the former knight stated with a proud grin on his face. Anyone could see how much he admires Arthur, and I smiled a little at the thought.

The Prince shrugged off the words and then smirked. "Merlin never would have stopped crying about it if I had not," he teased the sorcerer, who clenched his jaw and looked away.

I nudged my best friend's leg with mine, hoping that he knew that I had his back.

"I think I will get some rest," Gwen announced, then she quickly stood from the log and moved towards a tree, under which she settled down. Obviously, she simply wanted to get away from the conversation. Why else would she move away from the cosy fire when there is nothing else to keep us warm?

It wasn't long before the three boys had moved spots to lay on the ground and try to get some rest. I got off the log and used it as a backrest instead as I sat on the ground, bringing my knees to my chest. I knew I was in for a long, boring night without my Avengers blanket to help me sleep.

Call me childish, but I've gotten used to it and can't really sleep without it, all right? At least not without the aid of hypothermia, I guess… Wasn't that a fun time?


As promised, we reached the horses just before midday the next morning and I instantly ran to give Dallas a hug. I breathed in his horsey scent as I leaned my forehead against his neck and everything seemed fine with the world again.

Well, if you ignore the constant glares being exchanged between Merlin and Gwen, and me and Gwen. He had tried to speak to her earlier, but she'd blown him off.

Arthur gallantly allowed us all a break from the journey so that we could drink water and empty our bladders and stuff; so I made myself busy by giving my horse a thorough grooming to get rid of all the dirt he'd gathered during the time he'd spent in the wilderness. Dallas seemed to enjoy the attention as he grazed, and I felt a wave of contentment pass through me as I gently ran the brush through his cream-coloured coat.

I was unexpectedly approached by Lancelot and I shot him a quick grin, not really taking my eyes off the Thoroughbred.

"Astra?" he asked in a whisper.

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Is it true that Arthur came to rescue Gwen because Merlin 'never would have stopped crying about it'?"

My body froze for a second and I finally diverted my attention away from my horse to meet the former knight's troubled eyes. I let out a sigh and dropped my gaze again, feeling my heart churn for him.

"He has feelings for her, does he not?" he pressed.

As much as I hate to put down his little crush on Gwen, I refuse to lie to my friend. None of this is his fault, he simply got caught in the middle of a stupid love triangle. I can't imagine ever doing this to a person and I won't leave him in the dark to suffer.

"Yeah, they kinda have… or had… a thing going on..." I confessed. His shoulders slumped and he dropped his head as his jaw clenched. "I'm sorry. I know that you have feelings for 'er, too."

"My feelings do not matter," he stated with a shake of his head. "I will not come between them."

I watched as he moved to grab his sword, which had been discarded on the ground, and I tilted my head, wondering what he was planning.

He sighed and turned to me again, "Tell Gwen… tell her that she has changed me forever, but some things cannot be."

With that, he began to walk away and my eyes widened as I darted towards his side. "Lance, wait, where are you going?!"

He refused to meet my eyes as he sped up. "I have to leave," was his only response before he scurried away.

I felt my heart break a little and I gulped before looking around, soon finding Merlin and Arthur staring at me with questioning looks; but I didn't get a chance to start explaining because Gwen returned from whatever she'd been off doing and she scanned the area before asking, "Where is Lancelot?"

"He's gone," I informed her in a dry tone. "Way to play with people's feelings."

I hurried to tack up Dallas, suddenly feeling very upset, and I mounted him and asked him for a trot as I rode ahead of the party; wanting to be as alone as possible for a few minutes and just calm down before I could snap at Gwen.

Honestly, though, I feel kind of guilty and I know that I'm just looking for someone else to blame. I should be more careful with my words! I love Merlin – I truly do. He's the best person I've ever met! And I'm beyond grateful to have him as a friend. But that doesn't mean I have to tell him, right? Spewing out loaded words like that is clearly a bad idea. Now my words have indirectly hurt three people!

Bronze appeared at Dallas's side and I glanced up at the Prince on his back to find him looking at me with a concerned expression.

"Are you all right?" he asked gently. "You seem upset."

I dropped my gaze and started to play with my horse's mane. "I'm fine… just kinda annoyed at Gwen," I responded in a whisper and looked behind me for a moment to see her riding in front of a pouty Merlin – who, on top of everything, had been forced to walk after surrendering Falcon to the maidservant!

"What happened?" Arthur questioned. So I finally explained why Lancelot had left, and I accidentally threw in how I felt a little bit responsible.

I trailed off when I glanced up for a second to see the Prince smiling at me.

"Lancey left again and Merls just kinda got dumped. Why're you happy?" I asked while narrowing my eyes at him.

"It is nothing," he responded with a slight shrug as he averted his gaze. I raised an eyebrow when his eyes returned to mine. "I find it admirable how you seem to care so much about everyone," he said softly.

My lungs froze – yes, again – and I dropped my gaze as I tried to figure out how to respond. I mean, I don't think I care more than is normal… I just wanna see my friends be happy, y'know?

"It'll be my downfall one day," I finally said and threw in an awkward chuckle.

"Quite the opposite," Arthur stated.

I felt my heart skip a beat and I glanced up at him again, gulping when I noticed the intense look in his eyes. "It's just common courtesy, really," I mumbled before dropping my eyes once more.


Night fell upon us again and we were still about a day away from reaching Camelot. Merlin and Arthur built a campfire while Gwen and I untacked the horses – still not exchanging any words. Perhaps I'm being childish and should try to give an explanation on my best friend's behalf – regarding the situation that led Arthur to misinterpret our relationship – but, at the moment, I don't think that I could do so without losing my cool. So awkward silence it is.

After the equines were rid of their equipment for the night, I took on the therapeutic task of grooming all three. The maidservant, in turn, mentioned that she would try to cook something for us; so I handed her a box of fusilli and a small pot that Gaius had given Merlin. "There are instructions on the back," I told her dryly.

"Thank you," she mumbled before walking away.

Her slumped shoulders and low head suggest that she's feeling remorse, but I'm not ready to get over how she toyed with Merlin and Lancelot.

Once I was done tending to the horses, I took a seat on a log next to Arthur and let my gaze stray towards Merlin, who sat opposite us on the other side of the campfire. Normally, I obviously would've sat next to him, but I believe it's necessary to distance myself a little and not give Gwen more reasons to be mad at him. So I'll just give him space until they sort things out and ignore the churning in my stomach.

While Gwen continued to cook the pasta, I entertained myself by doodling some random things on the dirt below using a stick I picked off the ground.

A clover…

A cat…

A house…

A penguin…

I could feel Arthur's eyes on me – or, rather, on my creations – which caused me to glance up at him every once in a while, feeling my heart-rate speed up every time I did. And I'm certain that my face turned bright red.

I started to softly hum 'Not With Haste' by Mumford & Sons under my breath in an attempt to distract myself from the Prince's gaze; but I think that the lyrics only made me feel more aware and I felt almost as if I were suffocating – though I tried not to let it show.

"Guinevere, can we talk?" my best friend suddenly spoke up and I looked up to find his eyes fixed on the aforementioned girl, who seemed to be frozen beside the campfire. A moment later, she meekly nodded before slowly standing up and walking towards him. He stood up and led her away.

"I'll watch the pasta!" I called out as the pair disappeared among the trees and moved to sit criss-cross beside the campfire. "Finally," I breathed out, earning a chuckle from Arthur that caused my darned heart to skip a beat.


Morgana was beyond happy to have her best friend back and safe the next day, which made having to face a long, angry speech from Uther completely worth it. The King scolded Arthur and I for leaving without permission, claiming that he'd place guards outside our rooms if something like this ever happens again. However, he dropped the rage quickly when I began to recount the tales of how the Prince got us safely through the wilddeoren tunnels, and how he encouraged me when we had to scale that wall, and how he saved all our butts…

I might've exaggerated Arthur's heroism just a little bit, but it was well worth it when he smiled widely as his father started to praise his leadership skills.

Not all was great, however, for sorrow clouded Merlin's eyes. He had been distant from everyone ever since he'd talked to Gwen in private.

As soon as Uther released us, I grabbed his arm and dragged him to the physician's apartment, where we sat down at the kitchen bench and I asked him what had happened.

"She said that she needs time to decide what she wants," Merlin mumbled in response. I clenched my jaw at the cliché excuse. I guess some things haven't changed throughout the centuries. "She said that seeing Lancelot made her remember her feelings for him," he added with a sniffle.

I stood up and walked the short distance to him on the other side of the table, then I sat down beside him and hugged him, not knowing what else to do.

"I'm sorry, Merls. She may not have been so vulnerable if I'd been more careful with my words," I said softly.

He abruptly pulled away from the hug and placed a hand on my shoulder while looking me straight in the eyes, "No, do not blame yourself. You are my best friend, I would not exchange you for anyone."

I gave him a half-smile as I felt my heart warm up and he offered a little grin before pulling me in for another hug.

"I love you, Astra," he said in a firm tone.

"I love you, too, Merls," I whispered.