Camelot
May, 508 AD
Gwaine and I ran into Merlin as we barrelled down the staircase. Neither of us stopped for a second as my brother joined us in a fervent race towards the castle doors.
"You saw it, too?" I asked.
"I thought I was imagining things!" Merlin exclaimed.
In what must've been a record time, we made it to the horse paddocks and hurried to tack up our horses before blazing out of the castle gates. As it turns out, I'm gonna have my much-desired run, after all.
Oh, crap! The bet! We still had like one hour to go!
Oh, well.
The darkening sky caused the forest to turn slightly tricky to navigate. Lucky for us, we know it like the back of our hands and had no trouble moving at a high speed towards the direction in which we all saw the presumed dragon glide over.
"Queen Astraea!" a distressed-looking middle-aged woman who was carrying a basket waved us over from the side of the dirt path. I cringed at the title, but swallowed the urge to correct her on how to address me as I steered Dallas towards her.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Oh, your majesty!" she cried.
I wasn't able to hold back this time – "Please, call me Astra."
Her eyes widened for a few seconds, then she gulped and spoke again with a slight stutter, "A-astra... I s-saw a frightful thing, m-my queen!"
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from protesting the title again. There are more pressing matters at hand!
"What did you see?" I asked, making my tone as soft as I could under the claws of anxiety that dug into my intestines.
"A winged monster! Something like a ghost! And it was massive, with fire in its eyes and ire in its breath!"
I took a glance at my companions, my heart-rate accelerating and my lungs gaining weight.
"Where'd it go?!" I quickly asked the woman.
With a trembling arm, she pointed north of where we stood.
I sighed shakily. "Thanks, ma'am. We'll check it out. No harm will come to you. Keep this to yourself. Don't wanna cause a panic," I requested in a single breath.
"Of course, your majesty," she said and curtsied slightly.
I swallowed a groan and gave her a grateful nod before asking Dallas to take off once more. Gwaine and Merlin followed close behind on their own horses.
"Friends." My heart stopped for a moment at the sound of Phoenix's boyish voice and the Welsh-Pony-sized dragon stepped out from behind some thick trees, his head hanging low as his amber-coloured eyes gazed up at us.
My stomach dropped at the sight of his deflated look.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" Merlin asked in his commanding dragonlord tone.
Phoenix averted his gaze towards the ground and I gave my brother a pointed look before addressing the young winged beast in a gentler tone, "What's wrong, Finny?"
He made eye-contact with me. "I-it is Aithusa." My lungs halted their function. "W-we cannot find her."
I felt as if my gut had suddenly become a graveyard, filled with frosted ghosts, and my body started to tremble. I felt the colour drain out of my face and my grip on Dallas's neck-rope tightened.
Merlin went pale and he sent me a momentary wide-eyed look. "W-what happened?" he asked the dragon, his voice also soft now as his eyes glazed over.
Phoenix lowered his head even more as he replied, "W-we were playing in the skies and... suddenly... she was g-gone..."
With my heart lodged up in my throat and teary eyes, I jumped off my horse and moved to hug the dragon. He was quick to 'return' it as he raised his head to rest it on my shoulder and he let out a soft-but-shaky exhale.
"Do you remember where you saw her last?" Gwaine asked gently.
Phoenix removed his head from my shoulder and nodded. "Yes, I believe so."
I took a deep breath, wiped a few tears from my face, and gulped before voicing a plan, "All right. Finny – use the night to your advantage and go back to the cave. Merls, Gwaine n' I will return to the castle and make up an excuse to be able to leave for a few days, and we will meet you as soon as we can. Then we can all start lookin' together."
Merlin, Gwaine and I must've looked like a true mess when we re-entered the castle twenty minutes later, because we were immediately stopped by Louis, who asked in deep concern if we are all right.
"Disappointing ride, that's all," I responded to the friendly guard while attempting a smile before moving on.
The three of us climbed the main staircase at a slow pace, not exchanging any words. I'm not sure if my two friends shared my thoughts, but I was worried about how Arthur would react to the cover story we settled on. It's not the wisest, but it's what we have. We can't afford to waste time by trying to come up with something better, for Aithusa's hours could be counted.
My insides felt like they'd been placed into a blender and I kind of feared I would throw them up at any moment.
I shared a wary look with my two best friends and Merlin placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
Letting out a shaky sigh, I took a step forward and swiftly knocked on the door to Arthur's room. My heart trembled and spun as we awaited a response.
The door swung open to reveal a clearly displeased Arthur. "Welcome back, you little trait–" He froze for a second when his eyes focused fully on my face. "What happened?!"
We must look even crappier than I thought.
He pulled me into a hug and I had to fight really hard not to break down in his arms as my intestines continued to twist themselves into knots.
"I-It's a long story, but..." I glanced back at Merlin for a final dose of agreement. Once I let the lie drop, there is no going back. He nodded. "We have to go to Ealdor. We're leavin' at first light."
The tears in mine and Merlin's eyes are sure to boost our credibility.
Arthur pulled back and cupped my face in his warm hands; making the idea of leaving seem even more tumultuous for me. I hate being away from him! "What is wrong?" he asked softly while looking me straight in the eyes.
"My mother is sick," Merlin quickly answered.
Arthur's eyes widened as he turned to look at my brother, though he didn't let go of me.
"I have offered to go with them, Sire," Gwaine added.
"Are you sure?" Arthur asked. "I could take a couple of days–"
"It's okay, Art," I rapidly shut him down. "You have to deal with the kingdom. We can take care of this."
The hurricane that was wreaking havoc inside me intensified and scrambled around my organs. I despise lying to him, but I can't back down.
My King sighed and he drew me into another hug. I returned it tightly and buried my face in his chest, taking in his unique manly scent that brings me so much comfort. I'm not sure how long we'll be gone and I really wish I could pause reality for a while and stay in his arms for as long as possible.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned slightly to find Gwaine. "I will start packing," he announced softly, his eyes darting between Merlin and I.
"Yes. Me, too. And I have to talk to Gaius and Gwen," my brother added in a slightly broken voice.
"Shall we meet in the courtyard before sunrise?" the knight proposed.
"Yeah, sounds good," I whispered.
"Yes, all right," Merlin nodded.
And with that, my friends left and I returned my full attention to hugging Arthur, unable to stop a couple of tears from falling. Whether they came from the distress I felt from the fact that Aithusa is missing, or from the pain I felt from having to leave the love of my life for an indefinite amount of time, I cannot tell you. All I know is that I felt as if the SHIELD helicarrier had just fallen out of the sky and landed on top of me.
Perhaps Arthur sensed that I wasn't feeling too well, because he picked me up without a word and carried me into his – our – room. He sat down on the bed and held me safely on his lap while I wrapped myself around him. I nuzzled into the crook of his neck and allowed myself to cry just a little bit.
"How long will you be gone?" he asked in a whisper, one of his hands slowly moving up and down my back.
"I dunno. A week or two? I hope not too long," I mumbled in reply.
"Do you have to go?"
"They're like family to me, Artie," I answered. "I can't leave 'em hangin'."
He tightened his grip on me and kissed the side of my head. "Of course, I understand."
I lifted my head so that I could look into his enchanting eyes, hoping that they might magically ease my mind. He held a sympathetic look, his gaze soft as ever as a small grin graced his inviting lips.
Unable to resist myself (why would I want to, anyway?) I pressed my lips against his and lifted a hand to his hair, running my fingers through his soft locks. My other arm wrapped around his neck and I pulled him closer to me, grinning a little when his hand slipped under the three layers of clothing I was wearing to continue rubbing my back, while the other gently drew me closer to him. A gentle flick of his tongue against my bottom lip deepened the kiss and my heart swelled in my chest.
The SHIELD helicarrier was lifted off me (at least temporarily) as I allowed myself to get lost in the intoxicating feeling of his soul-igniting touch and his lips slow-dancing against mine in perfect harmony.
I only broke away when I felt him getting a little too eager, though I don't think he got the message as he moved to trail kisses along my neck instead, sending electric shivers through my spine.
"Artie – I have to pack for the journey," I whispered, fighting against the wish to just give in to his advances.
He hummed, but did not stop the loving attack on my tingling skin.
"Please? I'll be quick and then we can... y'know..." I felt my face burn at my own suggestion.
Arthur finally pulled away and he sighed. "Fine."
I gave him a little grin and placed another, much gentler, kiss on his slightly swollen lips before scrambling to get off him and running to my room.
Merlin, Gwaine and I arrived at the dragons' cave at about 9:00 on the next morning. We found an anxious Phoenix waiting at the entrance and he was quick to start leading us towards the area in the forest where he last saw his sister. He stuck to the ground, of course, for we didn't want to risk any potential (though unlikely) passers-by spotting the young dragon in the sky. Kilgharrah stayed behind in case Aithusa happened to return home. He's way too big to navigate the maze of trees, in any case.
We rode for hours on end, scouring the Earth for the missing dragon. Of course, we can't cover as much ground on horseback as the winged creatures would be able to from the air, but we have to be extremely cautious.
Food and rest weren't even considerations in the back of my mind as the sun began to set. My stomach is still scrambled, in any case, and I doubt I will get any decent sleep until Aithusa is home safe. She's all that matters until then.
"Perhaps we should head back to the cave," Gwaine suggested after a long bout of silence as the first few stars became visible in the sky.
"Or we could camp out here," I countered with a nonchalant shrug as I eyed our surroundings. I know there aren't any villages for miles, which significantly lowers the risk of running into any bandits or other types of bad people. In any case, we have Phoenix and Merlin for protection; besides the fact that Gwaine and I are both knights of freaking Camelot.
Spring means that the atmosphere won't reach freezing temperatures at night, and we brought a couple of blankets that will surely endure the cold we will have to face.
"Is that wise, Trae? You are still the queen, even if you do not like to acknowledge it," Gwaine responded softly.
I rolled my eyes. "We'll be fine. We'll lose less time if we stay here."
"Merlin?" The knight turned to my brother with a raised eyebrow.
"Let us stay. It is unlikely that we will run into danger, and if we do, I doubt it would be something we cannot handle."
I smirked slightly to myself. It's always great to be on the same side as him.
We promptly untacked the horses and made them comfortable for the night before starting to arrange a campfire. The young dragon was gracious enough to light it up, and Merlin and I cooked a quick meal that Gaius pre-assembled for us. We dined (or pretended to, in my case) in silence and settled down for the night.
I started when Gwaine suddenly plopped down next to me at around 4:00 two nights later. I looked up from my tablet to find his soft, curious gaze on me; and I sighed before pausing the series that was playing.
"Have you been watching that all night?" he inquired.
"No, why would I watch the same thing for four straight hours? I've been going through the episodes chronologically," I tried a dumb joke and offered a forced grin.
He nudged me gently. "You know what I mean, Trae."
I sighed and averted my gaze, letting it land on Phoenix's head, which lay atop my lower legs as the dragon slept. I can't imagine that's too comfortable, but I suppose that the extra padding from my blanket helps to make the surface not as bony.
"Have you slept at all since we left?" the knight pressed further when I didn't reply.
"Not really," I mumbled.
"An exhausted mind will not be much help," he pointed out oh-so-wisely.
I huffed, "I know, but it's not like I have quazepam, or something."
"What?"
"Medicines from the future, doesn't matter."
Gwaine gave me a gentle smile and took the tablet from me. I went to protest, but shut down that impulse when I realised that he wasn't about to hide it and force me to sleep, or anything. He was simply analysing the screen.
"Big Time Rush?" he read as he quirked an eyebrow. "I thought that was a music group."
"They started as a TV show, though," I responded. I let my head fall to rest against his shoulder.
"How come you have never shown me this?"
I simply shrugged in response.
The knight chuckled. "Well, then. Let us see what I have been missing."
I smiled, genuinely this time. "Sounds good, but ya' gotta start at the beginning."
He hummed and exited the player, then he scrolled all the way up and clicked on the first episode of the fun, light-hearted, greatest ever Nickelodeon series.
After a week, we figured that it'd be wise to send some letters home to let people know that we are still alive. So we went back to the cave and settled down at night to write one to Arthur, and another one to Gaius and Gwen.
I felt as if we'd stepped into Plato's allegory as we sat around a campfire near a wall, the flames casting fleeting shadows of the wilderness outside on the rugged rocky surface as the gentle blowing of the wind tentatively stirred the fire, sometimes tricking me into thinking there may be another dragon outside, coming home, just for me to turn around and find that it isn't so.
My dried eyes stung slightly as they followed the movement of my hand gliding over the college ruled notebook before me, my mind struggling just a little bit to form coherent sentences as it remained scrambled from the madness of this life. And I suspect that my task was also made harder by the fact that I was really having to bullsh*t my husband by writing down the vague details of Hunith's supposed illness. I made sure to finish it with an 'ILY 3000 ' before dropping the pen and letting out a sigh.
Gwaine looked over my shoulder at the paper and hummed. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, sweetheart, but I am not sure that this letter is entirely intelligible."
I frowned.
Merlin looked up from the letter he was writing, a slightly entertained look in his otherwise stormy eyes as they connected with mine. "I have told you not to use twenty-first century language," he commented with a small grin.
I huffed as I looked down at my writing, quickly realising that it was indeed plagued with modern texting abbreviations and slang words that Arthur would most definitely not understand. I ran a hand through my loose hair before sighing and starting to fix my mistakes.
Early in the morning, my two best friends rode to the nearest village we could find on the map so that they could get the letters to the postal office and mail them to Camelot. In the letter to Gwen and Gaius, we asked them to take care of any responses that my King may write to ensure that they would be sent to said village and not to Ealdor.
In the meantime, I went over the large map we had of the area surrounding the cave and did my best to try to trace the steps we've already taken so that I might figure out what our next course of action could be in the deteriorating search for Aithusa.
"I really wish you had stayed behind, Trae. You look awful," Gwaine commented as we rode through the woods another week later.
"You really know your way to a girl's heart, don't ya'?" I shot back while nudging Dallas slightly ahead of him and Merlin, not liking how they both kept glancing at my face.
"I am serious, Astraea," the knight grunted as he sped up his mare.
"Ooh, using my whole name. That's a new one," I quipped and prompted my horse to go even faster, causing him to break into a trot.
"Don't bother. You know how she is," I heard my brother grumble and I chuckled bitterly under my breath.
The midday trek continued in silence. It has been at least a week since the last time the three of us had a conversation longer than a few sentences. I know that Gwaine's comment on how awful I look is completely true. To be fair, though, they both look horrible as well. Skin red from the lack of sunscreen, eyes bloodshot and dry, heavy purple eye-bags, and wiry hair from having to bathe in a creek without any shampoo (the one I brought ran out). Not to mention, we have lost a bit of weight, seeing as our meals have been far from balanced and large enough.
There's nothing to do but to keep going, though.
Suddenly, Merlin slid Falcon to a stop as he tensed up. I raised an eyebrow as I turned to look at him, my gut starting to churn as I awaited any comments. I noticed that Phoenix was also wary, which caused my lungs to freeze.
"What is it?" I asked in a whisper. My eyes darted around the wilderness and I tried to focus my hearing, but I couldn't catch anything beyond the usual sounds of birds chirping and leaves swooshing.
"I can sense deep distress," my brother responded in the same manner.
Must be his magical sixth sense.
I heard Gwaine let out a shaky sigh and he moved Fallyn some ways ahead while I hung back with Merlin, still not breathing properly as I awaited a verdict. The sorcerer clenched his jaw and sent me a troubled glance before gently nudging Falcon in the direction our friend went. I gulped and prompted Dallas to follow.
We found the knight standing in front of a dry tree that had some black marks on it. Scorch marks.
My heart-beat accelerated as I moved closer to him and found that there were a couple of scratch marks all over the area as well. And a piece of a thick rope tied around a branch.
Phoenix walked some metres to the side and lowered his head to smell something on the ground. His eyes glazed over as they travelled to meet Merlin's, then they jumped over to me, then to Gwaine, and they stopped back on the ground as he took another whiff. "T-this is her blood," he stated shakily.
Merlin mumbled something unintelligible under his breath and hopped off Falcon before walking towards the tree, against which he placed a trembling hand. Then he gasped, "There was a struggle here."
"Fork fork fork fork,fork," I started to whisper rapidly as my breathing grew laboured and tears pooled in my eyes. I tangled my fingers in Dallas's mane in search of some grounding and a side of comfort.
"I-I think she was taken," the sorcerer continued, not meeting anyone's eyes as his fixed on the ground, tear drops sliding down his cheeks and falling to the dirt. A whimpering Phoenix quickly moved to him and he was quick to hug him.
The words caused me to break out sobbing freely, too, as my heart was torn open by cold and vicious claws. "No! How?! This has to be a joke!"
"Who would take a dragon?" Gwaine, being the best composed out of us four, ventured to ask.
"I don't know," my brother answered in a whisper.
"I fear the answer we seek is not a pleasant one," Kilgharrah grievously pointed out the obvious.
We went back to the cave to inform him of our findings. Merlin, Phoenix and I were still blubbering messes, however, so Gwaine was doing most of the talking while simultaneously trying to comfort me; and the sorcerer and the young dragon had gone back to clinging to one another. I would've thought it an adorable sight under different circumstances. Right now, it was simply gut-wrenching.
"Don't beat around the bush! What do you know?!" I asked in a harsh tone that I instantly regretted as the great dragon recoiled a little.
He sighed. "Before the Great Purge, there were all kinds of vile men who made a profit from capturing and selling dragons. It is possible that one such man could have come across our young Aithusa."
Remember the SHIELD helicarrier? Well, I think it brought a friend which gladly teamed up with it to turn my insides into a pudding of blood, acid, and gasoline. My balance gave out, but Gwaine was quick to stop me from falling to the ground as his arms held me tightly.
"S-so what should we d-do?" Merlin questioned.
"Finn n' K have to stay here… We can't risk 'em being found as well," I mumbled in between sniffles.
"Yes. I believe that might be for the best," Kilgharrah quickly said as an angry look flashed across his eyes.
"B-but I have to help find my sister," Phoenix argued in a soft tone.
"It's too risky. We will find her. I promise you that," Merlin quickly responded and I nodded in agreement, along with Gwaine.
"The three of us should return to Camelot," the knight proposed. "If someone is planning to profit off her, the reports will likely reach Arthur in no time."
My heart turned upside down at the mention of the – my – King's name and it made me cry more. I miss him so much.
"Yes, and perhaps Gaius might know of some people who could be behind this," my brother pointed out.
"And we can search old records for clues," I added through the lump in my throat.
I wiped my face with the sleeve of my dirty hoodie to try to get rid of all the tears staining it as a resolve blossomed within me.
Merlin squared up and let out a shaky sigh. "Very well, then. Let us find our dragon."