Moment of Loyalty

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur had not been willing to accept that his father could not send help over to Ealdor. He understood why he made this decision, though did not agree with it. Merlin was a close friend of his . . . closer than he liked to admit, and closer than his father would ever understand. It was why he had sneaked out in the middle of the night -- something that he was doing more and more often -- to follow them. It also concerned him that Morgana and Gwen went with him, a fact that Uther was not at all thrilled about. If nothing else, Arthur could explain that that was the reason he had left. Then again, he was not sure what Morgana had told Uther that would explain her absence for the next few days.

It had not been hard to find them. He knew exactly what route they planned to take, and he had not slept for a second until he would catch up with them. The three of them would not be able to hold off the men that raided the village. He knew they needed his help, and this was not arrogance, it was just mere fact. The more of them the better chance they had, and by going there, he could properly assess the situation. It was true that had it been another village, Arthur would not have been as concerned, especially if it was in Cenred's kingdom. But the fact of the matter was that it was Merlin's home village, where his family and friends were, and he could not just turn a blind eye about this.

When he got to an area that would probably be a good place to set up camp -- and they had since he saw the smoke from a fire -- he dismounted from his horse at a great distance form them. He began to walk through the trees, not quite seeing them or reaching the clearing yet. He was not overly careful in how he walked either, as the twigs snapped beneath his feet and the leaves rustled. He could not be inconspicuous either, especially in all of his heavy armor.


_{Setting: On their way to Ealdor
Time of Day: Middle of the night
Timeline: In the Moment of Truth, when Arthur catches up to everyone
Tag: Merlin Caradoc and Guinevère}

[pie]

Merlin was laying in his bedroll, partially asleep, but at the same time not asleep. He couldn't sleep well, he was worried about his home town, and about how they could protect it. Guinevère and Morgana had came with him and his mother, and their help would be welcomed, but would that be enough to protect Ealdor? There was one person that Merlin wanted here. One person that he, they, needed in all of this: Arthur. But the Prince wasn't here, and they hadn't informed him they were leaving to go there.

But Merlin had to come. He would have come anyway, even without his friends' help, even though he appreciated it. Ealdor was his home town, his birthplace. It was the place he had grown up in, and his mother's home. His friends lived there, and he cared for the whole village -- he couldn't let them suffer any longer at the hands of the men raiding the village. Even if Uther and Arthur would say otherwise! Although, he knew Arthur better then that.

He sighed and rolled over in his bedroll, trying to re-situate himself and perhaps get comfortable enough to fall asleep, when he heard a noise. The sound of twigs snapping and leaves rustling. Someone, or something, was out there. In a hurry, he pulled his pack closer to him and quickly, clumsily, pulled the sword out from a cloth covering it. Stumbling into a standing position, he glanced at his friends and mother before sneaking off towards the sound, holding his sword out in front of him as he walked and looking around. Little did he know who the person was...

[Arthur Pendragon]

When Arthur heard another person moving about, he assumed it was one of the four people who had set off to Ealdor. Since the person was moving around, Arthur turned around and followed, which would allow him to have the first look at him, since he was see them from the back. It did not take long to find that person, who just happened to be Merlin. Was he holding a sword? That scene in itself was highly comical, and Arthur had to struggle to hold back his laughter. Merlin; with a sword. Now that was just hilarious! What did he plan on doing with that anyway? The most he would be able to do was give someone a haircut with that weapon, and even then, his skills were questionable. Arthur had contemplated making a dramatic entrance, but instead, he was just making a more startling one. He was not about to talk about why he had come, for the reason would seem rather obvious, wouldn't it?

It was not that he used his skills as a hunter and tracker. He slowly crept up to Merlin, making sure not to step on anything that would give him away. When he began to get closer and closer, he slowly pulled out his sword and pointed the tip of it at the back of Merlin's neck. Arthur knew how much fear a person could have when in Merlin's position, so the bullying side of Arthur just wanted to give him a hard time. Of course, he would not prolong too much; he didn't want the man to die of a heart attack or have some sword of anxiety attack or worse yet . . . try to fight back. "I would ask you for money; but I know you don't have any."

[pie]

Merlin continued to creep through the forest with his sword held aloft in front of him, walking slowly as to try not to alert whoever was out there. His sword shook slightly in his hands, and he thought that he might be better off without it than he was with it! What good did a sword do for him? None at all. But he couldn't go around using his magic so carelessly, now could he? Well, he could, but that was besides the point.

He never heard the person creep up behind him, nor did he ever hear the sword being drawn. All he heard was his breath catching in his throat when a sword's tip was put up to the back of his neck. Crap, he thought frantically. He wasn't exactly in a good position. In fact, whoever it was had his life in their hands if he didn't think of what to do quickly. Magic? Perhaps?

Then he heard the voice, and relief flooded over him. He'd recognize that voice anywhere, he had to hear it every single day of his life. Without pausing to think, he exclaimed "Arthur!" and, spinning around at the same time, he swung the sword at the Prince. A grin crossed his face at the sight of the man. He really did show up!

[;/ Short-ish.]

[Guinevère]

Guinevère had been drifting in and out of sleep, and when she did fall asleep she would wake up randomly for a few moments. During one of these moments, she noticed Merlin grab his sword and start off into he woods. She had not heard anything but she knew very little about life in the woods. She sat up and watched him until he was disappearing into the darkness. She stood up and walked a few steps closer until she heard he yell 'Arthur!'.

She was surprised, and her mouth dropped open for a moment. She could not see them but she was assuming that Arthur had followed them. She had not expected him too but was glad he had. Merlin needed all the friends he could get right now; and Arthur was the type to not fail. Surely this was a good sign.

She walked back to her bed roll and crawled into it, leaving the men to talk. she found it was easier to sleep after that, knowing that Arthur was once again proving he was not the uncaring bully that she had thought he once was.

((Guinevère really is not in this part, but I thought I would slide in a reply. I will slip in a few while you start the thread and then start replying fully once it's in the morning.))

{{Also, I volunteer to temp some of the villagers. Maybe Merlin's mom, Mathew or someone else needed?}}

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur very quickly ducked -- relieved for his quick reflexes -- when Merlin swung the sword at his head. He gave him a very annoyed look, though he knew it was just out of excitement. "Put the sword down Merlin, you look ridiculous." His tone was equally irritated, though he wasn't actually. He put the sword back in its sheath, and then just walked right past Merlin, expecting him to follow. This was an expectation that developed with having a servant for your entire life. When you walked, they followed without having to be told . . . like an obedient dog. He just kept watching, assuming that Merlin was straggling behind, until he got to the campsite.

He saw everyone curled on their bedrolls, the fire giving them the warmth they needed. He picked collected a few large sticks and held them in his hand while sat on a log. He was not quite ready to fall asleep. He was worried and stressed about this entire situation, for he knew full well that he could be riding to his death. But Merlin was here, and Morgana, along with her own servant and friend. If he died, he would die in battle surrounded by friends. One by one, he began to throw the sticks in the fire to make it stronger until only one was left, which he just kept in his hand, as he was deep in thought about the events that were going to follow. He was also waiting for Merlin to come so that he could question what to expect from this.

[ Merlin and Gwen! I love your guys' layouts!! Hahaah they are so awesome!! In the episode Merlin and Arthur talk for a bit so Gwen could wake up and join them if you'd like.
And tempting villagers would be awesome! I can temp a couple too if need be!]

[pie]

Merlin was, to say the least, very happy that Arthur had indeed come. He knew that now that the Prince was here, that their chances of succeeding had increased tenfold. Arthur was an invaluable ally, and a great friend to have there beside him. The annoyed look, nor words, bothered him, though, and he only lowered the sword to his side. When the Prince walked past him, Merlin, still grinning, followed after him without any complaints.

Once at the campsite, Merlin tossed his sword next to his bedroll and sat down on the log in front of the fire, beside Arthur, rubbing his hands together to keep them warm. He watched Arthur for a few moments, not knowing what to say to him, how to thank him. He had to thank him, or so he told himself. He was glad that the Prince had come, but didn't know how to express it. With words, obviously, but what words? So instead, he just sat there, and looked at the fire, waiting for the Prince to talk instead.

[ Crap post. lol. Yes, you can join us, Gwen! lol ]

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur remained in a pensive silence even when Merlin came and sat next to him. There was great deal on his mind -- his father's anger being last on the list at this moment -- . He did not want to sound too discouraging though. Ealdor was Merlin's home; his family and friends were there. Hunith was with them and she had come with the hope that they could aid the poor villagers. Arthur did not care if it was out of jurisdiction, as his actions very blatantly proved his. He would just have to be sure that it would not cause any tensions between the kingdoms. He knew his father would never trust him again if he caused war to break out.

But all these thoughts rested at the back of Arthur's mind. His priority, was the safety of Ealdor and fighting off the army of men that threatened it. "How many men does Kanen have?" Arthur suddenly asked breaking the silence. He kept his voice low so that he did not wake up the others who were sleeping. He hoped Merlin's mother had gone into more detail about the attacks with him, than what knowledge Arthur had about it. Since his father had not planned to help them, he asked for no details. But now that Arthur was here, they may as well start strategizing as when they got there, there would be very limited time. He would have to train the men, and organize some sort of plan to fight Kanen's men off.

[pie]

When Arthur finally spoke, asking how many men Kanen had, Merlin hesitated a moment, trying to recall what his mother had said to him earlier. Kanen had quite a few, he knew, and it could prove to become a problem. He knew that there would be some way to defeat any of the enemies, especially with someone as skilled as Arthur was. Yes indeed, this would be much easier than by themselves. Still, how much "easier" was that?

Glancing back at the others, in particular his sleeping mother, he said, "Um, I'm not sure. I think from what my mother said, maybe as many as forty." That wasn't too many, right? he wondered. They would come up with something to defeat them, right? It couldn't be hard to defeat forty men that didn't know as much about the village's layout... Of course, Arthur, Morgana and Gwen knew nothing about the village's layout, but that's what they had him and his mother for, and the rest of the village. And surely they would be spending some time within before the men came back. They should be okay... Right?

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur pondered over the numbers. For a village of unskilled peasants and farmers to face such a grand number . . . it was not going to be easy. But Arthur concealed this concern. He had to at least appear optimistic. After all, maybe all they needed was some training and a plan, and they could have the upper hand. It would be something he'd have to organize once they got there for he had never been to Ealdor and therefore, had no idea what to expect from it. He just stayed in a pensive silence for a moment.

"How many villagers are there, approximately?" He asked, not trying to make Merlin think of the answer to consider if they were outnumbered -- which they obviously were. But if Arthur had general numbers in his head, then he could continue to plan and try to figure out their odds. Because right now, it did not seem to be working in their favor. Arthur could not fight 40 men. No one in this entire world could fight 40 men on their own. Yes. They definitely need a plan. A good plan. A foolproof plan.

[pie]

Merlin had to think a moment at Arthur's new question. It had been a while since he had last been to Ealdor -- though not that long -- and he doubted that too many people had come or left the small village. So the only problem now was figuring out how many people that was. He knew that it would probably help Arthur with any plans he was thinking up, that it was probably a pretty important detail.

"Uh... excluding children, about... thirty, thirty-five at the most, I'd say," he finally replied. It wasn't a large village, it was full of people's families, and simple people. People who made a living with each other, by working together. It had farmers, and other simple folk. They weren't skilled in fighting. But they all loved their home, and, if riled into fighting, would defend it happily, he knew.

[Guinevère]

Gwen slowly came to while hearing voices. She blinked away the sleep wondering how long she had managed to sleep for this time. She was having trouble finding sleep while worrying over what would happen next. How would the three--now four of them managed to do any good to this town?

She heard them speaking and she stayed silent in her bed roll so not to disturb them. Only 35 adults? Some of them, if not half would be women. As a blacksmith's daughter she knew how to hold a sword, but she doubt she could use it to hurt anyone. If all this came down to a fight, even the women would be needed if their numbers were so few. She was rather glad she lived in a bigger city, rather then the out skirts like this. While they might have the freedoms she wishes she had, Camelot was at lest protected and safe.

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.`·.¸.·´ ♥
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(¸.·´ (¸.·´ .·´ ¸¸.·¨¯`·.♥

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur was not going to say anything about discouraging the hope that they all had. The odds were not good. Even worse now that they had a rough figure. Those numbers were ones of peasants . . . farmers . . . people who had no skills in combat. Furthermore, part of that number were women. They could not fight; it was too dangerous for them. So they would have to find a way to get the women and children to safety. And then that left them with what . . . maybe half that number?

Arthur concealed all of this uneasiness. He just slowly nodded his head. "It will be easier to come up with a plan once we arrive, and I can have a good look at the village." There were too many contingencies right now. He needed to have a detailed survey of the location, and then, they would work with what they had. What other choice did they have? "You should get some rest. Its going to be a very long next few days." Arthur was not particularly tired at the moment . . . he feared too much for those of Ealdor, and for those who were with him now.

[pie]

Right, just like Arthur said, once they arrived in Ealdor, and the Prince got a good look at the village's layout, a plan would come easier. There had to be a way to defeat the men raiding the village. There was a way, they just had to figure it out. If they didn't... no, he wouldn't, couldn't, think of that. That alternative was far too unpleasant. He had thought their chances were much grimmer earlier. He couldn't think of anything to save Ealdor except magic, and unless Gwen or Morgana were able to come up with something... But now that they had a skilled fighter here, their chances seemed brighter.

"Yes, of course," he agreed. He couldn't exactly hide all of the worry in his voice, but he could hide some of it. Who could blame him, though? He had grown up in Ealdor, it was his home. Of course he was going to worry for the people who lived there. They were all like family to him. And then Arthur mentioned sleep. He was right there, too. It would be a very long next few days. What, with planning a defense, readying the villagers, waiting out Kanen's men, and actually fighting and all. He nodded, and remained silent for a few moments before adding -- and in a slightly nervous tone, as he was unsure of how to put it --, "Thank you, um... I know you didn't have to come." Though he was immensely appreciative that he did.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur's obligation to come was merely based on the fact that he regarded Merlin as one of his closest friends. It was as simple as that. In Arthur's mind, it had never been a question of if he should go or not . . . it was a question of when could he sneak out of the castle to join them in their mission to save Ealdor. But of course, Arthur was not going to vocalize such things . . . and he hoped -- or assumed rather -- that Merlin knew him well enough to know that expressing sentiments was not exactly in Arthur's nature.

Instead, Arthur just gave a short nod of acknowledgment. "See you in the morning," he stated as he got up from his seated position, grabbing his make shift bed and making his way over to a suitable spot. He would probably keep watch for a little while before finally sleeping for as he said, the next few days were going to be terribly long. He spread out his sleeping bag, and moved his sword from around him, keeping it in its sheath and holding it just in case someone or something decided to pay them a visit in the middle of the night.

[[ Time lapse to the morning?? ]]

[Guinevère]

Guinevère ended up drifting back to sleep with the sounds of their voices to make her feel a bit more safe about everything. She was not sure why, but the knowledge that Arthur was here made her feel safer. Maybe it was because he was such a good fighter, and was used to planning out everything; or maybe it was because she knew he would not let any harm come to anyone. Surely if he saw Merlin as a good enough friend then he would let no harm come to the village and Merlin's mother.

When she awoke next, it was to the dawn. No one else was up yet so she slid out of bed and started a fire. It was quick work for a blacksmith's daughter to find a few dry sticks, and use the flint to create a fire. She was in her pants and one of her brother's old shirts he'd left, using a vest to make the outfit more suitable for riding. Normally her clothing was that of any servant's, meant to make her blend into the background. This outfit was new, and she was rather enjoying it. Maybe she should work on finishing the purple dress she had begun making? Would it be too bold for a servant or as Morgana's maid would it be allowed?

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.`·.¸.·´ Hope this is ok!
¸.·´¸.·´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´ .·´ ¸¸.·¨¯`·.♥

[pie]

Merlin nodded, knowing fully well that Arthur didn't plan to respond to his thanks, and sat on the log in front of the fire for a few more minutes. Rubbing his hands together, thinking about the times to come, he knew that the next few days would indeed be long, but he also knew that he could trust Ealdor's existence, and all the people's lives, with Arthur. He knew that everything was going to be fine now that Arthur had come. A few more moments passed before he stood up and went back to his bedroll, slipping inside and laying there until he fell asleep, a much better sleep now that his friend was here.

Eventually he woke up again to the sound of birds chirping. He laid there silently for a while before he finally sat up, stretching and yawning, and looking around. He smiled at the sight of Gwen, and stood up quietly, walking over to her. "Gwen, guess what?" he said excitedly. He wasn't aware that she knew Arthur was here. Though, even if she hadn't found out when he had come, she would surely know when she woke up and saw Arthur there anyway, right? But he was too happy to think of that part of logic, so he didn't expect her to know. The grin on his face was so wide that it nearly went from ear to ear. He sat down on the ground, warming up by the fire tha tshe had started.

[Guinevère]

Gwen looked up as Merlin spoke to her, and could not help but to smile back. He seemed happy. Very happy. It was how Merlin always was but it did them all good to see the hope on his face. Made them all start to feel the same hope and happiness. Even if it only took a glance, she knew that he was different. It was not hard to know why . . .

Arthur had come. He came because he saw his servant as a friend and he was here to make sure they were all going to be alright. All of them. Not just the group, but the whole. "What?!" She asked,playing along. She would let him tell her, and share his news with her. She did not want him to lose that excitement he felt, the hope.

(¯`v´¯)
.`·.¸.·´ ♥
¸.·´¸.·´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´ .·´ ¸¸.·¨¯`·.♥