The Shadow of the Moon

Chapter 9

The green and brown woodland hedges parted, Arthur and Merlin inching closer to one another, no arms between them. Merlin still chipped with bruises.

"Arthur?" They heard from beneath the trees.

"Merlin!" another voice called closer to them. A voice the recognised.

"It's the knights!" Melin squealed. The relieve bursting out of him like a rainbow from a dark cloud.

"We're here!" Cried Arthur, his loud voice reaching through the shrubs.

"Sire!" Leon's voice came next, as warm and welcome as the sight of his smile as they group of men appeared through the undergrowth towards them.

"Merlin! You're alright!" Cried Gwaine, hugging his friend tightly and thumping him on his back, obvious to the jealous eyes that darted to him from the king.

"Just about. Arthur took a bit of a beating" Merlin explained, with a grin and a look at Gwaine that raised Arthur's hackles.

"But I'm fine now." He said beligerently. Merlin turned inquisitively to him before reading his jealous expression with a knowing eyebrow and giving his king a reassuring glance.

"What happened? We've been searching for you for 24 hours!" Perciaval asked.

"Bandits, they were ransoming Arthur to the council in Camelot." Merlin answered, tone too gleeful for the situation, his hand resting propriotily on Arthur's strong shoulder, causing his nerves to calm and heart to race.

"Merlin got us out, he was amazing" Arthur continued. Smiling a little glance at his warlock.

"So....your....okay now?" Gwaine grinned, his handsome face knowing and full of mischief.

"Yes Gwaine, we're fine." the king confirmed, tone regal.

"Excellent! I'm so glad we can stop watching you make moo eyes at each other!" responded the knight, slapping Merlin and Athur both on their back.

"What?" scowled the golden hair man.

"Now you're....you know...." He made a vague and confusing gesture with his arm, grin wide and confident.

"Gwaine!" Merlin bargled at the suggestion, blush playing its way across his pale skin in a flush as the knights giggled.

"That's none of your business." snapped Arthur, straightening his spine to stand taller than Gwaine, his eyes slits of contempt. With a smooth gesture of his head he strode to the edge of the clearing without another word. Merlin rolled his fond eyes at the sight.

"Buuuuut you haven't said I'm wrong...." Gwaine called at his retreating back. Merlin threw him a feigned glare, ruined by his beatific grin as he joined in with the knights' laughter.

"Um....shouldn't we.. uh.. follow him?" Mordred's youthful voice asked eventually. The knights and Merlin looked at each other, a moment passing, before they burst into another round of raucous laughs; Mordred standing in the midst of it, look of confusion plastered to his little face.

"Hurry up slow pokes!" Arthur called back irritated.

"Does Arthur like a slow poke?" Gwaine asked with a grin of feigned innocents, eyes wide and dark, but glinting in the spring sunshine.

"Gwaine!!" Arthur's voice and anger carried through the trees, as Merlin flushed the red of a sunset in the middle of a long summer. Head down, but grin evident he led the way, flanked by the knights to find their king.

After not long, they caught up to Arthur still storming along the underbrush. Merlin jogged up to walk beside him, offering him a quick familiar look that asked 'Are you okay?'. Arthur gave a quick but warm smile in response - he wasn't mad, then. The warlock's heart fluttered, a delicate insect's wing, in relief