Love, Faith and Family

Chapter 75

"Alright, healers are here. Now, who - where's Merlin?" Miriam asked as she and Gaius walked into the council room to see the king and his knights, but not his servant. All of them had endeavoured on a route through the Valley of the Fallen Kings in order to travel to a foreign kingdom and discuss a peace treaty, but not all of them had returned.

"He's alive. Last I saw of him, he was still alive," Arthur assured her, but Miriam simply turned to walk out of the room. "Mira! Mira, wait!"

"So help you, Arthur, if you don't get out of my way-"

"At least let the patrols comb through the forest first before you go running through bandit infested woods."

She sighed heavily, his hand still on her arm.

"Fine. But they don't wait till first light."

Arthur nodded as he turned to Leon.

"Have patrols dispatched immediately. Scour every inch of that forest," he ordered.

"Yes, sire."

And Leon left, his injuries nothing more than a few scrapes and bruises.

Arthur then pulled Miriam into a hug, seeing how worried the girl was.

"We'll find him. He'll be ok," he promised and Miriam just held onto him.

"I hope so."

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It was the next evening as Miriam stood behind Gaius' chair, the physician seated at Arthur's council table as they discussed matters of state, when Agravaine and the knights of the round table entered the room.

"We have scoured the forest," Agravaine said, Merlin not in their midst.

"Scour it again," Arthur ordered.

"Sire, there is no sign of Merlin," Leon informed and Miriam grew tense.

"None but this," Agravaine said as he walked over and placed a bloody leaf on the table.

"Mira," Arthur said, but she was already walking for the doors as she unlaced the back of her dress.

"Gwaine, come with me. The rest of you can get out of my way if you value your lives," she ordered, voice low and strong, as if daring someone to cross her. The knights complied, the group parting as she walked past, followed by Gwaine before Arthur chased after him.

"And where do you think you're going?" he asked as she unlaced her dress and began to pull her arms out of the sleeves, a tunic becoming visible underneath her red dress.

"To do what your knights can't and find my brother," she answered.

"As a knight that was on that patrol, I take some offence to that," Gwaine spoke up but went ignored.

"Mira, think about this. Said they found no trace of the mercenaries, who knows where they got to and you're just going to go traipsing around the woods?"

She spun, stopping abruptly and Arthur very nearly colliding with her, but that didn't stop Gwaine from bumping into him.

"Sorry," he said with a sheepish smile.

"I am thinking about this. I am thinking about the fact that only a few people knew your route and for those bandits to know where you were would have to mean that there's a traitor in our midst. A traitor who would be in charge or in cahoots with the leader of the bandits who have likely taken my brother if he's still alive, which he better be. Because no one will be able to help the person responsible if he is not. So yes, Arthur, I've thought about this. Now you can either come with me like I know you want to, or do the responsible thing and stay to fill your role as king. What's it going to be?"

Both men were both taken aback and very impressed at her logic as the king floundered for an answer before sighing heavily.

"We'll get some weapons while Gwaine readies the horses," Arthur instructed and the knight furrowed his brow.

"Why me?"

"Because my brother's not here to do it. Oh, and while you're at it," she said as she let her dress pool at her feet to reveal her tunic and trousers, a sword belt around her waist as she stepped out of the garment and scooped it up. "Leave this at my place. Thanks, Squiffy," Miriam beamed as she tossed him her dress before kissing his cheek and heading back down the stairs, Arthur smirking as he followed after her, leaving a rather annoyed Gwaine behind.

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The trio then rode into the forest, Miriam glad for Gwaine's company as he was always able to put a smile on his friend's face. Arthur, however, was a little less happy about having to make mindless chatter with Gwaine as he led the way to where he'd lost Merlin, deciding to start there in their search before expanding outwards and seeing if they could find a trail.

"You what I like about Merlin?" Gwaine asked. "He never asks for any praise. All these things he does just for the good of doing them -"

He was cut off by Arthur's hand as he called for silence and then Miriam heard it too, the sound of someone groaning in pain.

Sweeping their capes behind them, the knights dismounted as Miriam slid off her own horse, hand on the hilt of her sword as Arthur drew his.

"Declare yourself," the king ordered as he walked ahead and raised his sword as a person crawled out of the bog and turned to them.

Relief flooded them all, because under a thick layer of mud was Merlin.

He laughed in surprise and relief as Arthur stuck his sword into the ground.

"Merlin," Arthur exhaled as he walked towards his servant, pulling him into a hug. "I thought we'd lost you," he admitted as Merlin laughed again.

"I think you missed him more than I did," Miriam teased as she went to hug her brother, some of the mud slightly staining her shirt but she didn't mind, her brother was alive.

"Alright, my turn," Gwaine said as he pulled the servant into a hug. "Good to have you back, old friend."

"Shall we get out of these woods now before the mercenaries decide to show up?" Arthur suggested as he scanned their surroundings.

"Take my horse, I'll ride with Arthur," Miriam said to her brother who nodded as the king pulled his sword from the ground.

"How come you never ride with me?" Gwaine asked as he looped his arm through Miriam's.

"Because, my dear Squiffy, unless I was injured, Arthur would stick a knife in you. He's a little jealous of our friendship," she whispered and Gwaine broke out into a belly-aching laugh.

"Go on, ride with your king. I'll ride with that information boosting my ego."

Miriam rolled her eyes at him before pushing him towards his horse, Gwaine still smiling as Miriam accepted Arthur's hand and she climbed into the saddle in front of him, her hands on the reigns and Arthur's on her hips as they rode back to Camelot, as all of them rode back to Camelot.