Love, Faith and Family

Chapter 88

"Alright, who drank all my water?" Elyan asked from where he sat, the knights having made camp with their king, queen and the king's servant. Though Arthur had been rather reluctant to have his wife join him on their patrol, she now had equally as much power as him, if not more as he was essentially wrapped around her fingers, hence why he'd brought his most trusted knights and close friends to join them.

As they rehydrated themselves, Arthur stood by his horse with his arm around his wife, ensuring that she drank some water for herself, the woman dressed in armour with strands of silver ribbon braided into her hair as Gwaine belched loudly from where he leaned against a tree.

"I believe you have your answer," Arthur said as the group laughed.

"You said I could have some," Gwaine defended with a small smirk on his face.

"I said you could have some. I didn't say you could drink every last drop," Elyan retorted before throwing his waterskin at Gwaine who doubled over slightly as he caught it.

"I was thirsty."

"Here. Have some of mine," Leon said as he walked forward, leaning on a tree next to Gwaine as he prepared to toss his waterskin forward to Elyan, only to throw it backwards to Percival who caught it with ease as they chuckled.

"That's very funny," Elyan laughed sarcastically.

"Here. Unlike these ignorant fools, I share with my friends," Percival said as he now walked forward, about to hand the waterskin to Elyan before he threw it through the trees and into Merlin's hands as they all laughed, Arthur's hand rubbing Miriam's back.

At least until the king grew tense and Miriam looked up at him before following his line of vision.

"Quiet," she ordered, as the knight's laughter died down.

"What is it?" Merlin asked as Arthur drew his sword, walking towards what he'd seen in the trees with his wife on his heels, her sword still in its scabbard tied to her hip.

"I saw something in the trees. There," Arthur explained as they all gathered their weapons before following their king into a valley decorated with hundreds of coloured worn and weathered scarves and flags blowing with the breeze as they hung in the air around them.

"What is this?" Percival asked and while Miriam's face grew slack with realisation, Arthur's seemed to grow blank for another reason.

"No one touch anything!" she said quickly. "This is a shrine."

"Gaius told us of these places. In the time of the old religion, they built shrines like this to appease restless spirits. We shouldn't be here," Merlin agreed with his sister.

"Boo!" Gwaine said as he startled Merlin, Miriam slightly annoyed that they didn't take it seriously, then again, there was very little they did take seriously.

"It's not funny. Gaius said places like this are cursed," Merlin continued, before an eerie silence washed over them as the winds blew through the valley and a crow appeared out of nowhere, making Percival and Arthur duck.

"There's nothing here for us. Move out," Arthur ordered, and Miriam's confusion returned to her husband.

"Arthur, are you ok?" she asked softly, out of earshot of anyone else as she walked in step with him.

"Fine. Let's just get back to Camelot," he said as he pushed ahead, beginning to cut down the trees in their way with his sword. Miriam sighed, as she continued walking. She wouldn't push it just yet. If he wanted to tell her what was bothering him, he would.

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"Rise and Shine, Mira," Merlin grinned as he roused his sister, the girl sleeping soundly in her white and gold nightdress in Arthur's bed, now her bed as well.