Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. If I did, Arthur would find out a lot sooner and I would know the actor s, which is unfortunately not so.

Merlin

The knights were riding through the forest. Laughing and joking as they rode. However, Merlin wasn't joining in, he had a foreboding feeling about this place.

"Merlin!" A call from Arthur startling him, Merlin whipped his head up to stare at the king. "Honestly, Merlin, what's wrong with you?" Merlin glared at Arthur, but said nothing. "Another one of your 'funny feelings'?" He joked. Gwaine trotted up beside them. "His funny feelings are usually right before we're-" Gwaine started, but was cut off by a loud commotion from the side of the hills on either side of the path they took through the forest. Hooded men rained down on both sides. The half dozen knights began to battle.

At the near end of the battle, Merlin had just conked out two men with a large lump of wood and was about to hex another when he felt something cold pressed up against his back. Merlin gasped in shock, freezing in the position he stood in. It felt like ice, but Merlin was confused. Normally ice didn't seem to go through your abdomen. Feeling something hot and wet soaking his shirt, he looked down. THhere, just below his ribcage, was the end of a sword sticking out of his stomach. Blood coursed down his front. The ruby red mixing with the blue of the shirt and creating a horrible dark stain. Merlin just had time to think, 'Well that's just fantastic. Now I'll have to get the blood of this.' Before the sword was pulled out of his back with a sickening noise. His vision began to blur and he felt his knees colapse. As he crumpled to the ground he thought he heard someone call his name. He tried to call that he'd be there in a minute, but found he could not speak. Two pairs of feet running towards him and someone flipping him over was all he has time to notice before his world went black.

Gwaine

Gwaine removed his sword from the body of a man who lay on the ground. Grimacing at the blade he inspected it for a moment, before quickly turning and slamming the butt of his blade into the second man's head, sending him to the ground next to the first man. Gwaine glanced around the battlefield, if you could call it that. It wasn't much of a battle. A poorly arranged ambush, more like. Honestly, twenty something average fighters against a half-dozen or Camelots finest? They hadn't stood a chance. Gwaine looked at his fellow knights, each of which was finishing up their fights. Scanning the wooded space they'd been fighting in, Gwaine's eyes caught on something odd. Merlin was standing there, just standing. Now that in its self wasn't that strange, but what caught Gwaine's attention was that he was completely still. Merlin's face was blank, a vague look of confusion and shock spread across it. His arm was slightly outstretched as though he were reaching for something, but had been stopped. Gwaine looked at his friends face, trying to figure out what was going on. He saw Merlin's head tilt down to look at his stomach and followed his gaze. What he saw made his blood run cold.

The tip of a blade protruded from Merlin's shirt. A dark stain of blood had already started blossoming from the place where the sword exited Merlin's body. The sword was pulled back and Merlin fell to his knees. The vile man who'd stabbed him turned as though to run, which pushed Gwaine out of his horrified trance. Gwaine sprinted at the dirt-bag who'd injured his closest friend. Reaching him, Gwaine tackled the him to the ground with such force Gwaine could feel the ribs of the man beneath him crack. Slamming him unconscious, Gwaine punched him in the face for good measure. Standing up, Gwaine turned just in time to see Merlin fall from his knees to the ground. Collapsing onto his side.

"Merlin!" Gwaine cried as he went to his friend. Kneeling beside him, Gwaine saw Merlin's eyes flutter shut. Rolling Merlin into his back, Gwaine pressed his fingers to Merlin's neck, searching for a pulse.

Arthur

Arthur smashed the flat of his blade against his opponents chest, sending him sprawling to the ground where he smashed his head on a rock. He was turning to another foe when he heard a panic stricken cry from one of his knights.

"Merlin!"

Turning his head, Arthur saw Gwaine, kneeling next to a figure lying on the forest floor. A tree mostly obscured his view of the fallen man, but the fact that Arthur's hearts had jumped into his throat and the way Gwaine had called Merlin's name gave him the distinct impression that the one lying on the ground was- 'nope. Definitely not. Can't be.' He said to himself ignoring the bad feeling in the back of his head. Ignoring it he turned to his next foe.

a few moments later Arthur had beaten that man too, and was turning his head to look for his next opponent. But none were there. They all lay littered across the ground. Bested by his knights. His knights, speaking of which, where on earth were his knights? Turning back around he saw, with a sinking feeling of the stomach, all the knights congregated around the spot where Gwaine had knelt with the fallen man. But it couldn't be, there was no way. Arthur walked over to them. Elyan glanced up when he saw Arthur approaching them. He grimaced and moved out of the way. In the middle of the circle of knights lay Merlin. The part of Arthur's heart that sat in his throat felt like it had curled up and died. Merlins eyes were closed. He was propped up against Gwaine, who'd leaned him against his chest. A blood stain was evident on the shirt sticking to the willowy frame of Merlin. Gwaine's arm was around Merlin, his hand under Merlin's armpit. Merlins head lay lolled back on Gwaine's shoulder. None of the knights spoke. Gwaine looked like he was going to cry.

"Is he-" said Arthur, dreading the answer.

"Alive. Just barely" Gwaine croaked, nodding his head. Arthur sighed in relief.

"Well get on it then!" He snapped, causing his knights to jump. "Leon go get the medicine pouch, it should have bandages and you're the only one who knows how to properly dress a wound." Leon nodded and went to get the bag. Arthur knelt beside his closest companion. "How did you manage this you idiot?" He said under. his breath as he began inspecting the wound.

SO...

how is it? The start of a bit scrappy, but I feel like it gets better. Also keep in mind that it's ten forty something, I'm sick and I'm writing this on a tablet.

I'd just like to mention that the blasted auto correct on this thing changes Gwaine's name to 'Beanie' or 'Hey there' and 'Merlin's' to 'Berlin's'

ANyway,

bye my lovelies!