"Do me a favor and cover our tracks, Merlin." Gwaine says calmly, as Merlin stirs groggily against him, eyes still closed.

"Okay." Merlin responds, waiving his hand, and feeling the earth move to conceal the tracks. Merlin then resumes snoring.

Gwaine turns and sees dirt filling in his footprints. "Merlin, you can use magic in your sleep?" he asks, surprised.

"Mmnot asleep." Merlin responds, attempting to roll over on his side, only he can't. His body is being held in place. "Wha…? Put me down Gwaine!"

"Now you're awake." Gwaine laughs as Merlin bangs his fists against his back. Gwaine can't help it if fireman's carry was the most convenient way to transport Merlin.

"Put me down right now!" Merlin demands.

"Don't think you want me to do that." Gwaine responds cheekily.

"Yes, I do! Put me down!" Merlin insists.

"Look behind you." Gwaine answers.

"Oh." Merlin gasps as he sees the forest on fire behind them. "Never mind, carry on."

Gwaine would keep laughing, but out-running a fire with Merlin on his back is more of an effort than he can manage without breathing. There is something he's dying to know though.

"Back there, with the knights and the fire, that was you that kept them from burning, wasn't it, Merlin?" he asks.

"Yes."

"How did you do it?"

"I imagined them invincible to the flames, like Dragon Lords are."

"Dragon Lords, what do they have to do with…AWE, don't tell me you're a Dragon Lord too?!" Gwaine exclaims.

"…"

"Of course you are, Merlin. Of course you are. Are you also a Fairy King? Leader of the unicorns? Heir to a kingdom of mermen? Nothing will surprise me at this point."

"No, none of those things! I mean, I have talked to some fairies, and I think I can control wyverns, but that has to do with being a Dragon Lord, it's not a separate ability or anything."

"Un-huh.…" Gwaine murmurs. "So if you made the men invincible to the flames, can you do that to us? It'd be a lot easier if we could stop running."

"Oh, yes! Yes, I can do that!" Merlin concentrates on Gwaine and speaks in the dragon tongue.

"Do you have to see people to cast spells on them?"

"Not usually, why?"

"Princess and Lance might be following us."

Smoke is the only thing Arthur knows. He tastes, smells, feels and sees nothing but smoke. He doesn't have enough oxygen to breathe, and yet he pushes himself to run faster than he ever has. Arthur will not die in surrender.

He hears Lancelot gasping beside him, yet his breathing is getting more distant. Lancelot is veering to the left. They can't go left. Arthur knows they need to run right. There's a creek ahead to the right and submersing themselves in it is their only chance for survival.

"Right, GO RIGHT!" Arthur chokes out to Lance and his breaths begin to sound closer and closer as Lance immediately follows the instruction.

The smoke has grown thicker and Arthur can't see anything, he can't see the creek, but he knows it's there. If he can just find the creek.

Arthur's heart falls as he hears Lance collide with something and fall. It's only moments later that Arthur meets his own tree.

Arthur accepts his death as the flames overtake him.

"Whew. It sure is nice being immune to the flames." Gwaine states. He'll admit it was a bit frightening at first to watch the flames spread over him, but now it's nothing short of magnificent to stand unharmed in a sea of fire. Seeing the flickering flames above, behind, below him, dancing on his very skin, it's breathtaking.

"Breathtaking." Gwaine states.

"Yes! Yes, it would be but I imagined us breathing clearly, and now we are!" Merlin replies happily.

Gwaine smiles back. Merlin will never cease to amaze him. Yet, there might be an end to Merlin's ability to magic them immune and Gwaine would rather not burn alive the instant that happens. "Can you do something about putting out the fire?" he asks.

"Well, the only way I know how to put out a fire is with water." Merlin answers. "I could dump a bunch of water on it if I had that water to begin with."

"Massive amounts of water coming right up!" Gwaine calls enthusiastically. "There's a creek over to our right not too far up."

"That should do it! Lead the way." Merlin answers with a smile.

Now that Gwaine can breathe easily, he figures it's a good time to catch up on what they're dealing with. "Who started the fire?" Gwaine asks as they walk.

"Bayard's sorcerers; it felt like there were a dozen of them all working together." Merlin answers.

"And what caused you to pass out?" Gwaine continues.

"The sorcerers must have been targeting me. It's fairly easy to sense another magic user. When I cast my spell on the knights it must have drawn their attention to me." Merlin replies.

Gwaine nods, deep in thought.

Merlin's brain takes his silence as an opportunity to catch up. "Wait, how were you right there when I passed out?"

"I knew when I saw Percival's ankle catch fire that you were in trouble. You never would have let that happen. I reached you right as you fell." Gwaine responds.

What? But how did Gwaine get there? Merlin wonders, "How were you even in the field?"

"Merlin, I've been following you this whole time. I was up before you to get the bread and to send Muriel and her kids to the castle where they will be safest."

"You, you were asleep this morning!" Merlin shouts.

"Merlin, I'm a lot sneakier than you. I knew you were trying to convince me you were tired and put me off my guard so that you could sneak out early and go follow Arthur around."

Merlin is speechless.

"You probably also thought that leaving me there would allow me to go about my happy domestic life with Muriel and the kids and that I would stay there and be safe while my best friend gallivanted around Camelot in the middle of a siege." Gwaine continues, fixing a stunned Merlin with an exasperatedly fond look.

That's exactly what Merlin had hoped. Gwaine is supposed to be safe and happy. He can have that life; he's more than earned it.

Gwaine breaks his gaze and sighs deeply, "Merlin, I'm keeping you safe. And if I wasn't protecting you, I would be fighting with the other knights to defend Camelot. I'm never going to sit idly by. You of all people should know that about me."

Merlin doesn't have an answer to that. It seems all of his friends are brave beyond what's good for them. It seems like an admirable trait, but in reality it's painful to know his friends are likely to die quickly. That's what happens to people who readily throw themselves into dangerous situations.

Gwaine interrupts his thoughts with a strong hand on his shoulder, "Merlin, whatever you're thinking, let it go."

Merlin leans into his hand. It helps ground him. "Alright." Merlin agrees.

Gwaine smiles, and seems to remember something, "Oh, and that silencing spell you used, you seriously need it. You are the loudest sneaky person I have ever met."

"Hey!" Merlin responds indignantly. He's quite good at being sneaky, thank you very much.

"It's adorable really. You should find a spell to turn you invisible too." Gwaine answers.

"I KNOW, right?!" Merlin exclaims, "I was thinking the same thing!"

"Then we would only be able to follow you by the things you knock over."

"What!" Merlin responds outraged, "I'll have you know-"

"Ah, here it is!" Gwaine cuts him off triumphantly as they reach the creek.

The fire has grown up around the creek, jumping from tree to tree across the low hanging branches that reach over the water.

Merlin focuses. He commands the water with a single word and with the rising motion of his hands the water flies straight up to form a solid wall ten feet tall and stretching as far as Gwaine can see.

With a deep breath Merlin pushes outward and the wall of water rushes forward, extinguishing the hundred yards of fire in front of them in less than two seconds. Merlin then lifts his extended hands, and pulls them back in one fluid motion. The wall of water rushes towards them and Gwaine feels the overwhelming force of the water push him off his feet and throw him back into a tree. Merlin's stance doesn't falter an inch.

"All done!" Merlin exclaims happily, turning around to see Gwaine slumped against a tree. "Oh no! Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, just wasn't prepared for a hundred tons of water. Guess I should've rooted my stance more." Gwaine jokes.

"Yes! Yes, and I should have realized, I'm sorry. I bet it knocked Lance and Arthur out too."

"Oh yes, how are they doing?" Gwaine asks Merlin.

"Let's go get them!" Merlin answers.

"I'm not sure if that's the best idea. Princess hasn't reacted the best to your magic, Merlin."

"Arthur doesn't know." Merlin answers, "but I trust him with my life."

"Princess doesn't know? Surely no one can be that daft." Gwaine states incredulously. Then, "What if he reacts poorly?"

"Then he reacts poorly. I will honor whatever decision Arthur makes. If he wishes me to die, I will gladly do so."

Merlin is relieved to see Gwaine doesn't even argue with him. He seems intently focused on something. Merlin was expecting that to be more difficult. Merlin turns and begins walking back towards the castle, towards Arthur.

Gwaine stands and follows. "I had this cat, when I was a kid." Gwaine begins.

Merlin wasn't expecting story time, but if Gwaine wants to share part of his life story, Merlin will gladly listen. It's a pleasant antithesis to the chaos and war around them.