Hey all, It's me again...alive...This chapter's pretty short, but it's more of a 'I'm-going-to-write-this-again chapter-next one should be longer. I haven't abandoned this story or my other one, I promise! Thank you very much for all you lovely folks who reviewed for me-I really appreciate the fact that you're taking the time to read my story and like it/have questions/anything of the sort. So, here's your bit of madness for now, hope you enjoy!

Fifteen minutes after Lerin's scuffle with Arthur and the Knights, the group arrived at the edge of the lake where Lerin was to meet Marwol—and none too soon, in Lerin's opinion. The entire ride had consisted of awkward silences broken by questions he really did not want to answer, Arthur glaring, and Gwaine's terrible singing. Punctuated by more questions. And, had he mentioned the questions?

For the first two minutes of the ride after he got everyone to grab their travelling stuff and go, there had been the aforementioned awkward silence. Lerin had become very aware of the chafing saddle of the bloody horse he had been unceremoniously placed on, the heat, dust on his tongue, the way his…what did you call them? Ah, saddlebags…had cut uncomfortably into his back through the tunic he was wearing, and Arthur's terse reply to the gate-guard that they were going on a hunt—yes, in full armor, thank you. He wondered if they were always like this with newcomers, or if they just killed them all normally. He shook his head at the thought. No, that was an unfair assumption. Surely Merlin wouldn't have befriended (indentured himself to? His mind wondered) such people. Besides, if they did, Prince Dolt over there wouldn't have much of a kingdom to rule over after very long…

"So who are you…really?" The question shattered his gloomy reverie.

Uncomfortably, he shifted, wishing his forced entourage would just keep their mouths shut. He hadn't asked for them to come along, great lump-faced clouds of misery that they were.

"Hello? Merlin look-alike?" the voice persisted. Maybe if he ignored them, they'd take the hint and go away, already…He said nothing.

"Hoy, you! Answer him!" A tunic lace hit him on the back of his head. Apparently, they wouldn't let him alone.

"I'm his brother, dolt," answered Lerin tersely, hoping that maybe…

"I don't think you are," Arthur muttered from his position just behind Lerin, "Merlin would have told us. He doesn't keep any secrets from us."

Lerin idly wondered when Merlin had told them about his magic and marveled that

they had taken it so well before replying to the Prince. "Well, apparently not about me."

Silence, blessed silence, ensued for a grand total….of about two heartbeats.

"Well, there must have been a reason for that," remarked Leon sagely. "What were you doing recently? Perhaps he didn't want to claim you?"

"Even if you're brothers, did you really grow up together?" asked Percival in a doubtful tone.

Lerin's blood boiled as each of the knights—sans Gwaine, and surprisingly, Arthur—offered up their opinion of why Merlin hadn't told them about him, chiefly revolving around the idea that they meant so much more to Merlin than he did, and that he didn't really know Merlin all that well anyway…

"But don't feel bad," added Elyan hastily, apparently mistaking Lerin's expression of carefully controlled calm for something else, "I'm sure after time…"

Lerin couldn't take any more. Wheeling his horse around, he glared at them furiously, anger blazing in his eyes. "From your comments, you know next to nothing about Merlin! We are brothers, we did grow up together, and we are and were closer than you lot are with him! How dare you say anything else! Now, if you can't control your own feelings of superiority, go away!"

There was another moment of silence, longer than the previous one, before Lerin heard the unmistakable sound of a coin being flipped through the air and caught.

"Ha. I win." Came Gwaine's smug voice.

Finally, they came to the lake where Lerin was supposed to meet Marwol. It was none too soon, in Lerin's opinion. Was he really going to have to travel across to the border of Cenred's lands with this lot? Looking back at the loudly-talking group—good gods, was Gwaine singing again?-Lerin grimaced. It would be just his luck. No quick, easily-escaped outings for him.

Approaching the lake, Lerin made out a man-shaped figure sitting by it, back turned to the advancing group. He frowned. Why hadn't Marwol turned around yet? They weren't exactly the quietest group…

Apparently the others noticed the figure as well—Before Lerin could say anything, Gwaine had charged ahead of him towards Marwol, dismounted, and pulled Marwol around. Lerin was even more aghast—Marwol would never—Then it all clicked in his mind and he grinned widely for the first time since he had heard about Merlin. Hopefully, karma would teach Gwaine to sing drinking songs for so long!

The distance between Marwol and Gwaine was almost covered when the heard Gwaine's shout of confusion…Just in time to see a figure drop down on top of him from the treetops. Arthur and the rest of the knights gave shouts and spurred their mounts on ahead furiously, but Lerin kept up his sedate pace. They wouldn't change anything, and he certainly had no intention of speeding up on this…thing until they were actually on the road going to Merlin. He looked up at the group again. Good lord, was that a knife? Perhaps he'd better hurry….wouldn't do to have Merlin's friends killed on his watch, Merlin would doubtless hold a grudge…

Upon his arrival at the scene he dismounted and walked up to the group, preparing to raise his eyebrow the way he'd seen Gails—No, Gaius—do to him so often at the castle. Unfortunately, when the figure holding Gwaine at knifepoint looked up, Lerin was disappointed to see he'd been beaten to it.

"Well, Lerin," remarked Marwol calmly, as though the majority of Camelot's knights and their King weren't trying to menace him while being completely at his mercy, "This is a bit later than we'd planned to meet, isn't it?"

Later, once again, they were all back on the road, Arthur's pride—as well as Gwaine's neck—(Unintentionally, Marwol claimed, eyes dancing) a bit bruised, the other knight scowling or contemplative, Marwol deep in thought, and Lerin—Well, Lerin was a great deal happier. Surely Gwaine wasn't going to be singing for a while now…He was busy sulking, surely.

An off-key warble proved him wrong and he winced, glaring at the knight. Gwaine's songs had been at least in-tune before, so he suspected the other man was being deliberately screechy just to get back at him. He scowled right back at Gwaine and urged his—horse—to where Marwol's cantered swiftly. If he had to endure the noise, he might as well do it by blocking it out. And he really did need to plan with Marwol, he thought soberly, four days was not a lot of time.

Marwol acknowledged his arrival with a scowl and jerked his head towards Gwaine. "Can't you do something about him?" the assassin demanded, a tad petulantly, "Before I lose it?"

Lerin grimaced. "Unfortunately, no. He's part of the…package deal of that lot."

"Why are they here again?" asked Marwol, curiosity piqued.

Shooting him a startled glance, Lerin replied, "I thought they told you…?"

Marwol shrugged. "I'm sure they did. It was something along the lines of 'What-are-you-doing-to-my-knight-your-life-will-be-forefeit-how-dare-you,' and but the last bit was more like 'Oh-I-didn't-realize-you-cared,-Arthur-Shut-up-Gwaine-I'm trying-to-save- your-neck-right-now-blunderhead...' It went on, and on and on…Frankly, I was quite bored. I kinda ignored them after that point—I'm used to doing that."

Lerin laughed, causing Gwaine to stop singing and look at him curiously and Arthur's eyes to narrow suspiciously. "Long story short, they caught me and made me bring them….Though more importantly, what's your plan with Merlin?"

As Marwol opened his mouth to speak, eyes already opened in a parody of innocence (which looked particularly unbelievable on Marwol's face), Lerin added, " I know you have a plan—you always do. So, talk."

Hoofbeats pounded, and Arthur joined them. "If you're talking about Merlin," the Prince began, eyes chilly, "Then I want to be in on this too."

The rest of the group suddenly flocked around them as well, causing Marwol to sigh mournfully. "Telling my plan to a whole group….I think I'm getting old."

While I know I'm not the best at the 'I'll post another chapter at this time' thing, I can promise you it will not be as long a wait as last time-the Internet/technology/school fried my brain, but it's back now! XD

See you next time!

~PhantomBowtie