Connecting the dots

The game

There is this phenomenon most people call boredom. And believe it or not, even knights knew this feeling.
Not everyday was filled with adventure, saving or rescue missions etc. etc.
Even the busiest of days usually contained lots of preparation, rather than anything exciting.
But the most bored they felt, when they just set up camp and sat in a circle. Waiting for a servant or whoever was in charge for it, to make supper.

When they were younger, inexperienced and stuff, they would have played games, sparred each other as training and so on. Today, they were glad for the few moments that they didn't actually have to do anything.
They'd rather watch the fire or tell each other old stories of adventures that had happened in and around Camelot.
However, when Gwaine started telling a story about what happened in the tavern in the nearest town for the fith time this week, even the calm Percival had enough.

"Can we please talk about something else? We've all heard this story before, Gwaine. Can't we just like - talk about - I don't know - why Arthur and Merlin are gone again?"

"Oh?", Gwaine actually shut up, sighing as he took another sip of "water" from his flask. (It was ale.)
"Do my stories bore you?"

"Yes!", Leon sided with Percival. "Don't get us wrong, Gwaine. We usually enjoy your stories, but we've been in this godforsaken place for days now and I can already retell all of the things that happened to you the past couple of years by heart."
Gwaine pouted at that, but didn't really complain.

"Alright, alright. I get it. No more of me then. Percival, you said you wanted to talk about Arthur and Merlin?
They told us, they had to stay in Camelot - prepare for some kind of feast? I dunno.", Gwaine said, emptying his flask and looking into his flask in disappointment.
"Does anyone have more ale with them?", he asked, causing Leon to take his flask away in a swift motion before slapping him with it on his head.

"You shouldn't be drunk, Gwaine!", he hissed, barely noticing how Elyan handed Gwaine a different flask. His face didn't even twitch, while Percival held back his laughter.

"Well anyway. How about we make a bet?", Leon huffed, trying to change the topic.
"A bet? I mean - I'm in, but what about?", Gwaine answered, while tiredly ruffling his hair.
"Well - for one - is something happening in Camelot while we're gone?", Leon hesitated to say. After all, he just wanted to bridge the boredom that had settled in the camp, while the sun was setting in the distance. Covering them in red and yellow lights. Everything turned darker so it seemed, except for the fire, which glow grew stronger with time.

"Well - we could also bet when the next thing is going to happen to us. I mean - we're out in the open - bandits are rumored to be close etc. etc.", Elyan threw in.
Leon sighed, but Percival had something to say that made Gwaine perk up in interest:
"I bet nothing is going to happen to us. After all - Merlin isn't here. Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"What do you mean?", Gwaine asked, suddenly a tad more sober. (To his own disappointment, really.)

"No no - I get what he means. Things always happen around Merlin, so it seems. At least he's always there when anything happens.", Elyan agreed.

That left the group silent for a few moments. Each of them rethinking a different moment, where something weird happened and Merlin was involved. Merlin - so it seemed - really was always involved. Without him around, the chances of anything happening was significantly lower than with him.

"Do you guys all remember, when that dragon attacked Camelot?", Leon finally spoke up.
"I mean - Arthur told me he defeated the dragon, but we never found the corpse?"

Gwaine looked at him with a laugh. "I doubt that, honestly. I've heard some talks in the tavern that a witness saw the dragon fly away. Didn't Arthur also say he was unconscious for a little, after he gave the mortal blow to the dragon?"