From Prat to Husband, how the hell did that happen?

Chapter Twenty-Three, Eye of the Phoenix

Chapter Twenty-Three, Eye of the Phoenix

The day had finally arrived. The day that Arthur sets out of The Perilous Lands and Merlyn had a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach: that something was going to happen. I mean when doesn't it when Arthur is involved?
"Merlyn, I'm sure everything is going to be fine." Gwaine assured, hugging her in a brotherly fashion.
"I just have a horrible feeling. Especially with what Gwen told me last night." Merlyn sighed, leaning against Gwaine for a moment. "Come on, we better go." Merlyn sighed, linking her arm through Gwaine's and heading to the courtyard where practically everyone was seeing Arthur off.

George, who had saddled Arthur's horse, stepped back when Merlyn came over.
"Arthur, please be careful." Merlyn asked her love.
"I promise. Don't worry so much Merlyn." Arthur assured, subtly squeezing her hand when Merlyn suddenly felt a surge of great power coming from Arthur's right wrist.
"Beautiful isn't it?" Arthur said, misreading Merlyn's reaction to the bracelet. "It was a gift from Morgana. I was surprised to be honest."
"Of course it was." Merlyn muttered disdainfully, as Arthur set off on his journey. Merlyn stared worriedly after Arthur before turning to look at Gwaine, who immediately knew something was wrong.

Without attracting attention to themselves they hurried back to Gaius's chambers where Merlyn explained what she felt from the bracelet, who it was from, and what it looked like. Starting a ferocious search through Gaius's never ending pile of books.
"Are you sure it wasn't a jewel?" Gaius asked, coming over to his niece with a large tomb, open in his hands. Merlyn looked up from the book she was flicking through at one of the tables, Gwaine was sitting at the other table with an even larger tomb open in front of him. Merlyn peered closely at what Gaius was showing her before shaking her head.
"No, it was much brighter than that." Merlyn denied, before returning to her book. Gwaine sighed, rubbing his head in frustration as he returned to his own book; disappointed. They had already searched through a large pile of books that were stacked in front of him on the table.

"You think it was enchanted?" Gaius questioned, turning a page in his book and peering through his glasses.
"There was powerful magic there. I could feel it, it was like a beacon." Merlyn confirmed, distractedly as she looked through her book. They had to find out what it was, Arthur's life depended on it no doubt.
"You sure?" Gaius asked, he didn't doubt her, he just wanted to know all the facts so they could find out what it was. And fast. Merlyn nodded her head.
"And if it came from Morgana, it can only mean one thing — Arthur's in danger. My feeling was right." Merlyn muttered, as she returned to her book once again.

***

In the Forest of Engred, Arthur stopped on a rocky hillside looking over a vast valley below him, to check his map that he'd marked his way on. He next had to go through the Forest of Ander. He was on edge for this journey, it was unknown to him and not many people returned from The Perilous Lands, but Arthur swore not only to himself but also to Merlyn, that he would not be one of these people. He would return. That he was sure of. Putting his map back in his satchel Arthur continued on his journey ignoring the weary feeling that was slowly creeping on him. It was just nerves he told himself.

***

Back in Camelot Gwaine, Gaius and Merlyn were at their wits end; they still had not found what that magical bracelet was and the tension and nerves were building as the day wore on.
"I'm not sure I know where else we can look, Merlyn." Gaius sighed, looking through his books on another bookshelf, Gwaine was up on the balcony looking through the books up there and Merlyn was looking through a larger bookshelf opposite Gaius that held some much older books.
"There has to be something!" Merlyn exclaimed, stressed.
"Merlyn bird. Calm down it won't do you or helping Arthur any good if you're stressed." Gwaine coaxed, smiling as Merlyn took some deep breathing exercises to calm down. She found it helped her magic calm down a bit. 

"We've examined every stone imaginable. Unless.." Gaius trailed off as a thought occurred to him. Gaius hurried over to the bookshelf Merlyn was pulling books from and grabbed a small but still quite thick book from a lower shelf and rapidly flicked through it. Stopping halfway through the book when he finally found what Merlyn had described.
"Merlyn." Gaius called, showing her the page.
"Gaius, that's it!" Merlyn cried excitedly, attracting Gwaine as he raced down the stairs and joined them in the small alcove.
"That is not a stone, Merlyn. It's the Eye of the Phoenix." Gaius explained.
"The Phoenix?" Merlyn and Gwaine asked confused, neither of them heard of it before and Gwaine has travelled to many lands and seen all manor of things.

"Some call it the Firebird. Its eye burns with a fire that consumes the life force of anybody it comes in contact with." Gaius explained.
"So, what does this mean for Arthur?" Gwaine asked.
"Nothing good by the sound of it." Merlyn said worriedly.
"The eye will draw energy from him. If it's worn for too long, Arthur will die." Gaius explained gravely.
"I have to go after him." Merlyn fretted.
"This is not a task to be undertaken lightly, my dear girl. I cannot, and I will not see you harmed, you are like a daughter to me." Gaius said worriedly.

"I'll help her." Gwaine input. "I'll go with her and keep her safe. She's like a sister to me and she was my first friend." Gwaine declared, kissing her cheek as a happy smile appeared on her face, and tears in her eyes, as she rested against him.
"I would have chosen no one else to accompany me to The Perilous Lands." Merlyn stated.
"You must both be careful. Promise me." Gaius begged.
"We promise Gaius." Merlyn said, kissing his cheek. "You are like a father to me as well." She added. "I'll go change. Gwaine can you pack us some provisions?" Merlyn asked.

"Of course Merlyn." Gwaine agreed, nodding to Gaius before he went to the kitchens to gather some food and then headed to his room to pack a bag for blankets and weapons.
Half an hour later the horses were loaded with their provisions, both Gwaine and Merlyn had changed and were seen riding out of the gates to Camelot by the patrol returning but neither man or woman on horseback paid them any mind, they were in a hurry to get to Arthur. One of the members of the patrol happened to be Sir Leon who watched the pair ride out of Camelot at breakneck speed.

He knew Merlyn must have found out something that was endangering Arthur's life and was in a rush to save him, like always. He didn't know how she did it, but she did. Every single time when Arthur or when Camelot was doomed Merlyn was there and they were saved, and he was forever thankful for his dear, sweet friend. He didn't know how she did what she did, and knew no one else noticed these things except for Gaius, but he wasn't the First Knight of Camelot for nothing. However, this time he wished Merlyn had thought of herself despite Arthur being in danger. His friend, who was like a sister to him and sometimes he wished she would take care of herself first. But he was thankful she wasn't alone this time in saving Arthur; Gwaine was with her.

And if there was one thing he knew about Gwaine: it was that his loyalty wasn't to Camelot, or to Uther, or even to Arthur. It was to Merlyn, and Merlyn alone. So he knew the man would make sure Merlyn didn't come to any harm and she would return to Camelot in one piece. And that offered the First Knight of Camelot; Sir Leon a resemblance of peace of mind, and he was able to return to his duties slightly less worried. As he awaited the trio's return.