26. Gilthunder and Gwaine
Kilgarrah informed her that before they found each other, he was flying and saw a familiar-looking horse which may have been her heading west. After Kilgharrah doubled checked her wounds, new and old, she was able to leave. She changed back into the clothes she had started the quest in finding them more comfortable than the complete leather ensemble. With her two swords back on her, she was more than prepared to find her horse.
Baxton ran ahead a few miles checking for bandits, or kidnappers or trouble, or signs of Gilthunder. There was nothing as they headed almost to the other side of the continent, having taken two weeks as she ran through the forests, hoping to find signs of her horse.
She was about to give up hope, having just sent Baxton out to look and was expecting the normal news that there was no sign of him. But Baxton arrived barking like crazy saying that there were men at the tavern talking about selling a horse, but there was no sign of Gilthunde in the stables of the tavern, "Lead the way," she tells Baxton who takes off running and she follows behind him, jumping over roots or the few rocks which got in her way.
She watched from her spot on the edge of the forest, it was a tavern in the middle of nowhere there was no town near or around it. Horses were in the stables tended to fully but no sign of Gilthunder. Growling at that she makes her way into the tavern, it was warm compared to the cold night air outside. The sounds of laughter and drunken stories didn't stop at the newcomer, their red cloak hood was up, hiding Magdelena's face from the crowd.
She pretended to look around at the few empty seats while she found the man who was smirking while talking to another man who looked a bit taken back. They whispered in hushed tones as she strutted up to the table sitting down next to the smug one, "Young sir this table is being used," he says trying to be polite but Magdelena doesn't move or speak, "Take it somewhere else!"
"You are selling a horse you have stolen from me," she says kicking her legs up on the table, "I want to know when you plan on returning him to me."
"I have no idea what you're talking about. I have a black horse sold to me by a Mason," the guys says smirking as he confirmed that it was her horse he has.
"I hope you were already paid," she says making him confused, "I gutted him two weeks past, he tried to kill me. I thought it fair to return the favor."
"You killed my biggest supplier!" the man hisses making her chuckle throwing her hood back showing her ember eyes, and red-brown hair falling down in long waves.
"Yes of people he has kidnapped and held prisoner under a spell," she says with the same amount of venom he just gave her, "Now tell me where my horse is and I will let you live."
"Look, girl, I have already paid for the black stallion," the guy across the table says making her turn a harsh glare at him.
"Well, you better get your money back," she says removing her feet from the table and leaning forward, "Cause I am leaving with the horse whether I have to steal it back from you."
"I will have the knights on you faster than you could steal him," the man says smugly making her chuckle.
"Bartender!" she calls out making the room go quiet, "These men have just offered to pay for the rest of night for everyone's drinks! A round for everyone!" the crowd cheered as the two men looked taken back as she went to stand but was pulled back by the man she had been sitting next to.
"You are going to pay for those drinks!" his growls pushing a dagger into her ribs making her smirk, "I don't care how but you're paying us back."
"You would have a batter time trying to get a princess to marry you," she snaps turning with a grip on his hand without the dagger as she spins twisting his arm as he calls out in pain, he swings the dagger but her forearm meets his arm as he comes toward her, "Miss me once shame on you."
"Come here you little bitch!" he growls out as the crowd forms a circle as more men begin to get into the fight as if a silent signal brought his men to his rescue, "Don't hurt her too much. She is our prize after all.
She gets ready for a fight when someone walks to stand next to her and she turns to see the familiar shaggy brown hair and beard of one Gwaine her eyes light up, "Your odds seem a little low."
"I thought a dozen men seemed fair," she says earning a chuckle from him, "Though I can't say no to your help."
Gwaine and her were able to take out the goons, Gwaine grabbed the buyer while she grabbed the seller dragging them outside, "Now tell me where my horse is, or I will gut you like your former supplier." Gwaine wasn't sure if it was the look in her eyes or the fact she drew two swords, one longer the other a short sword as she poised to kill them in a few moves.
"If y-you head South a-a ways you-you'll come across a ca-cabin," the seller says, "Y-your horse will be there."
"Thank you," she says putting her swords away and began to make her way south but paused and turned, "If I find that you have lied to me you better pray to God I find my horse on my way back to skin you."
Gwaine rushed after her, "This is not the Lady Magdelena that I remember," he says making her chuckle shaking her head.
"After the almost two months I have had, I think I can get away with threats I never meant to go through with," she says quirking an eyebrow at him making him smile at her with the charming smile he had given her since he first saw her. Suddenly she stopped closed her eyes in pain and tried to breathe.
"Are you alright what's wrong?" he asks staring at her concern clear in his face as he places a hand on her back feeling all the scar tissue and rough skin, "What happened to you Magdelena?"
"I was whipped. It was a while ago they are healing just fine," she says staring at him with honesty in her eyes, "The fighting was just a strange movement and it hurt."
"How goes the romance with the Prince?" he asks making her nudge him almost knocking him to the ground, "Alright since you are a bit touchy on the subject - even though you are wearing one of his cloaks - how is Merlin?"
"Merlin is doing well actually," she says smiling, "He will be glad to hear I have run into you again, perhaps you can write a letter that I can give him, I am sure he would love to know how you are doing."
"Just tell him I am doing my normal stuff," he says smirking, "Saving Princess's from tavern fights, and drinking all the ale I can consume."
They arrived at the cabin there were about half a dozen men in the cabin, Gwaine and Magdelena snuck into the stables keeping the horses quiet as they freed each of them, Gwaine taking one of them for himself as she hugged Gilthunder who she hadn't seen for so long.
'Magdelena I thought I had lost you,' he says wrapping his head around her a hug of his own, 'I am so glad you found me.'
"I am never helping children in the forest again if I get a bad feeling about them," she says turning to see Gwaine on his horse looking at her very confused, "It is a long story."
"It is a long way back to the borders of Camelot," he says, "To which I am escorting you to by the way."
"I am afraid that I am not going back to Camelot just yet," she says she sees him going to speak but cuts him off before he can speak, "and I can not allow you to come with Gwaine. I can not ask you to endanger your life more than you already have."
"Come now Maggie," he says but she leads him and his horse out fo the stables and into the forest, away from the prying eyes and possible ears that could listen at the cabin, "Maggie if it is so dangerous then why are you on your own."
"This is a quest I must do for myself Gwaine, Merlin was going to come but I forced him to stay with the Prince," she says begging him to understand, "I appreciate your offer to help me very much. The fact you would do that for me means more than you know but I can't accept. Please, Gwaine I know one day we shall cross paths again, in Camelot or some other land who can say but one day."
She grabs his hand pulling him into a hug, "If that is what you wish Maggie," he says pouting slightly, "Do be careful, promise me you will be careful."
Their embrace ends and they pull away but Gwaine grabs her an kisses her cheek and then her forehead, "Don't tell the Princess or I might lose my head."
"You exaggerate," she says climbing on the back of Gilthunder who seemed pleased to have his rider back with him, "Farewell Gwaine. Safe travels." Gwaine watched as she rode off toward the North heading up toward the Forbidden Lands, a place that was riddled with unknown dangers as no one stayed long in those Lands. Not in the middle anyway, it was mostly uncharted and treacherous terrain there were a few settlements on the borders but he had a feeling that she was heading to the center,