"Gwaine tell us another!" A young servant calls from the table behind. The knights exchange looks as if to go 'oh god not again'. Gwaine looks each of his friends dead in the eyes before standing up and facing the rest of the tavern.
"Alright. So this happened about two years ago, just before I came to Camelot actually. I was staying at the local tavern,"
"No surprise there!"
"Shut it Percival. Anyway as I was saying, I was staying at a local tavern when in the dead of night I heard screams. So I went to investigate and found a girl not much older than I staggering down the street looking deathly pale. Just as I was about to help a man appeared out of nowhere and chanted some spell or another and literally sucked the sickness out of her. It looked alive, bound by a golden sphere of pure magic. It was amazing."
"Wow." Mordred exclaimed, in awe of whoever could use such powerful magic.
"Wow indeed." Gwaine retorted with a smile.
"Tell us the one with the beast." Elyan supplied, earning an eye roll from Sir Leon who refused to believe any of the tall tales Gwaine spoke of.
"Aye but which beast. There has been many."
"The Manticore!" Several cheers of agreement rang out through the tavern and Gwaine racked his brain for the story. It has been a while since this one has been told.
"When I was staying in a small village North of Ealdor, the folk spoke of a huge beast similar to that of a lion, but with a head that resembled a human. It's tail could shoot out razor like hairs the size of an average sword, cutting through its prey like butter. When I asked more they said that in recent days they had found the beast dead, with a burning hole straight through its chest. No one knows who killed it, or even how they did it. But by the scorch marks on its chest, everyone suspects magic was the cause."
"Who do you think did it?" Lancelot inquired, making Leon sigh for he really didn't want to be there any longer.
"I have my theories, of course I can't say for certain..."
"Gwaine!" The entire tavern shouted making the young knight laugh boisterously.
"Okay okay jeez guys. If you really want to know what I think, I think it was the same sorcerer who cured the girl."
"That's ridiculous Gwaine. No sorcerer would be powerful enough to take down a beast of that size." Leon scoffed, taking a swig of his drink.
"Ah you would be surprised, Sir Leon." Gwaine said cryptically, tapping the side of his nose as he pushed himself up from the table. He caught sight of Merlin hovering at the door beckoning him over.
"Well I must be going, drinks on me. Meaning drinks on the Princess!" Everyone burst out laughing, most people taking this rare opportunity to get free drinks. Gwaine made his way over to Merlin and together they snuck through he lower town and out into the forest.
"You know you should really stop telling those stories. Sooner or later they are going to figure it out." Merlin chided with a soft smile. Gwaine rolled his eyes and bumped Merlin's hip making him giggle in the most adorable fashion.
"All of Camelot is way to thick to figure it out." The knight chuckled.
"Very true."
They reached their clearing and plopped down onto the dewy grass, so close they might as well have been sitting on eachother. Merlin rest his head on Gwaine's shoulder, absentmindedly making beautiful tulips of every colour bloom in rings around them. The petals were laced with golden veins, making them sparkle in the early moonlight.
"Of all things, flowers is what you make." Gwaine giggles gazing lovingly at the boy leant up against him.
"It's better that doing that." Merlin laughed, pointing past Gwaine's head. He turned around and snorted with laughter as he saw large bubbles of water drifting above the small stream that snaked through the clearing. The bubbles reflected the light creating millions of tiny dots of light to decorate the forest floor. They might as well have a beacon saying these two love birds have magic.
"Touché." Merlin snuggled back into Gwaine's shoulder and relished in the few hours of peace they would get.
Thought I would give you all some Merwaine, as well as magic!Gwaine