"Arthur!" Fira called out as she made her way through the village.

Arthur and the knights, along with Gaheris and Gareth, turned to look at her. She jogged over.

"Arthur, I need to tell you something," Fira hesitated, "alone."

Arthur nodded slowly before beckoning her to follow him. He made his way over to where an apple tree stood some distance away.

"What's the matter?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted, "But ever since I ignited the corpses, I've been hearing whispering. I've only been able to make out part of it."

"Go on."

"Beware the green knight and his lady."

"That's it?"

Fira was about to confirm it when she was hit with another scream. She covered her ears in pain, crouching down.

"Fira?" Arthur asked in concern.

"It's... It's nothing. It's not just whispers I've been hearing. Its screams also. I think there is something here that is enhancing it."

"Could it be this?" Arthur pulled the cloth with the insignia out of his pocket.

As he did so, Fira was hit with another scream like a banshee. She crumpled to her knees.

"Destroy it Arthur!" she screamed, still covering her ears as best she could. The noise was incredibly painful. The others raced over to see what had happened.

Arthur looked around for some way to destroy it. He caught sight of a small fire and ran over to it. Dropping the piece of cloth in the flames, he watched as it burned to ashes.

The king made his way back to Fira and the others. They were helping her up off the ground. She nodded to Arthur, telling him that destroying it had done the trick.

"There's some sort of sorcery at work here," she declared, thought they all pretty much knew that.

"Have you any idea what that was?" Gwaine asked.

Fira shook her head. She hadn't a clue as to why that emblem was enchanted. Those soldiers were not from any kingdom she was aware of.

"We need to find out who sent those men, and why," Arthur sighed, rubbing his head in tension.

"They chased us all the way here," Gaheris reported.

"Why?" Gwaine asked.

They two brothers just shrugged.

"We don't know why, but they did," Gareth replied.

"We need to get back to Camelot," Arthur decided, "Immediately. Fira, go fetch Merlin and have him pack our supplies."

She nodded and took off to the house.

"Gaheris, Gareth, you are welcome to return with us to Camelot. I'm sure we can buy you two horses from the townsfolk," Arthur offered.

Gwaine bit his tongue, not wanting to cross Arthur in front of his brothers, not to mention the knights. Now was not the time for petty sibling disputes.

Gaheris spoke for both young men, "It'd be our honor, Sire."

"Then let's get you two outfitted with horses for the time being."

-*-

The company was ready to go within the hour. Four horses were without masters after their riders were killed in the raid, and the townsfolk let them take two without paying. The said that their service and protection was payment already.

Hunith declined an offer to go to Camelot. She insisted that this was her home, and she, like Merlin, was very stubborn.

"So," Gareth awkwardly started, riding up next to Gwaine, "How've you been?"

"Fine."

"Good."

"Don't even bother, Gareth," Gaheris sneered at Gwaine, "He doesn't like us."

"Maybe you should keep your mouth shut, Gaheris," Gareth angrily replied.

Gwaine smirked at this. Truth be told, he had very little against Gareth. In fact, Gwaine was a bit curious about his youngest brother. But it was Gaheris that turned him off completely. It wasn't that Gwaine's younger brother was a bad person, but he knew how to annoy Gwaine, and did everything possible to do so.

"Don't listen to your brother, Gareth," Gwaine told him with a small smile.

"You don't hate us?" Gareth asked skeptically.

"No. I don't. But I haven't decided that I like you either. Trust me though, I DON'T like your brother."

Gaheris narrowed his eyes at Gwaine.

"How's mum?"

"Gone," Gaheris said sadly.

Gwaine halted Gringolet. He stared at his younger siblings in surprise, anguish, and anger. Gone? How could she be gone?

"Gone? No. That can't be right."

"She is, Gwaine. Mother and Father are both gone," Gareth confirmed.

"My father left long ago," Gwaine snapped at Gareth.

His eyes were blazing in fury. Gwaine hurried his steed so that he left Gareth and Gaheris in the back with Elyan, catching up with Arthur and Leon in the front. They hadn't heard the conversation.

Arthur was about to ask Gwaine something but when he saw the look on Gwaine's face he quickly shut his mouth. No one wanted to cross Gwaine when he was angry. The knight almost never lost a fight, and though he probably wouldn't attack a fellow companion, woe to he who crosses him and then trains against him.

Merlin and Percival, both riding in between Gareth and Gaheris and Gwaine, had heard only parts of the conversation, but heard enough to steer clear of him. Fira, now riding up next to Gareth and Gaheris, was confused at Gwaine's reaction. She felt he overreacted to Gareth's innocent statement. What was wrong with him?

Gwaine was furious. But he was angry at himself as much, if not more, than his brothers. He had let his mother down. She was gone. Dead? Probably. Why else would they say she was gone? He had been close to his mother in his youth. Growing up without a father had been hard: he was the bastard child, the kid with just a mom. He'd known early on who his father had been. At first he was proud, but then he resented Lot for his shallowness. He'd left Gwaine's mother alone with a little boy.

When Gwaine was four, his cousin Elda, age twelve, had been orphaned and came to live with them. He took to calling her his older sister, and she was a good friend to him. However, she married off when Gwaine was only ten, and he didn't see her much after that.

As he grew older, around the age of thirteen, Gwaine grew apart from his mum. She had married and now had another son, Gaheris. Gwaine resented this younger brother for taking his mother's attention, and for growing up with a father. He'd given his mother the cold shoulder, something he regretted to this day. When he'd turned sixteen, Gwaine had packed up and left.

He'd sent his mother letters periodically, once every few months at first. Later it had dwindled to once a year, then once every two or three. He'd returned home twice since then, the first time he met Gareth at his birth, and the second when the youngest was ten.

But no one knew any of this. He couldn't think of anyone he'd tell, except Merlin and now, maybe Fira. Certainly never to the other knights.

They rode in silence then, no one wanting to break the precarious tension that hung in the air. Merlin decided he needed to talk to Gwaine. He needed to help his friend, as obviously something was eating at him.

Stopping for a late dinner, they camped outside of the forest. It was dark out, and Fira found it uniquely refreshing. The air was cool and crisp, as with any early winter, and the crickets were chirping merrily. Arthur sent Elyan, Gareth, and Gaheris out hunting and Fira and Merlin to collect firewood.

Fira took a deep breath in and closed her eyes. She sighed contentedly.

"What?"

She opened her eyes and glanced at Merlin, "What what?"

"What was the whole sigh for?"

"I was just enjoying the fresh air," she laughed, reaching down to pick up a few dry, decent sticks.

Merlin shook his head with a smile, "It's the same air you breathe every day!"

"Boys," she exclaimed in pretend exasperation, "You never understand!"

"Hey!"

She laughed and stacked her armful of sticks on top of Merlin's.

"Ey! Carry your own!" Merlin protested.

Fira just grinned and started picking up more deadwood. She didn't mind doing such a meaningless task. In fact, it gave her time to think. And her thoughts were revolving around three men.

"What do you think is the problem that Gwaine has with Gaheris and Gareth," she asked Merlin.

He thought for a moment, "I'm not sure. He never mentioned them to me. Maybe he was jealous of them because they had a father?"

"I don't know. I don't see Gwaine as a jealous one."

"He would have been young, so who knows," Merlin pointed out, "Besides, he seems to have tried to block them out completely. Maybe something bad happened between them?"

"I'd imagine."

They decided they'd collected enough firewood and trekked back to camp. They dropped the dry wood down and Merlin set to work arranging the firewood into a proper camp fire.

Elyan hauled a deer back to camp with help from Gaheris. Gareth was behind them, carrying all the hunting supplies. Gwaine and Leon immediately helped take the deer and set to work skinning it.

"Good catch!" Arthur commended Elyan.

Elyan shook his head, "Don't thank me. Thank Gaheris. The man's a natural with a crossbow."

"Thank you Sir Elyan," Gaheris nodded to the man, "I spent many years learning how to use one when I found myself having to care for my family. Father was sick for many years and once Gwaine left, I had to take charge."

Arthur looked from Gaheris to Gwaine. The knight in question had stopped mid-action, kneeling over the deer. He didn't turn his head or acknowledge the comment, but everyone was tense, waiting to see if Gwaine would react.

When he did not, the king released the breath he hasn't realized he'd been holding. Thanking Gaheris, Arthur sat down and opened up his pack to fish something out.

Merlin stood back from the wood pile and motioned for Fira. She smiled and nodded, before raising her hand slightly and speaking the ancient language. The sticks sprung to life as they caught fire, illuminating the campsite.

"About time you two got that up and going," Arthur teased, tossing each of a role of bread, "Now. Eat those and then make us our food!"

Merlin scowled and Fira groaned but she grabbed hold of a pot and looked around.

"I don't suppose we camped anywhere near water," she sighed.

The others stayed silent. Gareth, who had been sitting alone by a tree with a pencil and paper stood up and cleared his throat.

"Actually, lady Fira, I do believe I found one when we went hunting. I can show you," he offered politely.

"Good. Perhaps dinner is ruined after all."

Arthur told them to wait, "Percival, I want you to go with them."

The big knight nodded and grabbed his sword as he stood up. Percival asked if they were ready.

"Yes."

"Wait," Arthur added, "take the water skins also. No point in making more than one trip."

The others tossed their empty water skins to the three, Percival and Gareth taking most of them because Fira's hands were full.

"It was this way, Lady Fira."

"We're right behind you," Fira said, suppressing a laugh.

Percival did no such thing, chuckling, "You don't need to call her Lady, you know."

Gareth blushed but because he was in front, no one noticed.

"What if I like it," Fira protested, "Be nice Percival! He was just being gentlemanly."

Percival rolled his eyes and nudged Fira forward. She turned and scowled playfully at him and he grinned back innocently.

"Around this tree here," Gareth told them, rounding a large fallen tree.

They came upon what was something like glistening puddle. The pool of water was with in a flowing brook, but it curled around in circles and made shallow pools before continuing on its way downstream.

An unnatural aura surrounded the place that only Fira could see. It was like a mist that floated above the water, but it blurred more than obscured vision. It also sparkled and glowed.

"Wait a moment," Fira shouted as Gwaine and Gareth bent down to fill up the waterskins, "Something isn't right."

Fira and the two men were standing there when all of a sudden, strange bubble like creatures, if creatures they were, began rising from the water. All three drew their swords.

"Peace, Nyx, we mean you no harm."

Gareth dropped his sword in shock. Percival jumped at the clanginf sound but lowered his sword half way. Fira did nothing.

"What are you," she asked.

"We are Vilia. Spirits of the brooks and streams. We can stay only in your world for a moment."

"What is it you want?"

"We have a message from the Seelie Court for you and Emrys. Beware the Green Knight and his Lady. These two will test the bonds of friendship. If you fail, Albion will fall. But if you succeed, Albion is one step closer.

"You must look within yourselves for answers, but there are others whose help you will need. You know them not now, but when the time comes, you, Nyx, shall feel it."

The Seelie Court? She'd heard the term before, she was sure, but Fira couldn't place it. What was the Seelie Court? As the Vilia began to fade, she hastily thanked them and then the aura she had noticed dissipated.

"It's safe to get the water now," she nodded.

Percival raised an eyebrow at her attempt at avoiding any questions but nodded and filled up the water skins. Gareth looked like he wanted to ask something but he got the idea that she didnt want to talk and shut his mouth.

When they got back to camp, venison was roasting over the fire. Fira put the pot over the campfire and boiled the water.

"Merlin, we should go get more firewood," she told him.

He obviously didn't get the hidden message, "Why? There's plenty left."

"There won't be later. Come on," she insisted.

Merlin groaned but stood up and followed her into the forest. What was she up to?

"Something called a Vilia spoke to me," she whispered.

Merlin perked up, "It did? What did it say?"

"So you've seen Vilia before?"

"Yes, yes, but never mind that. What did she say?"

"She told me this," Fira repeated the ominous warning that the water spirit had given her.

"What's the Seelie Court, Merlin?"

"We can talk about that when we get to Camelot," he avoided the question, "Let's hurry up and get back."

They grabbed some wood on the way back and soon were cooking dinner.

-*-

"That was delicious," Arthur commented. Fira and Merlin looked at him in irritation as they sat with bowls less than half full.

"Oh come now, don't look so glum!" Gwaine laughed, "You should've made more!"

Fira glowered at him. With a flick of her wrist, she sent half a roll flying at him. It struck Gwaine square in the nose. Percival burst out laughing and soon the rest joined in. Gwaine ate the bread quickly.

"Hey!" Fira whined.

"You threw it at me!" Gwaine protested.

They spent the next ten minutes or so cleaning up. They washed the dishes, packed their bags, and secured the horses.

"It’s getting late. Leon, you and I will take the first watch. Fira, you be in charge of the horses. Elyan, Gwaine, we'll get you up next, and Merlin will take over for Fira," Arthur told the company.

The others went to sleep quickly, slipping into unconsciousness almost immediately. It had been a long few days.

Arthur and Leon took up posts at opposite sides of the campsite. Fira set up shop near Gringolet and Aland. She checked on Hengroen, Lamri, Luagor, and Hengist. Making sure all the lead ropes were securely tied to a few trees, she stretched and walked over to where Leon was.