Mostly because dead people don't talk back

12: Undead

Who, in all of Camelot, willingly puts gaia berries on themself? Arthur-hella-stinking-Pendragon. However, it was a fair choice in context: encounter wilddeoren or stay with dorocha. Wilddeoren, any day.

Also, Percy saves Gwaine from a dorocha. That's fun.

"Never knew you cared." Gwaine teases, thankful for his life but... still Gwaine.

Percival makes a face, exasperated.

They retreat into the tunnels because, apparently , dorocha prefer the outdoors. I'd prefer it too if I was a literal dead soul from beyond the veil, which they are.

.oOo.

In Camelot, Lord Agravaine orders the guards to shut the city at dusk. What a supercilious idiot.

Gwen and Gaius obviously protest this as they still have brains in their heads. Still, the man gives legitimate reasons why the gates should be closed. Whether it be limited resources, starvation, or disease, Gaius is unsuccessful in reasoning with Agravaine.

Gwen feels a spike of anger or spite in her chest. She pushes further against the order.

"My lords." She begins amidst the stares of councilmen trying to knock her down. "May I be granted permission to address the court?"

"Guinevere." Agravaine gestures and she steps up to the table.

"Prince Arthur taught me long ago that every citizen of Camelot is important." That even she, that Merlin, that all of the peasants and lower classes are important. "He would never stand by and let them suffer. He would help them if he could, and we must do the same." Arthur had helped her and she will help people in his stead.

The look on the lord's face is pitiful, pitying? "I feel the pain as much as you, but we don't have a choice. If we keep letting people in, our food will run out within days."

"You are wrong." She tastes the words as she says them, not regretful in any aspect. Gwen fully objects to the order.

The greasy man speaks low of her, tone almost strickening. "Perhaps you would enlighten me."

Eyes steady and strong, Gwen does indeed enlighten the court. "Those outside the gates are landowners, farmers. For days the refugees have been bartering their wares with the townsfolk in return for the safety of their hearths. They bring with them far more than they take."

"But how long before these wares run out?" He pokes at any of the holes that he sees, searching for all of the weak points.

Agravaine is cunning, but Gwen is both smart and headstrong. Who'll win?

"Three days ago, Prince Arthur embarked on a quest to rid us of these creatures. At worst, we have another three before he reaches his goal. Or do you think he will fail?" Of course, to stop someone from going against the king and prince, you just have to question their loyalty.

"Of course not."

"Sire, she's right." Geoffrey of Monmouth concedes. This literally stops Agravaine from debating further. Who in their right mind would argue against both a friend of the prince and a member of the court, after all?

"Very well. Reopen the gates."

.oOo.

Briefly, in the time where he was dead before living again, Merlin saw the old, felled tree's saplings grown together into a mass, a tree with all the trunk overtaking the old stump.

One big tree.

.oOo.

Why do the worst things happen near dawn?