The way Arthur saw it, any plan that ended with either Merlin or his father dying is unacceptable. Since the two of them meeting was going to end with someone dying - if nothing else, Arthur might keel over from the stress - he was going to have to prevent that from happening.
That meant he had to get Merlin out before they reached Camelot. If it was simply a matter of waiting until he was on watch, that wouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately, one of the wolfknights had suggested having two people on watch at all times so that they could listen for threats and watch the prisoner at the same time, and Arthur hadn't been able to argue.
So Arthur waited until he was supposed to have a watch with Gwaine and then cornered the knight by the stream a few hours before they were due for it.
Despite some rumors to the contrary, Gwaine wasn't stupid. He raised his eyebrows when he saw Arthur leaning against a tree, arms crossed. "Want to tell me what's going on, princess?"
Arthur growled low in his throat.
Gwaine bared his throat and took a quick step back, hands up. "Easy. I didn't mean anything by it."
Arthur forced himself to relax. Gwaine had been a lone wolf for too long to slip easily into the formalities of the pack. He hadn't meant the nickname as a challenge and Arthur knew it.
"Something's got you tense," Gwaine observed warily.
Arthur's head twitched into something like a nod. "How many people do you think my father will have executed by the time we get back?"
Gwaine winced. "More than Gaius recommended."
The words blood madness hung unspoken between them. They hung unspoken over most of the court. No one had to say it. The whole pack could feel it.
Gwaine's face went uncharacteristically grave. "If you're planning to challenge him - "
"You don't want to finish that sentence," Arthur said flatly.
Gwaine nodded slowly. His posture relaxed some. "What are we talking about then?"
"I don't feel comfortable bringing him another kill." And there was no way Uther would let anyone else kill an Ambrosius.
"Another kill in general, or Merlin in particular?"
Arthur stiffened. "Why should I care about Merlin?"
Gwaine shrugged. "His scent was lingering on your supplies after you escaped from the slavers."
"The others?"
"I don't think they know," Gwaine reassured him. "You know I've got the best nose, and I haven't told anyone. For that matter, I'm not sure what there is to tell."
The silver scars from the slavers burned. "I owe him," Arthur admitted. From that first rescue to Merlin's restraint with Leon. "Possibly more than I can pay back." Certainly more than he could pay back if events kept going the way they had.
"So it''s a jailbreak then," Gwaine concluded cheerfully, stretching out as he did so. "Not sure whether or not it's a compliment that you thought I was the one most likely to go for that."
The others must be starting to wonder what was keeping them by now. "Are you in?" Arthur demanded.
Gwaine grinned. "Oh, I'm definitely in. I owe him a favor or two from my wandering days, and I like the kid. I'd been wondering how to get him away from the group."
It was moments like this that made ARther wonder if his father had a point with the throat ripping.
Gwaine's grin widened. "I warned you that I'd be a headache when you let me join the pack."
"You weren't wrong."
. . .
Leon had only been a pup when the Ambrosius clan was banished, but he'd been a pup on the verge of adolescence. He remembered watching them fight. He remembered what they could do. Even the ones that looked weak. Especially those.
Which is why he kept wondering why he was still alive.
The boy could have gotten him. The boy might have escaped if he had. Leon had sounded his warning fully expecting it to be the last thing he did.
But here he was, lying on the forest floor sleeplessly as the pack slept around him.
His first duty was to his king and to his prince, but his honor nagged at him.
So when he saw Arthur loosening Merlin's ropes through his almost closed lids, he just kept lying there.
When it was discovered that Merlin was gone, Leon wondered how many of the others were only pretending to be surprised.
"Shall we pursue him, sire?" he asked, knowing the answer.
Arthur shook his head. "There's been a threat made against my father. We can't afford to waste the time."
"Of course, sire."
Leon had expected nothing less.
