Married Life

Chapter 4

Three blue cloaks swirled as their wearers also launched in to a flurry of movement behind an increasingly thick wall of mercenaries. Arthur cursed and drew his own sword only to find Galahad and Tristan pinning his arms to his sides and pushing him very quickly out of the door.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Demanded Arthur shaking off the two knights and turning back to the tavern door. "We can't leave Gwaine to fight alone, even if he did start it." He took one whole step before the young knights blocked his path.
"Sorry, Sire, but Gwaine ordered us to get you out." Tristan looked serious and determined but flinched at every loud noise from the tavern. The hand gesture, Arthur realised. Not just a quirk but an order, to his own men, to keep him out of danger. That was Gwaine's job of course as senior knight but it was still extremely galling to stand outside guarded by knights whilst Gwaine took on all the mercenaries. Galahad was scuffing at the dusty mud of the square with his boot trying not to look at Arthur or the tavern. Tristan relaxed a little as Arthur didn't try to pass him again and grinned half heartedly. "At least we can confirm Gwaine gets into trouble wherever he goes." He muttered ruefully. "Do you think the lady was really a witch?" Galahad stopped shuffling his feet and looked up wide-eyed.
"And if she is?" Probed Arthur. His father's laws were explicit and had been proving difficult to undo.
"We have no proof."
"No, we don't." Agreed Arthur and he hoped fervently none presented itself. The tavern door slammed open and two of the mercenaries bolted out holding their faces and screaming. Arthur jumped into a defensive stance and held his sword ready. Galahad and Tristan swung around to stand in front of him, swords also up in guard position. But the two mercenaries paid them no mind, they ran down the road screaming and Arthur was sure he saw pale blue flames flickering around them. He hoped the others had missed it.
More of the mercenaries bundled out, backing out slowly, bunched together. They were all bleeding from a variety of injuries and drops of blood stained the square. Seeing three more armed and ready knights behind them, the mercenaries turned down the front of the buildings to the nearest path out of the square. Arthur counted ten. The young knights looked back at him and he nodded, they all approached the tavern together, the young knights keeping their King behind and entering first.
The tables were pushed aside, chairs had been smashed and discarded. Scorch marks adorned the furniture, walls and floor but there were no bodies or the rest of the men. The landlady was still stood behind the bar in frozen horror. The fight had only lasted a few minutes and the poor woman hadn't gotten over the initial shock quick enough to think about hiding before it was all over again. The two blue cloaked knights were stood to either side of the lady who was squatting in-front of a seated Gwaine. Their swords were still drawn and they glowered at Arthur, clearly expecting another fight. The lady in question was muttering with her hands pressed to Gwaine's side and leg. It was the light glinting off the pools of blood that showed Arthur Gwaine was wounded. Gwaine hadn't seen them yet, he was staring into the lady's eyes and playing with some of her hair in his fingers. Arthur thought he might be speaking but he couldn't hear the words.
"Gwaine?" Tristan called out and moved towards the little group.
Gwaine looked at them a little bleary eyed "Don't mind me, just having a little nap." He gently pushed the lady's hand away from his side and bunched up the corner of his cloak to press against his hip. The lady stood up and dusted off her hands on her legs. She started checking over her own two knights and ordered the woman behind the counter to fetch water.
"He's hurt. And stubborn." She grabbed a jug from the bar and sniffed its contents before taking a swig. "You should get him home before he bleeds out." She passed the jug down to Gwaine who took it with a wince. He started drawing in his legs slowly as he drank and used the furniture around him to ease himself up, waving off a hand from one of the blue clad knights.
"I've had worse." He grinned and finished off the drink dropping the jug on the table. "But if the King has had enough fun for one day?"
Arthur wanted to suggest they ride to the next village and see if the ale was better there just to spite the stubborn fool. But the smile hadn't reached Gwaine's eyes and he was still clutching the cloak to his side, and Merlin would be very upset if he let Gwaine die.
"Let's go." He bowed to the strange lady "Mi'lady." before striding out the door. "Galahad, make sure Gwaine doesn't fall of his damned horse."