A/N: Had to get this one out today too. I'm using Wattpad as my online backup for my story (Google docs, while wonderful, has screwed me over before), so apologies if I'm updating multiple times a day.

I would love to hear reactions, as usual, on this and any other chapter. Bless!

Also, just thought I'd let you all know that a fourth book is in planning stages. It will introduce several new literary based OCs, including a love interest for Percival. The working title is "Restoration". It'll be good fun, and much less angst haha.

Gwaine didn't sleep at all that night. Instead he sat next to Fira on her right, Galahad across from them and Merlin on her left. His eyes remained fixed on her, whether her face, her scarred body, or her stump of an arm. Arthur and the others were asleep. But he kept his vigil in silence. The only time he broke his silence was to take a swig of alcohol every so often.

He had lost so many people over the past year. Destiny be damned, he wasn't going to lose his surrogate sister. The loss of Gareth and Gaheris truly made him realize how much he regretted leaving his family at a young age. Now, sitting in the tent with Fira lying there, he had time to think. Too much time.

A few hours ago, the report that they had won the battle had arrived along with the others, but it brought only a little solace to Gwaine. As he reached over to grab his third bottle of the night, Fira opened her eyes. She looked around without moving, but as soon as Gwaine resumed his position he noticed the change.

He immediately reached over and woke Merlin. “Hey.”

The man woke instantly and looked around. At last Merlin’s gaze fell on Fira and then met Gwaine’s stare.

“Fira,” Merlin smiled lightly. “It's Merlin.”

She said nothing, flinching back at his voice. Finally she managed to croak out a simple question. “Why?”

“Why what?” Merlin cocked his head.

She elaborated. “Why am I here?”

“We don't leave a man behind.” Merlin smiled at her and placed his hand on her remaining hand. “Ever.”

Galahad and Arthur had woken up by now but neither said anything, staying as silent as Gwaine.

“Emrys.” Fira felt her eyes welling up with tears and pushed herself into a seated position as well as she could. She reached out and grabbed Merlin into a hug as she cried.

Gwaine said nothing. But once the two warlocks broke the hug, Fira looked at her damaged right arm slowly. Memories seemed to flood back into her and slowly she turned to face Gwaine who sat beside her. He tensed.

Fira’s face scrunched up as she attempted to stop from crying. When their eyes met she gave an almost imperceptible nod.

“Thank you.”

Gwaine gave her a massive hug. He whispered something along the lines of “I'm sorry" into her ear as she clung to him.

When they broke apart, Galahad was kneeling before her. When she saw him, it was the first time they noticed her smile, even though it was a small one and only there for a moment. Merlin and Gwaine helped her sit up and they embraced. The kiss Galahad and Fira shared was full of joy.

No one noticed Merlin slip outside. When he came back in, he brought Elyan, Percival, and Leon. They stood with Arthur.

“My lord,” she said, tears running down her face. “My lord I failed you.”

“No.” Arthur cut her off. “No. We left you behind, we left you to Morgana’s whims. What happened from there on out was not your fault. You'd do well to remember that.”

“Morgana!” Fira curled into herself. “She’ll be coming for me. She says I'm hers.”

“You belong to no one,” Leon told her immediately.

“She promised me,” Fira screamed. “She’ll be coming! You need to leave me or you’ll all be in danger.”

“Fira stop. You are not hers.” Merlin used his serious voice, the sort of voice one might use to command dragons. “You belong to no one.”

“She’ll come,” Fira whispered to him. “She wants us dead, Merlin. Me and you, dead at her feet. That's all she wants.”

Merlin chewed his lip in contemplation. “If she comes, we fight her. Me and you.” He took her left hand in his own and smiled. “Together.”

She blinked. “We’ll lose.”

Arthur and Merlin shared a startled look as she curled into herself and cradled her right arm. The black scars all over her body were starkly contrasted against her pale skin, and with her shoulder length hair they saw more of her skin than ever before. Old scars from battles over the past three years were easy to see.

The others had expressions of pity and apprehension on their faces, unsure of what to do with the broken sorceress. How were they supposed to comfort someone this damaged? They were soldiers, not healers.

Merlin sighed. “I need to check you over for injuries.” He turned to the knights as her face froze in fright. “Give us a minute?”

They all nodded and left the tent. But Arthur remained. He shook his head when Merlin went to tell him to leave.

“I am staying. I am still the King, Merlin, though you might be a wizard.” Arthur let his face soften as his gaze landed on Fira after Merlin. “I want to help.”

“Fine.” Merlin had Arthur hold her in a seated position.

Fira was past caring who saw her semi-naked, but she felt afraid of what she herself would see. As Merlin slowly removed her shirt, leaving her bra beneath, he had to hide his disgust. Arthur attempted to, but he let out a tiny gasp. It was enough to send Fira into sobs. Before them, over her left chest area, was a charcoal colored burn. All the dark scars converged on this dark point above her heart like spider webbing.

She had a huge bruise across her stomach area. He couldn't imagine what that'd been from. As they shuffled her pants off and left her underwear in place, they saw the various old scars of the battles with Firensynn and Radella, massive burns that had since been healed. But there were several lacerations on her legs that had been sewn shut recently.

King Arthur adjusted Fira so that Merlin could see her back. A dozen whip marks remained drilled into the skin. On her left wrist and both ankles were the tell-tale marks of metal cuffs that had been much too tight.

Everything he saw made Merlin sick. Arthur stood and hobbled outside for air. His injured leg stung, but he realized that was nothing compared to what Fira had gone through these past weeks.

“How is she?” Elyan asked quickly as Arthur appeared outside by the campfire.

He stood silently and then gestured to the tent. “Merlin’s using a potion to get her to sleep. Go see for yourself if you wish.”

Gwaine and Galahad shot up immediately, followed quickly by the other three. When they entered the tent, Fira’s eyes were just closing as she drifted into an unconscious slumber. Merlin was bustling about and turned to them.

“I need water.” He stuttered. “She… I need to clean her up.”

Arthur had already seen to it. A servant entered and handed the closest knight, Leon, a pail of water and a clean cloth.

“What can we do?” Leon asked him as he handed over the bucket and cloth.

Merlin rubbed the back of his neck. He looked Fira’s body up and down and then turned to the knights. He saw their stricken faces as they observed their unconscious friend in dismay.

“You can't do anything,” Merlin said, his voice resigned. “I don't even know where to start.” He knelt down next to his good friend. “Most of these are old scars now, nothing I can help with. I'm just going to clean her up.”

Leon nodded. “We should give you space.”

He and the others tore their gazes from Fira and Merlin, leaving the two warlocks together in the tent. Gwaine had such hatred in his eyes that Percival actually stepped back from him at first. When Gwaine grabbed his sword and stalked off he ran after him, grabbing his own sword.

“Don’t, Gwaine.” Percival warned him, running to get in front of the furious knight. “We can't stop her. Not alone.”

“Get out of my way Percival,” Gwaine barked. “I've lost too many people to that witch.”

“Going after her isn't the answer,” Percival insisted, grabbing his left arm as he pushed past. “You’ll get yourself killed.”

Gwaine ripped his arm from Percival’s grasp with such force that the other knight couldn't hold on. Sometimes Gwaine’s strength shocked him.

But Gwaine stopped walking. “What do you want me to say, Perce? What do you want me to do? Sit there, helpless? As a fourth person I love has their life destroyed by Morgana?”

“We need a plan.” Percival shook his head.

Gwaine spat. “We tried that.”

“We know we can't kill her with these weapons,” Percival continued as he showed Gwaine his sword. “Only Excalibur can kill her.”

“My mother Morcades,” Gwaine started his list, a cold fury taking over his body. “My brothers Gareth and Gaheris, Lorie… how many more have to leave before Destiny sees fit to end Morgana’s wrath!”

Percival nodded. “Destiny seems to hate you, I'll give you that.”

Suddenly Leon, Elyan, and Galahad burst through the trees. Worried looks adorned their faces, but they relaxed slightly as they spotted Percival and Gwaine.

“Where are you two going?” Elyan asked quietly.

Leon saw the hatred in Gwaine’s eyes. He stood next to Percival. “Revenge is going to do nothing right now, my friend.”

Gwaine’s lip twitched, his eyes still fiercely glowing in the moonlight. He looked from Leon to Percival and back. With a curl of his lip he drew his sword and swung at the nearest tree with a grunt of anger.

“Gwaine!” Leon warned the others back with his hands. “All that anger? All that hatred? Don't waste it on a tree. Let it sit and then when we do find that witch, make her pay.”

Gwaine halted his swift movements but remained facing the beaten up tree. With a scream he fell to his knees, all the horrible moments of the past few weeks finally catching up with him. The loss of his brothers by Morgana’s forces had driven him into a deep depression he hadn't known since he’d gotten to Camelot.

“Come on, Gwaine.” Percival laid a hand on his shoulder. “Let's go back.”

It took a few moments, during which time the knights held their breaths. If Gwaine decided he was going after Morgana, they weren't sure even Percival could keep him restrained. But eventually Gwaine hung his head, picked up his sword, and marched back to camp in silence.