Wings

Chapter 9

Gwaine came back a few minutes later to make sure Lancelot and Daigo were okay. They could hear Arthur ordering guards to take Serkad and Gedmin to the dungeons. Daigo was still shocked, barely able to speak. Lancelot had calmed once he heard Arthur, though he was still shaken. They all spent the night in Gwaine's chambers. There was only enough room on the bed for two people, so Daigo slept on the floor with the mountain of pillows and blankets he was given by the two knights.

When Lancelot and Gwaine woke up the next morning, Daigo was gone.

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Daigo whimpered as he was once again jerked forward by the rope around his wrists. He stumbled behind Serkad and Gedmin as they walked through the forest.

"Come on! The guards will have realised we're gone by now!" Serkad ordered as he tugged on the rope again.

Daigo felt the rope digging into his wrists. It was thick but he was sure he could see some blood around the edges of it. He silently called out for Lancelot, Gwaine, anyone who would help, but of course no one appeared. They continued on through the forest, getting further and further from Camelot with each step.

There was a low rumbling sound, but Serkad and Gedmin took no notice. Big mistake. Daigo looked up in time to see three boulders rolling down an incline on their left and jumped back without a thought. It felt like his hands were being pulled off as he fell back and the sudden jerk on the rope caused Serkad to fall as well. A look of horror washed over his face and Gedmin looked up to see the boulders too. He jumped away, but Serkad couldn't. Daigo and Gedmin watched as boulders and clouds of dirt cloaked Serkad's body. They were both frozen with shock. Just as they were beginning to recover, there was another sound and suddenly Gedmin was on the ground as well, an arrow potruding from his chest. Daigo looked up and saw bandits, the same bandits that had survived the attack only a few days before, standing where the boulders had been.

Daigo scrambled up and leapt away; a difficult task while the rope around his wrists was still caught under the boulders where Serkad laid. An arrow whizzed past and clipped the side of his head. He fell back to the ground and curled into himself as he waited for another arrow to hit him. When nothing happened, he looked up and saw the bandits, some laying sprawled on the ground, others on the boulders. Daigo's vision started to blur and black spots appeared and disappeared over and over as he felt the rope loosen and himself be lifted up.

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When Daigo awoke, he was laying on something soft. He looked around slowly, his head pounding when he moved. He was back in his temporary chambers in Camelot. Gwaine was asleep in a chair near the bed. Daigo sat up as the door opened and Lancelot entered.

"You should really be laying down," he said, though obviously glad Daigo was awake.

Daigo couldn't find the energy to argue and did as he was told. He could feel fabric wrapped around the top of his head and his wrists but was too tired to look.

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Gwaine yawned and stretched. He saw Lancelot sitting on the floor by Daigo's bed. He had his head in his hands.

"Lance?" Gwaine asked softly, making sure not to be loud enough to disturb Daigo.

Lancelot glanced up and Gwaine could see tear tracks running down his cheeks. Lancelot looked down again as Gwaine stood from the chair and knelt down beside his friend. He tried to lift Lancelot's head but, failing that, sat beside him and wrapped his arm around him. Lancelot didn't react to the touch at all, which would usually be a good thing, but at that moment Gwaine would've been overjoyed if Lancelot had so much as pulled away or leaned against him; any type of reaction. He could feel the wings pushing back and so he started rubbing circles along them. They relaxed under the movements but apart from that, Lancelot didn't acknowledge Gwaine.