City of Fear

Chapter 2

A/N - Hello again. Fluffy here, but I speak for both of us when I thank all of you for the favorites and follows. It's like our fuuuuuuel.

To make what we said in the author's note more specific, this story takes place around season four of Merlin, because Gwaine and Percival are knights in this. We need Gwaine. We have plans for him. *rubs hands together evilly* Don't worry, though. He's far too precious to kill off.

Queue: Tell that to BBC!

Fluffy: Way too soon.

Anyway, Arthur is king, Gwaine and Percival are knights, Kilgharrah is free, and Uther's dead. Morgana may be evil, but she won't really be involved in this story.

Now that that's cleared up, the chapter:

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Sir Leon arrived at the castle the next morning and greeted the guards who had kept watch over the weapons chamber. He looked to the place where his sword usually hung on the wall. It wasn't there.

He remembered handing it off to the blacksmith the day before and reasoned that the man was still working on it. He stepped backward out of the doorway and pointed at one of the guards. "Did the blacksmith make any deliveries last night?"

"No, sir."

Leon heard the clink of chainmail from down the corridor and saw a dark-stubbled man round the corner. It was Gwaine.

Leon called out to him, "No use. Billy still has our swords."

Gwaine looked up and quickened his pace until he was a few feet away. "Really?" he asked, cocking his head.

Leon understood Gwaine's confusion. William may not have been the most skilled blacksmith Camelot had ever hired, but he was certainly the most reliable.

"Yes," replied Leon. "Think we should stop by his workshop?"

Gwaine shrugged, frowning. "I'll come with you."

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Gwaine pounded on the blacksmith's back door for a few minutes before Leon grabbed his hand to stop him. "It's no use." He leaned back against the house.

"Think he's not home?"

"Why else wouldn't he answer the door?"

Gwaine stepped away and peeked around the side of the house. "Maybe it's because it's the back door?"

"We always exchange our weapons with him through the back door."

Gwaine grunted and came back to give the door another pound.

Leon frowned. "Let's just give him an extra day to work on them." He turned to go.

Gwaine smacked a hand against Leon's chest. "Hold on."

Leon watched his friend lean in and try to peek through the boards of the door.

"What are you doing?"

"Don't you smell that?"

Leon inhaled. He hadn't noticed it before, but now he said, "It's awful."

"It's coming from in there."

"Think they had a fire or something?"

Gwaine started ramming the door with his shoulder. Leon pushed him aside and pulled open the unlocked door, letting daylight stream into the room.