Woods Outside Camelot and Beyond, Thursday Morning

[bitchprince]

Arthur did not think this was a good idea. Not in the slightest. In fact, Merlin had received a Stern Talking To or twenty about not bloody well using his magic in public and inviting more witches over. He had not forgotten about what happened the last time, and he had learned his lessons.

As such, he had absolutely no clue how Merlin had managed to talk him into letting his friend Tara turn up anyway. Privately, he was starting to suspect sorcery.

But it was time, now. So Arthur had made Merlin saddle up the horses, and they had ridden out the gate for a 'hunting trip' that would not be pleasurable in either sense of the word. Ridden out into the woods to the one safe spot where portals occasionally could come through, gotten off the horses, and waited. It was lovely weather now, being the dawn of summer, and Arthur would have enjoyed it in most other circumstances.

Still. At least it wasn't Karla.

[[ for a wizard and then a witch, please! ]]

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[bitchprince]

"Right, time to stop chatting, ladies," Arthur announced, loudly. "Camelot approaches."

You could sort of spot the towers through the trees.

[life_inshadow]

Tara leaned forward, craning her neck until she was finally sure she was seeing the castle, not a random grayish tree.

"Cool," she said softly, managing not to add her less than brilliant thought that it looked castle-y. "What will we pass on the way in?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"There's the lower town before we get into the keep," Merlin replied.

[bitchprince]

"The gates, then the lower town, then the Citadel," Arthur agreed, slowing his horse.

[life_inshadow]

Tara nodded. She wasn't quite sure what a lower town was, but she imagined it'd be obvious when she saw it.

She pulled on her reins to get her horse to slow as well. "I've never ridden in a city," she cautioned. "Or a town. Or ... around people not on horses, really."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"The horse knows where to go," Merlin assured her. That was how he got most places.

[bitchprince]

"Just keep in between us, and follow my lead," Arthur instructed. "And for the love of all that is holy, don't address me directly after we enter the gates."

[life_inshadow]

Tara jerked up on the reins, stopping the horse more quickly than she meant to.

"What?" She was fine with Arthur being a jerk; he'd always kind of seemed like a jerk, which was why she didn't really go out of her way to talk to him. But not being allowed to talk to him was a totally different thing.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin leaned over to settle the horse, offering her a smile. "Prince. Servant," he explained quietly. "Only in private."

[bitchprince]

"The last thing we need is for you to call attention to yourself by addressing the crown prince candidly in public," Arthur said, staring out over the castle. "Not that Merlin's ever learned, but he's a different case."

[life_inshadow]

"Oh." Duh. Tara visibly thought that over for a minute, committing the advice to memory. "They're used to Merlin. It'd be really weird if some new girl came to the castle for the first time acting like she knew you."