Once & Forever

His breathing was heavy; his heartbeat erratic. He peered down at her face to see if she was feeling the same way.

--- 6 hours earlier ---

"You should sleep, you know." The voice nearly startled her. She looked up, into Merlin's kind face. "There's people keeping watch around the clock. We'll be fine."

Katrina nodded, but turned her head back to the lively fire in front of her. "I just feel better when it's me doing the watching. Can't rely on anyone else if I want this thing to go off without a hitch." She chuckled, humorlessly.

Merlin sat down on the log next to her. "But it already has. We rode all day, without a single problem."

"I'd like to keep the tally of problems as low as possible," she murmured.

"But how are things supposed to go tomorrow when you're too tired?"

"I've gone days without sleeping before. Wasn't fun, but I did it." All traces of humor or lightheartedness were completely void in her voice. Even her face darkened.

Without even knowing why, Merlin asked, "why?"

It took a long while before Katrina answered him, and he thought she had decided on ignoring him. "It was just me. It wasn't long after I lost my parents. But it was still too long before someone found me. I don't even know how anyone knew to come looking for me." She nudged one of the logs into the fire with the toe of her boot. "I was scared; terrified. So I didn't sleep. For six days, I stayed awake and huddled all alone, in a corner of our home, staring at my parents' dead bodies." There was a slight sniff, and Merlin could have sworn he'd seen a tear fall down her cheek. But her hair was coming out of its tie and was falling into her face.

"I'm sorry. That's... It's always hard to lose a parent, especially right in front of you." Merlin's voice was soft, offering some comfort for the tale she had just spun.

Katrina swallowed heavily. "Yes, well, that was years ago. I've conditioned myself to live and survive on my own just fine. One night without sleep will not kill me." She offered a small smile to the man next to her, appreciative of his support. "Shouldn't you be sleeping, though?" She glanced over her shoulder of the sleeping bodies of the men and the prince. "Arthur will be none too happy if he finds you dead on your feet tomorrow."

Merlin laughed, softly, to keep from waking anyone. "Yeh, well, I've had a few sleepless nights myself, won't kill me either. I'll keep watch, if that makes you feel better."

"Thank you, Merlin," Katrina said softly. "Actually, that offers me more comfort than any of these buffoons trying to warn us of any impending danger." She gave her own soft laugh, before getting to her feet and finding a tree, a couple yard away from the rest of the camp, to lie underneath, and try to catch some semblance of sleep before the dawn.

Little did either of them know that Arthur had been awake to hear the whole thing.

Katrina got about four hours of sleep before the sun began to peek over the horizon. She immediately heard the men stirring from their slumber, and she bolted up, looking around to make sure everything was as she left it when she went to sleep. Everything... Except for Merlin, who was slouched over the log, slightly snoring. She laughed and patted his back to arouse him.

"Time to wake up, we're getting ready to move on."

Katrina stepped back, away from the growing commotion between patrol men, and Arthur. She pulled her hair from its tie and worked it into a braid, hanging over her shoulder. She adjusted her hooded robe, shaking the dew from its outside, before joining in the fray.

"Are we clear on where we're going today? It shouldn't be much farther, I would think."

Arthur quickly spoke up. "We should be about a five hour ride from Cenred. Keep your eyes peeled the whole time. We don't know what we'll be walking into."

Everyone loaded up their horses and set off on their journey.

"How... Did you sleep, Lady Katrina?" Arthur asked, a little weary to venture into that territory after what he had heard between her and Merlin last night.

"Not very well," she said with a laugh. "Though, I always have a hard time falling asleep. And my sleep is often quite fitful." She shrugged a bit. "And how about you, Prince Arthur? You looked as sound as a drunkard."

Arthur wasn't sure whether to frown or to laugh. But Merlin did. He shot a glare at his servant, one that clearly captured his thoughts: Shut up, Merlin.

"I slept as well as any man could on a hard, damp forest floor, with possible bandits roaming all around." He was trying to joke.

"Too used to your pillowy mattress, Your Highness?" she teased, with a smirk.

"You know, these formalities are a bit ridiculous, don't you think, Lady Katrina?" Arthur's horse was keeping tempo with hers, so it was easy for him to glance over at her face. Even sleeping in a forest, she looked as flawless as ever. It almost vexed him; did she not ever have bed hair?

"I'm only keeping up with your customs, Prince Arthur." She smiled. "But if you insist on dropping them, there is, nor has there ever been 'Lady' as a part of my title. Simply, Katrina. Or Kat, if you want to shorten it even further."

"I don't always agree with our customs, and this one just seems to be getting in the way of proper conversation. Just call me Arthur."

"Or Dollop-head!" Merlin called from somewhere not far behind them.

Katrina laughed.

"Shut up, Merlin!" Arthur snapped, not even bothering to glance at his servant, behind him.

"That's quite the interesting nickname. I may just-"

"Don't you dare," Arthur growled. "I should put him in the stocks for his insolence." It was clear he didn't mean it. But it was also quite clear, something about that nickname drew his ire.

They rode in silence for two more hours, before coming across a stream in their path. "Should we let the horses get a drink, and fill our canteens ourselves, Sire?" One of the men asked.

Arthur nodded. "But only briefly, we can't risk being caught in one spot for too long."

They dismounted, and led their horses to the water.

As the men, Merlin, and the horses were gathering water, Katrina and Arthur froze at the same time.

"Did hear that, too?" she whispered, even under her breath. Arthur almost hadn't even heard her. He nodded, voiceless, as he stepped forward, crouched, and with his sword drawn. An arrow flew past his face, grazing his cheek as it went. He hissed and cupped his palm over the scratch.

"The arrows are laced with poison!" he yelled, hoping everyone down in the creek could hear him. "On me!" he yelled again. The men immediately fled into action, surrounding, and protecting the prince of Camelot. Merlin and Katrina hung back to the sides, but both equally ready for battle.

A brute of a man came flying through the trees, his arms raised above his head, ready to bring his sword down at any moment. Arthur quickly realized his target wasn't them, but Katrina. He broke from formation, dove into her, and carefully rolled her out of the way, as the man came down hard on the spot where she had stood mere moments before.

His breathing was heavy; his heartbeat erratic. He peered down at her face to see if she was feeling the same way. The surprise on her face, and the way her breathing was coming hard, showed that she did. They were both surprised he had done such a thing, and they were both feeling the adrenaline of the battle.

Arthur lithely jumped to his feet, helping Katrina up in the process. The two of them faced the giant man; swords in their hands, ready to defend every life in their party.

"He's one of the bandits," she murmured. "I've seen him before. But I've never actually seen him in action. She dropped her robe, before lunging, uphill, at the man, swinging her sword with such force, her body followed, 360 degrees, until she was facing him again - this time, more on his level. He nearly roared at her as he lunged forward. She dodged him, her body almost feline in its form, as she gracefully landed on her feet, a safe distance away. "Arthur, look out!" she called, as the brute turned his fury on the prince.

Even with his sword against the man's fists, Arthur felt like he was slowly losing the battle. Until Katrina was on the giant's back, swiftly driving a dagger into his neck. She released him, and he began to gurgle, and fall, careening down the slope, right into the river.

"Well," she said, a bit breathlessly. "Guess it's a good thing we got our water first, hm?" She chuckled, sheathing her weapons.