Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin

Branches, branches were an interesting thing Gwaine mused as he rode in a sulky silence at the back of the group. Arthur was up in front with Leon and Merlin close behind, between him and they were Percival and Elyan. It appeared the Princess was in a particularly bad mood and he was suffering because of it. Now he had been sentenced to the back of the pack and to not speak. So now he was bored. He hated being bored, when he was bored his mind would start to wander and now he was heavily focused on branches. He had left home at the age of 19 and had made his way in life, tavern to tavern never really paying attention to his surroundings. It wasn't until he had met Arthur and Merlin did things start to change. Ever since he had followed them around he had started noticing things. It became even more noticeable after becoming a knight, like how Merlin always came away from a fight without a scratch.

Now Arthur had always accused him of hiding but Gwaine wasn't so sure. He had seen Merlin stood in the middle of the battle and still came out of it perfectly okay. Only yesterday they had battled a group of bandits and Merlin had walked out of the fight unharmed, the same couldn't have been said for himself. One of the bandits had caught him on the leg, it wasn't a deep cut or even very long but it did sting but that wasn't what bothered him, he was coated in armour, he had a sword and was well trained in combat and yet he was the one with a wound while cheery Merlin walked out of it fine. He couldn't understand it. The man was the clumsiest person he knew and yet in a battle scene he was untouchable.

Next time he was going to do a Merlin, stand there and look scared and see if he could walk out of it unharmed, and if it didn't work he was going to grip hold of Merlin and see if that worked any better.

Merlin's ability of surviving dangerous situations wasn't the only thing that he had noticed, he may be the one to make jokes and goof off but he was rather observant and when he was with these guys something very peculiar would happen. If he had started counting the occurrences of it happening he would have probably lost count by now but that wouldn't have mattered because no matter where they go, trees or should he say branches seemed to fall. Every time they fought in a battle an enemy would be defeated by a tree. At first he thought it was just damn good luck and fortune that it had never been he that had been hit over the head with a branch but as the occurrence started to become less of an occurrence and more of a regular thing he was wary. So far he hadn't been hit by a branch but it appeared trees in Camelot lost their branches frequently. It was almost like autumn all the time but instead of leaves falling it was branches.

He couldn't have been the only one to have noticed this? Surely the others would have seen how their enemies were often defeated by logs but yet none of them had ever mentioned it. Maybe it was because they didn't want to look foolish by suggesting the foliage was on their side but he was certain it was. Other than the fact he tripped over a root on the first night of their trip and rolled down the hill nearly knocking himself out on a stone at the bottom he was certain the foliage was on their side.

Now he knew he had been threatened to a week in the stocks if he spoke but the urge to ask his question was killing him. Arthur would look awfully foolish if he put one of his own knights in the stocks so maybe it was an empty threat but then he could think of an even crueller punishment like extra training, or extra training on a morning. Now that would be wicked but he just had to ask the others if they agreed with his theory on the trees.

He knew he shouldn't but when had he ever done as he was told?

"Do you think the trees our on our side?" He winced, he should have worded that better because it sounded stupid to his own ears.

"I'm going to regret asking this, I'm sure…" muttered Elyan, "But what are you on about?"

"Haven't any of you ever noticed that most of our enemies in battle are always knocked out due to falling branches or raised roots? Surely it's not a coincidence?"

"What are you saying Gwaine that the trees don't like those we fight against so they help us by dropping their branches?" said Arthur. Everyone had stopped moving now and they were all facing him.

"No, well, not exactly… but, you're telling me that you don't find the amount of branches that fall weird?"

"No," said Arthur rolling his eyes.

Gwaine looked to the other knights, Leon was looking at him amused and Elyan simply thought he was crazy. His credibility all belonged to his brother in arms, his sleeveless comrade, Percival.

"No, haven't really noticed. I think you need to stay out of the taverns a little Gwaine, all that ale is messing with your mind."

"Merlin!" Gwaine said almost certain his voice came out in a desperate plea.

"Sorry Gwaine, I think you are just over thinking things." Said Merlin with a sad smile but Gwaine scowled at his friend. He believed him he was certain of it, there was something in his eyes telling him he believed him.

"I'm disappointed in you Merlin." Said Gwaine and Merlin laughed.

"Let's get a move on before all these branches start dropping on our heads," chuckled Arthur and Gwaine scowled. The others chuckled and followed on after Arthur but Gwaine looked around at the trees. He could tell they were laughing at him.

Why was he always the butt of the joke? Maybe it had to do with trees picking sides a little voice muttered in the back of his head. He followed after them sulking but that all changed a few hours later after another run in with a few bandits and the trees came in to play. One enemy ran into a low branch, another tripped over a root, a third was knocked unconscious by a falling branch and a fourth fell backwards over a log rolling all the way down the hill.

Once the battle had been won each of the knights turned towards Gwaine who grinned smugly at them. "I told you so!" said Gwaine and he almost skipped to his horse, almost because he realised what he was about to do and that wouldn't be something he'd live down.

The other knights looked between themselves in shock before glancing up towards the trees. "Well here's hoping they don't turn sides," said Leon as he looked around.

"Can't believe it was Gwaine that noticed this," said Arthur as he followed after the smug knight. "We'll never hear the end of this."

Merlin followed behind them quietly amused. After Gwaine had mentioned the falling branches he realised that he did over use them, but upon the ambush he just couldn't help himself. A little bit of guilt and the humour of allied trees was just too much. Now as he rode beside Gwaine on the way back to Camelot he couldn't help but chuckle as all the knights looked up at the trees in trepidation.

It's been a good while since I last wrote anything and maybe even years since my last Merlin fic, but this silly little idea came to my while bored at work. Just a bit of fun and I hope you all enjoy!