It has been so long, that I'm sure most of you have given up on this story. I almost did, but this chapter was to prove to myself that I wasn't going to quite. Gwen deserves to become a bad-ass and get her revenge, and I'm going to allow her.

The room smelt of sweat and eggs as she entered through the beaded doorway, seeing what once must have been fine fabrics all tattered, ripped and filthy, hung all over the walls to cover the mould that grew there. She made an effort to stay as close to the centre as possible, her eyes listing every exit strategy she could think off. She would never allow herself to die in a dank, squalid place like this if the deal went south. The man she had come to see sat at the back, eyeing her with a great amount of amusement, and probably envisioning what she would look like with all her clothes removed. He was a fool, but a fool she needed none the less.

"You're the second woman this month to dare an audience with me, though you're much easier on the eyes." His gaze bore through her, and his grin turned into a smirk. "The other one had a crazy look about her. I like women with a more delicate and….gentle nature." He rose from his seat, and came to stand before her. "Your beauty would gain you work in the finest whore houses in the land, and men would pay gladly for you…" raising his hand to stroke her cheek, she acted fast, pulling the small dagger from her belt she positioned the blade, and his eyes widened satisfyingly.

"I am no whore, and if you so much as try to touch me again I will cut your balls off nice and slow." She emphasised the last part, tightening the blades position. "Do we have an understanding?"

"Whatever the lady wants."

Letting him go, she pushed him away from her. "I want to know what the woman before you came for and I want every single detail."

"And what would I get in return She-Wolf!" He spat, his anger colouring his entire face. "Why would I help a bitch that would sooner cut off my balls than fuck me?"

"I will pay you handsomely for everything you tell me."

"It will cost you a great amount to get anything out of me…" She tossed a bag at him which he caught.

"20 gold coins are in that for your trouble, and I have 30 more as soon as you tell me what I want to know."

His look of anger turned to one of greed and amusement, "What is this woman to you that you would pay the Master of a Whore House 50 gold coins for?"

"You're not getting paid for that; just tell me what I want to know."

He was laughing now. "The crazy woman wanted to know the whereabouts of Helios."

"Helios? Who is he?"

"A warrior who bows to no King. They say he has a great army that he hires to anyone willing to pay the right price."

So Morgana was getting herself an army, no doubt to take back Camelot, but why would she have come here of all places?

"Why would she come to you then? How could you possibly know where he would be?"

"Like most warriors, Helios has a strong appetite for fighting, killing, and women."

"Where is he?"

"Last I heard he was on the outskirts of Mercia, heading north. Follow the trail of Whore houses, and you'll find him. I'm sure he'd love to meet you."

"I thank you for your time sir." Tossing him the rest of the money, she turned to leave.

"Wait! Does the She-Wolf not have a name?"

She smiled, and turned back around to face him. "My name is Esmeralda."

"Your name reflects your beauty well, and since you have paid me so handsomely for such little information, I will give you a word of advice."

"Your advice is not wanted." She fired back, and turned to leave.

"Nether the less I will give it She-Wolf." She stood still, though she kept her back to him. "I know many things through my girls. Secrets that could destroy alliances, marriages, and bring down entire kingdoms. Us men are weak when it comes to women, and at a certain point men will tell a woman almost anything. Keep that in mind next time you want information, it will cost you less."

"You're wrong. It would cost me everything." And she left.

He wasn't going to find her. He'd checked everywhere that he'd thought she would have gone, even Merlin's home village, Ealdor. Gwen was gone, and his failure as a brother was complete. Setting up camp, he lay down and gazed up at the stars through the trees. He knew he couldn't go back to Camelot, but he couldn't go on looking for her without any sort of leads. Perhaps he should stay right here, become a hermit and depend only on himself so that the only person that he would ever disappoint would be himself? No, he would always be a disappointment to Gwen, his father, and even the mother whom he'd hardly ever had the chance to get to know.

"Elyan! Elyan! Come on, we're almost there. I can hear the river, come on, come on!"

He saw Gwen running ahead of him. She was shorter here, a child, with her hair braided at each side of her face. He was trying to keep up, but his legs where too short. "Wait for me Gwen! I'm coming, I'm coming!" But she was gone.

"AAAHHHH!" A terrified shriek sounded ahead. "Gwen!" He started running again, trying to follow the sound of her scream, but every time he thought he was near her, more forest opened up.

"AAAHHHH!" Her scream sounded again.

"I'm coming Gwen! I'm coming!" He yelled.

"No! Run home Elyan! Run home!"

He bolted straight up, which made him dizzy, and having to lie straight back down again. He was panting, like he had actually been running just like in his dream. No, memory. He hadn't had this nightmare in over 12 years, and he knew why he was having it again. Gwen had always protected him, even if it meant sacrificing herself, and now it was his turn to save her.

It took a good bit of persuading to get the guards to allow him full access into the cells, but eventually after promising them decent food from the palace kitchens for an entire week, Merlin had his chance to further his investigation.

"I want to see both the cells that Guinevere and Lancelot where kept in."

"Suit yourself." The guard led him down the corridor. "Pity the King didn't 'ave the chance to execute the traitor himself, though he shouldn't have sent that girl away." Hope rose within Merlin, perhaps the peoples love for Guinevere still existed. "If it where me, I'd have sent 'er to the whore 'ouse. Good-lookin creature like that shouldn't have gone to waste. She'd 'ave fit in quite nicely there." Perhaps not, thought Merlin.

"This is the girl's one." Merlin entered the cell. It was the same one he had been in before, when he had disguised himself as Dragoon and had faced execution. It was a standard Camelot cell, old hay to sleep on, with damp mould covering the walls that made the place smell old and decayed. He had decided to look here after a search of Gwen's former house had left no clues, and Gwen had taken everything else when she had left.

"Give me your torch." Merlin said. Slowly, he methodically began to look around the cell, searching for something, though he didn't know what. Suddenly, a glint caught the corner of his eye. Following it, he lifted the hay and felt something metal at his fingertips. Picking it up he realised it was a bracelet, made up of what looked like bronze with markings that could only be of the Old Religion.

"Guard, how many prisoners have been in this cell since Guinevere?"

"None. Kings orders."

Merlin smiled. "That's very interesting."

Hope you liked. I really want Gwen in the series to be become a force to be reckoned with, but the writers really are not doing her justice. Please, series 5, be better than the season 4 finale!

LibraryGeek007