Bone of my Bow

Chapter 3

  "To put it simply, there's another Master at school in addition to Emiya." Rin explained while taping the bandages on the boy's arm. "Whoever it is is picking off students one by one. It's safe to assume his plan is to sacrifice all the students to strengthen his own Servant."

  "Is that guy nuts?!" Emiya questioned.

  "Maybe. But there's already a bounded field around the school. Once it's activated, everyone inside will probably grow weak and die." Rin then looked up at me as she was putting things back into the first-aid kit. "I think you and Emiya should form a truce. At least for now."

  "A truce?" The redhead gave Rin a look.

  "Yumiko can't deal with this themself. A strange adult snooping around a school isn't exactly an encouraged practice. And I can't do it because I don't have a Servant if one shows up."

  'I don't mind a truce.'

  "Uh....what'd they say?" Emiya asked.

  "They agreed to the truce."

  "Oh. Then, let's do our best, Yumiko." Emiya stood up to shake my hand. Looking from his face to his hand, I also stood to accept the gesture. The taller boy brightly smiled, and all I could think was how Archer kept saying I was too soft. If I was soft....this boy was a puddle.

✧☾✧

  "Yumiko, where's Archer? I haven't seen him since I got home." Rin asked while pouring herself some tea.

  'I asked him to keep an eye on Emiya. Make sure he gets home from school okay since Saber doesn't stay with him.'

  "But it's getting late. Shouldn't he be back by now?"

  'Okay, I may have asked him to do more than just escort Emiya home.'

  "Yumiko." Rin groaned. "He's not a baby."

  'I know, but he barely knows any magic. You heard him, he still hasn't even mastered what he does know. The boy's a total novice!'

  "So, what, you plan on holding his hand through all of this? Or having Archer hold his hand, in this case."

  'No.'

  "You have your Servant babysitting another Master."

  'I'll be fine. I know plenty of magic to get by without Archer for a bit. Emiya, however, doesn't. No offense to Saber, but she can only do so much given who is supplying her mana.'

  "And what if Archer gets killed trying to protect Emiya?"

  'If it's too much, he's to grab the boy and run.' I answered, and Rin pinched the bridge of her nose.

  "I don't even know what to say to that."

  'It's only temporary, I promise.'

✧☾✧

  Waking up in a cold sweat, I was panting as I shot up in bed. I hadn't exactly had a nightmare, but it was such a strange dream nonetheless. Sighing, I ran a hand over my face while slouching.

  Resting my elbows on my knees, I didn't even know why I had such a dream. Was it due to the connection between Archer and I? It had to be.

  Why else would I dream of him in a desolate field of swords on a hill while screaming out and not making a sound?

  But....maybe it was just a dream. Either way, it didn't make sense. Archer had a voice, why would his scream be silent? Why a field of swords when he was literally an archer?