Arwen sat at the table in the physician's quarters the next morning, listening intently to every word Merlin spoke as he told her and Gaius about the man he and Arthur had ran into last night. Anhora, he'd called himself apparently, keeper of the unicorns.
Based on the story Merlin told them, Arwen didn't really like Anhora. If what he said was true, all of Camelot was paying the price for the action of one man. Not that she wished for the misfortune to fall upon Arthur, of course. But, at the risk of sounding like a child, it just wasn't fair.
"And you believe what this Anhora said about the curse to be true?" Gaius questioned once Merlin finished telling the story.
"Well, you said there's a legend that misfortune comes to anyone who slays a unicorn. It makes sense." Merlin said. It was all too much of a coincidence for him not to believe the story could be true.
"If it is true, something tells me this won't be as easy as just defeating some evil sorcerer this time." Arwen heaved a sigh as she thought back to Anhora's claims that it is only Arthur who can lift the curse placed upon Camelot, not the keeper of the unicorns himself. She believed Arthur could do it, but still, it would be anything but easy.
Gaius changed the topic as he placed their bowls in front of them before taking his own and joining them at the table for breakfast. "Not much for breakfast, I'm afraid. We're down to our last few scraps of food." He explained the small portions laid out before them. It would only make for a couple of bites, but at least it was something.
"Where did you get the water to make the tea?" Merlin asked curiously as he took a sip from his cup. Arwen did her best to hold in her laugh as she watched him drink, knowing very well where the water came from.
"Fortunately, for all of us, you forgot to empty your bath yesterday." Gaius explained openly, the words making Merlin instantly spit the tea back into the cup.
"You're making tea from my bath water?"
"It's not so bad. Perhaps a little... soapy?" Now this time Arwen couldn't hold back a laugh at Gaius' words. Unlike her, her brother could only sigh, entirely unamused.
"What does Arthur think about the curse?" Gaius questioned as he turned back to the kettle in which the tea was held. Speaking of it reminded him to remove it from the flame warming it up. He didn't want the majority of it to boil. They needed to make it last.
"He doesn't believe it's his fault. He's convinced Anhora's responsible for it." Merlin shook his head, but soon started paying attention to his sister as she moved rather quickly while Gaius wasn't looking. Soon enough he realized what she was doing.
Merlin glared at his sister in disapproval as he watched her scoop the contents of her bowl into Gaius' instead. She sent him a pointed look, silently telling him to keep quiet. They both knew Gaius would need it more than she did.
"If you do not wish to drink bath water, you better make sure Arthur sees sense." Gaius turned back to the table, for a moment, looking between the siblings. Aware there was a silent conversation going on, he didn't pry. He'd long ago given up on trying to decipher their looks to each other. And whatever the topic was, it seemed Merlin was on the losing end, relenting as he returned to his food and a silence lapsed over them as they ate.
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