the next generation: keepers of Excalibur

Gwen POV

"Gwen wake up! If we don't hurry mother will be angry!" Angel whispery yelled into my ear as the alarm went off on the bedside table. Poor Angel has been having nightmares recently about an old hobo claiming to be a 1400-year-old legend and what it means for my future. so instead of her room, she had been staying in mine so if the nightmares got really bad I could soothe her back to sleep.

"It's okay Angel! I'm getting up so if you get Roseline up, I will wake the boys!" I said jumping out of bed so I could grab the keys to the basement and garden from off the bedroom wall. The boys lived in the outhouse because technically they didn't exist. or rather they were a mistake our parents make us pay dearly for. Quickly I shrugged on my school uniform and purple panda slippers so I didn't make any noise as I ran through the hallway. Mum got angry if she heard any noise before 6. Nobody but Roseline and me had seen Mother and Father in over 15 years, they just seemed to have children and leave them outside our door like presents from a cat. as I walk out the bedroom door I hear shuffling coming from the street-facing bedroom. 'SHIT!' i mentally screamed as it got closer to the door. 'had she heard Angel whispering to me?!'  I slowed my breathing accordingly. But it was too late my mother had heard me and so she ripped open the door, grabbed my hand and twisted it 270 backwards, with only a snap as my indication that my body wasn't meant to move that way. As she slunk back into the bedroom I gave a soft whimper as I tried to move my hand and not being able to.

quickly I rushed downstairs to grab my black thigh high boots and unlocked the back door hoping my mother wouldn't storm downstairs and twist the other one the wrong way. luckily she didn't and I was able to slip down the path to the outhouse but as I approached it something seemed off as the window above the door was wide open with shoe scuff marks up the pale salmon wood. 'That's very odd I thought to myself as I unlocked the bar padlock with a rusty iron key. 

As I slid the bar across I heard whispering from inside, as well as panicked shuffling. Quickly I yanked open the outhouse door to see not 3 heads but 4 peering over the hay bales. 'who the fucking hell is that fourth child?' I ran as fast as I could over to Percy to ask him who this mystery child was.  but as I approached the child seemed to throw herself between me and him as if expecting me to hurt my own brother. 'not with this gamy arm I'm not mate and even if it wasn't I would never hurt my little brother!' I thought as I carefully peeled the small, elfish, fragile girl off of my brother. As I did so I saw cuts and bruises lining her arms. 'My god' i thought to myself as I reached my brother 'she is in a really bad way! like us but with no one to turn to when the abuse starts!' when I was next to Percy I saw the sadness in his eyes. so I calmly asked "Who is she, Percy? Is she even from our neighbourhood? she looks like she hasn't eaten since Burns night!" with a sigh, my brother looked up at me and whispered 

"I don't know her story and I don't know how she got in last night but when we woke up she was just there and she said her name was Uthalia. then she hid behind haystacks when she heard you coming to the lock so we were all discussing what to do with her in case it wasn't you and it was... well you know... Mum." I calmly put my good hand on Percy's shoulder and told him to go inside for breakfast with the others and I would get Uthalia to come over in a second. begrudgingly my brothers agreed and snuck out of the outhouse. Now I was alone with Uthalia I could see a different side to her. a more cautious side but that soon broke when I smiled at her and edged towards her with my good hand out whispering "It's okay Uthalia. you're safe now nobodies gonna hurt you anymore!" and with that, she ran into my arms and cried softly. so I quickly picked her up with one hand and my arm, despite it hurting so badly I couldn't move it she needed help more than me right now, and I carried her inside. just as I slumped down on the kitchen floor with her in my arms the doorknocker went.

"shit! I forgot what time it is! That's probably Artis! would you get the door please Angel" I said turning my attention back to Uthalia. little did I know that my brothers and my older sister had followed her to the door to check out my girlfriend. I softly soothed Uthalia as I heard the door open and Artis' sweet voice filling the house with more hope and joy than there had been not 2 minutes ago.  Softly I calmed Uthalia hoping that like with my brothers my voice would calm her and allow me a chance to know who she really was. Just then I heard footsteps approaching me from the side closest to the front door. It was Artis. She was beautiful in every aspect of the word. she had soft hazel eyes that didn't stare but observed you with a calm expression, she also had the most amazing golden hair which billowed down her back like a waterfall of golden curls. as I saw her I waved at her with my good arm trying not to make it obvious that I was injured. as she walked closer I could tell Uthalia was scared of her so I calmed her by saying,

"It's okay Uthalia! You're safe now nobody's gonna hurt you anymore! But for now, I need to go to school so you can play with Gwaine if you want whilst I'm at school then we'll go out for ice cream okay!" hopefully she would be okay but right now I needed to hurry up and leave the house. so I carefully got up minding not to put anybody weight on to my one hand. 

before I could even reach out to grab my school bag, Artis was already holding it out to help me put it on. 'God does she know? does she know my strongest hand is broken? and if she does what will she do?' Luckily she hadn't noticed and we quickly ran out to get the bus to meet Emmy in town.

"Gwen, are you okay?" Artis asked with a voice like silk. sure I was feeling nauseous and a little faint but that was normal when you broke your hand and the adrenaline had worn off. right? 

"Yeah, i'm fine why?" I lied trying to pinch my cheeks so the colour might eventually return to them. It was clear Artis didn't believe me but she didn't press me to tell her what was wrong. that's what I liked about Artis. she never forced me to tell her what was wrong. she just trusted me to tell her when I thought it was right to. as we got closer to the bus station my wrist started to throb and feel as if it were on fire. but me being me, I didn't want Artis to worry so I carefully slid it into my pocket. as we neared the second bus Artis grabbed hold of my good hand and pulled me onto the bus but when I tried to get her to let go of my hand she refused to say

"Gwen you have a perfectly good other hand, darling. In fact, it's your stronger hand. why don't you get your bus pass out with that one?" What was I going to do? should i tell her what happened? or should i just bite through the pain? what will I do? I gulped in fear. I must do what I think is right...

A/N:

 Hey, guys! I hope you aren't too disappointed with the new chapter. I had major writer's block and have only just today had an epiphany in the form of Mernyer helping me format and suggesting ideas for this chapter! thanks a lot, babe! and so I can't promise anything but you may have a third POV by tomorrow night...

love you guys!

M