Protector {Merlin}

Chapter 4

          " So, what's it like to be the prince's manservant? " I asked while following Merlin to the place he thought might hold my weapons. Hearing my question, he quickly groaned and rubbed the back of his neck.

          " Tiring. Very, very tiring, " he sighed.

          " I could only imagine, " I laughed, " I bet half of the time you just want to kill him because of how mad he sometimes seems to drive you. "

          " Sometimes? Try all the time, " he laughed along with me before telling me that my weapons were probably either in the weapons room or inside the prince's chambers, which was where we were going to. A couple of minutes later, we were standing in front of a set of wooden doors that led to Arthur's chambers.

          " I never got to thank you for saving my life back in the woods, so uh...thank you, " he said awkwardly at the end, but I didn't notice it, I just smiled a real, genuine smile aimed towards him.

          " You don't have to thank me, it was really no problem, " he smiled too before opening the doors and walking in, me following closely behind. The room was cleaner than I had anticipated it to be, probably because of Merlin. Behind a table near the bed was the prince himself, and on top of the table were a lot of papers, not to mention my small pile of weapons. He didn't seem to notice us enter his chambers as he was too busy observing one of the arrows from my pouch, slightly touching the wickedly sharp, silver arrowhead. 

          " Have you ever seen an arrowhead like this one Merlin? " Arthur asked after a total span of five seconds of silence, still not looking up from the weapon. " I've had my fair share of archery, and I have never seen an arrowhead like this one. "

          " Well, that was the idea, a model unlike any before, " Arthur's head snapped up when he heard my voice instead of Merlin's like he probably expected, hands fumbling with the arrow that he almost dropped, causing his finger to slice open and blood to rush up towards the surface.

          " Let me help you with that sire, " Merlin rushed towards Arthur, wrapping his sliced finger with a small piece of a bandage that he so happened to have in his pocket. The prince thanked Merlin before looking towards me, then at the arrow and then back at myself.

          " You made this? " 

          " Well, I did say that I like to make my own weaponry sometimes... surprised? "

          " Impressed," he clarified, putting the arrow back in the pouch, gesturing for me to come and get all my things from his table. " I assumed you're here for your weaponry? " I nodded as an answer and quickly sheathed my sword, then slung the pouch of arrows on my back, slipping the set of daggers in my pockets before grabbing my bow, fingertips slightly stroking it.

          Oh how I've missed you.

          " I'm guessing the bow and arrow is your weapon of choice, " Arthur said, leaning against one of the wooden posts of his bed.  

          " How'd you figure that out? " I asked sarcastically, causing Arthur to roll his eyes and Merlin to crack a smile.

          " Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for saving my life," he said with sincerity in his voice.

          " Three times, " I reminded him.

          " Three times, " he confirmed, still looking embarrassed but overall thankful. Silence settled between us again for a couple of long minutes before I finally broke it by standing up straight from my leaned position and re-positioning my pouch so it would rest more comfortably on my shoulder.

          " Well, this was all touching but I believe I have to go, " I said, pointed towards the door and began walking briskly towards it, Arthur's and Merlin's questions not stopping me, only made me turn around so that I was facing them while still walking backwards towards the door.

          " Where are you going? "

          " The woods, I need some target practice. "

          " But you'll rip the stitches again! "

          " I'll be fine! " I yelled back at Merlin as I walked outside the room and out into the halls, going down a set of stairs and finding the exit of which I went through today after I woke up in Gaius's chambers, or more specifically Merlin's chambers which was inside Gaius's chambers.

          The walk through town was a fast one, wanting to get to the woods not only for target practice like I had previously told the prince, but to get my leather bag that held what little possessions I had other than my weapons, which was really only my small pile of spare clothes and my second most prized possession: a clear stone wrapped tightly in an embrace by a thin strip of black leather, creating a makeshift stone necklace resting against chest. It was the only thing my parents left me other than my bow- the crystal would guide you to the light in times of darkness- they said to me before they had perished in the flames.

          I don't remember my parents much. I just a little girl, five years old I think, when they died. I remember the day where my mother came to me at night and clasped the necklace around my neck, tears running down her face for reasons that confused me back then. She never took that necklace off when she was alive, kept it on her at all times and went to great measures to keep it safe, it confused me- still did- but whenever I asked her, she would always say that this necklace had to be safe, because in the wrong hands, great danger will rain upon us. So, when she gave it to me, I felt this great sense of honor rush through my veins, this sense of responsibility, but that quickly changed when my mother died at the flames while my father watched as some sort of punishment, before he too got devoured by the blaze. 

          Now, all I feel for this crystal is grief. 

          Nonetheless, I had honored my parent's wish and kept the necklace safe for all these years and would keep it safe until the breath would leave my lungs and death would come knocking on my door for my final day of judgment.

          Light had vanished by the time I found my bag and began my usual target practice, which mainly consisted of me shooting all my arrows into different tree barks, letting go of any pent up anger or frustration so that when I'm done, I'd feel more lightweight, like a burden lifted off of my shoulders. After finishing up shooting my arrows, I slid down at the base of a tree and began the long but relaxing process of sharpening all my arrowheads, making sure that they stayed wickedly sharp because it gave me comfort knowing that my weaponry would never fail me in the act of either maiming, threatening or killing.

          By the time I made my way back to the castle, it was pitch black and silent with the occasional thudding of a guard patrol walking up and down the town. If it weren't for the pits of fires illuminating the pathways of the castle, I would have surely tripped and resulted my death. It was as I was walking through the halls of the castle did I remember that I had no place to sleep in, something of which I scolded myself before retreating back outside the castle and venturing towards the local tavern, The Rising Sun.  

          It was surprisingly still open so I just walked in and asked for a room for the night, paying with a roll of eyes when the man in charge looked at me in suspicion, but shrugged it off as he counted the money right in front of me... going extra slow before he finally gave me the key to a room.

          The ceiling stared back at me as I lay on the bed, waiting for sleep to claim me but I was having trouble with all the thoughts bubbling in my head. I had never stayed in a place for too long. Never stopped traveling from kingdom to kingdom. Never stopped causing mischief and doing whatever pleases me- I'll never stop doing that, too much fun-  with no fear of getting caught and killed simply because of my not caring attitude. It's going to be very different now that I have decided to give Camelot a try.

          And I didn't know if that was a good decision or a bad one.