Hiya! I know it's been forever and school and life and writer's block UGH! but I'm apoligizing in advance for all delays and I am telling you I am going to Paris for winter break so I may not be able to do anything... so onward my invisible and wonder silent readers... Are you reading yet? oh sorry go ahead...
The night fell swiftly and they set up camp in a clearing. By the fire Merlin sat on his haunches stirring the broth in the pot. He was feeling uneasy. There was something wrong with this forest. He just couldn't tell what. The Queen quietly walked back into the camp she deposited two hares next to him. He almost jumped out of his skin.
"Don't do that!" He reprimanded. She chuckled.
"Sorry force of habit." She began skinning the unfortunate rabbits and listened to the night air. She seemed on edge. She kept looking over her shoulder or into the depths of the forest beyond the firelight. After a few minutes of somewhat amiable silence, with the relative horse snort or clank of armor from a tired knight, the Queen spoke.
"Something is wrong here… the forest is too quiet and there is darkness about this place." Her face was grim and maybe fearful. "We should leave this place, and soon."
"Arthur is not likely to listen to either one of us. I can feel something is not right here as well." She looked at him and nodded solemnly. She whispered something under her breath that suspiciously sounded like 'prat'. Merlin looked over his shoulder at the horses. They were snorting and stomping and looking behind the fire's beams. He was on edge with them and was a little glad someone else agreed with him.
The knights had just begun to settle down into their mats or around the fire. The queen sat rigidly, her back against the rock by the fire. Her hands were restless, dagger carving away at a piece of wood. Her eyes were staring off into the nightly forest. Merlin was staring up through the leaves and into the starry sky. He kept fidgeting.
"Arthur." A grunt from across the fire was his response. "Something's not right here." Arthur rubbed his eyes tiredly. He just couldn't seem to sleep tonight.
"Stop being such a girl, Merlin, and go to sleep." If Arthur heard the growl that came from Artemis' direction he ignored it. The queen gave a small smirk and whispered quietly but loud enough to be heard.
"Stereotypes, ha." It was good-humored but still had a silent edge to it. Barely perceptible to the ear but even Arthur caught it. He turned on his back and looked at her over his shoulder. She forced a smirk onto her face and they noticed. It was forced.
"What's got both of you all so jittery?" He looked between the two. Merlin playing with his thumbs and her thumb rubbing the leather handle of the blade as she tried smiling, faintly trying to reassure him.
"Nothing, your Highness." She nodded her head but there was something in her eyes that flicked him into action.
"No, there's something you're not telling me. Now spit it out." He said as he sat up. She looked at him calculatingly and shrugged.
"The horses won't relax, you cannot sleep, I can feel something watching us through the flames and I know Merlin feels it too. Your knights are all pretending to be asleep at this very moment and my gut is telling me to run and get the hell out of here… and those are some very good reasons to stop your ignorance and listen to your servant. Or I don't know, someone who agrees with him." Her smile had faded and her face was grim and set. One hand was still fiddling away at the piece if wood and she stabbed the blade deep into the ground beside her. Arthur just stared at her and then he looked at his knights their eyes looking apologetically at him. He sighed and he heard her swear.
"Gods above!" She was staring at the little wooden figurine she had created. It had three heads one of a goat, one of a snake, and one of a lion. The body was mainly of the lion but the back end was covered in the goat like legs. She hissed out another curse, one even Gwaine had never heard and he stored it away for later, and earning mark in his books.
"I knew there was a reason I didn't want to be here." She grabbed the knife and returned to its rightful spot. She stood quickly. "Get up, get your sword and be ready for a fight. Don't look into the snakes eyes, don't get caught in the hooves of the goat and by any means do not, I mean it, do not let the lion see any fear. Don't let the snake bite you either. Hurry." She plunged her sword into the fire. Her purple eyes where clouded with determination. Arthur sprung into action. Excalibur in hand as he pulled on his armor with Merlin's help. The others scrambled to their feet and did the same.
"I hope it's not a female." She muttered. Merlin looked at her.
"Why is that?"
"Because their snake is their tail and its harder to run it through without distracting all three heads." She pulled her sword from the fire a bright red orange in the night.
Arthur came up to her just as a growling started to be heard. Then a hiss and the glare of greenish blue sets of eyes flashing in the fire light.
"What is it?" She looked at him with a steely looked and a deep frown of anger, but the rage wasn't at him. It was the rage of a warrior caught off guard. She took a deep breath.
"A chimera." And the beast walked into the clearing and into the light.
