Camelot Drabble Prompt 524: Ritual
Author's notes: It could be anyone but I think it's Merlin he killed this time.
The stone slid across the steel blade. The rhythm, the sound of shush, shush as Arthur sharpened his sword, usually calmed him.
In the firelight, the rough nicks of use were gone, brown flecks of blood, too, sunk into steel. A sword is never free of death, its only purpose to kill.
Arthur always went through the same ritual after. When justice was done. Cleaning, sharpening, trying not to see the face of the man he'd slain.
Remembering shocked blue eyes, a mouth made for insults, begging forgiveness as Arthur killed him.
Shush, shush.
This time, the ritual didn't help.