Elyan – Snakes
"Whoa!"
"What is it, Elyan? Are you okay?" asked Arthur, hurrying back to his knight.
"Yes, I´m fine. I just almost stepped on a snake. It´s huge!" he said, looking distraught.
"Where is it?!" asked Merlin, urgency lacing his voice.
"Don´t worry Merlin - I will protect you from the fury of that vicious beast." Snorted Arthur.
"Shut up, Arthur. Where is it, Elyan?" asked Merlin and grabbing a long knife straight out from Arthur´s belt, much to the King´s shock.
"It went there. It should be just behind that rock." Answered Elyan looking at Merlin in confusion.
"You can´t just take your king´s weapons whenever you please, Merlin!" shouted Arthur, gesturing wildly at his belt.
Merlin didn´t listen - he was already crouched down behind said rock.
"Merlin, you do know that snake is poisonous, don´t you?" asked Elyan, glancing worriedly at the servant.
"Oh yes. I have been bitten enough times to tell the differences between these overgrown worms. What I also know, is that they are a great meal." Then Merlin stroke the knife down with almost snake-like speed.
"Got it." And then Merlin raised his hand a dead snake in it. Elyan took a step back when Merlin walked past him to give the King back his knife. Arthur was gawking impressively.
"You can´t seriously be considering feeding that to us."
Merlin looked up at Arthur´s eyes, angrily.
"Well, yes, I do if you don´t want to chew roots for the rest of the day. We are still two days from Camelot, and at least I don´t have enough extra fat to keep me going at your pace for two whole days without food."
"It´s a snake, Merlin!"
"I know, Arthur! I have been almost killed by them numerous times while hunting them! My mother and I would have died of starvation years ago if there weren´t snakes and rats to eat. You wouldn´t eat the rat soup I made for you - I know it´s not good but it´s meat nonetheless. So, liked by you or not, I will make a soup out of this - you don´t have to eat it."
With that Merlin marched away ahead of them.
Elyan watched, impressed, as Merlin walked angrily away the dead snake swinging in his grasp. He had always been scared of snakes and to think that Merlin had lived by eating them…
Arthur, on the other hand, gritted his teeth - he had almost lost Merlin to such a thing as starvation before even meeting him. Arthur was in debt of gratitude for those little poisonous creatures which he often sneered at.
Arthur also didn't like that Merlin had to save his life with something that could very well get him killed.
Do you get it? Do you? HMMMM? No, not that. THAT.
(Sorry. I couldn't resist.)