YAY third chapter, I don't own Merlin, he belongs to the BBC. Bad language and or violence may occur. Reviews make me happy! Enjoy!
Chapter 3 – Look at the Stars
Merlin raised an eyebrow at my reaction, his blue eyes searching mine as I stared back at him still a bit in shock. Camelot, like King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table? Holy Shit! Arthur, King… Prince its all the same in the end, I met Arthur! Oh come on that's insane, Camelot was a story. Arthur was story, his knights and Merlin the sorcerer Merlin! I stared at him, what if it was real? Then this was… wasn't he supposed to be old? His hand, which was still wrapped around my wrist, tightened bringing me back to reality, or what I hope was not reality.
"Are you sure that you're all right?" his voice was soft and steady, like he was speaking to a frightened colt.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I gave a half smile, and looked up towards the sky now a velvety indigo. "It's getting later; I guess I'm just a bit tired. Maybe we should go to the tent, I really do need my sleep otherwise I get like this, and I'm just completely out of it and clumsy… and I babble…" I glanced at him; the corners of his mouth were struggling to stay down, and you guessed it I blushed… again. Turning my gaze down to my leather tall boots, I mumbled something along the lines of 'we should probably go now' though from the look on his face I'm betting he heard 'ze shit baby goes now'. It would really be just my luck. I started walking quickly, only making it a few strides before I realized he still had my arm.
"You're going the wrong way Ally." He laughed and started pulling me in the opposite direction.
"Right…"
A minute or two later we stood in front of the tent; I could see the glow of a candle coming from underneath the cracks. Clarisse would already be inside; I wondered if Arthur was as well. The first stars were coming out, peeking through the canopy of leaves and weaving branches above. There was something different about it, even the sky was not yet black only a deep purple there were stars, lots of them, as many as I would see late on any ordinary night. We both stood there quietly, my eyes glued on the sky. As the minutes passed the number of stars grew and grew, spangling the blackening night with distant swirls and pinpricks of millions of tiny lights. Stars and constellations I had never seen, that could no longer be seen on earth. Yet still others remained constant, the three dots that made Orion's Belt harder to pick out but it was still there. I could feel my throat swelling and tried to swallow it down and blink back the wetness starting the make my vision blurred so that stars blended into one blanket of light. I tried to stop it, but first one tear and the next started to slide down my cheek. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and the most devastating. It was impossible for stars like that to be seen in 2012.
What is happening to me? My knees felt weak, unsteadily I started walking, I knew if I ran I would only trip again. I could hear Merlin's voice a bit behind me, but I wasn't listening. Camelot, he had said Camelot. Camelot which was set a good fifteen sixteen hundred years ago. Camelot with no light pollution, no smog, and beautiful stars. It made sense that it was real; the stories had to be based on something on someone. Magic and fantastical beings, and sorcerers and witches, those were embellishments, things to make the story more interesting. What didn't make sense is why I was here. If I was really here, maybe it was a dream. Somehow I doubted it. I choked back a sob, what if I never saw my parents again? My brother? I still had Clarisse and River, but everyone else. What would they think, would they be worried. Of course they would. George Faur, what if I never hopelessly mooned or facebook stalked him again?
Deep in thought, I let my knees fold and sat next to a tree, still fighting back the tears, though it was a losing battle. I would never see my dog, banana, or my rust bucket of a truck. My chest convulsed with a strangled sob, jarring my ribs. Leaves rustled as someone took a seat next to me. I looked up with blurry eyes, I had forgotten about Merlin.
"Don't lie this time, you're not all right are you?" he placed a hand on my shoulder, "What's wrong Ally?" I just shook my head, I couldn't say anything, he wouldn't believe me. Who would believe me, I don't even believe myself. "Ally you can tell me. I won't say anything to anyone, I promise."
"No." I choked out, shaking my head. "I can't tell you." His arm wrapped around me and pulled me into a hug, we were quiet for a minute. Well he was, I still made strangled noises and sniffed up snot. Thankful that he would just comfort me and not question again I leaned back against his shoulder. Apparently I should stop making assumptions.
"I swear, you can tell me, I won't tell anyone." I jerked back from his hold and stumbled up.
"I just can't tell you okay?" I cried, my voice cracking at the end, not meeting his eye I spun and headed back into camp trying to dry my tears before I got into the tent. I didn't want Clarisse asking me questions. I knew my efforts were in vain, I wasn't exactly a glamorous crier, my cheeks got red and my nose, and there was snot everywhere, my eyes got puffy, it just didn't look good. Sighing I ducked into the tent, where Clarisse was crouched, gathering food into a bag that she must have found inside the tent.
"What are you doing?" my voice was thick still clogged with mucus in my nose.
"Packing. I don't know where we are, or how we got here, but these people are crazy. They think we're in Camelot! I mean really, that's a story from a thousand years ago." She shoved a loaf of bread into the bag "If we don't get out of here they might slit our throats or sacrifice us or something."
"I don't think they're crazy." Clarisse stop abruptly and turned to look at me. She saw the state of my face, and stood quickly wrapping her arms around me.
"What happened, did they do something to you?" I couldn't help but smile, she looked ready to rip out someone's throat. I shook my head though.
"Look at the stars."
"What?" she looked at me like I was crazy, I was still hoping I was.
"Go outside, and look at the stars."
"Okay…" she slid past me and exited the tent. She came back in a minute later.
"They're pretty?"
"They're impossible; there aren't stars like that in modern day, too much pollution to see them."
"What are you saying Ally?"
"I don't know…time travel?"
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it just as quickly. The noise that cut her off made my heart go cold with fear. A terrible roar, not of a beast but of men, and the high pitched screams of frightened horses, River! I bolted from the tent; I could hear Clarisse calling my name. Out in the night, it was no longer dark but cast in flickering glow of flames. Silhouettes and shadows danced before the fire swords meeting a crash and parting just to meet again. Felled men lay scattered on the ground, dark stains of blood spreading across their chest or in pools around them. I breathed through my mouth, trying to lessen the coppery stench. Historical reenactment seemed to be out for sure now. The horses were around on the other side of the fighting and the fires, I started thinking of a plan to get to River. Being lost in thought is apparently not a good idea around here. A pair of arms snaked around my waist and hoisted me up. I screeched, thrashing out with my feet and nails. I landed blows, but the ox of a man didn't seem to care.
"Feisty." He said with a low chuckle, which made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, "I like em' that way." I flung a hand back and felt my nail draw blood along his cheek, the man hissed. "You better play nice now missy, else I won't be either." He growled, pinching a bit of loose skin. I yelped, it would leave a nasty bruise. The wet thud of blade meeting flesh, was quickly followed by his grip loosening. A different hand grabbed my arm keeping me upright as the man fell back, dead. The soldier started to say something, but was quickly dragged back into battle. I took off trying to skirt around the edges of the tents to avoid the Bandits and soldiers fighting. The horses were still tethered to the stand, prancing back and forth, tugging at the reins that held them. I could pick out River easily; he was much larger and had a heavier build than the other horses, but still obviously athletic. A horse that at this point of time, people hadn't bred or perfected yet. I wasn't the only one who knew the value of my gelding, a man in dark leather tried to calm my horse as he untied my reins.
Not giving it a second thought, I sprinted from my cover in the brush and jumped on the man, digging my nails into his face. He screamed, grabbing my hands and throwing me over his head to the ground. I grunted as I hit the ground, looking up at the thief. Blood trickled down his face from the marks my nails left, for once I was glad I had forgotten to cut them. A little less so, when the enraged man drew a dagger. He started to bring it down, on reflex I started to curl my legs and arms in to protect my abdomen, but my foot caught in a rather sensitive place. He dropped his dagger and knelt to the ground. I jumped up scrambling for the dagger and holding it to his throat. I could kill him, right now. He knew it too; his eyes regarded me warily, betraying his fear though he did not speak. I pressed the blade a little harder, against his throat the whole dagger rising and falling with the movement of his throat as he swallowed. I was no soldier, I couldn't kill him. Keeping the knife steady I looked up, the fighting was dying down, the bandits who were still alive being gathered in the middle of camp. Soldiers not busy with the bandits were putting out the fires that had started.
"Get up." I attempted to growl, or sound threatening. He complied but from the look on his face he wasn't too happy about it. He was tall, really tall; I had to stand on tip toe to keep the knife to his throat. "Walk." I ordered he obeyed his long legs covering a lot of ground. I struggled to stay up, shuffling quickly on the tips of my toes, praying I didn't slip and slit his throat on accident. When we got into the light of the campfire that was left lit the soldiers and many of the bandits turned to look. I could see Arthur struggling not to smile. I was sure I looked ridiculous.
"So the mouse caught the snake huh?" he laughed, as a soldier took my captive from me. I just blushed, looking at the ground as came down from tip toes.
"He was going to steal my horse." My voice was clear enough though I could not bring myself to look at them.
"Your horse? You risked your life for a horse."
"Horses are very special to us where I come from." I mumbled.
"Well thank you for catching him. Will you and your friend be returning to Camelot with us?"
"I don't see why not." I didn't exactly know where else to go..