Chapter 25–Most beautiful creature in the world
When Arthur had invited me out to hunt with him I hadn't expected it to be so entertaining, but then again the thing that made it so great wasn't the hunting itself. Even after years of perfecting my hunting technique taking the life of an innocent animal didn't really appeal to me, but Merlin and Arthur's constant bickering was so funny.
I didn't think they even realized they were doing it at times. So far on this hunt Merlin had managed to scare away all the animals within our immediate range, which was an impressive feat. Something Arthur was not happy about, so when we noticed something hiding in the wood, Arthur sent two of his knights around the other side, "Merlin," Arthur whispered.
"What is it?" Merlin asked looking confused.
"I don't know. We will surround it. I want you to go in there and flush it out," Arthur ordered.
Merlin just looked at him like he was crazy, "You want me to go in there? You just said you don't know what it is. It could be dangerous."
"If you want I'll go with you Merlin," I offered.
"No," Arthur whispered back quickly.
"Look I can use a sword he can't. It's only fair," I said before taking Merlin's arm and pulling him quietly through the wood. Merlin picked up a large stick on the way. We entered a clearing and there is was. The most beautiful creature I had ever seen, a unicorn. I could hear Merlin drop the stick behind me, I walked forwards slowly holding my hand out so as not to scare it. The unicorn didn't even seem to mind me, gently nuzzling it's snout against my hand.
I heard a rustling behind me in the trees and realized the hunters were coming, "Go. Go! Please, go. Shh. They're going to kill you," Merlin pleaded from next to me.
I turned in time to see Arthur preparing his bow, "Arthur! No!" I yelled just as he shot the unicorn. It neighed out in pain before collapsing onto the ground. Within a second Merlin and I were next to it. I stroked its hair, crying softly as I watched such a trusting creature die, "I'm so sorry."
"Ha-ha! A unicorn!" Arthur cheered from behind me. I turned around sharply getting up and slapping him hard around the face. Arthur looked back at me in confusion, "What did I do?"
"How could you kill it? Seriously it's the most beautiful creature. How could you…" I trailed off before going back to sitting next to it. Merlin seemed to be looking straight passed us, "Merlin?" I questioned before turning around and finding nothing behind us.
"We shall bring back the horn," Arthur ordered his men.
I didn't bother commenting just went back to stroking the creatures mane.
The ride back to Camelot was exceptionally quiet, with the occasional word from Arthur to try and get me to talk which I ignored. I didn't understand how he could take something so beautiful and destroy it like that. As we walked into the council chambers I kept looking ahead, avoiding looking at the horn Merlin was carrying, "Father! A unicorn's horn to grace the walls of Camelot," Arthur said proudly.
"Magnificent. It's the first one I've seen," Uther said taking the horn, "Gaius, look at this."
"It is very impressive, My Lord," Gaius said simply.
"What is it, Gaius? Speak your mind," Uther questioned with a sigh.
I looked up at Uther for the first time and spoke, "Unicorns are rare and mystical creatures. There is a legend that says that bad fortune will come to anyone who slays one."
"Nonsense. We will be the envy of every kingdom," Uther said dismissing my words, "Perhaps it can be considered a wedding gift."
"I would have taken the gift of seeing the creature still alive better, Sire," I replied making sure to keep my tone dead so that my anger would not shine through, "If there is nothing else. I don't wish to see this anymore," I walked out of the room without waiting for a reply.
I walked with Merlin and Gaius across the main square as I had been avoiding Arthur for an age now, "I don't understand how Arthur can have taken any pleasure from killing the unicorn."
"Arthur is a hunter. It's in his blood. Whereas you are something entirely different," Gaius observed.
"It was the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. I wish you'd been there," I whispered softly to Gaius.
"It's a rare privilege. Alas, there are few unicorns still alive," Gaius pointed out.
"You try telling that to Arthur," I groaned.
"I can imagine it would be difficult," Gaius agreed.
I had been successful in avoiding Arthur for most of the day before Merlin came knocking on my chamber door, "Arthur wants to see you."
"Well I don't really want to see him," I replied honestly letting Merlin in as I walked back over to my desk.
"He told me if I didn't bring you back with me that I would be in the stocks for a week," Merlin explained to me.
I sighed deeply before nodding my head, "Only for you Merlin."
I walked quickly over to Arthur's chambers and knocked on the door, "Enter," Arthur called from inside.
"You wished to see me My Lord?" I questioned as I walked in.
"Yes, I wondered if you would join me for dinner tonight," Arthur said pointing to the two meals in front of him.
"I'm sorry my lord I already ate," I lied, not really wanting to deal with this right now.
"Are you still upset about the unicorn?" Arthur questioned incredibly.
"You shouldn't have killed it," I said simply not really wanting to get into this argument right now.
"Oh really and why is that?" Arthur snapped at me.
"It wasn't doing any harm. What purpose was there in killing it?" I questioned as Arthur walked towards me.
"There was no purpose that's the point," Arthur argued back.
"No!" I yelled, "That is exactly the opposite of the point. Where is the food it brought you and your people? Where is the honor in killing something like that," I calmed myself down and spoke a lot more quietly, "What is the worst part is you couldn't see. You didn't see how beautiful the creature was, how it deserved to live. All you saw was something to boost your ego."
Before Arthur could reply there was a knock at the door, "Enter!" Arthur yelled.
One of the guards walked in, "My Lord and Lady, the king requests your services on a matter of urgency."
I nodded my head before following the knight out of the door.
We ended up on a wheat field just outside the castle. Uther was already there picking up dead pieces of wheat stalks from the ground, "Every single ear has died. We've received reports that it's the same throughout the entire kingdom," Uther said when he noticed us there.
"We rode through here yesterday, the crops were fine," I informed Uther taking a handful of dead wheat myself and looking at it closely. I couldn't see any physical sighs of a disease on it.
"It happened overnight. Farmers are at a lost to explain it," Uther explained.
"Is it a disease of some kind?" Arthur questioned.
"Perhaps. I've asked the court physician to conduct some tests. We must ration what little food we have left," Uther said before going to walk back towards the castle. I followed quietly.
When we got back I walked straight to Gaius's chamber. Ignoring Arthur completely once again, "Any ideas what caused the crops to die?" I questioned as I walked through the door.
Gaius was holding up test tubes, "I'm yet to complete all the tests. No disease I have heard of could spread through the entire kingdom in a single night."
"What could kill all the plants other than a disease?" Merlin questioned coming to stand next to Gaius.
"It didn't," I said simply. Merlin looked at me in confusion so I elaborated, "It didn't kill all the plants, the trees and hedges around the crop fields are unharmed. Unfortunately, you can't eat trees and hedges."
"It's only killing plants we can eat?" Merlin questioned.
"It appears so," Gaius observed.
"If it's not a disease, it must be magic," Merlin said.
"We can't assume that, Merlin. Perhaps there is something in the soil and water that can explain it. I can't tell the King it's caused by sorcery until I'm completely certain," Gaius explained.
"But yes, it looks like magic," I whispered softly so only Merlin could hear me, "Yesterday, when you looked over my shoulder after Arthur killed the unicorn. What did you see?"
"There was a man," Merlin explained, "He was wearing a white robe, but when you looked he disappeared."
I nodded my head before looking out the window to see the villagers lining up to be served grain, "We cannot survive like this."
Arthur chose that moment to come into the room, "There has been a curfew placed on Camelot."
"What has changed?" I questioned.
"The livestock is either dying or being eaten. Food and water and very scarce and there has been looting," Arthur explained to me looking down.
"I'm sure you will work out something," I encouraged, "You always do."
Arthur just smiled at me back. I couldn't help but think that things would probably get a hell of a lot worse before they got better once again.