AN: Primrose's POV
It's raining the next day. Hard. So hard that the trees don't provide any sort of shelter and it's hard to walk the ground is so muddy. I step into the mud and for a few seconds find my foot stuck. "Yeah," I think, "We're not gonna get very far today." I look over at Merlin and smile a little as I ask, "You ever have storms like this back in Camelot?"
Merlin shrugs. "Yeah, I suppose." He says, not looking me in the eye.
"Hey, are you alright?" I ask, genuinely concerned. He's been down-right standoffish since our talk last night.
"Me?" Merlin asked, playing innocent, like he's got no idea what I'm talking about, "I'm fine. Why?"
I have to hand it to Merlin. If the man servant thing didn't work out, he should consider a career in acting.
"You know," Arthur pipes up, " Now that she mentions it, you have been acting-odd all day."
" I have no idea what either of you are talking about," Merlin insists.
"You still a little messed-up from your run in with the Tracker Jackers?" I guess.
"No," Merlin said, "It's not the Tracker Jackers, it's not anything, I'm-fine."
Arthur and I exchange glances because the was just a little too hasty and snappish. "Alright, then," I say then take a step ahead and lose my footing, falling to ground and sliding down the path. I keep sliding down and can't get myself right, can't even stop myself from sliding then, out of nowhere, a three branch appears were just a few seconds earlier I have been. I reach out and grab onto it. Instantly Merlin and Arthur rust to my side and help me to my feet. "Are you alright?" Merlin asks.
"Yeah, I think so," I say, wiping some of the mud off, "Didn't realize how slick that mud was."
"You should be more careful from now on," Merlin said, his voice suddenly filed with concern, "and your sure you're not hurt?"
"Yeah," I repeat, "Lucky thing that tree branch was there and I didn't hit it."
"Yeah," Merlin replied, "That was really lucky."
It keeps raining for most of the day. After a few hours of walking in awkward silence I just blurt out, "I'm starting to think we might need two of every animal."
Merlin and Arthur both start me like they have no idea what I'm talking about. "What are you talking about?" Arthur asks.
"A while back a group of Christian Settlers came to District Twelve," I begin, "District Twelve, it's where I'm from, and they believe that at some point in history, humanity had became so evil God decided to just wipe them all out and try it again."
"Well, that's lovely," Arthur interrupts sarcastically.
"I'm not finish," I say, "But there was this one guy, Noah, who was still good, so God tells Noah to start building a giant boat and put two of every animal in it. When the rain starts Noah and his family get in the boat, gather up all the animal and ride out storm inside. Eventually God sat them down on a mountain, at least, I think it was mountain, and made a convent never to drown the earth again by creating a rainbow."
"Well, that's nice," Arthur says, once again sarcastically, "We go from the complete destruction of humanity because they were destroying each other, to rainbows."
"You know, Arthur, a lot people think that story is scared," I say.
"Really?" He asks.
"Yeah," I reply, "Christianity's a religion. It was one of the things that came back during the Great Resurgence."
"The Great Resurgence?" Both Merlin and Arthur ask at the same time, or about the same time.
"Remember what I was talking to you about last night, Merle?" I say, "How we use to live under an oppressive government?"
"Yeah," Merlin replies.
"After the Rebellion," I explain, "When things started to settle, there was a -revival of things that had been banded before. Religion, certain types of art, and music. There was so much of it that eventually, someone decided to give it name, so someone had the idea to call it the Great Resurgence."
"Oh," Arthur replied, "That makes sense I guess."
Suddenly, some force pushes me. I turn around to try to find whatever it was, just in time to see a giant branch come crashing down in the spot where I had been.
Merlin and Arthur-who were on the other side of the fallen branch-and I exchanged freaked-out glances. If it weren't for whatever had bumped me that tree branch would've flattened me like a pancake. "You guys okay?" I ask, getting my bearings quickly.
"Yeah," Arthur says.
"Fine," Merlin says, "You?"
"Yeah," I say, "I keep caching lucky breaks today."
Merlin and Arthur climb over the back, and I make to start off again, when Merlin grabs my arm saying, "Wait, maybe we should stay here, just a little bit. I mean, this rain's not letting up, the trail's not getting any easier and you just had your second near-experience of the day."
"Merlin, I'm find," I insist.
"You're sure about that?" Merlin asks.
"Well," I say, "Maybe it wouldn't hurt to take a little breather." I don't really need it, I'm just happy that Merlin's talking to me again, so it wouldn't hurt. I sit down on the branch and he and Arthur join me. "It must've already been breaking off, or rotten or something," I say, placing a hand on the branch, "And the heavy rain finally did it in."
"Good thing you got out of the way when you did," Arthur said.
"Yeah," I say, distracted sounding, thinking back, "Good thing I did."
"Something wrong?" Merlin pipes up.
"What?" I say snapping back to reality turning to see Merlin looking at me expectantly. "Oh, yeah, " I say quickly, "I was just thinking back on it. " I pause a minute, thinking what I'm about to say might sound crazy. But then it occurs to me that it's Merlin and so far he's hasn't judged me, why would he start now? "It's just-I didn't even see the branch," I say, "I didn't move on my own, it was like-it was like something pushed me."
"Pushed you?" Merlin asks, suddenly nervous.
"Yeah, out of the way," I say, "Just before the branch fell. If it weren't for that, I would've been crushed."
"Well," Merlin said, a nervous laugh in his voice, "Someone must be looking out for you. It's probably not a good idea to question it."
"Maybe," I say eying Merlin and I can't help but wonder, what is he keeping from me? And why?