Ureshiitamago: wooo, I'm back!
Anora: Yaaay! More story, so good!
Ureshiitamago: Wow, you grammar so good…
Anora: Your fault.
Ureshiitamago: …Disclaimer, I don't own Merlin, yada yada yada, sorry if any of the characters seem OOC, blah blah blah. Ok! Have fun reading!
"Hey there, I'm Anora Vanstom, treasure hunter and wanderer extraordinaire. What's your names?" The blond one gripped my hand for a second, and then let go like it was a hot potato.
"Arther." He said shortly. My near nakedness was obviously still bothering him. I thought it was funny, because I had him pegged for the kind of guy who took women to bed whenever he could. I turned to the big-eared boy. This one smiled at me while she shook my hand. I smiled back happily.
"Merlin." He said.
"Nice to meet you two." I said happily.
Chapter 2: Cups of Life, and Royalty
I propped my hands on my hips as they went back to the conversation they had been having earlier. Merlin, the big-eared one, leaned against a tree.
"Well, that's something I'll not be in a hurry to see again." He said. I looked at his neck-kerchief. Seriously?
"Stay out of trouble then." Arthur said, looking at the trees in front of him, and not Merlin.
"I could say the same for you." Gwaine said cheekily.
"You could do, but I wouldn't have any idea what you're talking about." Arthur shot back.
"Oh, come on." Gwaine said, looking towards Arthur. "You must've done something to end up in a hole like that." I nodded seriously, though I was extremely confused as to what they were talking about. Meanwhile, Merlin stood up off of his tree, and walked over to us. Arthur looked at Gwaine for a minute or two, as if gauging how much he could trust him, and then turned to me suspiciously.
"You can trust me." I said, holding up my hands in front of me in mock defense. "It's him you gotta watch out for." I pointed at Gwaine, who faked a hurt face and gasped in overly exaggerated indignation.
"Who, little ol' me?" He asked, sounding horrified. I grinned devilishly.
"Yes, sir." I said. "You've skipped out on so many bills at the taverns we went to together that I do believe you owe me a kings ransom in gold." I folded my arms and put a mock angry face on for emphasis. Arthur looked at me, still suspicious, but then seemed to come to a conclusion.
"Actually," He said, turning back to Gwaine. "We were on a quest." Gwaine and I looked at each other, each with the same look on our face. Is he mental? Or at least, I think Gwaine was thinking that. It was either that or, You got any money for drinks? The two expressions seemed to go hand in hand. Merlin spoke up, and I jumped, having forgotten that he was there for the moment.
"We're looking for the cup of life." He said, as if it were obvious. My eyebrows shot up sky high. What a coincidence. I thought to myself. That's exactly what I'm looking for. Arthur looked at Merlin as if the younger man had kicked a puppy. Then Arthur smacked him on the back of the head. Merlin gaped at him in confusion, and Gwaine and I looked at each other. I pointed at the two. Does this usually happen? I tried to make my expression say. Gwaine shrugged. Yes, get used to it. I nodded thoughtfully.
"What?" Merlin asked Arthur, looking aghast that Arthur had hit him, but not surprised.
"What part of the word 'secret' did you not understand?" Arthur asked, flinging his arms out. He glared at Merlin. Merlin seemed to be at a loss for words, his brows were furrowed as he tried to start a sentence, and then interrupted himself to start another.
"Gentlemen." I said quietly, but they didn't hear me. I looked at Gwaine, and he nodded in understanding.
"Gentlemen." He said, louder than I had. Merlin and Arthur swung around to look at him questioningly.
"It seems," Gwaine started. "Whatever it is that you're after, you could use a little help." He said. I smiled happily. Maybe they would let me come too?
"I would like to go too." I said cheerfully. The three of them looked at me. "What?" I asked.
"You're a girl." Arthur said. My jaw dropped, my eyes narrowed, and I could hear my eyebrows snapping together. I pointed at him.
"You did not just assume that because I'm a girl, I can't hold me own." I said. I felt like somebody had just poked me with a flaming stick, and I could feel the blush of anger gracing my cheeks. Arthur seemed to shift uncomfortably.
"Yes, I did." He said. I stood up straight, eyes flaming with anger. My fists balled at my sides as I glared at him. My head snapped to Gwaine. I stabbed a finger in the direction of Arthur.
"He doubts me." I said. I had a feeling that if my eyes could shoot daggers, both Gwaine and Arthur would be wearing hilts from head to toe. Gwaine held up his hands in defense.
"I know that you can hold your own, little flower. I'm all for you coming along, if just for your presence." He flashed a dazzling smile at me, meant to calm. I don't think it worked. "But," He continued, glancing at Arthur and Merlin. "I don't think these fellows know what you can do. You did just meet after all." I frowned even further, and looked back at Arthur, who was now glaring back at me. I grabbed Gwaine's arm.
"Help me show them. This quest sounds like fun." I said, pulling him towards the center of the clearing, on the other side of the doused fire. He looked at me with wide eyes.
"So you can ruin my pretty face? Thank you, no." He said. I raised an eyebrow and walked over to my satchel, and pulled out a green apple. I turned around, and threw it into the air. Gwaine caught it and sighed. "Fine."
We took our positions, Gwaine with his sword out, looking uncertain, and me just standing in front of him, completely relaxed. We stood there staring at each other for the longest time, each of us waiting for the other to make a move. The tension was rising to a large level when he finally lunged. He had fought me several times before, and from those experiences knew that just because I was of the female gender, he shouldn't take it easy on me. The sword flashed, reflecting the light, but I was already gone when it reached where I had been standing. I was using his shoulders as a boost as I back flipped over him, and I landed neatly, still facing him. This time, I went on the offensive, and I dodged his quick thrusts and swings, and got inside his bubble of safety that a sword usually gave some one. I smiled at him, my face close to his, and, in one powerful hit, he flew backwards into a tree. Well, he didn't fly, but he did stumble backwards into one. In a flash, I grabbed up his sword, and pointed it at his neck. I was barely even breathing hard. Gwaine was silent for a moment, before looking up at me, grinning.
"Still the same as always." He laughed. I grinned, and held out my hand. He took it, and I pulled him up. We walked back over to the two who had been watching. I gave Gwaine back his sword, and then crossed my arms and looked at Arthur.
"You doubt me now?" I asked.
5 minutes of arguing later
"So," Gwaine said to Arthur as he trudged beside me. "According to Merlin here, if you tell us where this cup is, you're to kill us." He said. Arthur glanced back for a split second.
"That's correct." He said. I grinned at Gwaine.
"Please don't tell us then." We said in synch. Gwaine went on.
"But let's be honest, you couldn't kill me even if you wanted to." I rolled my eyes at Gwaine's challenge. It was so childish. I hung back for a second, and I traded the same exasperated look with Merlin.
"Yeah?" Arthur asked, walking a bit faster. "Try me."
"I already did." Gwaine said. "Back at the arena.." I tuned him out.
"That," Arthurs voice brought me back. It was sharp. "was just a game." He sounded like a boy who didn't want to admit that he was tired.
"Oh, a game, right." Gwaine shot back. I recognized that voice. He wasn't going to let it go. "I won that game did I not?" I looked at Merlin, noticing that he seemed extremely annoyed.
"No you didn't." Arthur said, stopping to look at Gwaine, who stopped with him. The two men faced each other, rivalry in their eyes. "One more minute-" Arthur was cut off by Merlin.
"One more minute and you both would've been dead." He said. The two bickering men looked at him in slight shock. "Neither of you won, your plan was a half-baked disaster. And if it wasn't for that fire," He paused. "We would all be pushing up daisies." He walked past them after he made his point. Gwaine looked after Merlin while the younger man walked away as Arthur stared at the place Merlin had been, as if trying to comprehend that he had been scolded. Gwaine looked back at Arthur. I laughed heartily, and shoved past them myself. I like Merlin. I thought. He has that slightly annoying yet funnily sarcastic quality.
That's all for today! See you soon lovies! Mwah mwah! (::) (::)