Please me tell what you think, and leave suggestions for future stories. If you give me one, and I write, I will be sure to give you credit for the idea. I'm going to need some adventures before I get to the major climax.
Arthur's pov
Simple hunting trip. Turns into fight, with someone other than bandits, all because of two a ten-year-old girls. After the odd soldiers left, I became conscious of the pain in my shoulder.
"Merlin, can you-" I waved at my shoulder.
"After I take care of the one girl's throats. That leader started to cut it." I paled at the idea of someone killing a little girl.
"Of course. We will set up camp here, as too many of us are injured to relocate."
"I'll get firewood and see if there is a stream near by." Elyan volunteered.
"I can start setting up camp" Gwanie offered.
"We are going to need food, Percival do you want to help?" Leon asked. Percival nodded.
As my men went off, I looked around at our surroundings. We're in a small clearing, Lancelot has a leg wound, me a shoulder wound. I have no idea how bad off the kids are. I looked at the strange weapon is my shoulder. It looks like a metal star with four prongs and a odd symbol I've never seen before in the center. The base of it looks like a tree, with two branches going out, at the end of those two branches were oddly shaped 'U's the part touching the tree much lower than the top. And surrounding in all was an 8, the bottom loop smaller than the top, and the top loop had a clear dot at it's apex. I have never seen a weapon like this before. [The symbol is in my title cover.]
Merlin came over, his medical bag in hand. For a second he stared at the odd weapon. Then he began to take my armor off to help clean the wound.
"How bad are the girls" I asked.
Merlin hesitated," Hard to tell. I am a little uncomfortably with having to check them to be honest."
"Why"
"You didn't hear the leader. He said something like 'The Demon's Head wants you alive. Don't make me throw you in the pit'. "
"Wha- gah!" He couldn't remove the armor without removing the odd weapon. Merlin was about to take it out when the kid with blonde hair spoke.
"Don't remove it yet. You need a fire to stop the blood before it make them sick"
'Make someone sick? Did she mean infection?'
"How do you know" Lancelot asked.
Looking at the earth she muttered," Had to remove these things before. Not just from myself or my sister."
'Who would use these types of weapons on little girls? Who else did she remove these weapons from? What in the world happened to them?'
Merlin glanced at me. As uncomfortable as the weapon in my shoulder was, I was inclined to believe the girl. "We'll wait for the fire then. Do you mind if we ask you questions while we're waiting?"
"Depends on the questions, and so long as you answer ours"
"What are your questions?" Merlin asked with a hit of nervousness. 'Really Merlin, sometimes you really are a girl's petticoat'
"Your names, and where we are" Her sister seemed to grow quite for the moment.
"Sir Lancelot, the drunk setting up camp is Sir Gwaine" Lancelot supplied.
"I'm Sir Arthur" Best to find out what these girls knows before I say I'm the prince of Camelot.
"Merlin"
They nod, satisfied for now. The pair sits on a log nearby, I see one of these weapons is in the girl with the black hair's side. I wince, 'Dose this girl not feel pain?'
"What are your names?" Gwaine asked, apparently listening to the conversation.
"Ruby" The blonde girl responded.
"Abigail"
"Do you know what these weapons are?" I am curious to know, as well making sure it is not poisoned. Abigail spoke up this time.
"Yes we know the weapons, however not by their real names. We just call them metal stars or death stars."
"Do they have poison on them?" I really need to know in case Merlin needs to start finding an antidote.
"Typically no. They only put poison on when they are making a public display of a traitor, even then if the poison is on, it dose not kill. Just makes horrible pain." The two girls shutter at Abigail's words.
"Why did they want you? Who are they?" Merlin asks. They begin to tremble; Abigail is shaking her head.
Elyan came through the trees. Scarring everyone but Abigail. "I found a stream just down the hill. Why haven't you taken those things out yet?"
"Best way to make sure you don't get sick is to burn the wound close." Abigail said. 'What is the white in her hair?'
"Do you mean cauterize the wound?" Merlin questioned.
"No, burn the wound so it will close. You don't make it into a cart." Clearly not well educated. Well at least Abigail isn't.
Elyan and Gwaine laughed. "I will start the fire so we can take care of those wounds." Gwaine said.
"Here child let me help you" Elyan knelt down if front of them. Abigail flinched.
"Please don't call me that" the words were so soft, and broken.
Elyan frowned. "what's your name then"
"Ruby"
"Abigail. Yours?"
"Sir Elyan. Will you let me take those off?" He gestured to the chains binding the two sisters.
"How?" they ask in unison. 'Are they twins?'
Elyan smiled. "My father was a... metal worker. Constantly in the flames. Me and my sister Gwen helped him. Including how to take care of chains" Elyan must have realized that they probably wouldn't understand the word 'blacksmith'.
They nodded, "Thank you"
"I am going to have to use a knife ok?"
Again they nodded. For some reason they took to Elyan easier than us. Mabey because he asked before he grabbed her. 'It was for their safety.'
"Which first"
Ruby slowly put out her left leg. The one binding to two girls together. Elyan made sure he was slow approaching Ruby, only grabbing the metal.
"Tell me if I hurt you" She nodded.
"The fire is up, now it is time to take care of those wounds." Merlin stated.
"Do you know how to?" Abigail asked innocently.
''Of course I know-"
Lancelot coughed into his hand. "Merlin, she thinks your going to somehow turn a wound into a cart. Of course she's asking."
"Yes, I know to burn a wound close." He rolled his eyes.
"Your friends are coming." Abigail said quietly.
"What friends?" Gwanie asked.
"Hunting friends. Looks like they caught three rabbits and two squirrels." She didn't look over her shoulder once.
Elyan hesitated," Abigail, how far are our friends?"
"umm.." She frowned, closing her eyes in concentration. "About 30 feet?"
"How do you know that?" Lancelot asked.
Ruby punched her arm lightly. "Abby, Jason said not to tell strangers."
She looked at her sister, then to Lancelot. Frist with confusion, then in shame. "I.. wait for your friends please, and these wounds taken care of? Then I will answer."
Elyan pov
Leon and Percival came back within three minutes after Abigail asked us not to question her yet. Merlin was taking care of Arthur's wound, propping him up against Lancelot. Their backs were against each other, Lancelot clutching his leg. Arthur passed out from the pain. We can wake him after we take care of dinner and everyone's wounds are inspected.
I turned back to the girls. I started to take in every detail about them. From their height and youth I would say they are around ten summers. Ruby has light skin, not as pale as Merlin's skin but pale. Her closes hung loosely on her thin frame. Her feet are rough and blistered, her hands are the same. She bore scars, mostly around her wrists. A simple necklace hung from her thin neck. An 'R' with a lot more writing on the back of the medallion, that was so small that I couldn't make it out. If her hair was clean I am sure it would dazzle like gold. Abigail's skin was not exactly tan but not quite pale either. Scars littered her arms, legs, and what I could see of her torso. The clothes on her hung loosely, and from the tear in her shirt, I could see her rib cage, yet she has muscles as well. She is also a similar medallion to her sister's, only hers has an 'A'. Her face is littered with bruises, deep blue eyes shown from the onslaught of purple bruises around her eyes. Black hair clung to the sides of her face, matted with dirt, blood, and sweat. I realized that the white in her hair was natural. 'That is very odd for a little girl to already be showing signs of elderness.' She was not looking at what I was doing, she seemed more intent on listening. Her posture told me she wanted to bolt, but she didn't. Mabey because I had a knife close to her ankle, or because she wanted out of the chains.
Leon, Gwaine, and Percival came through the trees startling everyone but Abigail. By this point I had removed the first manacle on Ruby, and was starting on her next leg maniacal. Merlin had 'burned' Arthur's wound, and was now tending to Lancelot. Gwaine had fetched water and now arrived back with the other two.
"Kids, this is Sir Leon, and Sir Percival." Gwaine patted the back of Leon and Percival when he said their names. "Guys, this is Abigail and Ruby."
"Hi" They whispered. Abigail's cheeks were red, 'Why? She mentioned someone named Jason. Perhaps either Leon or Percy reminded her of Jason?'
"Someone else will need to clean the kills, I'm a bit busy and I still have another couple of patients to tend to." Merlin said. Now I am noticing that Abigail was absolutely correct in predicting what Leon and Percival caught. Three rabbits and two squirrels.
"I can do it" Abigail offered.
"No, I still need to treat your injuries." Merlin denounced her offer at once.
"Besides, don't you want these chains off silly?" I asked soothingly.
"Yes. I just wanted to help. " She muttered.
I smile at her. "You can help once you are healed. "
"That could be a while. Too long." Her impatience proves she is still a kid. Deep down I'm relieved she is a kid. Being forced to grow up so quickly is... 'Click'. The leg manacle popped off.
"I can take care of the-" Gwaine began but Leon cut him off. Percival was pulling the kills away from Gwaine.
"Last time you tried you cut yourself with the knife. I will do it. " Percival said in his low voice.
"Ruby, may I see your hand now?" Nodding, she gave me her left hand. Her hand is rough, it felt like.. our hands. Someone who constantly held a sword or knife. It made me grimace. Merlin finished with Lancelot, Lancelot also passed out and he's leaning against Arthur. Merlin is now heading to the three of us. Abigail and Ruby scooted closer to me. Panic is showing through their delicate eyes.
I spoke before the situation could turn drastic. "Merlin is going to take the metal star out of you, ok Abigail?"
She shook her head. "N-no. I want J-Ja-Jason." Merlin kept trying to get close to her, but she kept moving away. She's going to bolt if Merlin keeps this up.
"Who is Jason?" I stopped Merlin with a look. "Merlin, she needs to feel safe. "
Abigail answered before Merlin. "Jason is our-, one of our brothers."
"Dose Jason make you feel safe?" Abigail nodded. "Can you please describe him?" 'Mabey, one of us knights can comfort her while we're treating her. '
A small smile appeared, "Jason is huge. Taller than the rest of the family. Wide shoulders, muscles everywhere. Black hair, blue eyes, and he can make everyone laugh. Well almost everyone. He is strong, protective, epically of me, Ruby and our older sister Cass. He's kind of loud, always getting into trouble with Roy."
I smiled. Huge, tall, broad shoulders, muscles, strong, protective. Who does that sound like?
"Percival can you please come here." He walks over, with a puzzled look on his face. I turn to Abigail. "Abigail we need to remove that from your side."
"No. I want Jason"
"I know, but we don't know where he is. Is it alright if Percival holds you while we do it? Percival is strong, protective, and gentle." She looks up at Percival, deciding to trust my plan or not.
"Just pretend sis, pretend or get an sickness (infection)" Ruby coaxed her sister.
"Alright, so long I have something in my mouth to muffle my screams." I nodded. Percival gave a small smile and sat on the ground next to her, waiting for her to approach him. After he sat, she came over and sat in his lap. (The arm manacles and one leg manacle is attached to Abigail at this point). She looked up at Percival with curiosity. I gave her my belt to bit on.
"Are you ready kid?" Percival asked. She smiled, held his hand tight, and nodded.
As Merlin took out the weapon, she screamed. Her voice was garbled by my belt, but it still made my ears ring. Merlin took a clean cloth out of his bag and held it on her side. "Elyan can you please had me the blade." I picked up the red hot blade and passed it to Merlin. He quickly pressed the blade against her skin, again she screamed. She may have screamed like a banshee if it wasn't for my belt prevented the full scream from being heard. Breathing hard, she released Percival's hand and curled into his chest. She shakily took my belt from her mouth and we all saw very deep indentations in the leather. She nearly bit threw the belt.
She whispered, "Sorry about your belt." She curled closer in Percival's chest, as if she was waiting to be punished. After a few seconds she muttered, "I want my family. "
"Where is your family? Perhaps we can take you to your village. " Gwaine offered.
Abigail and Ruby shook their heads, tears welling up in their eyes. Ruby spoke. "Our village burned years ago. Only us kids survived, the oldest only being 18 summers. Our eldest brother Richard is the eldest kid in our village."
"How many in your village escaped?"
Abigail hesitated before responding, "All of kids, which is somewhere around twenty-five, maybe thirty of us. Our village consisted of seventy maybe eighty people in total. They killed all of the adults. We ran away in the night, hiding in the forest. We watched as men with blankets on their shoulders burned our home to the ground. "
'Blankets on shoulders? What does that mean? '
"How did you escape? Why did the men not come after you kids? " Gwaine asked sullen. Gwaine, Percival, Leon, Lancelot, and I all understand what it was like to see your parents killed before you. (Merlin does too, but only Lancelot knows.)
Abigail frowned and turned to her sister. "I.. I remember that Roy, Jason, and a few others were coming back from hunting, saying that bad men were coming and we needed to run. The adults decided to stay behind because they would chase us if everyone was gone. We didn't stand a chance. The forced us to take a few things each and run. They figured that if they stayed behind they wouldn't notice where we were."
"Why did they come after your village?" Leon asked with a worried look on his face.
"I don't know. I don't think we bothered anyone." Abigail looked down at her feet.
"We can ask you more questions tomorrow. I think you should get some rest." Percival announced. Looking at the girls, I could see he was right.
I offered to take the first watch so I could finish taking the chains off. Everyone agreed and started to prepare for the night. Abigail scooted off of Percival's lap, and I took care of her chains. By the time I had gotten all of the chains off, everyone but Ruby, Abigail and I were asleep.
"You should go to sleep. " I said. They would need to rest to heal their wounds. They shook their heads. "Why?"
"Nightmares. "
I rubbed the back of my neck. I felt like I was playing big brother to Gwen. Maybe that's what they need. "Do you want to stay next to me? I can wake you up if you start having nightmares."
Abigail and Ruby hesitated, rubbing their freed wrists. Nodding, they stood, and they walked over to where I was. Abigail stumbled, and I caught her elbow and gently forced her to sit with me, while sat on the other side of her sister. They were a foot away, still tense. 'If they are going to rest, they need to relax. Abigail relaxed when she talked about Jason. Perhaps if ask them about their family...'
"Can you tell me about your family? What was it like where you grew up?"
A small smile appeared on their small faces. A glint of mischief in Abigail's eyes, while longing was in Ruby's eyes.. They began to tell me of their home and family.