Fic: Nobility in Deed
Arthur’s heart dropped in alarm only for sense to knock it back into place. Though Gwen wasn’t at camp, neither was Elyan, and it stood to reason the siblings had gone off for an early-morning walk before they continued on to Camelot. Nevertheless, he grabbed up his sword and went to find them. Gwen was still afraid of these woods and he doubted Elyan knew them any better.
He looked over his shoulder to where Morgana and Merlin were still sleeping and decided against awakening them. It was quiet save for the typical forest sounds and Morgana, at the very least, would know to call out should something befall them. With that silent reassurance, he followed a hunch and turned left, his sword relaxed by his side but gripped ready for anything.
It didn’t take long for him to hear the crash of blade upon blade, and he started for a sprint. His sword was primed to run the first bandit through when trilling laughter stopped him cold. He arched an eyebrow when the laughter became fuller, almost to the point of a cackle, and Arthur couldn’t help chuckling himself.
“You need to take this seriously, Gwen! You never did!”
“But don’t you remember? You used to take the straw from yai’s* broom and use the handle as a sword-”
“And then Father would pretend he was some dastardly beast so that I could vanquish him!” Elyan added, chuckling himself. The laughter then faded. “He taught me everything I knew.”
Arthur crept closer to put the siblings in his sights. Gwen twirled the sword around under Elyan’s watchful gaze, crossing one foot in front of the other in practice stances.
“Well, not everything,” Gwen said on a sigh, bring the sword to a complete stop right in front of her. “I don’t think Father could fight like you did back there.”
“No, but he knew how to handle a sword, and that is half the battle,” Elyan said. “As you do. You could be much better if you practiced.”
Gwen scowled at that but started tentative swings again. “I don’t really prefer swords; you know that.”
“Yes, you don’t do upfront well,” Elyan muttered.
Gwen suddenly whirled and whacked the backs of her brother’s thighs with the flat of the sword, causing him to stumble. Gwen’s cackle covered Arthur’s own amused snort.
“Very funny!” Elyan groused, rubbing his thighs.
“I thought so!” she admitted, but this time she ducked when Elyan brought up his sword to clash with her blade. Gwen shuffled back but didn’t quite lose her footing. Elyan smirked at her.
“We will train in the mornings from now on-”
She broke her stance. “Elyan, no-”
“Yes. You need to be sharper with a blade, Guinevere. I don’t like the fact they could just come in your home and take you like that.” Elyan approached her, still keep his form. “ And a fire poker? Really, Gwen!”
She glared at him with her sword’s hand on her hip. “It could’ve done some damage if I weren’t out of my wits!”
“Hence the training, jigeen**,” Elyan said with much affection. He gingerly took the sword from her, holding both with one hand. “And not to stand like that with a weapon will be our first lesson!”
Arthur laughed outright then, and was even more impressed by the way Elyan immediately pushed Gwen behind him and readied both swords in his hands. Arthur chose this moment to reveal himself, his hands out in a gesture of peace. Elyan barely relaxed, eyeing him suspiciously, and Arthur nodded.
“I am alone.”
Elyan still remained on his guard until his sister’s hand on his shoulder made him relax. Arthur inclined his head.
“I just wanted to make sure you were all right; I did not see you at camp when I awoke.”
“Is not a brother allowed to spend time alone with his sister, especially after such a long absence?”
“Elyan!” Gwen chastised, a horrified look upon her face.
“Indeed,” Arthur agreed, sliding his eyes to Gwen. She ducked her head and tucked a curl behind her. “I certainly cannot fault you for that.”
Elyan scoffed. “I’m sure-”
“Elyan, please be quiet!” Gwen whispered frantically.
Elyan didn’t drop his gaze from Arthur, who stood taller in response. Apparently, he eventually became satisfied with what he saw for he then turned and cupped his sister’s cheek while handing her her sword with his free hand. “I think, since we are in the spirit of practicing, I shall see how far my shooting skills have fallen or if I can kill a bit of meat for us.”
Gwen gave him a half smile. “If I’m to train with a sword, you shall train with a sling.”
“Fair enough,” Elyan said, and brushed her cheek with his thumb before taking his leave, bowing his head to Arthur as he passed. “You will look after her, sire?”
Arthur locked eyes upon Gwen. “With my life.”
“Like you would for all your subjects,” Elyan said slowly, and Arthur didn’t miss the insinuation.
“Of course, Elyan,” Arthur replied, arching an eyebrow.
The younger man glanced back at Gwen then muttered something Arthur couldn’t understand as he disappeared into the trees. Arthur’s second eyebrow rose when Guinevere stifled a giggle with her shoulder.
“What did he say?” When she clamped her mouth shut, he came closer, playfully wagging his finger. “Guinevere…”
“I dare not; it was impudent,” she replied, the sun shining in her eyes.
“Like that’s a problem for you,” he said, unable to help touching her. He cupped the very cheek her brother had; but this time, Gwen closed her eyes as if she reveled in his touch. “You don’t have to listen to me, remember?”
“Not when you aren’t speaking sense,” Gwen answered and opened her eyes. “I wasn’t going to leave without you.”
The conviction in her tone almost made his heart stop. Not only would she not have left, she would’ve come back inside for him if he’d taken too long. As it were, she and her brother had been coming towards the caves when he and the others had just been leaving.
Exhaling slowly, Arthur cupped her other cheek and rested his forehead against hers. So very loyal, so very Guinevere, that she’d risk her life for those for whom she cared. How very lucky he was to be in that number.
He opened his eyes when her own hands framed his face, and his eyes fell upon her wrists. He could still see the bruises, although they had begun fading. He kissed the left one tenderly.
“When I next see Cenred, I will kill him,” he vowed against her pulse point.
Her hands tensed along his jaw. “Please do not seek him out.”
He nodded. “Nevertheless, Guinevere. Those who dare endanger those important to me will pay.”
Her brown gaze darted about his face, then she eased back and pressed a hand to her chest. “I…uh…better go find Elyan and help him hunt breakfast. I fear he is as adept with a sling as I am with a sword!”
He smiled a little at her fleeing, especially considering the sword was right where she’d let it drop from her hands. He bent and picked it up, testing the weight of the weapon in his hand. He fully agreed with Elyan about giving Gwen more lessons; anything to better protect Guinevere was a good thing in his book. It was a shame Elyan wasn’t of noble birth; from what he saw, Elyan would have been an excellent knight.
Yet another tradition that would have to be changed once he were king, if not before.
*yai-mother in Wolof
**jigeen-sister in Wolof
He looked over his shoulder to where Morgana and Merlin were still sleeping and decided against awakening them. It was quiet save for the typical forest sounds and Morgana, at the very least, would know to call out should something befall them. With that silent reassurance, he followed a hunch and turned left, his sword relaxed by his side but gripped ready for anything.
It didn’t take long for him to hear the crash of blade upon blade, and he started for a sprint. His sword was primed to run the first bandit through when trilling laughter stopped him cold. He arched an eyebrow when the laughter became fuller, almost to the point of a cackle, and Arthur couldn’t help chuckling himself.
“You need to take this seriously, Gwen! You never did!”
“But don’t you remember? You used to take the straw from yai’s* broom and use the handle as a sword-”
“And then Father would pretend he was some dastardly beast so that I could vanquish him!” Elyan added, chuckling himself. The laughter then faded. “He taught me everything I knew.”
Arthur crept closer to put the siblings in his sights. Gwen twirled the sword around under Elyan’s watchful gaze, crossing one foot in front of the other in practice stances.
“Well, not everything,” Gwen said on a sigh, bring the sword to a complete stop right in front of her. “I don’t think Father could fight like you did back there.”
“No, but he knew how to handle a sword, and that is half the battle,” Elyan said. “As you do. You could be much better if you practiced.”
Gwen scowled at that but started tentative swings again. “I don’t really prefer swords; you know that.”
“Yes, you don’t do upfront well,” Elyan muttered.
Gwen suddenly whirled and whacked the backs of her brother’s thighs with the flat of the sword, causing him to stumble. Gwen’s cackle covered Arthur’s own amused snort.
“Very funny!” Elyan groused, rubbing his thighs.
“I thought so!” she admitted, but this time she ducked when Elyan brought up his sword to clash with her blade. Gwen shuffled back but didn’t quite lose her footing. Elyan smirked at her.
“We will train in the mornings from now on-”
She broke her stance. “Elyan, no-”
“Yes. You need to be sharper with a blade, Guinevere. I don’t like the fact they could just come in your home and take you like that.” Elyan approached her, still keep his form. “ And a fire poker? Really, Gwen!”
She glared at him with her sword’s hand on her hip. “It could’ve done some damage if I weren’t out of my wits!”
“Hence the training, jigeen**,” Elyan said with much affection. He gingerly took the sword from her, holding both with one hand. “And not to stand like that with a weapon will be our first lesson!”
Arthur laughed outright then, and was even more impressed by the way Elyan immediately pushed Gwen behind him and readied both swords in his hands. Arthur chose this moment to reveal himself, his hands out in a gesture of peace. Elyan barely relaxed, eyeing him suspiciously, and Arthur nodded.
“I am alone.”
Elyan still remained on his guard until his sister’s hand on his shoulder made him relax. Arthur inclined his head.
“I just wanted to make sure you were all right; I did not see you at camp when I awoke.”
“Is not a brother allowed to spend time alone with his sister, especially after such a long absence?”
“Elyan!” Gwen chastised, a horrified look upon her face.
“Indeed,” Arthur agreed, sliding his eyes to Gwen. She ducked her head and tucked a curl behind her. “I certainly cannot fault you for that.”
Elyan scoffed. “I’m sure-”
“Elyan, please be quiet!” Gwen whispered frantically.
Elyan didn’t drop his gaze from Arthur, who stood taller in response. Apparently, he eventually became satisfied with what he saw for he then turned and cupped his sister’s cheek while handing her her sword with his free hand. “I think, since we are in the spirit of practicing, I shall see how far my shooting skills have fallen or if I can kill a bit of meat for us.”
Gwen gave him a half smile. “If I’m to train with a sword, you shall train with a sling.”
“Fair enough,” Elyan said, and brushed her cheek with his thumb before taking his leave, bowing his head to Arthur as he passed. “You will look after her, sire?”
Arthur locked eyes upon Gwen. “With my life.”
“Like you would for all your subjects,” Elyan said slowly, and Arthur didn’t miss the insinuation.
“Of course, Elyan,” Arthur replied, arching an eyebrow.
The younger man glanced back at Gwen then muttered something Arthur couldn’t understand as he disappeared into the trees. Arthur’s second eyebrow rose when Guinevere stifled a giggle with her shoulder.
“What did he say?” When she clamped her mouth shut, he came closer, playfully wagging his finger. “Guinevere…”
“I dare not; it was impudent,” she replied, the sun shining in her eyes.
“Like that’s a problem for you,” he said, unable to help touching her. He cupped the very cheek her brother had; but this time, Gwen closed her eyes as if she reveled in his touch. “You don’t have to listen to me, remember?”
“Not when you aren’t speaking sense,” Gwen answered and opened her eyes. “I wasn’t going to leave without you.”
The conviction in her tone almost made his heart stop. Not only would she not have left, she would’ve come back inside for him if he’d taken too long. As it were, she and her brother had been coming towards the caves when he and the others had just been leaving.
Exhaling slowly, Arthur cupped her other cheek and rested his forehead against hers. So very loyal, so very Guinevere, that she’d risk her life for those for whom she cared. How very lucky he was to be in that number.
He opened his eyes when her own hands framed his face, and his eyes fell upon her wrists. He could still see the bruises, although they had begun fading. He kissed the left one tenderly.
“When I next see Cenred, I will kill him,” he vowed against her pulse point.
Her hands tensed along his jaw. “Please do not seek him out.”
He nodded. “Nevertheless, Guinevere. Those who dare endanger those important to me will pay.”
Her brown gaze darted about his face, then she eased back and pressed a hand to her chest. “I…uh…better go find Elyan and help him hunt breakfast. I fear he is as adept with a sling as I am with a sword!”
He smiled a little at her fleeing, especially considering the sword was right where she’d let it drop from her hands. He bent and picked it up, testing the weight of the weapon in his hand. He fully agreed with Elyan about giving Gwen more lessons; anything to better protect Guinevere was a good thing in his book. It was a shame Elyan wasn’t of noble birth; from what he saw, Elyan would have been an excellent knight.
Yet another tradition that would have to be changed once he were king, if not before.
*yai-mother in Wolof
**jigeen-sister in Wolof