I Don't Belong Here

Holy Sidhe

For future reference: Sidhe is pronounced sheed. So the title is a pun. On to the story!

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Arthur and I move stealthily through the woods, a buck is grazing a few yards away. I convinced him to let me come hunting and now I'm showing him how it's done. Merlin is off somewhere behind us holding the rabbits we shot - Arthur and I got one each - and Arthur's swords. I lead the approach to the deer, Arthur is notching an arrow in the crossbow behind me. 

"Where would you fire?" I whisper to the prince.

"Shoot for the side," he answers. "Right in the middle."

I sigh softly. "You can get away with that with rabbits," I tell him. "With deer, they're bigger so you have to aim for as many vital organs as possible. Based on the angle we have and the power of the crossbow," I do a few calculations in my head, figuring out where it's heart and lungs would be, "I'd shoot right where the chest and neck meet. That way you hit the lungs for sure, hopefully, its heart and maybe slice its jugular." Arthur is staring at me weirdly. I roll my eyes. 

I take the crossbow from him - since it would be unacceptable if I carried my bow through town -  and aim where I said. This thing is like a gun, not as powerful but close, so I can get some pretty good damage. I take aim, steady my breath and just before I pull the trigger...

"What is it?" Merlin comes barreling into Arthur who bumps into me. Arthur becomes suddenly angry while I just sigh in frustration.

"You really are a total buffoon, aren't you, Merlin?" Arthur says angrily to the boy. I smirk a little at his insult. They say the darndest things.

"I was just asking," Merlin says quietly in his defence.

"Who? Us or the deer?" Arthur questions. The deer in question is running off at the noises we're making. "We're supposed to be hunting. It requires speed, stealth and an agile mind!" He swats the back of Merlin's head.

"Good to know Y/n's carrying the team then," Merlin quips. 

Before Arthur can respond to that, we all hear a woman scream in the distance. Merlin quietly questions what the sound was and Arthur shushes him. I hear the woman yell 'help' and immediately grab the shorter sword and start sprinting. Arthur grabs the long sword from Merlin and follows me. 

I reach a clearing where a band of thugs are trying to rob an old man and a young woman. The old man is on the ground while a man points a sword at his neck. I fire the still notched arrow at the man standing over the old one. He falls to the ground and the other thugs chuckle when they see me standing there. Arthur comes up to my side and we ready for the fight. The thugs let the girl go, she and the old man hold each other off to the side. Merlin just catches up to us. 

The first man swings his sword at Arthur. The prince blocks, spins then winds the man by colliding his elbow with his back. He tries to get up but I kick him in the face. Arthur continues fighting with another man and I go to the third one. He tries really hard to hit me but he's big and slow while I'm quick. I block his sword with mine then get in close and elbow him in the jugular. He falls, desperate trying to breathe through his closed windpipe. Arthur is behind me still fighting the guy. Behind him, the man I kicked is getting up and looking at Arthur menacingly. Before I can react, a branch above him snaps off the tree and crushes him. Well done, Merlin. Arthur finishes off his guy and joins my side as the third man stands again. He looks at us in fear before sprinting off. Smart move. 

I retrieve Arthur's small sword and wipe it off on the dead man's shirt. "And let that be a lesson to you!" Merlin shouts after the running man. Both Arthur and I turn to face him. Arthur looks unimpressed and I'm caught between confusion, amusement and disappointment. "What?" He asks innocently. "I was covering your back." We both roll our eyes before turning to the pair we saved.