Multifandom Imagines (and a Headcanon set here and there)

Teaching/Learning - Sadithur Week Prompt

(A/N: Warning - someone accidentally slightly stabs himself while trying five finger fillet, but it's Micah so it's okay.)

Micah was sitting at a barrel, being the lazy rat that he was.  Arthur had just gotten back from doing some fishing; he dumped whatever he had caught on Pearson's table and stalked over to Micah.  Micah braced himself for yet another yelling from Arthur to get to work, but instead he sat down opposite him.  Unsheathing his knife, he challenged, "Show me whatcha got." Micah got his own knife out. The two of them placed a hand each palm down on the barrel, flattening them. They poised their knives tip down on the barrel just beside their thumbs. "You can start us off," Arthur invited.

"That's surprisingly kind of you," Micah sneered.  Arthur just looked at him calmly.  When Micah looked down at his hands, Arthur did the same.  "One, two, three!"  They started moving their knives, plunging them down in the space between their fingers and then moving on to the next one.

Arthur quickly took the lead, setting a fast pace.  Micah noticed and tried to keep up, but ended up lightly jabbing himself in the knuckle of his index finger.  As much as he did not want to, Arthur clamped a hand over Micah's mouth before Jack heard anything he should not.  Micah broke away and ran off, his good hand holding his injured one as he hissed in pain.  Arthur chuckled quietly to himself, standing up and going to wash his hand. He left his knife on the barrel, intending to return for it.

Sadie had actually returned from hunting around the same time that Arthur had from fishing, and was curious as to how he would deal with Micah.  So, after leaving the animal carcasses with Pearson, she crept as near as she dared to where they were sitting, and stood behind a tree.  She had witnessed everything.  When Arthur went to wash his hands, she left her hiding spot and followed him, picking his knife up along the way.  Arthur turned to face the person whose presence he felt.  Upon getting the satisfaction of finding out who it was, he looked back at his hand and smiled, saying gently, "Oh, thank you.  Sheathe it for me."

But Sadie just played with the knife in her hands.  "You know...you could teach me."

He turned to face her again, fully this time since he felt that he hand was rat-free.  "Teach you what?"  He held a hand out for his knife.

"Five finger fillet..."  She handed it back to him.

He raised an eyebrow and took his knife, letting his hand linger on hers for a bit before pulling it back.  "I dunno that I could teach ya very well..."

Sadie smiled. "Come on, you know I understand ya better than anyone else."

He returned a smile of his own. "I suppose that's true. Listen, why don't we go about our chores for the day, then when night comes, I'll teach ya. Okay?"

"Sounds good," she chirped.  Still smiling, Arthur bent his neck so that his head was lowered to hers; they bumped their noses against each other's.  They went their separate ways for the day, but were eager for their appointment that night.

The day could not pass quickly enough for them. When they finally ate their dinner, they gobbled down their food; they considered eating this way everytime because they could not even taste it. They then hurried to the barrel. "Right, ya ready?" Arthur grinned at his student.

"Yeah," she chuckled. They took their knives out of their sheathes and held them up.

"Okay, so you'll wanna start off slow. In fact, I think you'd better use a stick or something, so as to not hurt yourself," Arthur began, his free hand tapping on the top of the barrel to place emphasis on what he said.

"But, Arthur, where'm I gonna get a stick from?" she questioned as she held her hands out to her sides, palms facing upwards.

"Just...pick one from a tree I s'ppose," he shrugged. After that was done, he continued, "Right. You know how this goes?"

"Hold the knife - or stick - like this," she did so correctly, "and then start with the outside of the thumb right?"

"Yep. And then move inwards. Come back to the outside of the thumb everytime before tapping the space after the previous finger. It's a simple pattern; it's the timing that takes practice. Don't want you stabbin' yourself 'n all."

"Like Micah?" she giggled.

"Like Micah," he smirked. "Now, I'm gonna do it first, you watch then follow." He commenced the activity, keeping his pace slow so that Sadie could observe the method properly. Unable to just sit and do nothing for long, Sadie joined it. "Good, good," he praised, a pleased smile on his face. He set a steady rhythm, one that a beginner could follow. Of course, Sadie was a quick learner, and soon was able to do it at about half the speed Arthur had when he was challenging Micah. Arthur noticed and looked up, stopping his own play. He just watched her, not stopping her yet to allow her to concentrate.

He enjoyed the rhythmic sound until she noticed him staring. She mirrored him and stopped and looked up. "What?"

"I think you've got it. Just keep practisin', and you'll get it real good in no time. Be sure to check with me though; I'll figure when you're ready to move on to an actual knife."

Sadie did not say anything; she just smiled sweetly at him. Then, she leant across the barrel and kissed his cheek, making him blush a little. "Thank you Arthur."

"You're most welcome darlin'," he mumbled, petting her arm.