Silver Storm (Merlin x OC/reader)

Chapter 3

Moranavine's POV

"You know he's been out there for quite a while." I hissed at the ointment Hans tried so gently to apply. An impressed stare followed the features up to my face. "What is it?" I crow'd.

"It's just interesting, your worry for Merlin seems hastened, I'm sure he won't mind that though, he loves that kind of attention." I tilted my head.

"What do you mean?" He paused and gazed.

"Oh sorry! I didn't mean that in a bad way, I'm just saying that it's fascinating that you care for him or any of us for that fact," he scratched the back of his head. I drew out a breath.

"Why would I not care? You've done nothing but treat me well the entire time I've been in your care." His muscles tensed as I spoke to him.

"Well, I mean, look at us, you are a beautifully strong and independent woman, and we're just some stubby green dwarves," the last word off his tongue was laced with a form of hate and desire. This curse, it's affecting each and every one of them differently. I wonder, what Arthur told me, are those really his true feelings? Does he view this curse as a burden just as much as Hans does? Or Merlin? I averted my gaze from the redhead.

To be cursed seems just as awful as being tainted, coming from someone who has been exposed to both. I forced myself to look back at my caretaker.

"Have you heard the term 'don't judge a book by its cover'?" I asked softly.

"I haven't met a person who hasn't." A joking response.

"What do you think it means? To not judge a book by its cover?" He pulled his hands away from my healing wound.

"Hmm, to be understanding of the contents inside even if the cover isn't appealing," his honest answer, I chuckled.

"Y'know, when I was being tutored during my childhood, I was constantly lectured for stomping on plants I didn't think were pretty," Hans let out a laugh and I joined him. "My teacher always said, 'don't judge a book by its cover.' I never listened though, until one day when I was playing in the garden, I had cut myself against a plant with thorns, I couldn't stomp on it or else my feet would be scraped. I cried and cried until my teacher came out."

"What did she do?" A curious look met my own.

"She took the leaves of the plant, ground them up and mixed them with water, making a paste, she rubbed it on my arm and it healed within a few hours."

"Oh wow." He cooed.

"I can say that I never stomped on a plant again." He chortled. I sat quietly for a moment. "'Don't judge a book by its cover.' Don't perceive by first impressions, it goes both ways, if I had judged you by only the way you look, I wouldn't have gotten to know the kind and talented side you portray so well. Your cooking is amazing and you're well experienced with the medicine around you. It takes skill, persistence, and patience to learn and do as you do. Getting to know you all is a blessing and I've come to enjoy your company, and somewhere within us, we're all 'stubby, green dwarves'." the twittering of birds filled the silence in the room as we stared at each other. A warm glow of sunlight brightened his amber eyes. I saw his jaw drop just slightly as we maintained eye contact. I chuckled, it no longer hurt to make happy, small movements or actions. He blinked and cleared his throat, pulling away some.

"W-well umm, thank you, I have also enjoyed your company," he stuttered out, a light dusting of pink grazing his green cheeks.

"Hey, if it weren't for you guys I'd still be somewhere in the woods rotting away," he had finished wrapping my wound, it was on a steady track of healing, with the medicine he used, it should be fully healed by tomorrow's sun.