Tired of Pretending

Hunting

"We are not going back until we catch something." Exclaims Arthur to the ever complaining Merlin.

Merlin, who just finished making the fire looks up, "so... say we catch something now, could we go home and not spend the night out here?"

Arthur rolls his eyes, "that's not going to happen but... yes."

Merlin gets up suddenly grabs Arthur's crossbow and starts to walk off.

"Hey!" Arthur calls, "where do you think your going?"

"I wanna go home." Merlin calls back over his shoulder.

Arthur sighs, Merlin will be back soon when he realizes he's hopeless at hunting.

Merlin walks silently through the forest ranting in his head, if I had known we was going to make us stay out here over night I would have let him catch something. Now I have to do it myself.

Normally Merlin wouldn't mind but it was so cold tonight and he only has a thread bare blanket.

Wait.

Merlin hears a slight rustle a ways off and heads in that direction on silent feet. Thank goodness Arthur isn't here, he wouldn't hear the end of it. He never really has reason to use his stealth, but when he does, not even Arthur can hear him.

Merlin grins, it was a large turkey that he had heard. Merlin lingers at the edge of the small clearing. He loads the crossbow and kneels, he braces an elbow on his knee to hold it steady and aims carefully.

Twang.

The arrow shoots and hits its target right in the eye.

A small squawk and the large male hits the ground with a thump.

Merlin walks to it with a grimace and heaves it up, making his way back to Arthur.

Arthur's tending the fire when he hears steady crashing through the forest and grins, well that was quick. He probably just figured out he doesn't know how to use a crossbow.

Merlin breaks through the trees with the turkey over his shoulder, Arthur falls off his log with shock.

Merlin stomps over and dumps the bird at Arthur's feet and goes to start packing Arthur's horse.

"Wha-How-What?"

Merlin looks up in surprise, "what are you doing? Lets go, I wanna go home. I'm cold, I'm tired, I'm hungry. I hope you're- why haven't you done anything?"

"How did you kill it?"

Merlin gives Arthur a really?... face and points at the crossbow.

"Well I know that but..."

Merlin rolls his eyes, "just get on the horse Arthur."

Merlin mounts and waits for his prince.

Arthur, still very bewildered, does as he's told.

Merlin shakes his head and twists his torso to check that the turkey is on there tight.

Arthur was thinking it should get cold like this more often, he would like to see how he did it.

Arthur knows Merlin would never tell him, he wouldn't even show him how good of a shot he is, but by the judge of that fowl he's dang good.

Arthur sets his jaw, well we'll just see about that. Merlin will tell him. He will find out.

Merlin snorts, he can see the thoughts written clearly on Arthur's face, and he'll never tell.