Merthur - Arthur's Secret

Chapter 31 - So Close

Scarlett's POV

I watch silently from behind a tree as Emrys rises from the Lake of Avalon. I see him stumble onto shore and collapse in the grass, breathing heavily. He's a rather gangly boy. I could hardly believe someone who looks so fragile could possible be my greatest enemy, yet the magical power radiating off of him was enough prove to me that things were not always as they seem.

I see the boy sit up and start looking around. After being seated on the grass for about an hour he finally decides to get up and leave. Before following after him, I quickly whisper a spell, erasing all traces of Emrys having been here. I didn't want Arthur finding him.

I duck farther back behind the tree, making sure I'm out of sight as he passed. I notice the confusion as he slowly wanders through the forest, walking in the exact opposite direction of Camelot.

I let a small smile creep onto my face. It seems the Dochraid's ritual had worked after all. Emrys does not remember anything.

I turn and walk away into the forest.

-----

Travis's POV

I lag behind Emrys and Ari as the latter pulls Emrys by the hand towards our home. Emrys seems to be slightly older then me. Perhaps 22 or 23 summers, though he is still extremely clumsy. He's already almost tripped on multiple occasions on his own feet during the short walk.

Ari's skipping about happily, her black hair bouncing behind her as she tells him about all the fun they'll have. I see him smile brightly as they continue to talk. I feel a small grin cross my face at the scene. His smile is very contagious.

We soon arrive at our house. It's rather small, looking as though it could house four people at most. The wooden boards that hold the structure together look ready to collapse. I should probably fix that.

Ari runs up to the door, which is honestly just a few boards nailed together poorly, and pulls it open. The wood creaks loudly as it scratches across the dirt floor.

"Welcome to your new home!" Ari cries proudly, arms outstretched in front of her.

There's really nothing to be proud about. There's not much furniture in the main room. The only things there are a small dining table, two rickety chairs, an old stove, and a cupboard. In the small side room, which we used as a bedchamber, only contained two blankets, two pillows on the floor, and a few of our belongings.

I walk in after Ari and see Emrys peek through the door wearily. He walks in shyly. I notice him scan the room for something.

"Is there something wrong?" I ask.

"Oh! No! Nothing's wrong I'm just wondering if your mother and fath-" he starts.

I cup a hand over his mouth, muffling him. He raises an eyebrow quizzically. I bring a finger up to my lips, indicating for him to be quiet. I turn to look at Ari. I let out a breath of relief to see she hasn't heard what he said. I turn back to face him, a stern look on my face.

"Don't ask about our parents around Ari. Understand?" I hiss under my breath.

He nods.

"I'll tell you later. For now just don't mention anything about parents around her."

He nods again. I remove my hand from his mouth.

"What are you two doing?" I hear Ari ask.

I spin on my heel and smile down at my little sister. "Oh, I'm simply suggesting that Emrys allow me to examine his head for any sign of injury." I sit him down on the chair with a smile, hoping he would understand and play along.