sonofpendragon:

iamthefirechild:

sonofpendragon:

“Don’t be, this’ll be lots of fun for us, not everyday one goes exploring.”

The fallen knight let his arm fall, eyes already starting to roll back in his head. “It will … only begin … again,” he mumbled, and passed out.

Summer looked down at him, and then back up at Arthur. “I’m not sure if that was agreement or not,” she admitted. “But he certainly didn’t say no. I think we had better put him up on my horse and get off the path; we can’t go far, but at least off the path and have his armour off.”

Arthur let out a sigh and placed his sword back into the holder and looked over at Summer. “You’re right, let’s take him back to the castle, perhaps Gaius might be able to help us with him. He might be able to heal his wounds,” he suggested, helping Summer get the fallen knight off the road.

Summer peeled up the chain and paused. “I … don’t think we can wait that long.” There was blood oozing out of a terrible mass of crushed, cut and bruised flesh. The links had left deep marks in the skin.

“I need water. And something to wrap him with, I have to stop the bleeding.”

sonofpendragon:

iamthefirechild:

sonofpendragon:

sonofpendragon:

He gently kneels down and shakes her arm. “Summer? You’re gonna get cold out here.” He speaks softly.

“Summer, please, it’s me, it’s Arthur.” He spoke quickly as he let go of her arms, worried about her flailing around. He hoped that she wouldn’t end up hurting herself.

His eyes were wide as he looked at Summer. “What do you mean, not supposed to be here?”

Summer forced herself to say it, no matter how the words caught in her throat. “I’m in love with you. Arthur. But it’s not supposed to be me. If I’m here, because of me — there was a spell, but it couldn’t take, because I’m already in love with you. Trying to make sure you aren’t with the person you’re destined to be with.”

It didn’t come out clearly; she didn’t know how to explain it. Just that she needed to leave. Now.

She scrambled out of the bed, heedless of her state of dress, and started flinging her meager possessions onto the covers. “I have to go.”

Arthur shook his head more, still confused over her words. “Summer… I am sorry that I cannot return those affections that you have for me and again I’m sorry but why do you have to leave? There is no need and you can still be a friend to me no?” He asked confused.

“Where are you gonna go?” He asked, getting up from his seat and followed over to where she was.

“The spell — ” Summer closed her eyes, hands stilling. “It didn’t take this time. But another time … and if they get to you?” She wanted to say to him why it didn’t matter if they ever got to him or not — all they had to do was bend her enough, control her enough, and she would do the rest herself, with her own magic.

“I don’t know. Away. From you. I don’t know.”

sonofpendragon:

iamthefirechild:

sonofpendragon:

He gently kneels down and shakes her arm. “Summer? You’re gonna get cold out here.” He speaks softly.

His hands. His hands were on her. She struggled, trying to wrench her arms away. “No, no, you mustn’t — don’t — !” The words tangled in her mouth, still partly caught up in the dream, in the horror of it.

And then it all came together in a flash.

Wide-eyed, she locked her gaze on Arthur, falling still. “I’m not supposed to be here.”

“Summer, please, it’s me, it’s Arthur.” He spoke quickly as he let go of her arms, worried about her flailing around. He hoped that she wouldn’t end up hurting herself.

His eyes were wide as he looked at Summer. “What do you mean, not supposed to be here?”

Summer forced herself to say it, no matter how the words caught in her throat. “I’m in love with you. Arthur. But it’s not supposed to be me. If I’m here, because of me — there was a spell, but it couldn’t take, because I’m already in love with you. Trying to make sure you aren’t with the person you’re destined to be with.”

It didn’t come out clearly; she didn’t know how to explain it. Just that she needed to leave. Now.

She scrambled out of the bed, heedless of her state of dress, and started flinging her meager possessions onto the covers. “I have to go.”

sonofpendragon:

iamthefirechild:

sonofpendragon:

He gently kneels down and shakes her arm. “Summer? You’re gonna get cold out here.” He speaks softly.

Obediently she closed her eyes, arms folded on top of the coverlet, trying to relax. The question nagged at her brain, though.

Why did she need Arthur? Why had she gone looking for him?

After a few minutes, she rolled over onto her side, long braid sliding off the side of the bed. The ache of her head grew worse the more she pressed at the question, until involuntary tears started in her eyes. She ignored them, though, still worrying,

How long she lay there until exhaustion pushed her into a shallow sleep, she didn’t know. But she woke up with a rush from an overwhelming dream — Arthur and herself, and someone else she had forced away from Arthur, someone who was supposed to be there. And the terrible sense of something broken irreparably.

“No!”

Arthur sat back in his seat; he wasn’t sure what was going with Summer. She was acting so strangely, she was usually so bubbly, but never looking so lost and in pain. He couldn’t tell or guess what her eyes were screaming when he was talking to her, only that she was deeply frightened about something.

He wasn’t sure when he drifted off, but he did, chin resting against his chest as he had quiet sighs escaping. When he heard her shouts of no, Arthur was jolted awake and eyes wide from the sudden wake up. “Summer!” He shouted, reaching out for her arms and held them a bit. “Summer, it’s Arthur, you’re okay now, you’re okay.”

His hands. His hands were on her. She struggled, trying to wrench her arms away. “No, no, you mustn’t — don’t — !” The words tangled in her mouth, still partly caught up in the dream, in the horror of it.

And then it all came together in a flash.

Wide-eyed, she locked her gaze on Arthur, falling still. “I’m not supposed to be here.”

sonofpendragon:

iamthefirechild:

sonofpendragon:

“Don’t be, this’ll be lots of fun for us, not everyday one goes exploring.”

“No!” Summer flung up her hands, trying to shield the fallen knight, who reached up, trying to push them aside. “I meant the other way. Maybe if we help him, heal him, take care of him … maybe he only wants you to kill him because he thinks he’s dying anyway.”

Arthur blinked and nodded his head, “Alright, that sounds like a better plan anyway. I didn’t want to harm and kill him anyway. Is that alright? May we help and try to heal this pain?” he asked, looking at the knight.

The fallen knight let his arm fall, eyes already starting to roll back in his head. “It will … only begin … again,” he mumbled, and passed out.

Summer looked down at him, and then back up at Arthur. “I’m not sure if that was agreement or not,” she admitted. “But he certainly didn’t say no. I think we had better put him up on my horse and get off the path; we can’t go far, but at least off the path and have his armour off.”

sonofpendragon:

iamthefirechild:

sonofpendragon:

iamthefirechild:

sonofpendragon:

“Don’t be, this’ll be lots of fun for us, not everyday one goes exploring.”

Feebly, the knight fought with his helmet, trying to get it off. “Please,” he rasped. “You must.”

Sighing, Summer brushed past Arthur and helped the fallen knight. She held the helmet in her hands, looking over the revealed face. Young, blue-eyed, pale curly hair limp with sweat, Much like Arthur, in fact. He lay supporting himself on one elbow, looking up at Arthur with pleading eyes.

“If you don’t, it all begins again,” he said.

Arthur was almost taken back with how much they almost looked alike. Was this some weird test? A test to show one’s courage and strength. Was it something that if he did end up killing this fallen knight. In such a honorable still, would he be damning himself in a odd way?

Looking at Summer, he turned to her. “What do you believe I should do? I don’t wish to kill a fellow knight, not one so fallen and can accept defeat so graciously.”

Gently, she touched the crumpled edges of the fallen knight’s armor. “I — I don’t know.”

“Please,” he begged, voice cracking. Summer bowed her head, wishing desperately that Arthur accepted magic, so she could tell him how strongly the knight felt about this. Not that she wanted to kill him either, but it seemed to mean so very much to him.

“Let’s — maybe it’s not a killing blow. If we help him … ” She looked up to Arthur.

Arthur’s eyes flickered to Summer and sighed, holding his sword up a bit. He thought about striking, but he couldn’t stand to do it either, no matter how much he was being begged to do this. “Not a killing blow? Do you mean like stabbing in the abdomen and such?”

“Can you tell me why? Why this need to be stabbed and finished off?”

“No!” Summer flung up her hands, trying to shield the fallen knight, who reached up, trying to push them aside. “I meant the other way. Maybe if we help him, heal him, take care of him … maybe he only wants you to kill him because he thinks he’s dying anyway.”

sonofpendragon:

iamthefirechild:

sonofpendragon:

“Don’t be, this’ll be lots of fun for us, not everyday one goes exploring.”

Feebly, the knight fought with his helmet, trying to get it off. “Please,” he rasped. “You must.”

Sighing, Summer brushed past Arthur and helped the fallen knight. She held the helmet in her hands, looking over the revealed face. Young, blue-eyed, pale curly hair limp with sweat, Much like Arthur, in fact. He lay supporting himself on one elbow, looking up at Arthur with pleading eyes.

“If you don’t, it all begins again,” he said.

Arthur was almost taken back with how much they almost looked alike. Was this some weird test? A test to show one’s courage and strength. Was it something that if he did end up killing this fallen knight. In such a honorable still, would he be damning himself in a odd way?

Looking at Summer, he turned to her. “What do you believe I should do? I don’t wish to kill a fellow knight, not one so fallen and can accept defeat so graciously.”

Gently, she touched the crumpled edges of the fallen knight’s armor. “I — I don’t know.”

“Please,” he begged, voice cracking. Summer bowed her head, wishing desperately that Arthur accepted magic, so she could tell him how strongly the knight felt about this. Not that she wanted to kill him either, but it seemed to mean so very much to him.

“Let’s — maybe it’s not a killing blow. If we help him … ” She looked up to Arthur.

sonofpendragon:

iamthefirechild:

sonofpendragon:

He gently kneels down and shakes her arm. “Summer? You’re gonna get cold out here.” He speaks softly.

“No, I — ” Her head hurt. She couldn’t think. Arthur couldn’t leave; she needed him to stay. Why? She reached up, running a hand down Arthur’s arm.

“I don’t know.”

Arthur pulled back for a second, grabbing a chair and placing it right next to Summer’s bed. “There, now I am here and you can try to sleep.”

Obediently she closed her eyes, arms folded on top of the coverlet, trying to relax. The question nagged at her brain, though.

Why did she need Arthur? Why had she gone looking for him?

After a few minutes, she rolled over onto her side, long braid sliding off the side of the bed. The ache of her head grew worse the more she pressed at the question, until involuntary tears started in her eyes. She ignored them, though, still worrying,

How long she lay there until exhaustion pushed her into a shallow sleep, she didn’t know. But she woke up with a rush from an overwhelming dream — Arthur and herself, and someone else she had forced away from Arthur, someone who was supposed to be there. And the terrible sense of something broken irreparably.

“No!”