Lady Knight Missione (Merlin fanfic)

Chapter Two

I push the blanket over and stand up on the wooden floorboards to find that all my strength is back to normal. I sigh in relief that I am healed and healthier. I walk closer to the wooden door while scanning the room hoping to find my own clothing. I look over to the end of the bed to find a mat there with my clothing piled on top. I pick them up and quickly change into the familiar fabric feeling even better with the familiarity. I get confused though as the smell hits my noise, it is different. Someone must have washed it. When I am finished changing I open the door and find myself in a hallway with two other doors opposite from me and a dead end on my right. On my left leads to another room where a few voices are coming from.

I muster up any courage I may have and walk down the hall towards the other room. Walking out of the hallway I find myself in a larger room that looks like it serves as a kitchen and living room with its large brown wooden table in the centre along with a stove at the far wall and more chairs around. There are three people seated at the wooden table, the girl from before, a guy around my age maybe a little older with black hair and brown eyes, and an older man who is at least sixty.

When they all notice me standing in the door frame their conversations stop and all eyes land on me. The girl only briefly looks at me while the boy looks at me like he is sizing me up, but there's kindness in his eyes along with a curious undertone, and the older man only looks at me with a calm and somewhat curious expression.

"It's about time you woke up, I had to miss morning practice because of you." Says the girl.

I immediately feel a little guilty and say to her, "Sorry."

She looks very annoyed as she responds with, "Well I have to take you back to the village. You can find your own way after that. Let's go." She gets up quickly walking over to me, grabs me by the arm and starts to pull me towards the door but the boy's voice stops her.

"Wait, shouldn't we give her a meal and at least tell her our names while learning hers, Al." The boy says.

The old man, or Al seems to be thinking. After a few minutes of this and silence, he says, "Yes. I don't know of that to be wise but my curiosity has gotten the better of me." He chuckles a bit as he speaks, and then continues more seriously. "Sit child and tell us your story. Elie will get you some soup and bread. I'm afraid there's no meat this spring. As you can already tell my name is Albertan, Al for short. This is Alexandra or Alex, she may seem a bit tempered but she is a sweet one. The boy is Elliot, he prefers Elie. Finally what is your name child and how do you come to be here?"

By now Elie has set a bowl with a bit of bread to eat for me already as I sit down in the empty wooden chair. I am taken back by her name, Alexandra, my name. I don't want to make her temper any worse no matter what Al said, so I decide to make up one. They all have long names so I choose one that I heard in a story once.

"You can call me Missy, short for Missione. How I came upon your lodgings I'm a little unsure of myself. Where exactly am I?" I ask, a little scared to hear what he has to say.

He chuckles again and says, "You are in Camelot territory, under the reign of King Uther."

I sit stunned, staring in to space at his words, they shock me. How did I get here? And more importantly, why? How is this even possible? But then again for as long as I can remember I've thought anything was.

"Missy? Missy?" Elie asks while waving his hand in front of my face.

"What?" I say.

"Are you alright?"

"Of course she's fine, let's just go all ready." Interrupts Alex.

"Wait! May I ask you something?" I ask Al hurriedly.

"You can ask." He says.

My question is, alright it sounds a little bizarre and crazy, maybe even stupid but if this really is Camelot I want to be able to defend myself. I've read how dangerous it is here with Saxons and bandits, and I don't want to die an early death.

"Do you know where I can seek apprentice ship for the art of swordsmanship?" I ask a little unsure of how I said it.

They all look a little taken back but quickly recover.

"Why do you want to know?" Asks Elie a little suspicious.

"Well if this is Camelot, I need to learn how to defend myself. Besides swords always held an interest for me." I answer as honestly as I can.

They don't look convinced so I continue pleading my case. "I know I'm not that strong now or whatever, but I want to learn, I have to."

This answer seems to satisfy Al as he tells me, "You will room with Alex. She will get you started and Elie will teach you the basics. I'll teach you the more advanced techniques and knowledge later on when you're finished the basics."

"Al," Alex tries to argue but a firm shake of his head stops her from further argument.

"Fine then, but what is with your accent and strange words? I've never heard it before," She asks.

"Don't be rude" Elie scolds.

"It's all right. I come from very far away, very far." I tell her thinking of home and how it really is far away.

Will I ever return? Somehow it seems I never will. It makes me feel sad, but also happy.

"But-" She is interrupted by Al who says, "You can ask her about her past if you tell her yours. If only one side is told it's unfair."

That shuts her up and no more questions are directed at me the rest of the day. I finish my soup then am shown the outhouse area and the rest of Al's land. The next day is a lot more difficult though.