Lost in Albion 1 (Merlin) - Completed

12

Chapter 12

Some time has passed being here in Camelot, most likely months but I had no way to tell. Maybe even a year. All I know of time is the sun and the day, everything else – dates, months and the year fuddle together like being on school holiday too long. To be truthful, I don't even know what year it is really. I never asked and it would seem weird that I wouldn't know I never brought it up.

My nightmares were not a common occurrence but when they appeared they shook me deeper than ever, usually leading to my sleepless night of wandering around. One night, I had gone down to the training ground with no aim in mind but to look through the weapons out of interest. Each knight had their own sword which they had the honour of naming that they kept with them at almost all times. Castor had elegantly named his 'Brain Slasher' which I just smiled at and did not comment. Torj and Leon both had something actually meaningful but the words left my mind shorty after.

I had picked up a bow one of those nights, playing around with the arrows and a target. I was never any good, only hitting the target a few times. Torj had found me after getting up one night, hearing me nearly knock down a statue against the wall near our chambers and followed me out. He laughed at my attempt, coming from the shadow which was a terrifying memory but he became committed to teaching me and so for one night a week we would meet on the training grounds to teach me archery.

By now I was good enough to ride and shoot efficiently, I even had a couple of swings with a sword but I found it much too heavy for me to sustain. But I could swing it and if my enemy was not watching I could do some damage. Just remind me to attack from behind.

The other two came to know of my midnight habit after I embarrassingly shot Torj in the foot which he still has not forgiven me about and I had run to them, admittedly laughing as he cursed me out.

Every month or so they would go out for a few days to hunt, a process which the Knights of Camelot seemed to shift rotate for sport as well as another group that scouts the lands and visits the surrounding villages in Camelot's domain. After learning archery I was desperate to put my skills to the test and begged them to let me come hunting. Initially, they refused but I irritated them enough that they proposed the idea to Arthur and now to everybody else I attend as a temporary 'servant', to help carry their wares but I was forbidden from the scouting. Which I did not argue with, as it seems ever so boring but I did leave me for a week with little entertainment. But not without friends.

As the seamstress, I have met most of the permanent residents of the castle and after many lessons with Guinevere I had enough skill to be able to perform the duties on my own and I was able to stop paying Gwen and save my money as my own. Arthur never seems to have all his clothing in working order, at least one shirt or pair of pants a week and I had even met the librarian, Geoffrey to mend his robe. I had been able to meet the other knights as well, patching holes. They didn't see me as a friend but as a servant, which is all I am to them so I cannot expect much else. I suppose that's all the other three would see me as if they were not the ones to find me and if I had not attached myself to them with a hook and sinker.

Because of my job, I had plenty of spare time being able to perform most at my own pace but fast enough to not have complaints thrown my way. Usually, I would sit in my room through the middle of the day and late at night when everybody else is busy with their own jobs. Some weeks I had almost nothing to do and would go into town to visit Gorham and Gwen's father.

I knew there isn't much I can do in the way of getting home. Uther's law forbids magic and I lacked the skill and courage to leave Camelot on my own so I figured I would wait until Merlin shows if he does at all.