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Swords & Spears & Daggers,

Oh My!

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With her ankle finally healed, Nerissa was satisfied to accompany Gaius and Merlin to the lower town to visit a few patients who couldn't make their way to the castle. Keeping busy kept her mind from drifting to thoughts she wished not to dwell on. Sir Ewan and his tragic death were never far from her mind. Nerissa was still taking a dreamless sleeping draught every night so that she could sleep through the night without any painful nightmares. The most difficult part of it all was that she never quite knew when a strong bout of grief might strike or what might trigger it.

Outwardly, Nerissa didn't appear to be grieving. But Merlin knew his sister and he knew how she behaved. Unless she happened to run into a round with Prince Prat, she was much more muted than normal. Merlin remembered growing up he would often wish for such a Nerissa, but seeing her like that made him wish he had never wished such a thing. If there was anything he could do to take her pain and memories away, he would. He wanted his sister back.

Nerissa took comfort in walking about Camelot with her ankle mended. While she usually toured the castle grounds or the town in the evening by herself, she didn't mind her present situation. Anything to keep her out of the physician's quarters for longer bits of time was fine by her. Most of her panic seemed tied to that area of the castle. Probably since that was where it happened.

But Nerissa didn't know how to deal with being there every day. That was the only place she had to live in Camelot. That was unless she married, which she certainly would never do. So she would be forever doomed to dwell in the physician's quarters unless she could find a way to earn an income on her own to pay for a place. And seeing as she was a woman, who wasn't of noble birth, the prospect seemed highly unlikely. She supposed she could go back to Ealdor, but Nerissa was far too stubborn of a creature to do such a thing. Besides, she'd likely end up married off anyway, which was the last thing she wanted.

As they left the house of an elderly woman in the lower town with a bad back, Nerissa spotted what seemed to be a man lying on the ground, face down and the people of Camelot simply going about their business and walking around him. Nerissa elbowed her brother. He opened his mouth to yell at her but then thought otherwise. Merlin looked at his sister who nodded toward the man with her head.

Merlin's brow furrowed in confusion. He squinted his eyes in hopes to get a better look, but he was still just as confused. "Gaius, what do you suppose is going on over there?" Merlin asked, pointing toward the man with his hand.

Gaius too seemed confused by the sight in the street. "We'd best go investigate," Gaius told his niece and nephew.

Neither Merlin nor Nerissa disagreed with him. Instead, they followed behind their uncle who led the way to the man lying in the street. As they drew closer to the man, it wasn't hard to spot that his skin was a rather strange blueish colour and he wasn't moving. She gasped when the realization hit her.

Nerissa stopped and closed her eyes when they were almost to the man. She balled her hands into fists, trying to keep them from shaking terribly. Perhaps she wasn't as ready as she thought. Her grief over losing Sir Ewan was still too raw in her heart. It seemed that everywhere she went, death seemed to follow.

A warm, roughed hand grabbed hers. She opened her eyes to find Gaius standing in front of her, blocking the view - which she was rather thankful he was doing. Gaius offered her an understanding smile. "My dear, could you go fetch any medicinal herbs you can find near . . ."

She didn't let him finish. Instead, Nerissa quickly nodded her head and turned on her heel, thankful for the welcome excuse that Gaius had given her. After slowly exhaling a breath she had been holding, Nerissa walked as quickly as she could back to the castle. She wasn't yet ready to deal with death again. While she had been present at Valiant's death, she hadn't seen it nor had he been brought to Gaius for an examination, like this man was sure to be. Nerissa knew that she was going to have to do more than find herbs to keep her from the physician's quarters.

Nerissa felt terrible that she wouldn't be of use to Gaius. She was much more skilled and versed in the area than Merlin, who was sure to be a poor substitute. But she wasn't ready yet and thankfully, Gaius understood that. Hopefully whatever had killed the poor man would be quickly solved and life would be back to normal, or whatever that was, in Camelot.

Thankfully, there were a few baskets kept outside the physician's quarters so Nerissa didn't have to go inside before she ventured outside the castle walls. With the basket tucked safely on her arm, Nerissa left the confinement of Camelot's walls looking for anything that might prove to be of medicinal value. Gaius hadn't given her a specific list of things to find, meaning that he was just trying to help keep her out of the way. While she intended to come back with a few things, the duty wasn't overly pressing.

She followed the well-worn path that led to a wooded area. Due to her confinement from her injured ankle, she hadn't yet had the opportunity to explore as much as she would have liked to. Very much like her brother, she was a curious soul and sometimes too much for her own good. It was a curious thing fresh air and exploration. Her mind was almost completely rid of her mental image of the dead man when she stumbled across some coriander.

From her mother's tutelage, she knew that coriander was used to reduce fevers. Nerissa knelt down and carefully tugged some leaves from the plant, just as her mother had taught her. She didn't want to pull the entire plant from the ground.

Although, that might not be the worst idea. Perhaps she could talk to Gaius and see if she might be able to grow a few of the herbs they used frequently in pots in the physician's quarters. Not that there was much room in here. Maybe she could offer up some space from her room to grow them. This way they would have herbs right on hand when they needed them.

With the coriander leaves in her basket, Nerissa continued her search. She also stumbled across some mint and sage, both of which were good for stomach pains and sickness. Sage could also be useful for headaches and achy joints. She added bits of those plants to her basket before she made her way into the forest area.

Nerissa followed the path through the forest until she reached a stream. She knelt and scooped a handful of water, bringing it to her mouth for a drink. For some reason, she felt her spirit begin to calm. With a glance upward, she noticed the sun peeking through tree branches, she could hear the birds chirping overhead and the babbling brook beside her. With a sigh, Nerissa sat down, removed her shoes, and dipped her toes into the running water.

She hadn't done this since a stop she and Merlin took on their journey from Ealdor. Merlin would claim that they had only stopped so that she'd stop complaining, but he had enjoyed wading in that stream just as much as she did. It was something they had enjoyed doing since they were young when their mother would join them. Thoughts of her mother made Nerissa's mind trail toward home. Perhaps she wasn't cut out for life in Camelot. Maybe she was destined to be nothing more than a poor farmer's wife.

While she was wallowing in self-pity, the sound of snapping twigs came from behind her. Nerissa turned to find Lukas running toward her. "Oi! I've been looking all over for you!" Lukas said, bending over and resting his hands on his knees, breathing heavily.

"Oh?" Nerissa asked, slowly withdrawing her feet from the water.

"Lady Morgana requests your presence," Lukas wheezed.

Nerissa arched an eyebrow. "What for?"

"Dunno, I didn't ask. She just told me to fetch you. So, I came to fetch you. And here we are."

"How responsible of you," Nerissa said with a slight smile, which made Lukas beam brightly.

But that still didn't stop her curiosity as to why Morgana would be asking for her. Perhaps she just wished to speak with her. But Nerissa remembered Morgana's glance at the tournament when she had been about to try and use her magic. Maybe something nefarious was afoot. But seeing as Morgana was the king's ward, she didn't have much of a choice in the summons.

So, Nerissa returned her shoes to their proper place, her feet, before she followed Lukas back inside the city's walls.

"I can take that for you," Lukas offered, gesturing to the basket she carried.

With a nod of her head, Nerissa handed the basket over. "Make sure these make it to . . ." Nerissa paused for a moment and chewed her lip. Gaius likely wasn't going to want Lukas in his chambers while he dealt with the situation. "Leave these outside Gaius's door for me, please."

Lukas nodded his head, but Nerissa wasn't entirely certain that the boy wouldn't try to poke his head in and see what was going on. And from years of experience having a brother, telling him not to look inside would only make him want to look inside more. No, being vague was the better approach.

Once inside the castle, Lukas led her to a hall that she wasn't familiar with. Then again, there still was much of the castle that she wasn't yet familiar with. He opened the door and then motioned for her to go inside. Nerissa arched an eyebrow at him. "Go on," he insisted, still holding onto her basket. Lukas then gave her a quick bow as she passed by him. "Good luck," he whispered before he shut the door behind her.

Nerissa looked over her shoulder at the closed door behind her. Something was going on. She could tell that much. Lukas was acting very odd. Nerissa then turned to face the hall that she had been brought to, to find tables ladened with weapons. Her eyes widened. This didn't seem to bode well for her.

Morgana then stepped out from behind a pillar. "Hello, Nerissa," she called walking with her hands behind her back.

She had a look that Nerissa couldn't quite read, which made her nervous. Had Morgana brought her here to kill her? Perhaps her assumption that Morgana had seen more than she had meant her to was correct.

"I'm assuming you wonder why I've brought you here today," Morgana furthered, walking closer toward Nerissa.

"I do. Unless you're planning on killing me."

Morgana stopped and threw her head back in laughter. Nerissa stood there with her arms folded across her chest and chewing her lip. She wasn't sure if that was a good or bad sign. Could go either way.

"I'm not going to kill you, silly," Morgana said with her shoulders still slightly shaking from her laughter. "I overheard what you asked Arthur at the feast - asking him to teach you to fight."

Nerissa blushed and cast her gaze downward. "It was rather a stupid thing to ask, I suppose. Even here in Camelot, it seems it isn't a woman's place."

Morgana scoffed under her breath. "While Arthur happens to be a chauvinist, I am not. My father taught me to fight at a young age. He believed I should know how to defend myself, should the situation arise. Growing up, I even took on Arthur and bested him a time or two. Not that he would ever admit such a thing. That being said, I also happen to agree that women should know how to fight. I don't believe in sitting around like ducks."

Nerissa arched an eyebrow. "I fail to see what that has to do with me."

"I'm going to train you," Morgana grinned, resting her hands on his hips. "I'll teach you everything I know."

"But why?"

"You want to learn, do you not?"

"Yes, of course. It's just that a lady teaching . . . me."

Morgana crossed the distance between them and rested her hands on Nerissa's shoulders. "Don't underestimate yourself, my dear. Besides, I think it would give both of us great pleasure to one day see the look on Arthur's face when he realizes that you somehow managed to learn to fight without him. No?"

Nerissa grinned. It would certainly bring her immense pleasure to see Prince Prat's face seeing that she could defend herself.

"Also, in case you haven't yet realised, I haven't many friends." Morgana glanced away. "Being the king's ward comes with its disadvantages, that being one of them. Most people are only kind to me because they don't want to face Uther's wrath. There are very few women I truly trust and I feel like with a little time you might become one of my closest confidants. Or at least I hope so." Morgana took a step back and twisted her hands.

Nerissa's brow furrowed. She had always thought Morgana was well-liked throughout the kingdom. She'd always thought of Morgana as popular, but it seemed she wished for something beyond a facade. "Well, if you'll have me, I'd like to learn to fight. And of course the friends bit, I just don't want to come off too presumptuous and . . ."

Thankfully, Morgana's laughter cut her off her trailing words. The king's ward then reached out and grabbed Nerissa's arms and pulled her toward a table of weapons. They stopped in front of it. Nerissa looked over at Morgana to find her grinning with excitement.

"Are you sure you don't plan on killing me?" Nerissa teased.

"And ruin my chance of having a true friend? I think not. " Morgana retorted. "Now, before we begin learning to use the weapons, you probably ought to know what each of these weapons is and their purposes. Father always said that one must know their options before heading into a fight. Sometimes the greatest weapon isn't always the one on this table."

Nerissa's brow furrowed.

Morgana looked at her and chuckled. "Not to worry, I gave my father the same look. Words are your greatest weapon. Not that most men care to remember that. Most would rather just go headfirst into battle with a lust for blood."

"Referring to anyone specific?"

Morgana chewed her lip for a moment before responding. "Arthur could be a great king one day, you know. If only he could get that lesson through that thick skull of his."

"Seems rather unlikely."

Morgana chuckled. "That's also what I like about you. You aren't quick to defend Arthur like everyone else in Camelot."

"And that probably could be my downfall."

"Not with me. You may speak freely about him without fear of consequence. I've even heard tell that you prefer to call him Prince Prat?"

Nerissa's eyes widened, which made Morgana laugh again.

"Your secret's safe with me. As I said, you may speak freely with me. Besides, I happen to find the name rather appropriate. So between us, you may call him Prince Prat as much as your heart desires."

Nerissa wasn't sure what to say. This wasn't anything like what she had anticipated. Maybe there was a place for her in Camelot after all. Morgana then pulled out a chair and motioned for Nerissa to sit. So, Nerissa did as she was asked before Morgana began describing the weapons. Thankfully, Morgana had thought to supply Nerissa with parchment and a quill. So she took notes to study for herself.

Swords - quite obvious and the most important weapon in one's arsenal. Used to stab and slice. Delivered the most damage for the least amount of effort. Also, can easily be worn making it accessible.

Lance - used by mounted men. The force of a galloping horse concentrated on the lance gave it incredible power. Usually, a one-shot weapon often shattering on impact. Not very useful close-up.

Spears - stabbing and throwing. Not the deadliest of weapons.

Morgana then began going through the other items rather quickly and Nerissa didn't get very much written about them.

Axe & blades & mace - can be swung with incredible force. Maces had heavy heads made of stone or metal - used to be swung. These weapons could crack a skull

Recurve bow, crossbow, longbow - not always effective at penetrating armour.

Dagger - weapon used to incapacitate rather than kill

Nerissa's head was swimming with all the information Morgana was giving her. But in a good way. It was nice that someone thought her worthy enough to know this information. She didn't have to be perfect with all of these weapons, but she wished to have enough information to keep herself safe.

Why hadn't she asked Morgana in the first place? She certainly liked Morgana far better than Prince Prat - but Nerissa hadn't known that Morgana had such a vast knowledge of weapons. It made her feel much better about wanting to know everything she could.

"Ready to run away yet?" Morgana teased, leaning over the table.

"Not yet. But if you try to kill me, I make no promises."

Morgana chuckled. "I'm not an expert with all of these. But I thought learning to use a sword, crossbow, and dagger would probably be the most beneficial. Does that work for you?"

"Perfectly," Nerissa smiled. "Anything is better than what I'm capable of now."

"Good. The real training starts tomorrow morning. I've already informed Gaius that I'll be requiring your assistance for the unforeseeable future. Gwen will also be joining our lessons when time allows. Being the blacksmith's daughter, she's rather good with a sword too."

"Am I the only one that can't fight?" Nerissa groaned.

"No, you just happen to be friends with likely the only two women in all of Camelot that can fight." Morgana grinned.

Nerissa smiled back. Maybe she wasn't going to have to be a farmer's wife after all.

Author's Note: I've been working really hard to get the next chapter out. Things have been horrible at work recently and my body hates me. Right before Christmas I was diagnosed with influenza, which led to mild pneumonia. I got a little better and then yesterday things went downhill fast - COVID for me. So, sorry if this chapter isn't quite up to snuff. I tried really hard to make it okay though.

Thanks to everyone who has read this! It truly means the world to me! :)

Much love!

P.S. Since the last time I updated, I got a kitten and named him Merlin! :)