Love, Faith and Family

Chapter 2

"Merlin! Merlin! Get off me!" Miriam said as her brother pushed her into their small house, the girl choosing not to fight back, but also in a bit too much pain to do so.

"Show me," he asked.

"What are you on about?" she asked tiredly.

"Show me what Kanen did to you that was so bad mum wouldn't tell me."

"You want to see what he did? Are you sure?"

"Show me," Merlin persisted and his sister began to remove her vest. "What are you doing?" he asked as she pulled off her tunic next, having paired it with a new pair of pants, loaned from the Lady Morgana.

"You said you wanted to see," she exclaimed as she began to undo the cloth that strapped her breasts in place, holding it to her chest but leaving her back in all its glory for Merlin to see.

"Mira-"

"15 lashes. Bastard made me count them out," she explained as Merlin's eyes feasted on the raw red skin and the angry wounds still healing. "What are you doing?" she asked, rolling her shoulder as she felt Merlin's hand rest on it.

"Just stay still," he ordered, muttering a spell under his breath as his eyes glowed gold.

And he felt Miriam's shoulders lift in relief as some of the pain went away, the red skin returning to its normal colour, some of the worse wounds stitching themselves up a little.

"That does feel better. Thank you," she admitted as she began to wrap the cloth around her body again, Merlin picking up her tunic and vest from the floor.

"Why didn't you tell mum to wash them for you? They could have gotten infected!" Merlin exclaimed and Miriam only sighed.

"Because she already had to watch me get them and I didn't want to trouble her anymore. And besides, who has to worry about infection with my magical big brother around," she said with a smirk and Merlin only rolled his eyes as he gestured for her to raise her arms as he slid her tunic over her head.

"But still, you could've died. You could die now."

"Merlin, I love you. And I love that you worry for me, but this is my home too. And I will fight for it and these people as I already have. And you can't stop me," she declared as Merlin then threaded her arms through the holes in her vest.

"Fine, but just, promise me one thing," he began as she laced up her vest in the front.

"What?"

"Come with me to Camelot when this is over."

"Merlin I -"

"Before you say that you can't leave mum, mum wants you to go. She wanted you to go before Kanen. Please, Mira, come with me."

She huffed.

"Fine. If we survive, I will go with you to Camelot."

Merlin's smile was bright as he squeezed his sister into a hug.

"Alright, alright, just because you took some of the pain away doesn't mean it's all gone."

"Sorry," Merlin apologised. "Oh, by the way. I have something for you," he said as he walked over to where the residents of Camelot had stored their belongings and held something behind his back.

"What are you hiding?" Miriam asked with a scrutinizing look as she placed her hands on her hips.

His answering smile was mischievous as he revealed a sheathed sword, offering her the hilt.

"A gift from Gwen and the Lady Morgana," Merlin informed her as she stared open-mouthed at the hilt before her hand fit around it with a perfect grip.

And she drew the silver blade from the leather sheath.

"Oh, I do believe this will do nicely," she grinned as she tested its weight before tossing it from hand to hand.

"I take it you like it," he asked as he gave her the sheath to tie around her waist.

"I do. I'll have to thank Gwen and Morgana again. Morgana is a fair fighter for a Lady and the King's ward," Miriam noted.

"She used to beat Arthur when they were younger. Don't tell him I said that though," Merlin amended as his sister laughed.

"Another one of your secrets that is safe with me," she joked and Merlin hugged her.

"Shall we get back to it then?" he asked as they pulled away and she merely smirked at him.

"To battle we go, big brother."

But when Miriam stepped outside the barn, what she saw was not what she expected to see.

"Why are only the men being trained?" she asked Gwen and Morgana as she approached the duo that were sharpening swords. "If Arthur thinks we're going to win against Kanen with only the men in this village, then he is in for a rude awakening."

"That's what I've been saying," Morgana agreed as she observed the way Arthur was training the men.

"Well, luckily, men aren't the only ones who can fight," Gwen said as she hefted the sword she was sharpening.

"Good," Miriam said as she crossed her arms over her chest, watching the blonde prince carefully. "If Arthur disagrees, let me know, he may be a prince but not in this village. I'll set him straight."

"Not to be blunt, but, are you always this mean to the men you don't know?" Gwen asked and Miriam only laughed.

"No. I am only mean to the men who deserve it, especially when it comes to the safety of the people I care about. And while Arthur is gracious and caring for coming here in the first place, does not make him any less arrogant or prideful, if the words in my brother's letters are to be believed."

"Well spoken," Morgana praised and Miriam nodded to her.

"Let me know how it goes."

Morgana nodded in agreement as Miriam began to walk off before being hit by a thought.

"Morgana, Gwen," she called, the two women turning to her. "Thank you for the sword."