The constant movement made her open her eyes, her senses coming back to her. Sounds of hooves tuck tucking against the ground, the feeling of leather and metal against her arms and legs, the foul taste of blood in her mouth, and the smell of nature all bombarding her brain as it tried to process it all.
Her eyes adjusted to the bright rays of the sun hitting her brown eyes making her shut them momentarily and groan at the stinging pain on both her leg and eyes.
"Anika?" A voice spoke. But it was awfully close. She tried opening her eyes again and this time she saw someone. It was Merlin.
"No it's Nimueh- who else would it be dimwit?" Anika smacked her lips, sensing the absence water on her now dry lips. A chuckle erupted from around her and a small smile erupted on Merlins lips.
"You seem better already." Percivil said, continuing to walk along with the horses. Merlin helped Anika sit up on the horse. "Stop the horse and get me some water will you?" Anika said looking back at Merlin.
He nodded and pulled the horse to a stop before handing Anika a canteen. She went over to a bush and rinsed her mouth out, water and blood splashing onto the bush. Her mouth did feel a lot better now with the taste of metal mostly gone but hunger still rumbled in her stomach.
She wiped her mouth and walked up to the men. "How long has it been since I passed out." She asked tucking the now empty canteen into Merlins bag.
"About a day." Anika's eyes widened. No wonder she was so hungry. "And how long have we been riding?" She helped herself onto the horse in front of Merlin and grabbed hold of the reins. "Barely started a couple hours ago." Merlin moved Anika's hair to the side as it blew into his face several times.
"And when are we going to eat?" She brushed off a leaf that had landed on the neck of her horse. Merlin groaned. "Of course you'd be hungry! But we don't have any left overs from last nights dinner." He searched through his bag, the sounds of glass and transom objects clanging together rumbling in her ears.
"I'm sure we'll find some-" She cut herself short bringing her hand up in a fist, a signal for the group to stop. They all silenced as the pulled out their swords and Anika looked around the forest.
An uneasy felling had set in her stomach. The feeling of being watched. She glanced over the trees once more and her eyes stopped on an odd shape in the woods. That's when she noticed the other ones that seemed to surround them. "Ambush." She mumbled before grabbing a shield from the side and holding it behind her where Merlin sat.
A metal clang rang throughout the small group as effect of the arrow that stuck itself onto the shield she held where if she hadn't it would have hit Merlin. Everyone's eyes landed on it and the knights held their fighting positions.
Anika removed the arrow from the shield with a clang and looked at its markings. It wasn't any normal plain wood and metal arrow. It had the four elements carved onto the wood.
Fire: an upright triangle
Air: a triangle with a line near the top of it
Water: an upside down triangle,
Earth: an upside down triangle with a line near the bottom
And on the metal was the fire sign.
"Hold it!" Anika yelled. Her friends furrowed their brows glancing at Anika but listening to her and lowering their weapons. She threw it at a a tree near the head of one of the figures. "Aren't fire signs supposed to be cooking?" She asked, her question directed to the one she threw the arrow near.
It stepped out, their hands slowly removing their hood from their heads to reveal their green eyes. "Anika..?" The boys hazel and curly hair erupted from the hood with a light bounce in every step he took. He stood near her horse looking questioningly at Anika's eyes.
The men raised their swords but Anika held up a hand, a smirk on her face as she looked at the boy. "Well nice to see you too, Eugene." His pink lips spread into a bright smile and he wrapped his arms around her waist, the only thing within his reach as she sat in the horse. "Oh it's been long."
"The rest of you could come out." Eugene exclaimed the other hooded figures who soon removed their hoods revealing bright and joyful faces at the sight of their old friend.
Anika carefully lowered herself- weary of her leg. She groaned when she planted her foot on the floor, pain surging throughout her leg. Eugene noticed and put his arm around her. "What happened to your leg?!" He exclaimed, pointing at the bloody shirt that was tied around her calf.
"Ah... Um megalodon." Images of its white, sharp teeth flashed in her eyes before she blinked them away. Eugene nodded. "We must get you back to the village. We can heal you there." Arthur stepped up.
"Uhm I don't think that'll be happening." He said causing Anika's eyes to glance over at him curiously. "What do you mean?" Anika asked. "Well we don't even know these people. For all we know they could be of magic-" Anika glares at him. "They are of magic. You have a problem, Arthur?" He frowned looking at Anika up and down.
"No." He gulped turning away from her. "You're prince Arthur, no? The man that trained the men who killed River?" Eugene looked accusingly at Arthur, venom dripping from every word.
"Who's River...?" Arthur glanced curiously at Anika. "An old friend your men killed. For no reason!" Eugene's voice cracked ever so slightly at the memory of the day their friend died.
"They didn't do it to him, Eugene. They're friends. Arthur. Percival. Elyan. Leon. Gawaine. Morgana. And Merlin." She pointed at each person who held the name she said.
His lips formed a line. "Friends?" Anika nodded. "Put your weapons away, then guys can come to our base. We'll get an air to heal Anika's wound." He grabbed Anika's arm and put it around his neck.
His blood boiled as he saw Eugene touch Anika, and she didn't even mind. But a Knight of Camelot stays calm. Always.