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“Are you sure about this, Merlin?” Arthur asks dubiously while glancing down into the rocky ravine.
Merlin throws an arm over his shoulder, “Of course! You’re the kind of person who needs to learn in the moment by doing.”
Arthur looks down at the fairly beat up wand in his hand. It’s his third wand in as many years and if it was new he’d not be so apprehensive, but it’s practically on its last leg. With little fanfare or warning, Merlin shoves him forward, sending him tumbling head over feet down into the ravine. When he hits the bottom, he half way wishes he’d cracked his head open so that he wouldn’t have to continue with this exercise.
Cupping his hands around his mouth so that his voice will carry, Merlin shouts down at him, “Don’t mess up!”
Getting up and brushing the dirt off his clothes, Arthur sasses the wizard under his breath. This is a stupid exercise and honestly, at this point, Arthur suspects that Merlin is trying to test just how many dangerous situations he can survive.
Shuffling along the bottom of the ravine, Arthur starts looking about himself for his lesson objective. Then he spots it, there, about 600 meters away, is a small cave entrance. Letting out a groan, Arthur makes towards the cave.
Merlin told him he’s not to come back until he slays at least one troll. Arthur has the temptation to not do that and then never return. He could move to the sea-side, build a little cottage, pretend he’s not a wizard.
Then, he thinks, he doesn’t much like fish so perhaps the sea-side isn’t the solution.
Before he realizes it, Arthur is at the cave entrance. It’s dark and damp and very cave-like, he notes. Rolling his eyes, he enters the cave.
This is a stupid exercise.
…
Arthur kills 3 trolls and also destroys his wand. Merlin’s face turns purple in rage and his hands twitch in front of him like he’s trying to keep himself from strangling Arthur.
Overall, Arthur thinks the exercise was a success.