Lonely as a cloud {Open}

[Maelanthes 'Veredus' Tyrell]

As the sun began to appear over the horizon, it illuminated a strange event. A single figure moved along the road, and it may not have been a strange sight elsewhere but Camelot was warring with the neighboring Kingdom of Gore. These troubled times had merchants hiring guards and journeys were now seldom made alone for fear of being attacked. This knowledge, however, had made no difference to the solitary young woman who was walking the Kingsway to Camelot. At least that's where she hoped she was going. Veredus had enough wilderness skills to survive her two years of travelling but she had never been to this 'land across the sea' before and she was slightly annoyed to find herself lost. Although, it wasn't as if she had to get there today - it'd taken her more than a month to get this far from Rome so one more day wouldn't hurt. It was just the fact that she had no clue if she was going the right way.

Now, Veredus had heard about the war between Gore and Camelot accompanied by warnings for travellers to stay away from the main roads or travel together, and she had heeded them somewhat until she had realised she was lost. She had to get to Camelot and sticking to the main roads was probably her best course of action. Seeing as skulking around in the forest wouldn't get her any closer to getting directions and it was also probably the best way to appear suspicious and get killed. So she had emerged onto the main road and started following the road east, hoping to find someone to help her. Another sigh, deeper. She wished someone would come along. She wasn't really worried about bandits or invaders since they would clearly see from her empty hands that she owned nothing of value for them to steal. The only thing they could possibly want was her body and, considering her past, that wasn't of much value either.

[Lancelot Du Lac]

Lancelot was on the main highway that led to Camelot, but of course,he had no real intention of going there. He expected to turn off the main road long before he reached the city, and detour around it on his way south. He had been traveling through various parts of Wessex, basically serving as a fighting man in service to several Earls and Barons, in particular, the Earl of Huntingdon, who were seeking protection against raiding parties of Norse from northern region as well as rival Saxons. Lancelot had several advantages. First, he had a horse .... well actually .... he had acquired a new horse in trade for his previous horse and in trade for his service. he was told that the horse was an Arabian .... whatever that meant he had thought at the time, and its name was Sher-fore. He had found that its advantage was it could accelerate to great speed, more than any other horse, and he was jet black, making him almost invisible at night.

His skills were also an advantage. More or less he was self-taught when it came to swordplay and work with the lance. He thought that he was superior to anyone he had ever encountered when it came to the sword, except Arthur of course. Lancelot still longed for the day when he could ride side-by-side with Arthur and the knights of Camelot. However, he realized that that day was likely still far off. He had, only recently heard of the conflict that had befallen Camelot and its neighbor, Gore. He knew that he would not be allowed to fight for Camelot, as a knight, because of King Uther's attititude, and he as a formerly knighted Knight of Camelot, he could not fight against her. Although, it was against the wishes of his heart, he felt he had no choice but to avoid the place entirely, even in an hour off great need.

He had also been somewhat skilled with the lance, but his time and work with other knights had improved himself in that area of combat, although he had done well against the Griffin. Speaking of the Griffin he wondered how Merlin was doing, and if his secret was .... well .... still a secret. He also wondered whether Uther would ever agree to him being a knight. Lancelot actually was a knight ........ just not a knight of Camelot ..... only the king could confer that upon him .... but of course that was unlikely .... and not something he would openly request ..... to say such a thing out loud .... it wouldn't be the honourable thing to say or do.

Lancelot was actually on his way southwest, looking for additional work, but this time with the Britons, many of which were looking to be defended from some of the same Saxons that Lance had been defending from the northern Norsemen. He shook his head, "Life is indeed strange .... who you fight ... who you fight for. Speaking of which .... I wonder how Gwen is," he said smiling to himself. Deciding that his horse needed a drink, he stopped Sher-fore, and hopped down, acquiring a drink from a ditch on the side of the road. Given the local conflict, he understood that it was noyt wise to stay in one place for too long. Looking down the road, though,he saw something, but it was not a troop of soldiers, but a solitary woman. "Now, isn't that strange?," he said to himself, not to anyone in partiocular.

He found it to be quite strange. With all of the warnings about any travel, and especially any travel on the main roads in this area, and here was a solitary woman walking with no protection. Yes, it was very peculiar. As soon as Sher-fore was done drinking, he led his horse down the road, planning to stop this woman and ask what her business was on this road. However, he did not want to scare her too much, and ride up as an aggressive knight, so he thought a walking approach would be best. Within moments he was blocking her path. "Excuse me, my apologies for interrupting you on your journey..... but ...... did you not know how unsafe it is to travel on this road ..... when Camelot is at war? Or are you a local person,with a only a short distance to travel. I assure you I mean you no harm."

[Maelanthes 'Veredus' Tyrell]

Strange, I thought I heard a horse... Veredus had been travelling for about half a day and she had yet to see anyone on horseback, which was quite odd considering she'd thought there would be knights patrolling the area. Although, with her erratic plan of moving from the forest to the road and back again, it might have been possible for her to have just missed any others roaming Camelot's surrounds. Hearing signs of civilisation after such a long silence wasn't an uncommon occurrence to Veredus but, as always, it came as a relief that she wasn't as lost as she thought. Unless she had some how ended up turned around and ended up near some civilised place other than Camelot. Then she was going to be annoyed at the fact that she hadn't asked for directions in the last town she had passed. Not that she hadn't considered it, she had, but as always her lack of faith in people had always prevented her from asking for help from strangers. Now, it seemed that she would have to ask for directions from this solitary (she knew that it was a single horse she heard) horse rider.

Turning back, Veredus scanned the road for the presence of the horse rider. Quickly her eyes found the solitary figure on the horizon, a man riding a horse. They were stopping to refresh themselves and their steed at a ditch beside the road that had collected water from the recent rain. From the way he walked, light on his feet with confidence in his step, she was sure that the man was skilled in some weapon, and then, scanning him properly, she saw the sword strapped to his belt. Either he was an overconfident Gore invader or he was friendly with Camelot in some way. No man would travel so freely, obviously armed, where he could be mistaken for an agent of the enemy. Unless he were stupid and, looking at the man, Veredus had a feeling that wasn't true. Deciding he wasn't a threat to her, the girl decided to continue walking. If he wanted to talk to or confront her then it would be he who made the first move.

She had been walking for only a few more minutes when she heard the clip-clop of horse shoes resume behind her in their attempt at breaking the silence. They were slower than before but lighter and, hearing the sound of boots impacting the road, Veredus could only assume the rider had decided to walk. Soon, he had caught up to her and she stopped as he used his horse to block her path. It was a beautiful horse, she noticed, an Arabian if she was correct in her guess. She had seen some in her travels and found them to be wonderful companions. Veredus hoped that this man would be headed to the same destination as her, she would love to see his horse again. Hearing him speak, she drew her attention away from his steed and focused on the man confronting her. His words were expected but the tone of his delivery amused her - he was treating her as if she would bolt off at any moment.

"I know the dangers of travelling alone during war times, sir, but as you can see I have nothing worth stealing," she spoke in a humorous voice, as if teasing the man and, pausing, she turned around once while holding her hands up, as if to prove her point. "There is no need to treat me like a weak-hearted maiden, sir. I know that if you meant to harm me I would be probably be long dead." The girl gave him a knowing look then continued speaking without pause, although her tone changed to a respectful one, although whether it was genuine was a mystery. "I am but a simple wanderer who seeks to make a living in the City of Camelot, but who has become hopelessly lost. Now that I have answered your questioning, if it pleases you, noble knight, may I enquire as to why you are traveling alone?"

((Sorry for the rambling post, anyone looking to join - don't be daunted by trying to match this post. I don't usually write so much.))

[Lancelot Du Lac]

At first, he could not tell whether the woman was paying much attention to his approach. That was why he basically felt that he had to block her path. He did not particularly like to force himself on others. He had always believed that it was a knight's duty to protect and to serve, not just a king or earl, but all of the subjects of the kingdom they served. He did not feel that unless the survival and protection of the kingdom was involved, that it was his place to interject himself where he was not wanted. In this case, given how alone and unattended she appeared to be, he wondered, first, if she knew where she was going, and second, what kind of danger she was out here on the main road. This was not the way that Lancelot had come to Camelot on his first visit. he had run into Merlin in the Forest of Balor, he thought. He had just barely managed to save Merlin's life when it was threatened by the Griffin, and Lancelot had to get some injuries attended to by Gaius, the Camelot court physician. He had definitely not seen this great thoroughfare, until he had ridden away from Camelot. Indeed he expect this woman's story to be interesting, given where she was.

Lancelot saw, as he approached, that she did seem to be paying attention to him. It appeared that she was turning her head toward him, and her eyes seemed to be tracking her. He decided to let Sher-fore take his time with the water and what little grass was available. He had not been on the main road to Camelot much, especially recently, and he assumed the lack of travelers, was due to the possibility of conflict. Still, she did not seem to be desiring to take flight, whether he was rising toward her, or just standing, and walking slowly toward her. The hilt of his weapons were fairly obvious, but his knight's attire was hidden pretty well under his traveling cloak, which was getting pretty caked with road dust now, after several days of travel In fact, he had been just considering whether he should head off the main road, and begin angling south away from Camelot.

He had decided that Sher-fore had had both enough water and grass, and was time to intercept this woman, and see what her business was out on the dangerous highway. He took care to slowly approach, not knowing whether she would suddenly bolt, or if she was indeed the bait for a trap, that some highwayman would jump out from the tall grass. Finally, though, as he approached, she decided to address him, and at least in some strange way, she seemed to be amused. "Just because you say that you aren't carrying anything of value, does not mean that others will believe you. And even i they do, they may decide to take other liberties with your person that might not be too pleasant. Very well, then, my worry for your person seems to be unfounded, and I will not worry over you. I am not one that will do violence to a maiden, unarmed or well-defended. Where art ya heading out for, as long as you are determined to stay on this dangerous pike?"

He noted, now, that the tone of her conversation did change, but he did wonder what its meaning was. At any rate, as her tone became more respectful, he began to chuckle and then practice a deep-throated laugh. However, it was not because of her tone, but what her words told him. "Camelot? ..... Camelot is your preferred destination. If that is so, why is it with every step that you trod, that you are taking yourself farther and farther away from the place you are trying to get?"

"I am Sir Lancelot, former serving knight of the earl of Huntingdon in Wessex. I am traveling, generally south in Briton, seeking employment as a serving knight of some noble there, but not in Camelot, and I had tired of struggling through the forest. Now ..... I may not be going all the way to Camelot, but if you jump up here behind me on Sher-fore's back, I can take you almost all of the way to the safety of Camelot. It will be faster and easier on your feet, and Sher-fore is a strong and able-bodied Arabia. So ..... what do you say and what is your pleasure," as he remounted his horse and extended his hand downward to assist her in climbing aboard if she chose to.

[Maelanthes 'Veredus' Tyrell]

Veredus somehow knew, perhaps by her magic's interference again, that this was the Sir Lancelot that the warlock Merlin Emerys had formed a bond with. She had also heard the gossip of noble ladies, swooning at the sight of him in combat and tournaments. She had to admit the rumours held some truth. With his height, well-toned build and handsome features, Lancelot would pass the standards of any lady of the court. He was certainly much better looking than most of her clientele in both her previous jobs. Veredus however was never swayed by a pleasant face and his words made her quite annoyed, although her face and body showed no signs. Like most knights, he probably thought he was being chivalrous by not comitting violence against women. Any simpering lady of the court might be pleased with that but any real woman would find it insulting. Being female didn't mean you couldn't be a worthy threat. Perhaps she would impart that nugget of wisdom upon him when they neared Camelot. If she didn't get more annoyed by him before then...

"...why is it with every step that you trod, that you are taking yourself farther and farther away from the place you are trying to get?"

Veredus continued to listen as the knight laughed at her misfortune of going the wrong way - not that he noticed she had already admitted that - then suddenly introduced himself. She was glad that her magic or intuition, whatever it was, had been right about his identity but she hadn't thought he'd start giving her such a long-winded reason for being here. "...I can take you almost all of the way to the safety of Camelot." It was his proposition, however that made her adjust her evaluation of the man and piqued her curiosity. "You speak in circles, good sir." Lips curved up slightly, eyes sharp, head tilted like a cat surveying a strange novelty. "You say you will not worry over me in one breath and, with another offer to share your saddle to spare my feet. You are a strange man, Sir Lancelot, but a kind one. It is fitting of a former knight of Camelot, I suppose."

She shrugged her shoulders lazily, although it was unclear whether it was in response to his proposal or her own statement, then turned her eyes to Lancelot's aforementioned horse. He was a beautiful specimen with all the characteristics of the arab breed and in good health for the distance he had carried the knight.

"Sher-fore. Beautiful." Glancing over the horse, she ran her hands up and down over the well-built legs and chest, confident in her ability to handle horses as well as the unusually strong affinity that meant that most animals liked her. Rubbing the steed's nose last of all, she pulled out a carrot from somewhere in her dress' pockets and laughing, fed it to him and placed a kiss upon his muzzle.

"It would be my pleasure to let you assist me, Sir Lancelot." Taking Lancelot's offered hand, she gripped his wrist and pulled herself up behind him. As she touched bare skin, she saw images - a young man he called Merlin, a Griffin, magic, Knights and more. Her magic had been getting stronger lately and she still couldn't control this most recent psychic manifestation. Settling into the saddle, Veredus wrapped her arms loosely about Lancelot's waist while deciding whether to mention what she had seen. Decided, she spoke once more before settling into silence. "Although you say you do not wish to go to Camelot, something tells me that you will be forced to do so. I know that Merlin will certainly be pleased."

[Lancelot Du Lac]

This was indeed a strange woman. He had heard that Uther had removed the restrictions on the practice of magic. Could this be a witch or even a sorceress. Would that explain her solitude on the road, an the fact that nobody passed near her or had apparently tried to molest her in any fashion? He shook off that thought pretty quickly. If she was such a person why should she be heading down the road, trying to get to Camelot, but going in the opposite direction. She was plainly going in the wrong direction, and perhaps lost. He was a knight, just not a Knight of Camelot. Although he had had no intentions of visiting that city, given how he had found himself forced to leave, for the sake of peace between Uther and Lancelot of the silly Code, and then left Gwen to Arthur. However, he could at least escort this traveler to the gates of the city. He was not sure, though, if he liked the look in her eye. It almost seemed as i she was appraising him, as a woman might appraise a fine jewel, or farmer, a herd of cattle

Finally, she spoke. Apparently she was through analyzing him and had come to some sort of decision, and was going to communicate now. He listened, but was somewhat confused. "Circles? ..... I don't believe it to be circles. I only meant that upon seeing you i thought that you needed some assistance, being out on this dangerous road in the midst of conflict between 2 kingdoms. You seem to make it clear that you were quite capable of dealing with whatever comes yourself. However, since i look at it as my duty as knight, just not a Knight of Camelot, to convey you to your destination. i am more than happy to take you to the gates of that city, even though I do not intend to visit. I know the way quite well." He laughed, "Yes, I was a Knight o Camelot for all of 12 hours, until Uther decided otherwise. Let's be off then," and he extended a hand to help her up.

Before she agreed to accept his extended hand, or not, she took some moments to peruse the quality of horse he road, that they might both ride shortly. At least her expressed comments sounded quite complimentary. "Yes, he is, and has served me well. He's gotten me out of many a tight spot, and will be most appreciative of that carrot and whatever affection you can show him. I've found that people and horses have many of the same characteristics. Do you know much of horses?"

Happily, he saw that she was accepting of his offer, and with his significant strength, helped pull her up behind him. However, as his wrist was encircled by her hand he got the strangest of sensations, almost a tingling one, but he quickly shrugged it off, and looked behind to make sure she was well settled. He felt her arms loosely encircle his waist and he found it a comfortable feeling, and in fact, brought images of Gwen back into his mind. He decided that she did not say much unless she really decided that she had something to say. She didn't apparently believe in idle chat. But then she spoke and what she said amazed him. "Forced you say ..... and what could force me to go to a place where I am not wanted ...... and how the devil do you know of Merlin ..... and that I know him ...... or that he would like to see me? Have you talked to him?"