Clear As Mud (open)

[Princess Isotta of Iwernia]

"Drystan...please..."
"I must go, Isotta. You know this."
"But must you go off into the world, doomed to forget all about me?"
Drystan's powerful hands gripped her shoulders in a manner that only screamed his desperation. He wanted her to understand.
"Isotta...Never, as long as I live, shall I ever forget you," he said, his voice low. "Now go! If they catch you here, you'll be held responsible."
"I'm not leaving you alone!"
"Please, Isotta." His voice broke with the emotion she knew he was trying to hold back. "I couldn't stand to think that you should be punished for my actions. I...I love you too much for that."
Isotta's breath hitched in her throat. "And I can't stand to live without you, knowing that you would not stay for me."
As she went to turn away from the window, Isotta felt Drystan's arm wrap around her waist and pull her close. Of course he could, he was strong enough to throw her over his shoulder with one hand.
"Don't you ever say that again," he whispered, and pressed his lips to hers with the passion of only a man deeply in love. The unruly princess accepted his kiss with the kind of surrender she had shown no man before, and met it with the love he so richly deserved.
When they parted, Isotta's eyes were wet with tears. "Run," Drystan said, rubbing them away. "Go, now!"
Before she knew it, the princess' lover had disappeared into the night. Isotta had no choice but to run for her chambers as the alarm bells began to ring.

It was a scene that Isotta had relived a thousand times. In her dreams, in every waking moment, no matter what she did. His face, his voice, it was all as real to her as the day he left Iwernia. Isotta thought that maybe here in Camelot, on her quest to find her lover, maybe here she would be able to calm herself enough to continue on without these ridiculous moments of depression. Just this morning, she had thought that a ride might clear her head. Unfortunately, she'd been wrong.

Isotta led her gray Shire stallion, Ellidyr, into the stall he'd been assigned. She patted his neck gently, knowing he was tired from their energetic ride. "I know, dearest," she murmured. "No riding tomorrow. You've earned a day of rest." The large horse whuffed and pressed his nose into her chest, making Isotta laugh for the first time in days. "Yes, that sounds good, doesn't it?" She smiled. "I think I'd like to rest too."

Much as Isotta loved to sound the cold, independent treasure of the house of Iwernia, she dearly needed friends. Right now, on her travels, Ellidyr was the closest companion she had. He alone knew her secrets, and he alone saw her tears these days. But he was a horse. What lady could survive without a friend, a confidante, or even just someone who could talk back?

As she fetched Ellidyr's currycomb and began brushing him down, Isotta's eyes glazed over in thought. Thoughts were really all she had.

[Jasen "Dreamer" Masters]

Among the tall planks supporting the stables, in the highest part of the structure, Dreamer hide from the world. The World had become to cruel, too corrupt, for him to face that lonesome night. He had taken himself from his bed in the castle to explore the Castle Grounds, and find a place that no one would find him.

Who would look for a Mage in a Stable?

Dreamer had been trying to rock himself to sleep, pushing his memories away, forcing himself to forget. Despite his attempts, he could not. Eventually he wore hismelf down to a moment of sleep that grew restless. So restless infact, that he fell form the planks above, into a pile of hay. Laying in the pile, in a stall right next to the one the Princess was using, Dreamer let out a low groan, "oooowwwweeee".

He was not pleased to have fallen, but escaping his nightmares was a pleasent suprise.

[Lady Raven Silvester]

Raven was just coming into the stables to saddle up her new horse, Lazarus. He was a seventeen hand high Shire. He was only three years old but he still trusted his new owner. Raven put the saddle on with ease. The bridle too. She had to have a leg up from the stable boy to mount up. She rode into the riding ring to warm him up. Raven was a natural horsewoman and the best in Devon and Cornwall. She hopped over a few jumps. Raven heard someone come over and she halted her horse.

[Princess Isotta of Iwernia]

Isotta sighed and placed Ellidyr's currycomb back in its pouch on the rack, intending to head inside. Before she'd got even the chance to close the stall door, though, she was surprised by the sudden sound of- did someone just fall from the loft? Isotta jumped a mile, rushing to the door to the stall in which the man had fallen.

Unfortunately, just as she got clear of the entrance to Ellidyr's stall, the large horse decided to spook. He didn't like sudden movements, like random people falling from the ceiling, so he reared back and then took off.

"No! Ellidyr!" Isotta cried, turning round to see what she could do. The man on the floor didn't seem to be hurt, so Isotta decided to run after her wayward horse. "I'm so- are you alright? I'll be right back!" she called behind her as Ellidyr disappeared out into the riding ring.

Of course the moment her horse decided to go haywire, there would be someone out riding. A noble lady, from the looks of it. "My lady, look out!" Isotta cried, hiking up her riding skirt to race after Ellidyr.

[Lady Raven Silvester]

Raven saw the horse. She muttered a spell and her eyes flashed gold. A wall of ice appeared and the horse stopped. Raven dismounted her horse and walked through the ice, like it was smoke. She calmed the horse down and whispered some words in an almost forgotten language. The horse nuzzled into her and allowed her to lead it back to the stables. "Is this your horse, ma'am?" she asked. She stroked the stallion's soft, velvety muzzle. Raven's half Unicorn came up to her. The horse was pure white, her horn could be seen by those only with magical abilities. She smiled at Snowstorm and stroked her as well.

[Jasen "Dreamer" Masters]

Dreamer groaned as the woman told him she would be back a moment, and ran to handle another situtaion elsewhere. He assumed her horse had bolted for the door, considering the heavy stomping of hooves leading away. Dreamer simply laid in the hay and waited for the ringing in his head to seddle back to a gentle buzzing.

Once Dreamer felt well enough he lifted himself to his feet. He felt dizzy, but that would pass. Leaning on the tip of his toes, Dreamer peered over the wooden stall to search for the woman. Instead, he found the very person he had been avoiding. Groaning, Dreamer fell back against the hay, and attempted to burry himself.

[Lady Raven Silvester]

Raven held her womb. Lazarus nuzzled her softly. Raven smiled. "My name is Lady Raven, but please, just call me Raven." she smiled to the other woman. She looked at her and felt there was some royalty about her. Raven curtsied. "Your Highness." she smiled. A stableboy came up to Raven with a package. "Your grandfather sends you these." he said. Raven sighed happily. "My new sword and throwing knives." she said. She mounted up on her horse again and ordered for some moving targets.

Back out in the ring, Raven tried out her new weapons. The Assassin's 'A' was tattooed on the back of her left wrist. She was now the deputy Grand Master of the Assassins. No one knew her secret apart from Dreamer and Lancelot. She stood up on the saddle and drew her sword and decapitated a few moving dummies.