Lancelot Passing Through (Katlyn)

[Lancelot Du Lac]

Sir Lancelot Du Lac, lately serving the Earl of Huntingdon, of Wessex, had taken to becoming more of a wandering knight. He, of course, looked the part, very well. He was of above average height, and fighting skill ..... in fact in most respects ..... save one very important one. He was not born as a noble, at least not an English one. It was quite likely, he had once been told, that his family was from a noble line in Gaul, but of course there was no proof. It was the single thing that disqualified him from being a Knight of Camelot, and when King Uther had discovered the truth about his lack of lineage, had stripped him of his Knighthood and, until Arthur freed him, he had occupied the dungeon for a short time.

Arthur, of course, had seen fit to release him, but even after he had destroyed the Griffin, it was still not enough for the King, and he had left to prove himself. However, the one goal that he had set for himself in life, after his village had been destroyed as a teenager, and he had dedicated himself to swordcraft, was to become a Knight of Camelot. Although he had been successful as a knight of Wessex, he felt incomplete, and he saw no way that his primary goal in life would be fulfilled. And he did not see himself as a knight of Wessex for very long. Whenever a mission presented itself with some travel, as well as excitement, he would press to be sent. So, as he was before his first visit to Camelot, he was more of a wandering knight again, really questioning the direction of his life and chosen career.

On most of his missions he usually did not accept any that would take him too close to Camelot. He just thought the temptation to visit the city and the few friends he had there would be too great .... especially with Gwen ..... if she belonged with anybody it was the Prince he thought. He really did miss Merlin, and hoped to see him again. At the end of his last journey, he had cut through the Forest of Balor, and had ended up near the small village of Avalon, if he remembered right. Off to the side of the path that he was on he saw a small creek and a large expanse of new grass. He pulled his horse to a stop, hopped off, and said, "This looks like a fine place to stop and take a little rest, eh, Sher-Fore," to his Arabian stallion.

[Katlyn Isabel Blake]

The wind blew gently through the trees as Katlyn Blake scraped the few flyaway hairs from off her face and let out a sigh.
She was not happy.

"Grrr!" She yelled, throwing down her tools and kicking the weeds that still surrounded her. She was angry that she had to work on such a warm day, and angrier that she hadn't worked as fast as the boys. She detested being thought of as weak because she was female and today was just proving their point. She turned on her heel and began to storm back to the little cottage she lived in with her father.
"Kay-" He began, but one glare from his daughter told him not to press matters and he silently let her stride out of the field.

The tiny one storey cotttage was cooler inside, and flopping back onto her bed, Katlyn started to relax a little. The worries of the morning started to fade and she felt much better. After several minutes of counting the indentations in the ceiling, she heard the workers cheers as they finished for lunch, and knowing that they would soon be in her kitchen making noise and just generally irritatingher, Katlyn grabbed an old shirt dress that she had inherited from some old hag in the village and stuffed into a satchel that lay on her dresser.
Then with nothing more than a silent smirk, she hopped onto the window sill and swung her leg out.

The walk over to the stream that later developed into the river was a peaceful one, involving nothing more than Katlyn humming a tune to herself and picking (and destroying) a few delicate flowers. Her mood had lifted a little, but anything had the capability of switching it right back.

[Lancelot Du Lac]

Lancelot thought it was one of the most pleasant days he could remember …. just enough sun …. with a light wind rustling his long hair. It was just so peaceful out here, off the main thoroughfare, near a small village. His horse was munching the grass slowly, and Lancelot did not feel rushed either. He did spend a lot of his time alone, but this was as tranquil as it got.

Then he heard it …. off in the distance …. a yell …. and it was no longer peaceful. In some cases his first instinct would be to ride to the sound of the disturbance. This time, however, he had the distinct feeling that this was not one of those times. He noticed that his horse, Sher-Fore, was not tempted to leave the fresh blades of grass that he was munching on. Maybe the stallion had the right idea, he thought. He hoped that the disturbance would move in another direction. It probably was not a heroic attitude to take, but he did not feel like riding into a strange place, pretending to have all of the answers. It was not his job these days, anyway, unless his patron, currently the Earl of Huntingdon did.

Within moments there was noise …. no yells …. being carried by the wind to their spot. Lancelot was not looking forward to dealing with any conflict, so he was relieved that the yelling had gone away. He had been looking forward totraveling through the rural areas, without any real errands or escorts to perform, and just enjoy the trip. He was hoping to stop in at a pub in a village in the evening and relax a bit. He didn’t mind travelling alone …. It gave him a chance to think and today was no different. In this case he was thinking about how similar this area was to the forest that had surrounded his boyhood village. In a way, he missed the simplicity of those days. If his village had not been attacked, he thought, he might be a carpenter in one of these remote villages, leading a much different and simpler life than he did now.

Sir Lancelot was lost deep in thought when he heard some splashing on the other side of his spirited stallion. He walked over to the side of the Arabian and peered over the center of its back, and observed a young lady picking flowers along the banks of the stream. He couldn’t resist the opportunity to say something, so he said, “yes they are pretty and you hum so well, so why do you destroy nearly as many as you find, eh mademoiselle?,” smiling from his vantage point.

[Katlyn Isabel Blake]

Katlyn's eyes shot instantly from the flowers to the man who had spoken those words, narrowing slightly.
How dare he ask her such a ridiculous question? And mademoiselle? What on earth did that mean?!

"I never said they were pretty." She retorted, throwing a fistful of petals onto the ground. "And I destroy them because I can."
She thought about adding, "And what is it to you anyway?" But decided it wasn't worth the hassle. Turning her back to the rude stranger, she stomped her way further along the bank, kicking at the tall reeds that grew there with a face like thunder.

On any other day, Katlyn would have been thrilled to have bumped into a stranger with a horse like this. She always loved tales of battle and other lands and this gentleman was sure to have some. In facthe hadn't even noticed that he looked rather like he might be a soldier or even a knight, she had barely acknowledged the animal that stood so calmly beside him, munching on the turf.

When she realised that whoever this peace-shatterer was had no intention of leaving, she turned back grumpily, and with a frown merely asked, "Yes?"

[Lancelot Du Lac]

Lancelot was amused at the way she reacted to his little comment, and he smiled broadly. How could someone get so incited about a little comment about flowers and her treatment of those beautiful things. He was sure that he was about to roar with laughter.

When she did retort his words, and through him that icy glare, he could no longer hold the laughter in. "Well ..... as I recall ..... I didn't ask if you thought they were pretty ..... I said they were. I tend to respect my own opinion most, especially compared to someone who I don't know, and as yet, haven't been properly introduced to as of yet." He was even more amused to see her throw them down in a huff, and stomp off, which caused him to laugh all the harder.

He wondered just who this person was with the fiery temper, considering what would have happened to her i she had crossed the path of a less well-meaning nobleman than he. he knew several noblemen from Wessex who would have simply lopped her head off if she had dared to address them in such a manner. It didn't matter to him, of course, since it was the purest of entertainment as far as he was concerned.

He assumed at some point she would return, once she had the anger out of her system, and perhaps they could be properly introduced. In fact, she returned much more quickly than he had thought, although she wasn't much more happy. "Well, I was wondering if this was how you treated and spoke to every knight you encountered on the road," he said with a smile.

[Katlyn Isabel Blake]

Just who was this pompous idiot? Katlyn fumed, And how dare he come to her home and belittle her?
For the first time she noted his dress and realised he was a soldier of some sort, perhaps even a knight. She didn't really care though, she was beyond wanting to hear tales today.

His laughing at her only infuriated the girl more, and she was helpless to stop him. she wasn't trying to be entertaining. She was angry, and she wanted him to leave.

"Well I treat every annoying knight i meet on the road like this." She retorted with a voice full of venom. "The ones who are polite and pass right on by I have no problem with."

She turned her back to the man, bored of his company and walked a little further upstream. She knew he could see her, and almost to spite him she jumped up and grabbed a branch of the tree she was under. With a little twist of her wrists she managed to break the bough and let the rest of it swing back up, showering her in pale green leaves.
She snorted like a horse, trying to get her hair out of her face. The gust of wind caused by the tree had blown it all loose again and she was hot and sticky enough already.
She finished stripping the leaves off of the branch quickly and tossed the bare twig into the river, where it floated off downstream. It looked calm and rather inviting on this hot day, and that gave her an idea.

Without a second thought for Lancelot who was only metres away, and probably watching her, Katlyn dropped her bag at her feet. In one swift movement she pulled her heavy workdress over her head and tossed it to the floor. She wasn't wearing a slip today- she had deemed it far too hot- and she knew that it would shock Lancelot, for it was most un-ladylike but she was facing away from him and didn't really care anyway!

[Lancelot Du Lac]

He could just see the steam coming out of her ears. What was she getting so steamed up about? Sir Lancelot was just having a bit of fun. He very rarely got to have anything close to what could be considered to be fun very often. He wondered, though, what had got her in this state, since she was obviously upset before he had begun to poke her over the flowers.

Her reaction to his laughter, though, only served to encourage him the further, as he leaned on his horse's back to support him as he laughed. "You mustn't hold that anger in, ma cherie. It only brings color to and blushes your cheeks, which makes your beautiful eyes even more fiery!"

Her attempts at sarcastic retorts didn't help her much either. "Well then, there mustn't be too many that pass this way then, or we would have heard the stories of the brilliant entertainment that is provided free of charge ..... or were you looking for donations," he said, laughing all the harder.

He saw that perhaps she had given up, and was now in full retreat, as she meandered away upstream, but he just led Sher-fore after her. She would be no match for the speed that he walked. He saw, to his added amusement, that she had moved from flower destruction to limb breaking and leaf destruction now, and now they both watched her handiwork drift downstream, after she had rather clumsily covered herself in the defoliated leaves that fell from above.

He saw her looking at the stream, and acknowledging that it was a warm and humid day, for the season, he thought it was not beyond the realm of possibility that she would jump in, which would be the fitting end to the show she had provided. It was to his surprise, though that she stripped her entire outer-garments off, to show that her undergarments were indeed very sparse. Now, of course, Sir Lancelot was knightly and obeyed the dictates of chivalry, but he was also a man-of-the-world, and little surprised him now.

"I appreciate, ma charie, that you might want to show off your best parts, but don't you think you could catch a cold that way. Of course, I understand if you don't want to display the parts that may not .... measure up," he said, noting the curves he could see from the rear. Obviously she had tried to shock him, and he was impressed by what she showed, but he also knew the best way to infuriate her would be not be shocked in the least, and he was determined to enjoy every second of her disappointment.

[Katlyn Isabel Blake]

Katlyn smirked to herself as she stood with her back toward Lancelot. What a complete snob!

"Oh i have no worries about showing any part of me that might not 'measure up' as you so put it."She laughed, "If a person doesn't like what i have to offer then so be it."
She spun around, not a thought for Lancelot or anyone who might be passing by seeing her fully naked. Noble girls (in fact any girls except for the ones in the brothels) would have been horrified at her attitude towards sex and nudity, but she didnt understand it. The human body was a beautiful and natural thing, to fear it was ridiculous.

The water felt amazing against her body as she glided in. It was clear, but distorted her form enough that Lancelot could no longer see her well enough to make stupid comments. She ducked her head under, soaking her hair and face, it felt lovely and cooled her instantly. She noticed how hot and exhausted Lancelot looked sitting upon his horse dressed in such a ridiculous uniform.

"Come on in the waters lovely!" She snided.

[Lancelot Du Lac]

It had been an interesting test of wills and retorts so far, Lancelot thought to himself. He wondered exactly where this was leading, especially since she didn't seem to be one to give much ground.

Well, even though she was keeping her back to him, at least she was laughing, he thought. "From what I have seen and hear so far, ma cherie, that is not much of a surprise. The surprise would be if you wares were not up to snuff, no?" Lance could not remember having this kind of parry and thrust with anyone of the opposite sex in quite some time.

Just as suddenly, though, she spun around, although really too quickly for him to take up much of a view, other than the knowledge that she was rather completely uncovered. He gulped at the image, fleeting as it was. This was definitely a different kind of girl, or young woman, than he was used to dealing with. The question was, given the way that a knight was supposed to act, how should he react?

In the blink of an eye she was fully enveloped by the water that she had fallen into. Lancelot imagined that it was quite comfortable in the cool water ..... at least more comfortable that the sight that he had just seen that had made him feel quite a bit warmer with an increase heart-rate. He could also see that she was looking at him with a somewhat bemused expression, and he just knew that she was going to say something.

He could only chuckle at her invitation. "I'm afraid I'm not really dressed appropriately," he responded, also knowing that the code of most knight's would not have looked favorably on him joining her either.

[Katlyn Isabel Blake]

"I wasn't dressed appropriately either." She laughed, narrowing her eyes at the snob of a knight. "But if your too shy or just boring..."

Katlyn slid under the surface, swimming gracefully further upstream, back to where Lancelot was standing a smile on his face. She felt like she might be in control here, for she was the one who cared not what the other thought. She felt he might be held back by rules and regulations, whereas she was free as a bird. For the first time in her life, Katlyn was not envious of the upper class.

"So anyway, who are you?" She asked, screwing her nose up in confusion. Her mood had ever so slightly improved now that she was cooling down, and the more ratioal Katlyn could't remember the man introducing himself at any point.
"I'm Katlyn if you even cared. I work on the farm not far down the road."

She didn't really know why she was explaining herself to him, the stupid fool that he was, and so to prove that she had no real interest in him she swam back downstream again.

[Lancelot Du Lac]

"Well .... if you weren't you certainly took care of that quite quickly, did you not mademoiselle, no?" He noticed that her eyes were boring in on him. "Well ..... ma cherie ..... I have never been accused of being shy, but the boring part, I'm afraid I must plead guilty," he said, holding his hand over his heart.

He noticed that she rather gracefully and effortlessly swam against the current. She didn't seem to have much trouble holding her breath under water, he noticed as well. It was obvious that this one was quite an independent spirit and would not be one who would be easily tamed. She definitely had a mind of her own, and by all appearances liked to show it off, as well as the rest of herself, he smiled slightly.

"I am Sir Lancelot Du Lac of Huntingdon and Wessex. I was once a Knight of Camelot, but am no more, and have not been for some time," he nearly shouted as she swam away. Apparently, he thought to himself, she wasn't that interested anyway. "Well, Katlyn, its been a pleasure meeting you .... sort of," he laughed. "What type of work do you do on the farm," he asked, as he mounted his black stallion, preparing to ride down the road.

[Katlyn Isabel Blake]

Katlyn turned back, the water swirling around her lightly tanned form as she did so. Oh it felt so good to be in the cool water! Why wouldn't Lancelot prefer this to the stuffy uniform and mail that he had on?

"You're going?" She asked increduously as he mounted his horse once again and made to ride away. Miss Blake found herself a little reluctant to lose his company now, but being the stubborn creature that she was, she was not going to let him know that so instead remained a tad stand-offish.

"Well my father owns the farm...so i just help out here and there. I'm as strong as ninety percent of the boys!" She said proudly, sticking out her chin and grinning. Her mood really had improved.

"Well mister Knight, i think it is a bit un-gentlemanly of you to leave a girl by herself...don't you? Clearly your manners were the reason you are no longer a knight of Camelot?" She thought that that remark might just get to him enough to stop him being a boring old man and waited to see what his reply would be this time.

[Lancelot Du Lac]

This girl was quite unpredictable he thought to himself, as he re-mounted his horse. First she swims away, and the she swims back. It made him question what her actual attitude was. She acted as if she didn't want to have anything to do with him, but in the next instant seemed to act differently.

"Yes .... well .... I think whether you are noble or commoner .... mounting a horse generally does indicate some sort of intent, does it not? Besides I believe you made it clear, several times, that you don't require my attention or my presence. Or has your opinion changed in the last few minutes," he asked, wondering if and when she was going to come out of the water in her present condition.

"Well, then your father is a lucky man, not just for the boys, but his strong daughter." It was easy to see that she was quite proud of what her abilities and strengths were. At any rate, it was easy to see that she was suddenly more willing to address Lancelot. He wondered if that was good or not.

"The name, kind girl, is Lancelot, and the gentlemanly thing would be to allow the lady to make up her own mind. It all depends on the relative safety he leaves them in. No ..... I can assure you it was not my manners that were questioned. It was my nobility and my worthiness that were questioned."

[Katlyn Isabel Blake]

Katlyn screwed up her nose, clearly not understanding exactly what Lancelot had just said, and not afraid to show it either. He had a funny way of talking, one that Kat had not noticed in anyone else at court but it seemed to her to be intelligent, and he was certainly good with words.

She liked him though, even though she was reluctant to speak to him at first, and was still not intending to let him know that.
"Well, 'Lancelot'," She spoke his name like it was a ridiculous concept, and to her the noble name was unusual and unheard of. "I think then, that leaving me by myself would be rude especially as, should you go, i might drown or anything!"

She grinned to herself, diving under the water and swimming a few feet away. She rose to the surface and floated there, head back, sun bathing her face in a golden glow.

She loved the summer.

[Lancelot Du Lac]

The expression her face clearly meant one of two things. Either she did not like what she had just heard or she was not able to understand it. Perhaps it was a mixture of both he thought to himself. In any case, she had not acted much like she wanted him to stick around, and he considered, his laughing at her actions had probably not increased the likelihood of him being welcomed. Howebver, he had not meant anything nasty or personal, he just could not avoid its amusement.

She then repeated his name, stretching it out ridiculously, making it sound like it referred to many Lances. Prince Arthur had said it like that when he had first met him and had knocked Lancelot down on his behind. "It is Lancelot Du Lac .... Sir Lancelot." Her next words were a reminder of his knightly duties, and if she pressed the point with him, he had to agree. "Of course you are correct, milady. Please forgive me for my rudeness. Is there anything I can do to help, mademoiselle," he said as he dismounted once more.

She was quite contradictory he thought, demanding he stay, but flying away under the water. He had not run across anyone remotely like her. However, he thought, as he rubbed his chin, he had not much experience with females, just fellow knights. She surfaced, though, only a few yards away, seeming to drink in the rays of the warm sun, with her head tilted back. She would definitely be an interesting acquaintance to make, and quite a fiery one at that, he smiled slightly to himself.