A Damn Fine Hunt

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur walked while crouched low, listening to the sounds of the forest. He could heard a few distant bird calls high in the trees, but he was on the lookout for larger prey.

As he stalked, his hunting companions followed closely, slightly more wary that Arthur, but then that was his way. Nothing scared him, little made him cautious and he went into everything head on. Today was no different and armed with his trusty sword and cross bow, he felt that nothing could stop him- even tales of mythical creatures.

A strange animal call, from somewhere to the west, made Arthur stand up straight and call for a beater to pass him his crossbow. He pulled a bolt from his quiver and slowly drew back the bowstring, before going back into his crouch and pushing his way forwards through the bushes.

Arthur never felt more alive than when he was on a hunt. Perhaps in a battle he would, but then again his father would never allow him to ride to war. Still, the pounding of adrenaline in his ears excited him more than anyone could imagine.

A brushing of twigs on twigs caused Arthur to turn sharply, something was close and he had no idea what it was.

[Casalynn Laymont]

((OOC: I hope you don't mind I joined your thread ))

Casalynn had heard talk and rumours about magical beings wandering the forests and to say the least, she was intrigued. She had been meaning to take a walk and have a look for herself but somehow she had not found the time to. She had found it difficult to escape the notice of her 'Uncle' and slip under his radar but he was currently out on a short pilgrimage that would have him away for the next few days. The absence of her 'Uncle' had given her more freedom than usual and she was loving every minute of her time alone. She had been riding for most of the day and was exhausted to say the least yet a brisk walk through the forest was something she was more than up for.

The aggravated whine of her horse echoed through the forest and soon disappeared into thin air. Her horse did not feel too happy with being left alone but Casalynn knew it wouldn't be for long; she wasn't planning to be gone for any great amount of time. She knew the forest held dangerous creatures so she was armed heavily, with her sword as her main weapon along with a few sharply pointed daggers which were still shiny from her 'Uncles' Closet. A small smirk crossed her face when she thought back to raiding his drawers and safes for anything that would come in handy for this trip. After all what he did not know would not hurt him and she'd put them back once finished.

Casalynn gently patted her horse on the back and tied him up next to the nearest tree. She wordlessly said a small goodbye to her horse and turned her back, her eyes scanning through the atmosphere for any signs of movement. She could feel adreniline pulsate through her body and she couldn't help but smile. She had never done this before and it was exciting, she had felt freedom for the first time after being locked up for days on end.

Casalynn placed a silent foot onto the ground, careful not to scare anything that was ready to approach her. She steadied her breathing so it was easier to hear the noises and sounds coming from up ahead. Her heart began to hammer across her chest and and she hovered her hand over her sword as she approached. She could hear the sound of twigs snapping and of scuttling and shuffling about. She could tell that she was close as the sound grew louder and louder.

She broke through the trees to find something most unexpected. Not of monstrous creatures or mythical beings, but that of Prince Arthur. A somewhat confused expression crossed her face and she blushed to realize what she had just done. She had not been stalking her 'prey' but infact had been stalking Prince Arthur. She was unsure of whether to turn back, run away and pretend this had never happened or confront him. Her mind quickly played out his response to each question and decided to pretend she had got 'lost'.

"Oh." Casalynn brushed her cloak from under her feet as she carried on her sentence. "I took a wrong turn, I didn't realize you would be on a hunt" She bowed her head slightly before standing awkwardly in his pathway. She swiftly took her hand of her sword and placed it under her cloak away from any curious eyes.

((OOC: I don't normally write that much, Honest ))

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur still stood crouched low to the ground, heart pounding with excitement andcrossbow at the ready, when Casalynn burst through the undergrowth in a fluster.

His jaw dropped as he realised that not only had he been interrupted by this girl, but that also his prey had just fled at the sound of her voice.

"Argh!" He yelled, throwing his weapon over his shoulder, where it narrowly missed both one of his beaters, who ducked quickly behind the trunk of a huge tree.
"What on earth are you doing in the forest!" He half screamed the words at the poor girl, who looked awkward standing knee deep in shrubbery, "No one comes in here its dangerous!!"

Turning round, Arthur leant one hand on the same tree his beater was still standing behind and bowed hsi head. He needed to calm down, a prince should not get so angry in front of his men and royal subjects. After a few deep breaths he regained his composure, and turning back to the girl, he smiled.

"I'm sorry," He said sincerely, "I am afraid that when i begin a hunt i get so very into it. I'm a terrible loser too, and i seem to have lost all chance of catching anything today!" He shrugged and gestured for his men to collect his crossbow from its resting place in a heap of golden leaves.
"Still, it matters little now. May i ask what you are doing so far from Camelot? Or are you from Avalon?"

[Casalynn Laymont]

Casalynn watched Arthur's reaction carefully. She felt an overwhelming feeling of guilt for having stopped his hunt and ruining all chances of him catching anything but it couldn't be helped. She smiled politely when he apologised, not quite knowing his reason for it. He had a right to be angry with her, if anyone should be apologising it should be coming from Casalynn's mouth. She surpressed a small laugh that was looming in her throat at the site of his rather timid-looking beaters but quickly swallowed the sound before it had the chance to become apparent.

She felt her cheeks flush to a rosy red when he began saying that no one came into the forest as it was dangerous. Arthur was right and she knew it, but this was the reason why she was here. Danger. She wanted to feel an element of excitement and thrill and that certainly couldn't be done staring at the four walls of her bedroom.

"I'm sorry. If I'd have known I would not have interupted you. My apologies" She said bowing her head again, beginning to feel a bit of a nuisance.
"Still, it matters little now. May i ask what you are doing so far from Camelot? Or are you from Avalon?"
Casalynn quickly made up a response in her head, making sure she said the right things. She didn't want to tell him what she was up to, yet at the same time she wanted to avoid lying.
"I'm from Camelot. My Guardian is away on business and his time away has given me some time to venture out of his home. He doesn't tend to let me out much. I thought I'd go riding and somehow I ended up here" Casalynn said convincingly, given that she was an incredibly bad liar.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

"Your guardian eh?" Arthur asked laughing, "You sound just like my servant Merlin, he tends to get himself into trouble when Gaius -his guardian- is away too. Lets hope for your sake that you aren't anywhere near as clumsy!"
Offering a hand to the stranger in order to get her out of the bushes, Arthur wondered who this girl was apprenticed or servant to. He definitely hadn't seen her before, and it was unusual for a girl to be taken in by a stranger especially one who left her alone while he went travelling.

"Did you say you were riding?" Arthur asked as soon as she was nettle-free. He could see no sign that she had a horse with her, and his party's horses didnt seem unnerved by anothers presence at all. But before Casalynn could answer Arthur felt a tugging at his sleeve.
"Your Higness!" One of his knights hissed at him. Arthur scowled and turned back to Casalynn.
"So, you know i am Prince Arthur, but who-" Arthur was interrupted by a more vicious tug this time and reluctantly he turned to face Sir Edward with a frown.
"What is it?"
Edward pointed subtley towards Casalynn, and mouthed the word "Sword". Arthur turned around and noticed what Sir Edward meant straight away. Within seconds Arthur had grabbed his own sword and was holding the point up to Casalynns neck.
"Who are you and who is your master?" He demanded, angrier now than when his hunt was disturbed.

[Casalynn Laymont]

Casalynn laughed silently to herself when Arthur spoke about Merlin. She had never met him, or at least she didn't think so. She had never really met anyone since she came to Camelot and knew of no one. Except the obvious King Uther Pendragon and his son, Arthur. All the more reason for her going against her Guardians orders to stay indoors. She was never normally one to go against what she had been told, but this time was different. Plus she hadn't enjoyed herself this much in a long time. Casalynn swiftly took Arthurs hand and managed to haul herself out of the bushes but pleasantries soon went out of the window and before she knew it the tables had turned.

Casalynn had barely chance to respond to his question before his sword was pointed upright in her direction. She could feel his cool blade resting on her neck and she immediatly guessed he had seen her sword. She swallowed sharply, feeling it press as she swallowed. Pulling her eyes away from the sword that threatened her life, she looked up to Arthur ready to explain herself.

"Who are you and who is your master?"

Casalynn glanced down at his sword again, a timid looking smile arising on her face. She had no quarrel with Arthur and was not intending to hurt him, but he didn't exactly know that. With slow and steady movements, she removed her cloak which was hiding her sword so it was confirmed that she was armed although not very dangerous.

"Okay, I may have lied about getting lost but everything else was true. My names Casalynn and I do come from Camelot but I didn't exactly get here by mistake - I intended to. I came for the same reasons as yourself, for Hunting." She said calmly, making an attempt at showing no fear. She carefully steered round answering his question about her 'master' as this was a topic she wasn't too keen to discuss. Casalynn had no idea whether he would believe her or not but for her own sake she hoped that he would.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

[OOC: I apologise completely for not replying sooner...im afraid im a bit caught up in a million threads! I will reply quicker from now on ]

Arthur listened as Casalynn explained her story, and slowly he let his sword down, although not completely satisfied as to why she had lied, he did believe that the girl was no harm.
"Well Casalynn. I believe you are no danger to me or my men, but i do insist you allow us to escort you back to Camelot. It is not safe for a girl your age to be out hunting- especially by yourself!" He couldn't help but wonder what she was really doing out here.
Arthur sheathed his sword, and signalled for his men to mount their horses. "Did you mention you were out riding?" He asked the girl directly, looking into her eyes and trying to work out whether she was telling the truth.

He didn't want Casalynn to know his intentions, but he certainly wasn't going to leave her until he knew both what her real reason for stalking through the forest was and who her master was. It seemed strange the way she said he didn't let her out often. What kind of guardian did that? Arthur knew that if something untoward was going on, it was his duty to stop it. Perhaps he was keeping her as a slave- somethgn that was not permitted in Camelot.

[Casalynn Laymont]

Casalynn couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when Arthur let his sword down. She felt at ease now that he had lowered his sword and she was glad that he had accepted her response. She mustered up a small smile as he said they would escort her back to Camelot. She felt slightly disappointed that her hunting trip had come to a close so quickly and she had barely even had time to enjoy herself. She felt slightly saddened that this would be her last trip out alone in a while and had no idea when she would next have the opportunity to do so again.

"Did you mention you were out riding?"

Casalynn tried to cast her mind back to the exact location to where she had tied her horse up, yet it wasn't too clear. She nodded in reply to Arthur as she tried to figure out the direction her horse was in. She turned her head to the left and realized that was the direction she had come from. "Yes, I left my horse through the trees somewhere, in that direction I think" She indicated to the left and waited for the rest of Arthurs men to mount their horses.

Casalynn thought about trying to break away from Arthur and his men, yet she thought that to be a bit rude. As much as she wanted to carry on her trip she figured going home was probably the best thing to do; for all she knew her uncle could already be home by now. She shook off the thought and began to walk in the direction that her horse was tied up.

"I apologise again for interupting your hunting trip - I wouldn't mind if you carried on with it. I'm more than capable of walking myself back to Camelot" She said with a polite expression. She did, in a way, feel guilty for having stopped him from hunting yet she was more fearful of Arthur bumping into her Uncle. She knew he would be back round about now and could not think of the trouble she would get in if he found her being escorted home by Arthur.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur followed Casalynn as she wandered through the trees to find her horse. It wasnt long before his men were out of sight, and the two of them were alone amongst the trees. Arthur hadn't considered that this could be a trap, but his men had. Nervously standing with the horses, they all had their ears pricked up for any sign of trouble.

"Don't apologise Casalynn," Arthur smiled kindly, "I always like to meet new people and I am more than happy to ensure your safe return to Camelot. The forest is a notoriously dangerous place." He stepped over a large clump of brambles, and almost tripped straight over. With a little skip and an awkward chuckle, he righted himself and continued his walk beside Casalynn. He hoped she hadn't noticed.
"My hunting trip was going terribly anyway. So tell me about yourself, I take it you do not live with your parents?"

Arthur, having grown up without a mother, and with a father so intent on driving magic out of his kingdom that he sometime neglected his son, Arthur could understand how those withoutparents felt. Growing up without a mother figure had taken its toll on him, and he had often missed out on cuddles and bed time stories- his father was far too busy for that. He had had a nurse to look after him, but she had been harsh and cold, not like a mother at all.

[Casalynn Laymont]

((OOC: I loved your post! Made me laugh ^^))

Casalynn could see Arthur almost trip and fall over the brambles through the corner of her eye and she couldn't help but smile. She surpressed the laugh she could feel brewing and quickly strightened her face before Arthur could tell that she noticed. Her mood had lightened up considerably now and suddenly she didn't feel so bad about having to go home. After all, not everyone got the chance to spend time with Price Arthur, maybe it would turn out to be even better than her planned hunting trip.

"My hunting trip was going terribly anyway. So tell me about yourself, I take it you do not live with your parents?"

Casalynn felt a pang of sadness about mention of her parents. It was not knowing more than anything that hurt her. Everytime she tried to think about them, their faces, what they were like, all she could see was a blank screen. It felt like her memories had been wiped out her mind they like were forbidden; no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't remember. It frustrated her that she could not find the memories she wanted and more than anything she just longed to know the family whom she had grown up with.

"No. I've never known my parents, they left me when I was very young." She said looking down at the ground when she walked, watching her feet step one infront of the other. She knew her eyes were very easy to read and from them it was very easy to pick up whether she was lying or telling the truth. She figured avoiding his gaze was the best way to go undetected.

"I live with my 'Uncle' now. He was very nice to take me in when I had no one else to go to" Casalynn had no idea why she was telling him this much; after all she told no one of her personal life. There was a certain element of truth in what she had said, yet her uncle wasn't in fact her uncle, she was just told to call him that. She didn't want to let on how unhappy she was with him as she had nowhere else to go. She hated the fact that she was allowed out once in a blue moon and that she was locked in her room from dawn till dusk. And if she ever disobeyed him or didn't follow his orders then she would often be forced to face his punishment.

"We should be near now. I tied her up somewhere round here" Casalynn said recognizing the path she had made to indicate the way back.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur felt a pang of sympathy for Casalynn as she told him how she had never known her parents. He understood so well.
"I know what its like to not have your parents around." He smiled sadly. "My mother died in childbirth and my father was so busy.." He trailed off, not wanting to indulge too much in the business of King Uther, especially to someone he didnt fully trust.

Arthur heard a slight change in the intonation of her voice as she said the word "uncle". He guessed that the man wasn't her uncle in the blood sense. She kept her head down and Arthur found it difficult to determine exactly what her feelings for this man were, something told him they weren't too fond and he made a mental note to either see him today or to visit another time and ifn out what was going on.

A whipping tail ahead of him caught his eye and Arthur pointed to the girls horse. "There he is! If you want to mount up, I'll lead him and you back to my men?" He smiled again, beginning to like this girl.

[Casalynn Laymont]

Casalynn was glad that Arthur understood what she had gone through. Although she highly doubted he would be able to understand how her memory had been wiped and she had forgotten all about her life, her friends and her family. It wasn't really the case that she didn't know her family, it felt like she had no family at all. At least Arthur had been told stories of his mother that was something only she could dream of. With a small, disguised sigh she looked up to see the sight of her horse happily muching away at the grass and leaves that stood under foot.

A large smile spread across her face as her horse neighed in recognision that she was there, turning to face her and shaking his whole body in an attempt to rid himself of the saddle that he found so uncomfortable. She trotted over to him happily, patting her horse on the neck and picking out the leaves that were stuck in his mane; as he had been standing under a tree he seemed to have accumulated quite a lot of them.

After Casalynn had untied him from the tree, she raised one foot and put it into the stirrip, lifting herself up and placing her other leg over the horses body. She shifted herself comfortably so that she was sitting perfectly on her horse and kicked him lightly as a signal to set off. She kept her back arched perfectly and rode elegantly in unison with Arthur.

She looked around her surroundings and noticed that she had no idea where she was going. She didn't recognise her currect position and hoped for their sake that Arthur did. All the tree's looked the same to her and she didn't want to admit she was on the verge of becoming lost.
"I hope you know where were going as I don't have a clue" Casalynn said jokingly, looking around for something that might indicate they were going the right way.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur watched in wonder as she met with her horse. It was like watching a child at Christmas. He wondered why it was, that a horse made her so happy. Horses to a prince were a means of travelling or a steed for jousting. This girl seemed to treat hers as a companion and friend. Incredible.

She climbed into the saddle gracefully and then Arthur was the one smiling. She looked so happy and content that he couldnt help it.
"Come on then you!" He said to both Casalynn and her horse, and he took the reigns, leading them all through the forest again. As they walked Arthur made conversation.
"Whats your horse's name?" He laughed as he wound around a tree with low branches that Casalynn would have to duck underneath.
"I don't actually know what mine is called, I've never named him. Maybe you can give him a good name?" He asked with a grin.

Something about Casalynn was making him feel so at ease, that he had forgotten that the future of a whole kingdom weighed on his shoulders. She was like a little sister, and he was enjoying making her laugh.

"I hope you know where were going as I don't have a clue" Casalynn said, clearly worried but trying to disguise it. Arthur frowned. He had been so busy talking that he hadn't been concentrating on their direction, but more on finding obstacles that CAsalynn would have to avoid.
"Of course I do!" he laughed, "I'm a prince, don't worry. We'll be out of here in no time." He was not going to tell her he had no idea where they were, or that it was beginning to get dark.

[Casalynn Laymont]

Casalynn felt confident and safe in the hands of Arthur. Arthur seemed to have a strange, calming presence and somehow all the fear from the unknown vanished. He kind of reminded her of what a big brother would be like, protective, funny and that was something she had never experienced before. She felt as though she couldn't be happier but that was soon to be shortlived. Before she knew it she would find herself back in her room, bored out of her brains and staring at her the four walls that contained her.

"Whats your horse's name?"
Casalynn glanced down at her horse who was proudly carrying it's owner. She patted him gently on the neck before regaining her posture and sitting perectly upright.
"His name is Bassett." She said smoothly, watching her horses ears prick up at the announcemet of his name. She had trained her horse well and he would even run to her when she called his name. The relationship between her and her horse had always been strong and up until know was the only company she ever recieved.

"I don't actually know what mine is called, I've never named him. Maybe you can give him a good name?"
Casalynn found it odd not to name a horse, mind you Arthur probably didn't rely so heavily on his horse like she did and probably didn't use them for the same purposes as her. Her horse meant everything to her and she had no idea what she would have done without him. Casalynn sparkled a quick smile at the thought of naming his horse.
"Maybe I could. I'd have to see him first though. Don't want to give him a name like 'Brownie' when he turns out to be a black or white horse" She said with a small laugh.

It made her sad at the thought that she may never see Arthur again. For all she knew she was just a poor peasant living in Camelot, alone with no family. After she had been returned safely home Arthur would be bound to resume his princely duties and fulfill the destiny that had been planned out for him. Whereas she would be living the same boring day over and over again.

Her smile slightly faltered at the thought, before she remembered that she was actually enjoying herself. After she had been lost in her mind, she forgot to look out for obstacles that may be dangling off the end of trees. She watched as Arthur ducked them and before she had time to act she felt the branches of trees swipe across her face. After making the mistake once she was sure not to make it again and before the next tree came intent upon scratching her face off; she successfully ducked it and was none the worse for wear. Apart from the small scratch on her face from the first branch.

She had rather hoped Arthur had not seen her connect with the branch and wiped the small traces of blood from her face. Casalynn cleared her throat in an attempt to cover herself and shook off her looming embarrassment that was showing in her cheeks.

"I'm in no hurry anyway" Casalynn expressed upon glancing at the sky which was rapidly turning darker by the second. She wanted to get home as late as possible as maybe her uncle would be asleep by the time she returned. She looked down at Arthur and smiled, she was feeling true happiness for the first time in a long while.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur could barely supress his laughter as poor Casalynn collided facially with the branch of a thick tree.
"Oh Casalynn! I'm so sorry!" He said sincerely (through guffaws of laughter) He stood on his tiptoes and brushed the hair off of her face inspecting the wounds.
"Well I think you'll live, but maybe we will avoid those low branches in future?" He winked, knowing full well that it was his fault.

"I think its for the best you see my mare before you name her," He agreed with her, it would be nice for his horse to have some company other than Merlin...who wasn't perhaps the best company an animal could have...and maybe Casalynn would take up a position as stable master or a stable hand and look after all of the horses there.

Arthur was relieved that Casalynn was in no hurry. He guessed her master must be away still and therefore would not worry about where his ward had gotten to. Although he still felt something was a little untoward there.
The evening was growing darker now and Arthur guessed it must be well past Eight. Perhaps it would be best if Casalynn resided at the castle tonight. They had plenty of room after all, and it would be easier for Arthur to meet her guardian in the day than late at night, and he certainly didn't want him to get the wrong idea. He suggested hsi plan to Casalynn, and hoped she would accept.
"Then in the morning we could visit my horse?" He added.