I FEEL LIKE I'M FROZEN IN TIME ; LANCE

[Ambersariya Menthro]

Amber was at a completely and total loss. She had no idea what to do with herself, couldn't even face the real world at the moment. It was hard to admit, and she would've liked to think that she had gotten completely over him and had no need to be pining, but the basic truth was that she hadn't stopped pining. Things that were normally an outlet weren't any more. She couldn't dance because she couldn't stand to see all of the men looking at her while she wished so desperately that he was in the crowd, and she couldn't play around with her weapons because as anxious and fidgety as she was, she would most likely end up cutting off her own hand.

Her sole refuge was going out on walks like this to nearby meadows - she tried to stay away from forests, as there were far too many memories there for her to deal with quite yet. Faolan tailed groggily behind her, having been woken up from a nap to accompany her, his large tail swaying back inside but rather dully. He missed him, too, she could tell - which only made her angrier. She had made the mistake of presumptuously deciding that she could just forget all about him and move on, and the denial during those first few days had cost her dearly when all of the emotion came flooding back at once.

When Faolan's ears abruptly perked up, Amber turned to look at him with raised brows. "What is it?" she wanted to know, though she knew that he couldn't understand her. She followed his alert gaze, squinting as if it would help her see through the tall grass, and made out the figure of a man not too far away. She paused in her tracks, biting her lip and debating whether or not to approach him.

[Deleted]

Lancelot had simply had to get away from Camelot, at least the inner castle area. He had thought he was over her, or at least he had his old feelings for her safely put away, but when he had seen them kiss, his king and that future king's future wife and queen, that he knew that he wasn't true. Fortunately, within a short time after seeing them exchange their kiss, he had been thrown into battle and conflict. One thing that he had learned in his career as a soldier was to focus on the task at hand, and submerge and ignore everything else. Even with that focus, he knew, he had been fortunate to survive. Merlin had been successful in destroying the Cup of Life in the nick of time.

Lancelot had been wounded, but it had been nothing life-threatening, but quickly their focus had moved from the battle to the aftermath. It was not a complete victory. After all, Morgana and Morgause had escaped, and Lancelot himself had no idea whether King Uther would end up being agreeable to the men that Arthur .... Prince Arthur .... had decided to make Knights of Camelot. Still, whether officially a knight or not, when it came to Arthur and Camelot, Lancelot had always had a sense of duty and honor, from the beginning. That sense of duty had carried him through the escort of Gwen back into the city of Camelot, where once more he had seen her and Arthur embrace, kiss, and greet one another.

It had been nearly more than the young knight could take. In fact, it was all he could do to simply look away, so that neither Arthur nor Gwen, or any of the other knights could see the emotions in his eyes. He thought that Merlin knew what he wrestled with, from those few words they had exchanged outside the castle of Hengest. Sir Percival may have put two and two together about the woman that Lancelot had spoken of in their trip from Ealdor to the forest outside of Camelot. Lancelot had left as quickly as he could, coming her to this meadow on the outskirts of Camelot. He had no idea how he was going to deal with the stress of being frequently in her presence.

He doubted, in fact, how he could replace her in his heart. All he could do was serve the Prince faithfully as long the Prince demanded. He sighed loudly, thinking of what faced him in his new duties. He had always dreamed of being a Knight of Camelot, but not like this. Maybe King Uther would simplify things, and just refuse to recognize them as knights, and then he could go on his way, he pondered, as he noticed his black stallion stir, as if someone was approaching. He turned, wondering if he had reason to be concerned, with one hand on his horse, Sher-Fore, and the other on the hilt of his sword.

[Ambersariya Menthro]

Amber observed the knight for another few moments. He looked... well, frankly, he looked quite lonely. Sad, even. It subtly occurred to her that had she not been feeling the same way, she might not have noticed at all; though she'd prided herself on being able to read people very well, there were certain emotions that you couldn't identify the mannerisms of unless you, yourself, had experienced or were experiencing them. She didn't pity him, exactly, knowing that she wouldn't have wanted pity in return, but she did empathize. It was a hard line to walk, and he seemed to be struggling just as much as she was. There was an automatic feeling of kinship there, but one she disregarded entirely in favor of common sense. It didn't matter how lonely he was, he could still be dangerous.

Her decision was made for her. The moment she noticed his horse stirring - and paranoid eyes such as hers rarely missed events such as this - she knew that she couldn't just stand there any longer; she would have to either leave or greet him, and as there wasn't time enough for the former, she settled for the latter. Settling Faolan down was another matter; the horse's anxiety made him anxious, as well. She placed her hand on top of his head, calm but firm and a clear command to stand down, and he grudgingly obeyed the sentiment, though his eyes never left the two creatures ahead of him.

Naturally, when he turned it was another matter entirely. Amber could try to convince herself as much as she wanted that she was placid person, but the basic truth of the matter was that it took very little to spark a reaction from her, and paranoid as she was, being alone in the meadow and coming across another man only furthered the case. Her eyes snapped instantly to the hand that rested on the hilt of his sword, and she wished very dearly that she'd brought a weapon of her own. Of course, it was unlikely that she would have a need for it, but one could never be too careful, and he was clearly experienced with it. She settled herself the tiniest bit with the knowledge that he had a sword and she had a wolf, but then found herself upset all over again; she didn't want a weapon anywhere near Faolan.

"Hello," she said somewhat tentatively, her eyes leaving the sword in favor of his face, though she maintained view of it in her peripheral vision. She tried to force herself to calm down a bit; Fao was responding to her tension with his own, and the last thing she needed was her colossal animal charging at the poor man if he meant no harm. She stepped forward a bit more, her companion moving instinctively with her, to both give the man a better view of herself and to get a better view of him, without all of the grass in the way. At least that way they could assess each other properly, which would at the very least prevent any dangerous misunderstandings.

[Deleted]

Lancelot was more disappointed by the discovery of the woman here on the edge of the meadow than anything else. Well, at least it was a woman and not a soldier or a bandit, and she did appear to be unarmed, at least as she appeared from a first look. The last thing, though, that he wanted now, in his current state, was to be in the company of other people. It just meant that he was going to have to put on a mask, to at least try and hide the way that he was feeling. Oh well, he sighed. Lancelot had to remember, once again, that at least for now he was a knight, and he had certain responsibilities and duties, and none of them was to scare or frighten. As long as she wasn't a threat there was no reason for him to be threatening, so he removed his hand from the hilt of sword and brought it behind his back.

He wondered, almost immediately, what she was doing here, especially if she was from Camelot. The battles were over, of course, at the city, but the areas surrounding Camelot probably could not be considered safe, at least as of yet. Her expression seemed to indicate that she was perhaps as surprised at finding him here as had in finding her. She seemed to be quite calm and unafraid, especially in comparison to her horse. It was a fine-looking animal. but for some reason it appeared to be somewhat skittish. It seemed a lot more nervous than its owner, which set Lancelot to wondering what was on her mind.

He had seen her reaction to his hand on the sword, of course. It had been instinctive, and not one that he had intended to be challenging or aggressive. He knew, though, from practical experience that one had to present a forceful appearance, at times, to prevent a prospective attacker from assuming that they could get away with an attack. He knew that his best of course of action now was simply to take a step back, and allow her the freedom to make the next move. It was up to her whether she would take the opportunity to move toward him and hopefully greet him, or to withdraw as quickly as she had advanced.

He found that he did not have long to wait, but she seemed to have the same visible temperament as he, as she elected not to either advance or withdraw, but t o simply greet him, and apparently gauge the situation by the way he responded. Even in greeting, though, as she didn't seem to be that sure of him, probably unsure of how he would respond. "Greetings milady. I am Sir Lancelot Du Lac, Knight of Camelot," at least for the time being. "And who might you be, if I would be so bold to ask, and what would you be doing out here, so far from the city and its natural protections," he inquired.

[Ambersariya Menthro]

(ooc: Faolan's actually a wolf - I should've specified, sorry. My bad!)

As soon as he removed his hand from his sword, she relaxed some. There was no immediate threat if he didn't already have the sword in hand, which she took as a good sign - he obviously had no intention to attack her, unless he had another weapon on him. To her relief, that seemed doubtful - he wasn't reaching for one, and in fact was observing her in much the same way as she was him, appraising if she had her guess. That was just fine with her, as long as it didn't escalate to anything further, which she was slowly beginning to acknowledge was probably not the case to begin with.

Still, she kept her guard up, unable to completely trust a stranger. His introduction had his brows raising in slight surprise. A knight of Camelot? She certainly had nothing to worry about if that was who he was; they were rather renowned for their honor, were they not? Of course, he could be lying, and she didn't rule out the possibility, but he did seem to be dressed appropriately and if he wanted something more from her, he was going about it very oddly. In her experience, bandits and thieves and other less pleasant men were quick to attack, not to greet and stand down. She ran her hand through Faolan's fur comfortingly.

She was much more willing to oblige him and give her name when he'd given his first; it was instinct. She made the split-second decision not to introduce herself as a princess, however. That would just make this entire meeting horribly awkward, and if he wasn't who he said he was, it would be like giving him one more reason to assault her. Definitely better to avoid that, for all of their sake. "Ambersariya Menthro," she said, flashing a friendly if hesitant smile. And as for what she was doing there... Well, she couldn't very well tell him she was taking a walk to forget her misery and pine away in silence. Or perhaps she could, but she would avoid doing so anyway; if nothing else, she still had her pride, and that wasn't the type of thing you went around informing strangers of to begin with.

"I was just taking a stroll," she said with a smile. "It seemed like a nice enough day for it - nice and quiet." She paused, wondering if it was appropriate to ask him the same thing, and decided that it wouldn't be crossing any obvious lines of courtesy. "And yourself?"

[Deleted]

Lancelot could see that the woman visibly relaxed as he moved his hand away from his sword. He blinked his eyes, though. He wiped some tears that had built up in his eyes with the back of the hand. Could it have been the tears …. Or could it be the shadows and brush that the woman walked out of …. but what he had at first assumed was a small horse, instead appeared to be a …. a ….. wolf? “What is this?,” he exclaimed, as his hand went back to his sword, drawing it part-way out. However, he quickly re-considered, as she walked next to the wolf, apparently un-concerned, as if it was, almost, a companion. He quickly re-sheathed his sword once more.

Was this real …. a vision …. or perhaps magic of some sort. He knew that he would have to be wary, until he knew exactly who she was and what the situation was. For all he knew the wolf could suddenly attack him. He knew that they were animals of great speed, but he had the greatest confidence in his sword and the skill with which he could wield it. Unless it was an enchanted creature of magic he was sure he could fell it with one sure stroke, even in mid-leap if it should make a lunge for him. She seemed to be as wary of him as Lancelot was of her, but by the way she stroked the wolf’s fur he was at least sure, as much as he could be, that the wolf was of no threat to her.

Lancelot had been glad, of course, to identify himself, hoping that she would do the same. He was just unsure exactly how long that Uther would allow him to keep the title. If he was allowed to keep the title, he would of course be obliged to stay, but has he had just considered, perhaps it would be best if they would just allow him to go on his way as a wandering knight. Finally, she did choose to identify herself, and it was a fine and beautiful name, he thought. But something seemed wrong or at least ….. incomplete. He thought for several moments before he came to a conclusion …. It was the way she carried herself …. As if she were something considerably more than just a common person. “ Ambersariya Menthro …… milady,” he said quite clearly and correctly.

“It is a fine name, as beautiful as its bearer, but are you sure there is not something more that should be attached …. milady. If, however, that is as much you feel that I am worthy to know, I understand and accept it. As long as we are in the confines of Camelot and Albion I am but here, as a Knight of Camelot to serve,” he said bowing slightly. “A stroll? Yes, it is definitely a fine day for it. Myself? Oh …. I had to get away …. From everything …. and besides, Sher-Fore here needed a bit of taste of the open air, without conflict being involved.”

[Ambersariya Menthro]

Though it was far from unexpected, Amber tensed completely and immediately at the knight's immediate, terse exclamation. There was never any real way to tell how someone was going to react to the massive wolf that was always by her side - some people were simply frightened, others intrigued, and others yet felt threatened and the need to do something about it. As she watched his hand move straight to the hilt of his sword, she feared for several painstaking moments that he would be one of the latter, and instinctively shifted herself in front of her companion, determined that the blade wouldn't come anywhere near the canine she'd raised since he was a pup.

As he re-sheathed the sword, she felt herself instinctively relax, at least as much as she ever did. He had clearly been startled but meant no harm, and she certainly was not going to press the issue - especially since he was a knight, which she knew to be someone skittish of wolves in general. The fact that he was an exception, or at the very least that he was willing to wait and see the outcome, said very much for his mannerisms and she discovered that perhaps she didn't have to be so wary of him, after all. He hadn't completely earned her trust yet, stranger that he was, but he was well on the road to it, and for the moment she decided to let her guard down a bit, making the mood around them a bit lighter.

She couldn't help but smile at his spot-on observation. How he'd been able to tell, she had no idea - perhaps he'd heard her name before, or perhaps, being a knight, recognizing the traits of royalty was simply something that he was good at; but still, she decided that his ability to notice such a thing and acceptance that it was her decision was worthy of the truth. "There is more," she admitted, her stance becoming more relaxed as she grew accustomed to the situation. "I suppose my formal name should be Lady Ambersariya Menthro, Princess of Kathra." She didn't enjoy giving out her title and the attention that came along with it, but if it was important to him to know, she wasn't going to regret revealing the information.

Her smile widened slightly in response to his phrasing. 'To get away,' he'd said - she knew the feeling very well, had an automatic kinship to it. "And have you managed to get away?" she inquired with a tilt of her head. At least in the most obvious sense, he had - after all, they weren't in Camelot. But she wanted to know if it had worked, if physically distancing himself had also allowed him to do so with whatever painful emotional or psychological ties he was trying to escape. She glanced at the horse when he mentioned it, added, "Sher-Fore? Is that his name? He's truly a beautiful animal."

[Deleted]

Lancelot saw her reaction at his response to seeing the wolf by her side. It was clear to him quickly, though, that her tenseness was a result of Lancelot and not the creature at her side. He assumed that she was comfortable with that companion, especially as she shifted her position so that she was oriented in-between, as if she was trying to keep them both safe, the wolf and the Knight, by keeping them separated. A few years prior, Lancelot would have been taken seriously aback by such a pairing. However, since he had been out entirely on his own, and had lived for long stretches in the enchanted Forest of Balor, and made the acquaintance of
Merlin, nothing surprised him.

As a result of her action, coming between them, and the fact that the animal made no aggressive moves toward him, the situation and the atmosphere became much more calm. "Well then .... to each their own," he commented, nodding toward the woman, and placing the long-sword back in its proper place. He figured that he had not shown that he was a person to be trusted, despite his being a Knight, so he decided that some further non-threatening moves on his part were in order. He reached into his cloak and drew out a red and green apple. Slowly he half-turned and beckoned his black Arabian stallion towards him, offering him the apple, as if they were the only 2 creatures there.

It had not been too difficult to tell, in general terms, that she was not cut from the same common stock that so many others were cut from. The way that she carried herself ..... and the wolf that was with her .... went great strides to indicate that she wasn't very common. At least he got a smile from her at his comments. Many nobles would not have gifted him with anything close to a full answer. He had not expected, though, what she indicated she was ... a princess, no less. "A princess .... then I am quite honored. And how would you prefer to be addressed ..... mi lady? Would you prefer to be addressed with your full name and title, or something a bit shorter and familiar?" He understood, as well as anyone, that often, the way a person wanted to be addressed and referred to, often said a lot about their character and the their personality.

The smile that he had already noticed grew even more prominent when he had tried to get into an explanation, ambiguous though it was, why he was so far outside of the walls of Camelot, alone. "I thought I had. I haven't yet decided whether meeting with you noble person will interfere with that getting-away. I don't think it will, at least for today, since you aren't really part of Camelot, are you. Actually, though, it is not the place that I am trying to get away from, but certain people, and certain memories." he wondered, though, if the place would always be tied in his mind to the people that he was trying to escape from. "Sher-Fore? Yes .... yes it is .... he an Arabian stallion, and has always been good companion and ally, and yes he is handsome. And the animal that accompanies you .... what can you tell me about them?"

[Ambersariya Menthro]

To each their own. She had to admit, he casual acceptance meant a lot to her; it wasn't often that she met someone so generally willing to look past oddities and simply allow people to live how they wanted to. Lancelot seemed to be a pretty laid back person to begin with, really, which was more than welcome. A relaxed personality was exactly what she needed right now, in fact - lately, she'd been nothing but stressed herself and the people around her seemed to always be nothing but a bundle of nerves. In this instance, change was indeed a good thing. She watched as he gave an apple to his horse, clearly both to be kind to the animal and to try to keep her more at peace, and decided he was probably a very honorable man. It wasn't every day she met someone so willing to adhere to the needs and comforts of others.

She was certain her relief was radiating off her in tendrils when he so kindly offered to call her by a more familiar name. Amber idly wondered if perhaps he was familiar with someone of royal lineage - after all, he was a knight, so perhaps he was a friend of the prince? Otherwise, she didn't know how he could be so perfectly understanding of her desire to not just be a princess, but an actual human. Her smile was grateful as she replied, "Amber is fine, if you don't mind." 'Ambersariya' in general was just a mouthful, and she often had to wonder what her parents had been thinking.

Amber tilted her head abstractly, deciding whether to be slightly offended or not, and finally decided she really wasn't. If anything, she appreciated his honestly; most people in his position would probably have simply told her whatever she wanted to hear. "If at any point you wish me to leave, I would be happy to," she told him sincerely. She understood the need to be alone, and that was what he required, she was not so pompous as to reject it. "Certain people and memories," she echoed with a nod. She knew the feeling perfectly. "I hope you do manage to." She would do just about anything to accomplish the same, after all.

His inquiry about Faolan was not unexpected, so she responded with relative ease. "His name is Faolan," she explained. "He was given to me when he was just a pup - he find in arms, if you would believe it. His parents were killed, and he had no one else to take care of him." She ran her hand through the fur behind Faolan's ear fondly. "I've had him ever since. Don't worry, it's not common and in fact I don't think I've ever met another wolf who so vehemently stayed with its human companion." There was a brutal, rueful truth in what she said, but she supposed she should have known, anyway. She had been narcissistic in believing that there had been two wolves in the world that were willing to choose a human to live with and both had chosen her.

[Deleted]

.... To each their own .... Lancelot thought, that when he had started out on his journey to become a knight, he would never have contemplated thinking such a thing, let alone say it. He had seen much and experienced much in the last couple of years, and he had learned not to judge others on first impressions only. For example, with kings such as Uther, and other high nobility, it was a mistake to think that they looked for a higher moral purpose in their decisions than others did. He had made it through the last battle for Camelot with only minor injuries, and his new friends were in relatively good health. He only looked at day-to-day concerns. He didn't concern himself with personal glory, only with service. Days and walks like this, alone, was good medicine for his soul, for he knew that he had not recovered yet from the loss of Gwen.

He had not expected to run into this woman .... this presumed noble ..... with the way that she carried herself ..... and her .... companion. So he was surprised. However, they had a right to the Forest, and the great outdoors as much as he did. He would not begrudge them that. Now that he was stopped, it was an excellent opportunity to stop his companion ..... his fine stallion ..... for a little break and an appreciated and calming snack of an apple. He was after all, so soon after the battle, not looking for conflict, and he hoped his request for a more 'familiar' name to be received well.

He was happy and pleased to see that she was amenable to his request, and as a result he responded with a ready and easy smile. He was not looking for companionship, at least not of the female kind. Right now his stallion was enough for me. His experience so far with females had shown that those relationships were complicated and difficult to maintain, and his general spirit was too tired and depressed with his own person to contemplate being hurt with the self-inflicted wounds he had suffered through Gwen. Not only had he released her .... but he had released to the man that he now served. As a result he would have a daily reminder of what he had lost.

There was no danger of such a thing with this woman, as striking and beautiful as she was in her way. It was simply the opportunity of making a new acquaintance, he thought to himself. "Amber, then, it is," he said as he continued to feed his horse small chunks of apple. "How could a common Knight mind at being given the honor of addressing such a lady as yourself," he said, nodding his head slightly in deference. "There is no way that I would be convinced that I would wish such a thing as your departure. It would rob me of the pleasure of your conversation as well as your appearance, milady." It seemed that she understood his desires to wander in the woods and hinterlands. He wondered if she had similar desires.

"I thank you for your kind consideration." Their conversation, though, had turned quickly to their complementary companions. "It is a strong name," he commented quickly. "One that I expect is appropriate. It is obvious that he is as much .... or more .... companion than pet," he commented. "It is easy to see by ... your closeness and attitude .... that you are closely linked to one another." He thought that only those who had spent much of their life alone could truly understand and appreciate the relationships of others, human and otherwise.