I'm Hiding. Go Away. [Caitrin]

[Celyn ap Llewellyn]

Celyn was sure Caitrin was laughing at him but he was running through a forest carrying a basket full of herbs so he probably did look quite ridiculous. That didn’t matter at the moment though, he was far too busy enjoying himself to care about what he looked like and anyway Caitrin had a rather nice laugh so he didn’t mind being the cause of it. He was about to say something, or shout something rather, when ahead of him he saw Caitrin fall to the ground. He quickly caught up with her and immediately bent down to see what had happened properly. “Are you alright?” She was still laughing though so she couldn’t have injured herself badly.

“Well I think we both knew that would be outcome,” he teased as he sat down properly instead of just being bent over. The basket of herbs was set down on the ground next to him. There was a look of concern across his face as Caitrin told him she thought she’d sprained it. He couldn’t tell either way so he was just going to assume she knew about this sort of thing. “Can you move it?” Whenever he’d managed to do something like this he was always told to try and move it.

He was actually rather surprised at how well she was taking this. Either of his sisters would screaming and shouting at him, probably saying it was all his fault and then demanding he carry them somewhere to find some pain relief, but Caitrin was just sat there, smiling up at him. He did as she suggested and shuffled slightly to make himself more comfortable. “Well Lady Caitrin, it seems we are once again forced to remain in each other’s company.” Even though they had just been enjoying themselves it was through choice, and not because he was holding her captive in a bush or because she couldn’t walk and he wasn’t going to leave her, not that he was complaining of course. He was rather enjoying spending time with her.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin was still holding onto her ankle, like that was going to make the pain more bearable. Whatever she’d done to her ankle, her body certainly wasn’t going to thank her for it. She was breathing through gritted teeth, but she didn’t want to show how much it actually was hurting her. She’d been through a lot worse, though that wasn’t a lot of consolation at the moment. She winced and shook her head at Celyn’s words, though she managed a gentle chuckle, “I’ve been better.” It wasn’t his fault she’d fallen, so there would be no point in projecting a bad mood upon Celyn. Plus, he didn’t deserve it, and she was enjoying his company now he wasn’t holding her captive in a bush, so she didn’t want to annoy him.

She pulled a face at him as he teased her. “I let you win.” She replied stubbornly, but she couldn’t keep her voice sounding serious for long before she just smirked at him. He would have probably caught her if she’d carried on running through the forest, but she supposed it wasn’t either of their faults that something had stopped the pursuit. She’d have to challenge him to a rematch when her ankle was healed, though this time they would be running somewhere with a distinct lack of tree roots, that was a definite.

As Celyn asked her if she could move it, she figured she might be able to walk on it. She can’t have hurt her ankle that badly after all, could she? Caitrin bit her lip and placed a hand on Celyn’s shoulder and levered herself up so she was standing on her good foot. Letting go of Celyn’s shoulder only for a moment, she tried to shift her weight but ended up just tumbling back onto the ground. “I don’t think I can even walk on it, unless I just shuffle home.” She said, half joking as her hands returned to her ankle, just to support it more than anything. It wasn’t hurting as much as she was expecting it to, she was in absolute agony of course, but as long as Celyn didn’t suspect that then everything was well and good. She wasn’t going to appear like the needy damsel in distress in front of Celyn. If she had to crawl back to her Uncle’s estate then she would.

Being forced to remain in each others company was becoming a theme with the pair of them. It was probably the strangest way to define whatever friendship or relationship they had at the moment, but that was just then. “Well, I don’t see any reason to complain.” She winked at him, of course she wasn’t finished with flirting with him. A sprained ankle wasn’t a reason to let up her advances, no, it just allowed a greater opportunity to let them grow. “What shall we do to pass the time?” She asked, sitting back in her makeshift seat, and she let her hands take her weight and inclined her head towards Celyn with a soft grin, “We could count the leaves on the tree over there, or I could talk you through my herbs, or you could come up with something a lot more fascinating.” She winked, sure he wouldn’t want to listen to her ramble on about any topic, but she was sure whatever he suggested he wouldn’t disappoint. She wasn’t even sure what time they were killing, there was no way she’d be able to walk home, but that was a problem they would hopefully get to.

Notes: I just *really* love symbolism, deal with it

[Celyn ap Llewellyn]

Caitrin had let him win? Really? Well that was interesting. He gave her a look that made it absolutely clear what he thought about that. "Is that why you're currently nursing an injured ankle?" He asked with a teasing tone, but at the same time he was concerned that she was in more pain than she was letting on. He might have only just met this mad woman, but she was probably the sort to go around telling people she was fine when she most obviously wasn't. He'd have to get her to a physician and have it properly looked at.

Celyn watched as she stood herself up, it was almost like watching a newborn foal finding its feet. It was almost endearing in a way, if she wasn't suffering and he wasn't quite so concerned. He winced as she made contact with the ground again, in a rather unladylike fashion but he wasn't going to say anything. She'd probably hit him. "Well, I'm not a physician...but it looks like you've done...something." That was about as accurate and as helpful as he could be at the moment, i.e. not at all. At least he was making the effort though - that had to count for something.

It seemed not even an injured ankle could stop Caitrin from flirting. He should have expected this. He just rolled his eyes - her flirting was becoming rather amusing, and he wasn't going to look into any of it. He highly doubted he was the first male she graced with such comments. As fun as leaf counting seemed, and it did seem really, really fun, now that she'd mentioned her herbs, he found himself rather curious. She had been rather protective of them, so they must be mildly interesting, and she might remember she had something to help with the pain. "Teach me the ways of the herb." He said with a grin, trying to sound like he wasn't making fun of her, well, he sort of was.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin pulled a face at Celyn as he spoke to her before looking back to her ankle. She was still holding onto it with one of her hands. She wasn’t actually sure whether it was making the pain any better, or whether this was just psychological. She didn’t care thought, the fact was it hurt more when she took her hand away. “It’s not that injured.” She’d had worse, and she would probably have worse in the future. It was throbbing and hurting, but she wasn’t going to tell Celyn any of that. She was never one for admitting weakness, or even when she was hurting; she was quite stubborn like that, and Celyn would just have to deal with it. “I could probably work on it if I was trying hard enough.” She said in a matter of fact tone with her head held high. That was a complete lie of course, but as long as Celyn didn’t challenge it then it would work somehow. Hmm, knowing him he probably would. Damn.

Hitting the floor again just made the pain seem worse somehow. Maybe because now it was clear she couldn’t stand up on her ankle, or put weight on it at all. Well wasn’t this great. Celyn wasn’t really helping that much either, he was probably smug about this in some respect. She didn’t really care what he was thinking, all she cared about at the moment was that she was in pain. “That’s not helping.” Was all she could mutter as she shifted her ankle into a less painful position. She bit her lip so that she didn’t cry out, she might be in pain, but Celyn didn’t have to know how much pain she was in.

It wasn’t surprising he didn’t want to count all the leaves on the tree, even Caitrin would find it hard to find some pleasure in such a task. Casually, she leant across Celyn, letting her hand brush across his thigh as she picked a herb out of her basket. She smiled at him as she sat back and brushed the herb against her fingers, “Well this is a gingko leaf, when mixed up in a brew it can cure headaches, but that’s it.” She frowned, unfortunately the healing properties of it didn’t stretch to sprained ankles, “My Uncle suffers with frequent headaches, so I make him the brew because if he suffers, everyone suffers.”

[Celyn ap Llewellyn]

Not that injured? That was said convincingly. Celyn just shook his head, an amused expression on his face. He was quickly coming to the conclusion that Caitrin was far too stubborn for her own good - this was all very well and good but didn't help when she managed to injure herself. "You're not walking anywhere." He said firmly. He really didn't want her to do her ankle any more injury. Medical knowledge was not something he could boast, but he was fairly certain she shouldn't be walking on an ankle like that. She would just have to accept this or risk being in even more pain. Was she that stubborn? Probably, thinking about it, but he was prepared to use force to keep her off her feet.

As it happened, physical force was not used and Caitrin ended up proving him right as she collided with the floor. Hmm. He wasn't going to say "I told you so". He was just going to think it. She was biting her lip so he was fairly convinced she was in more pain now. Silly girl. He knew this would happen but of course she had to go and find that one out for herself. Yes, she definitely was to stubborn for her own good. He knew full well that he wasn't helping simply because there wasn't anything he could do. Ankles were not something he was an expert on. "Just...don't try and walk again. Rest a while, if needs be I'll...I'll carry you." She probably wouldn't like that one bit but quite frankly he didn't care.

Obviously winks and a suggestive tone weren't quite enough for Caitrin. Celyn had just been sat there, innocently enjoying her company when she leant across him and because that wasn't distracting enough he felt her hand against his thigh. He immediately shifted, feeling rather uncomfortable, surprised and a little embarrassed at actually enjoying the brief sensation. Well this wouldn't do. It wouldn't do at all. Luckily, she had already started talking about herbs which weren't nearly as enjoyable as hands and thighs but then that could only be a good thing. "Your uncle is a jolly man then?" He asked, a smile tugging at his lips. He must be if he was in constant need of pain relief and suffering from headaches. Then again, that wasn't surprising what with him being related to her.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin pulled a face at Celyn, just because what he was saying was true didn’t mean she had to like or agree with it. She put her eyes away from Celyn and just stared down at her ankle. She had pulled it out from under her skirts so she could see the damage. It was clear that it was swollen when it was compared with the other one. She frowned, “I could still walk.” She replied stubbornly, even if that wasn’t strictly true she could still cling to the belief, maybe. Caitrin was never one to admit defeat anyway, not if she thought it would make Celyn feel as if he had been right all along about this. She certainly wasn’t going anywhere, and as she started to come around to that way of thinking she found her mood wasn’t really improving because she didn’t like to feel helpless. If she thought that Celyn would let her she would drag herself back to her estate rather than ask for help. She doubted he would stand for that though, she supposed as a Prince he had been instilled with the same values that a knight had. That annoyed her even more, she wasn’t some damsel in distress waiting for her dashing hero to come and save her. She didn’t need Celyn’s help.

It hurt her even more as she collided with the ground, and it took all her strength not to cry out. She lay back against the ground and bit her lip; great, just great. Her mind was already thinking ahead of this little encounter, a sprained ankle would mean she would be confined to the estate for the foreseeable future with only her Uncle for company. This was going from bad to worse. “Carry me?” She repeated, half amused, “I’m fine, I don’t need you to carry me.” Her stubbornness wasn’t getting any better, and Caitrin wasn’t backing down even though she knew she was already defeated. She knew though if Celyn did actually try to leave her she would have to swallow her pride. The estate was too far away for her to crawl to anyway.

Sitting up again, Caitrin smirked somewhat and shrugged, “That would depend on who you ask.” She pointed out seriously, “To him, he is the most jolly man alive, but to everyone else...” That didn’t really need to be continued, she was sure Celyn was smart enough for her to not have to spell it all out for him. She enjoyed her own company out of the house because staying in all the time would drive her to insanity. She was starting to get irritated with just being in the one place, she didn’t like being still and it was really starting to grate on her nerves. “How long do you think it will be until I can move?” She asked, her fingers drumming against a stone by her side. She was far too impulsive to want to be confined to one spot for a long period of time, it wasn’t her at all. “Or should I start bedding down for the night?”

[Celyn ap Llewellyn]

Celyn just looked at Caitrin, eyebrows only slightly raised. He didn’t really need to point out the obvious here, did he? It was quite clear to him that Caitrin couldn’t still walk, so it must be even more obvious to her. And yet she was still trying to be stubborn about it. Well, he supposed, if she wanted to try she’d only hurt herself again and it wouldn’t make a difference to him. Maybe she’d learn not to be so stubborn if she made her ankle worse, or it might have the complete opposite effect. Celyn didn’t know her well enough yet to decide which one was the more likely outcome. “Could you?” His eyebrows rose a little more. They both knew the answer to this, and it was an answer that wouldn’t change on account of Caitrin’s willpower or how many faces she pulled at him.

Her reaction to his suggestion had been expected. Caitrin, it was now clear, was not a woman who was going to appreciate the offer of being carried. It would take away her independence or whatever. Well Celyn wasn’t trying to do that at all, she could be as independent as she liked, he just didn’t want to be stuck in the middle of a forest with her all night because she wouldn’t let him help her. “It was only a suggestion.” he replied, not entirely sure whether she was annoyed with or not but trying to diffuse any tension there may be.

She seemed...more comfortable perhaps talking about Rouland. Maybe he was just imagining it, or maybe the conversation was taking her mind away from her ankle. Whatever the reason, Celyn found himself rather glad of it. She seemed to be relaxing more, which meant he could to, and he wasn’t worrying about hands or thighs anymore. “Sounds like my father,” he replied with a shrug. He probably shouldn’t have mentioned his father, not around someone as curious as Caitrin but it was too late now. Hopefully he could distract her with something else.

Not having much medical knowledge, Celyn was rather at a loss of how to answer her. He hadn’t really thought this far ahead, just assumed that it would be made clear when Caitrin could walk again, or hobble, to someone who did have medical knowledge. What he was sure of though was that under no circumstances where they “bedding down for the night”. Despite protests, he could carry her if he had to. “We’re not sleeping here,” he said, perhaps a little too firmly, “Even if you still can’t walk, I’ll get you back.”

[Caitrin de Archer]

No, she couldn’t walk, was the simple answer to his question, but even thinking about that answer annoyed her. She knew she couldn’t walk, the ankle was already swollen and without answering Celyn she slipped her dress up her leg so she could get a better look at the limb in question. It was already quite bruised and had doubled in size. She winced as she stretched out the ankle and bit her lip, letting out a small cry in pain. After that, she didn’t really feel like she needed to answer Celyn at all.

Caitrin couldn’t just continue this conversation by going on about how she actually could walk, and just denying most things which Celyn said. She felt quite bad in a way that she was taking her mood out on him, he was probably only trying to help, and give her some reassurance but her temper had got the better of her again, and she had ended up snapping at him. It was a small wonder that he hadn’t already left and gone back to wherever his men were. She wouldn’t have blamed him. “I know it was.” She replied, probably a bit too harshly, “I’m sorry.” She didn’t exactly refer to what to was that she was sorry for, but hopefully he would know that she was just referring to the way in which she had spoken to him earlier. Caitrin knew that he was just trying to help, and that was fine. She shouldn’t have gotten annoyed with him for just offering his help. Not many men would offer to carry her across the forest because of a twisted ankle after all.

She was quite taken aback when Celyn likened his father to her Uncle. She looked up at him and pressed her lips together. She wondered if they really were similar, or whether Celyn was just saying it for the sake of it. “What’s your father like then, well, aside from the spit of my Uncle.” She chuckled to herself, hopefully Celyn’s father was like Rouland in some of the more positive ways. She knew her Uncle had a good heart, once you found it. Wouldn’t Celyn’s father be the king as well? Perhaps she could ask that later.

The firm tone in Celyn’s voice was what caught Caitrin first of all. It was more the fact that he was determined to get her home, not just him. By saying what she had, she had just expected him to leave, or say that she could stay here but she wasn’t. Caitrin felt like she was doing Celyn a massive disservice, but still, no one else had ever stuck around in her life, she hadn’t done anything differently with Celyn so what would make him stay? But he wasn’t leaving, and he was implying he wouldn’t until she was home again. She was a little confused, but wouldn’t let it show. Why should he care what she got herself into? “Are you really intending to carry me all the way home?” She finally asked him, it wasn’t her saying that she couldn’t walk, she was just asking a question.

[Celyn ap Llewellyn]

It really wasn't appropriate, but Celyn found himself looking at her leg as she raised the hem of her skirt. He told himself that he was only looking to inspect her ankle, but there was no point lying to himself. Caitrin was an attractive woman - an annoying one but an attractive one nonetheless, with an equally attractive leg. He coughed awkwardly and looked at the floor. Leg staring was not going to help.

Was that...an apology? From Caitrin de Archer, well, this surely was a rare occassion. He hadn't known the girl long, but he knew enough of her pride to see that she didn't make a habit of apologising to anyone for anything. He felt rather privalleged, or he would if he wasn't feeling so smug. And then he felt guilty because he shouldn't be feeling smug when she was clearly in some pain. "Apology accepted." He replied with a small, but genuine, smile. They appeared to be making progress, although at present, Celyn couldn't tell whether this was a good thing or not.

He should have known such a comment would prompt questions. What a fool he was. Now he was stuck in a conversation about his father, how wonderful. There was a reason why he was currently in the middle of a forest in a foreign country. "My father is...well, he's a king. He's proud and arrogant and drinks too much." He shrugged, there really wasn't much to say. "I suppose he isn't the nicest of people." The words were not said to provoke some sympathy or anything of the sort, they were just the only way he could think to describe the man. His father had always seemed distant, far more concerned with his power and ruling than with his family and children. Celyn had just accepted that. It was just the way things were.

Caitrin seemed surprised that he offered to carry her. It was the least he could do after pulling her into a bush and getting her into this mess in the first place. And he was hardly going to just leave her there. If she couldn't walk this was their only option. He shrugged, trying to remain casual. "Well if you can't walk, it's the only way." Personally, he was hoping her ankle would soon be fine but unfortunately that didn't appear to be the case.

[Caitrin de Archer]

It was clear, as Caitrin took up the hem of her skirt; her ankle was far from fine. She traced along the fresh bruising, and flinched slightly. The flesh had swollen to twice its original size. This wasn’t exactly how she had been intending the afternoon to go. She just stared at it for a few moments before pulling her skirts back down, as she leant back, sighing out irritated. There was no way she was going to be able to walk on that anytime soon, let alone in the next hour or so. Caitrin was starting to get a sense of helplessness which she didn’t like or care for. She didn’t like not being in control, and yet her injury had left her completely within Celyn’s hands for the time being. There was no one else within shouting distance, and if he chose to just leave her then she wouldn’t be able to stop him. So she supposed she should be grateful he was being so nice about it all, and that he hadn’t given any thought to leaving just yet.

The apology had meant Caitrin had to swallow her pride for the time being, something she felt like she was going to have to do a lot during this meeting. She just nodded back at Celyn, glad at least he had accepted her apology. She hadn’t really had a plan for if he hadn’t accepted her apology, and she had been relying on the fact that he was a gentleman, and she had been right in that. Her apology had been genuine so she just smiled at Celyn, hoping this meant they could start afresh in a sense.

There were many times in Caitrin’s life that she was glad she wasn’t of royal blood. She was quite content to cause havoc and suchlike in the high nobility without having to worry about duty and an entire country. She knew from Arthur and Oliver that such burdens did not come lightly, and Celyn’s tone told her that as well. “He would get on well with my Uncle.” Caitrin mused with a smirk, and ran a hand down her leg so it rested on her ankle just for a few moments. “But he sounds tame when compared with my own father.” She reflected a little sadly. Her father had left her with an injury not unlike the state her ankle was in now, as a child. Those ghosts were in the past, though as much as she tried to tell herself that, the less she believed it. Her father was never far from her thoughts.

Caitrin didn’t really want to be carried, and it was taking an incredible amount of swallowing her pride for her to even entertain such an idea. She didn’t want to be in this position at all. She decided to try to put some weight on her ankle, to see whether it was truly beyond walking ability. No sooner had she shifted her weight than it was regretted. She bit back tears and stifled a cry. Caitrin took a few moments to compose herself before turning back to Celyn, “I don’t think I’ll be able to walk anywhere, well, give or take a week.”