pentamerone <% /!UseJournal %>
08/13/2007 18:16:00
[info]blessedboy
Lake Raienia - Near The Sleeping Woods (Open)
Unconsciousness had taken over Galahad long ago...Or perhaps only minutes before. When he's lost to the darkness time means nothing. He knew, he knew, this day was coming -- the day where his luck would finally run out. Disappointment had settled deep within his chest as he floated along, knowing that his father would be terribly disappointed. King Arthur had been wrong.

Greatest knight in the world indeed... He mused at the back of his mind. He could feel the sun beating down on his body, and he fought to gain consciousness once more. Thick, wet lashes fluttered in an attempt to open his eyes. It was too hard, and he gave up easily. He was meant for greatness, and a knock to the head took him out of the game. How utterly pathetic...

His throat opened and he gave a mighty cough, gurgling a bit as he tries to breath and cough up water all at once. His lungs burned, ached and begged to be used again. He tried opening his eyes once more, but it wouldn't work. His tunic caught on a tree root and the water shoved his body this way and that. He didn't try to move his limbs, he merely laid there, letting the water nudge his body this way and that.

Tags: galahad, penthesilea

 
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From: [info]nottobemourned Date: 08/14/2007 22:40:59  

Penthesilea had been living in the Sleeping Woods for quite some time now. Upon leaving Ozland, she had returned to the relative safety of the forest. Although she soon discovered the Sleeping Woods to be a very strange forest, perhaps aided by magic in some way, Penthesilea was comforted by the fact that it was still a forest. It consistently behaved in a forestish manner. And over time, she even began to feel at home.

Which was why when she approached the Lake for her bath, Penthesilea was irritated to discover the body of a young man on its shore. "Excuse me!" She called out to the body. "You there! Are you dead?" Her tone clearly suggested that it might be better for him if he was.

It was a very big Lake, of course. She could've easily moved elsewhere for privacy, but it was the principle of the matter! Penthesilea felt invaded.
From: [info]blessedboy Date: 08/14/2007 22:50:54  

Galahad heard someone calling...Or rather, he heard garbled words rushed to his brain with the help of the water moving around him. He tried again to open his eyes, but it still didn't work.

Instead, he coughed up more water. The only word he really caught was "dead" and therefore thought that perhaps he truly had died. Maybe this is heaven? He thought to himself, trying to force his eyes open again.

His lungs still burned, his body ached. Finally his eyes rolled open, and his head dunked back into the water just briefly. He came back up coughing up more water, sputtering and all around probably looking rather foolish. He still didn't answer, though, if only perhaps because he thought that he was hearing things.
From: [info]nottobemourned Date: 08/14/2007 23:08:44  

Although there was no answer, Penthesilea noted the coughing and ungraceful rolling as sure signs of life. She rolled her eyes, now more annoyed than ever. She was going to have to drag this young man out of the Lake.

She muttered to herself darkly, about the indignity of the situation and how sure she was that no other amazon queens in all of history ever had to endure such ridiculous inconveniences, as she made her way to the shore.

Although the young man's body was nearly a whole foot taller than herself and solidly built at that, Penthesilea grabbed him roughly by the shoulders. She was strong enough to prop him up a bit awkwardly and drag him out of the lake entirely.
From: [info]blessedboy Date: 08/14/2007 23:18:08  

His eyes hurt drastically, yet when the woman came into view, Galahad had to blink a few times. He was being saved...By a woman. His brain, of course, took a moment to really let that settle in. You're being saved by a woman...How utterly fantastic. Try to keep from messing things up. In fact, play mute! Maybe she won't notice.

As she moved him, Galahad kept coughing, spitting up more and more water until it was all out of his aching lungs. He could feel his nerves starting to fray already, and he hasn't even spoken a word yet!

"Milady..." He practically croaked the word out, and cleared his throat after. "I did not need your help, I could have saved myself from the treacherous waters all on my own!" He frowned, immediately recognizing that his mouth apparently still had a mind of his own here in Heaven. "Y-you look like no angel I have ever heard of. What is your name?" He was fairly straight forward in his mannerisms, after all. He didn't bother asking where he was since he figured he was dead.
From: [info]nottobemourned Date: 08/14/2007 23:30:47  

"Oh yes," Penthesilea bit out sardonically. "I'm sure your drowning was all just a clever ruse. You had that big, bad 'treacherous' water right where you wanted it!" Now that she realized he was one of those men, Penthesilea already deeply regretted having saved him. Even worse, it appeared she'd ruined her leather garments wading in the water!

"I want to know your name first," She insisted coldly. "Seeing as you owe me your life and all." Not to mention a new pair of pants!
From: [info]blessedboy Date: 08/14/2007 23:36:59  

Galahad got to his feet as she started to speak, and promptly fell back down on his arse. Letting out quite a huff at her tones, his brows furrowed together. "I was already coughing up water by the time you were even in the water!" He squeaked in protest, and only afterwards did he realize just how...wrong...that sounded. "Either way!" He cleared his throat again and got to his feet -- this time grabbing the tree so he wouldn't fall. "I would have been fine. I assure you!" He quickly looked around, looking for his horse or...Anything that looked familiar.

"I asked you first!" He protested further as he started to tug his tunic off so that he might get the water out of the garment. "Owe you my life?" He huffed and arched his brows at her. "Milady, while I can...admit to being grateful that you happened upon me, I assure you...You did not save my life." He shook his head and wrung his tunic out, intently focusing on the water logged shirt rather than the woman because...Well, she's a woman. And women make him nervous.
From: [info]nottobemourned Date: 08/14/2007 23:56:27  

"Quit calling me that!" Penthesilea exploded in response. "I am most certainly not your lady, you ignorant, obstinate, ungrateful, vain, little brat!" She growled dangerously, beginning to pace angrily. She continued ranting, to herself as much as at him. "And I most certainly did save your life! You were barely breathing at all when I found you. And even now you're too addled to even stand up properly!"
From: [info]blessedboy Date: 08/15/2007 00:05:59  

Galahad's eyes went wide as she yelled at him, and he finally blinked slowly at her. "I am not a little brat!" The words blurted out before he could even think of what the other words meant. He was leaning against the tree as he wrung his shirt out. At the assumption that he couldn't stand on his own, however, Galahad's muscled chest rippled and puffed dramatically before he pushed away from the tree.

"You are a foul-mouthed creature! I dare say you are the...The most vile woman I have ever met in my life!" Obviously insults weren't Galahad's strong suit. He yanked his tunic back on before he sort of stumbled back against the tree once more. His head was spinning and throbbing all at once. He reached back and touched the spot that had cracked against the tree, and when he pulled his hand out to look at it, there was blood on his fingertips. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh.

"This isn't Heaven, is it?" He muttered quietly, his eyebrows drawing together.
From: [info]nottobemourned Date: 08/15/2007 00:18:35  

Penthesilea couldn't help herself. She burst out laughing. At his pitiful insults and attempt to prove he could stand on his own, mostly, but she was equally amused that she was the worst he'd come across. When she thought of her own tribeswomen, Penthesilea could name many who never would've bothered to pluck the boy out of the water at all. There were even more among their numbers that would've rescued him so they might use him as a play thing.

She did not say any of this out loud, however. Let the boy remain blissfully unaware. It would make it easier for some other, more vicious woman to one day snare him.

She did finally speak once the laughter subsided, only to ask, "What's Heaven?"
From: [info]blessedboy Date: 08/15/2007 00:29:54  

When she started to laugh, Galahad slumped to the ground and just let his head rest against the tree trunk. It wasn't supposed to be like this. His ego was being dragged across the rocks, and he's hurt, and it just wasn't fair.

His mouth pouted as she continued to laugh at him, and he truly felt like crying. He certainly wouldn't give her that satisfaction, though! He held strong, staring up at the trees and leaves until she spoke.

"It's a place where dreadful women don't poke fun at me." The words came out before he could stop them. "When you die, it is said that you go to Heaven if you have lived a good and virtuous life. If you confess your sins and such..." He finally looked at her. "None of this matters! Where am I, do you know?"
From: [info]nottobemourned Date: 08/15/2007 00:34:15  

Upon hearing his description of heaven, Penthesilea immediately took interest. When she first woke up in the Sleeping Woods, Penthesilea had been so sure she was in the Land of the Dead. She'd been stabbed in battle but somehow woke up in this place. She still remembered it all quite vividly. It was only after talking to Rabbit and Knave in Ozland that Penthesilea was fully convinced that this was not the Land of the Dead.

But by this young man's description Heaven was his Land of the Dead. "What makes you think you died?" She asked pointedly, genuinely curious and very clearly invested in his answer.
From: [info]blessedboy Date: 08/15/2007 00:41:22  

When she asked her question, Galahad eyed her suspiciously. They hadn't gotten off on the right foot, and if she was some sort of angel, she must be taking a sick sort of pleasure in his pains. As such, he didn't answer her right away.

"Because of this," he held his hand up, showing his bloody fingertips. "I-I was in a fight, and was slammed against a tree." He was certain she would laugh at him again, or torture him further some how, and so he dropped his hand to his lap.
From: [info]nottobemourned Date: 08/15/2007 00:47:15  

"I take it you got into this fight somewhere else? Not here?" She suggested helpfully. "Maybe in your homeland or on a battlefield?"

Penthesilea realized that she was, perhaps, making a strange impression with all of these eager questions. "I only ask because that's what happened to me," She hastily explained. "I was stabbed on the battlefield and the next thing I know, I wake up in this forest. By all rights I should be dead, but I'm not."
From: [info]blessedboy Date: 08/15/2007 13:45:16  

As she started to ask more questions, Galahad nodded his head gently. He was fairly certain that he's talked more than enough today and, well...She was making him nervous with all of her questions. Why does she care?

He blinked slowly when she told him what had happened to her and he gave a slight frown. A woman...fighting in a battlefield? He very nearly scoffed at that idea. "How do you know?" He asked quietly as he reached up to rub at his eyes. "How do you know we're both not dead?" Maybe this was the truth of Heaven -- that it isn't filled with white clouds and singing creatures, but rather its filled with rude women who fight (!!) and make fun of poor, hurt men.
From: [info]nottobemourned Date: 08/15/2007 14:52:03  

"Because I've met people from this land," She explained. "A man aptly called Rabbit directed me to his homeland just south of these Woods. It was a very strange place. Full of creatures and inventions beyond imagination." She held back a shudder at the thought. Penthesilea did not like that place at all. "But I spoke to a man there. One of the queen's guard. And he told me that the strange country he and Rabbit lived in was called Ozland. That he and his countrymen emigrated to Ozland, none of them had to die to get there. But he wasn't really surprised by my story either. He assured me that all sorts of strange things happen here."

The words just tumbled out of her mouth without her being able to control them. Even though this stranger was clearly one of those men, Penthesilea was comforted by having any one to talk to about her strange experience. She had always been considered a loner amongst her tribeswomen, but she had never been without their companionship entirely. She would never have admitted it, but the loneliness of solitary life had been agonizing during her month in the Sleeping Woods.
From: [info]blessedboy Date: 08/15/2007 15:28:21  

Galahad's eyes watched the woman, wondering silently if she was trying to pull his leg as it were. He remained quiet, and while she talked he mentally took inventory of each ache and pain in his body. After resting he should be fine, or at least he would hope so.

"Ozland?" He repeated finally. He also took note that there was a queen in Ozland, and perhaps that's where he's meant to go. "Strange things? Inventions and creatures..." He rolled the story around in his brain and gave a frown. "I should have just stayed home today..." He muttered.

Lifting his eyes back to the woman, he decided to push his confusion aside. "Galahad," he tells her and drags his hands through his wet curls. "My name is Galahad." He figured it'd be alright to tell her his name now that she wasn't laughing at him.
From: [info]nottobemourned Date: 08/15/2007 15:34:00  

She nodded, with the slightest smile. Penthesilea was pleased he introduced himself first, but she did not recognize the name. For all she knew he could be an enemy Greek!

"And where are you from, Galahad?" She asked.
From: [info]blessedboy Date: 08/15/2007 15:41:12  

"I am a Knight of the Round Table," his eyes lifted to her again. "I-I come from Camelot." He sort of stumbled over the words, but tried his best to calm his nerves. She smiled at him -- however so slight it might have been, it was still there.

His eyes shifted to his legs quickly before he went on. "My father is Sir Lancelot, and I..." His brows drew together as he realized that she didn't ask for his life story. Looking to her again he tilts his head just slightly. "And you? What is your name and where might you be from...?" He struggled to keep from calling her "milady" again, but quickly bit his lips shut before he could make a fool of himself.
From: [info]nottobemourned Date: 08/15/2007 15:48:39  

She had never heard of Camelot and thus, did not know its allegiance in the Great War at Troy. But she did know the names of all the Greek city states united against Troy and its allies. Perhaps Camelot was a neutral country far from her homeland. Or perhaps Camelot was another world away, like this place. As neither Rabbit nor Knave knew of the War it was very likely Galadhad did not either, making it safe to identify herself.

"I am Penthesilea," She replied, full of self-importance. "Queen of the Amazons of Cyrene."
From: [info]blessedboy Date: 08/15/2007 16:07:15  

Pen-the-si-lea. He took the way she spoke her name and repeated it in his brain. However, the title of "Queen" he understood fully. "Your Majesty," he dipped his head a bit, a makeshift bow since he still isn't quite comfortable with standing yet.

"Forgive my ignorance, but...What is an Amazon?" Confusion rolled across his features as he asked the question, and told himself that he should probably take care of how he speaks to her from here on out. She is royalty, after all.
From: [info]nottobemourned Date: 08/15/2007 16:22:21  

Ah! He had enough sense to respect royalty, Penthesilea was pleased to note. The smile on her face at his nod quickly fell however, when it became apparent that he did not know what an amazon was.

She tried not to be too upset, but it was difficult. Penthesilea's reputation as an Amazon, a queen, and as an individual had preceded her nearly all her life. Even when she sailed to Troy for battle, strangers knew of her and her tribeswomen. It was disheartening to realize that she must be very far from home, indeed, if not even the Amazons were known here.

"We Amazons are a nation of female warriors," She explained. "So fierce our only equals are Spartans or demigods."
From: [info]blessedboy Date: 08/15/2007 22:29:58  

Again, Galahad tried his best to keep from scoffing at her description of "Amazons." He couldn't really imagine it -- female warriors -- however, he certainly isn't stupid enough to tell her that. He had a distinct feeling that should he choose to challenge her words, she would probably wipe the forest with his body.

His eyebrows drew together further. Spartans? Demigods? But there is only one true God... Confusion settled further in his young brain, and he let out a soft sigh.

"Penthesilea," he spoke her name carefully to show that he didn't wish to mess up the pronunciation. "I must admit, all of this is a bit much for me to take in. Never before..." He bit his tongue and shook his head. "Do you know the layout of the lands, then?"
From: [info]nottobemourned Date: 08/16/2007 00:18:20  

"Not very well, I'm afraid," She admitted. "I know that this whole land is called Pentamerone but I've yet to explore much of it. This forest is the Sleeping Woods. I've stayed here mostly and I know it fairly well. I briefly visited Ozland, just south of here, but I assure you the entire place is mad. I was told that the land up north is called Camlann but I haven't made my way there just yet, although I do plan to."
From: [info]blessedboy Date: 08/16/2007 17:22:11  

His mouth twisted into a frown as she spoke, and he put certain terms into his memory -- Pentamerone, Sleeping Woods, Ozland, and Camlann mostly.

Finally he pushed to his feet and dragged his hands through his hair once more. "Then I shall escort you north to Camlann." He didn't really ask, and maybe he forgot that whole nonsense of her being a female "warrior." He put his hands to his hips and took a look around. "I should like to stay away from Ozland if it is a mad land. Perhaps Camlann will be better?" Though it wasn't really clear if he was talking to her or talking to himself out loud.
From: [info]nottobemourned Date: 08/17/2007 01:53:32  

"That offer is all well and good," Penthesilea retorted in a snippy tone. "But when I venture up north to Camlann I'll be well stocked with food and supplies for myself and furs to trade." She glared at him now, and folded her arms across her chest. "What will you be bringing?"
From: [info]blessedboy Date: 08/17/2007 19:10:47  

Galahad honestly did his best to keep his tones level when he addressed Her Majesty, but it was getting more and more difficult with each time she opened her brutish mouth. "I will be bringing my knowledge and servitude, which any noble would gladly take for I am the greatest knight in the world." His words came out much snottier and pompous than he meant for them to. He couldn't help it -- she was being difficult.
From: [info]nottobemourned Date: 08/17/2007 19:35:25  

Penthesilea let out an unimpressed huff. She was convinced Galahad couldn't possibly have any valuable knowledge that she, herself, did not know. He only just arrived in this strange land! And he didn't sound particularly servile. But she'd have to admit, it would be a much wiser strategy to have a traveling companion. Provided he had any fighting ability whatsoever.

"What's a knight?" Was all she asked in response. If she had to guess, it sounded like some kind of warrior. He certainly bragged like a proper warrior. But Penthesilea wanted to be sure of him. He'd have to be useful if they were to watch each other's backs.
From: [info]blessedboy Date: 08/18/2007 13:10:43  

Some of the noises Penthesilea was letting out were starting to ware on Galahad's already frayed nerves. Perhaps traveling with the Amazon Queen wasn't the best idea. She might throttle him in his sleep or who knows what else?

His eyebrows drew together again at her question, though he guessed it was only fair for her not to know about knights since he didn't know about Amazons. "We are fighters for good and justice, serving as both fighters and protectors of those who cannot protect themselves." There was, of course, more to it than that in his mind, but he thought better of telling her every little detail.
From: [info]nottobemourned Date: 08/18/2007 22:18:21  

"So you are a warrior then," Penthesilea replied with a smile and a nod. Her tone might've come off as condescending, but she was genuinely pleased with the idea. "How long have you been training? And what weapons do you favor?"
From: [info]blessedboy Date: 08/20/2007 14:48:00  

"I am, indeed, mi -- your Majesty." An easy smile came to his young features, and he tilted his head down slightly in a short show of respect. Condescending or no, Galahad was proud to be a knight.

He tilted his head to the side slightly at her questions, and finally gave his answers as honestly as he had been so far. "I have trained since I was a young boy, and I prefer swords. However, I am trained in hand-to-hand combat as well as crossbows." Of course, there were other things as well, but he's learned to not show all of his cards at once.

"And you? What sort of weapons do Amazon Queens fight with?" It was hard for him to speak those words, but he got them out there since he was curious.
From: [info]nottobemourned Date: 08/21/2007 16:25:47  

"I can fight with anything," She replied with a cocky smirk. Despite the bravado and attitude, it was a fairly true statement. "We Amazons also train from an early age with swords, staffs, crossbows, daggers and the like but we also learn hand-to-hand. And how to improvise weapons out of surrounding objects," Penthesilea smiled, very proud of that particular aspect of her training. "I, personally, favor daggers. And I consider it lucky that I arrived here with one on my person. What about you? Do you have any weapons on you?"
From: [info]blessedboy Date: 08/22/2007 11:36:58  

Hearing her go on about what she can do made Galahad a little less happy to be here. What was his purpose then, if not to protect and to serve as he always had? Beyond that, why was he brought here? It was all very confusing, really...The thoughts in Galahad's mind. His shoulders slumped. "I seem to have lost my sword." His hands started to shuffle around his body. "However I do have two daggers, which is better than nothing."
From: [info]nottobemourned Date: 08/27/2007 08:39:28  

"These daggers, are they well made?" She asked, completely ignorant of Galahad's personal crisis. "If not we could disassemble them to make spears," She explained. "We could use them to hunt." Because Penthesilea sure as hell wasn't taking apart her own precious dagger to make a spear.
From: [info]blessedboy Date: 08/30/2007 19:24:02  

Galahad stared at her for a good, long moment when she asked about his daggers. When she went on, he looked utterly offended. "I am not allowing you to disassemble my daggers!" He huffed, and folded his arms across his broad chest. "If you're so mighty and can fight with anything, then you should find something else!"
From: [info]nottobemourned Date: 08/31/2007 16:42:29  

"I have been using something else. I've been setting traps," Penthesilea retorted haughtily. "But they've only been reasonably successful. If we used your daggers to make spears we could cut the time we'd have to stock up in half. Start moving sooner."
From: [info]blessedboy Date: 09/08/2007 18:12:12  

"We. Are. Not. Using. My. daggersasspears, blasted woman!" There were very few things that Galahad has on him that were close to his heart, and he wasn't about to turn his daggers into spears just to make this woman happy. Queen or not, Galahad was trying his best to keep his wits about him. She was making that rather difficult. "If you're so keen on using spears why don't you use your own daggers for them?" She had mentioned them earlier, after all.
From: [info]nottobemourned Date: 09/08/2007 19:25:28  

"Because they were a gift!" She snapped dangerously, but instantly regretted it. Penthesilea had come too close to revealing her vulnerabilities, and her natural response was to shut up, every muscle in her body becoming tense.
From: [info]blessedboy Date: 09/08/2007 20:14:14  

"So were mine!" He shouted back, eyes wide as his lips slammed shut right afterwards. He took a couple of deep breaths, ran his hands through his hair, and counted to ten inside his mind before he dared to open his mouth again.

"We either need to figure something else out, or perhaps we should travel separately." He made his tone neutral as he spoke to her now. "We seem to be getting on each other's last nerves, and that was certainly not my intention." As if landing himself here was?
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