Of Truth and Justice

[PennDragyn]

“Pagan. Heathen. Zealot. Whore. Witch.”

The insults spilled like curses from his tongue and she shook her head as she rose to her feet.

“I only wished to confess…”

“Our God does not listen to your confessions, witch.”

The smile crossed her lips briefly as blue lake eyes briefly flashed with a ghostly gleam.

“Perhaps not but you are no holy man to make that decision.”

So this was how it would start. Word already it seemed had got out and the Crusader was after the one thing that so many men had worked to possess. It was only happenstance that she was the one that happened to carry such a relic.

Penn could only shake her head as she waved dismissively towards the door as she plucked up her leather jacket. There was no chance, no matter her beliefs, that she would ever destroy a holy place. It was not her way.

A thin smile touched her lips as she shouldered the door open and stepped passed the man even as his boot caught the back of her knees to send her rolling down the front of the church steps. Penn’s teeth bared in a silent snarl as her head snapped up and that blue soul fire filled her eyes.

The Crusader chuckled to himself as he moved down the steps to look down upon the Lady.

“You see witch, this is where you belong, on your knees.”

“Not for long.”

The questioning look at her arrogance only would push her on to react in that survivor’s instinct. Justice and Honor were the only things that mattered to Penn now, and this Crusader had long abandoned both.

Perhaps as the gun went off and the blood soaked into the ground just before the holy steps Penn would question her faith in her own actions, yet this was another time, another way of life and she had a path to follow.

After all, maybe in this day and age they would just assume a Crusader was not a self righteous fool stepping out of time but instead another obsessed historian playing dress up. She could only hope so.

The jacket was shouldered as she moved quickly from the church and into the shadows where even then her gold hair glistened as a beacon, the end of a comet tail. There was that uneasy feeling like she was still being watched, being hunted.

Penn should be used to it by now, but this observation was different. It almost seemed… curious.

Boots hit the street as she took off running, it felt good to be free but even Penn knew she couldn’t run forever. Eventually she would have to stop and face the past again but for now… she ran.

[PennDragyn]

Penn ran until she was breathless. She ran until the feeling of being followed had faded and she could take a moment to recover. Her hands pressed to knees as she drew in ragged breaths even as she hardly felt burdened by the run. Quite the opposite in fact she felt far more invigorated.

It would have seemed that she should have been weaker on the land and in a new place and time, but the magic within had adjusted and accommodated her to change and adapt. For the price of Truth and Justice she wore the stain of blood on her hands.

The times had changed but even now she knew her obligation remained to protect the relic. There was no future king to bestow it upon, once perhaps but not in the future. Penn knew that the relic spoke for her now even if it never would belong to her.

The relic was much like the Lady in that neither could be possessed. Not by choice and not entirely. They were nothing more then strong companions to those they found.

Blue lake eyes drowned in the sights as she found herself in the vibrant soaked light of the Marketplace. Penn’s fingers pushed through sweat damp strands of gold as a smile made its presence known. She would play the part of a casual visitor. After all if she had hid so well who she was now, what was another part to play?

The story she wrapped herself in would only grow as she spotted the blacksmith’s business. Her hands shoved into her pockets as she headed in that direction. It was about time she inquired about a horse and more so to inquire about real estate.

The story was about to unfurl and extend its reach of illusion and intrigue as she knew it would only be a matter of time before Avalon Stables would come to be, and she… would be safe within a lie.

[PennDragyn]

Her fingers moved against the coat of the stallion that stood with that magnificent confidence and strength she remembered from long ago. Penn's teeth were bared in a smile as she grinned up to the boldness of the beast. If anything the air and nature of the stallion reminded her of the knights forgotten.

"You are a bold one aren't you?"

The whisper was coated with amusement as a fond affection could easily be seen between her and the beast at her side. He would be the start of the stables breeding program she could see that now.

Already the money had been spent to assure the old stable and land she had found would be brought back to working order. The staff had been hired from the grooms to the assistant breeders. Penn didn't worry anything about finding a trainer for the time being. She was confident enough that she could train them on her own.

The flank of the stallion was patted with that natural affection as she spoke to him quietly. The words easily caught the stallion's attention as his ears flicked forward. If the horse could laugh perhaps right now he would make such a sound.

"I think I shall call you Knight."

She was grinning broadly at the name and the stallion seemed to agree. For the time it seemed so easy to forget everything else that had transpired. It almost seemed easy to believe that the relic at the small of her back didn't exist at all.

But this wans't a time for make believe was it? No, only a few moments in life to take a brief hiatus from reality. Penn did what she could to take pleasure in those moments. The beast at least was hers. No one could change that.

The other thing... well... she would worry about that when the time came.

[PennDragyn]

~Avalon Stables~

The black Friesian stallion was coaxed through the training and orders until both Knight and Penn were dappled and coated with sweat. Knight eventually was set loose to have his ownership over the exercise field even as Penn herself peeled off the first layer of clothing to leave her in the white camisole and riding breeches.

Lake blue eyes closed as her hands rose to smooth through soaked strands of gold. Her head was tipped back to soak in the rays of the moon as the night air kissed and cooled the heat from her flesh. Her lips parted in a sigh as in that moment the ethereal presence of Penn’s truth as an entity of pagan claim seemed so visible.

The stables she knew were easily coming to construction and soon enough it would be more then just Knight that she would be busy with training. It would be toward the end of spring the new lot of brood mares would be picked over for Knight’s approval and for the proper breeding bloodlines. Penn knew that once she had her breeding stock established then she would be able to open the stables for boarding and training. The possibility of classes even came to mind.

In the moon light she remembered the nights of chivalry that had more to do with a gun. Those were the long forgotten times where a Druid had all say in the world. A time where truth and honor were interwoven with the virtue and vows of the knights was what Penn was used to.

Penn did not believe that chivalry was dead but she was starting to believe that more and more it was fading as greed and desire overtook that which she was accustomed to.

She smiled to herself as she remembered the Darkest Night where she had spoken in secret to Arthur of the true honor he possessed even as she had attempted to reveal to him the betrayal he would come to know.

The vision of Lancelot and Guinevere in the arms of each other, forged from the first moment as lovers that could not be separated. Once Penn would have believed that Honor was above all and everything, and Arthur’s willingness to forgive his sworn and his sword brother had earned her respect.

Now looking back upon it all she had to wonder on the truth of love to conquer all. She could not deny that the lovers had made all attempts to deny the temptation for the sake of Arthur but love would ever have its whim and way.

No matter the stories spoken in secret she had never been the lover of any. The Friesian pawed at the earth as he huffed out a breath to the fissured breeze as it left his sweat soaked flank to be cooled and he pushed his head against Penn’s arm.

The grin grew as lake blue eyes opened and she shook her head in response to the Friesian’s equine manner of courtship. Her fingers laced through the black mane to pull the beast closer in a shared comfort.

“I know. I never would need one in shining armor when I will always have my own Black Knight.”

The words no matter their intention could never have so much promise…the times were certainly changing if Penn could be lead astray by one in Black rather then those of the shining armor.

[PennDragyn]

~Avalon Stables: Dawn to Dusk~

Day in and day out, Penn worked with Knight. The afternoon session had left her to daydream over the group that she had met at the Red Dragon. Who would have thought that come a moment of relaxation and a break from the Avalon stables would lead her to snuggle with a bear and a dragon.

Icer’s chilling presence had been something comfortable and far more soothing then just pinning back her hair to leave a hint of a breeze against the nape of her neck.

Knight could tell that Penn was a bit more distracted then usual when he chuffed out a breath and shoved his head against her stomach to remind her he was there and needed a good brushing.

“I know I know. I’m on it, Knight.”

The brush was lifted as she set to grooming Knight with vigorous circling strokes. His hooves already had been picked and examined and his mane plaited so really as the sun began to sink into the horizon she was finding the grooming session as nothing more then therapeutic relaxation.

It was strange in those relaxing moments when she finally led Knight back to his stall and found her thoughts drifting back to the mountain of a man she had met earlier today.

Usually Penn would not have been so bold and almost bawdy when it came to interactions with those of the opposite sex. After all, she was meant to remain as a Lady, and yet here she was coyly asking just how much she would owe to watch him.

Thinking back on Pont brought the blush back to her face as she shook her head and pulled the pin from her hair. The spill of sun gold curls fell around her face once more as a halo of softness as lake blue eyes roamed the pasture.

Penn had become far too bawdy when she should have been more of a lady towards him and she privately scolded herself as she looked up to the moon. Strangely enough no matter how far she was from home she still could feel the provocative and persuasive pull of the moon upon her spirit.

She wondered if Pont had even heard her offering to visit the stables and more so if he would even come. Penn remembered that the one so fascinated by Icer had been looking for work.

It seemed that she could use the help around here from what she had already arranged, and it was about time she started making those arrangements.

She’d just have to keep that in the back of her mind when next she came across the one so fascinated with Icer to see if he was interested in helping around the stables.

For the moment though she couldn’t help but think back on Pont and if he really would consider her offer

[PennDragyn]

The horses had been put to rest, all of them groomed and fed and sent to their stalls to bed down for the night. Knight and the two recent arrivals of a palomino and a buckskin gelding going by the names of Galahad and Gawain were all settled in and it gave Penn time to consider a night to herself without well… responsibility.

She had to laugh at the expression she was likely to see on Galahad and Gawain’s face if they knew she had named two of her horses after them. It was nothing to disregard the strength and capability of either man, more like nostalgia for she had missed them.

The night had grown warm and humid leaving her to peel the work shirt off once more and rolling up the cuffs of her riding breeches. Boots long had been abandoned and she treasured the sensation of the fresh green grass tickling her toes. The suspenders were dropped down to hips as she was left with her hair sweat dappled and unbound to play against the white cotton tank top she wore.

The prior conversation with Icer had given her with a good idea. There was nothing more appealing on a humid evening then a moonlight swim, and lucky for Penn the land she had purchased for Avalon Stables just so happened to have its own private lake.

It still unnerved her of the thought to abandon everything without a guard or protection, but the nostalgia of being far from the water was something she could not ignore.

She made quick work of running to the lake. Upon reaching the shoreline she undressed swiftly with the relic tucked beneath the pile of her abandoned clothes. One whispered word assured of its safety but even then she felt wary.

Penn could hear the water spirits whisper to her in their flowing, rippling greetings as her naked form dove deep into the cool depths of the lake and she reveled in that moment. At that time she felt at peace. At that time she felt something as close to home as she would ever manage from this point forward.

Still the wary edge could not be dismissed as she reluctantly resurfaced with a throw back of shining gold curls left heavy and slick from the weight of the water, lake blue eyes searching her surroundings.

Penn remembered then that no matter how she wished it to be, she was on her own now and would not be blessed with any moments ever again where she could let her guard down.

[PennDragyn]

~Avalon Stables~

That sense of being watched became the moment of awareness that she was indeed being watched. Penn’s lips pursed as tension rippled through every fiber of her being as she approached the shore line. All she had wanted to do was have a relaxing swim but even that could not be obtained no matter what she did. The simple fury curled inside of her as she closed her eyes and gave in to that roaring sensation of the tide that was deafening her once more.

At first she had struggled and fought the change. It perhaps was not her that fought but the Shell she had used and borrowed that struggled ever time she as the Lady truly revealed herself and used her power through the Vessel. Even now the struggle took so much out of her but being this close to the water helped to ease the struggle, it made the pain far more tolerable when it came to that transition.

Naked she emerged on the shoreline, hardly having the shy embarrassment that the Shell she used possessed of her physical body. Instead she stood tall and proud, near ethereal in her grace and ways as the light moved across her flesh as a mirror shine of reflective moonstone hue.

Those lake blue eyes had altered to become shining pools of ethereal blue lacking pupils or white, nothing more then that eerie, unnatural blue. The gold of hair writhed and came to rest as serpentine midas strands of slick wet against the mirror shine surface of her flesh as her true form and power was known.

She did not reach for the relic or her clothes when the lackeys of the Crusaders approached. She knew well that they would whisper their curses and foul words at her even as she fought them. The Lady had no choice but to survive even if it meant death for those that surrounded her.

Two of the lackeys were made quick work of as her skill and grace of movement had her around them as easy as water licking and lapping at the shoreline, so easy and peaceful would her nature and steps be. The last one though near doubled her in size and part of her being that split the awareness of the Lady and the Vessel made her vaguely recall the mountain of a man known as Pont.

Despite the size and strength of the man before her, the Lady was not as delicate a creature as she appeared. The manmade weapons they carried were used against the last man when his large hand closed around her throat and began to slowly work its way to crushing the life out of her. The spots grew before her eyes before the Lady near could feel the very essence of being starting to slip and fade as she was losing the life of her Vessel.

Snarling her small hands lashed out and boxed his ears roughly, once, twice, three times before he released her. It was only then that she scrambled toward the pile of clothes to grab the relic. The moonlight kissed across its namesake along the handle before the gun was fired and the man went down like a bag of bricks.

The Lady moved faster then she ever had in that moment, a blur of moonlight and magic, as flawless and rippling as the serene surface of water. Only when the bodies had been buried would she still and allow the Vessel, that delicate Shell to have possession once more.

Thankfully this time the Lady had been gracious enough to leave Penn with enough energy to dress and carry herself as far as a pile of hay before collapsing and giving in to the sweet claim of exhaustion.