Of Truth and Justice

[PennDragyn]

~Times Before, Times Beyond- All Moments Past~

She stood on the shore line barely willing to leave the land that she had known so well. Ever this place in the mist had been her home and her sanctuary, and she had sworn herself a thousand times over to guard all that had been hers to claim and know. How long had it been since that moment the relic was returned to its rightful place within its watery grave? How long had it been since she had assured the safety and sacredness of its place and existence?

There were far too many centuries that had passed. For her they blended in and interwove in complex patterns till it seemed that perhaps the life she had dwelled amongst kings and druids was nothing more then a story. Oh the stories they told now of the forgotten times. Still she knew that beyond this sanctuary and mist and fog the old ways were gone.

The only choice she had was to adapt and adjust, to change with the times as she knew that this place was no longer save for her. It was time to move on and to allow the sanctuary to be lost in the mist again until summoned once more to be found by her.

So many names she had claimed as her own and she knew of one that she would keep constant within her heart and mind as the one she always believed herself to be known by. She was the Lady and that was all that mattered, all that she ever would be.

The silk and shimmering cloth of her dress fell from her frame as she stepped from the shore and into the cool claim of the lake water. In that moment she felt fulfilled and complete, at home again as she dived beneath the surface of the mist kissed water and dove down deep to search for the relic.

A glistening creation it would always be. In her hand it belonged as she had been its creator if not the one that had fashioned it by her own hand. Then again much like the relic, she was nothing more then a creation of the sanctuary. She was, like the relic, a magical being forged to protect and honor the vows sworn to her and her people for so many years.

Dripping wet she resurfaced and took to standing naked upon the shore. A close of eyes and the forgotten language spilled from her tongue as flowing and comforting as the water she had come from.

The relic felt comfortable and natural in her hand. She smiled to herself as she stared down upon it and remembered how it had been meant for the true king. How many men had fought to possess the relic, to find it and to claim it as the rightful owner?

As she watched the relic adjust to fit with the change of the times she had to wonder again how many would fight for it now.

Times had changed though? this time the relic was hers and would only be taken once more over her dead body.

She altered her presence to suit the times just as the relic had and she whispered a name that would suit her. Even now she felt the pain of the loss of leaving her true name behind.

?I am Penn. Penn Dragyn??

[PennDragyn]

-Present Day-

Her clothes were gathered from the floor, the nimble steps taken leaving her to walk quiet against the carpet without making a sound. Every creak and groan of the wood beneath had been memorized for the year she had kept herself as the presumed ‘girlfriend’ to the Irish fella. It was easier that way especially when she knew of the tell tale nights when his drinking habits made him a far less comfortable companion to remain with.

Those days had long worn their welcome as she moved to the kitchen to rid an Irish man of the things he was never willing to let go: His smokes, his drink, and his woman. Thankfully Sean never had the addiction to the nicotine but everything else well… he was a glutton over. Penn knew that Sean had been cheating on her for months now but had let it slide right on by in hopes that he would feel reasonable enough to tell her the truth.

The truth itself never would come.

Penn if anything was tired of finding the lack of truth and justice in the world. No longer did there seem to be that nature of a man to be honest and good and to serve like the days of old for simple things like honor and preservation of good deeds.

Even in this world the saints could sin and abandon all of their vows. Still as Penn dumped out the booze to drain down the sink she started to wonder if there were any men out there in the world like those once she had known.

Her reverie was perhaps her burden and weakness in that moment as the roar of Sean’s frustration hit her ears just as blow after drunken blow of his fists had her stumbling to the floor. She scrambled backward through shards of broken glass, her body bloodied and bruised as the blows continued and she had to remind herself that even in these moments she had to pretend.

She couldn’t reveal who she was, what she was, no matter what.

Gasping in the pain of broken ribs and bruised flesh she crawled and stumbled to the bedroom to the small dresser that kept the only items she possessed.

Self defense was her only reaction as that survival instinct set in as she pushed away layers of clothes to find the gun hidden beneath it all. Fortune was with Penn tonight and through this life as Sean wasn’t the smartest man out there.

Smiling thinly she watched him approach as she back crawled to flatten herself against the corner as she rose to stand. Her lake blue eyes were wide and wild as she saw the 6’4” bear of a man towering above her wielding nothing more then a bat.

Penn knew well of the violence that bat could bring, she had witnessed it before in fits of rage against other poor fools. This time though the bat would not earn the same privilege to her skin.

The gun was raised, held within her two shaking hands as she focused and aimed before pulling the trigger. A good three rounds to assure the man would never strike her again. There were many things that Penn was starting to learn about this time and this life she had forged for herself, but one thing would always remain with her.

Nothing else in this world mattered to her now save for the preservation of truth and justice. She was a woman forged of honor and lifetimes full of sworn vows. Her clothes were collected as she made the phone call out to the stables.

The softness of Penn’s voice held the evidence of all endured as she advised of her withdrawal from the stables and that she would never be seen again.

It was time to move on. Surely she would leave herself enduring the confession and claim to self defense as the gun was eased in the waistband of her jeans to rest at the small of her back. It was time for Penn to find a new path, one that hopefully would lead to that which she searched for…

[PennDragyn]

It was grave yard quiet with the near uncomfortable calm when Penn entered the church. There was a moment when she expected to be shot down or burned alive for stepping over the threshold of the Catholic Church.

Fingers moved through the gold curls almost self consciously as she walked down the aisle and looked around. It was empty so there was hardly any use to call for sanctuary. Oh surely there had to be someone here, someone willing to hear a confession.

Penn almost had to giggle to herself at the mere notion as she shrugged off the leather jacket to drop it unceremoniously into one of the pews as she eased down to her knees.

There exposed in nothing more then the x-cross of gun holster against the black tank to compliment the black pants and boots she wore, Penn gave the haunting visual of a fallen angel come to confess and seek redemption.

Or maybe she just played the part of the one seeking entrance once more to a world and a god that had denied her. In the flickering candlelight her hair was a halo of spun gold against her near ethereal features.

It was hard in such a holy, sacred place for her to mask who she was as the magic seemed to awaken through her. It left a glistening light to paint her skin as her palms pressed to the floor and she felt the cold metal of the gun pressing to the small of her back.

“Forgive me Father for I have sinned. It has been… never… and a day since my last confession.”

There was no Father to hear her confession but the words spilled from her tongue as soft as the first rain of spring. The alluring and soothing dulcet of her voice was freed as her head rose and she appeared positively angelic as she was unexpectedly answered.

“I know who you are and you are not welcome here.”

A brow arched in surprise to find nothing more then a Crusader standing in the doorway of the church. Well this was surely unexpected.

[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.