The Preserve's edge: Sunday morning

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

The temperature had dropped drastically overnight, to the point Galahad was just waiting for it to snow. He'd stoked the fire up as high as he could, and coaxed Gawain to lie down (not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination - Trenor was a very irritated horse) next to it.

Between the warmth of the horse, the warmth of the fire, and the warmth of the half-naked bard at his back, it was almost comfortable.

If he ignored the pricking of his conscience. True, the woman had been infuriating: quite mad, insulting, and she'd tried to steal his horse, but... He blew out a long breath, watching it curl in the air and sighed. Gawain, the real Gawain, would thrash him when he heard.

[ooc: so very open, yes.]

Comments

[scary-jeff.livejournal.com]

The first thing that registered to Chaucer was that it was cold. Very cold.

The second thing was that it was not entirely cold, so he moved towards that warm thing for a moment until he remembered, suddenly, the company he'd been in for the past few months. "...you are not going to use the word 'fong' as a verb for this," he mumbled, eyes closed, "I refuse."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"Since I don't know what a fong or a verb is, I'm not likely to use either," Galahad pointed out, looking down at his companion with some humour.

[scary-jeff.livejournal.com]

Ah. That would be the third thing that registered.

Chaucer opened one eye. "Feel blessed, my friend, truly blessed. Is there any of that rabbit left?"

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"As it happens, there is. Not as much as when you went to sleep, but enough to make a good breakfast." He pointed to where the leaf wrapped rabbit was sitting, tucked away, safe against predators, under his armour. "Only you'll have to move to reach it."

[scary-jeff.livejournal.com]

"Very well, very well," Chaucer muttered, pulling away from the only available source of warmth to clamber to his feet. "I will suffer for my sustenance." He padded towards the armor, then paused halfway there. "You don't know what a verb is?"

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"No. Is it anything like a fong?" he asked. "We had best find you some shoes today, or you won't have your toes for much longer."

[scary-jeff.livejournal.com]

"A verb," he simply replied, making the last few necessary paces before bending down, somewhat awkwardly with the coat still hanging off his frame in a complex set-up that didn't appear to involve his arm. "To dance, to walk, to sleep..." Chaucer rifled through the armor, finally managing to lift it to find the food underneath. "Ah, to eat!"

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Galahad shook his head, watching his strange companion. "You make little sense, but I told you that already. How can each of those things be one thing all together?"

[scary-jeff.livejournal.com]

"A verb implies movement," Chaucer declared, picking up the meat before padding back to where he came from. "Action! It's fairly simple, really." He sank down next to Galahad with his prize.

[doubleohblonde]

Intrigued by this strange new world, where neither the Church nor the Authority seemed to hold much sway, Asriel was taking advantage to the opportunity to explore, Stelmaria as always close by his heels.

[scary-jeff.livejournal.com]

"Good morning to you, sir!" Chaucer called from where he was seated, then paused. "...and your animal... What brings you to our humble neck of the woods?"

[doubleohblonde]

"Morning," Asriel nodded, cheerfully. "Curiosity, more or less."

[scary-jeff.livejournal.com]

"Always a fair compulsion," Chaucer established, then eyed Stelmaria again. "It's not going to eat us, is it? Because that would be unfortunate."

[doubleohblonde]

"I assure you, Stelmaria isn't interested in people that way," Asriel replied, as Stelmaria flicked her tail in amusement.

[scary-jeff.livejournal.com]

"How about dogs?" Chaucer asked, nudging Wat with his foot again. "How does Stelmaria feel about dogs?"

[doubleohblonde]

"They're most amusing when I can chase them up trees."

"She's joking," Asriel said. "Mostly."

[scary-jeff.livejournal.com]

He stared. "...It speaks?"

[doubleohblonde]

Stelmaria stretched, weaving between Asriel's legs as best she could. "Sometimes."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Galahad found himself getting to his feet quicker that he expected when Gawain flung himself up and off the ground, snorting and wide-eyed at the Scary Cat. "Easy, easy, Gawain," he soothed, stroking his nose to try and block the scent.

His sword was in reach, Chaucer was close enough to defend, and so he simply nodded at the newcomer's beast. "Is that a hunting cat?"

[doubleohblonde]

Pointedly ignoring the horse, Stelmaria groomed a forepaw. "Stelmaria is my daemon," Asriel replied, dealing better with these daemonless people now he'd gotten over the shock.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Trenor shook his mane at her and snorted, stamping one hoof in clear warning. He'd had just about enough of everything.

Galahad smiled. "We might make a fighter of you yet," he told his horse. "And that wasn't an answer to my question, friend. A daemon could be a hunting cat or a pampered pet, or something else entirely."

[doubleohblonde]

"A daemon is simply a daemon," Asriel replied. "She's neither pet nor attack animal if that's what you're worried about."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

He eyed the cat, then shrugged. "Not worried, just interested." If she was a fighting animal, he'd know it soon enough. "She seems well trained, whatever she is."

[doubleohblonde]

Asriel chuckled at that, which prompted an annoyed rumble from Stelmaria. "You don't train your daemon," she pointed out, stretching out by Asriel's feet.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Had it been yesterday, he'd have drawn his sword. Today, he simply wrapped his hand around the hilt and stared at her. "You spoke."

Either that or the madness had finally infected him.