the dragon's daughter

[bravegoewin]

(Just when you thought there couldn’t possibly be any more of King Arthur’s children unaccounted for…)

Goewin is looking for Lleu.

She is Arthur and Guinevere’s daughter, Lleu’s twin sister and his senior by a few scant minutes. She’s not sure whether she’ll find him alive or dead-or worse, some terrible state in between-and she may be so fixed on

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[all_that_grace]

"Oh--!"

Courfeyrac stops dead as he comes around the corner of the house: tall, auburn-haired, and in full 1830s dress, because however much of a free spirit he may be, it's gotten cold around here.

He is also extremely wary, as a boy can only be who died by violence not that long ago. "I beg your pardon."

[bravegoewin]

"Sir."

She straightens the spear so that it is not threatening him, holding it upright with its foot against the ground like a standard.

"What country, friends, is this?"

"I am sorry. I did not mean to startle you."

[all_that_grace]

"No, no-- that's all right." He runs a hand through his hair, collecting himself. "Are you new here?"

[bravegoewin]

"I'm looking for my brothers. A pair of travelers, lightly armed for hunting, one tall and fair and the other dark like me?"

[all_that_grace]

"I can't say I've seen anyone like that today. But I'll keep a lookout."

And then, though it seems an odd thing to ask anybody armed to the teeth: "Are you all right?"

[bravegoewin]

Her fingers tighten on the spear shaft.

"It's kind of you to ask. It doesn't matter. I am well enough in body."

[all_that_grace]

Courfeyrac starts to stick his hands in his pockets, and then thinks better of it. "I'm sure they're all right," he says gently.

That this is basically a lie -- he's not remotely sure of any such thing -- is almost irrelevant. The tone, the expression, the intent, are all to say: you're all right; you're not alone; I'll help.

this is going to get him in trouble one of these days, if it hasn't already.

[bravegoewin]

"Well, they had abandoned all their gear this morning. Not just abandoned, but--destroyed it, which was--it upset me."

She looks away suddenly. She is not going to spill all her family's sordid misdeeds to a stranger, however sympathetic.

[all_that_grace]

"That is peculiar." He hesitates a moment, then: "If you'd like to come in -- the house is open to everyone. You look -- a bit tired."

[bravegoewin]

"I--"

She is torn. She has ridden over twenty miles since morning, hard going, through snow and over rough terrain.

"It is a matter of some urgency. But I don't know where I am, now. Something hot to drink, perhaps, quickly. And then I'll go."

[all_that_grace]

"I'm sure that can be arranged." He gestures toward the kitchen door, half an offer (she's not quite a child, and he's caught between the protective impulse and the habit of gallantry).

[bravegoewin]

She's still got the spear, too, which makes gallantry awkward--not to mention the protective impulse. She gestures with the blade for him to go ahead.

"You'd better lead me."

[all_that_grace]

Wince. "Of course, mademoiselle." And he does, with as much composure as he can manage under the circumstances, around to the warm kitchen. It's after breakfast, so probably not much of anyone is doing their scheduled stint at the moment, and the place is preternaturally clean as it usually is.

[bravegoewin]

"My God, what is this place?"

She hesitates a moment, and leaves her spear outside the door.

[all_that_grace]

"Well, that's a question." He pauses, running his fingers through his hair again, because answering that one is always difficult. Also, they ran through the coffee and the hot chocolate and the actual tea months ago, and even the alcohol is getting low apart from Bedivere's rotgut. He goes to poke through the cupboards.

"Properly speaking it isn't really anywhere. Bits of it are, well, enchanted or something, and then again," with a reproachful look at where the plothole used to be, "bits of it aren't. I don't really know, I just live here."

[bravegoewin]

"Broth?" she suggests helpfully. "Or--well, anything. Just hot the water up over the fire. I've water here--"