To Change Time

[Kaisaan]

Her questions came so rapidly that Ronin couldn't have answered right away if he'd wanted to and it was good thing, too, as Anya changed her mind just as swiftly, denying what she'd just a moment again requested. The traveler couldn't help but laugh even as he stood, taking the dishes to the sink and leaving them there for now, coming back around the island where his companion looked ready to bounce on the balls of her feet. It reminded him of a squirrel and he had to bit his lip to keep from grinning, beckoning the blond to follow him instead.

He waited a moment to answer her new set of questions, making sure she wouldn't retract them just as quickly. When no such thing occurred, he spoke, silently wondering for a moment just HOW it was he stored so much information within his mind. Sometimes he startled himself, truth be told. He could only imagine what Anya would think a few weeks down the road.

"Wizards and witches exist, yes, but...they are not all the same. Some are just as you might think, drawing on dark forces or using that which is around them, but others are...well...." He faltered, his hands stilling on the console where he'd been charting their course in the main room Anya had first stepped into. Pale green eyes glanced to the young woman before Ronin looked away again, his expression hidden behind his mop of dark brown hair.

"Well, the best example is me. In Arthur's time, they call me a wizard. The power I wield, the time machine, they have no other explanation for it. The truth, though, is that I am not a wizard. I am...Gifted. There are different kinds of people with different classes of power and some of them fall into magic and others fall into...something else."

He shrugged them, not much comfortable talking about something he was so closely involved in and instead Ronin changed the topic just slightly, keeping on track but veering away from the harder points. "There are wizards and witches who use their power for evil, though, so yes, Knights and Kings and 'good' wizards fight them. Just like in the books."

 

[redblood]

Waiting for the answer to her question made her more and more exited, and at the same time she got worried that he might not want to answer. There was probably a lot of things in the world that normal mortals like her shouldn't know about, but considering Ronin had already told her about most things, there shouldn't be a problem to tell her about the wizards too. Then the answer came as she followed him with the impatience of a child. Anya had to force herself to not start running and drag him with her.

Walking around in the control room, the blond girl let everything Ronin had told her sink in for a bit. "I would never consider you a wizard. If you hadn't told me you were a time traveler then I wouldn't have known what to call you, but it would certainly not be a wizard. What this machine, and you can do is truly amazing, but it doesn't feel like magic." To think that people had mistaken him for a wizard, it made her giggle a bit. What a funny thought. Maybe it was because she was slightly used to some technology, even though they weren't as advanced as they were in Ronin's time period. In medieval times they were so different from her time so it would be easy to mistake him for something completely different.

"But I do hope we can see a good wizard. I would love to see magic up close." She then said. This time she did hope they could get a brake from the drama. Hopefully they could just go to that new time period and have a fun experience until they got to go to their next location. Ronin probably needed a break too. It couldn't be easy for him to be chased by his former friend everywhere he went.

"This trip will probably take a while with everyone we have to meet. Dragons, knights, wizards. I wonder if we'll ever be able to leave." Anya laughed. Of course she would love to meet a mermaid, fairies and such creatures too, but maybe they shouldn't expect too much for one trip. "Do you know any real wizards?" Better ask now. If he didn't then maybe she would have to go for only knights and dragons for this round. Maybe king Arthur had some wizard friends. Except for Ronin of course.

 

[Kaisaan]

Ronin couldn't deny that he was glad she didn't think him a wizard. If she'd started to, that would have just been awkward and he didn't want that. Maybe she could help everyone they were about to see of the same. The thought made Ronin smile for he knew the Knights and he knew Arthur. They'd made up their mind and little was going to sway them from it. It would take a divine act for that to happen and Ronin, for all his talent, wasn't capable of things like that. Good thing, too.

Messing with Time was bad enough sometimes!

"Don't worry, Nelisyi, you'll see a wizard. I promise." The words were rather easy to say, the promise easy to give as the ship started to shudder and jerk, telling Ronin they were coming into a time-stream, about to land. His hands flew over the controls, but the reality was that while he was helping the ship, the truth was that it was something far different than a few levers, switches and buttons that were steering her. The dark-haired male didn't like to think about that too often, though, because when he did he was forced with the reality that was his life now and, well, that was just....better left avoided for the time being.

Besides, there was plenty to distract him!

"I know two wizards for sure, one good and one bad." he answered, laughing suddenly as the ship lurched and he was nearly thrown from his standing position. Ronin ignored completely the way his vision darkened as he righted himself, hardly taking note at all of the way his body threatened to sway. Perhaps he wrote it off as the motion of the ship or perhaps he was just refusing to accept what his system was trying to tell him. Either way, it wasn't given further thought as the time machine finally came to a halt and pale green eyes met those of a darker shade, a grin on the traveler's lips.

"Well, we're here."

 

[redblood]

Anya was so excited she completely forgot to hold onto something for the landing. While she jumped up and down, the time machine suddenly made a harsh movement and she almost flew into the wall. Luckily she was able to get her hands in front of her so that her face and body didn't have to take the impact.

They had finally arrived. Soon the blonde girl would get to meet the heroes of her dreams. On top of that she would also meet the villains, though they weren't really villains this time. Hopefully they wouldn't have to stumble upon that evil wizard Ronin knew though. She could certainly live without that meeting.

Running towards the doors she stopped herself just as she had opened them not more than an inch. She immediately closed them again.

"We need a change of clothes." She stated immediately as she realized that her way of dressing, which would have looked awful in her own time period, probably looked even worse in this time period. If she were to meet some of the most famous knights in history, and a king on top of that, then she wanted to dress well for it. Or at the very least get into her own dress, as it was closer to the fashion of medieval times than Ronin's time period clothing.

"I can't meet a king looking like this." Anya explained if he wondered while she walked towards the room they had been in when she got a change of clothes last time. "I rather be taken for a lady than be seen as the good wizard's witch companion." She then teased. She did not doubt that his clothing might have something to do with him being taken for a wizard. Well, that and his actions and time machine of course. Either way, she did not want to be taken for a witch or something else. For once in her life she did want to be taken for a proper lady. It was the little girl in her. Meeting her childhood idols did crazy things to her mind.

 

[Kaisaan]

If anything could have made Ronin laugh more at that moment, he didn't know what it was. The mirth spilled from his lips as he followed his companion down the hall, but such was the traveler's laughter that it didn't inspire embarrassment or self-consciousness. Rather, it encouraged happiness, a smile, laughter in the people closest to him. Ronin didn't laugh to hurt others, he laughed to brighten their spirits.

And now, still chuckling to himself, the male helped Anya find the clothes she needed, entering them into the ship and smiling triumphantly when they came out on a tray from the wall. He held up the dress for the young woman, showing that while it was a simple brown in color, there were green leaves and vines inlaid in the neckline and the waistline. The sleeves were long with slit openings in the elbows and ties near the wrist as the overdress was meant to be warn over the white linen shift beneath. Both dresses would reach her feet which would be adorned with shoes fitting the time period. A shawl was completed with the outfit and Ronin smiled with a slightly sheepish shrug.

"We arrived in autumn."

He set the clothes down again and darted out of the room, giving Anya the privacy to change as he himself retreated to who knew where to do the same.

--

When they both met out in the main room again, the traveler was dressed as well in breeches of a dark brown color and a dark blue tunic worn over a long-sleeved shirt beneath. At his waist was a belt, holding a dagger that was very real and his shoes were bootlike, though, not as well-made as anything in either of their times. With his mussed up hair and easy smile, Ronin appeared very much like he belonged, but then, that was true in most time eras he went to. He wouldn't be much of a traveler if he didn't adapt, would he?

"Ready, my lady?"

He knew she had to be and couldn't wait for the view she'd see on the other side of the doors. Ronin had been sure to park the time machine in a small village just outside of Camelot. The machine itself would look like a small hut, perfect for this setting and time period and when Arinna opened the door, it would not be the village she'd first see, but the walls of Camelot in the distance, the towers of the castle and the flags of the King caught in the morning air.

The traveler knew from experience that it truly was awing.

 

[redblood]

The dress was perfect. Not too flashy but not awfully simple either. The leaf and vine decoration made the overall simple design seem more outstanding. The only thing that was unusual to her was the sleeves which were slit at the middle. It wasn't as odd as the style of the future, which she had been wearing for quite some time now, but it was still different from what she was used to.

"It's beautiful." She remarked. Even though brown wasn't a color she fancied much, the decorations definitely made up for it. And considering they seemed to be changing clothes every time jump, once because of him and once because of her demand, it was probably best not to be too picky. Anya watched Ronin leave before she started to change into the dress. In one way it almost felt relieving to get back into something she was somewhat used to. While the clothes of her own time could be a bit restricting, it was still something she had gotten used to, so changing into something so odd and revealing as the clothes Ronin had given her last time went a bit out of her comfort zone.

Soon she exited the room, changed and ready, to meet up with her companion. He too had gotten himself a new set of clothing, of course. "Always." Anya replied with a smile and hasted to the door. Her hands rested on it for a few moments as she let her excitement and curiosity build up a bit more. The most amazing moment was when one was opening their presents. Once it was opened the excitement would start to fade until it was non existing. It was important to take care of those small moments when the amazement and excitement was on it's highest. The young blonde took a couple of deep breaths before opening the door.

The scene was breathtaking. In the distance was a wall of stone, towers of a castle and flags waving in the wind. Stepping outside, a few huts came into view in the corner of her eyes, but she payed them no attention as of yet. She might not be able to see much of the castle from that side of the wall, but the little she saw was just like the one from the book. One part of her even wondered if there was a princess locked up in the highest tower, but then she remembered that it was the wrong story.

Finally she would be able to meet a knight. And even more, a king. For goodness sake, she would probably be meeting a dragon also. The thought took her breath away together with the view. "I can't believe I am this close to a castle with real heroic knights." Anya squeaked. It was probably good that Ronin hadn't put them in the castle, otherwise she might have jumped out of her skin and embarrassed herself in every way possible because of her outburst of happiness. Now she would have some time to calm down. Good thinking Ronin.

"How long do you reckon it might take us to walk there?" She asked as she turned to Ronin. She had calmed herself slightly, but still obviously jumpy which was noticed in every step she took. A walk would be perfect to give her a chance to collect herself a bit, but considering the distance, maybe they would have to use a carriage for a part of the way?

 

[Kaisaan]

Ronin chuckled at his companion, her squeaking excitement rather endearing. It did make him glad he'd chosen something a bit more calm to introduce her to this time, though. Taking her to New York out of all the places he could have chosen from his time period had been....well, stupid. He was so used to hopping into everything, used to the chaos and the quick-adapting that he'd not really thought of how his new companion, new to all of this - even the idea of time traveling - would take it.

He'd been rather overwhelmed his first few trips.

The traveler felt he'd done better this time and he watched happily as Anya simply started to absorb, following her as she began to walk into the village. Her question made him tilt his head in thought. "About six hours by foot and perhaps three by horse. A mere second by time machine." He flashed a cheeky grin to the last answer and then beckoned the blond to follow him while still allowing her to look around, to go as slow as she liked. After all, she'd only get to experience this for the first time once.

"We'll acquire a horse to get to Camelot faster. We should arrive in time for the evening meal and I do know Arthur loves to have a feast. Having guests will only give him an excuse." Ronin laughed to himself at the thought of the King and merely smiled at the people who looked at him with quiet suspicion and curiosity. He knew he'd never really fit into a place like this. It was one of the reasons he'd been labeled a wizard here, but Ronin knew that Anya was different.

She could probably stay here the rest of her life and never be seen as an outsider. It was just something that made her special, even if she would not be able to see or accept that. Ronin could and it pleased him.

 

[redblood]

Anya knew she should be ashamed over her current behavior. She wasn't acting like the lady her mother had hoped she had raised her to be, instead she was jumping like a child not caring whom was watching. On top of that, she was about to go unannounced to visit a king. Never visit a higher class person unannounced, it was one of the golden rules. Especially if you expected to eat with them.

But who cared? She was in another time period. If she made a fool of herself they would soon be out of there either way. She could also make the excuse that Ronin knew the king and apparently he was allowed to come and go as he pleased without it being a big deal. Considering she was his friend, the rule of companions applied. If one was always invited, then one companion could always come with them without any prior notice. Of course she couldn't think of that excuse immediately, so at the moment she had settled for the, it's just to run away to another time period, solution.

She walked beside Ronin, sometimes slowing down to get a better look into the small shops, and sometimes speeding up because she saw something interesting further away from them. Everything was new, but still the same. It was familiar, but her time period felt a bit upgraded. That didn't mean her time period was better though. She enjoyed the simpler time better, without loud things like sewing machines. Sure it went faster, but wasn't it more relaxing to do it by hand? It also felt more fulfilling to finish the work by hand, knowing that someone would proudly wear your work one day. Doing it by machine felt almost like cheating.

"I haven't ridden a carriage since I was a little girl." Anya remarked. That was of course if one did not count the strange car from Ronin's time of course. But that carriage was completely horseless, so it wasn't the same thing. "Considering our small town, we have always been able to walk to work, so it was an unnecessary waste of money. We only took a few trips to my mothers father who lived out of town." She explained, though decided not to tell him that they stopped because her grandfather had died.

As she got more used to the time period and her surrounding, she started to notice the people. Some of them seemed to be staring at them. Had she acted that out of place? "Why are people looking at us like that?" She whispered, not wanting to draw too much attention by pointing it out. Well, not more than they already had at least.

 

[Kaisaan]

Carriage? Had he said anything about-?

Ronin opened his mouth, but Anya was still speaking and the traveler decided to let it go. She'd find out soon enough. He chuckled softly under his breath at what her reaction might be, but knew she'd handle it well. She'd done so with everything else so far and finding that she'd be riding a horse instead of being drawn by one was hardly the most shocking thing they'd done in the short amount of time they'd known each other.

That was actually quite strange, wasn't it? Hmm.

Ronin shook himself from his thoughts to bring his focus to Anya and her question. She might not have pointed and wanted to draw attention, but he looked around freely, meeting the eyes of many who looked back. A smile touched his face as he looked back to his companion. "They recognize me, that's all. Or they think they do." That said, he ushered her along and toward a stable. They'd only be paying for a loan on a horse as they wouldn't need it for long.

"Don't worry, they aren't staring at you. Yet."

 

[redblood]

His words slightly worried the girl, and for good reasons. Soon she realized that he wanted them to actually ride on the horse to the castle. Anya wasn't very thrilled at the thought of riding, both because she never had done it before and because horses scared her. She didn't mind them as long as others had control over them and she sat safely in a carriage, but riding one herself did not feel like a good idea.

Suddenly her excitement had fallen to the core of the earth and she was feeling nothing but nervousness. It took Ronin quite a lot to convince her to get up on the horse, but after some encouraging words and smiles and promises that it would be alright, the girl finally agreed and let him help her up. She did hold onto him extremely hard for the first hour or so though, it was first when her arm muscles couldn't bare being so tense no more that she finally started to relax and actually let the time traveler breath a bit.

When they arrived at the castle, Anya was first down from the hours. She was so happy over having her feet on the ground she had almost been about to bend down and kiss it. Luckily there were guards outside of the castle. Their presence made her change her mind rather quickly. She had already made a fool of herself in town with the horse, she were not about to do it again by kissing the ground in front of them.

"I am never. Ever. Going to sit on a horse again. I'll rather take a six hours walk back." Anya told Ronin quite stubbornly. Maybe he could convince her once she had gotten over the experience in a few hours, but before that she would certainly keep refusing that idea. "I should have voted for the time machine." She then muttered. No six hours walk or three hours ride would have been needed.

 

[Kaisaan]

He felt sympathetic. He really did. Ronin remembered when he'd had to learn to ride and his teachers hadn't been patient in the least. Their motto had been learn fast or don't learn at all. Oh, they'd not been cruel people, not in the least, but all the same, he'd had to come to terms with the beast under his legs very quickly and it hadn't always been pleasant, and at times even scary. He understood quite well Anya's feelings.

Still, understanding and being sympathetic did NOT take away from his amusement....though, he tried to keep it under wraps because he was willing to bet that the fiery little blond would give him a piece of her mind if she felt insulted. The thought made him smile behind his hair even as he dismounted.

That might be fun to see at some point. But not now.

"I am sorry there was discomfort for you, Anya." was all he ventured to say and was saved from saying more as footsteps came with haste down the stone stairs leading to the castle doors meant for admitting visitors. A stable hand was already leading their horse away from the courtyard and as the horse passed away from them, Ronin caught sight of the owner of the footfalls. A smile came to his face and the man coming to meet them was already grinning. With dark brown hair that hit his shoulder- and a scruff of the same shade as he sported a light beard - and brown eyes, he appeared perhaps in his early thirties and entirely happy to see the traveler.

"Ronin! It is good to see you! Where have you been?" The man was embracing Ronin by this point and the traveler laughed a little, hugging back. "No place that would make sense to you, Gwaine." he countered lightly and the man laughed as well, drawing back and then looking to Anya. His smile was just as friendly then, but carried a hint of appreciation that all men felt in the presence of a beautiful woman.

"Ronin, who is your delightful companion?"

Shaking his head slightly, Ronin motioned a hand to Anya. "Gwaine, this is Lady Anya. Anya, this is Sir Gwaine of the Camelot Knights."

Spoiler

Gwaine

 

[redblood]

"I don't believe you." Anya murmured, quite sure she couldn't be heard. There shouldn't really have been any reason for her to distrust him on that, but from experience she knew people, including herself, usually enjoyed to watch such situations. Even she had laughed at her friends when they had been running away from spiders, cats or any other animal, because they were so silly about it. There was no way Ronin hadn't been entertained by it, even if it just was a little bit. He was just too much of a gentleman to actually laugh at her, that was all. It was definitely appreciated.

Then a man came. To her surprise they did not greet each other as most people in her time would. Instead the stranger hugged Ronin. Her father wouldn't even have hugged his own brother. Handshakes was the most contact most people got in her hometown, but usually they only lifted their hat or bowed. It was certainly strange to see two grown men interact in such a way. Maybe it was normal for the time?

After some words having been exchanged, the attention fell onto the blonde. Anya could definitely hear her heart skip a beat. Not so much because the knight was her type or anything like that, but more for the fact that a knight, the dream of her childhood, actually was speaking to her. Or rather asking about her so far, but she did count it.

"It's an honor to meet you sir Gwaine." Anya said as she curtsied. Her stomach bubbled of nervousness as she had no idea what was proper for the time period, nor even what she would have wanted to say if they had met in her time period. She was glad for the exhausting trip though. While it might have scared a few years off of her life span, it had definitely exhausted her enough for her not to jump around as she entered a childhood book nostalgia in real life.

Suddenly from out of nowhere, her stomach started to rumble. That's right, she had been so excited for the trip she hadn't eaten much of the pizza. One piece wasn't enough for three hours on a horseback while being terrified half the way and still slightly jumpy the other half. Immediately she turned her head down. Her cheeks might have been seen half across the world if it had been night, so much did she believed they were shining red at the moment. She could slightly remember her stomach starting to rumble at the end of the trip, but it hadn't really been hearable over the horse's feet stamping into the ground, and she hadn't really thought about it when only being around Ronin. At that moment she slightly wished Ronin could have just told her not to forget to eat. But it wasn't like he were his mother, she shouldn't have to be reminded of those things.

"Forgive me, my stomach seems to have a life of it's own." She forced hear head to go back up again. It shouldn't be such a big deal, but for some reason, normal body functions always became embarrassing when in the company of strangers.

 

[Kaisaan]

Gwaine appeared absolutely charmed by Anya and Ronin could only roll his eyes - subtly, of course - as he knew the Knight to be a great flirt. Oh, the man wouldn't break Anya's heart or lead her on, but he would certainly treat her like royalty and make her feel special while turning her a lovely shade at every turn. It would be rather interesting to observe and Ronin knew it would be a memory the blond was not likely to forget.

"The fair maiden is hungry? Ronin, what have you been subjecting this lovely creature to?" Gwaine's eyes twinkled with a merry light as he extended his arm to Anya. "Do forgive the absentminded man. He would lose his head if it wasn't attached."

Ronin snorted, walking past the Knight and starting up the stairs as if he'd lived in this place his whole life. While that wasn't the case, he HAD spent a good deal of time in Camelot. Years, in fact, but that was a story best told later. "Yes, and even headless I would have more sense than you, Gwaine."

The Knight laughed, escorting Anya up the stairs after the traveler and in through the double doors that led to the interior of the castle. A grand foyer greeted them, meant to hold a great many people when guests were admitted. Stairways and hallways led off from this large room with a intricately crafted chandelier hanging from the towering ceiling, holding candles that lit the room in a soft glow as sunlight was not as welcome here without window. Few windows were on the bottom floors for safety reasons in the case of a siege and attack. Servants tended to use the walkways outside to get from place to place and the upper levels of the East and South wing were where guests stayed. The Nobility that lived in the castle, including the Royal King and Queen stayed in the West and North wings respectively in the third level of the castle. The second and first levels were left to things like the Throne room, library, council rooms, paperwork chambers, kitchens, dining hall, washrooms, Knights' quarters, servants' quarters and the like. It was a large, busy place with no one place more important than the other. All were needed to keep the castle running and the Kingdom.

Ronin was familiar with it all and without prompt he headed toward the dining hall, knowing there would be a washbin made available before going in to the room itself. Once they reached that, the sound of noise and talking coming from the other side of the door, Ronin glanced to Gwaine. "Do you need to announce us?" He'd not been here in some time...well, for him. For them it might have been five or six years at the most, but still, laws and customs could change swiftly under the command of a King. Gwaine shook his head with a smile, however. "No, Ronin. You'll be welcome. You always are."

A smile passed over the traveler's face and he turned to the double doors - castles did have a thing for those, didn't they? - and pushed them open. It wasn't a grand entrance and wasn't meant to be one, but it captured attention anyway, every Knight in the room looking over, reaching for the daggers resting in their belts. Upon seeing who it was interrupting dinner, their faces broke into expressions of delight, but it was not a Knight who rose first and swept around the table to greet the traveler.

It was the King himself. Blond of hair and gray of eyes, wearing a circlet of simple gold on his head and dressed in rich-colored clothing, but simple of style, he was surprisingly young. He was at the beginning of his reign and his smile reflected that youth, but his gaze betrayed wisdom learned through trials and good teachers. He approached Ronin now not as a monarch, though, but as a brother might and just like Gwaine, he embraced Ronin in welcome before holding the traveler at arms' length, hands on the brunette's shoulders.

"Look at you! It's been six years and you haven't aged a day! Where have you been, Ronin? What have you been doing? You must join us for dinner! And who is your companion?"

Ronin was grinning by this point, remembering fondly the Prince he'd met only a few years back. Arthur had matured quite a bit since that point, but when excited and in the presence of friends, he still tended to speak a mile-a-minute if one let him. Now the monarch seemed to realize they had unfamiliar company, though, and he settled somewhat as Gwaine approached with Anya. The blond King extended his hand for her own and dipped his head in respect to her gender, but did not bow like the Knight had done. As a King, it wouldn't be proper. Ronin would have to explain that to a Knight, Anya only had to dip her head in acknowledgement, but to a King curtsying was proper. He knew she would do that anyway, though, and so said nothing as of yet.

"This is Lady Anya. Anya, this is King Arthur."

Arthur placed a chaste kiss to her hand when it was in his own and then gently held it for a moment as he spoke. "It is an honor to meet you, Lady Anya. Any friend of Ronin's is welcome here in Camelot. Please, will you join me for dinner and meet my Queen and my Knights?" He released her hand just as gently as he'd been holding it and gestured to those at the table to approach. They did so, a woman approaching first of all. Her hair was a shade caught between light brown and deep gold, her face covered in a multitude of freckles and her eyes a lovely hue of hazel. Somehow, despite every characteristic that should have made her plain seemed only to enhance her beauty and she wore it well, a soft smile gracing her mouth as she settled her hand into her husband's and dipped her head to Anya.

"This is Guinevere, my beloved wife." Arthur started and then gestured to a black-haired, dark-eyed Knight standing close to him. "This is Lancelot, my greatest friend and the Knight behind him with the fire for hair is Galahad." He spoke of a rather young looking man - younger than most present - with a mop of copper hair and soulful brown eyes. Galahad smiled his welcome, warmth in his every expression and Arthur smiled back, obviously fond of the younger man before he moved on to a far more imposing-looking man with a massive build, shaved head and gruff beard. He was not smiling, but his hand was on Ronin's shoulder in a gesture of camaraderie. "This is Sir Bors, the strongest arm you shall find in all of the Kingdom. Those two beside him are the brothers Percival and Tristin. There are none more skilled with the spear and the bow than they."

The first, Percival, was blond with a full beard to match and blue eyes like the sea. He seemed to have the disposition of a hound, very loyal, open and friendly. His brother was brown of hair with dark blue eyes and appeared much more quiet, observant and cautious. It was clear he was the older of the two siblings and took his duty to look after his brother and his King very seriously.

"And this is Kay, the best tracker you shall every meet." Arthur clamped his hand on the shoulder of a man with brown hair and light green eyes who seemed to blush slightly under the compliment. He seemed very shy, but he bowed to Anya in greeting before retreating to stand nearer to Galahad who was moving to embrace Ronin. Between greetings, most of the Knights had done the same, but they all cleared away as one final person finally rose from the table.

His hair was the color of flames, much deeper than Galahad's and unlike the young Knight's, they almost seemed ready to burn anyone who dared to get close to them. He was young, just as young as Arthur, but in his red eyes there glowed an agelessness that Arthur would never possess in life. He approached the group, but his attention was for Ronin, neither a smile or a frown on his face as he came to stand before the traveler. Both of them standing together seemed to lend a charge to the air and it was clear to see the similarities between the two men. It wasn't in the looks, not in the least, but there was something undeniably identical about them. It was in their eyes, a weight they both bore, a shared understanding of something no one else could understand and it was in the power that hummed around each of them. They stood in silence for a long moment, simply looking at each other, appearing to share more that way than mere words could convey and then the redhead was reaching out and Ronin's hand clasped the others forearm firmly just as the other did to him. Smiles crossed their faces then, a rather secretive kind only for them before they both turned to the others. It was Ronin who introduced the man at his side.

"Anya, this is Merlin, Wizard of Camelot and Adviser to the King."

Merlin's red eyes met Anya's dark green and he dipped his head just slightly, mischief dancing about his eyes, pulling at the corners of his mouth. "Anya Rietzler of England, you are welcome in Camelot."

Spoiler

Galahad

Lancelot

Arthur

Guinevere

Merlin

Bors

Kay

Percival (blond) and Tristan (brunette)

 

[redblood]

Anya knew that it wasn't Ronin's fault she was hungry, but she did no attempt to correct Sir Gwaine. While she'd rather see him getting lectured for putting her on a horse, this was still the second best. "That certainly wouldn't surprise me." She chuckled before accepting his arm and let him lead her inside. No matter the destination, Anya would probably never follow a complete stranger instead of Ronin, not even if he knew them extremely well. But this was different, these people were knights. They were heroes of their time, trustworthy men fighting for the good. At least that was what the story had made it seem like. She might have had a bit too much faith in her stories, but considering Ronin wasn't stopping her, at the very least he wasn't dangerous.

As they walked through the castle, Anya curiously looked every which way. Every rock seemed interesting as she'd never seen a castle before. Not from the outside, nor the inside. Then they came to a double door, Ronin arriving first of course. He knew his way pretty well, but still seemed to be unsure of certain things. The blonde almost wanted to say, it seems like you're not omniscient after all, but she refrained from it this time. She was more curious over what was awaiting them behind those doors.

Ronin walked in as if he lived in the castle, and everyone seemed to be treating him as if he did. Maybe she should ask him later how much time he had spent there, considering all the friends he had made and kept. As she and Gwaine reached the two men, she let go of Gwaine's arm and joined in beside Ronin.

The first person that had walked up to him was a blond young man. If he had not worn a crown, she would never have guessed he was the king. He seemed far too young for such a task, leading a whole country. But considering how fondly Ronin had spoken of the man, she believed him to be a great leader. Naturally she gave him a curtsy, just hoping she would not offend the man in any way. Offending a knight by acting improper might be bad, but it was probably forgivable. Acting improper in front of a king was a whole other story. She did wish that she had the patience to ask Ronin about those things before runing off to a castle. But no, she had to be there as fast as possible. There was certainly no time for re-search even though they had a time machine.

She was more than happy when the king seemed more than welcoming of her, and even asked her personally to stay. If anything, she had believed he would ask Ronin if they would stay. As she couldn't trust her voice to stay calm at the moment, she simply nodded and gave a friendly smile. That might not have been the most polite move, but rather that than squeak or scream out an answer.

As the king introduced everyone, Anya curtsied to each and everyone of them. A nod would probably have been enough, but old habits didn't go away quite so easily, especially when no one had informed her of her options. Key was definitely the one that interested her the most among the knights. Never had she read of a shy knight.

Then one final person appeared, and for a few moments Anya wasn't too sure what was going on. The man didn't smile as he approached Ronin, and they stood in silence for many seconds. It was an unbreakable silence. Even if Anya wanted to interrupt them, she couldn't have. It felt as if she would interrupt something holy. It was just not something you did. Then they suddenly smiled and the time traveler finally introduced the man.

It was rather shocking just to hear that such a young man was a wizard. The image she had of magicians was an older man with a great white beard. This man was far from it. But that wasn't the most shocking revelation. Not only did he know her full name, but he also knew her home country. Anya stared at the man, then her eyes turned to her companion before turning back to Merlin. Ronin had told her about wizards being real, but she hadn't expected him to be able to read minds. "Thank you." She replied with a curtsy. Even in a state of confusion, she still could mind her manners. "How did you know my last name?" She asked him curiously. While she had told Ronin her last name when they first met, there was no way he could have told the man before they arrived. She had been with him for every second since they'd met. If he hadn't left off when she had slept on the plane, but he hadn't had his time machine there, so that should have been impossible.

"Try not to frighten our guest away Merlin." Lancelot grinned from his place among the knights. Her shocked expression had told him that she weren't too familiar with wizards, better try easing the mood before she would run the other way, taking Ronin with her. Of course he hadn't counted with Anya's pure fascination with magicians.

"I do not believe I would be traveling with him if I was that easily scared though." She only gave a nod towards Ronin when mentioning him. There were things that were too trivial to be corrected, but likewise there were things that needed to be corrected no matter what. She would not let people believe that she couldn't handle some strange events. As long as they weren't deadly, or if it was horses, what was the harm? Merlin might know things about her, but he certainly wouldn't kill her.

 

[Kaisaan]

Ronin remained quiet, merely watching the proceedings with loosely crossed arms. He was ready to intervene should Anya become overwhelmed, flustered or uncomfortable for any reason, but he doubted she would. The blond was more than capable of holding her own, something she'd already proven and she didn't seem so much uncertain as she did fascinated, and the traveler could see that easily where Lancelot could not - but then, the Knight didn't know the young woman like Ronin did.

Merlin, for his part, had only glanced at Lancelot with that same amusement he'd given Anya before his attention had gone back to the blond. Her question didn't phase him in the least and he rather liked her response to the Knight. The wizard could see why Ronin was with her, had chosen to befriend her. She had spirit. He smiled slightly at her now and he knew his answer wouldn't satisfy her completely, his answers never did, but Merlin knew to say too much would cause more harm than it would good. He was young, but not as young as some suspected.

"Your past told me. It's voice is clear, though, future's is not. That is to be expected of one who travels with Ronin, though." Red eyes glanced to the traveler in question and Ronin simply gave a shrug before stepping forward and to Anya. He leaned down then and brought his mouth close to her ear, his voice soft. "I will tell you more of Merlin later." he promised before straightening, meeting the wizard's dancing, knowing eyes.

Arthur took the moment to take control of the situation, coming up beside Merlin and placing a hand on the redhead's shoulder, a gesture that was rather familiar to both parties as it was clear just by their comfortable interaction - much like everyone here - that they were more than King and Adviser, but friends. "Come Merlin, don't tease Lady Anya. At least let her eat first before you start going all cryptic."

Merlin chuckled, but nodded in assent to his King and like that everyone started to find their seats, Galahad pulling out a chair for Anya and Ronin taking a seat beside her. There was a comfortable quiet then as everyone got more food on their plates and then light chatter started up between the Knights. For the time being, Ronin stayed quiet, just eating and keeping an eye on Anya. She'd wanted to meet Knights and Kings and Queens and Wizards, but he knew how overwhelming wishes coming true could be.

He simply wanted to make sure she paced herself, enjoyed herself.

 

[redblood]

Anya had no idea what the wizard meant. The past couldn't really speak as it wasn't a person. While mind reading and time travel could be possible explanation, she doubted that was what Merlin was speaking of. Too bad she didn't get much chance to ask further as Ronin interrupted before she got to open her mouth again. Did Ronin know what the wizard was talking about? Probably. Ronin knew next to everything. Except for if he had to be announced or not apparently.

Then the king decided to take charge again. Ending the cryptic speeches was certainly appreciated as she couldn't understand much of it anyways, but she was slightly used to not understanding people. Ronin could say the strangest of things without even realizing. Mainly it had been about technology or foods that didn't exist in her time period, but there had been other things like his body time traveling away from the people trying to kill them and then had to adjust to the new time period. It didn't make much sense to her. Though it was a slight difference between stating facts she couldn't understand and just being cryptic for the sake of being cryptic. On Arthur it certainly sounded like Merlin was doing the latter.

Finally she got the chance to make her stomach full. There had been a chance just hours earlier, but she hadn't been smart enough to actually take it. Maybe they should have a rule, no talk about time travel while eating, otherwise she would forget her food. Anya thanked the red haired young man named Galahad as she sat down on the chair he had so sweetly pulled out for her. She was so fascinated with everything, she completely forgot that she actually could speak to them and instead just sat and listened on their conversations. That was until she started to get more used to the situation and it didn't feel awfully new anymore.

"How many times exactly have you been here?" Anya eventually asked Ronin, quite curious over how he could know them so well. Had he revisited many times before? "You seem awfully popular around here." She also remarked. She weren't whispering, but she weren't speaking louder than anyone else either, so it probably could be heard by a few if they weren't speaking at the same time as her. The welcomes he had gotten definitely showed that they had known each other for a while. He probably hadn't been there just a few days, saved them and then never returned before now. That might have etched him into their memories, but certainly not make him being treated like a brother and friend.

 

[Kaisaan]

Ronin had been listening to a conversation between Percival and Tristin regarding a border skirmish when Anya chose to ask her questions. Breaking his concentration away from the two brothers, the traveler turned his pale green eyes to his companion, blinking for a moment as he processed what she'd said and then giving a faint smile as he looked around the table at everyone present, a fond expression in his face. "I've been here twice."

He caught Arthur's eye then, giving a slight nod that the King returned before he returned to speaking with his wife. "The first time I was with Karen. It was our sixth time-journey. We had no idea what we were doing, not really, but....well, it didn't stop us. We stayed for about four months before leaving. It was the longest time we'd stayed anywhere." Ronin paused them, seeming to truly remember that point in his life with a feeling of nostalgia and yet disappointment, too. So caught up was he in the memory that he failed to realize a pair of red eyes was watching him and Anya closely, listening to every word.

If there was anyone Anya might ask about Karen while here without betraying Ronin's trust, it was Merlin.

The traveler appeared to shake himself from his stupor and he provided Anya with a slight smile, continuing, "The second time...I stayed for three years." The lack of 'we' in his sentence clearly told a story of Karen's absence and the truth was that it had been shortly after their falling out that he'd come here, to a place the machine had brought him for healing. It had helped a great deal and he'd become a friend and brother to the men and women of this time. "It's been six years now, in their time, since they've last seen me."

 

[redblood]

"Four months.." Anya let that sink in for a moment. She weren't sure how Ronin's traveling patterns worked, but she had never thought he stayed in the same time period for more than a few days. But now when she thought about it, it only made sense. It would be exhausting to travel all the time. At some point they would have to take a break, and it was always nice to have somewhere to return to, both in their own time and somewhere else.

The next visit surprised her even more. "Three years?" Some months could be understood, but years seemed a bit much for a traveler. It was first some seconds later that she realized he had said 'I' and not 'we'. So that must have happened after karen had left him. Just like Ronin, she did not notice the wizards red eyed stare. She was too focused on the conversation at that moment.

"Wow. Well. That definitely explains how you know everyone so well." What else were there to say? That she didn't believe him to get attached to any time or person ever? Of course she couldn't have known such things, but it still felt a bit wrong to just see him as a lonely eremite traveling through space and time.

"But it's no surprise really. After all, who wouldn't want to befriend such a great wizard like you." Anya then teased a bit to get the small knot that had built up in her stomach out of the way. She was sure that the answer to her question bothered him a bit. Everything about karen seemed to do so. She wouldn't ask him about her, not now at least. Hopefully he would tell her himself one day. Though she might try to prey some information out of his friends, just to see who she was before she suddenly made a 180 degrees turn. She couldn't help it, she was far too curious to skip this opportunity of finding out.

"And when exactly will the magnificent wizard Ronin take me to see the dragons?" She then asked, deciding to completely change the topic to something more comfortable. It shouldn't be anything weird to bring up. After all, king Arthur did have some kind of deal with the dragons, so they definitely knew about them.

 

[Kaisaan]

"I'm not a wizard!" The reply was given with laughter and eyes from all over the table came to rest on the traveler and his companion, smiles appearing at seeing a much-missed friend so happy. Arthur caught the question that Anya asked before anyone else did, though, and his expression clouded a bit, something that was not lost on Ronin as his brows furrowed and he addressed the monarch not as a King, but as a brother.

"Arthur? What's gone wrong?" If there was anything the dark-haired traveler was good at, it was recognizing a problem. He watched as the entire table seemed to grow more solemn - not subdued, not even upset, just more serious, and Arthur sighed, rubbing his forehead with thumb, forefinger and middle finger for a moment. "It started about two months back. A few dragons started raiding the outlying villages on our borders. I've prevented bloodshed so far, but many hunters are chomping at the bit for retaliation. I will not be able to stop them for long and I don't want another war, but our relations with the dragons is strained and had been for a few months before the attacks on the villages."

Ronin was frowning now and he looked from Arthur to Merlin. "The Dracai are not speaking with you?"

It was the wizard who answered, his expression calm, voice the same way and Ronin instantly knew there was more to this than Merlin was saying - perhaps even to Arthur at this point. He would have to question the redhead. "Only a few will approach now and all they say is that the dragons believe we broke the treaty first. That we attacked them."

"That doesn't make sense..."

"They claim it was magic." Bors supplied gruffly, pointing his fork toward Merlin. "They blame him."

Merlin nodded slightly, confirming the information and Ronin sat back slightly, contemplation on his face. He bit his lip after a moment and looked reluctant to speak, but eventually did so anyway. "Could Morgan be involved?"

Judging by the look on Arthur's face, suddenly weary and strained, Ronin knew it was an option they'd considered. The King nodded. "Yes, we fear so, though, we are not sure what has stirred her from her slumber." Ronin had a good idea what that could have been, but he said nothing as of yet and Arthur continued, looking hopeful. "The dragons will not speak to Merlin, but they knew you before they knew us. Perhaps they would hold an audience with you, Ronin."

The traveler tilted his head a bit in acknowledgment. "They might." he agreed quietly, wondering if perhaps just once he'd be able to escape problems that seemed to follow him like the plague.

 

[redblood]

With one simple question, the whole atmosphere in the room changed. No one was laughing, nor even smiling. They could as well have been on a funeral for a dead hero. Ronin was quick to notice of course, and asked Arthur what was going on.

For once, Anya actually found herself able to keep up with the conversation, even though she couldn't understand why the dragons had broken the treaty, or why Merlin would have if they went with what the dragons believed. She had no idea how their deal worked, nor how they spoke with the dragons, but obviously they had been able to make it work for quite some time as they seemed completely devastated from this failure.

Towards the end of the talk however, there came up a subject Anya couldn't understand at all. Morgan, awaken from a slumber? Now she was completely lost like she usually was when Ronin was talking with folks from other time periods. At the very least she could agree with their idea of having Ronin speak with the dragons. He were friends with both sides, so he might be able to fix this without a fight.

"I guess our nice vacation visit has to be postponed then." The blonde sighed slightly. She had truly wanted to relax a bit after that horrible kidnapping experience. But at least this seemed to be something they could deal with quickly. It seemed as if it only was a misunderstanding. "Who is that Morgan? Is she on par with that lizard lady we met last time?" Please do not let it be so, Anya thought to herself. She was not in the mood to meet more evil ladies that just wanted to kidnap Ronin because they had some obsession to be stepped on by their boss and Ronin's former friend. Personally Anya wouldn't trust someone that discarded her companions like some old handkerchiefs.