15th Century Girl

Chapter Three: Camelot?

              "What? Where am I?" I asked raising my hand and rubbing my forehead. I slowly opened my eyes and a grey haze swirled before them; I pulled my hand away and I could just make out the glitter of sweat on my thumb. I then heard snickering and giggling; my eyes diverted from my hand and I made out the faces of young women all around me. The grey mist disappeared and my vision became clear again; it was indeed young women who were gathered 'round me. Their eyes were locked on my face; which evidently showed my confusion.

                "What do you mean 'where are you?' you ought to know that!" One said with a laugh, she had long brown hair and keen, hazel eyes. Another woman with blonde hair and blue eyes grasped her wrist and mumbled something.

                "Maybe, she's hit her head; ya know my uncle did that and he couldn't remember who I was!" The blonde woman then turned to me, I now figured out I was lying on a table and there were at least six young women around me. "Sweetie, you're in Camelot"

                "Camelot?" I asked "What's a Camelot?" I then sat up and grasped my head, which had began to throb with pain. The blonde woman helped me to my feet whilst all the other women laughed; the blonde did not.

                "Stop laughing!" She yelled at them, their laughter ceased instantly. "She's lost her way, and we must help her! At least I will if you will not." She then looked over at me; up until this moment I hadn't noticed that I was in a dress; the dress was a velvety green with black lacing around the neck and sleeves. The women saw my surprise and started to giggle again "You were dressed very inappropriately, so we changed you into a spare dress" The blonde smiled "Camelot is a kingdom, my lady, Uther Pendragon is now in power. He has a son, Arthur Pendragon and a ward, Morgana" she explained, I then started to waver and she steadied me with a smile.

                The blonde woman then bowed to me "My name is Celest Lowe, you need not worry about the rest of those milkmaids, and they will do nothing but laugh. Do you know where you are headed my dear lady?"

                "I do not remember, and my name is Percyla, Percyla Quin" I then stuck out my arm and she grinned, she took it and pulled me into a hug. She quickly let me go and with a spin she walked to a stable and lead out two horses; one was as white as snow and the other was the color of night. Celest pulled the horses outside and called for the maids to retrieve saddles and blankets. The night air was cool and crisp; the wind whispered in my ears and tickled the trees, causing the leaves to laugh and the grass to giggle. The horses stood firm and we watched the clouds speed across the sky, waving to the stars and greeting the moon with illuminated smiles.

                Celest quickly tied the sattle to the snow horse; she then motioned for me to get on. With a struggle, I finally got atop my horse and waited for Celest to climb hers. "Where are we heading?" I asked as we brought our horses to a slow walk, we were walking into a dark wood, and the moon's rays were shining off of the treetops.

                "To Camelot, of course!" She cried looking back at me with a smile.

                "But, we are in Camelot" I said thoughtfully, Celest just giggled.

                "I mean, the Castle of Camelot. The people of Camelot call the castle and the grounds both Camelot. I am leading you to the castle, where I work, Percyla" Celest said slowing down and riding beside me. We rode along on a dirt path all night and into the dawn; I nodded off a few times and Celest had to kick me awake. The morning was pale and the sun started to wink his eyes open from behind the curtain of clouds when a castle silhouette shown on the horizon.

                Celest smiled over at me and I grinned back wearily. Celest explained that she worked in the royal kitchens; she then said that she would attempt to employ me in her line of work. I gladly accepted this offer and thanked her many times. "Celest" I said "Why do you live so far away from the castle if you are a needed member of the royal kitchens?" Our horses now came to a stop as we gazed at the great castle from a green field.

                Celest grinned "It is much quieter father away from the castle, I don't favor large groups of people, and I don't mind making a father trek to the castle if it means that I will get the peace that I hold dearly" I nodded and all of a sudden my horse reared up; I lost my balance and my hold of the reins, consequently I ended up lying on my back upon the grass. My horse neighed wildly and bolted; I sat up and looked over at Celest; that's when a hissing noise drew my attention from her. I looked down and slithering among the grass was a great, black snake with a silver moon upon its head, showing proudly.

                It bared its fangs and to my surprise I found that it had teeth! Large, pointy, white, teeth!  A red ooze dropped from the front two as it came closer to me. I crab walked backwards and ended up falling on my behind; but I was apparently too slow. My right leg struck out at the snake and it barred its fangs deep into my calf muscle.

                 I yelled in agony as I felt a strange coolness flow into my leg; I screamed and Celest jumped down from her horse, baring a sword, she ran towards the snake with it. The snake pulled its teeth out of my muscle and slithered close to Celest. Celest swung the sword and the sun's light glinted off of the side; I squeezed my eyes shut and groped my leg for my wound. My blood ran through my fingers, down my ankle, and onto the grass. Celest swung her sword once more and the hissing of the snake was hushed; for a moment all I could hear were my own groans and the whisper of the wind.

                I laid my head back as I felt Celest's cold fingers running over my leg and to my wound; her hand left my wound and came back with a cloth. I muffled my screams as Celest created a homemade trinket and wrapped it tightly around my calf muscle; in doing this she squeezed a few more groans of pain from me. It became hard for me to breathe and I began to gasp for air, Celest started to yell to me to stay with her but her voice soon became muddled and distorted. I gave a final groan and the grey mist that veiled my eyes beforehand came back with a vengeance; Celest's face was blurred and the mist took over, then the mist gave way to blackness and I was not aware of anything. The world was dark and silent.