Chapter Text
Summer had finally hit the kingdom of Walesland, pulling a warm breeze over the rolling hills. Galahad didn't often remove his helmet while away from the capital, but such nice weather prompted him to enjoy the wind against his face.
The knight was expected back at the castle within the next four or so days in order to arrive on schedule and not cause any concern, but he was planning on returning a few days early regardless. Partially because he missed his brothers, but mostly because he would be the last of the knights to miss the festival.
Galahad sighed. Almost seven years. In exactly 3 weeks, it'll have been seven years since Arthur was murdered. Seven years since the entirety of the round table was all in the same room.
Seven years since they lost Owain.
He shook his head, desperate to clear the thought from his mind as soon it dared cross his conscience. Galahad could not afford to be thinking of such things, even knowing full well it popped up within the minds of them all every year. Mordred- The King, had made an effort to erase as much of him from their records as possible, but memory still remained. It wouldn't truly die out until everyone who knew Arthur personally did and the history behind their annual festivities were all but a distant memory.
Gwyl y llew, Galahad had to admit, was rather genius on Mordred's part. He didn't want to say touching, for he highly doubted the sentimental claims announced to the kingdom had been even slightly true. The festival was supposedly a way to commemorate all the sacrifices King Arthur had made for Walesland over his life. Turning the anniversary of his passing into a celebration of life and focusing on his greatest moments, instead of his final ones.
In truth it was probably so less people thought about the one who had actually poisoned him in the end. But it did certainly help Galahad forget, even if just for a moment, and it kept the king in good standing with the people.
The small town the knight found himself on the outskirts of had already started decorating for it, stringing up warmly coloured buntings in preparation for their own smaller celebrations. The capital didn't use orange for their flags, at request of the king, but the smaller villages didn't have any reason to avoid it.
Steeling himself, Galahad began the walk towards where he knew the small local stables were. He'd left his steed there during his trip on Gawain's insistence ("The only thing you ever got from your father was his awful awful care for horses Gal. Give her to a professional.") and only had to go and pick her up before he could finally be on his way.
As he trekked down the hills towards civilization, he was stalled by the sound of metal on… bark? Ringing over the landscape. Galahad turned a few times, finding the sound to be resonating from somewhere to his left. After a few moments of hesitation and an increase in frankly ominous creaking over the hill, the knight's curiosity won out and he cautiously ventured off the path.
Just over the crest of the hill, someone was fighting off three frankly grotesque looking creatures. Monsters even, formed of gnarled wooden roots bleached dry and silver, split apart by growths of glowing orange… gems? Dried sap? Something akin to amber. They stumbled forwards on graying limbs, heads lolling every which way as they were hacked at by arrow after arrow.
The fighter herself was almost abnormally short, choppy auburn hair reaching just past his shoulders and curling about her rounded face, expression slanted down in concentration as she fired volley after volley into the creatures. Her armor was certainly more simple and lightly done than his, but looked nothing like that of a town guard's. A wandering ranger perhaps?
Galahad didn't get to spend much more time questioning it, because before he even knew it the woman was rushing forwards, skewering the closest monster with a previously concealed short sword. It groaned out a raspy, awful noise before falling to the ground in a mass of rotten vegetation. She was already whirling onto the next one, slicing clean through it's middle and bursting one of the orange clumps with a sickening pop.
As she leapt toward the last one though, her blade sunk right through it's odd approximation of a ribcage and barely missed another clump. When she tried to pull it out again, it didn't give. It was only then, as she began to kick against the already weakened roots, that Galahad realized the first creatures resin hadn't been shattered. It convulsed on the ground, coagulating back into the form of a person and standing on unsteady legs. Before he knew it, he was already moving to match it before it could rise. The other fighter looked up in alarm as he sped past her, but his sword was already coated in that orange, sap-like substance.
Galahad watched, confused and disturbed, as the mass flailed around a few more times before almost melting off his sword into a heap in the grass. It let out a final exhale before vanishing into the earth, and he stayed frozen as it did. It took several seconds for him to turn around, and when he did, he found the woman in a similar position to him. Staring right back at Galahad with wide, green eyes.
"Oh… Hello."
Lady Kitty of the Kingdom of Bannerfall was officially in the running for the strangest knight Galahad had ever met.
Now, Galahad had met many odd individuals in his life. Travelers and mages and merchants with all sorts of peculiarities to their character. Not to mention his fellow knights, bless them, and their many many odd upbringings and hobbies and adventures and really just so so much about them that made sharing barracks a nightmare.
Kitty reminded him of Percival, and his odd state between his upbringing and his time as a knight. Wild, a little distant and curious and wandering but nonetheless a knight. Lady Kitty was a knight, he'd learned, properly sworn in by a knight after training in the recently reformed kingdom of Bannerfall. In fact, she'd been there when it reformed.
"After the war, we were all so busy rebuilding and determining new laws and figuring out this new 'co-living' thing that I haven't had an opportunity to travel nearly as much as I'd like to." She sighed. "My partner and I have been working on building a knight academy in the kingdom, so we've been especially busy. Recently though, those monsters I was fighting have begun to spread out into other lands where they were previously contained to one area. I'm taking the chance to visit new kingdoms and spread awareness to the towns."
Galahad glanced over in concern as they made their way down towards the town once more. "Yes, what was that thing? It was rather disturbing."
Kitty wrinkled her nose. "The creaking. Evil bad tree creatures. We destroyed the source, but some of the weaker husks did not perish and are now roaming free. They're easy to stop, but can be quite frightening. As such. My queen asked me to inform you king if I happen across the opportunity while here. That part is less important, though."
Galahad slowed in his steps for a moment, stepping carefully through the tall grass as the two reached the path once more. His voice took on a note of incredulousness. "Less important? How could a message from your monarch possibly be less important than a friendly visit?"
Kitty just shrugged. "She didn't really make it sound all that pressing."
It was almost baffling to consider. Though not everything Mordred said was important or even business related (just most of it), the idea of visiting another kingdom being seen as just a casual affair was odd to consider.
He was reminded of Arthur's rule, and the casual warmth in which he addressed his knights. Fond and knowing and always so happy to see Galahad in a way Lancelot never was, especially when it meant there was a young prince not too far behind.
The festival was bringing up far too many unwanted memories.
"Well, you've certainly arrived at a critical point in the year for my kingdom. Is that why you chose Walesland? Gwyl y llew is just around the corner."
Kitty paused for a moment, quietly sounding out the consonants. He kicked a stray pebble loose into the grass, and then he grinned. "Oh! oh, Lion Festival? I do not know what that is, but it sounds exciting."
"Lion's festival, but very close." Galahad corrected gently, as they approached the town's open gate. It was barely a wall, but it did offer some small form of protection. "I'm honestly surprised. Welsh isn't exactly common outside of here. Where did you learn it?"
It truly was a lovely little town. Baked brick homes with outer walls scrawled in little doodles of bright paint for the festivities. Little yellow dandelions were beginning to sprout in bursts of colour out of the cracks in stones. Galahad almost missed Kitty's response, taking in the scenery one last time.
"My partner hails from this land, actually. That's why I chose to come here. He's not keen on returning, but I felt it important to at least see the place." She shrugged.
He raised an eyebrow. "From Walesland, really? And you are starting a knight academy? Are you both knights, then?"
The archer brightened considerably, giving him an incredibly enthusiastic nod and almost running into a wooden post in the process. "Yes! He knighted me, in fact. Just before the end of the war. He taught me everything I know, though I still have much to learn."
The knight hummed, focusing back on their path. They were nearing the stables now, where Kitty's steed was also supposedly located. It was clearer now, why it's fighting had stuck out to him so much. The way it had fired off it's bow was very similar to the way Percival had taught him to do it. Much faster than Galahad ever could, but certainly Walesland in nature. Her swordsmanship too, though he'd seen much less of it.
Galahad didn't often travel with other knights anymore, drifting unintentionally from the others at the round table once Mordred became so prevalent in every aspect as Arthur once was. He didn't hold as much of a grudge against his cousin anymore (though he never acted on it in the first place), because when push came to shove Mordred was actually quite a good king. That didn't mean he quite wanted to be around him.
But… Kitty's knowledge of those new threats and happenings in the kingdom of Bannerfall, which had in havoc for centuries, offered a new perspective he likely wouldn't get the chance to learn from again. They would benefit from such a firsthand account, and Kitty would likely be able to benefit from the teachings of his peers.
Not to mention, she was just fun to be around. Galahad found himself endeared in a way he hadn't been in quite a while. He wanted to know what sort of upbringing could've fostered such an odd knight.
(He wanted to know what reason fate might have for bringing someone so similar to the Owain he used to know right into his path at such an auspicious time of the year.)
"Say, Kitty, how would you like to visit the capital with me, and see our yearly festival for yourself?"