Scene #1875: Heart of Oak

Owner	Pose
Rider	A mist has settled over the lake all morning, and there has been a bit more bustle than usual around the shores thanks to a few villagers claiming they'd seen a full-size ship on the waters. But that can't be possible, right? This lake is landlocked, so how could a seagoing vessel get there, let alone be brought there without anyone noticing? Anyone who has come to investigate may be lucky enough to spot a lare, indistinct shadow moving through the mists... though it seems to be coming less indistinct and more and more like what the rumors said: a ship. "AHOOOOOOY~!" echoes out from the fog, just as a splash is heard. Before long, a smaller vessel - a landing boat - becomes visible through the thinning mists. Aboard the boat is a single woman, though she doesn't seem to be actually rowing the thing... yet it moves on its own.
Saber	All manner of strange occurrences had been visiting the remote village as of late. The lord and lady of the land -- far from dismissing reports of strange apparitions from the villagers -- actually made a point to investigate. Aside from being the sort of guardians who took their people and their well-being seriously, the fact of the matter was that the knights were hardly strangers to the weird and supernatural. Even the most seemingly outlandish tale was looked into...though the people themselves were of the more practical sort, not so prone to superstition and hyperbole as perhaps others in a similar environment might be. But whatever the case was, the lady of Dun Realtai had made a point to investigate the report of a strange sea vessel out on one of their entirely landlocked lakes. That such a ship had not run afoul of the kelpie already dwelling there -- thankfully, it wasn't Alaia's lake, she would have hated to have the benevolent winter guardian disturbed -- might have meant it was yet another of the various versions of the Tylwyth Teg which had apparently been drawn to the growing power of the place. Having a handful of Servants, wizards, and all manner of outworld magical creatures tended to have that effect. Which was why, as she drew nearer to the lake, it came as something of a surprise that her senses warned the Servant Saber that this was not one of the fae creatures, but the sort of being she was much more familiar with. The presence was, without a doubt, that of a fellow Servant. Already clad in her battle armour, an ermine-lined cloak was settled over her shoulders; though cold was not so much of a concern to a Heroic Spirit, warmth was nevertheless more pleasant. Saber pulled her mount -- a large black stallion which was more suited to pulling plows than carrying riders into battle -- up beside the lakeshore with a calming pat on his neck as his ears flicked back with uncertainty. Time to find out what this strange woman's intentions were. "Who goes there?" she called out into the mist.
Rider	Despite the cold, Rider wasn't dressed much differently than usual. So long as she was in her 'battle armor,' so to speak, she was fine. Casual clothes needed a bit more, but her coat, revealing as it was, did well enough to shield her from the elements. "Oho~! Looks like someone important came to greet me right off." With a horse that nice, it can't just be someone random. "Is this Dun Realtai? Avalon's always rough on the navigation. I'd feel a little bad if I crashed the wrong doorstep!" The Servant lets out a laugh as she comes more fully into view, the landing boat approaching shore. "Ahoy!" she calls again, lifting a hand in greeting to the rider on the horse. "Just a curious traveler come for a visit, is all! I heard some rumors 'bout this place and had to come see for myself." When the boat strikes shore, Rider casually steps off and into the shallow waters, wading the rest of the way. "If this is the right place, then you probably already know what I am. You might even know who I am, and know that I don't have any quarrel here. Rider's what I go by."
Saber	It wasn't as if Saber hadn't seen far more revealing costumes in her five years of living in the multiverse. Still, she found herself wondering how ever it could be comfortable, and they seemed impractical in battle. She could only guess that either magic or some form of technology held such clothing on, or kept them warm in cold weather...particularly in places such as Dun Realtai. But it was not a particularly important line of inquiry, so the diminutive swordswoman set it aside to focus on more pressing matters...such as the Servant who had, for all intents and purposes, literally dropped in. How else but through the flow of prana magic users called 'leylines' could a seafaring vessel appear out in the middle of a lake with no way of getting it there? "You are in Dun Realtai, yes," she answred, pale brows lifting slightly at the name of her ship, though she refrained from comment for the moment. "I am the lady of these lands." Chivalry dictated that, once the other Servant had disembarked, Saber must do so in kind. Dismounting from the farmhorse with more grace one would expect from such a petite girl dismounting such a large steed, she stood on the more solid ground of the shore, bowing slightly with her right arm folded over her torso. "As you harbour no intent of violence, I greet you. I am called Saber."
Rider	"Ah! Now I feel honored, you coming to greet me yourself instead of sending an emissary." And she even gets a bow! Shifting slightly, Rider returns the gesture in a quite courtly manner that doesn't really match well with her state of dress. "Saber, is it? You don't happen to be the Saber I've heard of who lives here, then, hm? Little bird told me King Arthur set up shop here, and I got all excited. Hero of mine, you know." Rider tilts her head, giving Saber a glance-over. "Still..." She taps her chin lightly. "-You're- King Arthur, then." She takes a few steps to the side and looks Saber up and down again. "You're -King- Arthur." A faint frown crosses her lips as she walks back. "You're King -Arthur-." After a moment of thought, she holds her hand up horizontally, a bit higher than her own head. "I thought you'd be taller."
Saber	The King of Knights opted not to admit that she had been out to the lake simply to investigate, not having expected for there to be another Servant. In truth, her expectations had been more along the lines of some errant faerie ship which had somehow managed to land in the middle of a lake occupied by a water-dwelling murderhorse. She was grateful that the Unseelie had not troubled anyone thus far; perhaps warning the villagers not to get too close to the fae had mitigated disaster. Still, she was reasonably certain having a ship land in the middle of its adopted home might have set it off. Fortunately, it had yet to make an appearance, so perhaps not. "It would have been rude not to greet a visitor," she replied instead, smoothly. "Such is simply part of my duties, as one the land's caretakers." And then things got weird. Her true identity was hardly the secret it once was, common knowledge even among enemies she would rather remain ignorant. Perhaps it was merely a concern now in the context of Holy Grail Wars in other, more recently-Unified realities, and only if the participants decided to make all Servants regardless of status into potential targets. Abdication of the War might not necessarily mean anything to a Servant thirsting for /any/ measure of battle or Master with more ambition than common sense. Still, the Rider wasn't making any moves toward aggression, and though Arturia remained on guard and a bit on the suspicious side, she kept her stance and expression politely neutral. "You have me at a loss, I fear..." she started before Rider hit upon a personal sore point. She could not quite suppress the weary sigh which escaped her lips. "Yes, I am afraid that I was never able to reach a respectable height," she replied with a hint of sourness. Really, why did everyone imply she was so short?
Rider	It's not hard to pick up the tender subject that is Saber's height. "Hahaha, sorry, sorry." Rider takes a step back, holding both her hands in front of her. "You just look different from all the art and stories and such. Can't say you're any less impressive, though. I've met enough royalty in my day, and anyone who can't tell by your bearing, well..." She shrugs vaguely. "You're not the only one history got wrong, anyway. Don't feel too bad." Rider reaches up to scratch her cheek. "So ah... Saber. I can call you Saber, right? I want to extend my thanks for not trying to stab me on sight. I know how the Holy Grail Wars go, even if mine's different than yours." She lets out a soft laugh. "When I heard about this place, I just couldn't help but come by to meet someone I grew up to stories about, is all."
Saber	Arturia wasn't especially troubled at history getting her wrong, considering how much of that was her own doing. "To be fair, much of what was wrong was by intent," she admitted with a slight tilt of her head, her equivalent of a shrug. "If the tales of the bards remembered the King of Knights as a man, it simply means that I was successful in hiding the truth of my sex." Though, she did find herself wishing on occasion that the tales of her height had been at least somewhat true. She would not have to crane her neck up so much to simply look people in the eye, for one. But the slight hints that Rider was throwing out concerning her own idea had, admittedly, piqued her curiosity. "You are of Albion, I take it?" she asked with a faint hint of that curiosity. Yet, she notably refrained from demanding the other Servant's identity for whatever reason. To Rider's question, the petite knight merely nodded. "Yes, Saber is most suitable, I thank you." In fact, she preferred to be referred to as her class more than any particular title, particularly by other Servants. Shaking her head slightly, she continued. "My own War ended some time ago, and I have little reason to submit to another. The modern term is, I believe, 'retirement'?" So, no attacks would be forthcoming from the Once and Future King. Unless she wanted a spar, though that was another matter entirely. "I see," she mused. "I must admit that I am surprised by how quickly word has spread of this place. It is merely a home, now, though all are welcome so long as the Laws of Hospitality are obeyed."