Katsa was not sure whether the vice grip that immediately pressed on her at contact was a person or the earth from above: it all felt very much the same, and she struggled without a second thought. Rock or man, it was strong, stronger than Katsa, and she could not immediately break herself free. That was no problem. She would simply have to find a different method.
She could begin to hear breaths heavy and hot near her ears, and the arms and chest pressing down around her clearly belonged to a man. That was better than rock or any other beast that might have been down here in this cave. Her back hit something solid, and Katsa used that as leverage, trying to twist them around and trap him instead, so that she could wriggle free.
It all happened in seconds—too quickly, with as focused as Katsa was in getting the use of her arms back to focus on the situation of rock and water and whether light still remained in the tunnel.
He hadn't expected it to be easy, but the person he was wrestling was not making it easy for him. It was stupid of him to think he could simply restrain the person and then demand answers, but soon enough he felt elbows digging painfully into his ribs and someone far too squirmy to be held easily. Very nearly he had his chance to try and roll over and pin the mysterious person entirely, until his hand reaching to try and pin his quarry again fell upon his opponent's chest and felt something that other men didn't have.
It distracted him wholly and completely. Had there been any light at all, she would have seen him gaping stupidly. He uttered a muttered "Seven hells" just as she had managed to free herself from his vice grip. He did not make the effort to try and find her again. Instead he stated the painfully obvious. "You're a bloody woman."
Fights were rarely a struggle for Katsa, exactly, but she still expected it to be a little more of a struggle than that. She was on her feet as soon as she was free (she could still stand on her feet—that at least was a good sign) and was grateful for this darkness that should hide the colors of her eyes. One never knew how someone would react to a Graceling, nor whether stories had spread of a lady with her particular Grace, and she wasn't sure whether she wanted to deal with that headache in the moment when there were other things to worry about.
Of course, even she couldn't see him in this light, either. He could be any number of things as well.
"Well," Katsa grumbled at him, "at least we know you've not lost any feeling in your hands."
For all he might be complex, Gendry was simple compared to a Graceling. He desired only simple things and chief among them in the moment was light. Unfortunately for the both of them, there was none to be had. There was the sound of dripping water, but everything else had fallen silent. Though it was scarcely proven yet, there was a very real threat of being trapped. He felt it only natural to blame her. He might have been shy about touching a woman, but his accusations were blind to sex.
She doesn't hide the sarcasm in her voice. Katsa reaches in front of her, trying to touch rock or feel for air: of the former there is plenty, but of the latter there's barely a hint. But water has made it in here somehow, and it flows still where they can hear it. They cannot be completely trapped.
Katsa's Grace knows where to go, but she cannot leave this man behind, either.
"...Katsa." It's a risk, giving him her name, even without the sight of her eyes or her titles, but she cannot think of anything else to call herself. "And what about you? A criminal, or a goldcloak, or something else?"
"A knight." It was a better description than criminal, though he was certainly that as well. Her name meant nothing to him though, especially here in the dark. As to his own name, he was well prepared for not giving his own. "They call me the bull."
It was her voice that kept him from exploring the same direction she was in. Much as she was looking for somewhere to escape, he was doing the same. But all he found was stone walls and damp, sticky stones. The feeling of being trapped was unsettling and it was all he could do to keep talking and so banish the thought from his mind.
She sounds skeptical, even down there in the dark. Katsa has heard of knights, but not this one, though she think it would be an unnecessary lie or personal dressing if it were not the truth. A few steps to her right and her hand meets nothing but blackness: a welcome change from the dirt and resistance that was all she had been finding before. Katsa sidles a little further.
"I don't suppose you've horns that could break us through these walls, could you?"
At the moment, he lacked his bull-shaped helmet. He had lost that months ago before being taken to Harrenhal , though they would have served him no good now. Gendry was strong and hardheaded, but not enough to go bashing rocks open.
"I've mislaid them. Couldn't say where." He did have his sword and so he drew that instead. He had seen blind men tap a stick along the ground, so it reasoned that he could use a sword for the same. He followed her voice as he tapped the sword along the ground in front of him. "What were you doing in here?"
No more earth comes against her fingertips as she continues to move forward, and Katsa straightens and lengthens her steps, emboldened by the space found in the darkness. There must be light somewhere, she thinks, so that her eyes can adjust and see what's around them, or at least a pocket of air from the outside. She fingers the flint tucked in a pouch on her belt. Until there's a clear source of air, she won't risk lighting a flame.
"I was curious." That's honest enough. "I thought I saw a path, so I took it just to see where it leads. Is it your cave? The roof may need some rebuilding."
"We use these caves." He did not bother to elaborate on who the we meant. "It ain't no decent place for women to go mucking about."
Though if they didn't find their way out, then it would make scarcely any difference at all. But just as she wasn't giving up, he was still intent on his own exploration. Eventually the tip of his sword found a wall and that wall led to rubble. From the feel of it, this was where the cave had collapsed. The stones were thick, but this seemed a more likely place to start than anywhere else. He set his sword to the side and started searching for any stone that could be loosened and pulled free.
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munebox2015-05-16 09:50 pm
no subject
She could begin to hear breaths heavy and hot near her ears, and the arms and chest pressing down around her clearly belonged to a man. That was better than rock or any other beast that might have been down here in this cave. Her back hit something solid, and Katsa used that as leverage, trying to twist them around and trap him instead, so that she could wriggle free.
It all happened in seconds—too quickly, with as focused as Katsa was in getting the use of her arms back to focus on the situation of rock and water and whether light still remained in the tunnel.
no subject
It distracted him wholly and completely. Had there been any light at all, she would have seen him gaping stupidly. He uttered a muttered "Seven hells" just as she had managed to free herself from his vice grip. He did not make the effort to try and find her again. Instead he stated the painfully obvious. "You're a bloody woman."
no subject
Of course, even she couldn't see him in this light, either. He could be any number of things as well.
"Well," Katsa grumbled at him, "at least we know you've not lost any feeling in your hands."
no subject
"No. Only my eyes. Who the bloody hell are you?""
no subject
She doesn't hide the sarcasm in her voice. Katsa reaches in front of her, trying to touch rock or feel for air: of the former there is plenty, but of the latter there's barely a hint. But water has made it in here somehow, and it flows still where they can hear it. They cannot be completely trapped.
Katsa's Grace knows where to go, but she cannot leave this man behind, either.
"...Katsa." It's a risk, giving him her name, even without the sight of her eyes or her titles, but she cannot think of anything else to call herself. "And what about you? A criminal, or a goldcloak, or something else?"
no subject
It was her voice that kept him from exploring the same direction she was in. Much as she was looking for somewhere to escape, he was doing the same. But all he found was stone walls and damp, sticky stones. The feeling of being trapped was unsettling and it was all he could do to keep talking and so banish the thought from his mind.
no subject
She sounds skeptical, even down there in the dark. Katsa has heard of knights, but not this one, though she think it would be an unnecessary lie or personal dressing if it were not the truth. A few steps to her right and her hand meets nothing but blackness: a welcome change from the dirt and resistance that was all she had been finding before. Katsa sidles a little further.
"I don't suppose you've horns that could break us through these walls, could you?"
no subject
"I've mislaid them. Couldn't say where." He did have his sword and so he drew that instead. He had seen blind men tap a stick along the ground, so it reasoned that he could use a sword for the same. He followed her voice as he tapped the sword along the ground in front of him. "What were you doing in here?"
no subject
"I was curious." That's honest enough. "I thought I saw a path, so I took it just to see where it leads. Is it your cave? The roof may need some rebuilding."
no subject
Though if they didn't find their way out, then it would make scarcely any difference at all. But just as she wasn't giving up, he was still intent on his own exploration. Eventually the tip of his sword found a wall and that wall led to rubble. From the feel of it, this was where the cave had collapsed. The stones were thick, but this seemed a more likely place to start than anywhere else. He set his sword to the side and started searching for any stone that could be loosened and pulled free.