The Tourney at Ashford

Marqus couldn't help it. The tourney grounds drew him like a moth to a flame. He paced around the carefully prepared area that had been set up for various events, from jousting to archery and melee.

As he walked he could hear the crowd roaring in his mind. Astounded to see a northerner unseat a Prince! Oh what a day it would be.

He chuckled and shook his head as he came back out of the daydream. "Aye, right."

Warryn frowned at the younger man, before taking on a more pleasant expression. "Right what ser?" He assumed ser... while he was young, he wasn't that young.

Having been oblivious to the other man Marqus looked up and gave a polite smile. "Oh, hullo there! I was just imagining what it would be like to win the Tourney. Thanks by the way, but I'm not a Ser. We don't really do that up North."

He offered a hand to the fella who looked like a proper Knight. "I'm Marqus Forrester. You look like you're a Ser yourself?"

"Ser Warryn Wydman, aye, heir to Old Peake." He extended a hand in greeting. "Well met. Well, dream away for now, I'll be aiming for that too." He was exuding a good nature as he spoke. "Looking forward to the competition then. Forrester... I met your sister and... ward? Earlier today."

Marqus looked pleased and gave him a nod as he shook the hand firmly, but not that annoying bone crushing some men insisted on. "Good to meet you Ser Warryn. I guess we can meet back here in eleven days and talk about how well we did. This'll be my first proper tourney where I'm not watching everyone else have all the fun." He chuckled lightly. "Hoping it'll be the first of many!"

"You met Arwyn and Gwen eh? It's their first time this far south, everything's new and different for them. Have you got family here too?"

"Best of luck to you then... Marqus." Unsure how to call a non-knight, he went with first name. " Hopefully, in eleven days we'll be discussing who should be the queen of love and beauty, aye?"

He let out a small laugh. "Some.... my father is here, as well as my sister. Mother and grandmother might be around."

"You too Ser Warren. Hah, aye, that's the spirit!" His smile stuck around as he enjoyed the cameraderie.

"My father couldn't come. We're helping the Starks with their war, and have a few issues around Ironrath, so he couldn't spare the time."

He shrugged. "Would have liked to see him. I've been in Kings Landing for a while now. What's Old Peake like?"

Marqus Forrester wrote:"You too Ser Warren. Hah, aye, that's the spirit!" His smile stuck around as he enjoyed the cameraderie.

"My father couldn't come. We're helping the Starks with their war, and have a few issues around Ironrath, so he couldn't spare the time."

He shrugged. "Would have liked to see him. I've been in Kings Landing for a while now. What's Old Peake like?"

"Ah... a war? Sorry, word doesn't come to our lands well." He shrugged apologetically. "I hope your issues with Ironrath get solved though. I can... sympathize."

He smiled, though there was a hint of sadness in his voice. "Old Peake is beautiful, and old. It's one of the first Andal fortresses. It's a bit... it needs some repair. But it still has strength."

Marqus gave him a look of understanding. "Oh don't worry about it, you're not the first Southron Knight who hadn't heard of the fight against the Skaagosi." A friendly smile accompanied the comment. "I've spent a lot of my time at Kings Landing telling folks about the North. As for Ironrath, we've got neighbours trying to stage a land grab while most of our army is aiding our cousins the Starks. They want our Ironwood trees you see."

He looked off into the distance. "I'm hoping we can avoid that with the help of some influential friends, rather than fight it out." His eyes met Warryns. "I'd rather battle a worthier foe than our whinging neighbours. Heh."

He shrugged. "Anyway, the first Andal Fortress you say? If it's still standing after all this time it really must have strength!"

"Opportunistic bastards. Fight for it with honor or not at all." He almost spat to the ground.

"Aye, it is. Built into the mountains if the moon. Perhaps you could visit one day."

"Aye, damn right Ser Warryn! Bloody Whitehills don't know the meaning of the word." His eyes blazed as his anger boiled over and he stopped himself from saying more.

After a moment or two he visibly relaxed. "A visit sounds grand. Sounds like I'd have a lot of stories to tell after seeing a place like that."

"Hopefully he place will be more boring when you come." He gave a nod to Marqus as he started pacing around one of the lanes.

"Your land must be beautiful... we have some forests in ours, but not something like yours, I am sure."

"More boring?" He gave Warryn a questioning look, not understanding the reference.

"There's no place like Ironrath. It's rugged and beautiful. The Ironwood trees are just the most majestic trees you ever saw." There was a real sense of love for his home in his voice.

"Then again. There's no Knights, no fair Southron maidens, and no Tourney scene." He chuckled. "Temperature's right though."

Warryn waved. "There are some nuisances at the moment, which I hope we can get rid of in the near future." He let out a brief smile, though his eyes weren't smiling. "Not Southron maidens, though to be fair, from what I see the Northern maidens are also quite lovely, at least judging by your sister. But aye, it's hot here."