The Tourney at Ashford

The mid-afternoon sun was pleasant, and Kaliya was in a good mood, taking a walk. Abruptly, her idle thoughts were disturbed by a shout, it seemed there was some commotion going on, and she quickly discerned the cause as a pup came barrelling towards her. She blinked in surprise, the Reddings hadn't had a kennel, and she wasn't entirely familiar with canines. For that matter, the Ashfords hadn't a kennel either. Where did the rambunctious thing come from?

She looked about for the person who belonged to the puppy, crouching down as it sniffed curiously around her slippers, and scritching it behind an ear. "I think those people arre none too happy with you," she murmured, for it seemed something had been knocked over.

The puppy did not seem to mind the trouble left in his tiny wake as he jumped on Kaliya to lick her hands and face.

His yips were cut short when a large, sleepy and woefully unamused owl flew over the pair in a circle to finally rest on a branch nearby.

Noting the pup's discomfort, she managed to scoop the wriggling, licking bundle into her arms and straighten. She looked curiously at the large owl, "does he frrighten you?" she asked the squirming pup, offering a reassuring scratch behind the ear. Her brow furrowed slightly as she looked about once more.

The dog did seem afraid as much as watchful, wagging his trail while keeping an eye on the bird.

His ears perked when the sound of a running horse came close along with the voice of a man calling for a 'Dusty'. The dog immediately started happily barking in that direction.

"Whoa, hey now," she tried to soothe the pup before it leapt clear from her arms, "you will get yourrself trrampled if you arre not carreful." Tightening her grip, "so that is yourr perrson?" and she raised an arm to wave in the direction of the rider.

The man slowed down the horse, not that Lily ran particularly fast compared to many of the horses seen in the tourney thus far as she was only but a rounsey.

As he approached the rider clearly seemed both relieved and perhaps more then a little embarassed

"Ahem...Good afternoon my lady, I hope my dog did not cause you any problem" he said as he dismounted

Kaliya bobbed a small curtsy, the best she could manage, the pup had graduated to flailing wildly in her arms, "is it safe to put him down? I do not wish for him to take flight again." Her accent is immediately noticeable.

Ferris replied to the curtsy with a bow reserved to ladies of high stature. He did not know the women but her dress was making quite an impression.

''Have no fear my lady, Poor Tranquil and myself are the most likely things to attract his attention right now''

She lowered the pup to the ground as carefully as the tangle of flying limbs would allow before straightening and dusting off the sheer, golden-yellow gown. It did not seem any worse for wear from it's encounter with the excited pup, thankfully. Thoughtfully, she pointed to the pup, "so this is Dusty, and I imagine that this one," she pointed to the solemn owl, "is Trranquil. Which leaves just your steed herre, and yourrself to make acquaintance."

The man crouched to pick up the fluffy bolt heading towards him. While he did get a good amount of dog saliva, the dog calmed itself when cradled in his arms.

''My mare is Lily and I am Ferris Cafferen.''

"Well met, Ferris," Kaliya answered, his name rolling off her tongue with a purring trill. "I am Lady Kaliya Rredding. Have you come as parrt of Lorrd Kellington's rretinue?"

He would have to admit that her matter of speech was...interesting

The question was legitimate but his lack of affinity with his own lord make him subconsciously buckle

Oh boy

''I came in a little late but yes. Might I inquire about yourself milady?''

Her accent has a lazy sort of sound to it, long drawling vowels and those distinctive trilled Rs. Her lips were incredibly full and she had large eyes that might have seemed innocent in a face that wasn't so sensual. Her golden skin seemed to be made for the sunlight, looking as though she would be warm to the touch.

"I am herre in supporrt of House Dunn, my late husband was in theirr serrvice."

Ferris could not help but adjust his hood. It might have been a reflexive gesture to shade his eyes from the ascended sun or one to hide the location of where his sight might be tempted to rest on the woman before him.

He was not a man of the courts but but he did not want to pass as crude or embarrass Lady Kaliya.

''I am sorry, I did not know. You have my sincere condolences.''

She inclined her head in acknowledgement of the platitude, "you arre most kind. Would you like to walk with me? It is a nice afterrnoon, but I do not think it would be fitting to venturre into the woods unescorrted."

Well, he certainly could not refuse the offer and nodded in agreement

''It would be a pleasure Lady Kaliya'' with this he grapped Lily's reins and whistled to the owl

''I know that my Lily is work horse but would you wish to ride her for the time being? I fear your elegant dress might get torn''

"That is most generrous, thank you, and thank you, Lily." Although she preferred to ride the way they did in Dorne, she wasn't entirely lacking in the ways of the northerners. She pulled herself in to the saddle, facing her companion, one knee securely hooked over the saddle horn.

She strongly disliked the way sidesaddle forced her to twist her back, and her buttcheek would be numb within ten minutes, but the cape of her dress fluttered so prettily, and the rounsey's steady gait jostled her generous bosom invitingly. The woods were just as pretty as they had been that morning, and she looked down to Ferris. "Arre you trraining Dusty forr hunting?"

The man tried not to ogle the fair dornishwoman as she mounted the mare. With a low whistle he brought her to a peaceful walk.

He chuckled before answering the question ''That would be my goal but I fear that is a long way from success. He does have a lot of potential, however.''

He turned to look up to her

''I met with Lord Kevan yesterday and he seemed quite ready to prove himself during this tourney, have you come to cheer him on?''

"I have," she smiled warmly, "he is a fine man, and he will make a good husband. At least, that is my opinion. What of yourrself? You do not seem the jousting type, but I imagine you have other... skills," she emphasises the word.

''You are correct, I am no jouster.'' he returned his attention to the road ahead

''As you might have guessed I am mostly a hunter but I have to admit some degree of competency in marksmanship''

"Marrksmanship," she says with approval, "a vastly underrated skill. I shall be looking forrward it, I suspect you arre being modest," she favours him with a smile.

The praise made him slightly blush

''Your words are too kind Lady Kaliya...I simply never competed in a proper tournament. I am sure there will be many to rival me.''

"The huntsman must be patient and skilled in a grreat number of things. I am surre that once you have had the chance to put yourr skills against otherrs, you will be pleasantly surrprrised. It can be difficult to know one's worrth until you have taken the opporrtunity to measurre it against anotherr."

He had to resign and gave her a smile

''Challenge brings improvement, that is true.''

He scratched the horse behind an hear

''While you seem to enjoy nature my lady, I guess you are more a flower of the courts...''

"That I am, "I suppose my attirre gives that away morre than anything? But I am a loverr of beauty, and beauty cannot be found in courrts alone. Not when therre arre oceans and deserrts and forrests and mountains to be explorred." She looks up at the canopy of trees above them as she speaks.