[D4 LA] From One River to Another

[Kaliya Redding]

Kaliya had slipped down from the saddle and was leading her Sand Steed back towards the House Dunn compound. The gusting wind tossed her hair and Perlera's mane and tail, and tried to snatch at the draped fabric of her red, Dornish dress, the skirt and the ends of the hanging sleeves fluttering.

[Walder Rivers]

Walder was stomping down the path away from the Dunn house, a thoughtful frown on his face, his head lost in the clouds of thought. He was half startled as he spotted Kaliya, and hurriedly gave her a bow. "M'lady."

[Kaliya Redding]

Startled was a reaction Kaliya was accustomed to. The neckline - if it could rightly be called that - of her dress plunged to reveal her navel and smooth, flat stomach, and her generous breasts were barely contained only by an embroidered cache-cœur. Long hanging sleeves with armoured shoulders in matching embroidery reached to her knees.

She curtsied politely, "well met, trravellerr," in just three words her accent came across clear and exotic. Accompanied by the metallic gold Sand Steed, one could be forgiven for thinking she had ridden out of Dorne just moments ago.

[Walder Rivers]

The old northman thought back on the words of his younger kinsman, Allard; making a great test of self-discipline to not let his eyes wander. I suppose there really is something about the dornishwomen "Um, quite. How does this day find you, m'lady?"

[Kaliya Redding]

Glancing upwards, the wind tossing a strand of silken black hair across her long neck, Kaliya looked at the overcast sky. "I could cerrtainly stand a little morre sunshine," she met his gaze once more, "and a little less trragedy," she added solemnly. "Aparrt frrom that, I am well. And you, good serr?"

[Walder Rivers]

Walder shrugged, his expression neutral. "Och, fine. Just thinking about... Thinking about the past. I find meself more concerned with that every passing day... " He sighed. "Not sure if it's being this far south or just... Memories coming to haunt me." He looked upwards. "Aye, wouldn't mind a bit o' sun meself."

[Kaliya Redding]

"This is not so farr south," Kaliya answered with good humour, "though if you want sun, nothing will surrpass Dorrne. Now, tell me, what arre these memorries that haunt you so and shadow such an imposing brrow." She was sizing him up, no mean feat given the man's height, he could lift me in one hand, no doubt.

[Walder Rivers]

Walder smiled. "Tis quite south fer me. The north froze me heart and soul, like it does." Walder paused at her question, a look of melancholy and regret falling over his face. "...Mistakes. Bad things. Guilt. I sometimes wonder that perhaps I have lived too long, and that death forgot to collect me, side railed by some errand..." He wavered into silence.

[Kaliya Redding]

Kaliya dropped Perlera's reins, she trusted the steed not to wander or bolt, and instead reached for one of Walder's great paws, taking it within her own smooth, fine hands. "That is a lot of weight, even for shoulderrs so brroad as yourrs. Now, you might be as larrge as the sentinel trress that grrow in the norrth, but you must have a name. Orr shall I call you Sentinel?"

[Walder Rivers]

He was slightly startled by the forwardness of the woman, but he realized that he really wasn't in a position to turn down human contact. "Walder. Walder Rivers." He answered, his voice a half whisper.

[Kaliya Redding]

"A pleasurre Walderr Rriverrs," she let the name roll off her tongue, purring the words seductively. "I am Lady Kaliya Rredding. You will find that I am most talented in a vast rrange of things, and one of those things is listening. It pains my hearrt to see such rregrret on such a handsome face, what could you have possibly done?"

[Walder Rivers]

Walder closed his eyes for a moment. It has been a long time... "M'lady ye honor me but... Och... I spent me youth in the north. Travelling, fancied meself an adventurer but reality has a way of crushing yer expectations. And the north was a harsh place... Many a bad memory from there. Too little good to make it seem worth it in retrospect."

[Kaliya Redding]

Kaliya smiled, she was not the type to take a no so easily. Still holding his hand, she pointed to a bench nearby, "sit with me. My storry may pale in comparrison to yourrs, Walderr, but I know firrst hand how life can take a left turrn when you meant it to go rright."

[Walder Rivers]

Walder took a seat next to her. "I've led a savage life m'lady and I do not want to tarnish you with the knowledge of all the evil there is in this world. Because for all of this... This to be worth it, there needs to be goodness in the world. And we can't have that without innocence. And I lost mine, and I do not wish to rob anyone of their own innocence with the story of my sordid life... But if you truly want to know about me... I will tell you." He looked grim.

[Kaliya Redding]

"If I had my innocence still, I would not ask forr yourr storries. But I believe therre arre still good things in the worrld: the crrash of waves upon the shorres of my home, a rred wine as darrk and strrong as blood, the touch of a loverr in the night." She glanced up at him, for he was truly a massive man, I wonderr if he's that massive all the way down? I shall have to rrememberr to ask.

"Tell this crrone with the maiden's face yourr burrdens, and we shall see if they can be lightened some."

[Walder Rivers]

"I robbed starving men of their last bread. I killed innocent people for ale and food. I've killed and seen people killed in an untold multitude of ways and I've left friends to die in the icy wastes with not even a goodbye. And all because I was a stubborn ass that couldn't give up on a misbegotten dream of heroism and adventure." He spoke in a low tone. His eyes on the horizon line, looking focused and strained.

[Kaliya Redding]

Her hand, seeming so small against his, tightened, but her expression was fearless. She considered him for a time, Perlera cropping disinterestedly on the grass nearby, "a heavy burrden indeed, but let the Warriorr judge you when the time has come, you arre not that man any morre."

[Walder Rivers]

His brow darkened even more. "I am what I am. And I have done what I've done. Tis the truth and there is no changing that. All I can do is try to be better. Make the world just a bit lighter, maybe I can find some redemption in that."

[Kaliya Redding]

She offered a small smile, "as farr as I can tell, the man sitting beside me is one of honourr; I feel no fearr of you, Walderr. So long as you rrememberr the lessons he taught you, leave the man you werre in the frrigid Norrth wherre he belongs. You arre in the Rreach now, and even the coldest night must feel like a summerr drream to you."

"Perrhaps," her voice dropped to a purr, "I can help sweeten that drream?"

[Walder Rivers]

"Aye. Leave the cold behind. Yer right I should do that." He admitted with a sigh.
After her offer, Walder gave her a sly smile. "Hmm... Aye. Me dreams could use a bit of sweetness in them..."

[Kaliya Redding]

"Now that is the spirrit," she brightened, "what do you drream about, Walderr, when you arre not being haunted by what went beforre? Have you everr drreamt of Dorrne?"

[Walder Rivers]

"Hmm... Better days. Me youth in the Riverlands. Old lovers. Memories and lights. Sometimes I dream of the wild sea and storms." He said thoughtfully. "Never dreamed of Dorne, I'm afraid." He added.

[Kaliya Redding]

"Such a shame, I shall have to help you with that. All men should experience the fire of Dorrne once in theirr lives. You have not known trrue warrmth until you've known the heat of Dorrne."

[Walder Rivers]

"Heheh. Had enough cold in me life, would nae say no to some warmth for once..." He gave a deep low chuckle.

[Kaliya Redding]

"Wonderrful. You shall join me one evening soon, then," Kaliya said with the kind of conviction that comes from rarely being wrong about such things. "I do not have Dorrnish Rred, but my late husband's family make a verry acceptable substitute."