The Tourney at Ashford

Kevan and his imaginary opponent stepped out into the drizzle, faithful to their morning routine of martial practice. Soon the straining fury of greatsword swings defined the morning. The heir could be excused for taking air for flesh; the blows were powerful enough to make little difference in passing through either.

Pouring over her business for the coming day, Kaliya could hear the heir sparring, and wondering if he had been about it the previous morning while she was out riding. Crossing to the door flap, she opened the portal, but did not step outside into the rain. She sipped on her tea, it was going to be cold, she could feel the Dornish ice freezing in her veins.

She wasn't dressed for the day yet, wearing her bedrobe over her nightgown, but she had business with the heir. Business that went beyond admiring the fine, strong man as the rain soaked through his shirt.

Kevan was more serious in his exertions this time, paying less attention to the environment and more the deadly efficacy of his swordwork, and so he didn't pay attention to her. His style with the greatsword was less flamboyant than any Dornish considered normal swordsmanship, but perhaps more efficient. With a blade of this size conserving energies during the fight was as important as precision of blows.

Kaliya was patient, and it wasn't like she was about to tire of the view, though she was concerned by his seriousness. I hope he has not had bad news. Something regarrding his fatherr, maybe?

At some point he tired himself, and thrust the sword tip into the wet ground to have something to lean on, heaving. Bent forward, he let the rain drum on his back and coat him completely.

Now thoroughly concerned, Kaliya called out, "Lorrd Dunn, will you come inside?" She was loathe to go out in the rain, but she would if she had to...

He responded to the call by looking in her direction, and there seemed to be no worrying frown marrying his features, just exertion. At some level he seemed to be satisfied with his exhausted condition. "Good morning, Lady Redding." He pulled the sword up and washed the tip in the puddle before he began to wrap the blade as he walked toward her.

She moved back, allowing him inside if he so chose, "and good morrning to you. Was yourr prractice satisfactorry?"

"There is always a space to do more and try harder." He smirked, leaving the sword just past the flap before he entered himself. Even though she was certainly no less alluring than on previous days she received only a passing look, though she could see he actually made himself to look away. "Have you had any breakfast already? I assume not." He chuckled, gesturing toward her gown.

The girl was out of breath by the time she found Lord Kevan. She had left her long, Dornish black hair down in her rush to get out of her tent and find him.

"Lord Kevan!" She called out, hurrying as quickly as a Lady dare walk. She saw him just duck inside a tent and hurried to catch him.

A smile curled her lip, interesting. "I have not, I will eat shorrtly no doubt." She tossed a towel the rain and sweat drenched heir and was about to sit when she heard Kaelyn's voice. She returned to the door flap and lifted it, peering out.

Before the flap would fall he stepped back to face his cousin rushing toward him. "Lady Kaelyn, what's the matter?" He called back, already rubbing the towel over his head.

"This storm is going to get quite ugly. We might see some damage." She relayed. Suddenly she remembered herself and curtsied. "Lady Kaliya."

"We probably need to reinforce the pavilions and tents." He agreed with his cousin after a quick thought on the subject, then turned toward Kaliya. "It looks like the breakfast will have to wait, Lady Redding."

Kaliya nodded, "of courrse, Lorrd Dunn."

Having delivered her message, Kaelyn made a hasty exit to return to her tent. 'Thank the gods that Dahlia hates storms as much as I do.'

Kevan nodded her off then smiled at the Dornish, handing back the towel. "It looks like I need to get drenched a bit more. I'll be back, Kaliya, since it feels like we have things to discuss. Perhaps take the time to get ready for the day, and get us some food?" He then moved out to check on the tents and pavilions, commandeering some peasants to help him on the way to their chagrin for being pulled through the rain. He would be back in half an hour or so.

"Of courrse, my Lorrd," she answered obediently and returned inside to dress for the day. Well, that is the end of that, she observed without regret, shame about those prretty eyes, though.

Once his hands-on approach to security of their encampment was satisfied, he returned where his sword had remained, soaked to the bone and dripping. "I heard some rumours, Kailya. If they are of your making, thank you. It looks like whatever has happened to my father it may stay that way for some time, so easing the predicament it puts us with is very important."

Now properly attired, the fabric of her dress heavier than the previous days, to counter the chill that had arrived with the rain, she invited Kevan to sit. There was tea and some bread and cheese, and she smiled knowingly, confirming his suspicions.

"We are meeting with the Valemen today," she opened simply.

"On Ser Warryn's initiative?" He inquired after sitting down and helping himself to some goat cheese. He gave her an attentive look that exuded far more clarity than lust as if he had tired himself previously to diffuse the latter.

Kaliya gave away nothing but politeness, "that is my underrstanding. I should like yourr thoughts, if you have met any of these men yet."

"Ser Warryn needs troops to recapture his hereditary homestead, the Old Peake, from some savages, from what I gathered. With our standing army being what it is we are probably in power to help him. But our ability to do so is dependent on great many factors we can't sort out without my father being here." Kevan admitted honestly. "I think I met one other knight of the Vale, Ser Talieas I believe, but we haven't talked in any depth. He kept things close to his chest."

Chuckling warmly, "he is an interresting one at that," she said of Talieas, "this will be my firrst opporrtunity to meet the otherr two. Is therre anything you wish me to watch forr?"

"Pledging ourselves too early is out of question. Father may have to overrule us and the amount of loss of face and goodwill that would cause is hard to imagine. We need to know how an alliance with a house from the Vale could help us out of our own predicament before we sent the soldiers of the Reach to solve someone else's problems while the banditry becomes rampant." He took note of the warm chuckle, but was not presumptuous about what it could mean.