(D1 A) Challenger Approaching

[Derrick]

Derrick dipped his head in thanks to the onlooker, though he wasn't sure he was pleased with the result.

"Thank you Milady." He offered after a moment. "I'm Derrick a retainer of House Algood by the way."

[Arwyn Forrester]

She curtsies slightly. "Arwyn Forrester, daughter of Eddard Forrester of Ironrath. A pleasure."

[Alessia]

"Dead is dead," she said softly to herself in response to Derrick's words. Whether or not she cared for him to hear her didn't matter much. With at least one solid bruise, and a slightly wounded pride,

Looking up to the Forrester girl for a moment she raised a brow but said nothing on that matter, simply she said, "Alessia. No fancy titles or nothing."

[Derrick]

He heard Alessia, but he didn't comment, he was still wondering if he should of held back more. It was too late to second guess himself. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance Lady Arwyn, Miss Alessia." He offered with a polite bow to the two, before he moved to place his practice weapon away.

That done he'd glance at the two for a moment begore starting to look over his shield, checking to see if it might need any repairs.

[Alessia]

With Derrick turning off toward his shield, Alessia stood from having checked her likely bruise her thigh was going to get. Stepping up to the Lady Arwyn she offered a light smile and a few words, "I am sorry, again, for interrupting the afternoon with that business milady."

Glancing off to Derrick a bit of a ways away from them, enough to speak somewhat privately, she offered, "With a sword arm like his he has no business making it sound as if he was merely good."

[Arwyn Forrester]

She shakes her head. "Hardly an interruption. It's what the sparring square is for, is it not? If anything, I'm the interloper here... Though I do agree. House Algood truly has something in him," she says, then focuses on Alessia. "You have plenty of skill yourself, though. Where are you from, if I may?"

[Alessia]

"Quite the question, milady, I've come here from Braavos but originally it was Westeros that was the land of my birth. Naturally," she said with a light smirk, "my swordplay was learned in Braavos."

[Arwyn Forrester]

"That's quite a trek to make... I take it your return was recent. What brought you there and back again?" She asked, quite curious.

[Alessia]

"I left because I wanted to see the world beyond the borders of Westeros, didn't want to see all of the same people again and again," she said, a light wistful smile on her lips.

"I came back because I am going to he the greatest swordsman across the realms, and the greatest swordsman across the realms needs to know how to fight many different sorts."

[Derrick]

Done inspecting his shield Derrick glanced towards the pair of women chatting. He didn't bother interrupting merely faded into the background as commoners so often did.

Unless they had some business with him he'd likely disappear from the grounds shortly.

[Arwyn Forrester]

Arwyn raises her eyebrows and smiles warmly. "That's a lofty ambition, Miss Alessia..." She let out a soft breath, her own expression a little wistful. "I hope you do. I wished for something like that when I was very young... it's good to see someone going for it."

[Alessia]

"All I wanted when I was younger was to see the world, let no one stop me from going where I pleased," she said, joining in sharing that bit. Wearing a ,light, pleasant smile as she stood by the other woman.

[Arwyn Forrester]

"You've certainly gotten to see more than most in this land... Do you have more plans to travel after this?"

[Alessia]

"None yet, Milady," she spoke, that smile of hers that held a slight lift in the upper right corner of her lip. "But I don't intend to stay in Ashford past the Tourney, it would become far too quiet for me."

After a very brief moment, Alessia seemed to have a question before she asked, "Lady Forrester, would you tell me some about your House? Last I was in Westeros I had never heard of a House Forrester, and you... well, you look like a Northerner."

[Derrick]

With one last glance around to see if he had everything, the commoner disappeared.

/exit

[Arwyn Forrester]

"None yet, Milady," she spoke, that smile of hers that held a slight lift in the upper right corner of her lip. "But I don't intend to stay in Ashford past the Tourney, it would become far too quiet for me."

After a very brief moment, Alessia seemed to have a question before she asked, "Lady Forrester, would you tell me some about your House? Last I was in Westeros I had never heard of a House Forrester, and you... well, you look like a Northerner."

"Seems appropriate for someone who seems like an adventurous young woman."

She smiles a little. "Truth be told, we were Starks not so terribly long ago," she explains. "My father was a distant cousin to the main line, but part of the House none the less. Before the Blackfyre Rebellion, there was a near-war in the North over who had rights over the Ironwood groves, since they're so valuable. Barthogen Stark revived the ancient House Forrester and placed my father, Eddard, at its head in order to resolve the dispute. We're both a young and old house, in a sense."

[Alessia]

Alessia smiled at the answer, raising a brow as she spoke, "Have you been this far south before milday?"

[Arwyn Forrester]

She let out a small breath and dropped her gaze a bit, smiling ruefully. "Is it that obvious?"

[Alessia]

"I remember when I first left the North," she started looking up to the sky for a quick second as if in memory before looking back directly to Arwyn. "The air was different, something about everything just felt so... off. People seemed friendly but I could never be sure. Lost a few coins to a stranger because of that once," she said with a chuckle.

[Arwyn Forrester]

"Hmm... The air feels clearer in the North... It feels... thick down here, I admit. Perhaps clear air makes for clear intentions," she muses idly. "I suppose we're under no false impression where even our rivals stand stand up there."

[Alessia]

"Men in the North have the decency to scowl when you're their enemy," she agreed with a light, amused smile. "People are more honest, it's easier to see someone for who they are. Much unlike the south, or even Braavos sometimes, but Braavos is a different place altogether. Far from Westeros and still filled with proud men just looking to prove themselves to each other."

[Arwyn Forrester]

"At the same time, it's been interesting to learn about these other places I've never seen... It's so warm here," she says, waving her hand in front of her face a little bit playfully for emphasis. "What's Braavos like?"

[Alessia]

Alessia moved about to Arwyn's side, near shoulder to shoulder as she spoke, "A city of stone, islands of buildings connected by bridges where possible or only able to be accessed by a barge. Set on the water just past the great Titan, an enormous statue far larger than anything I have ever seen before. Braavosi say that in ancient times it would wade into the water to smash the attackers," she said, laying out her hand in front of them to give Arwyn an idea of the scope, the magnitude of what it was.

With a light smile she looked back to Arwyn, saying, "Streets are constantly filled with the sound of music, and the markets are always alive. There are few places I have seen with a friendlier people," she said, looking back to Arwyn.

"Of course," she says, taking a step away. "Nowhere is perfect, but it is a city like no other."

[Arwyn Forrester]

Arwyn's eyes look distant, her imagination clearly playing out everything Alessia's describing. She smiles, her eyes coming back into focus and meeting Alessia's before looking down a little. "It sounds like it... I wish I could see it to compare it with the image you so skillfully painted with your words."

[Alessia]

"I may not have had a noble father, but I was taught well," she said with a light smile. Looking through the hair that fell to the right side of her face to the woman before her.