A Woman, A Sword [Day 3, Mid-Morning]

[Alessia]

Sat towards the back, alone as she seemed to like it from time to time. Alessia picked on the remnants of the breakfast that was served here. Glancing about the room she relaxed for a time. Letting the world settle. Tavern's were always so different in the morning, certainly compared to the night before. All of the drunkards still slept, and the few others that milled about were like they moved through a fog.

Alessia wasn't either of these, of course. So, instead, she just watched the slow morning with an appreciative eye for the small ways the world moved on around her.

It was peaceful, in a way.

[Rahvin]

Word had filtered out, slowly, on the down low: someone was looking for men, good with swords, maces, axes - anything. Someone was upset, someone was angry. Someone wanted warriors - not soldiers but honest to the Seven fighters. And what they got was slowly filtering in: rough looking men taking seats at the bar, taking tables, every last one of them dangerous looking.

The mood in the room had suddenly grown tense and the regular patrons were slowly filtering out of the door...

[Alessia]

Alessia's lips formed into a smirk, well that all happened a lot more suddenly than she had anticipated. An early riser always got her where she wanted to be first, before anyone else, and here she was. Having done just that.

Among the ruffians, warriors, men sat a lone woman armed with at least two blades that anyone could see.

[Rahvin]

The door bursts open; even Lofton flinches as it slams against the wall.

In pounds a bear of a man, bushy bearded and wearing the colours of yellow and black, a stag emblazoned on the armor he wears. His face is bruised and it looks like someone has hastily stitched up a slice on his cheek. This is Lyonel Baratheon - known throughout the Seven Kingdoms as the Laughing Knight.

But he is anything but laughing now as he roars, "Any of your sorry sots not here for me, get out of my sight!" The last few patrons, cowed, flee - along with some of those rough looking men from before, now clearly deciding they're in over their heads.

[Alessia]

Alessia didn't flinch easy, merely raising a brow as the door slammed open. Of course, she also had the benefit of still sitting near the back as was her familiar haunt but it was much more awe inspiring if she claimed it was some sort of iron will keeping her from it.

Occupying her space as if she owned it, even more important when in a room filled with these type of men as she'd come to learn, a subtle but loud bark to warn them away from her bite. Crossing her arms over her chest she relaxed in her seat, looking straight to the Laughing Knight as the others scurried from the building.

After all, she was here for him.

[Rahvin]

"I'm sure the lot of you have heard about what happened last night by now?" the bear man is scowling, angry, upset - enraged, one might even say. The Lord Stag stomps back and forth, the pair of household guards with him taking positions near the door.

"Who would have thought the Reach would stand up for a damned Dornish serving girl?" He spit on the floor, "Just look at the name of this place, damn it!"

"It's not like I was going to hurt the damned girl." He seems to have calmed a little, "Not like I'm some monster who'd step on her hands just to make a point or something."

"But a line was crossed. I was attacked and Lord Ashford refuses to do anything about it because I was drinking!" He roars, anger flaring back to life, "Damned Reacher lords, always unreliable!"

[Alessia]

A hand raised, a woman's, calling attention to herself in a manner most opposite the way Lyonel had been. Waiting for the man's eyes to cast her way, she asked simple, "What do you intend to do, milord?"

There were certain advantages to calling attention to oneself.

[Rahvin]

The Bear Stag's gaze fell to the women. He paused for a long moment, looking around - and lived up to his nickname. A loud, boisterous laugh escaped from his throat, "Would you look at this, lads! A little girl in here, not the least bit scared, and asking that kind of question?"

He narrows his eyes and casts them around, "More balls on her than any of those damned Reachers!"

He turns back to the woman, "What am I going to do, you ask?" He gestures upwards, "I'm gonna damn well joust like I came here for, and I'm going to win this damned thing and strip that honor away from that fool's daughter. But I don't trust the Reachers... not now, not ever. I didn't bring my soldiers... so I need protection, people ready to fight if it should come to it."

[Alessia]

Alessia's smirk grew in confidence with the Baratheon's response, his acknowledgement in the matter. When she spoke next, there was a touch of the Braavosi in her in her voice. Something a little more, eloquent.

"It would not do to have a man of a house such as yours to not be able to do what he came here to do. You need something more than men, milord. You need a sword, and a fine one. Luckily," she paused to let her cocky grin take over for a moment. "You've got one of the finest trained blades sitting in this very room. Very willing to fight, and it may as well be for you."

"Sparring against noble children hasn't been as... exciting, as I would have liked."