Stay Refreshed [D1 A]

[Kaliya Redding]

Kaliya sat back in her chair. Her fingers trailed very slowly across his arm before she finally broke the contact to reach for her wine. She sips slowly, dark eyes on her companion, looking for all the world like the cat who gotten in the cream. "Now that, I call a rreason to celebrrate," and she laughs warmly, happily, "perrhaps I might steal you away laterr tonight? I did prromise you wine."

[Davelyn Sand]

"I'd definitely be amenable to such celebrations milady. And I could bring a bottle of home with me as well for that. It would be appropriate I think," he says with a warm smile. He takes his own cup and drinks from it, his eyes met with hers.

[Kaliya Redding]

"That's settled, then," Kaliya agrees. With the important matters out of the way, she lets the conversation turn to other topics, but her knees remain pressed to his. "Arre you competing in the lists? I expect you will do Dorrne prroud."

[Davelyn Sand]

"I will be, yes. It will be my first tournament where I participate, so it's a bit exciting," he says with a nod. "Though I ride for Lord Kellington, I will show the rest of the kingdoms what a Dornishman can do. I will probably take part in the Grand Melee as well if I can. But with out Qitam by my side I'll likely not do quite as well in that," he admits.

[Kaliya Redding]

"You arre a child of Sunspearr," she encouraged with a smile, "it's in yourr blood." Kaliya tapped her nails lightly against her cup and it made a delicate sound, "perrhaps what you need is a token of favourr frrom a prretty girrl."

[Davelyn Sand]

"I wonder about that," he says with curiosity. "I've been told that it's considered romantic to do so, fight for the favor of a lovely woman. But as this tournament is to honor Ashlyn Ashford and defend her honor, I'm not sure how that might be taken in this instance. Curious."

[Kaliya Redding]

"Lady Ashlyn has five champions to herr name," she teased, before waving a hand dismissively, "what harrm can a little scrrap of silk and lace do?" Kaliya had that cat-like smile again, "I'm surre I can think of something morre lucky than a handkerrchief."

[Davelyn Sand]

"I don't know what harm it could do, I'm not a diplomat. But I imagine that on the top of Lord Kellington's list one would not find 'Insult Lord Ashford'," he says with a chuckle. "It might be best to save the fighting for a lady's honor until it would not potentially insult the guest of honor at her own name day celebrations. I can't imagine that would help relations with Dorne much either. I'm sure they'd cast blame over something like that. People are always looking for a reason nowadays, no?"

[Kaliya Redding]

"You put too much significance on silly tokens, do not concerrn yourrself overr such things. You'll be as parranoid as Lorrd Commanderr Dunn, if you keep that up." She waved to the tavernkeeper to refresh their cups, "think about tonight instead, how long has it been since you last had someone make you prroperr mulled wine?"

[Davelyn Sand]

"Since I've had it? A week. Since I've had someone else's? It has been a long while," he says with a smile. "I look forward to it."

[Kaliya Redding]

"Don't you think it is so much more delightful when someone prreparres these things forr you? Such a trreat." With a sigh and feigned pout, "it has been severral yearrs since someone last prreparred wine the Dorrnish way forr me. I have not found or maid or cook who can get it rright, it was easierr just to do it myself."

[Davelyn Sand]

"That's too bad," he says with a nod. "Well, like you said earlier. Anything worth doing once is worth doing twice. I'll prepare the wine the second time." He smirks at her. "There are many things about Dorne I have missed in the time since coming north."

[Kaliya Redding]

"I look forrward to it. And we should cerrtainly take ourr steeds out some morrning. These norrtherrn horrses could not hope to keep pace with Perrlerra, perrhaps Qitam can catch herr?"

[Davelyn Sand]

"We will have to do that. I don't know if Qitam will be able to keep up, but he was always more clever than quick," Davelyn replies. "I think you'll like him."

[Kaliya Redding]

"I do not doubt it for a moment. Horses arre excellent judges of charracterr, and he seems to have made a wise choice in you."

[Davelyn Sand]

"Oh, it was less a choice than us simply always being together. I was there when he was born. My aunt told me that I should always be there for him as he'd always be there for me." He smiles at the thought. "He's a bit like a much larger little brother."

[Kaliya Redding]

Kaliya laughs warmly, "a good bond." Sagely she continued, "but do not mistake familiar for apprroval. A norrtherrnerr sees a horrse that bites and kicks and says 'oh, that horrse is poorrly trrained'. But the Dorrnish know it is the man who needs the trraining."

[Davelyn Sand]

"Absolutely," he says with a nod. "If you cannot understand your companion, how can you possibly hope for them to respect you. How long have you been traveling with Perlera?"

[Kaliya Redding]

"Let us see," she thinks on the question, touching her first two fingers to her lips, "she was a yearr old when I first met herr, though it was anotherr yearr beforre she was fully brroken and trrained. Fatherr said: no, you should not pick a filly, they are flighty and wilful and difficult to manage." Laughing, she added, "just like his daughterrs. But what could I do? Perrlerra choose me as much as I choose herr."

"She is eight now."

[Davelyn Sand]

"It sounds like you are quite the pair," he says with a smile. "Qitam is only 4 years old now. Perhaps the two of them might enjoy each other's company as much as I enjoy yours?"

[Kaliya Redding]

"I hope not," Kaliya laughed, before remembering that he probably meant that entirely at face value, though that just amuses her further.

[Davelyn Sand]

He smiles pleasantly at her. "We'll just have to find out one of these days."

[Kaliya Redding]

"Soon," Kaliya promised, "I imagine Perrlerra and Qitam miss theirr homeland as much as we do sometimes. I think it will be good for them."

[Davelyn Sand]

The bastard nods his agreement. "What do you miss the most, if you don't mind me asking?"

[Kaliya Redding]

With a chuckle, "rriding along the sand, salt sprray in my hairr, chasing the setting sun," Kaliya answered without hesitation.