| Falling Saddles |
| Summary: | Kamron is assaulted by a saddle. Is Saffron really cursed? |
| Date: | 03/07/2012 |
| Related Logs: | Kaffron courtship. |
| Players: |
  |
| Kennels and Stables, Four Eagles Keep |
|---|
| A stall within the stables of Four Eagles Keep |
| 03 July, 289 |
Even though Kamron has a squire to deal with his horse and tack, sometimes he likes to take care of things himself. He's got his saddle up on the wall of Three's stall, and he's brushing the horse's coat with a currying brush. For the task, he's changed out his best mourning attire for a set that's salt-stained, faded, and a little frayed. Even as he works with the brush, the knight sings softly under his breath, the words of "Let Me Drink In Your Beauty," a traditional love song of the Riverlands, whispering out into the relative hush of the stall.
A flutter of dawn-colored silk announces the arrival of the betrothed Banefort. She is talking in great earnest and warmth with her pair of guards, Punbah and Timmen. The former has always been comfortable around their charge, but even today Timmen is more than happy to engage with the young woman even if he has been relegated to carrying the Reach corgi pup. Bear gnaws on the man's leathers, whining in frustration. At the soft sound of singing, Saffron stalls her guards' words with a hand. They oblige, Punbah turning to squint at the puppy before giving his chum a meaningful look. A warm brightness illuminates her pale eyes, and she slips closer to Three's stall. She leans into the open door, smiling to the Mallister. "Hello," she half-murmurs.
Kamron could probably hear the voices entering the stable, but he's lost himself in the task and the song, his eyes staring through Three's gray coat. The words trail off into a soft humming, and then he blinks, looking up at the quiet words from the stall door. A smile blossoms on his features at the sight of his betrothed, "Good morning, My Lady." Looking back to the nearly-completed task before him, he shrugs a little helplessly, "I would have come out to meet you, but I suppose I was somewhere else, Lady Saffron."
"Somewhere soft and lovely, I hope," Saffron says with a light smile pulling at her lips, dimpling those lovely cheeks. She glances over her shoulder to her guards who maintain a respectful distance, though they do slump into sight just beyond the stall door; she sweeps into the stall, gently laying a hand on Three to let him know she is close. The horse maintains between them as she strokes at the softened coat of the old warhorse.
Kamron cuts his eyes across to Saffron, one corner of his lips curling up sharply, "Something very like that, actually." If he weren't grinning so crookedly, he would probably be blushing. Finishing up with the brushes, he sets them aside, then reaches over Three's back to touch the back of Saffron's hands a moment, "What brings you here, My Lady?" Punbah, Timmen, and Bear get a glance, "I see you're back to your full compliment."
There is a warm laugh, a soft blush, and Saffron averts her gaze with a ladylike shyness at the touch to her hand. "I was looking in on Shygirl," she says idly, "though someone had told me I might find you here." She nears Three's head now, stroking his throat and jaw with familiar ease. A warm and comfortable glance is given toward her guards, and she nods at his comment. "Finally. Ser Sterling has nothing for Timmen, and I think Punbah is glad to have his friend back." She scritches just under Three's chin. "There is so much I have to do now that we are back at the Roost," she says offhandedly.
Kamron lets his hand drift back to its tasks quickly enough after squeezing her fingers gently, the knight kneeling down in the straw and coaxing Three to give him one of his front hooves to check, "Wouldn't do to have Punbah without his Timmen. He might start flirting again." There's a light teasing tone to his words, even if he doesn't raise them to audibility for the guards. Down there on one knee, with one of Three's hooves on his other knee, Kam looks up to his betrothed, "What is it that's taking your time away from luxury and enjoyment, My Lady?" That teasing tone remains, although he tries to flatten it out to something more serious and somber, "I would slay these dragons of work for you…"
Pale eyes follow his movements even as her fingers continue to scritch and caress the soft coat of the horse. Saffron offers a soft laugh at the suggestion of Punbah flirting, and she colors a bit darker as if guilty of poking fun at her devoted caretakers. "He deserves some flirtations now and then, Ser Kamron," she chides him in the same pitch of whispers. Then she begins to comb her fingers through Three's mane. "I've to speak with Katrin Haigh, a tea has been planned so I might speak with Lucienne Terrick, and I should probably look in on Jacsen once more." There is a slight tension in her expression. "And I need to speak to my cousin… about these rumors about Riordan Nayland."
She relaxes into a more dimpled smile. "Have you any of those you wish to slay?"
Kamron shrugs a little helplessly at Saffron's mention of what the rotund guardian may deserve, his mischieveous grin coming back full force. The list, however, causes him to laugh softly, at least at the first three points. The fourth, however, draws his lips tight again, "More rumors?" A sigh slips out of him, "I don't understand why your Lady Cousin doesn't stay well away from him, given the rumors already circulating. There are others who can pass messages if needs be." Shaking that off, he lets Three's front hoof free and moves over to lift up and study his rear hoof, "As to the others, I should speak to Lady Lucienne myself soon enough. I don't believe I've ever spoken to her directly outside of those larger gatherings. I did speak with Jacsen though, My Lady. He was most appreciative of our gift." Already, he calls it 'our.' "And has sworn that The Roost will pay it back as soon as possible." A faint smile touches his lips, "And isn't speaking with Lady Katrin a pleasure, not a responsibility for you?"
Saffron catches sight of that mischieveous look, and she shakes her head a bit with a smile. Talk of Anais brings another sigh past her lips, and she looks down as her fingers deftly weave more of the warhorse's mane into braids. "That's why I want to speak to her. If Riordan Nayland is trying to tarnish her reputation by perpetuating these rumors, he does so only because she is Jacsen's wife." There is a thinness to her lips now. "Though I hope that he would not be so crass. He was quite nice to me while I was at Stonebridge." Then she offers her betrothed a gentle smile, though he is mostly obscured by Three's rump. "If Anais wishes to make friends and amends with Lucienne, I would like to know her better. There is a chance that all this with poppy and seals are misunderstandings. What business have you with her?" Finally, she frowns a bit at the mention of Katrin. "It often is… but again, rumors surrounding women and Naylands…"
Kamron nods sharply at the talk of Riordan's possible reasons for remaining near Anais, grimacing as he does, but not offering immediate comment. He lets the rest go for now, sighing as she finishes the litany and responding in turn, "No business with Lady Lucienne. Just thought I should actually meet with her. Show her that although I consider Anais a friend, that doesn't mean that I consider her an enemy necessarily." He sets Three's hoof down, resting his hands on his raised knee briefly, "The Naylands may be polite and friendly in person, but I've yet to find one who does not have a purpose behind their smile. They all have points to recommend them, so far as I can tell, and some even seem like the sort I might share a drink and a laugh with, but…" Another grimace washes over his features, "'Reach Beyond Thy Grasp.'" He says the Naylands motto as if it explains everything. And it's then that the usually stolid Three tosses his head with a snort, abruptly side-stepping toward Kamron…
The Mallister knight starts back from his horse, calling out, "Woah there, Th — " and then he's backing hard into the wall of the stall in his attempt to avoid the horse's hooves. There's a thud of back to stall, and then the balanced saddle slips, slides, and falls down, landing square across Kamron's head and shoulder and driving him down to the straw floor. Almost immediately, Three calms, even dropping his head to nose at the straw on the ground.
"That they d — Kamron!" Saffron immediately ducks under Three's neck, gathering up her skirts as she slips across the straw-covered floors to her fallen knight. "Punbah!" She calls out beyond the stall, and almost immediately the rotund guard appears in the doorway. At the sight of the sprawled man, Punbah moves with impressive haste with the intention to help the knight out from under the saddle. "Kamron, Kamron," Saffron continues to call, perhaps even several times over a possible response, panic in her voice.
By the second calling of his name, Kamron is moving again, getting his left arm untwisted from beneath the saddle and grumbling, "Ow." It takes another moment to get both arms under the saddle and push it up so that Punbah can get a good hold on it, and his muttered, "…always the fucking left shoulder…" probably goes unnoticed by most. The repetition of his name, however, causes him to raise his voice, "My Lady." It's still a little muffled by a face full of saddle, but it's clearly audible, "I'm alright, Lady Saffron. Ow. Just bruised."
Punbah hauls the saddle up and off the poor knight, his round and earnest face looking down onto that of the Mallister. "I tol' you, you shoulda waited to kiss her until the weddin' night," the guard states, and he is awarded a fierce glare from the Banefort. Saffron drops into a ladylike squat before her betrothed, immediately reaching to take his right shoulder. "We should get you up. Punbah, put the saddle…" And she waves her hand dismissively. "Away." She is all frowns and worried lines as she starts to slide her arm under his own. "I'm so sorry," she starts to murmur.
Kamron shakes his head at Punbah, managing to laugh even as he works his oft-abused shoulder, "To hells with that, Punbah." He lets Saffron help him up, slipping his right arm about her shoulders. Because it's totally necessary. Absolutely. Despite the obvious necessity, he doesn't put much weight on her, getting up mostly on his own, "On the shelf over there, Punbah. The hostlers will see to it." Reaching up to rub at his neck with his left arm, he looks over to the Banefort lady now so close to him, "I'm fine, My Lady. Really." Another bit of a laugh touches his lips, "It's not your fault. I shouldn't have put the saddle there."
A sternness takes her expression, and Saffron begins to check over his shoulder joint and arm with care — though honestly not that much expertise. She rubs at his fingers, ensuring that they are loose and fluid and full of feeling. "He's right, you shouldn't have… you promised you would stay away from stairs," she says reproachfully. Her brow has worked itself into a terrible frinkle, and it looks as if she is in suspense that he will drop dead at any second. She rubs her hands up his forearm, palming his elbow. "Are you sure you're okay? We can go find your cousin…"
Kamron looses his arm from about her shoulder to allow her to focus on his other arm, shaking his head slightly, "I don't see any stairs here, My Lady." That light teasing is still present, but the words are soft, meant to calm and reassure. The knight looks down to where she is rubbing at his arm, then the frinkle on her brow. His eyes cut over to where Punbah and Timmen are seeing to the saddle, then leans forward to press a light kiss onto that gathered-up skin between her eyes, "I'm fine. I promise." And then he proves that his fingers still work by reaching in to goose lightly at her side, "You're worrying too much, My Lady."
The kiss does its purpose, and soon her brow has gone smooth once more and she stops needlessly prodding at the poor knight. She flushes with a touch of embarrassment, and she offers him a sheepish smile that quickens into a laugh at the goosing, and she swats his hand away gently. "I'm sorry," she apologizes for the last time. "I'm glad to see that the saddle did not kill you." She draws him closer with a gentle tug to his elbow and she presses a kiss at his lips gently; her nose brushes across his fondly.
Kamron laughs at the swatting of his hand, making his eyes go big and jutting out his lower lip a moment. The words that follow and the tug-and-kiss wash away the faux pout, and he returns the gentle kiss with a smile, wrinkling up his nose as they draw apart again. A chuckle builds in his chest, carefully pressed down but for its upward draw on his lips, "I may have to put smore saddles in precarious positions. The bruises are well worth the other results."
Saffron scowls playfully, shaking her head a bit. "Don't you dare. You will taunt the Gods with that kind of behavior." Though she does offer him a slightly tilted smile. Then she shakes her head, stepping gently from his embrace so she can give Three a precarious look. "None of that again, Three," she instructs the old, battered steed before she looks back toward Kamron. "What were we talking about before you decided to have a saddle fall on you?"
Kamron uses his left hand to guide her away from Three as she steps back, a totally unnecessary gesture toward one with such spatial awareness, but one that gives him an excuse for more perfectly legitimate contact. The horse raises his head when addressed, then shakes it, sending the loose braids in his mane cascading out again. And then he's snuffling around the straw for something to eat again. Kam chuckles softly, shrugging, wincing a little, and reaching up to rub at his shoulder, "Naylands, I think. And all the people you have to talk to. At least you get to check me off that list now, My Lady."
"You will always be on my list, Kamron," Saffron says with a bright smile that brightens every corner of her face. A kiss is deposited onto his cheek, and she touches the edge of one of those big, loveable ears. Then she shakes her head a bit. "I know Martyn is your cousin, Kamron, and I would love to call Katrin a goodcousin… perhaps I don't want to yet fault Rafferdy. An instinct. Something tells me that he is not trying to sweep away Katrin in hopes of wounding the Terricks nor the Mallisters." She smiles over toward Punbah as he makes his appearance at the stall door again, though it appears Timmen has handed off the pup to him to deal with.
Kamron laughs softly as she toys with his ear, wrinkling up his nose again. Shrugging a little helplessly, he admits, "I've not seen much of Lord Rafferdy, nor heard much besides the rumors of Seagard, plus the fiasco at the dance at the Twins. But I generally think that the Naylands are rather more concerned with the Terricks than the Mallisters for now." There's a pause, and then he shrugs again, "Lady Katrin makes my cousin happy, which is something that is all too rare since the Grey Gardens. So long as that does not change, I've no complaint of her at all."
There is a soft, subdued moment from Saffron — thoughtful perhaps, but quite quiet. When she speaks next, she does so with care and ease, "There is a chance that Lady Katrin has affection for Lord Rafferdy, and there is a good chance that hearts are involved. But, Martyn is a good catch. I hope she sees that." She clasps her hands behind her back, impairing further affection to be bestowed upon the Mallister knight.
Kamron nods his head slowly, "And if that interferes with Martyn's happiness — or the honor of the house — in the slightest, then I will have a problem with Lady Katrin and Lord Rafferdy." Still, he smiles a little crookedly, "But, I've distracted you from your tasks, My Lady." A hand at her shoulder aims to direct her out of the stall, the Mallister knight following after, "If your Lady Cousin doesn't believe that Ser Riordan is likely attending her for the purpose of starting these rumors, you might suggest that she talk with Lady Danae Tordane." He closes the stall door behind him, narrowing his eyes up at Three, "A hostler will be along to get you something to eat, you dirty great thing." There's no anger or annoyance in his tone. Apparently, the knight even teases his horse.
"I am most lucky," Saffron expresses with decisiveness. "And will be ever more once I can call you 'husband.'" She pauses before Punbah to pluck the yawning puppy from his arms, bracing young Bear against her chest as she does. Her eyes glimmer with heartfelt amusement, and she reaches out to touch his forearm. "I welcome the distraction, but I should see to inviting Lucienne to tea and checking in on Katrin. And eventually… my cousin." It is apparent by tone and another small frinkling in her brow she does not seem to be looking forward to talking to Anais. "I will see you at dinner tonight?"
Kamron bows his head a bit at the words from his wife-to-be, "I'm flattered, and find myself in complete agreement, My Lady." His eyes drop down to her fingers on his forearm, and he reaches out to stroke the silky fur of the pup in her arm, "Certainly you'll see me at dinner." His smile softens, and he adds, "Dining with you is one of the highlights of my day." Catching up her free hand, he bows over it, brushing her knuckles lightly with his lips, "Until then, Lady Saffron. Be well."
