| Tamed Musings of the Past |
| Summary: | Kell and Catryn cross paths again, this time without shenanigans and some unexpected conversation occurs. |
| Date: | 10/8/2012 |
| Related Logs: | None. |
| Players: |
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| Rocky Cove, Terrick's Roost |
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| To the west of the path leading down, the beach extends below a cliff face and takes a turn inland where the terrain above has collapsed down to be claimed by the pounding waters below. It has formed a small, almost private cove with jagged rocks in the water at the cliffs while the ocean has reclaimed most of those from the beach. Due to the elevation of the cliffs, the top of the tower to the north is just barely visible despite the relatively short distance. |
| Fri Aug 10, 289 |
Linking to coastline slightly to the west is the Rocky Cove, a place that Kell enjoys to spend time in when he prefers to have some solitude and peace for his own thoughts. Usually people don't find him in this area so he isn't used to being disturbed or interrupted here. His stuff is left to the side along with the surcoat that identifies him as serving House Terrick. Sitting cross legged on a flat piece of rock, getting wet from the splash of the waves from time to time, Kell has his eyes closed and on his lap rests his blade, unsheathed this time. Arms resting over the blade so it doesn't slip from his grasp, his eyes seem to be focused on the ribbons that have been unwrapped from the hilt of the sword, grasped in one hand.
No place is too sacred to be invaded by the small blond minx, whose bare feet leave little wet footprints in the sand, only to be washed away again in the next turn by the waves that fall to crash upon the shore. There's something pleasant too, to the way the water feels rushing away and taking the very ground beneath her feet with it. Though, she's not trying to invade on purpose; there was enough surprise on her face when she spotted someone sitting on the outcropping of rock to slow her down and leave her hesitating on going any closer. A sensation that slipped away some, when she realized who it was she was walking up on. Apparently that just meant it was suddenly alrighth to invade his bubble. So…she continued right on up towards him, dropping her boots down next to his own things before she aimed to climb up on his rock. "Whutcha doin'?"
If the small blonde minx was expecting the Terrick Knight to leap up in fright when his little bubble was invaded upon, she would be disappointed. Kell does groan inwardly as he hears the voice, not even surprised that he was discovered by the young girl. His posture is maintained though and he doesn't bother to turn to look at Catryn just yet as he answers, "Nothing." His hands do move though, unraveling the ribbon that was in his hands and begins to wrap it around the bottom half of the hilt on his blade.
"I can…go," Catryn offers, with a little frown and the faintest of worry lines about her forehead, "Iffen its a problem," she ventures, voice soft and touched for the first time with what sounds an awful lot like consideration…for someone other than herself. And instead of bouncing on into some annoying bit of speech, she simply stretches out her legs and braces her arms behind her. Watching him as much as she does the water, even if that ribbon makes her too curious for her own good. The silence she'd been trying to hold doesn't last very long because of it. "From someone special?"
The slow deliberate wrapping is continued slowly, as if Kell always wanted to do it perfectly and neatly, but isn't focused enough where he can't response to the minx. "No, it is fine, I was finished with my…" Meditation? No. "…thinking." The knight allows the silence to continue until Catryn asks the question he had a feeling was coming, not because it is her but because he knows most people would be curious. There is another lapse of silence, as if Kell is trying to determine whether or not to give her a proper answer, "Yes." Atleast he didn't brush her off and perhaps is opening the opportunity for her to ask more if she wishes.
"What where you thinking about?" The question slips, curious but also with a sense that she's somewhat filling the silence. Even…if she was also just watching her toes wiggle every time the waves sprayed up against them. It was a peaceful evening, at least, even if the sun hadn't set yet. "And…thank you..for yesterday. I'm sorry that I upset you." Just came sort of…casually tossed out there as if she weren't usually the sort to well, apologize for anything.
With the last few revolutions of wrapping completed around the hilt, Kell looks the blade over as he answers her, "The past, the decisions I've made…" There is a pause before a few more words are spoken. "The regrets." Then, as if satisfied with his inspection, the blade is slowly sheathed into its scabbard which now rests on the man's lap. Eyes finally seek out the Cat and when her apology comes, Kell does look slightly surprised before chuckling, "Wasn't angry really… just, you gave us a scare, that's all. Didn't realize you were that good of a swimmer, where you'd be fine, even if filled with wine."
Cat drew her legs up to sit cross legged, the leather keeping the rock for marking her calves, while she let the front tail of her skirt pile into her lap. "What kind of regrets? What was your past like, anyway?" It takes a little effort on her part, to clean her speech up so much as his and she shifts again too, twisting sideways this time, with a wiggle of her head to find room for the back of it on the top of his thigh, next to the scabbard so she can look up and see him. "Takes…a lot to get me under, never know when someone would slip past the lines and into camp, or there'd be someone waitin' to jerk ye into an alley walkin' back to whatever room we were stayin' in. Dun get piss drunk, ever, unless I am where I'm stayin' for the night an know it's safe."
"Just mistakes in my past, the wrong decisions made due to selfish pride." Kell says rather bluntly as if he had already zero'd in on what he believes was what went wrong. His eyes do look out to the waters of the sea as he answers, perhaps some thoughts drifting back to that time until he feels Cat resting her head on his leg. He looks down at the girl, finally noting that her speech is no longer accented or slurred in an odd manner that makes deciphering what she's saying difficult sometimes. "I'll keep that in mind, to not make any promises on buying you drinks to get you drunk since I will find my coin pouch much lighter." There is finally a small smile appear on the Knight as he teases, "And you are right on that point, it's always better to be careful. There are bad people out there, hiding in the shadows, waiting."
The girl chuckled with his teasing, before offering up a lazy little wink. "Buy strong drinks and not cheap wine. There's a world of difference on tha quality of we can afford." And while it was said lightly, there was still a truth in it. Much as there was to the statement that he followed it with. "The world is full of bad people, not all of them hide in the shadows, not all of them wait, either." Her voice had taken on a distant quality with it, and the girl rubbed against a scar near her collar bone before he'd feel the slight shake of her head. "Like what? You're a good man, you read the truth of situations others miss. What mistake could someone like you possibly make? And more to let it haunt you so."
"Is that so? You believe I'm some rich tourney knight then, that has chests filled with gold dragons? Hmm?" Kell responds in turn with an arched brow and a grin before he grows quiet as the subject switches to that of bad men. The knight does notice the slight change in Cat as she speaks perhaps from her own experience, one that he chooses not to poke his nose into at this time though his eyse do take note of where she is rubbing at. As for more details of his past and his own regrets, his own mistakes, Kell finally shakes his head, "That could be up for debate, of how good of a man I am. Certainly not good enough to protect someone very important."
"No," Cat's response is quick, trying to defend a foul assumption before she realizes that he's teasing and shuts up rather sheepishly. It makes her feel awkward too, thinking about trying to find a way to explain their differences and so in the end, her hands simply lay limp at her sides and she doesn't say anything else about it at all. "I wouldna say tha," she argues instead, her eyes rising to search out his own, "Yer a knight, aint ye? Protectin' all sorts of people with what ye do, from the very least of 'em like me with yer border patrols, to tha greatest that sit up in tha towers. But yer…yer not like the rest of them," she had to work to talk slower, because the words danced and garbled when she got rushed and that praticed edge of refinement slipped away. "It means somethin' to you, what you do. Not so, for all of them."
It is Kell's turn to be a bit silent for a little bit as his eyes looks out to the waters once more though he doesn't shift much from his seated position, perhaps not wanting to jostle Catryn around and make her uncomfortable. "This was before I swore my loyalty to this House, when I was still a knight of the hedges. There was someone I could've protected but I failed because I made the wrong choice. Because I thought I knew better, because I was too selfish and prideful about honor." He finally shares, though even then that is as as much as he would go into about his past which to some may still be vague.
"And you miss her?" The girl inquired, her voice like the question gently given. Not to mention a leap of assumption, too, but she was linking his vagueness to the ribbon he'd been holding and thinking about regrets and mistakes. A rare flash of concern in her eyes that's generally never seen at all.
A smirk appears when the question is asked as Kell says, "I think that is obvious. Though I am sure most would believe me to be foolish to feel this way." Eyes to pull away from the blue horizon down to Cat, realizing that she's been asking questions and he's been answering without much complaint. "A certain Cat is very curious, isn't she."
"I'm not gonna tell you that it's okay," the girl replied honestly, "I won't say its foolish either, because I think you already know the answer and cling to the past part out of sadness and part out of spite. I will only tell you that to dwell on it, is to cripple yourself for today. Maybe tomorrow. Because the next time, the hurt you nurse from the past will make you hesitate. We can't afford to," where it was steel that rang softly within the depths of the last remark, softened by a smile turned grin at his question that wasn't. "Like to listen, sometimes. Like to talk, too, on occasion."
Kell does bring a hand down to pat the top of Cat's head gently with a light chuckle, "Don't worry, Cat, I am not that far off where it would affect my duties these days. I got that out of my system when we were fighting the Ironborn. Now… I guess I cling to the past because the memories were pleasant ones." As for liking to listen and liking to talk, the knight seems to understand as he nods in response.
"I didn't mean to imply that you were," though her lashes fluttered down to half slits with the pat of his hand and there was a little rumble of contentment with a faint nuzzle that suggested if he continued then she'd not mind. "I just don't want you to be sad. And…that's generally what comes when clinging to pleasant memories. At least you have them though."
Kell does give the Cat a couple more gentle pats before pulling his hand away, not wanting to over-indulge the girl and spoil her. "I know, I know. Though with happiness there is sadness, can't have one without the other or it is diminished. And if sadness is what results from having these memories, it is more than a fair trade for me." Then, it appears that the knight is choosing to change the subject, "So what brought you here, did you get lost or just exploring the coastline?"
"I was exploring," she replies, accepting his change of topic without prodding any further towards the one before it. "I like it better than the town, because it reminds me of home at least and little and there's less people around on it to look at me and decide I must be something less because they've seen my Pa." A half shrug, as much as could be managed from her position.
A smirk appears again and Kell shakes his head, "Perhaps I met your father on a good day, he did not seem like a bad man to me. Then again I'm not a mule so I might be biased. And I wouldn't take too much stock into what others say, you are who you are, what they say won't change you." Stating that as if it is the simple truth, one that he himself has been living as. He knows that when he was a Hedge Knight, it wasn't the most respected life as there were people who looked down on those types of knights.
"No, you met him on a normal day," she chuckled, flashing a little grin up at him. "Folks just tend to take him for somethin' rough. An it's not so easy to ignore what people say as you might think. Yer a knight, aye. An ye know tha law, so I'll imagine ye know how easy it is fer one wrong rumor, say, tha labeled me a thief to be the end o'me. Or worse o'him. Such things are better never said at all."
Kell inclines his head as if to say that she has a point, "True enough, and I certainly don't want to get on his bad side. He certainly has a rough edge about him that doesn't make it bad, just someone you don't want to mess with. I've seen worse during the war, fought against worse." Which war he speaks of he doesn't clarify though most would asume the most recent one. "And I do know what you speak of, but to be accused of being a thief and being caught red handed are two different things." Though he knows that when rumors spread, some people may take accusations as the truth, especially if the accuser is powerful.
Then he would understand why she snorted then in the wake of his reply, when he said that being caught red handed and rumors were two different things. In the right hands, with the wrong intent, they weren't. Not at all. "I've seen worse too, s'funny thing here, how all you men assume that you're the only ones who've walked in wars and seen the bad things, or the dark ones. Or that you're the only ones who can survive it. I walked half of Essos, followin' a man who hired himself out to wars, with my head all but shaved and a boys clothes, so no one got the wrong ideas. Bein' here aint nothin' special."
"Then you would know that there are those who look worse than your father, and when you've lived through a couple of them, fighting men like that, you tend to be able to judge what kind a person a man might be." Kell says with slight shrug of his shoulders, not questioning whether Cat was speaking the truth about her past. "Hopefully you didn't have to kill a man, Cat." Not exactly a question but perhaps some wishful thinking.
"Not all men look so deep as you try too, Kell," the girl said, for the first time making use of his name. "Most just go at a glance and fuck the rest." The girl shrugged, and then rummaged with a hand through the satchel at her side to pull free a plum. Sharp nails met it's side, to split the fruit, while her thumb cleared away the pit and half of it was offered up to him. "I'm alive, aint I? Not beat down an shoved off into some pleasure house somewhere. Could be worse."
Accepting the sweet gift with a word of thanks, Kell brings it to his lips and takes a nice bite, "Could be worse, that is true. It could always be worse, even if you are facing the Stranger, it could be worse." As for others being more blind than he is, he doesn't speak to that though he knows it is true, there are many who either can't see past the surface or just chooses not to. "So are you and your father going to be staying at the Roost for a bit? Atleast until the… disagreement at Stonebridge passes?"
"Didn't leave Stonebridge on account of their…disagreements," the girl offered, before nibbling on a little bite of the plum; the sticky juices slurped free from her fingers and the palm of her hand. "Left because business went slow. We stay till folks stop comin' an then we move. Do the same here too, I reckon. Maybe one day we'll stop," moving that is. Though a sigh follows it and her blue eyes are studying him intensely. "I haven't met many men like you before, you know," Catryn offered softly with a bit of a small tiny smile. "I like you." Oh how rare.
Kell nods his head as it was the same thing she told him when he ran into her and then her father on the patrol that day, "Yeah, but you and your father are considering to atleast stay if war does break out over there, right? Not safe traveling when a war is on." He takes another bite of the plum, his bites bigger and making much faster progress than Cat is on her half. As for her thoughts on him, Kell narrows his eyes slightly as if he is trying to figure out what kind of game she is trying to play now.
"Why?" Catryn taunts, a sly little grin flirting about her lips, "You worried about what might happen to me if we move on?" Mirth flashes in her eyes with a hint of seriousness, for all that it's washed away when her focus returns to her snack. At least she's not half drunk today. "Still, I suppose might stay, if business is well enough. Dying here from hunger be no different than dying out there, when they fight. Dead is dead."
The taunting and teasing question in return has Kell scowling in return as he looks away from the girl, shaking his head slightly and apparently choosing not to answer her question. He doesn't know why he doesn't just say no, maybe she is growing on him for some reason. As for starving here and elsewhere, Kell shakes his head again, "We're getting food into the Roost now so there should be no starving." Though they are traveling merchants and not permanent residents of the Roost.
"Here's tha thing though, luv, no business, no coin. No coin, no food. Don't matter if it's here or no. Though, Ger did have that thought towards barter'n for a meal. Suppose'n if I had to, I could look for other work. The Charlton lord was trying to talk me into going on as a handmaid to that lady he's wander'n around with but…," the sigh comes with a little frown, "I refuse to give up my freedom. Aint no slave."
Kell releases a long sigh as Catryn speaks the truth about the reality of being a trader, "Guess you are right, since you're not exactly the Roost's people, unless you choose to be. But with our people rebuilding, I get the feeling that you should be able to sell some of your wares or even trade for food if necessary." As for the Charlton Lord, the knight recalls Ramsey and his expression darkens though only for a brief moment, more to the name of Charlton than Ramsey himself, "Well, it would certainly be an easier life, and being a Lady's handmaiden isn't exactly like being a slave." There is a pause before he manages a grin, perhaps teasing as well, "Plus you finally get to wear nice clothes."
"Dun think you understood. Bein' a lady's handmaiden would be like bein' a slave. Though I do understand with it's frowned upon nature here, how you'd not know much about what their lives are like." Except that…when he teased her about her clothes, the reaction wasn't playful, it was somewhat hurt and self conscious. Enough so that she pushed herself up into a sitting position, which left her back to him, for all that it didn't create that much distance. All she'd done, was sit upright. "That wasn't a very nice thing to say."
Oops. Looks like Kell accidentally crossed the invisible line and the playful grin on his face is wiped off, changing into a wince, "Hey now, I was only teasing, you know I don't mean it." The conversation about what being a hand maiden is obviously on pause now as the knight is now looking at Catryn's back, actually concerned that he may have hurt her feelings or worse, made her cry. Reaching, he gently lays his right hand on her shoulder, "Cat?"
Right, because poor girls never think about being able to afford the nicer things in life and then some oaf comes along and playfully points out how it's something they don't have. It makes the girl a little defensive, but that's probably just to avoid the hurt. "It's fine," a little twitch of her shoulder, tries to shake away his hand. "I'm used to it. Don't talk fine like the ladies should, don't look as nice. Can't act like them. But you really didn't need to go round pointing out how I dont measure up, did you?"
Kell is growing a bit more serious as he hears Catryn's words, knowing that he pretty much messed up there as his hand doesn't leave her shoulder, she'd have to shake a little harder than that twitch. "I know, Cat, I'm sorry, I did wrong with my words and I didn't think. Doesn't matter if you're use to it or not, I'm in the wrong." He was about to go on saying how she doesn't have to be a Lady to measure up but stops himself, not wanting to dig himself a digger hole in case he says something else wrong or misunderstood.
"No Ser," the slide was a slow one into formality. "You're fine. I shouldn't have spoken against you." Though she doesn't try to shake his hand away any more, even if she doesn't turn back to look at him. "Don't owe me an apology either." And there's something just a little hurt in her eyes when she does turn her head back to look at him over the curve of her shoulder, "Would you like me then though, if I talked proper all tha time an wore a fancy dress?"
As Catryn changes her word and attitude, one can see that Kell is growing a little bit irritated though perhaps more at himself than anything else, "Catryn, stop. If I could take back what I said, I would. And you know the answer to your question. Did I ignore you or treat you less than you deserve when I first met you? Were you wearing a fancy dress and speaking all proper?" The hand at her shoulder slowly slides down her arm to her hand which he gives a gentle squeeze, perhaps a final request for her to request his apology before he stops trying.
"I'm sorry," the girl muttered at length, though her gaze fell once to where her hand touched upon his own, before rising back up to his face. Some of her edginess had left her own eyes then. "And you didn't. You're right." Except that hadn't been entirely what she'd been asking, either. "Ye were nice to me and ye…you were helping. Just like you helped last night. I shouldn't have bristled an assumed." Wait…how did it turn into her apologizing?
Atleast that potention disaster is adverted as Kell appears to be successful in deflecting the hurt that Cat felt for a moment, "And I will continue to help you no matter if you're a regular girl or a lady, it's my duty and also because you're… nice." That was more or less the best word he could come up with on short notice, as he himself isn't exactly sure what he thinks of her, more confused than anything else. Which at that point he slowly leans back and lays down on the flat slap of stone, "How did we end up here…" Their path of conversation tonight was certainly an interesting one.
"Well I'll never be a lady," Cat replies, but at least her mood is mostly balanced again. Even almost amused, with the way she laughs when he calls her nice. "Oh aye, nice. Tha's me. Mouth like a sailor an I'm nice." But she's not complaining anymore, nor looking hurt and feels safe enough to stretch back out when he does; making a pillow of the curve of his hip, so that her cheek presses against his stomach when she glances up towards his face. "I've a smart answer fer tha, but ye'd prolly frown on it," she teased, before asking on a somewhat more serious note, "Did ye—you, always wann..want to be a knight, Kell?"
Lacing his hands together behind his head to act as a head rest, Kell glances down as the Cat relaxes and reclines on him, "Well, behind that mouth like a sailor is a nice girl, I can tell." His stomach may not make the best of pillows, more hard than soft from years of work and training. As for the smart answer that she chooses not to share, he can only narrow his eyes suspiciously at her before moving onto the more serious question, "I'm sure most boys when they are young dreams of becoming a knight in shining armor, riding a strong horse, rescuing princesses from evil dragons. But when I left my home to follow the Stark troops who marched south to fight for King Robert, I left more for the adventure than becoming a knight."
Softer than the hard stone beneath those blond curls though, besides, if she wiggled her head around enough she imagined that, just like with a pillow, she'd find the perfect spot. It was a unique experience anyway. Him, not his stomach. No one ever just…talked to her before, not about real things, not with any seriousness like he was according her. It was nice, not always having to carry a punch line for a little bit. "Well you do ride a strong horse," she offered, "And you saved me," she teases, because even serious conversations need a tiny injection of light. "So you went for adventure," the thought made her smile, "Did you find it? Sorry te, if the questions sound silly. I didn't grow up over here, don't know the same things ye do."
Smirking, Kell shakes his head, "It was a very long journey and it was also because of the generosity of the Lord of this House that I have Havok, my previous steed was not nearly as strong as this one and my status as a knight was in jeopardy, since I lost him at Seagard." As for her being concerned about her questions being silly, he merely shakes his head as if to let her know not to worry. "Yeah, I found adventure, and I found out that going off to fight a war isn't anything close to what they say in the stories. I found out the truth, that war… is a terrible thing, something that should be avoided if possible." As he speaks, his voice is sort of quiet though a hand does move over towards Cat, using the back of his hand to gently caress around her ear and then down her cheek.
"Always wanted a horse," the girl muses, "Ridden a time or two over the years, though I've never had a proper teacher. I like it. Kinda hopin' that one day I'll have one on my own so I can fly." She shook her head for the outlandishness of such a thing, before frowning a little. "How did you lose him? If..it's not..if I can ask, I mean." She ventured in the flow of their conversation, quiet as she listened to his voice as much as felt the way it seemed to rumble up from his chest. The brush of his hand helped smooth away her frown though, her smile a soft thing for all that her voice stayed low. "Nothin's ever like they say it'll be in the stories. But there are men who go their whole lives still thinking its glorious and live for blood." The gave him a smile in truth then, full and bright. "At least you don't."
Kell does remember yesterday when Cat was rather giving with her wine that a friend of her dropped by momentarily, "Your friend, she has a horse right? That fat pony? I'm sure you could start with that." As for the fate of his old horse, named Horse, the knight can only wince as his head leans back so he goes from looking at Cat to looking up into the sky, "I had to slit its throat, because it broke its legs. Happened when we were charging the Reavers attacking Seagard, apparently the Ironborn aren't all stupid and were smart enough to dig pitfalls. Didn't see the hidden pit in time and Horse fell in one." Kell does lapse to silent when it is Cat's turn to speak, knowing what she speaks of, though it does relate mostly to Nobles who sees the world differently than Commoners.
Her frown had returned, as he wove his story, even as she smiled over his horse's name. "I had a puppy once, for a week. Name was Stupid, cause he never listened. I'm very sorry that you lost your horse, Kell." And there was just the faintest little warble to her voice that said the words were meant, even she'd managed to pluck on a memory that'd made her sad as well. So for a moment, a very short one, her hand rose up to rest on his hand where it stroked and she gave a tiny little squeeze, before her hand snaked away again. "Girl wouldn't my friend though. S'only the second time I've ever seen her, first time was where she fell through the roof of the common house and ruined my drink with the mess that fell with her. You saw us talk more yesterday than we exchanged the first time." Which was Cat pissedly demanding that her drink be replaced by the fat ass that'd broken the roof in the first place and then retreating to more entertaining things once it was done.
An amused chuckle escapes the knight, a rumble Cat can most certainly feel from within him. "He was a good horse, had him for a while. He may not have been the fastest or the strongest, but he was trustworthy. But it happens, people aren't the only ones that perish in war." Feel her hand squeezing his, he squeezes back gently as well. As Cat's tale unravels about how she met Sela, Kell can't help but give the girl an incredulous look as he tilts his head down to see her. "She fell through the roof, so it wasn't said in jest yesterday then…" He can only shake his head at that, incredible. "Well, it seems like the Seven was looking out for you since you gained a drink for the one you lost." Obviously at Kell's expense but he leaves that unsaid since he has a feeling she would know what he speaks of.
"No. Good animals too, pure ones. Places of beauty, lost from men marching and fires burning. Forests cut and lumbered to feed their causes, most of which aren't even always good. Like children squabbling over toys, trying to prove who's the biggest and the best," her nose wrinkled for the notion, the fact that his laughter was so fresh in her mind the only thing that kept her frown depressing herself with the topic. That…and perhaps the way he'd squeezed her hand in return. For a second that smile had looked almost shy. "No. She really did fall through the roof, and much as I am quick not to cast labels I don't think she'd the kindest of intentions towards the rooms above. People don't play on rooftops." Though he made her grin, for the way he poked at the memory of their meeting. "Oh come now, you might have lost a drink, but you gained a friend. Could be worse." Wink.
Smirking, Kell shakes his head at the thought of Sela's intentions for climbing on roofs. "Yeah… I doubt she was up there catching rats. I'll keep that in mind as well when she's around, though she wouldn't gain much by stealing my coin pouch." As for losing a friend and gaining a drink, he obviously isn't going to admit to that, "Well… I'm not sure who got the better end of that deal. The tankard of ale was /very/ tasty." He says with a grin at her wink before his hand finally pulls away, "I have a feeling a good amount of time has passed without me noticing. I should probably head back to the Keep to make sure things are all right and to let them know that they aren't missing a knight."
"Just don't say I mentioned it," the girl was quick to add, though there was a hint of laughter in her voice. It only grew with his jest, "And you are very nice, so clearly I came out the bandit. Ale -and- a friend," she smiled, nuzzling one last time in against his palm before it retreated; the ghostly feel of her lips marking its passage in a chaste kiss before she pushed herself upright. Chewed on her lip a moment and then ventured, after he'd spoken, "Tomorrow…iffen yer free, and you want to…think maybe you could teach me how to ride proper?"
Sitting up after Cat pushes herself up, Kell seems to be considering her request, "I'm not sure, Havok is defintely not the easiest horse to learn, he can be tempermental and headstrong, since he's more of a warhorse. His namesake is because of how he acts in battle. But if I am free, I'll see what we can do." That is probably the as close to him making that promise as he would, since he isn't sure if his duties will take him elsewhere tomorrow or occupy his time. Slowly, Kell gets up to his feet and manages a wince as spending that long of a time on the solid stone surface has made him a bit stiff, causing his steps towards his kit a bit slow for the time being.
"Be safe, Kell," Catryn replied, though she showed no signs of leaving to follow him. Content to enjoy the quiet even well after he was gone. "An I shall hope to see you tomorrow, even without the tempermental horse, though I suppose I could guess where the headstrong comes from," she teases, grinning up in his direction. The wince strokes her compassion though. "I'll bring ye somethin' too, ter go in yer bath when next ye soak. Help take some of the ache out of your muscles," she promised.
Nodding, Kell secures his sword to his hip again and then slips on his boots before leaning over to pick up his kit, hoisting it over his shoulders. "Yeah, yeah… guess that's why Havok and I understand each other so well." As for something for a bath soak, the knight manages a grin, "Thanks, I appreciate it. Till next time, Cat." With that, he begins to make his way out of the Cove.
