| Well This Is Uncomfortable |
| Summary: | An incident of mistaken identity in the town square leads to uncomfortable meetings. |
| Date: | 14/12/2011 |
| Related Logs: | None |
| Players: |
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| Town Square, Terrick's Roost |
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| The town square of Terrick's Roost could be considered well-kept by the standards of the surrounding area. The stone streets run right up to the building fronts around the edge and the locals have kept the spaces between free of grass and weeds that might otherwise upstart between them. There are several homes and nicer shops located here which incline their business or residents towards those not of the peasantry. The Sept of the town can also be seen from here with its ornate stone front rising above the surrounding structures just down the cobblestone road. |
| Thu Dec 14, 288 |
Tam rides into Terrick's Roost slowly, his posture ramrod straight atop the gorgeous destrier he claims as his own. He casts a glance around, cautious and haughty, his sword dangling at his hip - a close inspection might note that it is freshly-oiled, loose in its scabbard. The gruff hedge knight smiles and relaxes slightly as he nears the stables of the Rockcliffe Inn, though he still carries himself with a firm dignity. Swinging out of his saddle, the man scratches hard at his mount's flank, just beneath its saddle. The huge warhorse turns and nibbles at his beard in payback.
Per usual in her outings, Elinor is accompanied by the visually recognized retinue of Banefort when venturing through the town's square, visiting one shop to the next. One maiden had her arms filled with various fabrics as the other remained empty for now, unless the lady should acquire something else to busy the female with. "Should this be enough my lady?" Thalia, arms tightly closed around the various colours and textures of the fabrics embraced against her bosom. Elinor's walk came to a pause, turning a glance over her shoulder to review the items in question. "It must be. Should it be insufficient I am certain Lady Lucienne or the Lady Evangeline may have others."
Tam lets his mount be led off by the stableboy after more affection is shared, Tam rubbing the animal's neck fondly as it trundles off toward its meal of hot oats. He turns and straightens, looking through the square contemplatively. His gaze falls on the trio of young ladies over near the market and, without seeming to give it much thought, shoves off in that direction. He moves with a solid confidence - this is not a willowy or graceful man, rather one who asserts himself with every step, his manner somehow reflecting a man solidly in control of his little patch of turf, even as he grins an affable, crooked grin.
"Of course my lady." Thalia nods her head as Elinor initiates their movement once again, the group quick tack onto her heels. One of the Banefort guardsmen had taken notice of Tam's approach, a glare for now unless he nears too closely which would have the man seeking to block the hedge knight's path. "And new threads. Yes, I am sure lady Lucienne would see to the tea. Have the repairs to the lockbox been seen to? Is that smith completed?" Thalia shook her head, "Tomorrow my lady. We may retrieve it then."
Tam doesn't seem to notice the guard; but a flicker of his grey eyes toward the armsman implies that he has, in fact, missed -nothing-. Still the hedge knight advances, lifting an arm and calling out. "Hallo! Lady Therese?" His affable grin seems sincere, as though the man truly believes that he recognizes Elinor from somewhere. "Forgive me the intrusion, Lady Therese - it's me, Ser Cooper! Your brother introduced us in King's Landing three years ago?" He radiates plausibility, still walking forward, grizzled features cracked in a huge grin. "I had no idea the Yronhearts were coming to Terrick's Roost! Is Seryn here?"
The guardsman with his eye upon Cooper drew a hand to the hilt of his sword, her retinue pausing at the call for a woman though not their lady. Elinor's gaze turns as well, the rest of her form soon follows in that direction as her features display a measure of confusion. "You are mistaken
Tam Perhaps getting his first good look at Elinor - or then again, perhaps not - Tam blinks and draws to a halt. The guard is given a dismissive glance, and a tsking sound, more an annoyance than a threat - or at least so he seems to think. He turns his attention fully to Elinor, summoning up a compellingly-honest look of bewilderment. "So you aren't! But I'll be tickled pink if you aren't her perfect likeness, Lady." Tam summons up a clumsy bow, his accent already clearly marking him as commonborn and this effort at gentility confirming it. "I hope My Lady can forgive me - I thought you were the younger sister of an old, old, friend." This last - the reference to a Seryn Yronheart, at least - rings true.
Elinor summons a slight smile, inclining her head following the knight's courtesies. "Forgiven and easily forgotten." She returns, the guardsmen would not appear to be amused as he states, "We should press forward my lady, this guttermouth is not worth your delay." Already establishing a blanket of distrust for the lapse of memory, the guardsman kept a cautious eye upon Tam. Elinor raised her hand, instilling a pause upon her guard and apparently easily flattered. "Be of ease Ser Baylor." She says to him before returning to Tam. "The Yronhearts have no presence here within Terrick's Roost and have not for quite some time."
Guttermouth. The word hangs in the air around Tam, a flush rising in the back of the hedge knight's neck. He stares at Baylor, his grizzled beard practically standing on end; the pop of his jaw as he clenches it is like a small whipcrack. Somehow, he manages to content himself with just a look - pure rage, subsiding only when Elinor speaks up on his behalf. He draws a shuddering breath, looking at the young woman and bowing slightly. "Truth be told, I was stunned to see you.. I mean, to think I saw Lady Therese. Her brother ain't daft enough to leave the circuit this time of the year, and she'd never travel without him." The hedge knight' voice is genuinely wistful, he shrugs slightly. "Thank you for the courtesy, Lady - and you ought to know, being mistook for Therese Yronheart is the best compliment I can give. Her brother was very good to me, after the Trident.
Nares has a simple plan for the day, 1) replace belt knife followed by 2) drink many things that are alcoholic. He's also doing fairly well in relation to that plan too, having already achieved point 1 as he entry to the town square from the direction of the smithies may indicated. It's only a short hike to the inn and the crowds aren't too bad, but he takes a moment to check for the route of least resistance before starting to cross the square. It's at this point that he spots the mild commotion. Figuring he can delay his errands for a few minutes he starts to head more in their direction, not exactly towards them, but close enough to get an idea of what’s going on.
Baylor bowed his head, "As you wish my lady." He complied only by silencing his tongue while keeping a hand near his sword. Her brow was aroused by Tam's initial reaction to the insult, not wholly overlooked for his tongue was beneath a pleasant tone. Still the lady, maintained her proper composure which brightened even more from his compliment. "Then I am flattered Ser Cooper." Elinor states for visibly it was the truth. The Lady then looked over his attire with no mention of an affiliated house which brings the question, "Are you a wanderer?"
"I am, Lady. Since I was Knighted, I ain't really had a place to call my own. Your.. man speaks the truth. I -am- gutter trash. Or was." Perhaps that explains his flair of temper a few moments earlier; the other knight had clearly touched a terribly sore spot with him. He moves past it with a simple shrug, offering Elinor a lopsided smile. "There ain't much call for a knight with my.. talents." Looking over Elinor's shoulder, he spots Nares' approach, watching the man for a moment before offering him a tentative nod.
Close enough to note that whatever issue there might have been has calmed, but not far enough away to escape to the ale he's mentally calling his. There is however, a Banefort, with a Ser on guard, and the last one (guard that is) had been such fun. Covering the distance carefully, so as not to bump into anyone on the way, Nares returns the nod from Tam and then offers one to the Lady as well.
Initially Nares' notice behind Elinor would go unnoticed while speaking the knight. "I see." Baylor then makes a sound as if to clear his throat which has the Banefort woman briefly looking in his direction. Elinor perhaps in knowing Baylor would be amiss, she asked regardless, "What are these talents you speak of?" Soon enough Nares came into view, the oddly accented man from the blacksmith where his nod was met with a muted one of her own.
Tam's grey eyes return to Baylor as he answers Elinor, the words deliberate and icy - a put-down as clear as the one the other man threw in his face a few moments earlier. "I win battles." He turns back to Elinor, features brightening again - as though the not-so-subtle exchange between he and her guard was not happening at all. "I'm neh good at courtly life, Lady, and I'm certainly neh good at saying the right things, but winning battles? Five years ago, that was all the rage. Made me sort of popular back then." He smiles crookedly, reaching up to scratch at the scar beneath his beard. His smile takes in Nares as the Ironborn approaches. "It's something Captain Nares can appreciate, I reckon. Winning."
Nares is, for now, ignoring Ser Baylor. He'd hoped it would have been Kell again, but no such luck this time. Instead he latches onto Tam's conversational line. He won't mention his latest battle, well, fight really, but otherwise? "I certainly prefer it to losing," he states rather bluntly, "better for the life expectancy, and considerably less painful in general."
"I suppose so when on the side of the victor." Elinor replies until the man who recently joined the discussion had been given a name. Something about Nares presence unsettled her. Her eyes then turned to Tam, "Should your faith be strong Ser Cooper, the Seven will see you given purpose again. If not in battle then in other talents you hone, those you may not have exercised." Thalia shifted the weight of the fabrics in her arms, stepping forward to gain Elinor's attention, "My lady. We must be going." Maybe sensing the noblewoman's discomfort or recognizing the accent, either way Elinor gave a brief look to her maidservant then nodded.
"Oi, Ser Pup.." Tam leans closer to Baylor, speaking in a more confidential tone, likely not able to be overheard by others. "You obviously ain't learned this yet. The one thing you can tell about a broke-down old man in this business? He's dangerous. Don't ever call me gutter-trash again." He smiles and winks at Baylor, straightening, then turns toward Elinor and offers a grave - if seriously clumsy bow. "Sorry to see you go so soon, Lady. Maybe sometime, we can talk some more. I'll be paying my old mate Ser Hardwicke a visit in the next few weeks. Maybe see you then." Looking over at Nares, Tam seems to notice the man's bandages for the first time. He clears his throat to speak, then just winces and shakes his head.
If Nares notes the effect that his presence is having on the Lady Banefort, he doesn't react to it. With the maid's comment though he turns away from Tam and offers a polite, "do have a pleasant day then My Lady." At Tam's call to Baylor he grins slightly, amusement touching his eyes, he doesn't listen into the actual reprimand though, he reckons he has a fair enough idea of it's contents that he doesn’t need to know the individual details. As the knight makes to talk, and then stops himself he just raises an eyebrow slightly, expression deadpan, almost as if he's daring the man to make something of it.
Baylor's eyes shrank into slits, "Or no one's had the decency to put him down. Your days are d—," Elinor vocally steps in, "Ser Baylor." She looks to him and then Tam, "Ser Cooper. I do ask that if either of you are to continue, do so in my absence." Let them squabble and brawl out who's the better man or fighter when not strutting before her. Baylor, grudgingly bows his head, the other guardsmen broaden their poise. "I shall Captain." Turning away from the tension with ease, "Maybe Ser Cooper, however as I see you are a man who need not prove his worth again my guards I should hope that if we do meet the foundation for hostility will be cast aside. Good day to you both, Ser and Captain." She inclined her head to both before taking her leave, the maidens behind her while the guardsmen prolonged their leave just a few paces. Long enough for a staredown that implied /this/ would be continued later.
Outnumbered and unarmoured, Tam just grins a shit-eating grin at the guards - never one to back away from a fight, the sellsword-turned-hedge knight folds his arms across his chest, meeting the men stare for stare. In a perfectly pleasant voice, he answers Elinor. "I hope so as well, Lady. You been nothing but kind to me." And he's telling the truth - clearly the man has a problem only with Ser Baylor, whom he stares at with a blithe sort of disdain, the way a man eyeballs a spunky twelve-year-old. Nares' amusement is noted; with a wink aside at him, he makes a rude gesture to Baylor - safely behind Elinor's back - and turns to approach the Ironborn.
Nares watches the Banefort party depart wondering idly is it was him or Tam that caused it. Probably a mix of the two he judges after a moment's pause. Given Tam seems to have taken the hint and left the topic of the Maester's attempts to patch him up he just turns back to the Hedge-Knight and says, "Good day to you too Ser Cooper, I'm heading for the Inn." With that he turns and carefully makes his way through the square, carefully, keeping half an ear out to hear if Tam is following or not.
