| When Ironborn Meet |
| Summary: | Kate and Nares meet for the first time in years. |
| Date: | 08/12/2011 |
| Related Logs: | Directly following Purchase and Delivery |
| Players: |
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| Rockcliff Inn, Terrick's Roost |
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| The Rockcliff Inn is one of the better inns within the town and it shows with the well-lit interior and the relative cleanliness to the other locations in Terrick's Roost. The tables are polished with oils and the floor regularly swept. A set of booths towards a darker rear of the Inn's bottom floor, just beneath the staircase, are where whores generally socialize and eye prospects from when not waiting tables. Signs over the undersized bar area advertise prices for ales and wines as well as several different choices of food to be served at the small eating area by the bar or in the main open area in its comfortable seating. A door behind the bar leads to the kitchen and cellar while another near the staircase leads to a private room that would appear to be off-limits to the 'wait staff' except for food and drink service. |
| 08 Dec 288 |
The tavern is fairly empty in the afternoon, people not in after the day of work, but Kate is there. Nothing to nurse a hang over like the hair of the dog that bit you. Kate is alone this afternoon, hurting from too much drink the night before, and in a pissant sort of mood. She's sitting in the corner near the bar, her back to the wall so it can protect her undefended sides. There's some stew in front of her and a large mug of ale, but she doesn't really seem to have the taste for anything right now. Her ice eyes stare straight ahead, lost in thought.
Having noted the tavern on his way through the town to the stronghold, and the having been informed that the Lady Harlaw was in currently there, Nares had had a good idea where to look. It only took a few minutes to cover the distance back t the town square and bribe (well, okay, maybe there was a bit of threatening too) a couple of the local urchins to keep a watch on it. As he crosses the tavern threshold he has his left hand on his sword hilt and pauses to survey the scene in front of him. Needless to say, it's only a moment or two later that he spots his fellow countryman. Smiling to himself he shifts his hand to his belt instead and strides over, calling for ale from the barman as he does so.
Kathryna does a slight double take in Nares' direction — Surely not. But as she looks again, and she hears the call of his voice across the tavern, there is no denying the man who stands within the same room as her. Once lover, once comrade… Possible cousin, but it's been so long since she saw another ironborn's face, heard that accent, her heart almost catches in her throat. What in hells…? She breathes out quietly, trying to find her words as she stands to greet him, ice eyes wide with shock. She looks him up and down. "As… " She breathes out, questioning and shocked. She looks not much different from the last she saw him — a few more scars, perhaps a few more wrinkles. Pale and fiercely lovely as ever.
Nares's smile broadens at the recognition but then he frowns ever so slightly at the surprise. It would seem that Dafydd Camden had not in fact sent a raven as promised. Well, okay he might have sent it and the message not yet reached Kate, but when Rivermen are concerned in the affairs of Ironborn, he's more inclined to pump for the deliberate option. By the time he's closed the distance between them though, the frown is gone and instead he offers a polite, "My Lady," they're in public, surrounded by foreigners after all. "It's been a while, I'd have thought to have found you Captaining your own fleet by now." He too has changed little. That bit older, the odd additional scar, you know, the usual.
"Fuck this my lady shit… How the hells have you been?" Kate asks with a deep laugh, leaning over to tug him into an immediate, earnest hug with a rather violently strong thump to his back. She hugs like a man. But then, other than those few nights they spent together, she pretty much does everything else like a man. She then pulls back, nodding curtly to him. "Captaining a fleet?" She coughs out a bit of a bitter laugh, "Couldn't do that when I was body guarding the damned little bitch Asha. The Lord Paramount relied upon my sword far more than I ever cared for him to do so. Half the reason I'm here. I had to get out of that castle. And you… Why the hell are you washed ashore in this god forsaken soft land?"
Nares returns the hug as one does with a long lost comrade. Fuck the Riverlanders and their sensibilities. "I'm good," he replies as the embrace breaks. As if by magic though his ale appears to have arrived so he grabs the tankard and takes a swig before pulling a face and asking, "Is it always this bad?" Smiling again he shrugs at the bodyguarding comment, thankfully something he'd never been lumbered with then moves onto his own story. "Ah, well, you can thank your cousins for that. Oddr, the little weed who thinks his brains will make up for his lack of strength and his new sidekick Sigurd. Couldn't stand I was doing well apparently so they conspired." He takes another drink and winces again at the taste. "Don't you worry though, they may have favour for now, but I'll beat it from them yet."
The hug is kept for a few more heartbeats and then she does release him for his ale. Kate folds back down into her seat, pushing the chair out across from her, so he can sit comfortably and take drink with her. "It has been too long…" She confesses with a saucy bit of a smile, but her eyes don't quite eat him up the way they used to. Perhaps she's found another. Her expression darkens as he mentions her cousins. "…Bloody idiots. So… you've followed me here… Just because you missed me? To take yourself a soft riverlands wife? Don't even tell me you're going to voluntee-…" Then she pauses, an idea crossing her features. She half chuckles. "…you should offer to help crew this war galley of the Terricks'."
Nares laughs at the very idea of a riverlands wife as he sits. Tankard in one hand he points to Kate with his other hand, "Oh, you mark my words, it'd take a die-hard saltwife to tie me down. Anything else is good for getting you a crew of bastards but bugger all beyond that." Leaning back in the chair to get comfy he raises an eyebrow, "A war galley? What do they know of such?" Leaning forward and dropping his voice a fraction in a mock conspiratorial tone he continues, "You haven't been teaching them all our secrets have you eh? Perhaps it's a good thing I came hunting you after all!" That said, he drops his tone to one which probably won't carry throughout the entire tavern and adds, more seriously, "I'm here specifically, not just because I miss your radiant beauty as you hand me my arse in a spar," he grins for a moment, "but because you Uncle sends word." A quick glance to check no one is obviously earwigging. "I was only told it was something to do with a gatehouse but that you'd understand?"
Well shite. Kate's careless, half drunk expression falters just a bit, for a heartbeat or two, but then she gives another careless laugh and smacks him on the shoulder, like he just told a particularly dirty joke, before she's leaning forward to share the more intimate details of such a joke. Instead, her voice comes quiet and rasping. "…You have a letter? Or what is the word he has sent? Aye… I do suppose I could use assistance in these lands… with all that might occur."
Nares spots the charade and plays along, taking another swig of beer as if to congratulate himself. He meets her lean with one of his own and gives a slightly shake of the head in response. "No letter, but then with the risk of travelling alone in these parts may have dissuaded him from putting pen to paper. That’s all I was told." Got to love it really, but still, at least it does seem to have meant something to her. "This has the sounds of a conversation for a quieter time though, so let’s get drunk, reminisce on the good times and show this landsmen what it means to be Ironborn eh?"
kathryna cocks a brow, staring cooler at him for a heartbeat or two. "…Just something to do with a gate?" She huffs out quietly and then just shakes her head, sitting straighter. "Aye, getting drunk seems a lovely idea, and we can reminisce about home when this place fills up with Riverlanders who are probably all too eager to cut our throats! Keep, more ale!" Kate turns her head, yelling at the bartender, though her ice eyes are still curiously focused upon him. She wants to know.
Given Kath's change of reaction, Nares can't help but start to think that he might have been played again. Gripping his tankard he drains his drink before the new ones arrive and gives a quick, shallow nod. "Well, gatehouse rather than gate specifically, and that you'd understand." He spots the barkeep arriving though so quickly adds, in a far more jovial tone, "so that’s when I slit his throat!" He leans back and laughs again, the fake turning to genuine as the barman goes pale, deposits the beer and almost runs back to the shelter of his bar.
