(121-02-11) The Dolphins Arrive
The Dolphins Arrive
Summary: Dolphins swarm into the Whispering Sound, and some fare better than others; little Lionyl Hightower makes unlikely heroes of a pair of squires.
Date: Date of play (11/02/2014)
Related: There will be some, surely!
Players:
Arros..Laurent..Peri..Daevon..Riker..Derrioth..Kai..Victor..Kevyn..Angharad..Katya..Kesha..Keyte..Saren..Riderch..Eris..Lionyl..Jessilyn..Haydn..Garvin..

Docks, Oldtown
The docks are lined with a vast array of wood-and-stone piers, cranes, and winches dedicated to the unloading and loading of cargo and passengers alike. Here, Oldtown's life-blood of food, medicine, and other necessary goods are brought into the city in large quantities, from every kind of ship imaginable.

Day and night, the docks are abuzz with activity, packed with throngs of stevedores, sailors, passengers, rivermen, fishermen, peddlers, and the veritable fleet of ships arriving and departing. There is a distinct smell of salt, rotting timbers, and fish here.

Oldtown's mighty fleet of warships sit at anchor here, some leaving, or arriving, from patrol duties. They announce their presence with the clamor of sailors' voices aboard, and the deep throb of the drum beating time for the oarsmen aboard.

The docks are decorated with banners and crepe, silver and blue and white and grey. So are many of the boats and ships, to various degrees of elegance. The poor fishermen have tried, even, though their colours are shabby, and may have been worn every year for decades now, frayed at the edges. The women with the fishbarrels are busy hawking the little herring that are traditionally thrown to the dolphins, in sacks, in baskets, in kegs. It's a noisy, smelly affair, compounded by those who are crying fish for human consumption, fried whitebait, fresh clams.

It would be foolish to go into a boat in full armor, and so Arros wears a white Talbert and Cloak with a purple star and sword on the front. The reverse colors of House Dayne. His dark sable curls have been lightly oiled, and he has a faint smell of sandalwood about him. Despite his lack of armor the Sand Knight looks every part the Knight.

Sailors and sea-captains and fishermen and the bargemen who pole the canal-boats alike are crying out the places on their boats, offering a spot at the rail for silver, for copper. It's more costly than a trip on any other day, much more so.

Laurent stands near a cluster of barrels at one end of a pier, with a group of Tyrell armsmen. Together, they're warding the crowd away from the fish that Lord Garvin has purchased for the smallfolk until the proper time comes to give them away. Nearby is moored the Tyrell party barge, outfitted extravagantly for the occasion. The lords of the Reach have spared no expense for the festival, and already several revellers have gone aboard — some are well into their cups.

Peri is quietly exiting the Homely Whore's cabins, wearing a jade colored silk gown as she moves. "Did we forget a party?" she mumbles back towards Riker, tying the back of her gown so it is properly fitted and attractively close to her frame.

Daevon's dressed down today, in a simple outfit, for all that he too still wears his sword. He's free with his money, so much that it almost pours through his fingers. He purchases barrels of fish with instructions to just let people take them, not favouring any individual seller. A gift for the mother it shall be. Beyond that he's not actually made any plans and so he looks around for anyone he might know.

PARTY BARGE. Keyte is amongst the Tyrells gathered here, her cheeks tinted rose from her pre-party-partying. Not so drunk that she's lost her wits, she's at least chipper enough to try and strike up a conversation with one of the men-at-arms guarding her cousin's fishbarrels. "Isn't it grand?" He offers her but a grunt in reply, trying to focus on the task at hand, so she moves onto bugging Laurent, instead. "Cous! Isn't it grand?! Look at all these people!"

The iron born exits now too. His eyes squinting at the light. "Fuck's all this?" He shrugs and looks at Peri. "Must a'." He peers out now at all that is going on. Still trying to make sense of it it seems. His own black jerkin is hastily tucked in now and he shouts to one of his crew. "Get the rum. And whats the meaning of all this?"

Derrioth is simply wearing his black attire, tunic, trousers and all. He doesn't appear to be far from the barrels Laurent is guarding for the time being, but isn't looking to be going to any fish at the moment either. He is simply watching the waters in a calm manner. At his feet is his large mastiff, looking around as it sits down not too far from him, looking around slowly and carefully, occasionally glancing to the waters.

From the North come the septons, all in white. They've got a lot of boys with them, pushing the low wheeled cart that bears an oversized statue of The Mother, born on the backs of a wave of painted dolphins. They've got silver foil glued to them to make them gleam in the sun. Their arrival does not really hush the crowd selling and buying raw fish, cooked fish, spots on boats, wine-skins, marzipan dolphins, paper dolphins on sticks, streamers in blue and silver and white.

"It's a damned mess," Laurent agrees with Keyte, scowling out at the teeming crowd. In contrast to his cousin, he wears a suit of hard leather armor stamped with the arms of his house, and carries a cudgel in his hand — though his sword is still belted at his side. His dark eyes are narrow, flitting from face to face in the crowd as if he were expecting trouble even on this festival day.

Arros approaches Daevon, and gives the Maiden Knight a sly little side-look, "I've no one to go barging with. I'll have to ride with the small folk. …if only I had a rich friend with his own barge."

Kai slowly makes his way through the crowds of people, eyes set upon the distant water which he slowly grows nearer to, he keeps an eye out for any potential pickpockets, although he doubts anyone would take much interest in his coin, as he is clad in his black coat which covers all of his pouches and what not, he slowly lookg about as he reaches the pier, spotting Derrioth from where he stands at the start of it, he makes his way through the teeming crowd, approaching Derrioth.

Kevyn is moving through the crowd, trying to find an ideal watching spot for the procession. He mutters a polite, "Excuse me, pardon me" to the people he mills past, but it's not really a successful tactic for opening up any holes. Finally he just finds a spot where he can stand on his tip-toes and more or less make out snippets of what's going on.

Peri eyes Riker "Wanna go under deck and make sure they all hear?" she suggests, checking herself for nip slips as she takes a pewter mug of rum from someone. She moves to the edge of the Homely Whore, looking at all the fuss, leaning over enough that she's in danger of falling out of her top "Hello my fair Lady Keyte!" she shouts, waving.

Daevon flashes Arros a smile, goodnaturedly. "If only you did. Alas, the Maiden's Knight has a terrible secret, something that no one must know, least they think less of him for it." He lowers his voice to a conspiratoral whisper. "He has no barge, nor really any fond regard for floating vessels of any sort, be they barges, ships, or boats." And he returns to a conversational tone. "Perhaps we could press upon the Tyrell's to share their hospitality, for all that the very notion of leaving this very nice, solid ground, does not appeal."

Victor slips through the crowds like a silent shadow. The tall lean Knight in his dark armor draws little attention to himself as he moves carefully twoards the front of the crowd. Once he has a clear view of whats going on he pauses and stands there silent the only noise coming from the raven rusling its feathers as it sits upon his shoulder.

Lady Angharad Locke darts through the crowd, ducking and weaving like she's a cutpurse in flight — and with her (poor, long-suffering, harried) guard in pursuit, only her silks and sigil keep it from looking like she's bound for the pillory. Once she has the Tyrell party in sight she stops, catches her breath, composes herself. She casts a big smile back at her guard, gives him his leave, and swans over to the rathering of roses — and their tall, brooding thorn. "Lord Laurent! Lady Ke…yte!" Right? Lucky guess. "Please forgive that I'm late — have I missed a great deal?"

Derrioth looks to Kai as he approaches giving him a nod as he looks back to the waters, "So apparently there's going to be dolphins." He mutters, raising his right brow slightly. His mastiff looks over to Kai too, letting out a loud bark before looking over to the waters as well, waiting, watching.

The statue of The Mother is wooden, and perhaps hollow, and lighter than it looks. The boys in white push it down to the docks, towards the Hightower's barge.

"A mess? What?" Keyte is not agreeing about that, no. "No! It's wonderful! Look at the crowd. I'm so excited!" She buries her hands in her skirts, swishing them. Excitedly. The call of her name sets her ears a-prick, and she's looking about trying to place Peri's voice when Angharad interrupts. "Lady!" Arms fling open for an overfamiliar embrace. "Kesha. It's Kesha. You're not late at all, it's no trouble. Look, we've fish!" There are indeed barrels of them, and Laurent and a bunch of guards.

There's one. Out in the sound, jumping. A little dolphin.

Katya moves towards the Tyrell barge, having greater success navigating the crowd than poor Kevyn, at least until he stops short and she nearly knocks into him from behind. She side-steps in time but he'll get brushed by skirts and an elbow and have a tall woman muttering, "Honestly," at his shoulder. Her "Excuse me," is less than sympathetic or even entirely polite, as she rolls her eyes over her shoulder towards him. And then pauses. "I know you. You're Ser Viggo's squire. K— Keaton? Kent?"

Saren had gotten here late and the Lannister moves through the crowd slowly careful not to jostle anyone. He is easily picked out from the crowd with his golden hair, his height and his gleaming breastplate which bears the same sigil of his house as the shield he carries. He moves quite easily through the crowd up to the front near where the Tyrell's are gathered.

"And this must be why you prefer Dorne." Arros says with a light little chuckle, "You can ignore the shores with it's waters, and stay in the desert." It is now his turn to lower his voice, "Truth be told I've never seen so much water in my life before coming to Oldtown, and I've certainly never been on the water itself." He nods, "I'll let you do the talking, and play tagalong."

"You have," Laurent tells his betrothed with a nod of his head, though his tone suggests he envies her that. After a few low words with another guard, he steps away from the small knot of men-at-arms to grimace down at the lovely Lady Locke. "I've something for you," he says without preamble, then looks about for his squire. "BOY!" His voice is loud and deep, once he's spotted the lad, and he waves him toward Angharad. It may take a moment for him to press through the crowd to her, though.

Kai pulls up besides Derrioth, resting a hand atop the pommel of his longest falchion, one of three, his eyes slowly scanning the water, "I'm not exactly here for the dolphins. I am hoping something exciting happens, like an assassination, or mass panic, or suddenly that dragon comes swoops down upon us." he pauses after speaking his last statement, looking up at the sky, "Well, that would be bad for business." he says, a slight frown coming to his lips as he thinks about hundreds of people burning alive, unable to escape from the dragon because the crowd is too tightly packed.

"Oh…uhh…sorry…!" Kevyn hops hastily when Katya's 'Honestly!'s past him. "Pardon me, my lady." He gives the apology without really looking at who he's apologizing to. Though, when he does, his eyes widen slight. "Lady Ball. Uhh…yes. Aye. I serve Ser Viggo now. He's in town for the tournament and err…to be in town." He doesn't bother to correct her on his actual name.

Yay, overfamiliar embraces! Agharad hugs Keyte as though she's the dearest friend she's ever had and hasn't seen in years — there might be squealing. Or maybe she's trying to call the dolphins. "Of course, Kesha — I'm so sorry. I'm sure I'll never get it right. How lovely to see you!" She breaks the embrace with Laurent's cousin and beams up at the Tyrell lord. "Do you?" she asks, dimples deep. She smooths her dress a bit. Preen, preen. LOOK HOW PRETTY, LAURENT.

"Tel! Tel!" The most meager of Riverlander entourages contain several men in black-and-red by a makeshift hitching post, one slightly better-dressed and equipped than his three companions. The animated form of Lord Riderch Blackwood is decked out in a mail coat combined with a series of dark, polished leather straps and pads, all worn underneath a fairly clean-looking tunic with his House coat of arms on it. His eyes are decked out with dark, charcoal-derived makeup.

He waves to one of the other men as he calls out, addressing a big, broad-faced, bald man-at-arms who is passing a carrot to a big gray mare. Riderch, having caught the big man's attention, coughs. "Did the Fat Man find you?"

"Gloriously hot," Daevon replies to Arros. "And none of this wet." He gestures to the ocean. "Dorne is a fine place. Although no dolphins and I do so wish to see them." He spots Saren amidst the crowds and waves over at him. The Tyrell barge is eyed with some sense of trepiditation and for all his suggestions to Arros he doesn't make a beeline for it.

The Mother's statue is wrestled onto the prow of the Hightowers' big and beautiful barge. Actually, this goes rather well, this year. Maybe the boys practiced it.

Standing there silently Victor's dark blue eyes look over the crowd before he looks back out onto the water studying intently. His face is a carefully blank mask as he tries to keep an eye on everything at once. Those close to him may notice how tense he appears to be as well.

"The dolphins aren't why I'm really here either." Admits Derrioth, tilting his head to the left as his dog looks up and around before letting out a loud howl. The dog seems happy, wagging it tails from left to right. Derrioth looks out to the waters, frowning lightly as he appears to be somewhat bored. "I don't exactly want to meet with the dragon again, but something exciting would be nice."

Arros looks over to the Tyrell barge, and his lips curve up into a smile, "Ah. They've women." This helps make the Dornish Knight's decision, and he takes a step in that direction, "Come Ser Daevon. You know what makes feeding dolphins finer? Listening to the sweet voices of maids as they do so."

Saren spots Daevon waving to him and with a warm smile in that direction offers a wave of his own as well. Slowly the blond knight starts moving in that direction twoards where Daevon and Arros are.

The boorish Ser Laurent Tyrell doesn't even have the decency to compliment his lady, though he certainly does notice. His eyes roam over her… Dress. Yes. It's the dress. He takes it in, at length, staring for a moment before he tears his eyes away to throw a dark look at his feckless squire, who is just approaching. The knight reaches out one hand to grab the boy by the shoulder, jerking him to stand before Angharad, roughly enough that the lad stumbles. The knight gestures wordlessly between boy and lady, prompting the squire to produce a small package wrapped in paper, which he offers to Harry.

"I jest, of course," Keyte admits with a peal of laughter to compliment Angharad's squealing. "I'm Keyte. Aha! That joke never gets old." She's still giggling as she lets go, brushing down her pretty layered silk skirts. Whilst the northern girl is distracted by her betrothed, the Tyrell girl twists and rocks up onto her tippiest toes, a hand shielding her eyes as she tries to see a path out into the bay. "Curses, the boats are all in the way. Is that splash a dolphin? Maybe it's just a man overboard. Ho, what a rotten view from here! I'd hate to be stuck on the shore for the eve."

Katya nods slowly at Kevyn as he gives that somewhat. Unnecessarily elongated and strangely suspicious sort of answer. "Is he. I had not heard. Is he about just now?" She twists to try to catch sight of the young lord Cockshaw but not finding him, turns back to his squire. "Well, I am to our barge. Have you a place to watch?"

Peri slips off of the homely whore, bounding confidently and bouncing as she moves. She hums her voice as she smoothes over her long curls, taming her locks as she moves. She seems to be looking for someone to have fun with, her fingertips smoothing over her hair.

Daevon rolls his eyes at Arros. "You. Are you not content with all the women whose hearts you've already broken? Must you go and find others?" It's all said goodnaturedly. "Ser Saren, come save me from the torments of Dornishmen and their terrible charm. The Tyrell's have women, you know?" He's shaking his head in amusement.

Kevyn looks up to gawk at the passers, including the Riverlander and his charcoal makeup. "Riverlands must be a funny place," he notes, to nobody but himself. "Oh…uhh…hadn't you? Heard, I mean. I'm sure he meant to call on you soon, my lady. He's been busy preparing for the tournament." And probably also drinking, but he doesn't add that part. "He'll…likely be along soon." He leaves it vague. Not that he sounds worried about his knight. Just unsure. "Oh, I was just going to find a spot. Are you on the Tyrell barge?" He squints, as if trying to spot it.

Kai looks sideways at Derrioth, nodding as he finishes speaking, "Well, that said, riding atop a Dolphin whilst they swim is quite an enjoyable experience." he says, glancing back out at the water, and the single dolphin which he only catches glimpses of, "Are you going to enter any of the freerider tournaments?" he asks, expression blank.

"If I've broken their hearts then they won't smile at me anymore, now will they? Which means I must find new maids to favor me with their smiles." That said, Arros gives Saren a bow of his head before glancing to the Tyrell barge impatiently. "Come. We'll miss it." And that said, he strides towards the barge.

There's another splash out in the bay. The septon, the one with the biggest hat, standing on the Hightowers' barge, raises his arms and starts to speak, shouting. It doesn't stop very many of the people hawking fish and food and places on boats from shouting, too.

"If there are any I can partake in, yes. I shall." Says Derrioth bringing his hands around to fold behind his back casually. His mastiff brings himself up from sitting down, tilting its snout up to sniff quietly before sitting down once more. "Preferably a joust if I can. However I'm fine with everything else as well."

Coming to stand beside Daevon Saren can't help but grin and chuckle softly. "Fear not Ser Daevon I shall keep you company while your friend goes off to test his charm on the Tyrell women." The tall blond Lannister stands near Daevon and offers him a warm smile.

Angharad blinks rapidly, her smile faltering a moment as Laurent manhandles the squire. Lo, she even frowns — a fleeting cloud-shadow over the sunny landscape of her features. She does her best to smooth the moment over, however, reaching to steady the boy with a hand on his shoulder. "So uneven, these boards," she tsks. And it's the squire, not his knight, that gets a kiss — chaste and on the cheek, but merry. "Thank you for your service," she tells the lad, warmest of smiles, as she accepts the package. Laurent is finally included in her smile; she dips a curtsy. "And thank you, my lord. How thoughtful."

"Unfortunately, m'lord." The massive meat-shield of a man-at-arms crinkles his features towards Riderch an unmistakable grin. "I gave him what he asked for which should probably keep him busy for another week if we're lucky." He takes a self-congratulatory half-bow.

In response, the lord busts out with an almost-violent guffaw, stopping for a moment as he rests one gloved hand against the black horse, who scuffs her hoof angrily against the worn stone. "Many thanks for years of service." He finally utters, catching his breath. And right then and there he notices Kevyn as his head passes through the crowd, squinting black-lined eyes in recognition. And then there's a nod.

Daevon lets Arros go on ahead, laughing at his words. He's actually hesitant when it comes to stepping onto the barge. He smiles at Saren. "No you Ser, are a true friend." He tries to get a view of the Hightower's barge from here but it's impossible to see let alone hear.

Katya nods, "Oh, I am sure he has just been…occupied." She grins, "As he so often is. He will turn up when he does." She seems mostly unconcerned about it, and looks over her shoulder towards one of the largest of the many barges docked nearby. "Yes, with my sister and a uncountable number of cousins. Come, young Lord Cockshaw, you must join us. I am sure your knight will track you down there if he cares to." She notes his little exchange with Riderich even as they speak, and arches a brow. "Friend of yours? What an interesting-looking fellow."

Kai perks his head up slightly as Derrioth mentions jousting, "I cannot say jousting captures my interest overly so, but any Freerider melee that occurs, I will gladly participate in." he says, sparing a glance towards the more noble persons that he finds himself sharing the pier with.

"Nothing to match the favor you sent me, I'm sure," Laurent says sullenly. He watches, his expression darkening with the fear of being embarrassed, as the paper unfolds to reveal what appears to be a favor. A golden lock, too large to just be a brooch, wound through with what appears to have been a living white rose before it was dipped in lacquer and gold to gild its stem and edges. A key rests alongside it in the wrap. Laurent frowns dismally at the gift before commenting, "I'm told the lock works."

Arros casts a glance back to Daevon. He seems reluctant to leave his friend behind. He looks back at the Tyrell barge, and sighs longingly as he gazes over the lovely figures aboard, his eyes lingering on Keyte and Katya before he turns to walk back towards Daevon and Saren.

The Septon bellows out his blessing, well aware that most of the crowd either can't hear or are not paying attention. The gist of it is clear: Thank The Mother for her mercies and kindnesses, manifest in the gentle dolphins, share your wealth with them and with your fellow man, mercy and kindness and generosity for everybody. That sort of thing. When he lowers his arms and stops shouting, the boys who pushed the statue onto the Hightower barge start to sing a hymn in high sweet voices, and the poorer people, those who did not buy fish, and a few who did, start to push closer to the ships and boats. The Hightower ladies, and the children, particularly cheerfully grinning young Lordling Lionyl, start throwing the little fish from their barrels to the waiting crowd.

Kevyn lets out an awkward chuckle. "As he so often is, my lady. Aye. Oh?" He blinks at the invitation, surprised by it to look rather dumbfounded for a moment, but he recovers. Eventually. "Oh! Thank you, my lady, it'd be an honor." He'll follow her to it, as he has a very poor idea of where it is. As for Riderch, he shakes his head. "Not a friend, my lady, though he seems an interesting fellow. Met him brief down by the docks. I think he's in the region to trade…err…things." It doesn't sound evasive. He just clearly has no idea what those things are and didn't realize it until half-way through the sentence.

Derrioth chuckles lightly, "Freerider melee sounds nice as well." Says Derrioth, "I'd participate in that as well, though I have not heard of any freerider events going on yet.". Derrioth shifts his weight over to his right leg, looking out to the sea silently for a second or two before looking down to his mastiff, who looks up to him happily, tail wagging before back to the waters.

Lady Angharad smiles down at the lock and key, tracing her finger over the petals and thorns. "It's perfect," she tells Laurent, leaning up to kiss his cheek — and then, at the last moment, diverting to brush his lips with hers. It's brief and chaste but sweet, a smile for the lord to feel against his skin. "Thank you."

Daevon should have a drink to steel his nerves however he never even thought ahead. Dragons yes, he's fearless, barges on the other hand. Still when Arros starts walking back he manages to find the motivation. "What, do you need me to be there to regale the ladies with tales of your charm? For my own eloquence to make you look twice as good as you are." As the prayer's offered though he stops to listen, even if he doesn't have much of a view. And then, once it's over, he walks to the Tyrell barge.

Keyte frowns, still unable to see past the myriad of gathered vessels. She can see the Septon, though, even if nary a word he's shouting is able to be understood above the din. "What's he saying? I can't — oh." Spinning back around on her heels, she blinks a good few times at Laurent's gift to his intended. "How extravagant," she breathes, clearly impressed. And more than a little surprised. "Whoever would have picked you for such thoughtfulness, cous? Lady, you'll have rosiness from him, yet. Come! There's wine aboard!"

Kai looks at Derrioth out of the corner of his eye, "I look forward to crossing blades with you, then." he says, a slight smile coming to his lips afterwards, "How is your lover, then?" he asks, referring to a certain red-haired witch.

Laurent is surprised by the kiss, though he leans down to accept it, and is further surprised when Angharad's lips find his. He doesn't object, though. The ill-mannered knight seems ready to lean into the contact, his arms tensing as if he meant to wrap them around the maiden, but then she's pulled away again. Color rises to his cheeks, and for a moment he's lost for words. "We…" He draws the word out as he considers his response — of course it's nothing so gracious as a simple 'you're welcome.' Relieved by Keyte's interjection, he finishes with, "…Have a barge. There's wine, and…" And then he notices the crowd of smallfolk pressing forward, and realizes he's blow the timing. "Damnit all," he shouts above the noise of the crowd. "Let them through! Let them through!" At his command, the Tyrell armsmen stand aside to allow the crowd to help themselves from the barrels on the pier. At the same time, revellers on the barge begin to throw fish to the smallfolk on the pier as well.

Patting the black mare's snout with a gloved hand, Riderch's infectious, odd grin hangs firmly upon his face. "Tel, can you make sure nobody tries to steal the horses? Let me know if the Fat Man comes back too." He edges away from the hitching post and steps into the crowd, arms hanging firmly at his sides. "Bloody madhouse here."

"More like I need you to be my key to walking aboard." Arros replies with a broad grin, "Likely they'll throw me off on my brown Dornish arse if I go by myself." Arros pauses when Daevon pauses, and begins to move when he does. Soon enough, both men are nearing the Tyrell barge. He'll step aside to let the Targaryen invite himself on the barge first before he follows.

"Things, I see. Interesting things, I'm sure, from the looks of him." Katya smiles at Kevyn and then turns to lead on, though her notion of leading is more to make her way through the crowd at her own quick and nimble pace and assume he will follow. Despite the crush it's not far to the Tyrell barge, though there's another crowd nearly as large around and on it. "Excuse me," she says as she steps up to and around Daevon and Arros, offering a polite smile as she darts aboard ahead of them.

Men and women and children gather thrown fish, trying to catch them before they hit the boards of the docks. They put them in baskets, or lift the fronts of their shirts or skirts or aprons to make hammocks to carry them. Gulls scream, trying to get some of the fish for their own, and fight with cats over the few that fall.

"I wouldn't say lover, though she is doing quite well." Says Derrioth before letting out a yawn. "I grow somewhat tired, if not bored at the moment. I'll leave you to dream of dragons burning people." He says, raising his right hand to pat Kai on his left shoulder before turning on his heels and walking away, his Mastiff following shortly behind.

Kevyn nods to Katya. "Interesting things, my lady. Aye, I'm sure." Having exhausted his trade-related talk, he just follows her quietly toward the barge. Muttering the occasional "Pardon me" as he passes, though he's not really jostling anyone. Daevon and Arros get a quick inclination of his head as he passes them, though mostly he's still trying to gawk every which way. And keep an eye on the gulls, should they start dive-bombing in his vicinity. They don't, for the moment.

"Isn't it?" Angharad glows to Keyte, aflush with pride at her betrothed lord's thoughtfulness. But then — wine! And a rain of fish! The lady Locke laughs aloud, taking the hand of a Tyrell on either side. "Come, then! Let's aboard!"

Being a Targaryen certainly has it's benefits. Few people dare to say no to them. Daevon's strides gain confidence as he approaches the barge. When Katya dashes by he lets her. "Is there any room for two more?" he calls out.

Standing aside to let the ladies pass, Laurent catches sight of Daevon's small party approaching the barge. He reaches out with his cudgel to wave the men-at-arms aside with a growl of, "Let them pass." He nods to the Maiden's knight, looks over his companions, and greets the Targaryen knight in a rough voice. "Ser Daevon. Kind of you to join us." But then he's drawn along in Angharad's wake and reaching out with his free hand to take a goblet of wine as he passes a servant.

Kai watches Derrioth walk off, and then sighs quietly, slowly turning about as a fish comes flying at his face, he catches it and takes a moment to look down at it, "I wonder if one day there shall be no fish remaining." he says to himself before chucking the fish into the water, regardless of the fact that it is already quite dead. He slowly weaves his way through the crowd of people, over to the other side of the pier, and then heads towards the Tyrell barge, which he gazes at silently with hungry eyes, perhaps due to the wine. He shrugs slightly after a few moments, and looks towards the crowd of presumably poor people, wondering if any of them have full coinpurses.

Arros pauses as Katya dashes out in front of them with Kevyn, and he gives the Tyrell maiden a cursory look from behind, certainly not long enough to be lewd, before letting out a little laugh and clapping Daevon on the back rather cheerfully. "Ah, it is going to be a splendid day."

Her hand in Angharad's, Keyte tugs as she rushes across the boarding plank to the party barge, almost tripping over her skirts in all the hurry. There is wine, plenty of it, and enough people packed on the boat that one could never cry boredom for lack of conversation. She bumps into the backside of some cousin or other, who now sports a wine-stained gown. "Oops! My apologies, lady," chirps Keyte, wresting her hand back from her new biffle to steady her distant cousin and snag a goblet for herself. Over her shoulder, some familiar faces prompt a merry grin. "Sister! Is that, my charming and chivalrous lord Kevyn? And, oh!" Her eyes have gone wide with awe. "The Maiden Knight! My, hallo! Hallo Ser Daevon!"

Daevon laughs at Arros. "Well I'm glad one of us is going to have a splendid day. I'm looking forward to the dolphins." He smiles warmly at Laurent. "Thank you most kindly. How have you been?" As Keyte greets him he smiles, brilliantly. "Lady Keyte, what a pleasure. I forget, have you met my friend, Ser Arros?"

Their barrels of give-away fish empty, the Hightowers wave. Their bargemen start to pole the great barge, the sept-boys still singing, away from the docks. When it's out a bit, slim row-boats take over the task of towing it, grandly and slowly, out into the sound. The smallfolk who have places on boats run to board with their apron and armloads of free fish.

Katya's brows rise as Keyte's greeting quickly turns to a far more enthusiastic one for some knight behind her. "Yes, Lord Kevyn here was wandering, so I invited him— ah, Sers," she turns to find the source of her sister's excitement, in time for introductions, and greets Daevon and Arros with more attention this time and a polite nod. "Any friends of my sister as welcome aboard, of course."

Ducking through the crowd, the look on Riderch's face is akin to a thief who just relieved some poor bastard of his wineskin. Truth be told, he just made a quick transaction with a vendor, but his expression befits a man who just 'got away with something' as the saying indicates. Unfortunately he just went the wrong way, if he was heading back to the hitching post. "Well, shit." He mouths, to no-one in particular, as he eyes the vague direction he proceeded from in the distance. Too bad he's on the wrong side of the crowd.

Kevyn beams when Keyte remembers his name. And sketches a bow that's a graceful as he can muster. It's not, particularly, but it's competent enough. "Lady Keyte. Good day. Yes, your good sister invited me to watch on your barge. It was very generous. He offers a polite, "Good day, my lords, ladies" to the other assembled in that area.

Angharad releases Keyte's hand once they're aboard with a grin and a quick, convivial squeeze. She retains Laurent's, however, and remains neatly at his side. "Lady Katya — hello!" she greets the elder sister warmly, including Kevyn in her smile. "Lord Kevyn, is it? Lady Angharad Locke. So lovely to meet you." Then to Daevon, "Ser Daevon! How nice to see you again!" She didn't quite catch Arros' name in all the commotion, it seems, but he gets a welcoming smile. OHAI!

Daevon smiles at Katya. "Thank you for your hospitality. I am Ser Daevon Targaryen." As if his hair and eyes did not already give that away. "And this here is my good friend, Ser Arros Sand. I've heard the Tyrell's is the place to be for this festival." He smiles at Angharad. "Nice to see you Lady Harry."

Kai stands about by the Tyrell barge as long as it remains by the shore, slowly scanning the crowds for anymore incoming nobles, hoping he may use them to get onto the bloody boat and drink some wine, he sighs softly as the crowd disperses a little, as some of the men and women go to their respective boats, leaving him with a bunch of plebeians, he squints slightly, seriously doubting any of them have anything worth stealing.

Ser Laurent passes his cudgel off to a servant who clearly wasn't expecting to be handed a weapon, never bothering to look at the young man. His brow furrows as he takes a moment to actually consider Daevon's polite 'how have you been,' and in the end his answer is a noncommittal grunt. "You've met Milady Locke," he recalls, nodding toward his intended. And then there's a bit of shouting from the bargemen, and the Tyrell partycraft lurches into motion. Like the Hightower vessel, it's poled a short way — smoothly, once it's moving — before another soft jerk as sleek rowboats take over the task of pulling it. "Looks like we have you trapped now," he tells Ser Daevon, raising his heavy brows. His tone is so level that he may not be joking.

Arros sweeps into a graceful bow in front of Katya when he is introduced, and holds his hand out for the Tyrell maiden, "My Lady, I am pleased to make your acquaintance, and thankful for your hospitality." His voice has a subtle Dornish drawl, and the reverse colors of House Dayne mark him as a bastard. A Dornish Bastard on the Tyrell's barge. Oh, the scandal.

Keyte doesn't curtsy to any of these new arrivals, because this is a boat guys and she'd likely trip and fall. "Ser Arrys, a pleasure to meet you," says she, clearly having misheard the Dornishman's name. "Lord Kevyn! Of course, we're a generous bunch, as well you know. What, is that the Lord Blackwood, looking lost ashore? LORD RIDERCH," her shout is deafening, and uncomfortably high-pitched, sorry gang. The Riverlander might be able to steal aboard if he's quick, else she's a lively wave for him to mourn over as they take off.

Daevon goes a shade paler than his already fair skin as the barge starts moving. He places a hand on a railing to try and steady himself, forces a smile. Someone's clearly not all that comfortable on water. Trapped? Ha. He smiles at Laurent's joke but it doesn't stop him from looking somewhat worried.

Once one is a little way away from the docks, the boats start to spread out. The barges with their comfortable padded chairs, the big sailing ships, the little fishing boats. They fall in, moving slowly, behind the Hightowers' barge, though some of the ships are unable to trim sail so much that they won't eventually overtake the slow moving barge. Out on the water, dorsal fins and splashes and spouting dolphin breaths are visible.

Kevyn sketches a quick bow to Angharad and offers a polite, "Well met" all around, looking for a place to lean near the side of the barge. He doesn't seem uncomfortable on it, but he wants as good a view as he can get. Grinning when he spots the signs of fins in the water. Keyte shrieking at Riderch draws a slight wince, but he tries not to make too much of a face.

Katya makes another round of greetings, returning Angharad's smile as the northerner appears and giving a polite little nod to Laurent beyond. "Lady Katya. It is a pleasure to meet you, I'm sure, Ser Daevon, Ser Arros. It is a diverse contingent we play host to today, it seems—." She is distracted aside for a moment at Keyte's shouting to Riderich, giving her sister a bit of a sideways look and a discrete hand on her arm. Chill, sis. "I am sure you will find all the doors of Oldtown open eagerly before you, Ser, traveling with the famed Ser Daevon."

One of the little speckled dolphins leaps into the air, a spy-hop.

Angharad doesn't wince at Keyte's shout, but it does get her attention. She stands on tiptoes to see. "Who is that?" she asks her goodcousin-to-be — the man must certainly be of note to be so… abundantly welcome! Oh, but there's so much going on, and the lady Locke's attention is like a mayfly, quick to light and equally quick away. "Oh, look!" she gasps, pointing at the leaping dolphin. "Aren't they lovely?"

Laurent's eye follows Angharad's lead, so that he's searching for Riderch, and then admiring dolphins, in time. He doesn't find Riderch in the crowd, and isn't terribly impressed by the jumping dolphin, levelling a solid frown at the creature as it disappears gracefully back into the water. The surly Tyrell knight seems content to remain next to his betrothed, his hand in hers, sipping at Arbor red. When it becomes apparent that Harry might enjoy a better view, he clears a space at the rail through proficient use of his elbow, and gestures for her to step into the vacant spot.

And soon they're racing over, leaping low over the water and disappearing, then coming up again. The dolphins are fast, much faster than the boats, and soon the water around the flotilla is teeming with them. Thousands of them. Their squeaks sound like the chirps of little birds.

If there's a somewhat greenish caste to Daevon's complexion it's surely a result of the light. His hand's gripping the rail perhaps a bit tight, knuckles white. And he's missing the dolphins.

What a gallant elbow! Angharad puts a hand over her mouth as Laurent clears a path to the rail, seeming a little charmed at the blunt object of his method… or at least at the thought behind it. She flashes the group a parting smile — at least for the nonce — and follows the Tyrell lord to the rail. Facing out toward the water, one is as alone as one might imagine oneself. Sort of. If one has an excellent imagination. Agharad seems to, leaning a little against Laurent's arm, hands on the rail as she beams at the lovely creatures racing the barge. "Thank you," she says to her intended. "This is amazing."

One of the dolphins comes up abruptly, chirping, just near Katya. Another appears, jostling it. They open their smiling jaws. They're speckled dark grey and white on their blue-grey skins, and seem sparkly because of it.

At the edge of the deck on the House Tyrell vessel an awkward sight can be noted, indeed, there is a Blackwood that wandered aboard. Either by accident or by design, he was swept up in the crowd and there's suddenly the loud, high-pitched squeak of bootsole on ship deck and the Riverlander goes /flying/, landing backwards into an empty crate. "F-—" That's all that can be heard escape his lips as he finds himself in an ungainly position, catching his breath. Wineskin still in hand though. "Well, this is awkward." Notice that it happened /right/ as Keyte yelled at him, too. "Well, good day."

Laurent leans close to answer his betrothed, his lips near her ear. "I didn't expect them to be so LOUD." Not possessed of the Tyrells' trademark poetic soul, then. Is it some small consolation when he lets go Angharad's hand, then, to slip an arm around to pull her close? Or is it unseemly? He tends toward the latter.

More helpfully, perhaps, Laurent suggests to the lady, "There are fish," with a nod at one of the barrels spaced out on the deck.

As the dolphins begin to swarm — group — takeover? Keyte jostles aside the very same cousin whose beverage her bumping orchestrated the spilling of earlier, earning a deep scowl from the winesoaked girl as she takes her place at the side of the boat. Near enough to Daevon, she asides in decidedly more subdued tones (thankyou Katya), "Are you quite alright, my lord? Is your friend Dornish?" Her smile is bright as she turns it briefly toward the odd-looking Riverlander. "Look! Dolphins!" No time for pleasantries.

Kevyn's smile broadens as he watches the dolphins jump, nodding to Angharad. "Aye, my lady, they're grand creatures. Haven't seen them up this close since I was a lad." As opposed to the wizened all man he is now. He does turn to gawk at the loud Riverlander as Riderch awkwards himself aboard.

They're everywhere! Dolphins. And they splash with their tails. The sailing ships are too tall, but the barges are low on the water. One might touch one of the animals if one tried. And they might well get one wet. One claps its jaw shut at little Lord Lionyl, soaking him.

Daevon's being spoken to and he can't help but smile at the second of the questions. "Dornish." He says. "So very, very Dornish. Be careful around him, he's very charming." He dares to look up, over the railing at the waves and gasps with wonder. "They glitter. The Mother's blessing indeed."

"What? I wore the wrong boots." Comes Riderch's suddenly chagrinned explanation as he hefts himself up, looking at the spectacle around him. A few seconds later he takes a sharp look around, realizing that he should probably appear rather abashed. "I hope Belarius doesn't try to feed my horse cheese again." He notes, glancing off towards the now-cut-off docks. Oh, people. Quite a lot of people, and probably important types. The lordling bows, oblivious to the fact that he just fell on his arse.

Kesha, who was totally here the whole time and just stuck in some other bit of crowd until she's pushed her way back to join her sisters (she needs to stop wandering off from them all the time, geesh), points out the terribly obvious. "Dolphins! There they are!" Maybe makes up for the lack of anything interestingly original to observe by being delightfully enthusiastic in a way that has nothing to do with wine. "Oh, they are splashy." She glances over at Keyte. "Maybe you are part dolphin." Except they are twins, so that tease doesn't quite work as well as it might otherwise.

Unseemly, unschmeemly — Angharad doesn't appear to mind. In fact, she might cleave a bit closer to Laurent's side as his arm snakes around her. No a bit afraid of thorns, it seems. She glances back, smiling, but apparently disinclined to visit the fish barrels herself. For the moment. She leans up a bit, speaking softly to Laurent. "I'm so glad you liked my favor."

Katya smiles briefly at Keyte's more moderate tones, meandering toward the rail with the rest though without such obvious excitement as some others. "Ser," she greets Riderich politely, and then Arros as well, taking on the foreigners. "What brings you each to Oldtown? Dolphins alone, or some less watery business?"

"I'm always careful," Keyte promises Daevon, before heaving her upper half over the railing to spread an arm out at the dolphins. HI, DOLPHINS. "If I am, so are you," she retorts to her twin, nose wrinkling and eyes winked tight shut as a spray of water catches her in the face. "Ahhh! Kesha, hold my wine, I want to touch one!"

Kevyn leans down, down, down to try and touch a dolphin. It squawks at him and splashes him, then swims away. He teeters on the edge of the barge precariously for a moment, but manages to keep himself from falling in. So, there's that, at least.

"It was very…" Laurent pauses, struggles for the right word. His face darkens with a sudden fit of envy as he thinks of his cousins and their apparent facility with this sort of situation, and it is with a low growl of frustration in the back of his throat the he leans forward to press a kiss, briefly, to the top of Angharad's head. He pulls back, still struggling for the word. "…Perfect," he finally finishes, though it sounds lame even to his own ears.

Something in Riderch's study of the group sets off a quizzical, open-mouthed expression as he starts scratching at his chin. "No. My head's fine." The black outline surrounding his eyes frame surprise, but mirthful surprise all the same. Katya — oh wait, she's talking to him, isn't she?

"Well, I got down to the parade grounds early, had to take care of some business, m'lady. And got caught on the wrong side of a crowd, and took a gamble that being addressed was an invitation. Call it making the best of a bad situation." And then he simply bows.

The squeaking creatures leap for the little fish that the people of Oldtown throw for them. Their voices are quite soft, individually, for animals of such a size, but together it's a fair cacophany.

Riderch pauses a moment as he turns his head to eye one of the aforementioned dolphins. "They're quite chattery — aren't they?"

Daevon watches the dolphins quietly and with wonder.

"Hm." Keyte has a point, which should have been obvious. "Well, you are the splashy kind." Never-the-less, Kesha does indeed take her sister's wine so that she can touch one of the dolphins—and doesn't even openly correct her claim that she's always careful. So clearly she is the best twin sister ever.

Kai watches blankly from the pier, slowly pulling his hood over his features as he watches, ever the loner.

Lame may be in the ears of the… behearer. Or something like that. For Angharad fairly glows at Laurent's answer, blushing prettily. Her hands fold over his at her middle, her head rests against his arm. "Both perfect, then," she notes, with warm satisfaction. "Not at all a bad beginning."

The best twin, for sure! Several dolphins vie for a spot in front of Lady Keyte, all of them wrongfully assuming she might have a fish to spare. Her eyes are still squinted mostly shut, her face dripping water, as she reaches, reaches. Eventually, one of the younger dolphins snaps at her hand before moving on to find food from a more generous onlooker, and Keyte squeals. "It bit me!! Ow! The rude thing bit me!"

There are many more dolphins leaping about in the sound and jostling up to the boats than there are citizens of Oldtown. Or, at least, citizens lucky enough to have found a place for themselves on a boat. The barrels and kegs if little herring, seemingly such a great abundance when they were on the docks, start to run dry. A boy of perhaps fifteen leaps into the water from one of the fishing boats.

Kevyn takes a step back from the rail, once he's righted himself. He starts looking about for that wine that some seem to have gotten cups of. While he's doing that, his eyes go to Keyte and Kesha. He blinks, like he's doing a double-take. Which he probably is, quite literally.

"Quite," Katya agrees with Riderich, glancing at the dolphins babbling and leaping alongside the barge. "Have you come far, ser?" she wonders, looking somewhat pointedly at his eyeliner. Clearly from out of town. "I gather my sister Lady Keyte has made your acquaintance but she is rather too taken up with the dolphins to provide introductions."

The smallfolk lad can swim. The dolphins push him about like he's a toy, though.

A liveried Tyrell servant swoops in when he sees Kevyn in need of wine. The man bears a tray holding both red and gold wine from the Arbor. Nearby, another servant carries a tray full of fish-themed fingerfoods.

Near the rail with Lady Locke, Laurent's agreement sounds grim. "It could have gone worse. I never thought to be…" He trails off, then tries again. "That is, you're…" His broad shoulders shrug against her, likely jostling her a bit, and he finishes with a silent, bemused shake of his head.

Kai watches the smallfolk kid from a distance, and sighs softly, imagining the worst, and also wishing he too could go for a swim, but being weighed down by his cloak, armor and swords, he decides it is likely for the best that he does not.

They're not so gentle as the prayers make them out to be, but the little dolphins don't seem to be harming the boy. It's part of the tradition, and a few more enterprising youths take to the water. It's hot, a fine day for swimming.

Double-takes are probably not helped now that Kesha is holding Keyte's wine. "You cannot expect such creatures to be civilized," she tells her bitten sister, attempting an air of long-suffering patience, but really biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing. She leans over to look at her twin's hand. "You seem undamaged."

"Such promising beginnings, both of those statements," Angharad muses, dimples adorning her smile as she continues to watch the dolphins dance. "Maybe I'll get the rest out of you with wine, later."

Double-take is one way to put it, as Riderch's glance more or less mirrors Kevyn's. But he stays engaged with Katya's conversation for the moment as he fiddles with the wineskin he smuggled aboard. Suddenly he lets out a pointed 'ohhh'. "Yes, we seem to keep running in to each other. So you're her sister." Well, the political light bulb just went off above his head and he takes another bow, befitting Great House People (tm). "Yes, I'm Ser Riderch of House Blackwood." He uses the 'ser' a bit haltingly, but then carries on. "Raventree Hall, north of Riverrun, if you're familiar at all with the Riverlands. It's a lot — warmer here." There's an odd smirk that blooms upon his face.

"We're marked by promising beginnings," Laurent allows, even chuckling a bit as he says it. All in all, it's much more cheerful than his usual. Perhaps she will have a bit of rosiness from him, after all. His amusement is heightened a bit, even, when he points over the rail at a swimmer, claiming, "That one's going to drown. Look at him."

Keyte straightens up, offering her bit-hand for the inspection whilst she wipes her face down with the other. Despite her dramatics, her hand is just fine. "What?! No! I'm not fine, it bit me! I'm — oh." Blinking her eyes back open to take a look at her injury, she appears stunned. She's quite oblivious to all the twin-fuss going on about them. Dolphins, guys. Priorities. "Oh. Well, just as well."

The chirping and squeaking dolphins thin out a bit as the last of the fish is tossed to them. The boats, at least, those fine enough to do it, begin to show off, raising their sails and their banners to start pointless and pretty maneuvers around the bay.

Angharad gasps and leans over the rail to get a better look at the Smallfolk Most Likely to Drown. "Oh, dear, I hope not! I can't swim at all!" These two thoughts are only related, really, if one presumes that she presumes she have to save him. Which is a little daft, but dear-ish, no?

Katya is more than accustomed to the double-takes, smiling faintly before confirming, helpfully though likely unnecessarily, "Yes, there are three of us. Lady Katya," she introduces herself, "A pleasure, Ser Riderich. I am familiar with House Blackwood, of course, though I've never had the pleasure of visiting Raventree's ancient halls. Are you enjoying your visit, beside the weather?" She glances over as Keyte is bit, watching her and Kesha for a moment before looking back to the Riverlander.

Kevyn flushes and takes his wine with a mutter "Thank you" to the attendant. Now armed with a drink, he directs his attention back to the dolphins. That grin comes to his face again as he notices those swimming into the water. He looks almost tempted to join them. But he maintains his dignity and does not.

One of the boys shows off, trying to stand up on a dolphin's back. Another one jumps up and knocks him off. He comes up coughing and sputtering, pushed to the surface on the nose of a third. None of them seem to be at high risk of drowning, though their risk of looking like idiots is increasing by leaps and bounds. Especially now, as a young woman (a maiden? Still? Not likely, by her summer dress) leaps in.

"You are fine," Kesha reassures while Keyte has dramatics, a fact that is taking up most of her attentions, the rest left for the dolphins themselves, so they both miss the glances sent their way. Probably. "Yes, it would not do to have you needing to revenge on some sea creature." That just isn't done. Unless it's a white whale. She splashes some wine at one of the dolphins, who squeeks up at the boat and dives under the water, seemingly enjoying that less tha those on the boat. Then she hands it back to Keyte. "There."

"Three's a good number. I have a younger sister myself who is looking to terrorize a household in the North, soon." The Blackwood man appears to puff up a bit at someone displaying knowledge of who he is. Despite his early display, he's regaining his pseudo-lordly composure at quite a clip here.

"And I have to say I am, all things considered. Things have been more stable at home than they have in a while, so I think my parents had decided I broaden my horizons, as it were. I'm here for a while at any rate until I come to an agreement, but so far things look — good."

Angharad gasps as the probably-not-a-maid girl jumps in to join the derring-do. "Oh! Look how brave she is!" She turns to Laurent, beaming up at him. "Now I absolutely must learn how to swim — how could I have ever thought it was only for not drowning? Do you think you could teach me?"

Keyte is fine. Really. She yelps a little as Kesha pours her wine overboard, less upset about the wastage as it appears revenge is served to the rotten (no, they're magical, really) sea creature. "Ah! My thanks, dear sister. You sure showed him!" She pokes her tongue at the dolphins and drains the rest of her goblet, glancing down the boat towards Kevyn. After downing her drink in a few gulps, she observes, "You look ready to jump, my lord."

It takes Kevyn a moment to realize somebody said his name. The girl jumping into the water was very occupying. "Oh? Eh?" He blinks over at Keyte, flushing. "Oh. Umm. Does look…uh…refreshing, my lady. But it'd not be dignified." He drinks some wine.

Little Lionyl Hightower is impressed with the girl, too. He points at her, says something to the Septa at his side, and she shakes her head. So the lad darts away from her and springs into the sea, himself. This creates, well, rather an uproar on the Hightower barge.

Laurent's eyes narrow as he looks overboard; for a moment he seems to think she's asking him to teach her right now. He begins to shake his head, but takes her meaning just in time to save it. "I should think so," he answers, matter-of-fact. "You seem fit," he says with an appreciative squeeze, "And I dare say you're comfortable enough in the water." Scandalous! But then there's Kevyn, and the commotion from the Hightower barge, and he can't resist. "Dignity be damned," he calls out to the squire, gesturing with his wine glass at the Hightower barge. "The Hightower boy just went over! Jump!"

"Yes, yes I did." Kesha smooths at her skirts and tilts her chin in the air a little. Take that, majestic sea creatures. After pondering the dolphins for a moment, she follows her sister's eye over to Kevyn. "Do you need a push?" She asks (offers?) to him, with a sweet smile.

A dolphin pushes Lionyl Hightower out of the water on its nose. He squeals that high childish squeal that parents can easily identify as joy rather than terror, and which simply tortures the ears of those who don't have the instinct to tell. One of the Hightower guards goes in after him.

Which one is the twin he knows, and which the twin he doesn't? Between Kesha's smile and the twinkle in Keyte's eye, it could be either. Keyte, for her part, waggles her brows encouragingly, gesturing with a jerk of her head. "Go on," she insists to poor Kevyn. "It'll be fun!"

Kai watches the ongoings with indifference from his place at the pier, watching the ships, dolphins and now the various young people, who are likely only a year or two younger than him swim, the desire to rip his clothing off as some women dive into the water is almost overwhelming, but being a rather sensible lad, he decides that swimming is most certainly a bad idea when you are in a public place and have nowhere to store your equipment.

"I don't think that's necessary," Angharad hastens to belay Laurent's squire, should the boy have any intention of going in the drink. "He must have been swimming since he could walk — look what fun he's having — and there! Someone has him, already." She smiles, but there's a bit of pallor to her cheeks — her heart must have stopped for an instant, as well.

"Looks like those creatures can do more than just chatter. Well — I'll be damned." Riderch says, holding the wineskin aloft, staring off at the hijinks in the water, his mouth open a bit. The Riverlander's undoubtably no stranger to water, but this has him seriously impressed.

It's not true. The Hightowers are yelling, and the guard in the water is swimming after the boy, but the dolphin is pushing him further away from the Houses' barge. Lionyl himself seems delighted, but his family, quite the opposite. Another guard dives in.

Eris sheepishly walks along, eyes lowering briefly before searching beyond the pier, perhaps towards the dolphins. Her nose wrinkles up briefly at the sight of folk swimming, although the redhead manages to keep her composure as she rather awkwardly makes her way towards the water, spotting the young man whom she had spoken to yesterday the girl sweeps across the floor, effortlessly carrying herself to him.

"I'll be damned," Laurent laughs as Lionyl is carried further from the Hightower barge. "Take us closer to the boy," he calls out toward the men on the rowboats. "Closer, try and head them off!" He doesn't seem terribly worried about it all, in spite of that he's trying to steer the barge nearer to the action. He holds his betrothed against him as he calls out commands, a protective gesture that may seem a bit out of place.

"Push?" Kevyn blinks at Kesha…or Keyte…or one of them with no small amount of alarm. "Umm…I'm all right…" Still, he looks out at the water again. Now with alarm, as he sees how far out the Hightower boy is going. He puts down his wine as he hears Laurent issuing commands. "Are there ropes aboard, my…ladies?"

Angharad's smile dies a quick and pale death. "Oh, dear — they don't have him yet, do they?" She bites her bottom lip, glancing at Laurent's squire. "If we get in reasonable distance and you think you can, do go after him," she amends her instructions of a moment ago. Ah! Ropes! Ropes are heavy. "Help him," she points Laurent's squire to Kevyn.

Kai glances back momentarily from his place at the end of the pier, which now is not entirely crowded, although there are still quite a few people about, a slight smile comes to his lips as he notes the approaching woman, he turns to face her, hand lightly rested atop the pommel of his longest falchion, calling out towards the woman, "It is a pleasure to see you again, Eris." he says as she approaches, apparently quite good at remembering names and such.

Lord Lionyl's Septa's shouts grow more frantic. During one of the pauses when she takes a breath, there's an unfortunate gap of quiet in which the Septon, the one with the biggest hat, says, "It's the will of The Mother for the lack of generosity with wine," and then looks appalled with himself. Nobody actually appears to notice. Shortly after, his words are swallowed by the smallfolk lads in the water, cheering Lionyl on.

Riderch lamely adds, "Or not." Not the first time he's been wrong. While not done up in full parade armor, the 'ceremonial' mail he's wearing at the moment gets thumbed idly. Whether he too is entertaining impossible thoughts of jumping in the water or considering the possibility that he too might go overboard by accident is impossible to say. But as the men scramble to make themselves useful, he merely hands off his wineskin to — well, someone. If there are no takers he just puts it in the crate he fell into and looks to see exactly /who/ is pitching in and looks towards Kevyn. "A fishing net would be too much to hope for." Clearly Westeros doesn't have a market for dolphin-safe salmon.

Laurent's squire, a nameless noble lad of no distinction, takes Angharad's instruction easily. He hastens to find the rope that Kevyn has requested, even as Ser Laurent himself is bellowing out, "Of course there's rope, it's a damned boat." He tries to maintain a hold on Angharad as he stalks toward the prow of the barge, if a barge can be said to have a prow, at any rate. "You men," he calls to the rowers as he gets nearer to them. "That way!" They know their business, but he's a brutish, bossy sort.

"Yes, push. If your courage is failing you." Kesha (or Keyte, for all Kevyn knows) mimes a push overboard, still smiling with a sweetness that might be suspicious. "Or if you are afraid of fun, perhaps." She is so caught up in needling the fellow that she misses some of the commotion. "Ropes? Oh," she says, looking out at the water. "The guards will surely collect him, won't they?" That's what they are for, right?

Eris albeit uncomfortable to make her way through such a crowd, she manages not to push nor shove between…lumps of flesh. Never the less, her chin tips upwards, perhaps to meet his own gaze without success. Nibbling at the bottom of her peachy lips, the woman returns the welcoming gesture with a slight wave, "Ah, yes. Kai, was it? A pleasure." Although trying her best not to rush, she finds herself dawdling instead.

Keyte starts to giggle, her shoulders shaking with wine-fuelled mirth. She makes a shoo-ing motion with her hands. Come on, Kev. Deferring to her twin at the question of ropes, then to Laurent as he gruffs at the lot of them. "I don't know that the little lord wants for collecting, see. He looks like he's having so much fun," she says, seemingly talking to Kesha again.

Kevyn shrugs at Riderch. "I doubt the Tyrells were thinking on catching fish today, alas. Aye, thanks." The last to the lad who hands him the rope, flushing at Laurent's bellowing. Still, now that he has it, he'll try to put it to good use. Kesha and Keyte earn a dubious look, about how much fun the Hightower boy is having. Plus, he doesn't want them to push him in. So he edges away, over to the side as the barge nears the boy in the water.

Kai slowly turns to the side once more, gesturing towards the water, "Care to join me?" he asks, most likely referring to the watching of the mass amounts of dolphins swimming about, a pretty sight to be sure, his slight smile never leaving his features.

Seeing the men have the ropes in hand, Riderch does what any good visitor should do - stay the /Hell/ out of the way.

The dolphins pair up, one pushing Lionyl to another, which comes up under the boy so he's straddling its head. It sculls along the top of the water, carrying him. He shrieks with joy. His guards, swimming laboriously after him, lose ground fast.

Angharad rests a hand on Laurent's chest, snugged to his side as she still is, and lifts on tiptoes to better see the boy in the water. "Oh, the poor thing is going to get such a beating…"

Eris hums quietly as she makes her way towards the latter, finding herself in front of him in a matter of seconds. "Perhaps." She teases in response, although allows her eyes to wander beyond the man in front of her, lips tilting upwards at the sight of the dolphins as she allows a smile to grace her features.

"Oh, yes, terrible amounts of fun." Probably too much fun, but that's not really Kesha's point in agreeing with her twin. Does she look slightly disappointed that Kevyn is edging away from them? Maybe. Maybe that is a pout. Fun ruiner.

"The rowboats are faster," Laurent says, looking down to Angharad for confirmation. "Cut a boat loose," he calls out, gesturing Kevyn and his own squire toward the rail. "Onto the boat, they'll row you out to him," he yells above the din. "The barge isn't going to catch them." Looking from Lionyl to his flagging guards, he adds, "No more than those two are."

Kai remains behind Eris, quite enjoying the view, "The boy being carried away is Lionyl Hightower, in case you were wondering, which is why the nobles and such are in such an uproar." he explains, then looking towards Eris once more, "..Tis' a beautiful display." he says, referring to the dolphins, probably.

"Oh, how clever!" Angharad smiles at Laurent, all admiration. "Yes, a smaller boat should do it!"

He is a fun ruiner, isn't he? Keyte shares a disappointed look with Kesha over Kevyn's selfish edging away. But Laurent will save their fun! Her expression brightens again as their cous directs the squires into one of the rowboats. "Do you think they'll fall in trying, Kesha?"

Eris lets out a chirp of approval at the sight, resisting the urge to giggle under her breath. "How preposterous." She muses, rather sarcastically at that. Slowly her gaze turns to the nobles, then to the boy. Although not for long, instead she allows her eyes to linger upon the view. "Indeed. Do you always come here?"

"Oh! Aye, Ser," Kevyn says, hopping to to get into the rowboat with Laurent's own squire. He casts a quick look over his shoulder to check the location of the twins. Is he afraid they're lurking to push him into the water? Perhaps. He does his very, very best to board a rowboat without dunking himself.

There's a lot of happy squeaking. One of the smallfolk lads who was swimming turns to stroke towards young Lionyl.

Kai perks his head up slightly at Eris's words, momentarily removing his gaze from the view, as it were, "I come here on occasion, yes, but from what I understand, the display before you is not something that happens often." he says, turning his gaze back to the view, "It is a good place for viewing the sun's rise and setting, though." he finishes.

Laurent draws the long knife he wears at his belt, pushing through the crowd at the rail to cut the rope attaching one of the boats — the one Kevyn and Laurent's poor squire have boarded — loose. Once they have boarded, that is. That done, he looks over his shoulder to find Angharad, and extends his hand to her in an effort to pull her to his side again.

"Wouldn't that be something?" Kesha asides to Keyte, wondering if they'll see some falls. If that something is good or bad is a little vague, though she sounds a little rubberneck-y. "They do seem to be trying some heroics, though." And not accidents.

Eris returns the gaze, although she quickly shifts it back towards the harbor, toes curling up in her boots. Listening intently to his words, the woman nods in agreement. "Fair enough…" She speaks softly, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. Eris sighs, "I've never found the water erm…pleasant. But I suppose a sunrise or set will do." She concludes, her eyebrows quickly raising again.

A man's got to do what a man's got to do, and Angharad lets hers cut the ropes. Like a boss. When he turns to look back for her, and — all the more wonderful — extends his hand… she might swoon a little. At the very least, she beams, and places her hand in his.

The squeaking dolphins push Lionyl back towards one of the boats.

"Well, this has been quite the little drama," Katya turns aside from her conversation with Riderich/observation of Lionyl's rescue-in-progress to collect another goblet of wine. She doesn't seem especially concerned. "Ser Arros, still here?" As if he might have jumped off and swum for shore himself. She smiles crookedly, "What do you make of Oldtown, Ser? Visiting long?"

Kevyn boards the rowboat without falling or being pushed in by a Tyrell twin. Small accomplishments. He still has the rope with him, which he sort of unfurls to make sure Laurent's squire can get a hand on it if he needs to. That done, he takes an oar, peering out onto the water. One hand raises to wave to Lionel, when he sees the boy being pushed back toward the boats. "Oi! All right, lad?"

Kai ;'s smile widens a tad as Eris speaks, "Well, I would not recommend going for a swim if you have fear for the water, I would imagine the dolphins would just love to carry a beauty such as yourself far, far away." he jokes, although his jokes always sound at least half-serious, "And that would be bad, for I would see you no longer, although I suppose I could try and ride a dolphin after you, tis' actually quite a pleasant experience."

The boy giggles, gulps water, and then starts coughing and sputtering.

Keyte is hopeful with her lofted brows and little nods as she watches on at all the kerfuffle. She scootches a little closer to her twin sister. "Oh, I say. The little lord looks to have taken too deep a drink with his dolphin friends. I wonder why they're not biting him."

Arros has been watching the going-ons from a chair rather quietly. At closer glance, it appears that the waves in the sound, mild as they are, have made the Dornishman rather green under his swarthy skin. So, there was no flirting from the indigo-eyed knight. He turns his head to look at Katya, "It's very lovely, my lady." His head turns back to the sight of the young Hightower boy sputtering.

Laurent pulls Angharad close, still holding the knife in his other hand, forgotten as he watches Kevyn and his own squire row out toward the sputtering Hightower heir. In the boat, the rowers carry the two squires as swiftly as they can toward young Lionyl, fearful for the boy's safety — or perhaps fearful of Laurent's anger. He does have a temper.

Eris tilts her head slightly, pivoting her frame to face him completely, shoes clacking with said movement. Her lips open partially before finding themselves meeting her cheeks, an unintentional giggle slicing through the air effortlessly, simply. Quickly spotting her mistake the nibbling of bottom-lips commences, a scarcely waivering voice speaking in response, "Oh, please. Surely they have much better tastes? Besides, I suppose I'd be rather heavy." Perhaps a jest, perhaps not.

Angharad leans up, hands on Laurent's shoulder, until she's on tiptoes and can just reach his ear. "You can put the knife away now, I think," she murmurs. And just might brush the hinge of his jaw with her lips, all scandalously scandalous.

"So he has," Kesha replies to her twin with a moderate amount of worry, nodding her head slightly as she watches the boy sputter. "Perhaps he does not remind them so much of fish. Or too much like their own kind." She leans over the rail a bit.

Kai chuckles at the womans lip-nibbling, his smile widening slightly to show white teeth, "I assure you, my taste is the finest there is." he says, ever the elitist, speaking up again as the woman calls herself heavy, "And I assure you, you have curves in all the right places, I suspect it has little to do with being heavy." he says, putting on that flirtatious, half-joking tone again.

"Grab on!" Kevyn yells to the Hightower lad, throwing the rope out of the boat, motioning to Laurent's squire to keep ahold of it. He leans out, rather precariously, to extend a hand to the lad. He'll grasp him if he can, if he doesn't get a handle on the rope first.

At the reminder, Laurent does slip the knife into the sheath. The touch of Angharad's lips to his jaw draws his attention away from the scene, if only for a moment, and it's a rare smile he turns on his betrothed. A genuine grin, his face flushed in this tense moment. He beams at her, but just as quickly his dark eyes return to Kevyn's small craft, and the flailing Hightower boy. The fingers of his now-empty hand curl into a fist, and he pounds that fist against the rail of the barge.

The boy grabs for the rope, coughing, and then giggles as a dolphin pokes him with its snout.

Katya leans over to watch as Kevyn makes a grab for the child, before turning a glance back towards Arros. "It seems you take Nymeria's stance against ships rather personally, Ser," she remarks, lips curving slightly in amusement. She takes a sip of wine, "Fear not, I think we shall be turning back soon."

Eris she raises a hand to her mouth, perhaps covering the inside of it as she giggles yet again, although this time it's more prolonged and calculated, her own smile widening, albeit not showing teeth as she lowers her hand. "Oh you are too much of a darling.." She does not flirt, tilting her head at the other, "I do hope so. At least I'm not a twig like most." She muses.

Laurent's unabashed — if only for a moment — grin makes Angharad laugh with delight. She rests her head against him, securely against his side, and watches the rescue with great contentment.

Lionyl, on the rope, paddles to within Kevyn's reach.

Kevyn snorts as the Hightower boy giggles, shaking his head, tugging with Laurent's squire on the rope to haul him into the rowboat. He offers the lad a hand as he settles. Doing his best not to make sure the little boat doesn't overturn before they get back. That'd be rather embarrassing.

The boy giggles more. He pants, catching his breath, then shouts. "Again!" to Kevyn. Quite unnecessarily loud.

"Perhaps not," Keyte agrees with a wrinkle of her nose as she leans forward, too. "Oh, look. The lord Kevyn to the rescue! His knight should be well pleased with his heroic efforts, I should think. Is there more wine about? This deserves a toast." Pushing herself from the rails, the older of the twins disappears amongst a bevy of Tyrells and their hangers-on to hunt down another glass.

Kai nods slowly, "Yes, tis' a pleasant change to say the least." he says in reply to Eris, and her statement about twigs, his gaze then slowly turning back towards Lionyl and what not, "It seems they have secured the Hightower boy, most likely to his dissatisfaction." he says, his smile slowly going back to his usual, slight one.

"The Stranger's bleeding arse," Laurent curses foully, but with a savage enthusiasm, "I thought that boy was dead!" His laugh rings out, adding to the din, and he pounds his fist on the rail again as he turns to look down on Angharad. "That was a near thing. What's that boy's name? The squire?" Because she's social. She knows people. Never mind she's brand new to Oldtown.

Angharad says to Laurent, "Remember when I said the only two things I knew about children was love them and try to keep them from dying?" She lifts her chin in the direction of the rescue. "This is what I was worried about." More laughter at her betrothed's shouting, then she supplies, "Kevyn, I believe, my lord. Your lady cousins seem to be acquainted with him." They'd know the particulars. "Your own squire provided very able assistance."

"Ah, successful heroics it is, then." If Kesha sounds a little surprised this seems to be the result, rather than the squires and such ending up in the water as the boat was overturned, well… "Do not toast too much, dear sister," she tells Keyte, rather offhandedly. She doesn't really seem to care how much toasting she does as much as she wants to be able to say 'I told you so' later if it all goes wrong.

Eris she nods in response, blinking slowly, delibrately. She pivots her frame as well, staring off at both the nobles, and the young boy. Caring little for the scene they were creating she turns back to Kai, inhaling sharply. "I wish I could say it was even the least bit interesting." Her word had a sharp tinge to them, maybe unintentionally.

Arros laughs weakly at Katya's jest. Once the boy is pulled to safety he tries to straighten up as much as possible. He does look rather green hinged, but he's managed not to vomit off the side of the boat yet. "Perhaps this is why I was born in the desert and not the shore. Still, I must look like a priss. I apologize, My Lady. I am usually much better company."

Laurent seems surprised, and not a little bit confused, at Angharad's praise of his own squire. "Did he?" The usually dour Tyrell knight's face contorts as he plays things back in his head, nodding slowly as they unfold in his mind. "He's usually a clumsy mess. Always underfoot." Still, he isn't arguing, no matter that he might like to. He looks out toward the boat again, holding Harry against him as the small craft comes back toward the barge. He calls out to the croud at large, "Who is that lad? Not my squire — the brave one! Kevyn what?"

Kevyn blinks at Lionel Hightower. "Uh…no," he says, when the lad shouts 'Again!' He will happily sit back and get himself rowed to the barge.

Kai chuckles once more, turning his gaze back towards her, "You are right, it would have been so much better if somebody drowned, or perhaps the dragon that recently visited could have graced us with it's presence and rained down fiery hell, would have made for a much better show." he says, finding the woman's lack of interest amusing, or perhaps he is pleased, as she seems to prefer coversing with him, rather than watching the Hightower boy get saved.

"Yes!" says the lordling. "You swim too!" Then the child frowns at Kevyn, "Who're you, anyway?" From the Hightower barge, there are shouts. "Bring him here!"

Angharad sighs, reaching for a cup of wine for herself. "The Wall wasn't built in a day," she murmurs to herself, drinking and rather merry, for all that.

Kevyn just clears his throat when the Hightower lad frowns at him. He's polite enough not to frown back, though. He does direct the rowers to return him to the Hightower barge when they start shouting, and the men start paddling in that direction.

"I suppose not," Laurent agrees, taking another cup of wine as well when a servant draws near. Fine Arbor red. "The best wine in Westeros," Laurent claims as he glances down into the drink. He leans in to murmur something then, so close to Angharad's ear that it's only audible to her.

The boats from the Hightower barge skim out to meet Kevyn's. The guards, still in the water, splash about trying to figure out what happened.

"No doubt," Katya agrees with Arros, presumably about the appropriate location of his birth and not that he looks like a priss but the lady doesn't bother to make that clear. But she does smile, "Perhaps you will have a chance to prove that claim, ser, if you intend to remain in Oldtown long?"

Angharad tilts her head slightly to catch Laurent's whisper, then turns her face to his, noses and foreheads touching a moment before she kisses him with her wide, winsome smile.

A romantic moment between Ser Laurent Tyrell and his betrothed lady? Aboard a barge, in public? It seems to be. The Tyrell knight, usually so surly, squeezes her to him when their lips meet. He's eager for the kiss, even greedy, but lets it break when she's ready. He holds the contact between their foreheads for just a moment long before he straightens, nodding out to where Kevyn and his small crew approach the Hightower craft.

"I am pondering staying after the Festival, but I haven't completely made up my mind yet." Arros tells Katya. His eyes tilt from the maid's face over to where Laurent and Angharad are, before he looks back to Katya, "At least some are enjoying themselves." His tone is filled with mirth.

Kevyn puts a hand against the side of the rowboat, to steady it again while the Hightower men row out to reclaim young Lionel. He exchanges a shrug and grin with Laurent's squire as they do. "Wonder if the Tyrell sisters saw that," he muses to the other squire.

The Hightower guards claim Lionyl, and keep a grip on the kid. "Thank you, Ser," one of them says to Kevyn, as they begin to row back to the barge.

"Noooo!" yells Lionyl. "AGAIN!" Little kids have such high voices.

Eris straightens up slightly, muscles tensing and back crackling with the movement, she goes rigid briefly before peering back out at the water. "It would, drama is entertaining, is it not?" She jests, giggling accordingly. "Eh? Dragon?" She stares at him in alarm, not picking up on the joke at first, although soon her shoulders sag and features relax.

The little lord's cries, carrying easily across the water, make Angharad giggle, which puts a sweet end to the betrothed couple's kissing. She rests her head against Laurent's arm again, watching the exchange at the Hightower barge and sipping her wine.

Aboard the boat, the nameless squire reddens as he dares to reply to Kevyn. "I hope so. The Lady Keyte is stunning! Or is that the Lady Kesha?" He seems mortified that he said it at all, once it's out of his mouth, and his eyes widen.

Meanwhile, onboard the party barge, Laurent seems content to enjoy a quiet moment with Angharad. He's not fantasizing about beating his squire for his impertinence. Not yet.

Kevyn replies with an "Uhh" when he's Ser'd by the Hightower. He doesn't correct the man, though. He just elbows his fellow squire and says, "Quite welcome." Once Lionel is back on the Hightower barge, he asks the rowers to return Tyrell-wards.

Kai nods slowly, "Yes, the dragon that recently swooped down upon these docks and picked up a whore, and then ate her. Tis' why it is called the Whoremaster." he says, appearing quite serious, although he keeps that slight smile worn firmly upon his face, enjoying the shifts in the woman's stance, and emotion.

"They both get to be heroes and show off for your lovely cousins, as well," Angharad observes over her wine. "How absolutely charming. I do so like your squire, my lord. What's his name?"

Having carved out his own little wine-consuming territory on the Tyrell barge, the Riverlander has been intensely quiet as the little crisis with the Hightower boy. Riderch leans silently against another stack of storage crates, staring off at the boat traffic. "Huh." He finally offers, neutrally, before taking a few measured steps back towards the more crowded edge of the vessel.

Little Lord Lionyl, in his silk brocade, is drawn back into the Hightower barge. And yelled at. It's all fun and games until the youngest heir to the House starts to cry. There is shouting. The rowboats are tethered to the barge again in preparation for hauling it back to the docks.

Eris she blinks in surprise, turning to him completely and raising an eyebrow, although as he entitles the Dragon, she cannot help but let out an unintentional, fumbled giggle, hands both clamping over her mouth. "That's….vulgar." She concludes, although could not help the little amused smile spreading across her lips.

Kesha does a bit of quiet clapping as the Hightower boy is rescued from running away to join the dolphins. Good show, and all that. (And since Keyte isn't here to defend herself, Kesha is so the prettier one, obviously).

Jessilyn speaks from the back of the crowd where she and a couple of the Bawdy Girls have kept to themselves towards Kai, "It wasn't these docks. She was outside of the city. Picking flowers for the vases at the house. It hunted her, sent by someone from her past no doubt. But it's no master and the name is idiotic. It just had a taste for Lys perhaps."

Katya politely applauds the efforts of Kevyn and the others as Lionyl is returned to his minders. "Indeed," she says rather dryly, "I would keep a close eye on him if we do not wish a repeat performance today. How are you acquainted with Ser Daevon?"

That serves to darken his mood a bit. His squire, aspiring to impress one of his lady cousins? That won't do at all. "Willem," he answers sourly. "Fossoway. He took sick last winter, and I thought he'd die," the tall knight says with a frown. "But he didn't."

Angharad lifts her eyebrows a bit. "Well, I think he's a fine boy," she asserts, lifting her chin a bit to look out at the returning rowboat. "I'm sure he'll be worthy of his spurs, with your guidance."

Kevyn is grinning, riding high from being Ser'd by a Hightower. Maybe rather pleased with himself. Just maybe. He stands up in the rowboat once it's back in the vicinity of the Tyrell barge, in an attempt to ride back in vaguely impressive fashion. Which…combined with a wave that hits the little boat, causes it to rock precariously. And Kevyn promptly tips back, over the side of it, with a splash. He at least treads out without getting dragged out to sea by a dolphin. So, there's that.

"Ah, are they not to be married? It is good they are so compatible." Arros takes a goblet of wine from a passing servant's tray, and has a healthy swallow, "Not many are so lucky." He nods his head, "Ser Daevon is my friend. He was the only Knight to be kind to me when I first arrived. I had to prove that I wasn't some sort of scoundrel to the others before they accepted me." He has another swallow before adding nonchalantly, "And beat one of them up a bit."

Kai slowly turns his gaze towards Jessilyn as she speaks, turning to face her, "I see, thank you for explaining that for me, the rumors have been.. Exaggerated, to say the least." he says with a calm smile, nodding towards the multiple women that seem to be approaching him, "I meant no offence, forgive me?" he finishes, courteous, as per usual, his smile directed towards Jessilyn now.

Eris clears her throat quietly, moving to slip through the crowd and away from the current grouping, a certain stride to her step.

Laurent grunts something noncommittal in answer to Harry's opinion of his squire, distracted by Kevyn's triumphant return. He raises his glass, about to call out a toast, when the lad pitches backward out of the rowboat. This draws a laugh from Laurent, as well as some of the others nearby. But then the burly Tyrell knight is stepping up onto the barge's lower rail, balancing himself against the upper as he raises his cup above his head, which is now well above the crowd. "To Kevyn," he begins, then turns to call out over his shoulder, "What's your name, Boy?"

Most of the fleet starts back to the docks. The young people who swam climb aboard passing boats, not necessarily the ones they came out on.

Jessilyn gives Kai a little smirk and an incline of her head when she looks back up she tosses in a sultry wink and even a little air kiss. But for the most part the Madam and her small contingent of whores are rather subdued, mourning said whore in question. "Glad to settle the rumors."

Angharad wrinkles her nose, making a little face. This thing about Laurent's squire may become a bone of contention between the apparently happy couple… but she's not about to stand down. She steps lightly up beside her lord, lifting her own glass, "And Willem Fossoway, who most ably assisted the rescue. To the health of these fine squires, their knights, and our good Lords Hightower!"

Kai watches Eris go silently, letting a quiet chuckle escape him for a moment before he turns his gaze over to the returning boats, speaking to Jessilyn, "It seems you and your girls chose a good time to come out, for it seems the fleet is returning." he says, nodding towards the returning boats.

Kevyn splutters some as he climbs back into the boat. And then, subsequently, hauls himself onto the barge. The toasting, at least, takes some of the sting out of his self-dunking. "Kevyn Cockshaw, my lord, is how I'm called. Squired to my cousin, Ser Viggo." He shares a quick grin with Willem, standing up a notch taller.

The Hightower barge is towed to Battle Island, and half it's contingent, including a very furious Lordling, are brought up in the lift on the little island's cliff of a bank. Too much fun for one small boy, today. Dolphins chase the boats back to the docks.

"Kevyn Cockshaw," Laurent calls out, lurching dangerously as the barge starts back toward the shore, throwing a hand out thoughtlessly to support Angharad as well — though she likely fares better than he does. "And Willem Fossoway," he adds, a bit more subdued. "And to Ser Viggo Cockshaw and the Lords Hightower." He turns to nod at his lady, even if he doesn't entirely agree with her, and then downs the remainder of his wine before stepping back down to the deck and offering her his hand in support.

Lazily strolling across the deck, Riderch has somehow accquired another wineskin (this is in addition to the one he brought aboard). Rather than two-fisting them, he has the other slung under his left arm as he makes a beeline towards the victorious Cockshaw. He hefts his own skin in response to Angharad's toast. "HAIL!" Not drinking yet though, he surreptitiously approaches Cockshaw and Fossaway alike and hefts the spare skin in the air. "You two look thirsty." He says, with a suddenly vulpine grin.

Angharad calls, "Hear, hear!" to the general toast, drinking and then taking the proffered hand to step down. She gives her intended the sweetest of smiles.

Katya looks momentarily confused, but then laughs and says, "Oh, yes, they are betrothed. I had thought you meant the child." As for his rocky path to acceptance, she smiles. "Is that not generally the way with knights? And men generally? I thought beating one another up was an integral part of the process in all events." She lifts her cup with the host, and drinks more or less in unison.

Jessilyn's subdued airs start to brighten as her band of Mummers begin to play rousing merry tunes and the whores who nearly all could be a mummer upon retiring from the oldest of professions all begin to clap and sing along as they all move to gather around the statue of The Mother that rolls off of her barge carried and pushed by boys in white. Kai is given a gesture by Jessilyn to call him over to join them in the festivities that are quickly building. Some of her girls have cheeks that are runned with tears as they sing, many of them wishing Silken was here to sing and dance with them. But they smile and sing and away they go! The parade has begun!

As the barge pulls back to its mooring, Laurent makes his way toward the boarding plank. "Time for the parade, I think," he tells Harry over his shoulder. "I need to change." He looks around for his squire, and calls out crossly when he sees young Willem enjoying himself. "Boy! Fetch my armor!" He squeezes the lady's hand once, turning his dark eyes back to her to ask, "Where will I see you?"

Smallfolk join in, following, singing along. A couple of fishermen have a life-sized fabric dolphin, made of silk and shaped with willow-hoops. It's on sticks, and they make it leap above their heads as they follow after the mummers. Children with smaller versions of the puppet, paper ones, run after.

"It seems that way, sometimes." Arros is more than happy to depart from the boat once it is docked, and throws the rest of his wine down his throat before standing to bow to Katya, "I must prepare myself for the parade. Do have a lovely night, My Lady."

"Where would you like me?" asks Angharad, then blushes and closes her eyes, putting the heel of her hand to her forehead and laughing. "I mean… uhm… where will you be? Once you've… paraded."

Kevyn basks in being toasted, and enjoy his cup of wine, before he disembarks for the parade. Sloshing a bit as he goes.

"The Manse," Laurent calls out, as he trots off after Willem. "I'll look for you along the way, but I'll return to the Garden Isle once it's all finished!" He hurries away, to arm and armor himself, and return among the knights who will ride in the tourney.

Kai walks towards the girls as Jessilyn gestures towards him, and join them he does, albeit at a somewhat subdued pace, not being one for joyous dancing, but dance he does with the girls, a slight smile gracing his features as his cloak flaps about, he moves in sync with the mummers and what not, being sure to be quite close to an attractive girl or two, or perhaps ten.

Haydn Lannister who's wearing his shiny polished and gold lion etched steel armor that is edged an gold as well parades along on his massive destrier that is a buckskin with a golden coat and the stallion's black mane and tail have been sun bleached and rubbed with henna enough that it is a lustrous crimson, so even his horse is Lannister Gold and Crimson. At least it is underneath all of the plate barding that's designed to match his rider's armor and shield. The one thing that sticks out again the red and gold glittering is a little banner that is pinned over the heart of his breast plate which is a little banner of green with an embroidered lily upon it. The lance he carries upright and pointing tall and high in the sky as well has a ribbon of green dangling and whipping about in the wind coming off of the sound.

Even the white-clad boys from the sept seem to be enjoying themselves. At least, on the parts of the route that aren't too steep, or too roughly cobbled. The septon with the big hat follows, throwing hazel-nuts.

Angharad waves to Laurent, blowing a kiss, and then turns to take her leave of the remaining Tyrells, beaming. "Ladies — Katya, Kesha, Keyte — what a delight it's been. Thank you so much for having me along."

Among the knights of the Reach that ride in the parade, sitting tall and proud on fine, large steeds are the Knights of Blackcrown who have come to participate. Many have horned helms and bear some variation of House Bulwer's crest. Some of these knights are merely sworn swords, but others are actual Bulwers, and in the lead rides Mark Bulwer himself. His helm is finely crafted, made to resemble a bull's head, and the horns sparkle in the sunlight due to the fact that they are silver - a nod to his father, no doubt, the man that was known as the Golden Bull. As one, the Blackcrown knights shift in their saddles, shifting their heads to the ride and dipping their pennant-wrapped lances in shallow salute to the crowd before turning forwards once more. A moment later, they do the same technique, but to the left. These knights are no stranger to the tourney, and know well how to get the crowd's attention and good cheer. Indeed, every block or so, servants running alongside the knights, dressed in the red and white colors of the house, throw copper coins and candies to the smallfolk, and tiny dolphin-shaped figurines and toys as well. The Bulwer's are no strangers to the Dolphin Festival, either.

More and more mummers who seemed to be laying in wait within the nooks and crannies of the road along the parade route begin to play and gather around he statues. In the steeper parts some of the drummers turn about to push the back of the float with their arses and drum a marching cadence so the push upwards is lively as well.

One of the boy's pushing the Mother's statue gropes a Mummer's behind as the parade heads up Hightower Street. The septon with the big hat, normally tossing his hazel-nuts to the watching crowd of smallfolk, beans the lad in the forehead with one.

Ser Laurent Tyrell rides in the parade, resplendent as a Tyrell lord should be. His armor is the finest plate, the steel as dark as his humor, polished to brilliance by his squire. He wears an armet helm, the visor closed so that one must identify him by his arms alone — a gold rose on a green field, featuring prominent thorns. Those arms are on the shield he carries in his left hand, as well as his horse's caparison. He holds a lance in his right hand, often raised in a salute to the crowd. He wears a favor prominently displayed — a key, highly stylized, its head a rose in bloom. The stem of the rose, resplendent with thorns, winds lovingly down the shaft to the tip, where the thorns also make the teeth.

His horse is a great, ill-tempered black destrier, a noisy stallion that he has to fight to keep away from the other horses and the crowd. It is bulky with armor beneath its caparison, making the huge beast seem even larger.

Ser Laurent rides among a small contingent of knights of the Reach, drawn from House Tyrell and their bannermen, The Thorn commanding a prominent place among them.

Jessilyn and her girls have taken up some puppets and as usual with every festival the girls from the Bawdy Bard sing and dance a touch suggestively with the Dolphin puppets that are a fleshy shade of pink. Leave it to the Bawdy Bard to make the 'pink dolphin' lewd references! They smile and sing and clap and waggle their puppets in ways that many a child gets their head turned away as they proceed.

Arros rides in, dressed this time in armor that is enameled white with the purple inverse of the star and sword of Dayne on his breastplate. He does not wear a helm, preferring to show his handsome face to the crowd.

Garvin Tyrell isn't a knight, and no one would ever confuse him for one. Yet he's joined the parade anyway, his palfrey decked in Tyrell colors. Rather than armor, he's in a magnificent doublet and one of his enormous, plume-festooned hats. In addition, he wears the Collar of the High Tower, the symbol of Lord Hightower's office. He's not Lord Hightower, of course, but today, he's representing the man who could not be here himself. As he rides along, smiling and waving to the crowd, his squire Nyran runs alongside the horse, carrying a bucket, from which he draws out small fish to toss to the onlookers. Maybe no one told him the fish-throwing was earlier.

Kai continues on with the festivities, particularly with the Bawdy Bard girls as they seem to be the more interesting bunch about, because knights decked out in overly heavy armor are far less enticing than half-naked women.

Did someone say fish? Well, there are in fact knights of the Riverlands here, including a few of the Great House Tully who are at the front of the procession, bearing the familiar fishy standard. As their Bannermen follow in their wake, the lone Knight of House Blackwood in his painted black plate-and-mail is there on an even darker mare. Oddly, he is not wearing a helmet, his face adorned with black paint surrounding his eyes, giving him a slightly wild look.

He is carrying the standard of his house, a fearsome red banner with a dozen ravens in flight circling a skeletal white tree. There's a gleeful, cheery grin that is indelibly etched upon his face.

And up the Hightower Street they go, bright banners and dancing dolphin puppets and singing, all led by the painted statue of The Mother. Some of the people, mostly ladies, lean out the windows of the manses that line the street, to toss flowers at the knights as they go by. Fireweed blooms, mostly, until they reach Starry Street, when the roses come out.

Garvin continues smiling and waving and trying to look all official. But when he glances down to his squire, he suddenly frowns. "Nyran!" he hisses. "I told you, fish at the dock, pansies during the parade." The lad looks up at Lord Pansy with wide eyes, letting out a small wimper, and stops pelting the crowd with seafood.

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