(121-02-14) Crab Attack
Crab Attack
Summary: Just a quiet evening on the shore, nothing to see here…
Date: 14/02/201
Related: Freeriders and Tirocinium
Players:
Eonn..Daevon..Keyte..Valnod..Isador..

Crescent Beach, Blackcrown Road

This is a little sandy-pebbly stretch of the Whispering Sound's shoreline, crescent-shaped and somewhat sheltered by the more precipitous coastline to either side of it. Terns and gannets and kittiwakes nest on the sheerest portions to the North and South, but it's much gentler here and the tiny inlet even offers good anchorage for small boats of shallow draft. The city of Oldtown, marked by the great bright spire of the Hightower, can be seen across the water to the Northwest.

There's a steep switchbacking track leading up to the Blackcrown Road.

Eonn's heavy mare seems like she'd have trouble on the switchbacking trail, but she's more sure of foot than she looks. The sellsword rides right down, easily.

Daevon's horse today isn't the pretty Sunshine, instead he's riding a rather plain chestnut palfrey. She's a steady horse, sure of foot as well. He breathes in the sea air, deeply.

Once down at the sand, Eonn slides off his great mare and leaves her loose. She crops at the thin grass near the foot of the trail. The man starts to remove his armour.

Keyte has grudgingly accepted being a-saddle all the way until the beach descent, and, I'm sorry. That just ain't gonna happen. None of her personal guard seem inclined to ride side-saddle down to the sand, and so the Tyrell party all descend upon foot, reaching beach a good few minutes later than the others. One or two of the more enthusiastic retainers rush ahead. "Wait for us!" That's Keyte, not wanting to be left behind.

"Can someone start up a bonfire?" Daevon suggests to the retainers. "If we're to take a late night dip in the sea it would be good to have somewhere warm to retreat to." He dismounts his own horse and leaves her next to Bottle. "I have wine." As if that weren't obvious, pilfered from the dais at the tournament. "Help yourself."

"Start a fire," says Eonn, tossing his spaulders and vambraces onto the slope, where they'll stay dry. "Maybe I can catch a crab."

Keyte's retainers kind of glance among themselves, until a baker volunteers for fire-starting. One of the guards offers to facilitate it, ordering a few more to find some dry enough underbrush. The Tyrell girl, for her part, is a little lost. They have wine amongst them, and always heels of bread or other simple fare — a day with Lady Keyte is never a simple affair. "Maybe you could," the highborn girl enthuses, nodding at Eonn. "Can I watch?"

Daevon removes his boots, which is about as far as he goes with the disrobing. No wait, there's his cloak as well, off it goes and he's gazing, almost longingly at the water. Barefoot he moves closer to the sea.

Eonn smiles at Keyte, and shrugs. "Not sure you can see much if I am under water," he says. Under his armour he wears black homespuns, so old as to be almost grey, and so many times washed that they're probably soft. He pulls the shirt off. He's quite scarred on his back and chest and shoulders, and has a tattoo of a running black dog on the inside of his left wrist.

Well, that's disappointing. It's been a day of disappoint for the lady of Tyrell. She looks aside to Daevon, and since all he's taking off is cloak and boots, she takes her cues that-a-way. "Oh," Keyte responds to Eonn, her tone plain. "Well, I could try. Are you underwater long?"

"You could try yourself to catch one," Daevon suggests. Never mind they have claws and it's most unladylike. He begins to discard the layers of his own fancy clothes, placing them down atop his cloak. Despite the rumours, when shirtless, it's clear The Maiden's Knight is certainly no maiden, in at least the being female sense. He is strikingly beautiful, in that impossible Targaryen way, with skin as pale as the moonlight he basks in, and that cascade of silver-gold hair. His body's all lean muscle, and the signs of the warrior he is are still there, in the way he moves, the various scars, old and newer.

"Not long enough to drown," Eonn tells Keyte, amused. "We'll cook him on the fire, if I can find one." He steps out of his trousers. He doesn't wear smallclothes. It's most scandalous. And he doesn't seem to realize that this is so. He just makes his way, naked, down to the water.

"Oh, but Eonn of the Rills tells me they pinch!" Keyte's voice bears much mirth, and she beckons her closest handmaid over to help her with the hidden buttons on her very, very expensive dress. The both of them gasp in unison as Eonn disrobes all the way, and Daevon is shirtless, and in the background her guard and baker are making inroads on a fire. There is much sparking. None of them seem to take. Her handmaid reaches up to turn her lady's head, and Keyte thusly averts her gaze toward — the darkness, over yonder. "Please don't drown," the lady bids. "Either of you!"

Okay so it's scandalous, but it's also dark, right? Kind of. Never mind. And for all that Daevon's the Maiden's Knight he's going to go swimming. "Ladies, avert your eyes." He warns. And then off go his trousers as well, and he runs for the water, splashing in, laughing with delight as he wades out until it's deep enough to swim.

Eonn laughs at the call for averted eyes. He himself is unconcerned. Of course, he's not nearly so pretty. He just walks into the water, no hurry, and dives in once he's up past his waist.

Several of the lowborn girls shriek, because: it's the Maiden's Knight. AND HE'S TROUSERLESS. This, boys and girls, is precisely why Keyte has no trouble finding retainers to come on her 'adventures', be sure. (Meanwhile the fire has lit! Huzzah! The guards as a collective toast it's existence with a skin of Arbor's red. Yet another reason people tag along willingly on Keyte's adventures.) The lady, for her part, stares into the darkness as her maid works at the buttons, all nakedness unseen by her highborn eyes. "Well hurry, Lyla," she urges, wriggling uncomfortably. "I don't want to miss the catchings!" Today's been disappointing enough!

Oh that comment about averting eyes was said in jest, Daevon's having fun if nothing else. There's little the retainer's can see other than Daevon's ass, since they're behind him, but it is a very fine one at least. Oh this will undoubtedly become another piece of fodder for the gossip mill. So, they're looking for crabs? He might as well start trying to help.

Eonn dives under the water. His skinny behind is surely less appealling. He's kind of old, really. His foot gives a flick at the surface of the water as he descends to swim along the bottom in his crab-hunt.

The bodice of her gown is rather stiff, and it's an effort for Keyte to shake then damned thing free, but with the help of her most trusted maid she eventually manages. Down to just a roughspun shift for her underclothes, Keyte steps away from her npile of noble finery, leaving even her slippers behind. She has no designs on Eonn, for sure, but she might make a glance at the Maiden's Knight once or twice, to see what bears seeing in the moonlight. She wades into the water, only ankle deep, and flinches at the flick of water from the sellsword's feet as he dives. "Eek!"

Daevon's glancing over to Eonn, just to see what he's doing, really, in regards to this catching of crabs. Daevon's going to follow suit.

Eonn comes to the surface for breath, splashing a bit. He grins. He seems happy. The flowers in his beard are starting to fall out.

Keyte has wandered in up to her ankles, her underclothes not even wet yet. The shift is a knee-length affair. She is watching for the resurfacing of Eonn, and claps when he splish-splashes up for a breath. "Did you catch one?" No pressure.

Crab! Daevon spies it. He sneaks up, well as best as you can when swimming. He grabs the thing, avoiding its claws as he surfaces and then he flings it, out of the water and towards the beach. Is someone standing around to catch it? Whee! Flying crustaceans.

Eonn is under the water when Daevon does his crab-toss, and misses it. The crab, of course, immediately tries to skuttle back into the sea.

Not unaware of the crab-toss, Keyte squeals, watching the seafood sail toward the shore and try and scuttle back seaward. She skip-hops through the gentle shore-lapping waves, right over to the where the crab is attempting it's escape, and calls out — "What do I do? I can see it!! It's, oh! It walks sideways!" How very novel!

Daevon's naked, he's not getting any closer to crab pincers than he has to. He's heard all of those horror stories after all. He lived on an island. He's done his bit now and he wants to see dolphins. He treadswater, trying to work out where Eonn is. "Catch it!" he calls out. "Throw your cloak on it?" No, he's out of ideas.

Eonn surfaces for a rough breath. "Catch it?!" he asks. "You got one?" He starts for the shore again, in long swimming strokes.

"I don't have a cloak! I took it off!" Keyte's cheeks have flushed a deep red, but it's a stretch to notice such in the weak firelight of the flames her retainers are fanning. It's evident in her tone of voice, for those not close enough to tell. The lady falls to her knee in the inch-deep water, flailing at the crab, having been warned of crab-pinches. She bats it shoreward, and squeals again for the touching of such a creature. "Oh!! It pinched me!!" It didn't, really. But she did touch the thing.

Damsel in distress or not, Daevon's not leaving the water. "Go get your cloak, I'll try and find another."

The tall sellsword isn't so shy, though. He comes bursting out of the sea, heedless of his nudity, to run for the scuttling crab, spraying water off his body as he moves to snatch the unfortunate creature off the sand before it can get away.

Daevon's watching, oh he's watching, and laughing too as he watches the antics. Naked men chasing crabs are funny.

Keyte squeals. Again. How many are we up to, now? A few of her guards look over from the now-comfortably-flaming fire to laugh at her. They can do that openly, out here. "Ah! Ahhh! Oh, by the Seven, mother save me! It pinched me!" It did not. "Eonn, get it!"

Eonn grabs the crab. It really does pinch him, but he just laughs about it. It probably hurts, but he seems delighted. He starts towards the fire, shaking his head violently, to get the water out of his hair a bit. The white asters that he didn't already lose go flying out of his beard along with the drops of sea-water.

Daevon's still watching the goings on, on the shore. The laughter's stopped.

Like it's any surprise, Keyte squeals again as Eonn latches onto the crab. Or is it the other way around? Her men and women have the fire well in hand now, and a couple of the women come forward to offer their far-too-expensive wineskins to share. It's just the perks. Keyte for her part, barely the hems of her underclothes wet by her crab-seeking, straightens with her hands placed in the small of her back. "I could have got it," she insists to Daevon, now that the crab is safely squared away thanks to Eonn. "Will you catch us another, my lord?"

Eonn chucks the crab into the fire, laughing, and says, "Yes, My Lord! Catch us another!" as the poor thing starts to sizzle and stops its efforts to escape. Still naked, Eonn looks to one of the women, one with a wine-skin, "Allow me a drink?" he asks.

Since Daevon's the king crab catcher he dives down once again, scouring the sea for another crab. He has no issues in spotting one, eventually, but when he makes a grab for it, it does the same. He flails, crab attached to his hand, trying to fling the thing off only it's not happening at all. Somehow the crab gets tangled up in his hair as he pushes to the surface, trying to catch his breath while fend off this most dangerous game.

The woman, fair of features and dark of hair, crawls over in the firelight and amid the sand to offer Eonn her wine. Her skin is not for sale! She's an honest laundress, she is! But he caught a crab in the dark, and that's fairly impressive in itself. The skin is filled and even stamped with Arbor's gold. Keyte shrieks again, this time delighted as Daevon surfaces with a crab in his fair hair. "Ahh! Ahh, my lord!" She's so caught up in all the fuss of crab-firing and crab-catching and hair-crabbing that she can't even intimate the problem to poor Daevon, dissolving into giggles instead. She falls to her knees in the foamy wash on the shore.

Eonn grins at the woman. He takes a deep swallow from the wineskin, and then hands it back. Polite, for a naked sellsword. That done, he walks back to the sea, to splash out again and dive.

Daevon and the crab do battle! It's hard to see who's winning and who is not, for the former is flailing and the latter just seems to be holding on tight. One day there's going to be a ballad about this and the crab will have grown a hundred times larger.

Eonn just comes back up with another crab busily struggling and pinching in his hands. He shakes more water off himself and walks towards the fire, holding up the crustacean triumphantly.

Daevon eventually triumphs over adversity, and this crab goes flying, right over Eonn's head and towards the shore. And then Daevon's had enough. He came to see dolphins. He's going to see dolphins.

Said woman grins back at Eonn, no doubt pleased to have a fresh face to share her lady's hospitality with. And dem crabbin' skillz, huzzah! She takes her skin back, only to share it amongst the others present as the sellsword heads back out to sea. Keyte is still in a giggling mess mid-shore, watching on as the Maiden's Knight battles his catch. She will no doubt embellish this story, but in the meantime she calls, already wading out, "Does my lord require assis— ahaha, ass-is— oh, Maiden, bless. Assistance??"

Around the fire, some are snickering at Keyte and Daevon, but a cheer rouses amongst them for Eonn's triumphant return.

Eonn laughs. He moves to toss his second crab into the fire, and pull a stick from it to try to flick the first one out onto the sands before its shell gets too blackened. No time for clothes! Cooking!

The little crowd rouses again as Daevon triumphs, clearly in good spirits. The few with skins of wine lift them in toast to, "The Crabbers! To the Crabbers!"

It's dark, but if you're still and quiet and people aren't shouting about crabs, or you stick your head under the water and get used to the rush and roar of the waves a bit, the chirping of the dolphins can be heard.

Daevon's going off in search of dolphins. He does his best to try and follow the sound of the chirping, swimming further and further out.

Keyte is no swimmer, but she wades out to an uncomfortable thigh-high wave after Daevon. Her smallclothes are now wet well above the hem — scandalous! "My lord!" Her call is hardly able to be heeded underwater. Back at the fire, her men (and women) are merry. Aside from that one who were seeking an eyeful of celebrity, who cares? They have expensive wine and now crabs as well. Life is good.

Eonn gives his cooked-crab poking stick to one of the women at the fire and runs down the beach after the one that Daevon just threw ashore, before it can reach the water.

Eonn misses it, and splashes back into the sea again after the scuttling beastie.

Daevon's oblivious to the crab's escapades. He's seeking dolphins. Of course it's dark and he's just swimming out, and further out and this might not be the smartest thing he's ever done.

They're out there. The little, glittering dolphins. Chirping like birds. Somewhere.

The woman is a bit reluctant to take the crab-roasting stick, because it means she has to give up her wineskin. By the time she does, Eonn's already at a disadvantage, and someone's chiding her. "Daevon!!" Keyte has not a care for the lack of propriety now, the soft wash of waves licking higher and higher above her hems as she wades out after the Targaryen.

Eonn splashes into the water, ending up on his knees. Then he yelps, a little cry of surprise more than pain. He lifts his hand out of the water, crab holding on by one pincher. It drops to the water in what is probably the man's lap, and Eonn scrambles to his feet.

There's one. No, two, dolphins out in the water, at the surface, spraying the mist of their breath into the air. No, it's four.

Daevon's at least going in the right direction as he swims, buffeted by the waves. He's invisible now to those on the beach and ignoring any calls of his name. But he's getting closer, and hope drives him on. And then he sees them, gasping with delight, so much better than being on the boat. He treads water, watching, not daring to get any closer.

And then there's another. Or something, some slick creature brushing against Daevon's legs under the water.

Keyte is a little more frantic now, calling for help as the Maiden Knight proves himself beyond her reach. "Eonn! Lyla! Branley!! Someone!"

"What is it," says Eonn, hurrying to Keyte's side, and leaving the ferocious crab to its escape.

Daevon cries out in surprise, as there's something, and it better be a dolphin otherwise… well… ew… He reaches down to check, trying to get a better glimpse of whatever it is.

"The Maiden's Knight, he's gone too far out!" Keyte is clearly panicked, in a sheltered-noblewoman kind of way. A little overpanicked, if you will.

The dolphin comes to the surface right behind Daevon and claps its jaw, making a cracking-slapping noise, and splashing water all over Daevon.

"He can swim," says Eonn, seeming a bit bemused. "He'll be fine." He stares out over the water for a glimpse of that silvery hair. "You want me to follow him?"

Daevon gasps for air as he's splashed, and then starts laughing now as he tries to twist around, and see the dolphin. It's playing? That or threatening him with doom. He's hoping for the former. And wow. Dolphins. Dolphins right there. He's delighted.

"What if the hunting whales have swam around?!" Keyte is beside herself, hands splashing against the gentle wash of lazy inshore waves. They're enemies! Every one brings danger! "Seven save him, was that a dolphin?" The lady of Tyrell attempts to wade a step back in the water. "Yes! Yes!! Follow him," she shrieks.

The dolphin chirps at Daevon. One of the others comes swimming over from the group the Maiden's Knight had at first headed for. There's another one at the surface over there, now. A tiny one.

"Relax, My Lady," says Eonn. "There aren't whales that eat men. Whales eat little fishes." He wades out into the water at her command, though, and dives in once he's waist-deep, to swim out the way Daevon went.

Daevon reaches out to see if he can touch the dolphin. He's utterly enchanted by the experience, and oblivious to any crisis on the shore. "Hello." He greets them. What else do you say? He doesn't speak dolphin.

They seem friendly, if prone to bumping one about. They can be stroked, though they don't stay still for it, milling about in the water around Daevon. There are three gathered around the tiny one, and they nudge it further away from the knight, though.

Keyte will not relax! "The lord of Wylde said…" She is insistent, shaking her head firmly. "Ay, me! Is that… are they dolphins? They bite! I were bit! Mine very own self!! My lord ser, come back, comme baaaack!"

Daevon's able to keep his head above the water as he's bumped about. He pets the dolphins and of course he's wondering if he can go swimming with them. He's heard all those stories about them rescuing people… but no, he's not drunk enough to presume, and so he just contents himself with this. Eonn should soon see him, and see that the Maiden's Knight is just making new friends.

It's hard to see another swimmer when one is swimming oneself — the water level is too high to give one much of a view. Eonn strokes out in Daevon's direction. He's not really in any hurry.

It's dark now, just as it was getting dusk the group rode out of the city to the beach in order to see the school of dolphins. A bonfire burns brilliantly, and there's the sound of laughter and much merriment. The horses are left to eat grass.

A dolphin pokes Daevon's belly with its snout.

"Yes," bids Keyte, the Tyrell girl content to stay where she is. Well. Maybe a step or two further out, but only to see that Eonn can swim safely to save the Lord Ser of Targaryen! "Don't let them bite you! They bite!!" And yet, she ventures another step, bringing the water to her waistline, her smallskirts floating about her.

Back on the shore, at the fire, there are bets being taken on how deep the lady will go. The current going rate for head-under is a full day's wages.

Daevon pokes the dolphin back. No… wait better not start that, he'll only lose. He then pets it again. They're baffling creatures, like nothing he's ever seen before.

The dolphins mill about around Daevon. It's lazy, for them, but they are swift creatures. They rub against him and push him about a bit, and chirp little little birds, and make odd clicking sounds.

Eonn kicks hard to perform his own little spy-hop, getting his head higher above the surface for a look around. He's not very good at that.

"Are they coming closer? It's dolphins, I know it!" Keyte is just yelping to the night, hoping that Eonn or Daevon might hear her to respond. She clutches one hand in the other, unfortunately favoring the wrong hand as her memory grabs at wine-addled thoughts to remember which was bit. "Oh, oh. Gods be good, save him!" She wades out a step further, but with no knowledge of exactly how to swim, she's starting to hit real boundaries, here.

Valnod is covered in bandages. The towering young man's gait is surprisingly quiet despite all that, although it'd likely be quieter without the wounds. He slinks in the treeline near the shore, keeping quiet and out of the way, his gaze going out towards the waves, his eyes widening as he spots the school of dolphins viciously attacking Daevon. Or bumping into him playfully, at least.

Yes. This is the most ferocious of attacks. Daevon speaks quietly to the dolphins, basking in their attention and telling them how beautiful they are. When they bump him too hard he just gasps and laughs and splashes a bit. He'll remain like this until Eonn catches up.

Calling out over the water, Eonn shouts, "Are you going to drown, My Lord!?" He doesn't sound like he's worried about it.

One of the terrible, dangerous, bitey dolphins does close its jaws, quite gently, on Daevon's left foot for a moment.

Daevon yelps an answer to Eonn, it's not quite distressed, more surprised. He tries not to kick it in the face, while also not let him drag it down. So they're tasting him maybe the eating comes later. Maybe they're here to dish out revenge for the crabs. Never mind though, Daevon calls out to Eonn. "Come see them. It's amazing."

There are Tyrell guards by the fire, but if any of them notice Valnod, they judge him not a threat at this point. They've wine and women, after all, and the lot of them seem to be having a fine time together. "He is, he is!" That's Keyte, fretting from the shallows. "Save him, Eonn!"

Eonn laughs and continues to swim out to Daevon. A dolphin bumps him as he paddles, and he says, "Hey!" at it, then laughs some more.

Valnod doesn't have the slightest clue that they're joking, the towering barbarian drawing his long dagger and sprinting at a pretty impressive clip, a sleek, elegant, deadly blur of motion as he lets out a battle cry, going to save Daevon. Elegant and sleek and etc., until about the point where he gets more than waist deep into the water, at which point it becomes apparent that he doesn't have the slightest idea what he's doing, kicking and trying to pummel the water into submission as he leaps, throws himself out to rescue Daevon from the school of dolphins. And or test their capacity for saving drowned people.

Daevon's smile is utterly radiant as Eonn comes into view, bright as the moon itself. His eyes, they glitter like amethysts filled with merriment. "This was a wonderful idea." And then there's a battle cry! And danger and someone's attacking and… all joyous thoughts and everything else are forgotten as he starts swimming back to shore.

Eonn grins back. And then Daevon's upset, and he blinks. "Ah," he says, "I think…" but he trails off. There's little point in explaining. Instead, he treads water and strokes a dolphin as it brushes against him.

Keyte was shrieking orders before, but now she's just squealing incoherently, splashed into a frenzy by a passing stranger who she presumes is just one of her guards. But what in Westeros is that cry? It's not 'For Tyrell', that's for sure. Nevertheless, all that's intelligible from the lady as her arms flail and hands wipe furiously at her now-dripping face is: "Aaaalyyyblyaahhhhhbaaaahbrraaaahnlaaahmaaagalmnaaaa!"

Two of the Tyrell men-at-arms ashore, well in their cups, exchange a glance and start tearing off their boots. They may have a hand to play here, but they're not boot-riskingly certain they're needed, yet.

Daevon's got no idea what Eonn thinks since he's now under water, trying to navigate his way around the dolphins and swim back to shore. That cry? There's a damsel clearly in distress! If they're being attacked he'll just have to fight with nothing but his bare hands and his crab flinging skills as a weapon. And the element of surprise! Surely nothing's more surprising than the Maiden Knight emerging naked from the water holding a crab! Well maybe one thing. As he gets closer to the shore he suddenly screams out. "AGHHHH!!!" And that's a cry of pain as the much abused crab from earlier latches onto his foot.

Valnod tries stabbing the ocean, but that doesn't have much impact either, the wildling babbling more things that aren't at all about the glory of House Tyrell in the old tongue. Although half-drowning (he'd probably be all the way there if he wasn't tall enough to kick off the sea bed a few times, gasping for air,) he calls out something encouraging as Daevon flees the pack of monsters, fending off their pursuit. "Save! Chi-" and then there's choking and sputtering, and possible theological reflection on whether this counts as death in battle.

Eonn startles out by the dolphins. That was a real cry of pain. He, too, starts to swim back, hurriedly now. The cetaceans flank him curious.

Keyte stands utterly still, her hands balling fists by hers sides now as she continues shrieking in the manner of a petulant child. Someone splashed her in the face! She can't see for saltwater! The Maiden Knight's been eaten by dolphins and Eonn's likely suffering the same fate! "I promise I'll never light a candle in the sept for nothing ever again!" The lady resigned to drastic promises in bargaining for her life.

Daevon's definitely putting on a show for the lucky dolphins. He kicks, and somehow manages to sommersault in the water, the crab goes flying towards Keyte more by accident than design. He flails and manages to catch his balance and gasp for air.

Isador comes down the track from the Blackcrown Road.

Eonn is still too far out in the water to see this. He's just swimming, and getting bumped by dolphins, and hearing the shouts in the half-way manner that happens when one's ears are sometimes above and sometimes below water.

It's dark now, just as it was getting dusk the group rode out of the city to the beach in order to see the school of dolphins. A bonfire burns brilliantly, and there was the sound of laughter and much merriment on the beach as a number of Tyrell guards and servants watch the antics. Ser Daevon Targaryen is being attacked by dolphins! They've eaten Eonn too, or at least that's the impression that might be got from the screams. There's been a battle cry and Valnod is now bravely battling against the ocean itself, or at least flailing his arms as he tries to beat it into submission. Daevon, completely naked (though fortunately actually in the water) is doing battle with some other foe, a crab that goes flying towards Keyte. And Eonn, he's just avoiding the chaos.

And Keyte, she's barely decent with most of her clothes having been discarded near the bonfire, and screaming and just been splashed.

Valnod kicks, stabs, slashes, murders, and does almost everything but swim his way back closer to shore, hacking up seawater before rushing up to Daevon, dagger waving as he gesticulates wildly, "Monsters, sea eat, very bad thing!" The blackhaired youth articulates eloquently, facing to perform a rear guard action against the dolphins if they come any closer, wobbling unsteadily still under the influence of this 'tide' thing.

What. WHAT. WHAT. Keyte is too busy with her eyes closed to even bother with an alertness roll, she's shrieking. Life is unfair for an improperly disposed lady of high birth. She starts to jump flail, and a crab hits her square in the face, pincers latching weakly in curls set free from braids hours earlier. The scream is deafening. In the hurry to dislodge it, the Tyrell falls flat on her bum in the water, head submerged, and her sea-dwelling assailant scuttles free.

On the shore, hearty laughs bellow from practically everyone present. Guards to maids, bakers to laundresses to that one guy with the very distant claim to Tyrell blood himself, they're all beside themselves amused.

Daevon's much shorter than Valnod is so he's still something of a distance from putting his feet on solid land. However he does catch what Valnod's saying. "No. They're friends. Dolphins are friends."

Oh wait! Maiden in need of rescue! Daevon immediately closes the gap between them, thrusting out a hand to pull Keyte to her feet. Did we mention that Daevon's naked? Oh so very, very naked.

Her hovel nearby wishing to see what is going on Isador comes up to the shore. Madness - all of it. The redhead maegi frowns. She paces to the edge of the water - she half covers her eyes. "Anybody need help!?" she asks loudly.

Eonn isn't the best swimmer. He can stay afloat, sure, but he's not fast. And there's this interference from cheerfully chirping dolphins.

Okay, the wildling is aware that he's not being very eloquent, but he's not stupid, and he certainly knows what fucking sea monsters look like. And those are clearly sea monsters. He gives Daevon a look of concern, but since the Tyrell Lord distracts himself saving Keyte from crabs, there's no need to argue further, the wet giant shaking himself off as he stumbles onshore, coughing out more seawater and squinting out at Eonn, looking to Daevon while pointing, "That friend sa-" He pauses, blinking. Why, that's a penis.

Keyte is floundering, surely in need of that hand from the naked knight. She spits out a fountain of water as she's pulled up to air, dark curls flattened in long tendrils straight over her eyes. Her sputtering gasps once her mouthful of water is ejected are mostly unintelligble — though one of the girls ashore helpfully (and most delightedly) calls, pointing: "It's right near 'er face! Ahaha!"

There's two ways to deal with this situation. One is to get horribly embarassed, and those close to him will see that Daevon flushes, all over, and the second is to be the Targaryen Lord that he is. "You, bring my cloak." That's an order, pointed at the nearest servant. They can stare and ogle all they like, he's related to royalty and the blood of the dragon is strong in his veins. There's nothing to look at here at all. He spots Isadora. "Help my friend, he's choking."

Eonn arrives at the shallows, standing up in the water now. It's up to his chest. He starts to walk in.

Isador walks up to Valnod and examines the man, "Bend forward," she says calmly - not willing to go toe to toe with a giant man/wildling if that is what he is. Without his concent that is.

Wet to the bone in her smallclothes, Keyte crosses her arms protectively over her chest just as soon as she's regained her balance. "M-m-my lord," she sputters, not for lungs full of seawater but for embarrassment's sake. She looks akin to a drowned rat, sodden and blushing as bright (or brighter) than Daevon. "Don't look at me!" Why yes, she's issuing commands.

Valnod looks set to argue at the idea of needing help, but he starts to retch up a lungful of saltwater instead, leaning forward and coughing even before Isador's command. He groans, brushing hair out of his face as he looks looks to the maegi, but not before another curious glance is directed to Daevon.

Eonn steps out of the sea. He, too, is naked, though he's not the cause of such interest among the ladies.

Well they're not getting his things quick enough so Daevon strides off, dressed in the Emperor's New Clothes and with every bit as much pride. He is a stunning man, for all that he's starting to shiver from the cold. He grabs both his cloak and Keyte's. He wraps his own around his body, to at least cover himself somewhat before he's taking Keyte's over to her. "Come on, let's get warm by the fire. And some more wine, perhaps? Those grabs will be cooked too. There's nothing like fresh crab."

Isador slams her small hand down in between Valnod's shoulder blades - a classic move to dislodge and disgorge objects and water from lungs. If his lungs were fully flooded Isa figures he'd be dead or deadish already. She pays no attention to anybody else even with the attractive naked bodies around.

Well there is that one woman, Eonn. But she's just ready with her wineskin to share, and has kept a good eye on the cooking crabs. Friendly lot! Keyte isn't quite sure if it's safer in the water or out, at this point, but she gingerly follows as the Targaryen exits the water, her hands spread in a classic cover-me pose. She's eyeing the lad coughing up water and the strange woman attending him, wondering in no small voice, "Who're they?"

Valnod urps as his back is slapped, hacking out a lungful of water, the young giant groaning as he straightens out, shaking his hair loose and swaying slightly as he offers a grin to the small (comparatively) maegi. "Good. Is better. Thanks."

Daevon's got the cloak covering Keyte, keeping her modest once more. He tries to lead her to the fire, talking as he does. "The woman is Isador, she's makes things of wood. The man's he's from the North. We're friends, but when we last met he wasn't able to give his name."

"She is the woman who lives in the fireweed-meadows, my lady," Eonn tells Keyte, as he walks past her to collect his clothes. He ties his shirt around his waist, and doesn't put anything else on, just comes back to the fire thus clad.

"Stand my good man," Isador says smiling, "swimming lessons for you I think," the redhead would look strange in the firelight - perfect alabaster skin contrasting with flame red hair. She is all fire and ice and magic. Whilst her appearance suggests she is of the first men in terms of her descent her accent sounds Essossian. She walks towards the fireplace gracefully barefoot smiling wanely at the assembled crowd. She curtsies for the nobles.

"Oh." Keyte seems semi-appeased by both Eonn and Daevon's explanations, though she's still eyeing Valnod in a suspiciously-curious way as she approaches the fire in her cloak and wet underclothes. "Well. Wasn't that a kerfuffle, hmm? Were you bit, lord ser? Eonn?" The lady reaches up to wipe her wet hair from her face, taking in the sight of the two strangers. "What is your name?" This, to Valnod.

Daevon's gaze trails after Eonn, distracted. He settles down near the fire, basking in the warm and reaching for one of the wine skins, after checking out the first he hands it to Keyte. The second he drinks deeply from to wash the taste of salt water from his mouth and then he offers it to Eonn if he wants some. "They're still watching us," he comments of the dolphins. He leans back and sighs, a soft, almost sad sound. He offers a nod of his head to Isador. "Thank you. Join us? We're celebrating." Only he doesn't seem to be anymore, just tired. As Keyte asks if he was bit he stares down at his bleeding foot. "A scratch."

Eonn sits down by the fire and starts using a stick to poke the roasted crabs out of the coals. "Nothing bit me, my lady," he says lazily, accepting the wine skin from Daevon with his free right hand. "Thank you, My Lord." He drinks, deeply, arranging the hot crabs on the pebbles with the stick.

Isador nods her assent to Daevon, "It would be my pleasure Lord Targaryen - but would it not be wise to have me first deal with your injuries?" She points to the scrape.

Valnod looks over to the fire, since everyone else is gathering there, although he doesn't seem very cold. The giant isn't quite naked, wearing now-soaked woolen trousers as he moves to crouch next to Daevon. He doesn't pay the man any proper respects, no bows, no decorum, but there is something slightly, subtly deferential about the young wildling's posture. He looks up to Keyte, nodding his head slightly. "Am Valnod the Black. Of Alder's Line."

"Thank you," Daevon says. "I'd appreciate that." He looks over at the crabs. "I am Ser Daevon Targaryen," he says to Valnod not for the first time. "It is good to finally hear your name. Are your injuries healed?"

Eonn sets the stick down and picks up the first crab he removed from the flames. He cracks it open in his hands, a swift hard movement. It's probably still hot enough that it's painful.

Keyte is, as many a Tyrell seems to be, fond of her wine. She'll take that skin from Daevon and drink of it deep, thirsty. She lowers the skin, blinking her eyes wide as the wildling crouches near Daevon. She is not very worldly, this girl. "My pleasure to make your acquaintance, Valnod the Black," says Keyte, eyes darting over to Eonn and the cooked crab. That's got to hurt! Somewhat self-conscious, though, it is her handmaid she addresses next: "Lyla, help me back into my dress?"

Isador responds to Valnod's introduction with an introduction of her own, "Another wildling?" she asks rhetorically as she goes to work on Daevons wound. "I am Isador the Red Witch, daughter of Glarn the Widowmakers line - my mother was Eli the fair a famous woodswitch in her region. Amazing how many of those north of the wall are making it south. Or in my case south then east."

Eonn holds out a chunk of crab, with a few legs attached, to Isador.

Daevon watches Isador as she works. It really is just a scratch, still best it be seen to in case it goes bad.

"Ser Daevon Tar… Targrin." the black-haired wildling repeats, frowning a little as he tries to get it right. "Am better." Although there's still scabs and blood under several of the now-saltwater-soaked bandages. "Am life-owed. Debt." He looks solemnly to Daevon, then grins, an easy-going smile on the giant's lips as he lifts his hand in un-self-conscious acknowledgement to Keyte, and then Isador. "My thought wondering. Thought not wise woman south of wall. Is honor to meet."

"Call me Dae," Daevon says to Valnod. He sighs as Valnod says there's a life debt owed.. But that smile is returned, he can't help himself. "You should get those bandages seen to and changed," he worries. "They're no good wet as they are. We're all going to need baths."

"Ser Daevon Tar… Targrin." the black-haired wildling repeats, frowning a little as he tries to get it right. "Am better." Although there's still scabs and blood under several of the now-saltwater-soaked bandages. "Am life-owed. Debt." He looks solemnly to Daevon, then grins, an easy-going smile on the giant's lips as he lifts his hand in un-self-conscious acknowledgement to Keyte, and then Isador. "My thought wondering. Thought not wise woman south of wall. Is honor to meet."

"I am no wise woman. The tribe thought I was an abomination good wildling. Nightmares of events that subsequently came true. No. I am something else… Let me see those bandages of yours," she finishes up on Daevon. "A nice hot bath would be a good idea my Lord," she concurs with Daevon. "Though some of us might not like ours to be so hot as those you might prefer…" she observes churlishly with respect to the Targaryen Lord.

Eonn shrugs, and stops offering the crab to Isador, instead holding it out to Daevon. He drinks some more wine as he does so.

Daevon's not one to turn down food, especially not that which he caught with his own fair hands. He takes the crab from Eonn and starts picking at the flesh with his fingers. There's no chance for manners and cutlery out here on the beach. "It would," he says of Isadora. "I'm dreaming of baths now, and such a luxury that they're so close at hand, relatively speaking." He smiles. "We don't all take our baths hot enough to cook in, although those are blissful when there's a chance."

Eonn cracks another piece off the crab and offers it to Valnod, wordlessly.

Valnod looks down at his bandages, then nods, the giant keeping an eye on Isador as she tends to the wound, moving closer to the fire and unceremoniously taking off his trousers, squeezing them out and setting them on a nearby log, rejoining the conversation completely naked without so much as a blink. "Fool clan then. Drive away goddess gift, eaten by bears probably." The gianter wildling dismisses, looking over to Eonn curiously. "Dae-chief live here? This town?"

Isador sucks some of the combined blood and sand off her tongue and seems to pause a moment after she finishes with Valnod. Suddenly she sems to be elsewhere. She closes her eyes and mutters.

"For now, until I am called elsewhere," Daevon replies. "I don't suppose you have anywhere to stay, do you? I could find room at the Dragondoor Manse for you." He's decidedly not looking at the naked Valnod. He eats his crab. He glances at Eonn again.

Eonn shrugs to Valnod. He glances at Isador, narrowing his eyes slightly, but continues breaking the crabs apart and handing out the pieces.

Isador stands and turns stating cryptically, "I see you Lord," pointing at Daevon, "In a rocky high place with a beautiful sword - blue and white ripples on it. Cracked and burned bones at your feet. You are not alone - but I know not who you are with. Then a shadow passes over you and you are gone," Isa seems mad for a moment like she is elsewhere - then she comes back down to earth and says meekly, "Sorry - old habits die hard…"

Valnod watches Isador curiously, but without apparent fear. It's not like she's some monstrous flippy grey sea monster. Nothing to panic about here. He shakes his head to Daevon. "Not place. Can sleep wood if safe, no monster."

Valnod watches Isador curiously, but without apparent fear. It's not like she's some monstrous flippy grey sea monster. Nothing to panic about here. He shakes his head to Daevon. "Not place. Can sleep wood if safe, no monster…." He trails off, looking up as the witch begins speaking. He squints a little. She's speaking a bit fast for him to follow, but it does sound ominous.

Daevon's eyes widen as Isador speaks and he nods. "Ah, that is it then. It explains much." His words are wistful. "Yet I am still not certain where the beginning lies." He shakes his head at Valnod. "Come home with me and I'll find you somewhere to stay. When I granted you my protection it was not for that one day. I have a duty to you now. Besides the baths are better there."

Eonn offers a crab chunk to Keyte, distracted by Isador's little performance. He says, "I wouldn't pay that much mind."

The fussy hidden buttons on her very, very expensive gown now all fiddled into place, Keyte makes her way back to the fire, catching only the tail end of Isador's witcherying, and the offer of crab from Eonn. The latter delights her, the lady beaming a bright smile from beneath her bedraggled, water-pasted-to-face-and-slowly-drying hair as she takes the chunk of crab. "Marvelous! Oh, so many thanks, Eonn. I — Ser Daevon, you're quite alright, after your dolphin bite?"

Valnod's lips twitch into a grin, the young giant brushing his damp hair back as he dries by the fire. "Yes, this I guess. Dae-chief good leader, yes? Is point of wise woman vision, think." He looks to Isador.

Daevon cracks the crab leg, sucking out the delicious flesh from within. He nods his answer to Keyte. "It wasn't the dolphin, it was the crab. The dolphins are like no creature I've ever seen before. They were just curious and playful." He shakes his head in disagreement at Valnod's interpretation, but he doesn't voice those thoughts. No, better to continue devouring crab.

Eonn starts crunching his own piece of crab. "Have you never been to sea, my lord?" he asks of Daevon. "They follow ships."

"Yes err pay no attention to me," Isador says and clumsily starts to make her way away from the gathering. She did not know whether her outburst would prove wise or even prophetic - but such was the nature of these things.

That's a sore subject. Daevon tries to find a way to answer Eonn's question, but he's already humiliated himself enough today. He looks away and doesn't answer. "I think I might retire home. My bath is calling, as is my bed."

"Oh." Keyte frowns, both because she's still a little wary of dolphins and because she's not entirely sure what to do with the chunk of crab now that she has it. "They're… odd creatures. And that sound they make." The lady starts trying to click her tongue, which sounds more like table manners gone wrong than the clicking of dolphins. "You know," she insists! "Oh. Oh! Should we see you home, my lord ser?"

Eonn pauses in his crab-crunching to look at Daevon. "I am sorry, my lord," he says quietly.

Valnod's pants have barely begun to dry, so he just folds them over one arm, standing as Daevon speaks, looking to the Targaryen. "Dae-chief walk good? With foot hurt?" He asks in concern, half-distracted by Keyte and Eonn's crazy talk of friendly sea monsters.

Valnod watches Isador walk off, lifting one hand in wave to the other wildling, wise-woman.

"What for?" Daevon asks Eonn, a little confused. He smiles at Keyte. "If you wish, or stay here and enjoy the rest of the wine and the bonfire. The sea's particularly beautiful in the morning when the sun first rises." He nods at Valnod. "It's not that bad and my horse is over there."

Eonn shrugs to Daevon and smiles. He goes back to eating the crab, turning to look out over the sea. "I think I will sleep here," he says.

"Oh, I couldn't stay out that long," Keyte gushes in response to Daevon, already on her feet. "I can only imagine the fuss. No, no, we shall see you home, my lord! Now, where are my…" Lyla, bless her, is ready with the Tyrell girl's slippers. The other retainers are a mixture of ready-to-go versus grudgingly-getting-up. Keyte waves away her shoes for the moment, and bites down on crabshell to break it with her teeth. "Are you sure, Eonn?" She's wiping crab juice from her chin as she asks.

Valnod approaches the animal without asking, clucking his tongue and soothing the beast as he leads it over. Still totally naked bee-tee-dubs.

Daevon starts getting dressed beneath the privacy of his cloak. It's a somewhat tricky affair. He stops. He stares out to sea himself. He thinks of all the luxuries in the city. He's becoming pampered, comfortable. It's oh so tempting. "I think I want to be here when the sun rises." He admits. "And go for another swim with the dolphins." He looks to Valnod, and his horse. "I'll write a note." There's supplies for doing so in his saddlebags. "Will you take it, and my horse back to the Dragondoor Manse? See that they give you a bath and a bed. You're still hurt." He looks at Keyte. "Will you make sure you he gets there safely?" He's already writing his note.

"It's all right, My Lady," says Eonn. "My mare is here. I'll ride home if I want to. I like the fire, and the sky."

It's naked night at the beach, yo, but a truant lady is none to judge. She's just valiantly trying to keep her eyes upon safe things, like crab, or her slippers, or Valnod — no, not Valnod! Her slippers. Or her horse. "I'll walk up," she asserts quickly, "And of course, my lord. Only… well, it would be better if he… you know." Wasn't naked.

Valnod pauses a moment, suspicious that this "task" is actually just him going back for more bedrest, a suspicion pretty much confirmed by Keyte's accompaniement. Still, he shrugs, stroking the horse's neck and nodding pleasantly, if unceremoniously to Keyte, not noticing her field of vision problems. "Pleasure is to go with Dae-chief friend. Will bring message." He looks from Eonn to Daevon, then back to Eonn. Apparently deciding the man seems trustworthy.

Daevon removes his saddlebag from the horse, and then offers the note over to Valnod. "Thank you. You should put your clothes on first though. They should have dried a little." There. Matter resolved. He goes to sit down in front of the fire once more.

Eonn scratches himself a bit and then stretches out on the sand beside the fire, as if it's perfectly comfortable. He's still gnawing a bit on a crab's leg, but he's lazy about it.

Matter resolved! Well, as long as the giant deigns to re-robe, anyway. Keyte gives Daevon a grateful look, and flashes much the same at Eonn. "This was… probably entirely horrid for you both," she half-jokes, quite candidly. "On account of me. But I had fun! I thank you both and… please enjoy the rest of your evenings?"

Eonn rolls onto his back and smiles at Keyte. "You are a delight, my lady," he says. "Goodnight."

"Oh no, it was a lot of fun," Daevon replies. "And I'm sure we provided the mother some amusement. Of course, no one is ever going to speak of this again. What happened on this beach, stays on the beach." He directs that at the Tyrell entourage, not for a moment suspecting they'll actually obey. "Fare well."

Valnod looks skeptical about the dryness of his pants, but evidently Keyte has a thing against nakedness for some weird reason that the wildling doesn't really get. He shrugs and re-dons his pants, the proportionately designed youth lifting a hand to the Targaryen lord. "Dae-chief take care." He looks to Keyte, "Dae-chief friend sit on horse?"

The beach, the blazing bonfire, the extremely good booze Daevon has stashed in his saddlebag, and finally some peace and quiet, what could be more idyllic? Poor Eonn's going to have to tolerate the Maidens Knight's presence though. Daevon makes himself comfortable once more, and in the morning there's going to be swimming with dolphins at dawn.

Keyte wears a proud little smile for the compliments from her night's company, shaking her head firmly to Valnod. She'll walk as far as she can, thank you very much, and the lot of them will make it home without incident. (Unless they don't. In which case they won't. Probably because of ninjas. I'm going to go to bed now. <3)

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