Wide Open Spaces (Day1, Late Afternoon)

[Terrance Stone]

"Any question you wish." he nodded. "I am an open book. I may ask a few questions in return, though."

[Mariessa Tremaine]

"I suppose that is only fair," she nodded.

"I... understand if you do not wish to answer, of course. I was just curious about your mother, since you briefly mentioned her calling you Terry."

[Terrance Stone]

"No, she preferred Terrance." he corrected with a friendly smile. "She was a barmaid at a tavern in the Snout. My father knew her when he was younger and earning a reputation as a promising knight. Their relationship didn't last long, but she never spoke poorly of him. After he learned about me, he began sending her coin from time to time, to make sure I never needed for anything. Other boys went out on the fishing boats, worked in smiths or tended to farms to help their families. I never had that burden. Even when I asked, she wouldn't let me try. I spent my time exploring the foothills around us, while mother worked at the tavern. She always seemed happy."

"Strangers came in one night. That was rare, but not unheard of. Our small port would get visitors and there were sometimes travelers headed to Gulltown." He grew quiet for a moment. "I wasn't there. They looted the tavern and killed almost everyone. They may have just been roving bandits or clansmen from deeper in the mountains, but no one knew for sure. It's impossible to say, really. My father's men brought me to him the next day."

[Mariessa Tremaine]

Mari's expression hardened slightly as she listened to Terrance's story, and his mother's fate.

"... I'm sorry for your loss, Terrance. Losing a parent is... a difficult thing, I know." She gave a sympathetic nod, wondering how young he had been when the incident occurred. "My mother and older brother passed away a year ago, so I am not just offering empty words when I say I understand."

[Terrance Stone]

"It's a fresher wound for you, then. You have my condolences." he offered a sympathetic smile. "It happened about ten years ago. It took some time for me to accept it. I was a very angry young man, who often tried the patience of my predecessor and mentor as Master of the Hunt."

"What are your favorite memories of them? You don't need to tell me, obviously, but I found those were the best memories to focus on."

[Mariessa Tremaine]

"Mm... it is strange, but I'm not really angry about their deaths. At least, well... there's really no one to be angry at, I feel." Except for the fact that I'm a girl and thus making everything more difficult for father. "It feels more like it hit my father and sister harder than it did me."

Mari smiled weakly. "I have many fond memories with my brother. He was always kind... except for when he was as horrible as all brothers can be," she chuckled, "but mostly he was nice to me, and he would always let me come along on hunts or show me what he had learned from father or his trainers. Were he alive today, he would for certain be competing in this tourney."

"As for mother... I was never that close to her, to be honest. She doted more on my sister, I was more my father's daughter, in comparison. Not that we didn't get along, of course, but I think I was the cause of some of her grey hair and wrinkles on occassion."

[Terrance Stone]

"I suppose that's normal." he shrugged. "I'm not that close to my sister or brother. I don't want to cause any problems for them. It's the same for my father. I appreciate the steps he took to take care of me, but I know he had to keep his distance. But, they are family and I will always be ready to help them if they need me."

"What is your home like? I'm afraid I don't know much about House Tremaine."

[Mariessa Tremaine]

She nodded, understanding where he was coming from.

"We're a small House, but we've been around since the first Blackfyre Rebellion. My great-great grandfather, Osmund Tremaine, a sworn sword to the Meadows at the time, rallied up the common folk to lead them in fighting off raiders that came in from the Stormlands to sack the bounties of the Reach during the chaos of the Blackfyre Rebellion. With his leadership, they successfully held off the raiders until the Meadows could muster a greater force to drive them off. For his deeds, he was granted leave to found his own house, and his line would continue to protect House Meadows' border to the Stormlands."

Mari shrugged. This was all very easy history for her, having heard it many times as a child. "We've held and protected the Blueburn River there ever since, as the river is of great importance to this part of the Reach. Our home, Riverrest, stands right by the river, and we do have our own river-trade to oversee too. As our numbers are few, our warriors are held to a high standard and are some of the best in this part of the Reach."

Well, it was a little boastful, perhaps, but the Tremaine soldiers had been honed to be elite warriors since the time of her great-grandfather. "I trust that sheds some more light on it for you?"

[Terrance Stone]

He nodded. "It does, thank you. How far is Riverrest from here?"

[Mariessa Tremaine]

"For a single rider with light load, approximately a day's ride, toward's the Stormlands in the east. Valerian here would be able to do it pretty quickly. Though it did take us longer than that to travel here... lots of people, dogs, ponies and horses, not to mention luggage." She explained with a calm small.

"How long did it take for you and your family to travel from the Vale to the Reach? Did you travel by boat, perhaps?"