From the Vale, down to the River (Closed)

[Jon Templeton]

A journey was finally close to completion.

The night before it had rained and the road was still muddy. Ser Jon Templeton rode atop his dapple grey courser Ghaston and each step of the horse created a small sucking sound in the mud. Next to him rode his long time friend Triston Tollett. Travel was slow but the destination had almost been reached; Mountain's Rock. Their destination was the home of Ser Theomore Tullison, the man Jon had squired to for the better part of a decade. Now he was returning to the Riverlands to make his own way. Triston had been persuaded to come... for different reasons.

Jon wore black scale armor with each individual scale trimmed in gold. In the right light is seemed to shimmer as he moved. Over his armor he wore a black cloak with the hood pulled over his head. The cold morning air had yet to give way to the warmth of the sun and Jon kept the cloak tight to his body. "You'd think coming out of the Vale and using the High Road would make me used to the cold. "Jon coughed and spit onto the ground, "But I'll tell ya, fuck this shit. When we get to Mountain's Rock I'm going to sit in a hot bath for a day."

[Triston Tollett]

Riding aside Jon and his courser was Triston Tollett who was fostered at Ninesisters and shared a childhood with Jon before he left with Ser Theomore as his squire. He hadn't squired for any famous knight, but instead the master-at-arms at Ninesisters instead. He wasn't even a knight, truth be told, and in his years had missed out of some of finer points of knightly pursuits such as the joust. He did this all for one reason. It was the same reason he was being dragged along now, much to his chagrin.

"Could be in our beds back at home," Triston quipped. "I still have my favorite blanket from childhood." He looked over at Jon and faked a smile. He wore his heavy plate, having heard the Mountain Clans were active, Triston didn't want to get caught with his pants down. They were rumors, but that's really all Triston knew of the outside world. He had went to a tournament or two, competing in the melee, but really he was a sheltered man who still acted like a boy.

[Jon Templeton]

"We could be in our beds..." Or someone else's bed for that matter. "but we know that isn't an option right now." Jon tried to cheer up his friend, "Besides this grand adventure," Jon waved his hand to the cold and wet landscape, "is the first step in getting you back to the Vale." Jon thought for a moment, "Or getting what you want in the Vale to come to you."

On their pack mule Jon heard a whimper from a crate. He slowed his horse and pulled even with the mule. Leaning over the crate he saw his gift snuggled in the blanket. "You've been a little trooper, haven't you." Jon spoke as if talking to a baby, "Here ya go." Jon pulled out some jerky and dropped it into the crate.

Jon rode up to Triston and was serious for a moment, "Look I know you're not happy with this and I can't say I blame you. But I'm going to do what I can to help you and my sister. It's just going to take some time."

[Triston Tollett]

"I don't care about the Vale. But I am going to be gone for how long? How long until your brother decides it is time Lynne is betrothed." Triston frowns like a child, "Not long I think. Not long at all. We could be gone by now. Away and happy." He gives Jon a very disapproving look, his frowning turning into a slight sneer. "But you had to ruin it. I don't know why you did that."

[Jon Templeton]

Jon's faux-jovial mood soured at Triston's whining, "Enough. I did it because if you want my sister's hand you'll have to do it the right way. The two of you couldn't have thought of a more foolish scheme to gain Harold's consent. And now you're here. So do it the right way." Jon sighed, "Plus you lack faith in Lynne's ability to remain available. She's a fourth daughter and he has his own children to marry off. Relax my friend."

[Triston Tollett]

Triston sighed and grunted as he kept riding. He didn't say anything else on the subject and instead just kept moving alongside Jon as they rode. The younger of the two friends wondering idly what it would be like once he got what he wanted, if he got what he wanted.

"Tell me about Ser Theomore?" he finally says, breaking the silence after being scolded.

[Jon Templeton]

"Ser Theomore." Jon smiled at the mention of his mentor's name. "The man is a father to me much in the way you are a brother. I squired for him near a decade in total. Saw a lot of the Riverlands and Crownlands as we went from tournament to tournament. He taught me the finer points of jousting," Jon chuckled at his own pun, "and what it meant to be a knight. Some may call him cynical, maybe a bit too logical but I found his disposition refreshing."

Jon patted his battle axe, "Many knights think the sword is an honorable weapon, a symbol of the knight. Ser Theomore never criticized me for my love of axes. Told me what mattered was I was good with the weapon I used, not the weapon I thought I should use. I know that doesn't sound like an important detail but it always stuck with me."

Jon looked ahead to the horizon, "The good news is we're not far off. Within a few hours you'll be able to meet him for yourself."

[Triston Tollett]

It hadn't dawned on Triston that Jon might feel that way. He barely even remembered Jon's real father. Triston knew there was some disagreements there, but he never knew what or how severe. "I look forward to meeting him. I am not much account with the sword either. Still swinging around the ball," he says, patting his saddle bag which had his ball and chain secured upon it. Triston didn't even own a sword.

"So much for an honorable weapon if you're dead, eh?" From first indication Ser Theomore reminded Triston of Ser Robert, but he doubted Theomore was as simple as the master-at-arms of Ninesisters.

[Jon Templeton]

Jon smiled when Triston patted his ball & chain, "You do love swinging your balls around. Isn't that how we ended up here anyway?" Jon laughed. "I'll take living over an honorable death any day."

Jon's smile slowly faded and he became serious for a moment, "I give you my word Lynne will be yours. Just give me time to make a knight out of you. My brother won't be able to say no when we return."

[Theomore Tullison]

From a distance, a traveler might assume that Mountain's Reach is part of the mountain. Being built out of the very same rock that surrounds it. At it's heart is an imposing seven sided central keep with rounded corners, surprisingly large for a House of such youth not known for it's wealth and strength, though Jon knows it is because the stone has been quarried from the very mountainside that serves as the eastern wall. Much expense have been saved by having no need to transport it. Thick curtain walls surrounds a courtyard large enough for a dragon to land, though Vhagar might find it difficult. Much of the stone used in the construction has been quarried from directly below the west and north walls, forcing anyone to approach from the south, and then make their way around to the north side in order to reach the gate. In keeping with Lord Joston's love of of his people, a point of Tullison pride, any enemy coming from the east must expose himself to those manning the walls of Joston's Rock, as the smallfolk insist on calling the castle in order to reach the less imposing walls of the nearby hamlet of Lordsview.

The mountain clans would on occasion, usually at the onset of winter, find their way through the mountain passes to attempt to raid Lordsview from the side that was only protected by it's own wall and watchtowers. But after Mors Warren was made captain of the mountaineers and charged with patrols, a position his son and grandson would inherit, any approaching warband sizeable enough to overwhelm the militia would find the full strength of House Tullison waiting for them, and, in keeping with Tullison traditions, often in the open as the Lords of Mountain's Reach had a preference for taking on such attackers before they had a chance to harm the smallfolk under their protection. Some places, such as Joston's pass was as good as a castle for that purpose anyway, and now a tower was being constructed and garrisoned under Ser Ulbert's watchful eye to block the other passage a warband might take.

Beyond the gatehouse, there was a bustle of activity, soldiers having returned from battle, more like a massacre as it often turned out to be when the clansmen chose to take Joston's Pass, the enemy wiped out by Tullison arrows, though enough had gotten away to make it highly unlikely that they'd try that route once again any time soon. The chatter was of the three heroes, the inspiring leadership of Lord Dunstan, the deadly arrows of Ser Mather Warrens and Ser Theomore's lance vanquishing the clansmen champion with a single charge.

[Triston Tollett]

As Triston rode alongside his childhood friend he took note of this place. He drew into silence as his mind started working at the defenses of Joston's Rock. His uncle had said he had a keep mind for tactics. The only battles he had been apart of he did little more than stand by his uncle and watch his back. Triston's mind wandered to how the ship pitched beneath his feet as so many men jumped over the side at once onto the pirate deck. The squire had followed and almost immediately had to duck out of the way of a wicked axe which split the rail behind him. Triston thought that man went overboard somehow right after. He wasn't sure, Triston just knew he almost pissed his pants.

He put his hand on his face and rubbed the sleep and fatigue away for a moment. "A clear head," he thought, and stopped day dreaming about the past.

[Jon Templeton]

It was hard not to be impressed by the effort that had been put into Mountain's Reach. Jon had spent time there in his youth and every time he approached the castle it gave him a new appreciation for the design. As Jon and Triston passed the gatehouse Jon watched the hustle and bustle of the soldiers and smallfolk. He heard bits and pieces and surmised that another mountain clan's attack had been repulsed. Lord Dunstan had always had a passion for the well being of the smallfolk and it seemed that feeling persisted to this day. Jon was excited to see Dunstan and see how he'd grown into the role as head of house. Jon was also looking forward to seeing Yve. Though Jon spent weeks (if not months) at a time away from Mountain's Reach with Ser Theomore every time they came back Jon was happy to see her. She reminded him in many ways of his younger sister Lynne. Jon looked over to the crate and the gift he had brought for her. She'll love it.

Most of all Jon was looking forward to seeing Ser Theomore. Jon had come to think of him as the father he'd never had. Others were quick to judge Theomore for some of his more.... questionable choices but Jon was always quick to defend the man. Pulling on the reins of his horse Jon motioned for a guard to come over. "Greetings. I am Ser Jon Templeton, former squire to Ser Theomore. I've come to seek an audience with him and Lord Dunstan. Tell them I am here with my friend Triston."

Jon looked over to Triston as the guard went off, "I've been told there's been quite a bit of activity in the Riverlands since I left. I'm sure House Tullison will be more than happy to add us to their ranks."

[Triston Tollett]

Remembering vaguely when Jon left Ninesisters with Ser Theomore, Triston nodded. At the time he was but a child. Triston thought he remembered that he was sad. It was understandable, Jon was his friend and he was going away. He wasn't sure if he actually remembered that or if he just begun to think that as he grew up. He knew the way of the world now, or at least he thought he did, and he was resigned to the fact of serving House Tullison until he could get back to Ninesisters, or having Lynne come to him. It didn't matter much where they lived as long as they did so together.

Triston's mind began to wander again, but he forced himself to smile and nod to the guard as Jon made the introduction. He didn't say anything himself as he waited.

[Theomore Tullison]

Theomore does not take long in appearing, clean shaven and well-groomed, the natural confidence he carries himself with might make some mistake him for the lord himself, though clearly ten years or so too old to be Dunstan. "It is good to see you, Ser Jon." The welcoming smile is familiar to his old squire, one he had seen many times. This time it is probably real, it was sometimes very difficult to tell, Theomore rarely if ever acted as if he did not consider whoever he met as a friend or someone he wanted to be one. Being friendly and polite in one's manners costs nothing he had liked to imprint upon his squire, not being so tends to carry a price. "And this must be master Triston? You are most welcome."

[Triston Tollett]

Triston dips his head in meeting Ser Theomore. He vaguely though he remembered the man when Jon was taken as his squire, but he couldn't be sure if they were imagined memories or truth. He was so young then. Jon had spoken well of the man and Triston had no reason to doubt Jon's sincerity. "Ser," Triston starts, "Thank you for your welcome. I am pleased to finally make your acquaintance. Jon has spoken highly of you for as long as he returned from your tutelage." The man of Grey Glen cannot think of any more flattery to spew and so simply smiles slightly as he waits for a reply or for Jon to interject.

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