Ch. 2 - Buried Treasure

ARGENT
§

Settling Tynker tower was a relatively minor affair. There was no question as to which repairs would need to be carried out, and without his vows to his lady in the way, Ser Orvus seemed more reasonable, and he could be left in charge until a suitable keeper for the Tower could be found. With all the wealth that had belonged to the Tynkers now in a chest with the rest of their travel things, Argent and Florie decided it was best to journey back home to deposit it before anything untoward might befall it. They went back the way they had come, through the celebrating town of Walker's Wayn, and went home. Lord Garon listened to his children and their knight with a mixture of bafflement and pride as they told their story. Argent made sure he knew who the champion of the excursion had been, putting Ser Toby at the center of attention, and making sure his father was suitably impressed that Toby had beaten the more experienced Ser Orvus.

Once their story was told, Garon advised that all three go see their mother. Jonys, he said, had been recovering admirably, but Lady Vallya had taken to bed again. Her room smelled like a butchery, more strongly than it ever had before. Dried blood clung to her hair and the folds in her skin, and she tossed and turned. Florie and Argent sat by their mother's side, and Toby stood near them, all three exchanging worried glances as they breathed in the too-familiar scent of blood. She called Jonys's name, and Argent had to explain to her that no, it was them, and they had returned early.

He said they had been at Tynker Tower, and Vallya asked, "Oh, how are the Tynkers?"
"They're dead," Argent responded bluntly, and continued to tell what had happened in equally blunt terms. He felt suddenly young, and it was easiest to cope this way, easiest to make his words harder when it seemed that nothing was simple or right any more. He softened a bit when he spoke of Ser Tobias and his valiant fight, and Vallya praised the knight for his victory. Tobias looked shyly pleased; as always, it was a personal triumph to be treated more like one of the family.

When they left their mother, they slipped out to meet Zel for a pint at the tavern, but although Argent would have been happy to drink the rest of the day away and drink all troubling thoughts to oblivion, they had promised to return and visit their mother again. They were greeted at the gates of Blackbane Hall by Jonys, who was upright and had some color in his cheeks, and who seemed to be looking forward to doing his duties again. Argent was relieved. This meant that Jonys would make the trip to Silver Hill, that Jonys would once again be fulfilling the tiresome duties of an heir. But then Argent saw something. Jonys furtively wiped his hands on a handkerchief he carried, a handkerchief that was beginning to stay red. Florie's eyes showed that she had seen it too, and the two siblings exchanged a despairing look. They could not send their brother off if he was not truly well. Yet dutifully, they attended on their mother until she went senseless and Holly asked them to tell Lord Garon. Florie and Argent hurried to him, and mentioned also that Jonys seemed to be hiding the severity of his condition. Garon, no doubt tired of bad news like this, would not hear of it. He insisted that Jonys was fine, and suggested they all go down to the tavern and put a few drinks in him.

Argent, heavy-hearted but not one to pass up an order to go to the tavern, led the way.

Cyril
§

Maester Cyril had been on the road studying, a long ways from Oldtown and the Citadel, but nevertheless, he had been contacted by raven and given his orders to go and serve House Felsward, to tend to its ailing lady and first son. So he had ridden, and when at last the lights of Blackbane town were visible on the darkening horizon, he breathed a sigh of relief. He did not like to be in the countryside too long, and a real bed held a great deal of appeal. Still, he thought, best to get his bearings in case he had veered off course in such unfamiliar territory, so he stopped in at the tavern to ask if this was indeed Blackbane, and if the hall was in the direction he thought. The tavernkeeper answered in the affirmative, and pointed to a table of carousing youths. "There's the scions of House Felsward right there, and their knight."

It was a little surprising to see them in such a common place, especially the daughter of the house, and it did not escape Cyril's notice that amongst the nobility, a highwayman barely past boyhood was drinking as well. But it was not his place to start questioning the family he would serve before he even began his service, so Cyril stepped over to make his introductions. The knight seemed well in his cups already, and so did the highwayman, but the siblings mostly just seemed cheerful, and the girl blushed as she greeted him, appropriately embarrassed at being caught out like this. They all agreed to pay their tab and walk him to Blackbane Hall themselves, but as the oldest son stood, he toppled over, and tiny beads of blood began to seep from his pores. Cyril immediately took over, instructing how he should be moved. The report he had recieved had not been exaggerated; whatever illness plagued House Felsward, it was grave indeed.

Maester Cyril introduced himself to the lord of the house and immediately began tending to the two sick Felswards. Jonys was moved into the same room as Vallya, and the Maester worked to care for them properly. It was clear that the nurse had done what she could, but only a man from the Citadel would know what to do for the rare sicknesses that caused these alarming symptoms. For the first time ever, Lady Vallya was being treated properly, and it was a wonder to Cyril that she had ever survived this long. When, after a few days of careful observation he began to discern the precise nature of the ailment, it was nothing short of miraculous to him that she had even survived childbirth not one, but three times. This was a blood condition that, at its worst, would mean that either Vallya or Jonys could bleed out entirely from a tiny cut. It ran in some families, although this rare and extreme version hardly ever manifested.

It could never be cured, Cyril knew, but it could be controlled, and for the first time, this family could be offered a glimmer of hope. He knew of a mineral called arsenite that was normally a waste product of silver mining, that could be used in a solution to help quell the outbreaks of bleeding. It just so happened, he knew, that the Felswards owned a silver mine, and that already, a trip was being planned. Cyril spoke with Lord Garon and arranged to go. It seemed he would be travelling with Argent and Florie Felsward, their knight Tobias, and the highwayman from the tavern. Unusual company for such an excursion, but Cyril could already see that his time here would not be dull.

Drezielle

§

Zel Flowers was anxious to be on the Kingsroad again, anxious to be actually fulfilling the duties of her post. Admittedly, she had grown fond of sleeping in an actual bed, and perhaps tarried too long at Blackbane Hall. They made camp early the first day, and the nobles did their hunting and hawking. Corwin made himself useful, apparently determined to prove himself to Ser Tobias still. It was more leisurely in pace than she would have liked, but she wasn't ready to break off and ride alone just yet, so she accepted their lack of speed. The next day was a little better, but partway through the day, they found an overturned travelling wagon, and two injured people trapped beneath it. Zel and the men hurried to help, and it was evident that the wagon had been attacked by thieves. Both the man and the woman they pulled from under the wagon were senseless at first, but then the woman asked for Gabrielle.

Tobias and Zel exchanged glances, and both jumped on their horses and took off up the hill. They found the trail the thieves had taken and followed it the best they could. It took some time, but eventually they found the thieves deep in the woods. The sight that confronted them was one all too familiar to Zel. The whorehouses she had seen in her youth had shown her well enough the brutality men could sink to when a woman did not want them. Two men had ripped most of the girl's clothes off, and had her on hands and knees between them, laughing as she sobbed. Their distraction allowed Zel and Toby to get quite close before they even noticed. They closed in and knocked the men back. Ser Tobias was in a rage, and he was off his horse in a moment, sword out. Zel moved quickly towards one of the men, and ran her sword clean through him, in time to watch Toby swing his sword with a shout and half-decapitate the other man. Zel wasn't used to seeing such power behind a single blow, and it made her plenty thankful Ser Toby was on their side.

She drew an extra cloak from her saddle bags and put it gently over Gabrielle's shoulders, and they rode back. The girl was badly injured, and her face had been cut, but she would survive, and her parents were grateful for that. Before they all moved on, Gabrielle's mother insisted that she give them all good luck charms made out of twisted copper wire with colorful glass beads and shiny metal caught up in the designs.

The rest of the trip passed quietly, and though the nobles from Blackbane Hall had been quiet before, they were dead silent as they rode into Silver Hill. Zel realized they must never have travelled anywhere like this before, and the dirtiness of it was coming as a shock. Silver Hill was an industrial town, and the mining process was not pretty. Smoke blackened the sky, the stream was dark and filled with slag, and the streets were filthy. There was lead everywhere too. It was on the roofs, stacked in piles behind fences, and clearly in overabundance. Argent, Florie, and Tobias were in clear shock. This was a far cry from the pleasant orchards they were used to. To Zel, it was just like being in certain sections of King's Landing-- not exactly a nice place, but familiar at least. The surprise for her came when they met Coll Greyfell, the lord of House Greyfell. His skin was blue-grey all over, a condition that Cyril murmured was called Argeria, and caused by long exposure to the process of working with mined silver.

Greyfell suggested a tour, and everyone set off through the streets towards the mines. They left Toby guarding Florie at the entrance, and descended into the mines. Three hundred feet underground, Greyfell showed them a team of men working at a thin seam of silver. "The earth itself fights us," he said bitterly, and explained how much harder it had been to get at the silver, how difficult the drilling had become. It seemed that the supply of silver in the mine was dwindling, and this was why the payment to the Felswards had gone down. Argent asked a few quiet questions, but it was clear that this was the bad news he would have to bear home to his father. Zel stood to the side, a little claustrophobic, eager to leave the oppression of the mines. As they took the shaky pulley lift up the shaft, she watched Maester Cyril's eyes go wide, and at the same time, he and Argent moved to put the lantern out. A burst of fire flared into life as the invisible gas they had just barely smelled in time ignited, but they were already rising, and the lantern was safely out.

Florie
§

Florie and Argent were disheartened by the news, and their task seemed even more distasteful than ever. Florie thought about how it should be Jonys here instead of them, how little either of them really wanted to try to run things this way. It was wearying, but as they prepared for dinner in the strange, grimy House Greyfell, Florie did her best to appear every bit the lady she should be. She did her hair, put on her scented oils, and went to dinner. She felt like she and Argent sparkled. This, at least, they were good at. The two of them played a crowd like entertainers might, playing off of each other-- Argent had always been good at garnering attention, and Florie helped to hold it. The dinner party went as well as could be expected, and that night, Ser Tobias slept outside of Florie's door, insisting he wanted to keep her safe.

In the morning, Cyril set off early to search for the mineral they needed, and Zel went off into town. Argent set about trying to find a way to look at Coll Greyfell's books, and so Florie was left mostly to her own devices. She walked and talked with Tobias all morning. He had told her she was pretty the evening before, and she was starting to notice that his moments of being tongue-tied corresponded with her examining him too closely. It was beginning to dawn on her that somewhere along the way, Toby had started seeing her as more than a childhood friend, more than his best friend's sister. And Florie, for her part, was starting to see in Tobias what she had not before. He wasn't just a former playmate, he was a man, a man who cared for her and protected her. Even knowing that it probably wasn't what she ought to be doing, she let herself flirt.

Florie didn't really notice time passing. She was laughing with Tobias when Argent flung himself into the room and shut the door behind him. "You have to help me," he said.
"With... er... what?" Florie wasn't quite as quick to guess as normal, she supposed she was distracted.
"He won't let me get at the books. He keeps avoiding it and pulling me off to do other things. I need you."
With a sigh, Florie agreed to help, and with an apologetic look to Tobias, swept out after Argent to go see Greyfell. Seeming pleased that Florie had decided to emerge, Greyfell suggested a tour of the foundry, and she she said she and Toby would be delighted to go while Argent rested. Florie gave her brother the look that said he had better find something good to pay for the boredom she was about to endure, and she took Toby's arm and let Greyfell lead them off.

They walked from Hightown, where the house was, to Lowtown, the way they'd gone towards the mines. The foundry was more interesting than Florie had imagined, though that wasn't saying much. Still, in the stifling heat, Coll explained that this mine had been in operation since before Aegon's conquest. He said that the coins of the kingdom House Gardener had ruled had been minted here. Florie was interested, curious to see if any Gardner coins still existed, but she could see that in his armor, Ser Toby was getting too hot and uncomfortable. So she allowed the tour to be cut short, and they walked back as slowly as she dared. Argent was nowhere to be seen, which meant he needed more time. So Florie promised to speak to Coll more while Toby went and changed into cooler clothes.

Greyfell led her into a parlor, and sent servants for refreshments. Florie sat and let him talk about mining for a while. She didn't drink everything he gave her, since he was a little overenthusiastic with the wine, but she was as pleasant as she could manage to be, even when his fingers brushed hers a little too much as he handed over her cup. Florie started to notice, though, that his attention was starting to be a little too forward, and she had given him plenty of chances to back off. She started to protest, when she realized that no servants were in the room any more, and Coll Greyfell was by the door. He locked it, and Florie stood in alarm. "You can make this easy for yourself, or hard," he said, softly and menacingly.

Florie shook her head, eyes wide, and before she could move, he strode across the room and grabbed her wrist, twisting it up behind her back. She started to scream, and his other hand came up to clamp over her mouth. She struggled, but the man was surprisingly strong, and every time she moved, pain shot up her arm. Terrified, she did her best to struggle against him, but he was already bending her over the arm of a couch, and hiking her skirt up. As Florie sobbed, he pressed her face into a pillow so she couldn't breathe. Unconsciousness, she thought, might actually be preferable.

Tobias
§

Ser Tobias was thankful to be out of his armor, and took some time dressing so that he would be presentable. He wanted Florie to keep looking at him the way she had been all morning. It wasn't until he reached the room she and Greyfell should be in and found the door shut that he realized something was wrong. He worried even more when he tried to open it and found it barred, so he called Florie's name and heard only muffled noises in response. Panic rising, Toby threw himself against the door until it gave. He saw Coll Greyfell behind Florie, with her skirts hiked up, and Coll was undoing his pants.

It took bare moments for Tobias to draw his sword and fling himself at Florie's attacker with a shout of rage. He hit the man below his ribs, and as if he were made of something far more yeilding than skin and muscle and bone, the sword slid right through him. Coll Greyfell hit the floor in two pieces. Sobbing and now covered in her attacker's blood, Florie pulled her clothing into place and huddled back, staring at Toby. There was something in her eyes he had never seen her direct at him before. Fear.

There were running feet in the hallway, and Argent appeared in the doorway, features going pale with shock. "Tobias? Florie? What happened?"

"He was attacking Florie!" Tobias said, still tense and straining to keep his anger in check. As Argent gazed at him, though, he began to realize what his friends already must. Even given the situation, given their testimony, this would be murder. There was precious little time to do anything about it, and Argent pursed his lips, eyes still on Toby.

Guards were coming, but Argent gazed at the body, then at his sister and Toby, and said he would take the blame. "No!" Toby and Florie shouted at once. "No, you can't!" But they had no time to argue, for the first guards came, and could plainly see what had happened. Toby fought them off, and then Argent told them to wait a moment, and left the room. Agonizing minutes passed, and he came back, pressing the books he had been looking over into his stunned sister's hands. He said they had been lied to; that plenty of silver was coming out of the mines, it just wasn't making it to the right place. He told her he would go to the Free Cities, and now more than ever, their bloodline would be protected.

Then Argent hugged his sister and turned to Toby. "Protect Florie," he said, and took his long hair in hand. "Cut it. Show that you tried to fight me, but that I slipped away." Hands shaking, Tobias did as Argent asked, and then Argent hugged them both and ran.

Tobias could not protect Florie from the questions, though, questions that took the rest of the day. But Florie sold the story of her brother flying into a rage and committing the murder as if it were truth. And then at last, she was let alone, and bathed, and changed. Toby led her to her rooms, where she requested that nobody be let in, and he stood guard outside, his heart heavy. On the other side of the door, he heard crying, but he could do nothing about it.

Ch. 1 - Tynker's Dam

ARGENT
§

After the excursion to Meadowlark Argent, Florie, and Ser Toby returned to Blackbane Hall with the two ringleaders who had initiated the uprising. Zel had found them on their way back, and decided to accompany them. Upon arriving, Argent began to give a report to Lord Garon, but they were interrupted by the Hall steward, Nisra Greyfell. She needed to speak with Lord Garon privately so he ordered Ser Toby and Zel to escort the newly acquired prisoners to the jails, but asked that Florie and Argent stay. Ser Toby looked momentarily crestfallen, but nonetheless he followed orders and with Zel led the ringleaders out of the Hall. Once they had gone, Nisra explained that she was reviewing the reports from Silver Hill, the town in charge of the Felswards' silver mine, and she noticed that the incomes from the town were steadily dropping. A total of six out of eight months showed a decline, including the last three consecutive months.

Lord Garon remained quiet for a minute, and then after some thought, he put Argent in charge of finding out what the problem was in Silver Hill. He, himself, had much to see to around Blackbane Hall especially with Lady Vallya and Jonys recovering, and obvious Jonys could not look into it because he could hardly walk. Argent felt more than a little perterbed at being assigned so much responsibility - he had rather important plans to grab Ser Toby and immediately head to the tavern. He was secretly hoping that Jonys was in fact well enough to make the expedition himself, and that his father was just worrying too much. So after excusing themselves, he and Florie made their way to visit their brother and mother. Jonys was in fact not doing very well. True he had stopped bleeding through his skin, but he was still very weak and upon trying to stand he nearly fell over. He was most definitely not healthy enough for the long ride to Silver Hill. Lady Vallya was in similar a similar condition, only she was sleeping when they checked in on her. Reluctantly, Argent had to admit to himself that he was most able to run the errand, though he refused to go alone. He decided to appoint Ser Toby to be his guard and enforcer for the trip, and even Florie expressed an interest in travelling to Silver Hill with him. Perhaps she disliked the idea of being left alone with their father, who seemed rather short with her recently, Jonys, who was crabby for being stricken with illness, and their mother, who was unconscious when she wasn't busy murdering children.

They would have to discuss the possibility later as it would require convincing Lord Garon to allow both children to leave once again, and Argent was eager to find Ser Toby and secure him for the trip. They ran around Blackbane Hall checking every nook and cranny, but Ser Toby and Zel seemed to have evaporated. They were not at the stables, the armory, Ser Toby's room, the kennels, the kitchens, or anywhere outside. Florie posited that Ser Toby had gone to the Drunken Knave, but Argent found it hard to believe that the knight had left without him. So, the two of them mounted up and rode into the town. When they flung the doors open, Ser Toby and Zel were happily drinking together, and Zel was being taught the words to "Wenches, whores, and Septas." Argent was irked by this.

"I can't believe I found a drinking buddy at Blackbane Hall!" Zel giggled while rocking in his chair.
"Oh, Zel, he's not your drinking buddy," Argent said with a dangerous smile as he walked up to their table. No longer having the desire to knock back a few pints, Argent quickly explained the situation to Ser Toby and settled the tab. It also seemed that Zel was available to accompany them, and while Argent was not particularly thrilled that Zel was trying to steal his best friend, he just made a note in the back of his mind to stick the highwayman at the back of their tiny procession.

Preparations were made back at Blackbane Hall that included gathering supplies for a camp, saddling the horses, and convincing a dubious Lord Felsward that Florie's administrative skills were a valuable asset, and she should be included in the task. After some fast talking, their father consented and the four of them were off. The ride to Silver Hill was sure to be arduous, and it was about six hours into their ride that Florie complained of being sore and demanded they stop to set up camp. Argent knew that the next town was only a couple more hours' ride, and that setting up a camp was unnecessary; however, when Florie persisted with her desire to stop for the night, Ser Toby dismounted and began to set up camp despite Argent's wishes. Already irritated, Argent used the next few days to order Ser Toby to perform every menial task he could think of every time he felt that the knight was undermining him. Eventually the two of them were at such odds they had to have it out, and stepped away from the others to bicker. Argent was angry that Ser Toby had seemingly replaced him with Zel and was constantly ignoring Argent's decisions; Ser Toby was upset for always being treated like a servant, not only by Argent but also by Lord Felsward, despite having been a faithful ward of the House his entire life.

After venting their frustrations and remembering their long history together, the two of them agreed that they were much more effective when they worked with each other and not against each other. Having settled their differences Argent was able to return to their journey with a more positive outlook.

DREZIELLE
§

Traveling with the nobles was a bit more tedious than Zel had expected, because they kept wanting to stop and rest. At first it was just Florie, but soon enough Argent was also complaining of soreness and needing a rest. Zel was more accustomed to riding all day and long into the night if she needed to, and so she found things to amuse herself while on the ride. She tended to patrol the areas where they set up camp, and did a little bit of the hunting for their dinner. It was while on patrol one day that Zel heard a strange scraping noise nearby, so she stealthily crept into some nearby foliage to spy on whatever was making the strange noise. What she saw was an older man sitting against the trunk of a tree fast asleep, and next to him was a young boy, around ten years old or so, attempting to dig a hole with a rusty helmet.

The sight was strange and amusing, and Zel was curious to find out what was going on so near to their camp. She stepped out from the bushes that she had been hiding behind, and called to the boy. He had apparently been totally oblivious to the group of people that had come to rest nearby, and jumped from fright when Zel appeared. He reached down to the old man's belt, clumsily drew the sword (which was entirely too big for him), and pointed it at Zel with shaking arms. This boy was no match for Zel, and she had no desire to harm him so she introduced herself as the highwayman Zel Flowers. The boy still seemed ill at ease, but after a bit of talking Zel was able to glean from him that he wanted a shovel. She bargained that she would get him a shovel if he explained who he was and what he was doing; thus, she learned that the boy was a squire by the name of Corwin and he needed a shovel to bury his master, Ser Kennan the Bold. Wanting to make sure there was nothing foul afoot, Zel touched the skin of the man against the tree. He was ice cold and very dead. Satisfied with this, Zel brought the boy back to the camp where he explaine dhimself to the others.

Ser Tobias and Zel both volunteered to help Corwin with his task, and with the three of them working it took no time at all to dig a suitable grave. After taking all of Ser Kennan's useable equipment, they gently placed him in the grave and covered it with heavy stones so as not to be disturbed by passing scavengers.

"Do you have words to say over him?" Ser Tobias asked Corwin. Corwin took a deep breath, and furrowed his brow.
"He was never a wealthy knight. He fought in over a hundred battles, but never sold his sword. He was going to make me a knight..." the boy looked truly disappointed, "Bless him in the name of the Stranger, I guess."

Once their makeshift ceremony for the hedge knight was concluded they invited Corwin to stay with them that night. While talking around the campfire, they learned that Corwin was from the Marches and that Ser Kennan the Bold was the only family he had. He also made Ser Tobias feel a bit self-conscious by asking if he had a squire, and why not, and would he like one because Corwin could polish boots incredibly well. Ser Tobias brushed him off at that point and began to have a quiet discussion with Argent. Zel decided that was an opportune time to take her shift at watch and then go to bed. Hopefully they could make it farther the next day.

When she awoke the following morning, Corwin was there and shoved a piping hot bowl of breakfast with fresh berries in her face - not a bad way to start the morning at all. And while they were packing up camp Zel saw that Ser Tobias' boots shone as if they had been recently cleaned. The kid must have gotten up very early this morning. Once everything was packed the group managed to actually get in a hard day's ride, and arrived at the town of Walker's Wayn by nightfall. It had a tavern called the Hog & Sow where everyone could get a good meal and a bed that was not the ground. During dinner they were all served a neverending supply of glorious cuts of meat, and they all revelled in the fact that they had not had to catch and cook their own dinner. It started to become strange however, when each successive plate of food that was brought out held only more meat and no other types of food. Finally, Ser Tobias spoke up and asked for some bread at least, but the mildly surly tavernkeeper only said that there was no bread to be had.

When pressed for more details the tavernkeeper said that there were no grains, and so they could not make the bread. There were no grains, because the river had dried up from Walker's Wayn all the way up to Tynker's Tower, and so they had no water to grow anything else. Because this area was within the Felswards' holdings, Argent and Florie decided it would be best to investigate the drought and take a detour to Tynker's Tower. Florie sent a raven to her father, explaining the new problem and assuring him they were attending to it, and the following day the party set out in the direction of the Tower.

The riverbed they rode through was completely parched, and it looked as if water had not run through in many days. Argent and Florie seemd confident that Lord Tynker would aid them in solving the water problems the area was experiencing, and they were discussing the possible causes when the horses came to a slow stop. All conversation trailed off, and Zel found herself looking up at a large wall directly in their path. The riverbed was leading them through a valley, and on either side of them sheer walls of mountainous rock rose high into the sky. The wall blocked their way.

FLORIE
§

It was such a strange thing to be riding much of the day through a dry river, and even stranger still to be confronted with a huge wall that barred their path. As Florie was looking at the wall, she thought the wood used to construct it was looking unnaturally damp for some reason, but any further investigation was cut short by a guard from the top of the wall hailing them. Argent announced their party, and after a short while a noble woman appeared at the top of the wall and introduced herself as Lady Elza Tynker. It became apparent to them that Tynker Tower was just behind the wall, and so they requested entrance into Lady Tynker's house. A narrow ladder made of rope was dropped to them, and they were invited up; unfortunately, there were no stairs.

Ser Tobias ordered Corwin to remain at the base of the wall and attend the horses. If they did not return by morning, he should take the fastest mount and ride as hard as he could for Blackbane Hall. Sensible directions, Florie thought. They carefully made their way up the rope ladder, which very occaisionally swayed when someone shifted weight, and once they all stood at the top of the wall they could see Tynker Tower. Well, most of it. What was in front of them was a large man-made lake harvested from the waters of the river. The wall itself was not simply a wall, but a dam constructed to keep the water from leaving the Tower. The water level was so high that Tynker Tower was submerged to the second story, and the group of them needed to use a boat to traverse the tiny lake. All of them were exchanging worried looks, but Lady Tynker was smiling and chatting as if nothing in the world was amiss - even when she hoisted herself up through a window into a second story room.

After hoisting herself through the same window, Florie could see that the floors of the second story were moist with water, and Lady Elza's skirts were drenched at the hem. She seemed very excited to be hosting guests, because no one came to visit her anymore. Florie couldn't help but wonder why. She, Argent, and Lady Tynker seated themselves in some soft, comfortable chairs while Ser Tobias and Zel restlessly walked around the small room. Argent and Florie were very interested to hear why a dam had been constructed to block the river, where Lord Tynker was, and didn't Lady Tynker know the drought was causing starvation within their lands? Lady Tynker was initially hesitant to convey that information, but with minimal plying she eagerly told her story.

Her husband, Lord Tynker, ruled from the Tower and all the people, herself included, loved him dearly. They had tried to conceive a child together, but the baby died during childbirth. Shortly after, Lord Tynker was called away to war by their father, Lord Felsward. Lady Elza prayed daily that he would return to her, and he eventually did. Despite the injuries Lord Tynker had gained from his battles, they still attempted to have a child. Just before Lady Tynker went into labor, her husband was called away again to fight for Lord Felsward. This time the child survived the birth... only to die three days later. Then after that, Lady Elza received a raven informing her of her husband's death in battle. She was devastated and heartbroken, but one night while she slept she had a wondrous dream.

In it, she had built a dam that caused the water from the river to completely submerge Tynker Tower. Then, she ran out on the roof and discovered her Lord sailing to her across the lake she had made on a boat. He extended his hand to her as she stepped onto the vessel, and the two of them were reunited once again to sail off together. So, clearly she had had a vision, and had built the dam so her Lord would return to her.

Florie was scrambling for some form of response that did not involve outright calling her mad and ordering her to tear down the dam. She was saved by Ser Tobias breaking the silence and asking to speak with the head knight of Tynker Tower. Lady Elza informed him that Ser Orvus was upstairs with other guardsmen, and with a curt nod Ser Tobias left the room. Florie and Argent made idle chit-chat with the Lady until Ser Tobias returned and they could confab about their next move. Just then, a loud crash of thunder sounded all around them, and they heard the pitter-patter of rain as it landed in the lake.

"How wonderful! I prayed for rain this morning to fill up my dam, and now my prayers have been answered!" Lady Tynker exclaimed.

They made the excuse that they would have to discuss if they were going to stay the night (due to unforseen weather) and moved to a more private area while Lady Tynker sat by the window and fawned over the recent downpour. In reality they needed to bring the wall down and end the drought, but Zel pointed out that if the dam was opened all at once the ensuing water would not only come down and crush their horses and Corwin, but also Walker's Wayn. The wall had to be carefully deconstructed, but without incurring the wrath of the obviously mad Lady Tynker.

Ser Tobias believed the easiest way to solve the problem was to force her, but Argent proposed that they give her another "vision" in which she was instructed to tear the wall down herself. Because the first floor was completely underwater, the entire staff and guard were living from the second floor up, and so getting Lady Tynker alone would be difficult. Florie decided that she could have tea with her, ladies only, and then drug her with just enough milk of the poppy to make her delirious. Then, Argent would come into the room disguised as a son of hers, either one that had been lost or one yet to be born, and tell her to tear down the dam. Ser Tobias even came up with a particularly poignant line Argent would say about "if the water is raised for the lord, then the son shall be washed away." With the details squared away, they set the plan into motion by requesting to stay for the night.

Florie then begged for some privacy away from all of the rough men, and proposed the two ladies sit and have tea together. Lady Elza escorted Florie to her own chambers and the two of them brewed the tea. Florie volunteered to pour it, and when she was sure Lady Tynker was not looking she pulled the vial of milk of the poppy from her trunk. Just as she poured in a few drops, Lady Tynker interrupted her.

"What is that?" she asked. Florie had been caught.
"Oh, what?" she looked at the bottle and feigned shock, "Oh, I seemed to have grabbed the wrong bottle. I meant to snag this one. It contains honey harvested from our orchards, and has the faintest hint of apples."
"Why that sounds lovely!" Lady Tynker had been fooled by Florie's quick thinking, but now Florie had to give her a fresh cup with the apple honey. They gossiped through the first cup, and Florie rose to pour the second. This time, she concealed the milk of the poppy within her sleeve and poured it the same time she poured the honey.

"What, what is that? What are you doing?" came Lady Tynker's shrill voice. Darn if that crazy woman wasn't perceptive. Florie began to come up with an excuse about being for her own tea to calm her nerves, but Lady Tynker would not believe her after catching her attempt twice.

"You! You didn't come to visit at all! You're just like everyone else. You came to destroy my happiness...my wall...my Lord!" she cried out. "I will have you arrested! Ser Orvus! Come and subdue this... this poisoner!"

Florie tried to calm Lady Tynker, but to no avail. When Ser Orvus came rushing into the room, and Lady Tynker pointed at her and screamed "Poisoner!", Florie inhaled deeply and shouted with all the power in her tiny frame.

"TOBIAS!"

TOBIAS
§

Ser Tobias took the stairs three at a time and burst into Lady Tynker's chambers, sword drawn. The intractably loyal Ser Orvus was there already casting suspicious eyes on Florie. The man had been completely unyielding in his devotion to Lady Tynker when they had spoken earlier, and Ser Tobias knew he would not hesitate to do her bidding whether he thought she was mad or not. Ser Orvus gruffly asked why Florie would attempt such foul trickery just as Zel and Argent were running into the room.

"Because she's CRAZY!" Ser Tobias yelled before he could stop himself. Lady Tynker speared him with her gaze, her eyes were wide.

"I shall arrest you all! And put you on trial. Trial by combat!" Ser Tobias could see too much of the whites of her eyes as she shouted at them. Florie readily accepted, and named him as her champion. As expected Ser Orvus was to fight for Lady Tynker. Then she decided that the roof of Tynker Tower would serve as the combat arena, and it was Ser Tobias who led the march upstairs. As they walked up, floor after floor, the staff and servants caught wind of what was about to happen and so they too proceeded to watch the duel.

Night had already fallen by the time they assembled on the roof, the rain was pouring down in sheets, and lightning crackled in the distance. The onlookers formed a circle around the two knights, and Florie and Lady Elza stood at opposite edges. They began to circle each other slowly, and their drawn swords glistened with each lightning strike. Ser Orvus lunged first, and despite being much older than Ser Tobias, he was still quick to strike. When he got close enough he swung much too fast to block, and when he connected Ser Tobis felt a searing pain shoot through his shoulder. But he was also fast, and used the close combat to return the same blow to Ser Orvus' shoulder. His strike was true, and at the next flash of lightning he could see the blood seeping through Ser Orvus' mail.

This did nothing to slow the older knight's momentum, and when he next struck, he brought the hilt of his sword to crunch down on Ser Tobias' collarbone. With Ser Orvus still close, Ser Tobias ignored the numb sensation that was spreading through his chest, and noticed that there was a tiny slit in the top of Ser Orvus' armor that exposed his neck just slightly. He pulled a dagger from his belt into his offhand and then sent it straight into the chink, hoping to gouge Ser Orvus. As it turned out, the slit was not wide enough to slide a dagger through, but the force of the blow was enough to send the other knight stumbling back and out of close range. Ser Orvus recovered quickly and swung an overhead strike meant to cleave Tobias in half. The rain was a merciful ally, and Ser Tobias used the slick stones of the roof to slide under the blow and past Ser Orvus. Now behind his opponent, Ser Tobias viciously sliced at his exposed back causing the mail and flesh to split open under the left shoulder. Ser Orvus recoiled, and when he turned to face Ser Tobias, his left arm hung limp and useless at his side.

Using his remaining good arm to hold his blade, Ser Orvus lunged forward with a gutteral yell but slipped on the same slick roof that had aided Tobias earlier. Ser Tobias sidestepped the attack, and allowed Ser Orvus to almost carry himself over the edge of the roof. The old knight managed to stop himself, and when he turned to face Ser Tobias once again Ser Tobias called to him to submit. Ser Orvus seemed to scrutinize the younger knight for a moment and then take stock of his own inner reserves. The crowd that had gathered began to shout out "Submit!", "Don't fight any longer, Ser Orvus!", "The match is done!" Finally, Ser Orvus bowed his head in defeat, and said, "I submit."

Ser Tobias could not really explain what happened next. Perhaps realizing she no longer had the support of her people, or else unable to cope with Ser Orvus' loss, Lady Tynker gave a loud shriek.

"I see my Lord!" she cried out joyfully, ran to the edge, and flung herself off the roof to the dark waters below. The drop was a good thirty or forty feet, and as he looked over the edge Ser Tobias felt that it took an awfully long time for Lady Tynker's limp form to bob to the surface again.

The next few hours were something of a blur. Servants rushing down to retrieve their Lady, or rather her corpse, healers being summoned for the two knights, and Argent and Florie reclaiming authority over Tynker Tower. He also learned that during the bout, Zel had artfully snuck away and made his way across the little lake to the dam. With Corwin's help, the two of them had carefully knocked holes in the wall that would drain the water at a reasonable rate without causing a devastating deluge. The Tynkers' coffers were discovered, and a large sum of gold dragons was recovered and promptly sent to Blackbane Hall to further justify their detour. Even though they still needed to travel to Silver Hill, Ser Tobias had earned himself a good night's rest to heal his injured body.

Ch. 3 - The Rose Road

ARGENT
§

Argent awoke late the next morning, preferring to stay in the sanctuary of his room rather than face the crowd of guests going to the execution of the two hounds. Certainly it would be wiser not to be present should it be discovered that the dogs were in fact not Swift and Bramble; therefore, he spent the first part of his morning trying to decipher the mysterious letter that Florie had so cleverly nabbed. The whole thing made him cross-eyed, and he eventually concluded that he would have significantly more luck trying to resurrect Colin Florent's corpse than understand the contents of the letter. Perhaps if he spoke with his mother again, he could convince her to divulge more information, and with that thought Argent was out of his room on the way to Lady Vallya's chambers. Just as he arrived at the door, it opened, and Holly Greyfell nearly toppled into him.

She excused herself and strongly advised that Argent leave Lady Felsward be for now, as she was having a particularly bad day with her illness. Argent's patience with Holly, his mother, and bad days was running quite thin, so he lightly brushed Holly aside and went into the room. He needed to know what was in letter, and no amount of his mother's seizuring (feigned or otherwise) would stand in his way now. If only reality were that merciful. What Argent saw made him forget entirely about the coded letter - his mother was lying in bed, drenched in blood. Her bedsheets were slick with it, and little slivers of crimson were seeping from her eyes and the side of her mouth. Her breathing was shallow and her forhead was beaded with little droplets of red, as if she were sweating blood.

Argent whirled around and asked Holly what was wrong with his mother and what could be done to remedy it. The nurse looked helpless, and said that she was neither a maester nor a surgeon and so she did not know. Argent's worry for his mother took over and he snapped at Holly, causing her to burst into tears and leave in a rush. He felt incredibly guilty for it, because he knew how stressful the past two days had been for everyone in household. He also would have to inform his father immediately about what was happening with mother - he always seemed to be the bearer of bad news these days. Argent left the chambers and caught everyone just as they were re-entering Blackbane Hall, presumably from the execution. Lord Garon, looking grim, was not difficult to find, and upon informing him of the latest development with Lady Vallya's condition the entire house was flung into a frenzy. New bedlinens and cloths were gathered, the kitchens were told to cook a large beef shank just past raw to get blood back into Lady Felsward, and Argent was sent to find Jonys and Florie.

When his siblings had been found, the three of them gathered by their mother's bedside with Lord Garon. Their father looked grimmer still, and he kept his gaze fixed on Lady Vallya's unconscious form.

"When we were younger, shortly after your mother and I got engaged, she took ill with a fever," Lord Garon began quietly."It was vicious and she had to remain in bed for weeks. There was a period of time where even the maesters thought we would lose her. And I remember one day sitting beside her when she awoke from sleep, and she told me of a dream she had. She told me that she dreamed she attended the wedding of one of her children, and because she had not yet done so she knew she would not die." Lord Garon finally looked up at the three of them.

"And she did not, she made a marvellous recovery. We've seen the worst this sickness has to offer, and even though it looks awful now, she still has yet to see one of you wed. So, your mother will not die today," Lord Garon seemed to take a great deal of solace in this, and even Argent felt momentarily comforted by this story.

Having been present for the execution of the hounds, it seemed as though the guests in House Felsward were more than ready to return to their homes. So, while Lord Garon made his official goodbyes to the Tyrells and the Redwynes, Jonys, Florie, and Argent were left to attend on their mother. When it seemed there wa snothing else the three of them could do for Lady Vallya, Argent left to find Holly.

Just before Ser Toby and Meryn Payne were set to duel each other in the courtyard, Argent placed a bet with a Redwyne courtier that Ser Toby would come out victorious. He won 25 silver stags because of it, and now approached Holly with pouch filled with his winnings. He sincerely apologized for his behavior towards her earlier and presented her with a bonus for all of her continuing efforts in tending his mother. Holly's eyes grew wide at the sum, and she threw her arms around Argent in acceptance - House Felsward needed all the friends they could get right now, and it wouldn't do to have bad blood with the servants, Argent thought to himself darkly.

TOBIAS
§

As an anointed knight Ser Tobias had taken his vows of knighthood before the Seven, and so the following morning, after being relieved from his post at the kennels, he proceeded immediately to the sept. A boy had been murdered in Blackbane Hall under hospitality, and the Seven frowned upon such egregious actions of malice. On his way to the sept, he ran into Florie and the two of them proceeded together to pray that any curse upon their house be lifted. Having done what they felt would satisfy the gods, they then proceeded down to the kennels for the execution. Lord Garon was already there and upon seeing Ser Tobias he pulled the knight aside while Florie made a show of petting her "dogs".

"Ser Tobias, I was hoping you would do it," Lord Garon cast a glance over at the dogs, where Florie was kneeling and stroking their muzzles. "That you were fond enough of them to make it swift and sure."

"I will take the task," Ser Tobias nodded solemnly.

"We are putting these dogs down, but it is not a spectacle."

"Though it must be public... I understand."

Though these were not Florie's own dogs, it was still not a task Toby relished, so he got it over with as quickly as he could, and headed inside, where he found that Lady Felsward was sicker than ever. She had woken in a bloody sweat, and Lord Garon told them all grimly that it was as bad as when she had first taken ill. But then, with his children and Toby around him, he said that Vallya had been given a dream that she would not die until she saw one of her children married, and that he believed it. The Tyrells would be leaving that day, and it was just as well. Things were starting to look dark in Blackbane.

Toby attended Garon for the rest of the day, and went with him to speak with Jonys about the Meadowlark uprising. It would be the young lord's duty to go with Toby and put the rebels down. They spent the rest of the day preparing, and the next day, as they saddled their horses, Toby heard Jonys getting irritable as he struggled with the fasteners. Then, as Toby came to help him, he saw why. Jonys's hands were slipping on the leather because his fingers were slick with blood. There were bright red dots at the pores in his face too, and Toby realized with horror that Jonys must now share his mother's condition. He ran for Holly.

Once Jonys was settled, Garon had no choice but to charge Argent and Florie with the same duties that had been given to their brother.

Florie's Journal, Excerpt
§

The trip to Meadowlark would be a long one, because travelling with our small army would slow us considerably. I slowed things too, I suppose, in my covered carriage, but Father had insisted that I go along and so I packed up, chose which animals would be accompanying me, and settled in. I took one of the nice servant girls that waits on me, Cassie, since she's quiet and keeps herself busy. I had work to do. As soon as we were on the road, I took the coded letter out of its secret hiding place tucked away in my bodice, and I settled in to try and make sense of it. I have always been good at words, and patient, but even this gave me a headache. When we stopped, I didn't spend as much time with Argent and Toby as I would otherwise, so intent was I on my task.

The cipher was tougher than anything I'd tried to read before. But very slowly, I began to make sense of it. I had to find out which groupings of letters were words, and then I had to guess at the key phrase that had been used to encipher the text. That took the better part of a day, but I finally hit upon it-- our house words, "Silver tongue, iron fist." After that, I was able to fly through decoding the letter. Knowing the cipher and the key made it simple. I was, I suppose, so involved in my translation that I didn't bother paying much attention to the words.

When I sat down and read the whole thing through, I realized why Mother had wanted this letter burned. The letter started with something of a review of history. When the Targaryens conquered and took the throne, the kings and queens of Highgarden had not been the Tyrells. They had been the Gardeners. The Gardeners did not submit quietly to Targaryen rule, and they were at a standstill when their stewards, the Tyrells, betrayed them. After that, the Gardeners were slaughtered. It appeared that they were wiped out.

This is where Axel Florent started to talk about dangerous things in his letter. He said that he knew that the Gardeners had not been entirely destroyed, and they had kept a secret primary bloodline, a bloodline that had the most legitimate claim to the throne at Highgarden. Florent said he knew that my mother was a direct male-line descendent of the Gardener bloodline. And he hinted that big changes were coming, and between his words, I could see that he intended to make the secret known, whether we wished it or not. I couldn't condone my mother's actions, but I now understood what had driven her to them. And I understood too why it should be kept a secret, to keep our family innocent of those charges.

I was so preoccupied with these things that I was no help in the business of Meadowlark. I learned later that it had gotten military very quickly, despite Argent's sweet words. Deklin Rakespear, the leader of the rebellion, would be brought back with us to face my father's justice. They had chosen a man they thought looked promising, and installed him temporarily as head of the town. So when they came to me that night, successful, they didn't understand my withdrawn attitude. I confessed that I had deciphered the letter, but I begged my brother not to ask me what was inside. But he is as stubborn as I am, and argued until at last, reluctantly, I told him and Toby what I had found. So now we all share this terrible knowledge, and I'm not at all certain what we will do with it.

Ch. 2 - Muzzles (cont.)

ARGENT
§

When Florie drew Argent's attention to the smell, not just the ever-present smell of medicinal herbs and decay, but the smell of animal musk, Argent moved closer to the garden entrance. It was there, unobtrusive at first, but upon going out into the overgrown garden it became more pungent. Argent and Florie immediately set to work, seeking out the source of the smell or any other clues that might lead them to the murderer. Argent's mind was a flurry of emotion, worrying at the thought that someone had taken advantage of his mother's weakened state to use her forsaken garden as a hiding place. Someone dangerous had entered her room, she herself could have been hurt but the Felsward children were lucky that nothing unfortunate had struck their mother. These thoughts must have clouded his ability to investigate, because he found nothing, having not really used all of his mental faculties to concentrate on the task at hand. Luckily, Florie had been paying full attention, and soon she was hailing him over to a marble bench that mother used to sit on to soak in the sun before she became too ill.

Florie had noticed a few drops of blood spatter on the bench itself, and upon pulling back some of the overgrown ivy, they could both see much more blood pooled in the ground. This had indeed been the scene of the murder. Argent had little time to be shocked at the amount of blood, as both he and Florie needed to make a hasty escape before someone entered Lady Vallya's room and assumed the two of them had somehow been involved. On their way out of the room, Florie commented on a vase by the door that typically held beautiful flowers as an attempt to cheer up the otherwise dreary room. Tonight it held bloodfern, which was a plant that could be used to turn docile animals berserk. Things were not looking well. Out in the hallway Argent and Florie quietly discussed their next step of investigation. Argent noted that typically only two people were ever really in the room consistently, and that was Lady Vallya, of course, and her nurse Holly Greyfell; therefore, it made sense to pull Holly aside and question her about anything unusual she may have seen.

Together, Argent and Florie made a rather perfect team. They swept into the large dining room where everyone in the Hall was still feasting, smiling and bantering briefly with the guests. Then, they proceeded to the head of the table where their parents (and Holly) were. Argent distracted Holly long enough for Florie to slip in, and start conversing and attending on Lady Vallya. Now, with Holly unoccupied Argent easily pulled her out into the hallway for a whispered discussion. After a little idle chit-chat Argent asked Holly if she had seen anyone else besides herself and his mother in her chambers, or if she had seen anything unusual at all that day. Holly politely responded that she had noticed nothing unusual, aside from the unfortunate passing of that sweet little boy. The way that she was communicating suggested to Argent that she was holding something back, or not being entirely honest. He needed a different approach, and he had learned early on that the combination of flattery and guilt could get you anything.

"Well, Holly, it seems as though you've been working so hard these past few days, I just wanted to let you know that are appreciated," Argent smiled and rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. Compliment. "And I know how loyal and trustworthy you are, you would never let anything unfortunate befall our noble House." Guilt.

Holly smiled timidly at Argent's attentions, but he could practically see the crack in her armour. "Yes, of course not..." she said looking down, though she seemed to be conflicted about something. After a brief pause, Holly said, "I... I just did what was necessary for my lady."

Holly raised her head to look at Argent, her eyes were pleading and defiant at the same time. Was she admitting to the murder? Argent pried for more details, asking her several more questions to which she only gave half answers.

"Why did you kill a child, Holly?" Argent finally asked.
"But I didn't. I only moved the body... used the bloodfern on the dogs."
"Then who murdered him?"

Holly did not respond. Instead she cast a meloncholy look back through the doorway to the dining hall where Lady Vallya sat perfectly framed by the entryway.

"Impossible," Argent was breathless.
"I think I hear my lady calling. I must attend to her, as I always have, and you would do well to remember that everything I did, I did for the sake of this House, my lord," Holly turned on her heel and made a hasty exit back to Lady Felsward. Argent was stunned and needed to take a moment to regain his composure before rejoining the feast. He hated that he would have to tell Florie everything he had learned.

DREZIELLE
§

The late afternoon, almost evening, sun beat down on Zel Flowers and her two horses. She had been riding all day along the Kingsroad, practically to the point of exhaustion, and was looking forward to a pint and a rest at the next town. As a Highwayman it was her duty to patrol the Kingsroad, lending aid and solving problems were it warranted her authority. As of late, her days had been a bit quiet, and so she was able to devote more of her time to outright travelling the road, with nothing to call her away. This left her, her steed, and her packhorse rather fatigued by the eveningtime, and even a pile of hay would make a comforting bed as it once did when she was younger. As an adolescent, Drezielle lived her life off the streets, having no real home or family to call her own. She was the bastard child of a noble Targaryen, a man whose name she did not know but his face she knew on sight. As such, her eyes were a startling violet color and her hair was the purest silver, customary traits of the Targaryen line. But because the Targaryens were the ruling family of all Seven Kingdoms and King Aerys Targaryen held the throne, they could not and would not officially recognize any bastard.

So, Drezielle grew up the abandoned child, and she embraced every moment of it. Using her natural adroitness, she learned such arts as pickpocketing and lock rigging; furthermore, her unlawful adolescence made her hardy and a bit rugged as an adult. This lifestyle did not continue, however. When Drezielle was almost an adult she came to the realization that regardless of her commoner mother, she was of noble birth by her father and should act semi-accordingly. This set her on the path to becoming a Highwayman - a way of supporting the Targaryen rule without actually being within their line of sight. As a woman, though, she felt that her authority would be questioned, men would have less faith in her or be otherwise uncooperative; thus, she decided to don men's clothing and bind her breasts. She shortened her name to Zel, and masqueraded as a man when she was on duty. It had been a good life for her so far, the pay was decent (especially when she lightened the pockets of bandits and mercenaries), and it seemed that most civil folk welcomed her. Mostly.

Zel was a bit relieved to look over her shoulder and see the sun finally set, taking a moment to revel in how well the gorgeous oranges, reds, and pinks of the sunset complimented the natural greens, blues, and deep purples of the Reach. This part of the Kingsroad was breathtaking. She turned back around to face the direction she was going, and was confronted with a similar sight. The horizon was awash with yellow and orange colors, and for a minute Zel was confused about which direction the sun was actually setting. Ahead of her was supposed to be the town of Meadowlark, famous for its cider and the site of Zel's next bed. Upon closer inspection, she could see thin pillars of smoke rising from the horizon. This did not bode well. She spurred her horse to a run and rode hard the rest of the way to Meadowlark, her tiny packhorse not far behind.

The scene she arrived to was chaos. Lord Meadowlark's mansion was ablaze, and a mob of angry, pitchfork-wielding townsfolk were gathered as close to the front gate as they dared, cheering and shouting insults. When she dismounted and started to approach, the door to the lord's house swung open, and a man, presumably Lord Meadowlark, stumbled out with tendrils of flame lapping at his flesh. The mob surged forward screaming and brandishing their makeshift weapons, causing the man to rush back into his burning home rather than confront them. Zel pushed to the front of the mob and shouted for their attention.

"Why are you burning Meadowlark's house?" she demanded. A rough looking local who had obviously spent his entire life working in the fields turned angry eyes to her.

"We aren't burning Meadowlark's house. We're burning MEADOWLARK!" he screamed the last part, illiciting many hoots and cheers from the rest of the mob.

Zel hardly had time to argue semantics with the man, especially with Lord Meadowlark's life at stake, so she immediately bolted for the front door. She was only minutely concerned about the fire, her Targaryen blood offered some protection against it, and with a quick shove she burst into the burning mansion. Lord Meadowlark had only made it a short way into the house before collapsing in a heap on the floor, his body was still burning. Zel dodged out of the way of a falling beam just as it crashed to the ground, and then made a dive for Lord Meadowlark. He seemed unable to move, and so it was up to Zel to carry him out. He was by no means a thin man, having the means to feed himself as often as he wanted, and so by the time Zel had managed to get them both out the front door she was breathing hard and drenched in sweat. The mob cast their hostile gaze upon the both of them as Zel layed Lord Meadowlark down as gently as she could. He was badly burned and his lips were moving as if he was attempting to say something. Zel put her ear closer to his mouth.

"My... children..." Lord Meadowlark rasped.

Zel reacted purely on instinct, jumping up and charging back into the blaze. Once again inside, she saw a staircase leading to the second floor of the mansion, and figured the children's rooms would most likely be up there. She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears, though it was not loud enough to drown out the unfriendly sound of the staircase cracking and succumbing to the fire. Without a moment's thought, she darted up the staircase to the second floor, where her footing was much more uncertain. She had to use a light step to make her way to the bedrooms so as not to go crashing through the already weakened floorboards, while simultaneously working around all of the debris. Upon finding what appeared to be a child's room with two beds, Zel noticed two small heaps on the ground. She ran forward, being much less ginger, scooped up both little bundles and then sent herself and the children crashing through the only window. The landing was not soft, and Zel felt her insides rattle when she hit the ground, knocking her breathless. At the same time she could hear a monstrous roaring as the second floor of the mansion gave way and collapsed in on itself.

She raised herself up, moving only as fast as her aching and singed body would allow. When she had enough wherewithal, she checked both of the bundles she had carried with her on her flight out of the burning house. One was breathing and moving slightly, the other was completely still. Rage coursed through her giving her the added energy she needed to fully stand.

"Why would you do this?! Why would you burn Lord Meadowlark and his children?! He supports this area by making cider!" Zel shouted at the entire mob, fully enraged.

"He doesn't make the cider! He never made the cider! WE DID! He just put his name on it!" the same rough man from before shouted right back.

"Do you realize that you will be punished under the King's law for this?" Zel was aghast at their flagrant disregard for the law. What an obvious crime they had just committed.

"TO HELL WITH THE KING AND HIS WATCHDOG!!" the man screamed, and the mob followed suit cursing at Zel looking ready to strike out at her.

Seeing very few options, Zel reasoned she would not under any circumstances be able to defeat the mob single handedly, and she could not safely get away carrying both Lord Meadowlark and the child. In fact, she would not even be able save Lord Meadowlark alone with the mob ready to surge forward on all of them. So, she dashed over and picked up the child that was still alive, made a running jump onto her horse, and rode out of the town as fast as her palfrey would carry them.

She stopped only once to clean the child's burns and wounds as best she could, then continued her journey on to the next town which she knew to be Blackbane Hall. It was home to Lord and Lady Felsward, and they had authority over this region - it was to them that Zel would report. When she arrived at the gates to Blackbane Hall, she identified herself as a Highwayman of the King and requested an audience with Lord Felsward.

"Lord and Lady Felsward are otherwise engaged. Would you wait for an audience?" one of the guardsmen informed her.

"I will wait but the child cannot. It is the daughter of Lord Meadowlark," Zel told them. It was at that moment that two nobles, one a boy and one a girl, and a knight came striding out from far across the courtyard demanding to know why the gate had been opened. Zel introduced herself and explained that she needed an audience with Lord Felsward. The nobles introduced themselves as Argent and Florie Felsward, the children of Lord Garon, and the knight was named Ser Tobias Ore. Zel quickly explained the problem in Meadowlark, which sent the nobles off, seemingly to speed up the process of getting an audience with the Lord.

"I'll fetch your food and drink, my good man," Ser Tobias said, and he too was off back towards the Hall.

Argent and Ser Tobias reappeared together with food, cider, and an agitated looking Lord Garon. Zel regretted having to be the one to bear such bad news, but it was her duty and so she informed Lord Garon of the uprising in Meadowlark.

"Black days indeed," Lord Garon said darkly. Zel was then brought into the Hall, and mercifully given a bed to sleep on.

FLORIE
§

The night was not shaping up well, with Argent's discovery that it was in fact her own mother who had killed the child, and now a violent uprising in Meadowlark. Florie held herself together with sheer force of will, and both she and Argent put on a show as if nothing were amiss for the rest of the night. They danced and talked and ate, but when Lady Felsward and Holly made ready to leave the dining hall Florie saw an opportunity. She grabbed Argent and the two of them fussed and accompanied their mother back to her chambers. Once Lady Vallya was settled, she sent Holly away (much to her chagrin) to be with her two children. Florie saw that her mother looked much more relieved and peaceful than she had in weeks past. Apparently uneasy with the silence, Argent began to talk to Lady Vallya, carefully trying to ask her questions about the circumstances surrounding Colin Florent's death, but their mother just as carefully brushed his questions aside, stating that everything would be fine now.

Argent was persistent, and Florie also contributed to the effort finally breaking down their mother enough to disclose more information. Lady Felsward did, however, refuse to speak in front of Argent and sent him away so she could speak with Florie only. It took some convincing, but Argent finally acquiesced and left the two ladies alone. Once she was sure he had left, Lady Vallya turned to look upon Florie.

"Florie. We do much for our families. Women do all the birthing, bleeding, and healing for the household," she said keeping a strong grasp on Florie, despite her weakened state. Florie responded with silence. "You know what I did..."

Florie did know, and that was what was crushing her inside. Her innocent dogs were going to be slaughtered in order to protect her guilty mother, and there was nothing she would do about it.

"Florie, dear, open the bedwarmer," Lady Vallya said. Florie obediently pulled it out and opened it on the floor. Then, Lady Vallya had Florie reach between the mattresses, cautioning her of the dagger that lay therein. Florie touched upon the dagger, but also felt something like paper. She pulled it out from between the mattresses and looked at it perplexed. The letter was complete gibberish, lines and lines of nothing but nonsense committed to paper. At least, that's what it appeared to be. As Florie studied it, she came to the realization that the letter was a cipher and would require more in-depth analysis to discover the true message.

"That letter was delivered to me by the boy from his father, Lord Florent," Lady Valya explained. "I had to do it, to protect the family. That is why your father, Jonys, and Argent cannot know why. They must be able to truthfully attest that they had no knowledge of this, of my actions. Florie, you must burn this letter in the bedwarmer."

In her hand, Florie held what she suspected was the key to all of this madness, all of the misfortune that had befallen them since that afternoon. Her mother must have had her reasons for wanting to be rid of the thing, and yet she could have easily burned the letter herself rather than having Florie do it. Or perhaps she considered it a rite of passage for her daughter, but either way Florie had no intentions of complying.

"Florie, please. Do it," came Lady Vallya's voice. Florie turned just so that her back was facing her mother, and pulled a ribbon from her sleeve. Then she dropped the ribbon into the bedwarmer, while carefully tucking the letter away in her bodice. The ribbon made some very satisfying crackling sounds as the coals burned it to ash. And there was even a tiny trail of smoke that rose from the bedwarmer, adding to Florie's gambit.

"It is done," Florie said with the barest of smiles.
"Good... good," her mother seemed significantly relieved and even managed a dreamy smile. "Now, go to the sept and light three candles for me. The Mother, the Crone, and... the Stranger."

This did not bode well with Florie, but with little other choice she nodded and left her mother's bedside to find Argent and Ser Tobias. When both had been found she explained that they were going out to the sept, leaving no room in her statement for argument or discussion. The boys were reluctant to argue anyway it seemed, and after lighting the third candle under the statue of the Stranger Florie showed them the letter. Argent took a look at it and came to the same conclusion as Florie - more time was needed in order to decipher it. Florie sighed deeply, feeling despondent at the predicaments that now faced her. It was supposed to be a perfect day for Jonys, and now that goal seemed entirely too far away.

TOBIAS
§

The mood in the sept was somber at the least, with all of the excitement happening they all were suffering from some amount of fatigue. Poor Florie looked incredibly distressed at their situation. As they were exiting the sept and stepping out into the warm evening, all three of them heard a commotion coming from the kennels. Many things had gone wrong this day and Ser Tobias couldn't bear to see any more hurt come to the Felswards, so he took off running immediately in the hopes that he could resolve whatever new dilemma had sprung up. He skidded to a halt just outside the kennels where Swift and Bramble, Florie's hounds, were backed up as far as their leashes would allow. They were whining through their muzzles and clawing at the ground, attempting to scramble backwards further. Standing before them with sword drawn, was Meryn Payne, his eyes burning with fury.

Meryn was shouting at the dogs, calling them savage little beasts, and claiming that he would be the one to kill them for what they had done. These were still Florie's hounds, and Ser Tobias knew well that they were innocent of the crime so he quickly drew his sword and confronted Meryn.


"STOP!" Ser Tobias' voice boomed, causing Meryn to turn and face him.

"He was my page! They deserve to die and I will be the one to claim their lives!" Meryn raged.

"That is the duty and right of the Lord of the House. Not you," Ser Tobias pointed his sword directly at Meryn's face.

"You would stand in my way?" Meryn's anger was clouding his judgement, or he truly considered himself to be a great warrior.

"This is not a practice sword," Ser Tobias warned, his body tensing as he readied to strike. He would gladly introduce Meryn's face to his castle forged steel regardless of the punishment that would await him after. In his peripheral vision, he noticed Florie run up beside him, and Argent quietly moved to stand between Meryn and the hounds. Also, it appeared that the highwayman from earlier, Zel, was standing further back near the hounds as well. Had he been there the whole time?

"Hold, you two!" a man's voice called. A guard came running forward, and began to yell at Ser Tobias. "That boy is in my care! You will not harm him!"

"Shut up!" Meryn turned on his guardsman. "I don't need you humiliating me!"

Ser Tobias smirked, the boy really had no idea when people were trying to save his life from imminent death. Meryn, however, seemed to finally realize the small crowd he had attracted. Ser Tobias, Florie, the guardsman, and behind him were Argent and Zel - he was surrounded. He begrudgingly sheathed his sword.

"It won't save them. They die at dawn!" Meryn sneered. Florie stepped forward quickly, closing the gap between herself and Meryn. Ser Tobias could practically feel the waves of irritation flow off her as she swept by him.

"You'd do well to keep a civil tongue while you are a guest in this house," Florie's voice was practically shaking.

"I would not call this hovel a 'House'," Meryn practically spat in her face. "And I will have their blood!"

Before Ser Tobias could intervene, Florie sent a thunderous slap across Meryn's face, causing him step back and recoil. When he turned back to face them, his cheek was very red and his lip was bleeding. Ser Tobias was impressed.

"My apologies, my Lord, I mistook your skirts for a lady," Meryn said to Florie.

"Perhaps you'd like to borrow them," Ser Tobias jumped in to defend Florie. Everyone gathered around started to laugh, even the guard, while Meryn turned a deep shade of crimson. He seemed ready to retort something back, when the doors to the Hall burst open and Lord Garon strode out shouting at the lot of them. His prescence dissolved their argument, and Lord Felsward reprimanded them all for their behavior. Seeing that Zel was there, and the most neutral party, he asked for an account of what happened. After Zel explained, Lord Garon yelled at Ser Tobias (as was becoming usual), sent Florie inside to go to bed, and then strictly forbade Meryn from coming near any of Florie's animals. After Meryn skulked away, Lord Garon seemed to relax slightly, though he looked tired. He commented that he needed to speak to Lord Tyrell about the execution of the hounds, and Argent requested to accompany him. Before heading inside, Lord Felsward put Ser Tobias in charge of guarding the hounds until the morning.

Ser Tobias nodded, readily accepting the task. While he was sure that nothing further would happen that night, he secretly hoped that Meryn would come back and try to attack Florie's hounds again.

ARGENT
§

Argent had no idea what he was going to do during his father's meeting with Lord Tyrell, but he was going to try anything to save Florie's hounds while still preserving their mother's secret. Once inside the guest chambers where Lord and Lady Tyrell were staying, Lord Garon spoke very little. In fact it was Lord Tyrell who did almost all of the talking.

"Come. Have some drink. Let us not think about the execution of those beasts and your kennelmaster until the morning," Lord Tyrell said a jovially as possible. Argent's blood ran cold. He hadn't guessed that they were planning to execute Dabnavar as well, but if they were another innocent would die. And Dabnavar had been a dutiful and loyal servant of their House for many years, he did not deserve to be in the Tomb let alone put to death. Argent's mind was racing as he began to converse with Luthor Tyrell. He tried to reason that Dabnavar had trained the dogs well, and that they had been completely docile until this one isolated incident. Surely, it could not warrant an immediate death sentence. Lord Tyrell would have none of it. Because of the death of the child, Dabnavar and his faulty training were to blame; therefore, he would die along with the hounds. Argent opened his mouth to argue further, but then felt his father's hand rest firmly on his shoulder. Lord Garon was signaling that Argent had made his attempt, and should keep quiet.

This gesture almost did shut him up, but he was not Jonys, and his disobedience could be overlooked more readily than anyone else's. So, he proposed to Lord Tyrell that Dabnavar would be given the black. The men on the Wall would glad for the help that gracious Lord Tyrell was sending them, and Dabnavar himself would glad to keep his life while still serving the kingdoms in a useful way. Lord Tyrell seemed to consider it for moments that were agonizing to Argent, and then he agreed. Relief flooded through Argent's body, and he was almost sure he caught a hint of proud smile from his father.

Without pushing his luck any further, Argent left the two lords to release Dabnavar from the Tomb. Dabnavar stated that he only wished to be in the kennels tonight, and that taking the black was much preferred over losing his life. When they got to the kennels, Dabnavar curled up with Swift and Bramble while Ser Toby stood guard. Argent had no desire to sleep, so he retrieved three flagons of cider, distributed them, and then went to sit in silence by his best friend. At one point, Argent thought he heard horses galloping and the gate opening, but he attributed it to his lack of sleep, thinking that it was really nothing. He was proven wrong when Florie came galloping up on a horse, bringing two dirty dogs in tow. One was bloodied and limping, and Argent's bemused expression must have been all the cue Florie needed.

She told him and Ser Toby of her plan to switch out her dogs with dogs from the village. She had taken that helpful highwayman out with her, and together the two of them had stolen dogs from the commoners. They had hit a bit of misfortune and were almost caught in the act, so Zel valiantly gave his horse to Florie to ride home while he hid in the town. Argent wondered how long Zel would have to hide before being able to make it back to Blackbane Hall, but was grateful to the man for preserving his sister. Florie, with the help of Ser Toby, unmuzzled Swift and Bramble, and replaced them with the two dogs from the village. Then she moved the two hounds in with all of the other hunting dogs, and mussed up their fur with dirt and mud to make them indistinguishable. In this way, the lives of her dogs would be preserved. With this completed Argent felt satisfied enough to finally go to bed.