ARGENT
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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.
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
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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.
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
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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.
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
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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.
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
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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.
"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.
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