Ch. 4 - Thorns

Cyril
§

Maester Cyril tended to Lady Vallya and Jonys for days. When they had first returned to Blackbane Hall, the apples had fallen from the trees, but they were blossoming again, heralding another stretch of summer. Jonys was stronger, out of bed and moving about, and while Vallya was weaker, she too showed marked improvement. Life at the hall was quiet. Ser Toby and Lady Florie had, since their return, seemed to suffer an attack of religious fervor, and so both of them spent a great deal of time in the sept. Cyril began to settle into his new duties, and began to be comfortable at the hall. One morning as he tended the ravens, two arrived within moments of each other, with little tubes capped in green and silver wax. The carefully stamped leaded sheet inside was an invitation to a tourney at Highgarden to be held in honor of Lady Olenna Tyrell. Cyril took the invitations and went to find Florie. She was in the sept of course, with Toby on the other side, both silent.

When Florie read the invite, her face went a little ashen, and she explained to Toby what it was, and he frowned. "Well, we can't go," he said bluntly, as if that answered the issue entirely. Florie pointed out that the entire family would be expected to attend, and that nobody attending at all would be a slap in the face to their lords. The two began to argue, and Cyril just stood back and tried not to look like he was taking sides.

"Are you ordering me, Toby?" Florie was saying when Jonys stepped in and asked what was going on. Florie hesitated, then showed him the invitation, which had Toby glaring at her. He started listing the reasons why it was a bad idea. At the very least, it would leave the hall itself weak, not to mention the travel being a danger to Vallya and Jonys. He and Jonys began to argue too, but then, in chilly tones, Jonys said that although Florie had been left in charge of the household and Toby in charge of the garrison, Jonys was by right of birth the lord of Blackbane if his father was not present, and they would all be going. Toby went still, as if he had been struck, and his next answers were in clipped formal tones. When Toby and Florie had huffed off in different directions, Jonys stepped close to Cyril. He asked the Maester to make him some sort of tonic which would give him more energy and the appearance of liveliness for the tournament. Cyril tried to convince the young lord that it would not be in his best interests, but Jonys insisted, and Cyril agreed to try, at least.

It also fell to the maester to speak to Lady Vallya about the trip. She asked if he was there to feed her the "dreadful powder" that was her treatment, and he said that he was, but that he was also there to tell her that they would be traveling to Lady Tyrell's birthday.

"Lady Olenna has a birthday?" Vallya asked in indistinct tones.

"Er, yes, once a year, I've heard," Cyril responded as he mixed her medicine.

A wicked little gleam came to Vallya's eyes. "It's surprising the woman was ever born, I always imagined her carved of briarwood." Cyril blinked a little, unsure of how to respond to that, but she continued. "I'm surprised her children weren't born covered in splinters."

The cattiness was uncharacteristic, and Cyril was a little taken aback by it. Then Vallya asked him the same thing Jonys had, for him to make some potion that would help her get through her time at Highgarden, because she would have duties to fulfill, and it was important to impress the Tyrells. He agreed, reluctantly, to try and make her something, and left. He caught Florie in the hall and described her mother's odd reaction, and asked if it was normal, or if the sickness made her speak that way sometimes. Florie gave a tired laugh and asked, "Have you ever /met/ Lady Olenna Tyrell?"

With that to add to his unsettling thoughts, Cyril returned to his quarters and began working on the potion both of his patients had requested. Against his better judgement, his job was still to serve the will of the house.

Tobias
§

Ser Tobias grudgingly got his things together and chose a guard to travel with them to Highgarden. They had to leave right away, for it would be slow going. The Felswards owned a larger-than-normal wheelhouse, and Lady Vallya would be traveling in it. Everyone thought Jonys should as well, but he insisted on riding, and said he felt fine. And clearly, nobody ranked high enough to argue with him. So they began travel, and after a while, the damn fool Jonys nearly fell off of his horse, and was finally persuaded to rest in the wheelhouse with his mother. The travel was at least quiet, and when they got to Highgarden, the walls were surrounded by colorful pavilions filled with merchants and food vendors of all kinds. Right before they arrived, Cyril dosed both Jonys and Vallya with their new medication, and by the time they were at the gates, Jonys was on his horse and snapping orders. He seemed angry, and his eyes were a little wild. He kept yelling at Florie, which didn't sit well with Toby, but he knew it wouldn't be good to speak up now.

As they approached the gates of Highgarden, someone called their names, and Zel Flowers rode up, looking surprised to see them. Florie greeted the highwayman warmly and made him promise to meet them later, and then they all went to greet their hosts. Lady Tyrell was in a cordial mood, and greeted them all with refreshments. It was difficult not to be struck by the beauty of Higharden. It was solid and well-defended, but elegantly built, and it sat on lush lands. Inside, it was opulent and prettily decorated; the vaulted ceilings elegant in a way that Blackbane simply couldn't be. Toby caught Florie looking around with something like longing in her eyes from time to time.

Once the pleasantries were done with, they went back out to shop around while their pavilion was being set up. Florie kept trying to ask what Toby needed, but he brushed off her questions, saying that he was adequately provided for. After a while, she stopped talking to him. Zel rejoined them after a time, looking a little sad and saying he'd nearly bought a horse. Then, as they rounded a corner, they heard a bit of commotion in front of them, and a knight stood angrily in front of a smith, shouting that the smith was a thief, had stolen his armor, and it nearly came to blows, but Toby stepped in and got between them, demanding to know what it was about. The knight said that he had agreed upon an amount to pay the smith for repairs to his armor, but now the smith would only accept a greater amount, and would not give back the armor until he was paid. The smith countered that the knight had told him only minor work was needed, but the expense of the work had been far greater than that, and so he was owed more money. Between Toby and Florie, they got the men calmed down, and got the smith to accept what the knight had originally offered-- it seemed to be all he had-- and the matter was done with.

"Ser Ore," a man said from somewhere behind them. "That's a rare sight, seeing you help an honest man keep his property." Tobias turned and saw a tall, lanky knight eating a hunk of some greasy meat.

Toby asked what he meant, but the man seemed largely interested in mocking him. Florie stepped forward to try, clearly frustrated at the way her knight was being called names. "I beg you, sir--" she started, but he laughed.

"Yes, please do. You look good like that, begging. On your knees, maybe, and--" He got no further before Toby took a swing at him, but he caught Toby's hand and forced it down, calling him a thief. It was then that he introduced himself as Mikel Mynot, a cousin to the Tynkers. He said that the Felswards and their dishonorable knight had stolen his inheritance, that Tynker Tower and its riches should have been his, but they had pillaged it. Then he challenged Toby in the joust, and though Toby had not intended to sign in for the event, he accepted, knowing his honor was at stake.

Drezielle
§

Before rejoining the Felswards, Zel had managed a fairly productive trip to commission better armor, and a very unproductive horse-buying excursion. Zel had found a little horse that was beautiful, a fast creature with a small build. The seller was a Dornish man who had auditioned her to see if the horse would even take to her, and the little mare did, but the price he asked was too dear for Zel. She had been unable to bring herself to haggle at the high prices he asked, and even though the horse might well be worth it, it was just too much.

Though she had promised to spend some time with Florie, Zel wasn't terribly comfortable with the Felswards at the moment. Lady Felsward looked as if she might fall over at any moment, Jonys seemed angry, and both Tobias and Florie were clearly on edge. Nevertheless, Zel could see that Florie was desperate for female companionship, however poor a representation of a girl Zel was, so she stayed on with them, and later found some time to talk to Florie alone. The young noblewoman was agitated, and she at last started to talk haltingly about something that had been bothering her. She told Zel that her mother carried a secret bloodline, and they seemed to be the last of its progeny. Zel could see Florie felt she was taking a risk, since Zel was both a Targaryen bastard an in the employ of the king. She assured Florie that her secret was safe, though. Zel was no politician, certainly, and her own acts in the guise of the king's service were not spotless, either.

The others gathered back at the tent towards the end of the day, and it was clear that Jonys and Vallya had only gotten worse. Jonys sent the maester for large amounts of food, thrusting money at him as if he would just as soon be rid of it, and then later demanding to know where it had gone. Zel ended up next to Lady Felsward, who was looking wide awake, but the way she was regarding Zel was nearly predatory. Zel tried to move away, but Vallya beckoned her back.

"Highwayman Flowers," she said. "Let me see your hand." Reluctantly, Zel thrust out her hand and Vallya examined it, lips curving. "Your fingers are slender... two should do."

First confused and then horrified by the implication, Zel stammered some excuse and fled the pavilion. Maester Cyril found her outside an hour or so later, and he didn't look much better than she felt, and when he offered to go have a drink with her, Zel didn't think twice. By the time she was good and tipsy, they decided to head back, but Zel went in a different direction than the maester, certain she knew a shorter way. She got rather lost, and heard someone in a tent murmuring about the Crone's lantern lighting the way... the way the heresy was supposed to go. But she couldn't locate the speaker, so she went on. Her feet had led her to the stable with the horse that should have been hers. She heard the little mare close by, felt her snuffling, but then she decided to withdraw. No good would come of lusting after what she had already found at too high a price.

Florie's Journal, Excerpt
§

Dear Argent,

Until I can reach you, I can only write to you as if I have somewhere to send these letters. You may get them all in a bundle, and I apologize. Mother and Jonys have been taking a dreadful tonic of the maesters that makes them act terribly strange. It seems to make their passions, all of their passions, run too hot. And it is entirely discomforting. Here at the Highgarden tournament, it's all we can do to help Jonys make an appearance and yet keep him out of the events. When both Mother and Jonys were fast asleep in the morning after a bad night, a visitor came. It was Axel Florent, and I told him to come back later, when Mother would be feeling better. I can only forestall the meeting so far, and I have no idea what I hope will come of it.

The other nasty shock of the morning was a visit from Bethany Redwyne. This one, Mother was well enough to attend, but she does not have the spark that she once did, and I ended up doing most of the talking. Bethany seemed intent on getting us to admit that something was wrong with Jonys. But you know as well as I do how important it is to get him married and bedded, now more than ever. I sidestepped her questions as well as I could, and played that with Jonys as the only man of the family present, we had begged him not to enter the dangerous sports of the tournament. I think I did our gift for silver tongues credit, because in the end, she was swayed, enough to set a quick date for the wedding so as not to delay their happiness. Jonys will be married two months hence.

But there is more to come from this wretched tournament,, for after being challenged in the joust by a knight who would have inherited Tynker Tower, another knight approached Toby and challenged him in the melees. It turns out that we have made a very definite enemy of Ser Ilyn Payne, the father of that whining brat who made our lives so difficult back at the engagement party. It seemed so simple then, but I am seeing more and more how our history has a way of catching up to us...

Ch. 3 - Unorthodox

Drezielle
§

After a good long sleep, Zel no longer felt the ill effects of the mine, and she was eager to be going. The others all were as well, and it was early in the morning when they got out onto the road again at last. It would be a long trip to Blackbane Hall, and they would travel more slowly than Zel liked, but she would at least stay near Florie until the girl was home. The trip was uneventful, much quieter than their initial trip had been, until a week in when the Maester started getting tired more easily, and he finally made enough noise that Florie agreed to stop in a little village called Chequey.

They stopped in at the public house for food and drink, and were enjoying the atmosphere. There was even a singer with a lute who was quite talented, singing about some bandits called the Kingswood Brotherhood. Then three men came in, and from their brown robes, shaven heads, and bare feet, Zel could tell they were begging brothers, although the sheer size of them and the iron cudgels they carried showed they were used to harder roads. The one who
seemed to be in charge yelled out for food and drink, more of an order than begging, and when the innkeep said that by his piety, he would offer them porridge, they grudgingly accepted, but then turned to the crowd to make noise about better food and drink. Largely to quiet them, Ser Toby offered his mutton, and Florie was just about to make sure they got beer when one of the men who had been so grateful to Toby a moment before saw the copper gypsy charm around his neck.

The brother said he was no true knight if he wore it, and he would not stand to see this heresy. Zel made herself small and made sure her own charm was tucked safely away. Whatever it meant, she didn't want them to get a look at it now. Sir Toby removed the charm at Florie's behest, but would not give it over for the brothers to destroy without explanation, which made them even angrier. They said it was for the seven heresies of the Kingswood Prophet, and that was all they needed to know. But when they started trying to incite the crowd, Florie stood and used the crowd against them, until everyone was ready to see the brothers well on their way. With the crowd and innkeepers against them, the men left, and Zel breathed a sigh. A little too much excitement always seemed to happen around the Felswards.

Tobias
§

Still on edge after the incident with the begging brothers, and none too happy about their accusations, Toby downed another beer, and tried not to worry about what would happen if the men were waiting for them when they left the inn. Florie was clearly still frustrated at the lack of answers, but then it seemed she had an idea, and she called the bard over. He had been singing about the Kingswood bandits, so surely he knew of their so-called prophet as well. He said he wouldn't like to speak of such heresy, and that it would be a shame if drink loosened his tongue enough to do so. This was the sort of language Toby understood plenty well, so he bought the man a drink and began asking questions.

The bard said that the Kingswood Brotherhood bandits were led by soemone called the Prophet, but nobody had any idea who that might be. There was rumor that the famous lady outlaw the White Fawn might be the Prophet's consort, but she supposedly loves Simon Toyne, so it might all be rumor. Another drink, and he began to speak about the heresies. The Prophet espoused heresies for each of the Seven. The heresy of the Mother, the bard told them, was that her children are her own, and that children are not to be treated or punished as adults. The heresy of the Maiden was that a woman owned only her virtue, and that it oculd not be bought and sold, only given for love. The heresy of the Crone was that only the Crone's lantern throws the light of wisdom. The Father's heresy was that children serve no man but their father. The Warrior's heresy said that no man should raise a sword except to fight for himself or his brother, and never against an unknown enemy. The Smith's was that a man owns the sweat of his brow and the fruit of his labor. And lastly, the heresy of the Stranger was that he claims mystery for his own, and no man should seek illumination in the ground or sky.

Tobias saw the danger and the appeal in these, but he was still reluctant to give up the charm that a grateful mother had given him in thanks. Surely there might be more to this than they had just heard, since this was the first they'd even known of it. They slept, and in the morning, they found that though the brothers were gone, their saddlebags had been marked with seven-pointed stars, upside down. Florie ordered them buffed off, and they headed for home, even more somberly now than before.

When they reached Blackbane Hall, Zel Flowers spent one night and then said he must be about his duty. He gave an apologetic look to Florie that Toby wasn't entirely sure how to interpret, then saddled up and headed once more for the King's Road.

Florie's Journal - Letter to Argent
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Dear Argent,

I have nowhere to send this letter yet, but I feel I must write it. I have to get my thoughts out as honestly as I would with you, and this is the only way. You would be relieved to hear that we got our arsenite, and with Maester Cyril's attention, both Mother and Jonys have improved. Jonys is up and walking about, but Mother was so weak before her treatment that her improvement is much slower. She is senseless most of the time, and doesn't yet know about you.

The silver we procured from Silver Hill was mostly lead, making the Silver Hill Greyfells our enemies still. Father was furious when he found out, and after some brief questioning about those we had talked to in Silver Hill, he decided to take our armed forces, leaving only the garrison for protection, and lead our men to Silver Hill and bring the town to heel. He left Ser Toby in charge of the men, and me in charge of the household. He looked fearsome in his armor, like I only remember from a few times when I was a little girl. And then we were alone, and I was left to contemplate.

I've spent a lot of time in the sept. I know you likely think it's silly, but I've always prayed that the Seven guide my steps, and I need it now more than ever. Some knights accused us of heresy, and when we learned the heresies being spread through the population, they gave me pause. The heresy of the Maiden is that a woman cannot be made into a gift, or a commodity bought and sold. It is a heresy that a woman should give herself only to a man she loves. I've no wish to defy the Seven, Argent. I wonder if my dreams of love were childish fantasy or even worse, and I think now more than ever, I must understand my duty to our family. The marriage Father chooses will have to be the right one. And that too, may be wishful, for dark days are ahead, and much could happen before there is any chance for marriage.

Axel Florent sent another letter to Mother. Cyril intercepted it, and when he did, I felt a little bad about taking it from him with no explanation. He said in his letter that he would send the key again by other means in case Colin had not had the chance to pass it on. He reiterated what he had said in the first letter, and noted that he would be eagerly awaiting an answer, for what he spoke about was near at hand. I tried talking to Toby first, but he told me that though he would do anything to help me, perhaps I should speak to our Maester, and let his learning help guide us. So I told Cyril everything, and watched his expression go stunned, but he again assured his loyalty to our family-- whichever family we choose to be. That's the problem, though. We can wait until Florent sends the key once more, but then we must decide how to answer him, if we answer at all. If he and others make war against the Tyrells, there is no way to stay out of it. If we stand by our honor as bannermen, no doubt Florent will still expose us as Gardeners. The Tyrells, and perhaps even King's men will try to destroy us, even as we carry their banners. Our other option, then, is to stand by our blood over our loyalties, and to try to take Highgarden into our hands. And we are still likely to be killed. I do not know yet how to make this decision.

Ever your loving sister,
Florie

Ch. 2 - Buried Treasure - cont.

Tobias
§

Tobias was fairly certain that Florie cried all night. She had met briefly with Cyril and Zel upon their return, and it seemed to Toby that she managed to tell them the truth of what had happened while telling the same lies she had been before. It was clear when they left that they both knew what had happened, but both seemed plenty willing to play along. Zel leaned in and said something too low to be heard before he stepped away from Florie, and she looked surprised, but said nothing. And Toby could barely look at her without guilt washing over him, so he didn't try to find out. So they passed a sleepless night, with Florie crying, and Tobias guarding her door and thinking that how in saving her, he had cost them Argent. If he had somehow done things differently... but it was all too late now. All he had was the sorrow and guilt.

They ate breakfast in the largely deserted house. It was quiet with all the servants gone and the family making funeral preparations. It was so quiet that it startled them all to hear a pounding on the main gate, and Toby rushed out to see what the fuss was. A man stood outside with three large and burly guards. The man himself looked a lot like Coll Greyfell, but he was younger, and unaffected by the argeria that had turned Coll's skin silverblue. He was better dressed, too, dripping with jewelry made of silver and gems. He introduced himself as Collard Greyfell, the next in line to be in charge, and demanded an immediate meeting with the remaining Felsward. Toby told him that Lady Florie needed time to get ready, and that he would have to come calling later. He was insistent enough that Collard finally relented, which bought them a little time. The caveat, though, was that they were under house arrest until the talk. Toby had Zel go off to warn Florie, and he went to gather Maester Cyril.

There was nothing much to do then except wait while Florie readied herself, and Toby paced, too anxious to do much else. Florie emerged at last, clean and somber, but the redness was gone from her eyes. She asked Zel to see about sneaking out once she called for a meeting, to see what was going on out in town, and then she asked Sir Toby to go call for Collard to come back. She didn't meet his eyes as she did. Afterwards, Toby went to check on Colin, who had cleaned and oiled his sword. It was clear that the boy knew that Toby had killed the man, but was also willing to play along with their story, so Toby left him to work and returned to the others. When Collard Greyfell arrived, he started the conversation off aggressively, accusing them all of conspiracy and murder, but Florie countered, shaken as she was, and it became one of those political dances where neither said everything they really wanted.

Collard seemed to relent a little at last, and gave Florie a significant look. "I hope thay our houses can get past this rift," he said. But as they discussed it, a commotion rose outside, the guards shouting that someone was trying to get out.

Florie's eyes widened, and she rose immediately and rushed to the window. "Zel!" She called. "Zel! Did you find my dog yet?" She went on, telling the stunned guards and Collard that she'd had Zel off all morning looking for one of her dogs and he hadn't known about the order to stay inside. She looked so earnest that nobody questioned it, and Toby breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe they wouldn't have to fight their way out of this after all.

Drezielle
§

Zel's heart was pounding as she made her way back inside after her failed attempt to scale the wall undetected. This was all more cloak and dagger than she liked, and all rather far from her described duties as a highwayman. Of course, her thievery wasn't one of those duties either, and the day before she'd pocketed an enormous sum from a merchant, so she wasn't thinking much of work. She wouldn't even have to stay here, but then she'd come in on Florie a wreck after the attempted rape, without her primary chaperone and surrounded by men. Zel made the decision as soon as she saw Florie to tell her, and she had whispered to Florie that she was a female too, and she understood. It had been a risk, but Florie had smiled a little at her, and hadn't said anything to the others.

So Zel was sticking around, and apparently needed to practice her sneaking. Once she got inside, she saw Collard Greyfell sweeping out to rejoin his guards, and she found the others gathered in the sitting room, grim-faced. They explained that they had been told in veiled terms that they really weren't welcome in the house any longer, and they would be seeking other lodgings in the town until they could find what they needed and leave. Zel packed her things, and they all left the house and walked again through the grimy streets of Silver Hill. A curious thing was happening across the city, it seemed. Plumes of smoke rose in places, and carts filled with lead were being pulled through the streets. They got closer to some of the tailing piles and saw why-- lead was being melted down and poured over the tailings, to create a hard crust over everything. It seemed that now, the only place to get the arsenite they needed was directly from the mine itself.

First, though, they needed lodging, so they made their way to the inn's one public house. It was a slap in the face, Zel could see, to the noble members of the party. Toby didn't even want Florie to stay there, but there seemed to be no choice. Florie would have her own room, the others would all be in a room together. It made Zel nervous, because it was certainly hard, with so many people, to be one of the boys. But they all got settled in, and when asked if they wanted baths, she saw Florie hesitate, and she gave the other young woman something of a desperate look. Florie caught it, and agreed to have a bath brought up despite a few mutters from Toby about the cleanliness of the water. They settled in, and Toby slept almost immediately after Zel assured she would watch out in front of Florie's room. With others resting or occupied, Florie let Zel in to take a bath. Florie still seemed to be despondent, and she didn't say much, except that she was glad she wasn't the only female around. Zel didn't spend much time bathing, and she quickly got back out in front of Florie's door, where she paced back and forth. She saw Corwin leave and come back with mining tools in preparation for going to the mine, but it was otherwise quiet.

Cyril
§

Maester Cyril had found himself the supplies they would need to dig in the mines, and he knew, from a bookish standpoint, how it should work. But what he wasn't sure of was how they would even get there. He thought it might be easier to go at night, but they still probably couldn't just sneak in. He mostly went about his own preparations, and waited until Toby was up, and until Florie and Zel joined them to talk. It was clear they would need to find a guide, but this might be difficult in a town that was largely hostile to them. They all discussed for a while, then decided to go to one of the taverns the miners frequented and let Zel try to find them a guide. They set off, and found a table where they could listen to Zel talk. Zel said he was looking to see the mine, and the man Zel was talking to said "Which mine?" That had Cyril listening more intently. Greyfell's tour had implied that there was only the one mine, and certainly the Felswards had known no different. But the miner explained that there were three mines; the Old Mine, which had mostly been mined out and was mostly producing lead, the New Mine, which had much richer silver deposits, and The Hearth, which was the hottest and most active of the mines, producing silver and sometimes gems.

Cyril gave Zel a little nod when the hearth was mentioned. That would be the mine most likely to have what he needed in the greatest abundance. He watched the highwayman posturing and bragging and eventuall making a bet that he could last in the mine, and that he'd like to bring his Maester friend for a taste of what the mining was like. The miner nearly laughed the challenge off, but agreed to meet them at the mouth of the Hearth at dawn. Toby and Florie accompanied them to the mouth of the mine, though both the knight and his lady were quiet the entire time. The miner met Zel and Cyril with a grin and took them into the heat of the mine.

It was interesting to Cyril, but soon, he was mostly trying not to succumb to the oppressive heat and thick air of the mine. He watched the amused miner instructing Zel on how to use the tools to work a seam, and the boy struggled just to chip at the rock. Cyril declined to try, and smirked a bit. "This looks too easy," he blustered. "I'll try when we go deeper into the mine." Their guide just laughed, and after some failed attempts on Zel's part, he moved them on. Cyril looked at the mine walls carefully, and was pleased to see the striations that promised deposits of arsenite as well as silver. He took his turn attempting to dig into the rock, but a theoretical knowledge of what to do and the actual ability to do it in the least were proving to be very different things. Zel had continued trying, gamely, to prove his manliness, but it was soon all either of them could do not to just pass out. The miner laughed at them and began working the seam himself, and had soon broken it open. There was a pocket in the rock, and it was filled with glittering gemstones among the silver deposit, and Cyril saw the crystal structure of the arsenite they needed so much. Their guide was excited, saying that this was the biggest find they'd had in over a year. He found it amusing that Cyril seemed more interested in the arsenite than the gems themselves, but he readily agreed to let the maester take all of the waste mineral from the deposit.

The heat and fumes in the mine were taking their toll, though, and Zel sort of collapsed in a heap as the miner started digging out the gems. Cyril thought to help the highwayman, but his own limbs wouldn't seem to respond correctly, and the mine faded around him.

Florie
§

Florie and Tobias stood outside the mine, not looking at each other. They had barely spoken all day. They weren't even looking at one another most of the time. Every time Florie thought she could catch Toby's eyes, he would look away. She didn't know how to feel now, and seeing him so affected made her all the more uncertain. He had saved her, but it had lost them Argent, and she didn't know if she'd ever see her brother again. And she had never seen such a vicious light in Tobias's eyes as when he'd killed Coll Greyfell. Grateful as she was, it scared her. And she really couldn't talk about these things with anyone, so silence was her only option. Maybe, when the damage was not so fresh, she and Toby could meet one another's eyes again.

There was commotion at the mouth of the mine, and two carts came into view. One filled, incredibly, with silver and gems, and even arsenite. The other was filled with Zel Flowers and Maester Cyril, both senseless and looking ill. Florie and Toby rushed to them, while the accompanying miner told them cheerfully that the bet had been lost. While Toby set about reviving their friendds, Florie started asking the miner and his foreman questions. It was her job to arm herself with whatever proof she could that they had been lied to, and here was her glaring evidence. She smiled prettily and asked for one of the small gems to take with her. Since, of course, a percentage of the profits would be hers at any rate. She said she would clear it with the new Lord Greyfell, and the foreman at last consented to giving her a small ruby from the haul. Once the others were roused enough to get back up, they returned to the common house, and left the maester and the highwayman to sleep off the effects of the mine. Florie and Toby had to attend Coll Greyfell's funeral that day. Florie detested that she must, but in order to repair relations with the family, it was a necessary step.

They went to the sept and sat through the rituals, and Florie was a little surprised at how well Toby was able to go through the motions, to pass by the casket and pay his respects when she couldn't even rise from her seat. She had come, and it would have to be enough. After the funeral, though, Florie had her chance to challenge Collard, and she strode up to him outside the sept to talk about what was owed to the Felswards. She had to secure enough loyalty in him to gain a steady supply of arsenite. What they had would last months, but there would have to be more than that. Collard tried to garner sympathy and play the victim, nephew to a murdered man, but his slimy charm was like a poor imitation of Argent's, and Florie would not be dissuaded. It was hard to make all the arguments alone; she was so used to playing off of her brother that it was easy to falter. But she pulled herself together, and covered every point, from the hidden mines to the arsenite. In the end, Collard conceded to every point, even saying that while he would not speak ill of his uncle on the day he buried him, that he would no longer contest what had happened to Florie. He promised her an immediate payment on what was owed to her house, and the arsenite, and asked if she wished anything else.

Emboldened by the victory, Florie couldn't help but ask the question she was sure Argent would want her to. Since Collard was the master of the mint, she said, she hoped he could find her one of the old Gardener coins from before the war.