[Phase 2] Kinslayer [Laena]

It all went according to plan, Farman is subdued, gagged and blindfolded, spirited away to some storehouse. Again Laena may observe from above, not knowing where whoever lives and works at this place might be, there should be people here, but only their cat is seen lounging about outside. Unlike Helicent, Farman is bound to the chair he is placed in. Gwayne sets about his usual friendship routine, but the response he gets surprises him. Farman flat out observes that he must be Marq's man, deducing that anyone acting on Lady Laena's behalf would surely have skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the torture. Then he quips that Gwayne's reaction gives away that he is not one of Lord Mullendore's. Who killed Lord Bryce? Bittersteel, Farman suspects, not by his own hands of course, but surely he who gave the order. It could be Lord Peake, but he never seemed overly interested in House Bridges until after Lord Bryce died and the struggle for inheritance began. That man does catch up to events almost quick enough that one might think him prepared, however, but Farman thinks that is just his ability to swiftly leverage his many contacts and favors owed.

But Lord Peake did have the reports he curated for him and others, however the interesting things started to occur after Bittersteel asked questions he was not like to ask without having read them. All Farman ever did was to provide others with information, Lady Helicent used hers to attempt to frame Ser Dagos, nearly succeeded. Bittersteel, presumably Bittersteel, used his to have Lord Bryce murdered in a way that might be blamed upon Ser Dagos. Or maybe it was Lord Gormon acting upon Bittersteel's counsel? Did he not have agents more than capable, or so this most interesting scroll that has been circulating claims. Farman is inclined to believe it, though he would have told this hooded man to do nothing, were he in Lord Gormon's place and the hooded man actually worked for him. Sometimes, the greatest defense against rumors are to pretend that they are so baseless and imaginative that they are beneath one's attention. Particularly if they happen to be true.

He wrote another letter, concerning the habits and plans of that terribly dull cousin of his, annoying really, Farman would have gladly appointed him his own steward if only Lord Tyrell suddenly did not decide that he wanted no innocent man framed for murder. Alas, now Desmond was in the way of his ascension to lordship, and it so happened that he did not even have to write a carefully considered letter to make someone conclude that it would be better for Lord Desmond's reign to be cut short. He just needed to inform the right individuals as to where he best might fall afoul of an ambuscade. Convenient is it not, to have such willing pieces that this particular match in the game of thrones is played for him? Oh, Lord Durwell need not bother warning Laughing Stream. By the time such a message were to arrive, Lord Desmond will already be dead and Ser Jonothor will have seized the castle. Funny how all these lords and ladies so easily content themselves with that the knights are all Lord Demond's men, forgetting about everyone else. What? Did Gwayne really think he would gloat about his future plans if there was a chance for them to be spoiled?

Farman smugly tells Gwayne to give the message to Lord Durwell that he is quite willing to forgive this little incident, and surely they could help each other in the future to shape the Reach in their image? Is it not better to be friends than enemies? And both will surely be looking over their shoulders from now on, making the elimination of the other man requiring too much effort and cost. Pity that Farman could not take the lovely lady Daena to wife to seal such an alliance, and Ysilla marrying anyone is even less likely than her approving of Farman's upcoming marriage to Lady Alysanne, as it is necessary to join the two claims to the lordly seat, unfortunately, her duties in the department of ensuring that Lord and Lady Bridges will have heirs to carry on their legacy is almost certain to take such a toll on her as to confine her to their quarters.

On that account, Farman notes, he does have a cousin to console in her grief for her brother. So if goodman Gwayne might excuse him, he has to make haste back home. And with that, he makes a jump, crushing the chair under the weight of his body and force of the fall, grunting at the pain that inevitably follows falling on one's hindquarters, he wields the remains of the chair as a club against Gwayne and then the scribe, neither man enough warrior to react in time. Those few possessions of his as was brought along is stored at the door, unfortunately his sword is one of of them, Laena can't tell if the scribe, bleeding heavily from his brow, is alive or not, nor does it seem a good idea to do anything than remain perfectly still and hope he does not care to look up. He probably won't see her in the darkness, but best not move all the same. Gwayne is crawling, Farman bids him call for help, when the man does not, he viciously stabs him in the knee, the howl having the desired effect of making the other men come look, none of them prepared for a trained knight with longsword in hand laying in wait for them. These three he does not spare, cutting them down before they even realize what they face.

Then there is silence, broken only by the groans of Gwayne. And then the sound of dying horses.

---

Farman burns a DP to draw the get out of death card.

The bleeding needs to be staunched, something must be pressed against the wound, clean linens preferably, the cleanest cloth they have if not, then they should heat a dagger, the hotter the better and burn it shut if necessary. Robb's wound is not so bad as it looks, but half his face looks covered in blood. It takes the rest of the day to ensure that Gwayne will not bleed to death, but at least there are supplies here to feed them for years, as the family living on this farm no longer will have any need of their winter stores.

The next day Laena and Robb can go back to Risley Glade, without horses, on foot, they only just make it before sunset, despite having set out at dawn. Even if Blackfyre himself had been waiting at her room at the inn, she was not like to be able to muster the strength to entertain him.

Robb is revealed to be a bastard of some landed knight in Hightower service, not acknowledged, not officially, but enough for his father to take an interest, right up until the point he married and his new wife wanted him gone. So he were given to the faith, where he learned his letters, and swiftly too. But the life of a septon was not for him, no. He enjoyed the good life too much, the women in particular, and back then, he had that youthful idealism and such principles as only a reasonably well-fed man can afford to have. He took no vows for he had no intent of upholding them. He later learned that there were many septons, even among the Most Devout, and some High Septons also, if tales are to be believed, who take paramours and visit places that a pious septon would only visit with the purpose of tearing it down.

Instead, he found his way through a long list of employers, copying books for a merchant to sell, teaching letters to the sons of some lord too petty to afford a maester, or for the Citadel to deem him worthy of that honor, he knew better than to inquire on that subject. He came into Lord Marq's service after being discovered to make forgeries, Lord Durwell apparently considered his hands more useful in his employ than nailed to a post. Or so he surmises, Lord Durwell makes his appreciations and instructions known in such a manner as to never implicate himself, and as far as Robb and Gwayne goes, only through others, whose accounts cannot be used against him.