The North Road

[Deleted]

Elane laughed aloud. "You remind me of my sister. She lost her maidenhead at 13 or 14, and was always urging me to lose mine. She used to call me 'Septa Elane' and throw boys my way. But I am a bit of a septa, I fear. I will keep my maidenhead for my marriage, and shock my husband into impotence." She laughed again at the thought.

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

"I did not know you had a sister, mi'lady. Has she been convinced to wed in your place?"

[Deleted]

"She is bastard born, and has had many lovers. She's travelling the world now." Elane gave a quick, easy smile. "She used to rile my suitors, especially old Lord Belmore. I think that may have been one reason why I never got married."

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

"Ah, a bastard. I have long thought of having one. Though I may be running out of chances."

OOC: I'm off to bed. 2:00 am here.

[Deleted]

OOC: Oh, all right. It's been fun

"You are young yet. Perhaps Ser Doyle will give you a strong son, or a beautiful daughter."

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

"That is why we argue so. He refuses to, and I will not take any other man."

OOC: Okay, that's the last post of the night. Cheers!

[Deleted]

OOC: In Westeros how can a man refuse to get you pregnant except by not sleeping with you?

"Children aren't all that lovely, in my opinion," Elane said distastefully. "Squalling, screaming creatures that take up too much time, too much energy...and often end up disappointing you." Her mother had said so a dozen times. "Sometimes, my lady, we should be thankful of our freedom. We want the husbands, but the children...well, I suppose it's a necessary evil."

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

OOC: Rythm method, Tansy Tea and integrity. ie, he says no bastards, and she's too honest to deceive him and not drink the tea. Or that's how I imagine it. Certainly not foolproof by modern standards, but still.

IC: "It is a child I want, just one, to pass on the name. A husband I can do without."

[Deleted]

Ser Garrett rode quietly along side his companion, his eyes occasionally flickering to the covered corpse on the wagon that another man was driving. It felt as if they were bearing Addam's corpse home all over again, except that this time Ser Donal wasn't riding with him.

[serdonaltyrell]

Ser Eddard rode along, preoccupied with his own thoughts. He barely noticed Garrett beside him, save to make sure he hadn't fallen off his horse. He too was struck by the odd sensation that he had done this before. To see them both die within weeks of each other was a strange feeling. He had barely got used to not being badgered by Addam, asking to train with him and stories of battles he'd fought in and tourney's he'd seen.
Of course with Donal gone and the Tyrell's stretched elsewhere, he looked to rise in prominence himself. No doubt he was mentioned in Donal's will and stood to inherit a fortune. He smiled.

[Deleted]

That night as he slept, Garrett dreamed vividly. He dreamed of Addam, gangly and smiling, excitedly fastening on his borrowed greaves, admiring his tourney lance. He remembered Addam intruding on him and Lady Sara in the apple grove, remembered Ser Timm Vikary's fearsome charge, Addam on the ground, bleeding heavily, Ser Donal's fury, the ride to Thorn Hill, Addam's rotting corpse being lowered into its grave, Ser Donal's kindness, the ride back up north, Hallise the Burned, red and white, Ser Donal dead in the snow...

And then the apple grove swam into view again, Addam's shouts as he came running up, Lady Sara's head on Garrett's shoulder...Sara in bed with him, the night before the last day of jousting...Addam again, cheering him on in the archery...the memories came and went, vivid but fleeting, and in the morning when he awoke, Garrett felt dazed. Why was I destined to meet these men, if only to see them die?

"Did you serve long with Ser Donal?" he asked Ser Eddard as they breakfasted in the forest.

[serdonaltyrell]

Ser Eddard chewed on his bread thoughtfully, imagining himself in the lord's room at Thorn Hill.
He imagined, once all this was over, meeting the local gentry as an equal, going to their balls in his fine clothes (he mentally reminded himself to get a tailor brought in. Donal was far taller and broader across the chest than he)
Perhaps his lady wife would at last see what a success he had made of himself and return to his arms. He was jolted out of his reverie by Garrett's question. He started and looked at him. He looked terrible, as if he had slept restlessly in those same clothes. He seemed very pale and bloodless. Eddard wondered if he would ever recover his full strength again. He had heard maester's stories of bits of clothing left in wounds, rotting grown men from the inside out.
He realised he had still not answered the young knight "Oh for several years now, young Ser. I was second in command after Captain Gallen. He was killed by Kid Death about 4 years ago though, so I have been in command ever since"

[Deleted]

Garrett nodded and leaned for his wineskin, wincing as his wounds rubbed against his bandages. "Why would Kid Death kill Ser Donal's captain? Addam was his squire."

[serdonaltyrell]

Eddard looked concerned "Are you ok, ser. I can have the medics look at your wounds?"
Garrett shook his head and Eddard picked up a wineskin and continued "Well, not at the time he wasn't. It was back just after the War of Dragon and Stag, when Princess Rhae vanished, kidnapped all thought. Turns out though, her and Kid Death had eyes on each other and they'd run off. King Aegon wasn't best pleased at the thought of someone running off with one of the family I hear, prob'ly wanted her his own self but that's another story"
Eddard began to warm to the story and carried on "So we find 'em by chance, as it were. We'd just come back off patrolling the Dornish border - them snakes aren't to be trusted lad, and as for that sorceress who runs 'em? Well, best not to ever deal with them I reckon" he paused "Where was I? Oh yes, so it's a warm, hot day so we're all of us looking forward to a cold ale. We heads to this nearby no account village and spot a tavern. So we stop and in walks Donal & Gallen, I was outside seeing to the horses and suchlike. Suddenly all hell breaks loose inside and these villagers come runnin' out as if the Dornish are on their tails!" Eddard laughs "So in we charge and there's Gallen lying dead in a pool of his own blood, this silly surprised look on his face and there's this young lad, not much older than you are now, fighting 4 of our boys. You'd think 4 against 1 would be good odds but not against this one. He puts a few more down before Donal calms him down. I don't know how he did it, but the young fella eventually ends up riding back with us. Upset a few of our men that did, but Donal just gave us this look, see so we all shut up. Turns out Donal had a plan, he always had a plan, and not long after Addam, gods rest his soul, ends up his squire. Prob'ly thought that was a good idea at the time, Donal did. Goes to show, doesn't it?"

[Deleted]

OOC: Be back in...30?