The Golden Tooth

[Lord Gaspard Yronwood]

Likely the most sought after piece of real estate in the Seven Kingdoms, the Leffords have fed the West for millenia with their many gold mines...

[Lord Gaspard Yronwood]

Martyn Lefford arrives with Ser Rhyin Myatt and invites Ser Dickon Brax to dine with them before he is reassigned.

[Horas]

Ser Rhyin and Ser Dickon both agree. They come to Lefford's table and smile their greeting.

[Lord Gaspard Yronwood]

A smoking pot pie was laid on the table, specially prepared by the Lady Lefford. "When I was speaking to Breck Dondarrion, I mentioned this very delicacy to him. I said how lucky I was to come home and have a beautiful woman have the ability to buy any ingredient she desires and cook the best meal possible." He began cutting a slice for all three. "I doubt Rodrick treats his prisoners so well... if only he'd used his head, he'd be by our side and not at Rodrick's feet."

He served the pair.

[Horas]

Dickon attack his food with relish. Rhyin eats at a slightly slower pace and smiles conversationally. "I'll mourn Dondarrion not," he says. "Fifteen years of him as Hand was fifteen years too long."

[Lord Gaspard Yronwood]

"Aye, but his troops would've been handy. Lately my thoughts grow dark concerning the war effort..." He poured them red wine.

[Horas]

"Oh?" Myatt raises an eyebrow. "The battle at Harrenhal was a setback, to be sure. But the way I see it, we can wait out the rest of the war here in the West while the rest of the realm rips itself apart."

[Lord Gaspard Yronwood]

"Oh, I have no doubt of that. The Dornish are already making good use of that strategy... rather, I was speaking of the morale it might bring to peple here, in the homeland. Morale that wavers everytime a good knight or loyal lord is killed for..." He waved his fork as to disown any responsibility for his statement. "Whatever reason I'm sure our king had."

[Horas]

Rhyin looks pained. "Some of the West's best died at Harrenhal. But we must trust in our King's judgment."

Dickon stops eating for a moment to frown at Lefford, then continues shoveling food in his mouth.

[Lord Gaspard Yronwood]

"Oh, we'll win. We have the capital and we have the minds to rule the South. I just wonder if we've given too much over to the politics... all this secrecy and public executions and lack of trust. Fifteen years ago, Cedric left my father to die, but perhaps that was the wisest move. Today, we're killing eachother faster than Rodrick..."

He turned to the younger knight. "Dickon, you haven't asked why you're being sent back to the front and Rhyin is being given a cushy job guarding miners..."

[Horas]

Rhyin looks uncomfortable at the mention of Lefford's father, but looks away rather than saying anything.

Dickon gnaws on a bone. "It's because I don't really give a fuck, begging your pardon, Martyn. I'd rather be where the fighting is than sitting around here. And if Rhyin'd rather sit in your castle for a few months, that's fine with me too."

[Lord Gaspard Yronwood]

He gives him a long look. "You have a brain, Dickon... If you were truly being sent to the battlefield, you'd have a letter or a raven or a messenger telling you where and why you're leaving. Only pawns and traitors are kept in the dark..."

[Horas]

Dickon's eyes go cold. "Are you calling me a traitor, Lefford?"

[Lord Gaspard Yronwood]

He banged the table with his fist. "No, I'm trying to save your life, you daft fool! Someone has to pay for the loss of Harrenhal... the other commanders have shed enough blood to be practically nation heroes and I'm the queen's father, not to mention my table keeps Cedric shitting gold. You're not a traitor, I'd leave you alone with my wife! You've guarded my home and family, and for that I owe you... Cedric is going to have your head and use it a propaganda tool to reassure the West that we didn't lose because we were weak or ill-prepared, but because someone grew fat guarding the treasury..." He folded his handsm buried his hands in them as he caught his breath, then rerurned his faze to Dickon.

"I've been ordered to denounce you as an embezzler and spy."

[Horas]

"You -- what? Why? I have served loyally!" Dickon says.

Rhyin looks towards Lefford and frowns. "Why haven't I heard anything of this?"