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Post by Horas on May 3, 2011 19:21:16 GMT -5
A dessert of fresh fruit tarts is brought to the table by the servants. Ser Ranulf snorts in mirth. "I'm sure you'd know better than I, Ser Ironborn."
Ranulf pops one of the tarts in his mouth, then rises. "I think I shall retire early. Sleep well," he says, and walks off, catching one of the prettier serving girls by the elbow as he leaves the room.
The rest of the Redwyne family make their own departures for the evening shortly after.
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Post by Sam on May 3, 2011 19:28:09 GMT -5
Gruffydd makes his way to the guest quarters that had been prepared for him, and then departs the Arbor several days later with the Redwyne party on a strong easterly wind.
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Post by Horas on May 3, 2011 21:28:13 GMT -5
Ser Ranulf Redwyne and a few retainers board Ranulf's ship, the Hangover, and sail out alongside Ser Gruffyd Harlaw.
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Post by House Fossoway on May 6, 2011 11:29:22 GMT -5
/ / / /
Ser Bernard Fossoway and a few men arrive outside the gate of the Vineyard. He stops in front of the guards at the gate, and dismounts from his horse.
"I am Ser Bernard Fossoway, I am here to visit with my older sister, the Lady Josephine, or if she is not available I guess any of her family would do." he says and offers the guards a hint of a smile.
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Post by Horas on May 6, 2011 11:36:44 GMT -5
The Fossoway men are led to the hall for some hot food while their horses are stabled and rubbed down. Ser Bernard himself is led to a large balcony where Lady Josephine Redwyne reclines on a divan in the afternoon sun, an open bottle of strongwine resting on a low table beside her.
Josephine does not rise, but she opens her eyes as her youngest brother walks out. "Bernie," she says, "what a lovely surprise. What brings my little brother to my home?"
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Post by House Fossoway on May 7, 2011 4:43:30 GMT -5
Ser Bernard sat down on the end of the divan, and gave his sister a small smile and gave the bottle of strongwine a glancing look before returning his eyes upon his sister.
"Does your little brother need a special reason to see his big sister?" he said and asked the servant there to bring him a bunch of grapes to eat. "But to answer your question, I felt that I needed some changes of scenery for a change, Cider Hall is a too somber affair these days."
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Post by Horas on May 7, 2011 4:54:52 GMT -5
The servants quickly bring a large bowl of grapes. Josephine catches her brother looking at her bottle and pours herself more wine, as if to make some sort of point. The old lady holds her liquor so well that, as usual, it is difficult to tell how intoxicated she really is.
"Poor Willem," Josephine says with a sigh, "Still jousting at shadows, I take it? Though with the way the Lannisters strut about the Reach these days, he may be the wise one."
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Post by House Fossoway on May 7, 2011 5:00:51 GMT -5
Ser Bernard took a handful of grapes and placed one in his mouth before he spoke.
"Our brother sees trouble around every corner, and thinks that unless he trains his men from morning til sundown, they will fail him as he believes they did after we lost to the dragons. He has stopped listening to reason, and me and our nephew handle most of the daily routines at the castle these days, though not without the complains from our brother." he said and placed another two grapes after he had finished.
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Post by Horas on May 7, 2011 5:06:50 GMT -5
"The dragon is dead," Josephine says with a sniff, "Now all that is left of our conquerors is a little boy, and the greedy lords who pull his strings."
"Willem does not have you working too hard, does he?"
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Post by House Fossoway on May 7, 2011 9:26:31 GMT -5
Ser Bernard continued to eat from the bowl of grapes, and shrugged.
"He doesn't insist us to do much besides spend time in the training yard, or have the guards march back and forth for no other reason than he claims that is good for the future, which makes my work a bit harder since I have to take care of all meetings with the heads of the orchards and other men that comes to our land to do business."
He rose from the divan and headed over to the railing of the balcony.
"So how are you doing, my dear sister? It must be invigorating to see this every morning." he said and motioned out on the lands surrounding the Vineyard. "I wouldn't mind having these views outside my window at Cider Hall."
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Post by Horas on May 7, 2011 12:01:20 GMT -5
Josephine waves dismissively. "Those grapes are better for drinking than looking at. But... very kind of you, Bernie." Josephine rises to her feet with the grace of a dancer, though perhaps with an extra dip that might not have been there had she not been drinking. She strolls over to the edge of the balcony to stand beside Bernard.
"I do well enough these days." She changes the subject abruptly. "Will you believe that we had an Ironman visit us just a week past? A crude, barbaric race... though this one had more grace than most of his kind."
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Post by House Fossoway on May 8, 2011 3:32:26 GMT -5
Ser Bernard turned and looked at his sister, with a suprised look upon his eyes.
"A Ironman? What were he doing here? Usually the Ironmen only come to Arbor to raid, but I didn't see any signs of that when we sailed into Ryamsport."
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Post by Horas on May 8, 2011 14:50:01 GMT -5
"This one said Lord Harlaw wants peace." Josephine looks out over the rolling vineyards of the Arbor. "Or more likely, he wants to go rape Dornish peasant girls. But he promised not to attack any Reach lands or ships, and if he keeps his word, I do not much care what other mischief he gets up to."
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Post by House Fossoway on May 9, 2011 1:01:44 GMT -5
Ser Bernard turned and leaned against the railing.
"A Ironman that wants peace, that's a first." he said and chuckled to himself. "I wouldn't put much truth in his words, but I am pleased to hear that he'd rather give the dornish trouble than you or me, dear sister."
He sighed a little and walked back over to the bowl of grapes and took a few in his mouth.
"I wonder what troubles lie ahead for us, the Tyrells are no longer what they used to be, Ser Erik doing the bidding of the Lannisters and the true lord of the house is in the West, having his mind poisioned by the lions. I don't think the Reach will ever be the same again."
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Post by Horas on May 9, 2011 1:20:33 GMT -5
"The Reach is what we make it, little brother," Josephine says, a hint of iron in her voice. "After we lost... we withdrew. Our brother to his paranoia, my husband to this island, and the other lords in their own ways as well."
She takes a stiff drink of her strongwine. "And that is what Lannister wanted, of course. But it was a mistake on all of our parts. It's easier to push someone around when they're scared and disorganized."
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Hope you all are well and happy.