Russelwood

[Quenton Baratheon]

A small forest west of Brightwater Keep. The trees, mainly elm, grow very close and light struggles to break through the canopy above. The floor is thick with brambles and briers, it is clear from the overgrown nature of this place that people do not visit often.

[Quenton Baratheon]

Florent seems agitated as he enters the wood. He looks over his shoulder and around him, boots loudly crunching on fallen sticks and twigs. The stench of wild garlic is pungent.

"Now, to find these deer," he says loudly but unconvincingly.

[Horas]

Lord Hugo is not a man naturally taken to stealth, and he trods heavily over the twigs and ferns of the forest. Still, he moves gamely forward, bow in hand. He wipes the sweat from his brow with one sleeve, takes a drink from his wineskin, then passes it over to Ser Bernard, who stands next to him, in case the other man also has a thirst.

[Quenton Baratheon]

Florent, leading the way, stops. He stands with his back to them and snaps one arm up, as if to say stand still. He holds this position for a moment before letting the hand drop down to his side again.

He turns, his face grave.

"I think we are alone," he says slowly and with meaning.

[Horas]

"We are," Hugo nods. It was obvious Florent wanted privacy. Redwyne thought he might have an idea of why, but he was no good at playing these sorts of guessing games, so he simply waits for Alphonse to explain himself.

[House Fossoway]

Ser Bernard accepted the wineskin, taking a quick drink from it before handing it back to Lord Hugo.

"Thank you, Lord Hugo. It's just what I needed before a hunt like this, though don't even think of giving it to Bransen, since that would be cheating trying to get him drunk enough to miss his target when it appears." he said and grinned at the Redwyne lord.

Ser Bransen was far off to the left, slowly making his way forward and scanning the forest for a target.

[Horas]

"Ha!" Hugo's laughs come from deep within his belly. "It can hardly be cheating if I'm at the same disadvantage!" His smile slowly fades. "I think Lord Alphonse has something to say."

[Quenton Baratheon]

Alphonse turns and walks slowly towards them.

"I think we all know why I've called you here, and why I wanted no-one around to hear. I wanted to discuss... the sad decline of noble House Tyrell."

[Horas]

Hugo's brow folds into a deep frown. "You'll hear no disagreement from me on that one, Alphonse. The good ones are dead or on the Wall, and the young lord is captive at Casterly Rock."

[House Fossoway]

Ser Bernard motioned Ser Bransen to join them, which the Cider Hall heir did.

"House Fossoway is in the belief that it's time to try and regain the glory that the Reach once held and stop crawling under the boot of Lord Baldwin Lannister and his lackies here in the Reach."

[Horas]

Hugo nods, but more slowly.

"Glory's a dangerous thing," he rumbles, "Me, I don't need much glory these days. But the power to rule ourselves, to be free of Lannister spies and sneakthieves, to have pride in the Reach again... aye, I'll work for those things."

[Quenton Baratheon]

Alphonse nodded, a thin smile on his face.

"Pride," he agreed, "and security. Time was, I knew where I stood. I stood for my lands and people, Lord Tyrell stood for the lands and people of the Reach, above him only the King. Where are we now? Look at what we, representatives of three of the largest houses in the Reach, have been reduced to. Sneaking off into a wood in the back of beyond, simply to avoid a discussion of ours coming to the attention of those who would work against us. Time was I could speak openly in my own home - nowadays I trust no-one,"

He corrected himself with a grin, "present company excepted."

[Horas]

"Hear, hear," Hugo nods in agreement. "A sad thing, but true. I know there are other lords who feel the same way, but do nothing for fear of House Lannister."

[House Fossoway]

Ser Bernard nodded.

"I've been to the lords around Cider Hall, trying casually to find out where they stand, but I think most of them seemed to be to afraid for being heared by some Lannister spy to speak the truth. So what do you propose we do about this, I know that House Fossoway isn't as large a house as yours are, but we are with you til the end if it means getting rid of the pride of lions here in the Reach."

[Quenton Baratheon]

Florent sighed.

"I think we are agreed that we must do something - but where to begin? Westeros at large is a veritable vipers nest. House Lannister holds sway over everything between the neck and the Dornish Marches. There will be many disgruntled individuals scattered throughout those lands but there is no core region of discontent. At a guess, the South and West of the Reach might support actions against House Lannister, but where else? I can't imagine many a Lord of the Riverlands has much love for the current Lord of Riverrun - 'the worm' they call him, a prize cunt by many accounts."

He halted, acutely aware of his digression.

"Something must be done," he nodded firmly, "however it would be suicide for three houses of the Reach to take public action against the forces of the realm," he halted again and smiled. "Note that I said 'public'." He winked.

"At any rate, I believe we need to take this gently, send out feelers, discover where any discontent for the current regime lies - and we exploit that."

He turned to Hugo. "Steffan tells me you visited Oldtown recently - could you gauge the mood? What of Lord Hightower?"