Page 061: Debrief
Debrief
Summary: Jarod gets Gedeon up to speed.
Date: 15/09/288
Related Logs: Vigilance and Justice, Notes to the Dead Septon's Office, Out of the Woods, Of Correspondence and Girls and Dead Septons
Players:
Gedeon Jarod 
Guest Room — Four Eagles Tower
Nice room with a bed and a a chair and like a desk and some rugs.
15 September 288

The bulk of the day is done for, and the sky has already begun to turn orange and pink as the sun begins its leisurely descent down the horizon. Gedeon Rivers has finished training for the day and took the opportunity to wash and enjoy a few moments of quiet before dinner. he hair is damp, and he sits in the guest room's chair, reading a book he's likely borrowed from the Library down the hall.

As Gedeon unwinds for the day, there comes a knock on his door. It's a rather pounding and rhythmic 'Tap-taptap-tap-tap.' Which is somewhat indicative that the Other Ser Rivers, Terrick-made, is on the other side of the door.

Gedeon lifts his head, glancing towards the door with brows slightly lifted. He closes his book, setting it aside as he eases from the chair to walk over. The door is creaked open and suspicions are confirmed. He offers Jarod a small smile and then steps back to silently invite him in.

The small smile is returned with Jarod's typical big, boyish grin as he enters. "Hope I'm not intruding." He passes by the book Gedeon was reading, giving it a look of idle curiosity. Not that he lingers on it too long. "Heard you had words with my brother. Jace, that is. Not sure Jaremy manages to get himself down to places you frequent too much. Figured we'd best talk on a few things."

It's not particularly heavy reading. A collection of poems. Gedeon shakes his head. "You weren't interrupting," he says, "but yes, Jacsen and I have spoken and, yes, it seems you and I ought to ask well. I'd like very much to know whatever you can tell me about Septon Amery, his death, and my father's letters."

"Can I sit?" Jarod asks, though he doesn't strictly wait for an invitation. He chooses to plant himself on the edge of the bed rather than in a proper chair. "At this point I know little, though I'm piecing it together as best I can. First of what I know is this. I guess Septon Josse was in the Tordane Tower after Isolde got those letters from you. She spoke with him on them. Confided some in him, I guess you could say. Though I'm not sure they got too far into it. He said she was showing him the letters when Lord Ryker kind of…barged in. And then she had to explain to him what they were." He pauses and adds, "The septon thinks that if Lord Ryker hadn't gotten wise to them…well, that Iz might've given them back to you, like she said she was going to."

Gedeon nods as Jarod sits, and he draws the chair a bit closer to the bed before dropping back down into it. "Septon Josse," he repeats with a small sigh. "I suppose one can't blame a septon for keeping secrets, still…" there is a small, frustrated shake of his head. "Isolde is ever confident she can control all aspects of her life, and ever surprised when that is not the case," he murmurs. "There was little doubt, when she took them, that the Naylands would then learn of them in turn. But please, go on."

"Aye…" Jarod mutters, in agreement about Isolde. It's not a thing he comments on further. "Anyhow. Jos pressed them to have the letters examined by someone who could tell if they were truly Lord Geoffrey's hand or not, and I guess Isolde agreed. They were given over to Septon Amery. And Jos says he said…they were. Your lord father's hand, that is."

Gedeon nods slowly, apparently unsurprised that the letters he has been insisting were written by his father were, in fact, written by his father. "How long ago was this?" he asks.

Jarod has to think on that for a minute, brow furrowing. "I'd guess…a little more than a month ago? Seven hells, it's been that long already. From what I gathered from Jos, the letters were handed to Septon Avery not long after Isolde got them in her possession. I'm not sure how long he had to go over them. Or who knew what he made of them, outside Jos and Isolde and Lord Ryker, though we can presume easy enough the rest of the Nayland household was told in short order. Anyhow. The rest is somewhat public consumption. Septon Amery was found dead on August the thirteenth. Must have been not much more than a week after he made what he made of the letters."

"If his visit to the Roost was an indication of Lord Ryker's gift of restraint, I expect that presumption's correct," Gedeon muses dryly. He nods a little for Amery's death, frowning faintly. "And is there proof, other than the timing, that makes you suspect his death unnatural?"

Jarod gets a snorted laugh out of Gedeon's mention of Lord Ryker's restraint. Or lack thereof. "Septon Josse says he's never seen a man in good health, at that age, die in that manner. I don't think he can prove, just on the body alone, that it was foul-done. But that's what he seems to think. He says there are several sorts of poisons that might cause a man to die in that manner. Make it look like his heart gave out."

There is another slow nod as Gedeon considers. "I would like, as much as you, to find answers to the questions all of this raises. How may I help, Jarod?"

"Septon Josse examined Amery's things. His journal, in particular. And spoke to the folk in the sept as well," Jarod says. "Like I said, there's little to go on, but we'll make do with it as we can. He found out two things that are curious. The first, Ser Rygar apparently came to take his prayers at the sept in the Roost a week before Amery died. Which'd be around the time he supposedly had the letters. I don't trust coincidences like that, particularly as praying in Stonebridge isn't any different than praying in the Roost, so there's no reason for it unless you had some other motive to be here. Second…I guess the day before he was found dead, Septon Amery spoke to but one person from outside the sept. At least, so far as Jos knows. Master Raffton Howell." He pauses, to see if the name's familiar.

Gedeon blinks at Jarod, absorbing this information. But, he shakes his head a little. "Howell?" he asks. "Who is he?"

"He's one of the guards here," Jarod replies. "He came to my father's house when he was thirteen, though he was not born a Riverman. He's from the Iron Islands. He was involved in a raid on a little village up the Cape of Eagles, and captured. He was spared execution, due to his age, and my father kept him on here. As a captive, I suppose you could say, though he's sworn into service for us now as a retainer. He's even converted to worship of the Seven. For whatever that might be worth. Maybe he still holds the Drowned God close enough to his heart to have less care than most for the life of a holy man."

"Then you suspect that Rygar may have used this Master Raffton Howell to carry out some sort of poisoning of Septon Amery?" Gedeon asks, his hands lacing as he studies them a moment. "Have you spoken to him, yet? Raffton Howell, I mean. What did he say for himself?"

"Not yet, I figured I'd get you and my brothers and lord father up to speed on what the septon told me first, see if the lot of you had ideas on how best to approach Master Howell," Jarod says. "He's being watched. I got a man I trust working with him in his daily affairs, and he'll make sure Howell doesn't try anything funny. We've no real proof, and it may not have been him, the information even Jos managed to get is imperfect. But it's what we have."

"Then it's a place to start, and if Master Howell had little to do with it, perhaps he can offer some clue to better guide the search," Gedeon says. As for the question of how to best go about it, he taps a hand on his knee. "It's best done quietly, the Roost has enough rumors flying about as it is. But I don't imagine anyone will think much of the captain of the guard wanting a discussion with one of his men. And, in turn, it is not so unusual for him to want further details about the day of Septon Amery's death. Start there, perhaps, and see how Master Howell responds."

Jarod nods to that. "Aye. And best to get to it quickly, the matter's had too long to settle already. And if Master Howell is in Ser Rygar's - or anyone else's - pay, best put a stop to that sooner than later. Once we're done with our man Raffton, I've been toying with the idea of a trip down Stonebridge way. I think Jace has as well. I wouldn't mind a chance just to get the lay of the land down there, now that it's under Nayland rule. And I've got other questions that've been digging at the back of my mind I don't figure I'll get answered anywhere else."

The blond Rivers considers that in silence for a long moment. "I am not sure it would be wise for me to join you, though I am tempted."

"Someday, perhaps, we can all of us drink at Crane's Crossing again," Jarod says. "I have been meaning to ask you, though. It's one of those things I can't get out of my head. It's sort of burrowed its way in the back, and I don't know what to do with it. You know anything of the man who was called Grafton Porter?" A pause and he adds. "He was the man they beheaded down in Stonebridge for the murder of that courier boy. Same one who brought you and Rowenna that poisoned wine, I figure."

"I heard of it," Gedeon murmurs, "though I am not sure what to make of it. He was found most conveniently when Lord Rkyer was here with us and it… it does not make sense. Even the tale that's claimed does not hold up well."

Jarod shakes his head. "There's a wrong smell to the whole thing, though little can be made of it here. Anyhow. I think that's the whole of it. I figure Master Howell is the next step, and we'll see what he's got to say for himself. I'll leave you to your poems." He stands and starts to go, though before he does he adds, "You know Rowenna and I are…" He makes a vague hand gesture that doesn't really convey anything. "…what I mean is, I guess we're kind of having a go at each other. I'm not sure what'll come of it. Probably disaster. But…" He shrugs, grinning that big, stupid boyish grin of his.

Gedeon stands as Jarod does, stretching a little. "I look forward to hearing what you learn from the man," he says. He does, indeed, pick up his book of poems, though he glances over as Jarod speaks further. he can't quite draw up a grin so wide, but he offers Jarod a smaller version. "I had heard something to that effect," he agrees. "Congratulations. Don't make me break your face."

"I'll try," Jarod offers simply. And on that note, he leaves Gedeon in peace.