"Medicine" [D4, LA]

[Arwyn Forrester]

Arwyn Forrester waited at the House's main tent, setting up a little bit of wine and water for her guest. Lunch was past, and with winter just finished, any snack would be mostly preserved, so she just left it at that. A quick glance at the cloth of the tent around her and feeling the breeze swirling through this one, she looked nervous. She'd have to tie things down some before it got too late. Where were Gwen and Marqus when she needed them?

[Maester Oswell]

Oswell rolls up, curious about what could have Arwyn seeking his presence. She was a kind enough sort and the way Kevan spoke of her meant that there was hope for some sort of future there. It could be about that future she wanted to talk; or travel, Oswell had done a lot of that.

Eventually he realized he could overthink it all day, better to just turn up and let the girl articulate her own thoughts. "Lady Forrester?" He called as he drew near.

[Arwyn Forrester]

Arwyn emerges from the tent with a smile and a curtsy to him, the door tied open already to let him enter more easily. She checked the floor covering first to make sure he would have no trouble getting in before stepping aside to allow for passage. "Maester Oswell, thank you for coming. I know things have been rather grim the last couple of days, but I hope they've treated you as kindly as can be hoped."

[Maester Oswell]

"Tragedy strikes all corners of the world, yet it is only when we stand in witness of it that we truly feel it. Proximity should make no difference, yet somehow it does." Oswell muses out loud in response to Arwyn's question.
"I shared maybe a dozen words with Lord Tyrell in the three years I've served one of his Banner Houses, yet I feel grief for the loss of this man I hardly knew. We must put it behind us however and move on, lamenting the dead only takes time away from the living."

Snapping out of his weird ponderings, he shakes his head slightly. "Apologies milady, you don't need to be exposed to the rambling thoughts of an old man's thoughts on life and death. How may I be of service this afternoon?"

[Arwyn Forrester]

"No need to apologize... We may find it relevant to speak of later," she said, gesturing to the table. "Would you like some water or wine? I wanted to ask you a bit about medicines and... related herbal concoctions."

[Maester Oswell]

"Water please, if it's no trouble." Oswell replied as he pondered the sorts of herbal concoctions Arwyn would want, or need.

"The accumulated wisdom of the libraries of the Citadel is at your beck and call. Is there a specific purpose you had in mind? My supplies are fairly well maintained and I brought most of them with me."

[Arwyn Forrester]

"I don't need anything," she assures, mind wandering back to the rumors going around about Kevan and "one of those northern girls". "I was just... trying to figure out... the other day. There are people suggesting poison was involved, but I'm not so sure. I think I have a fairly good understanding right now of the series of events surrounding the joust. And I have some understanding of medicine... but not the level of a Maester. So maybe we can put things together a bit better?"

[Maester Oswell]

"Nothing more sinister than alcohol, perhaps in a quantity to stagger an ACTUAL bear, but I've wracked my brain and there's no poison I can think of that I can blame for this tragedy." Oswell explained. "Although whether that level of alcohol consumption was self inflicted is a different matter to be considered."


D4 MM Healing/Diagnosis (possible short term poison for Baratheon) TN?: 7d6k5+4 25

[Arwyn Forrester]

She nods as she listens, closing her eyes. "Truth be told, that's what I thought it was... Perhaps it's easier for people to think of poison and conspiracy. Maybe it offers an outside enemy to blame."

[Maester Oswell]

"I think that's why the Dunn compound considered it so hard. If someone poisoned Ser Lyonel, then he could hardly be blamed for what transpired, and it might prevent what could in all likelihood develop into a war between the Reach and the Stormlands."

"The irony after being asked by the Wydman delegation for military aid, that we may soon find ourselves in a position to need such support."

[Arwyn Forrester]

She nodded, thinking she remembered Kevan mentioning it and falling into a soft frown. "It just struck me as strange that there was only much heavy evidence of drunkeness during the second joust. Alessia said her was angry but not unsteady at the Dornishman, and he made the first joust fine, and he wasn't unsteady when he fought afterward."

She let out a breath and shook her head. "I hope it doesn't come to that, but as you said the other day - hope for the best, prepare for the worst."

[Maester Oswell]

"I must confess that I was paying little attention to the actual match. Not really my thing." Oswell admits.

"But perhaps fatigue played a part? I hear those lances are still quite heavy, perhaps after the first pass the stress and demand on his body was too much? I can only speculate though unfortunately."

[Arwyn Forrester]

She nods a little bit. Alcohol could affect different men different. But why suddenly revived after? Maybe the fall brought him to his senses? She let out a breath. "It's true... I suppose only speculation is left on that subject. The rest may only be known to him, and it seems rude to try to guess that."

[Maester Oswell]

"As someone who's core being and day to day existence deals with facts rather than speculation however, I hope you'll forgive me if I leave that to others and deal with what is?" He rubbed his temples in frustration.

"For even that is causing a headache, apparently the rising tensions are a large enough issue that they're already under discussion at the Conclave. At the risk of delving back into speculation, I almost suspect that some party has more interest in putting this issue front and centre in the eyes of the Realm, rather than resolving it quietly and peacefully."

[Arwyn Forrester]

"That was the idea. I was planning to drop it at this point," she replied, shaking her head.

[Maester Oswell]

"I can only hope that those in the position to make the decisions on how this pans out keep the security of the Reach and the Stormlands in mind. But as you say, let's drop it. Surely there's more polite topics of conversation we could indulge in? Have you enjoyed the tourney so far, otherwise?"

[Arwyn Forrester]

She was more than happy to move on. "Very much so. Jousting is more a thing that Marqus appreciates than I, but it has been a wonderful opportunity to meet people from different areas in the Seven Kingdoms. And seeing friends succeed in the tournament itself is gratifying." She nods to him. "And yourself, Maester Oswell? I hope the rest of your time hear has gone well for you since we last spoke."

[Maester Oswell]

"It has, I'll be glad if we've seen the last of the rain though. Makes getting around in my chair rather difficult." He admitted with a cocked grin.

"If we get another good dousing I might just coop myself up in the Dornishman all day and drink myself silly on their mulled wine."

[Arwyn Forrester]

"Oh, I can only imagine. Honestly, after the frost, I was a little worried that the weather would get extra cold... Wind forecasts changes, though, so let's hope they're in the vein of warmer ones," she replies with a soft chuckle. She shakes her head. "I might have to go under the awnings in the jousting arena, or to the keep if possible... finding shelter is harder when you're trying not to go into the drinking establishments."

[Maester Oswell]

Oswell nods in agreement. "I'm sure you'd be welcomed with open arms in the keep, actually I think you'd get the same open arms at the Dornishman too, although those open arms tend to come with grabby hands."

"Wouldn't have thought the cold too troublesome for a Northerner like yourself, or did you only pack for the traditional Southern climate?"

[Arwyn Forrester]

She chuckles softly. "The grabby hands are what I'm trying to avoid." There was only one person she wanted to get grabby with her, and that wasn't for a few hours yet.

"We always pack in case of cold. You never know when a pang of winter may blow down, especially in these early days of spring. That doesn't mean I want only a tent and furs between me and the cold and rain it if it can be avoided." She smiled at the last.

[Maester Oswell]

"Sometimes a remote tent, a roaring fire and a pile of furs is exactly the prescription this Maester would recommend in such a situation. Although generally that's a remedy best administered by a loving and wedded partner." He adds with a slightly crackly laugh.

"Lest the gossip mongers and loose tongues waggle too much."

[Arwyn Forrester]

"I don't think the gossip mongers would notice something like that," she replies, slightly grumpy about the rumors that had been floating around over something where very little had actually happened. "They're too busy reading that sort of thing into nothing."

Well, at least she had the loving part.

[Maester Oswell]

"Well with any luck this Spring will lead into a long Summer and the chill will be a very temporary concern indeed. T'would be a shame indeed to have you travel all this way and not get to experience the wonderful climate of the South in all its glory."

"Have you heard much interesting gossip then? Somehow when the cripple rolls up, all the chatter tends to slow down and I miss all the juicy news."