Old Bones, New Grief (Belric/Aelison)

[The Raven]

Lord Oswell Shoreham's second son Hoster calls upon the Lord of Harrenhal, alongside Belric's cousin Aelison. He has the same expressive eyes as his father, so quick to reveal his inner thoughts, but ready to hide them under a friendly smile. This is a man who has never considered the idea of becoming lord.

[Bret]

When they arrived, Aelison was on edge, she was still trying to decide how to tell Belric the story about the bones she found without sounding completely insane.

If she was going to implicate Ser Simon, she knew that she would have to explain herself somehow.

[Lord Belric Blackfort]

"Hoster," Belric said, greeting Lord Shoreham's son warmly, "It is good to meet you. Your name is one I have always been fond of saying. It is shared by an uncle of mine." He failed to explain the many ways in which the two Hoster's were very different.

"Hello cousin," Belric said to Aelison, his mood remaining genuine.

[Bret]

"My Lord", she greeted him in a humorous tone. Using that title towards him still felt a bit odd to her, but her cousin did deserve his due.

"Let me first give you my apology for leaving the hunt...", she shrugged,"I do hope you forgive me but Albah was seriously injured and I had not bought him back we would've lost another dog."

She smirked,"I'm sure Jormun is vying for my head because of my absence though."

[Lord Belric Blackfort]

Belric smiled, waving off her apology as unnecessary. "You missed a good kill, but aside from that, do not apologize. Though it may do you well to share the same sentiments with Jormun. From what I've gathered, our previous Kennel Master did the same thing and hasn't been seen since. Jormun's frustration isn't personal, he just feel responsible." Belric had nearly finished before adding, "How is your hound recovering?"

[Bret]

As he spoke of Jormun, she replied, "I will keep that in mind when I speak with him. Gerdy did not seem the type to just vanish."

Asking about Albah helped wth what she wanted to talk to him about, hopefully after he hears her, she won't be placed under arrest for lunacy. "Um... About that", Aelison steadied her voice,"He's on the mend. I gave him milk of the poppy, but I also had to stitch him up a bit... And it was if.."

She looked under eyed as him as she continued,"... I wasn't alone in the act. Through what little medical knowledge I have, I have never been to stitch up anything so well." Her eyes were on him in a pleading way for him to understand.

She swallowed before she continued again,"I saw something.... I can't explain it, Belric, but I saw something terrible.."

[The Raven]

Hoster gave a confused look. He was not expecting black magic to come up in the conversation. He kept his tongue still though.

[Lord Belric Blackfort]

Belric looked from Aelison to Hoster, dropping his eyes and burying his head in his palm. Not this again, had all of his family gone mad?

“There are many ghosts within these walls. Perhaps you were possessed by some long dead maester.” He bleated a chuckle and forced a sarcastic smile, trying to make light of the situation. He thought of the man Lady Lothson left hanging in the weirwood. “Do not worry cousin, it is often in times of distress that we perform our best. In my bleakest moments on the battlefield, it was as if my sword had a will of its own. It would cut down the men that opposed me, indiscriminately, was merely holding on.”

[Bret]

Aelison took in deep breath, before she would begin to dispute her cousin's disbelief. "In truth, I was the Old Kennelmaster", she said it slowly. "He was tending to Father as a pup, because he swallowed a femur bone of child that was buried at the base of the large tree at the training grounds..."

She continued before Belric could respond,"The bones were from bodies of children that Ser Simon murdered and buried there." Her face was in a distraught expression, "I saw it Belric, just as I see you right now. The Kennelmaster knew, everyone knew what he was doing...."

She swallowed, she was trembling slightly,"Those poor souls, someone's children butchered and fed to our hounds." Aelison looked at her cousin,"I found the bones... And we delivered them to the Septon."

[Lord Belric Blackfort]

"I am aware of Ser Simon and his bloody past," replied Belric, obviously not proud to say so. "Lady Lothson started murdering the children of Harrentown several years before my arrival, though she did it by Ser Simon's hand. You must have found one of her bone caches." He tried to ignore the part where she mentioned the Ghost of a Kennelmaster helping her to doctor a dying dog.

"Bloodraven was a twisted man, he lured her in with promises of the impossible. Then he manipulated her into do the unthinkable." Belric looked at each of them in turn. "But in the end, he was still just a man. Simon Whent, on the other hand, has won his life, or whatever remains of it. He has pledged his oath to me, and serves as Lady Saesha's sworn shield."

[Bret]

He explained it to her as if everything was a tragic accident of no consequence done by a reluctant victim. Aelison looked at him, she couldn't believe it. "So, I have no choice but to accept that he was an instrument of a weak noble fool?"

"I would never disagree with you, cousin. you know that but" she replied wth a sorrowful look,"I agree with the Septon... The Father was asleep the day of his trial."

"I was shown this for a reason, I don't know why but I would not trust him."

[Lord Belric Blackfort]

"I do not trust him either," He said honestly. "Though I do not think he is a danger in his own right. In truth, it is probably more dangerous to be near him than anything else. The people of Harrentown still want their revenge."

[Bret]

"You are the Lord here, Belric", she nodded glad to hear that they atleast agreed on the mistrust of Ser Simon,"Then take his sword, push him out of the gates, bar them and let those people have their justice."

"I know it sounds extreme and he was doing as he was commanded but he should feel as helpless as those babes he helped to murder."

[Lord Belric Blackfort]

"Let me be clear. Ser Simon lives by my order, and I made those orders purposefully. It is not to be questioned." He did allude to his true trepidations, the idea of Ser Simon lurking around a corner was enough to make him uneasy.

[Bret]

She nodded as he spoke,"Alright Belric, alright", she then replied to him, that the last thing she wanted was to upset him. Everyone knew his temper. Aelison looked at him, then a small grin passed her lips,"I forget you always have a methods for things that you do. I supposed his justice is coming then in another form."

"I do not know what I expected to happen when I told you this but I do understand."With that she glanced back at Hoster, with a small chuckle,"Guess you tagged along for nothing."