TheReturnDerronAndMerivel(Threads continued from The Return: Derron and Niko and Morning Outside Marshend: Niko and Merivel) Derron opened the front door and called out, "Maester Merivel, may I have a word, please?" Merivel was standing not far away from the entrance, and he turned his head at the sound of Derron's voice. He gave a nod to the squire and hedge knight at the table. He proceeded to the entrance to the cottage and entered into it ahead of Derron. He turned around to face the smith turned steward. "Certainly." Merivel said with a nod, his voice relatively low in volume. He regarded Derron expectantly. Derron said casually, "I am shortly sending Niko with a report to Lord Draupaud of all that has occurred. I think he should also carry a report from you on your adventures. Once he returns, we will most likely be heading for Clearwater ourselves. Can you write a summary that is both brief and accurate?" "I learned the value of being verbose and accurate at the Citadel." Merivel replied. "However, I already had the lesson of brevity from my family. I can provide a report, certainly." He regarded Derron quizzically. "Let me ask you this, Derron. You are sending Niko with the report, and we are remaining behind in Marshend for the nonce." "Why the rush to get the two reports there before we set out ourselves?" Derron frowned, but only for a moment, then decided to entrust the Maester with the information. "Catriona reports that Thelbane and a few men are apparently headed for Clearwater. I hope Niko and the reports can arrive before he does. I would prefer His Lordship hears our version of events before Thelbane gets any chance to speak with him." Merivel gave a nod, listening as Derron unspooled his story. Derron paused, then frowned again. "We might get lucky and he won't go to Clearwater. But I don't want to take the chance. And until I have everything settled here for young Ranulf to settle in with Mariam, I can't leave. He was given to me as a responsibility, and I won't leave until I am confident things are settled. Then we will go back. If word of Thelbane's route had not reached us, in a day or two we would have left Ranulf behind with Niko, and maybe one or two other men." Merivel considered this for a moment and then nodded. "I can't fault the logic of your decision." Merivel replied. "I will write my story and the events I witnessed for the Lord. And as regards events, perhaps, Derron, it would be wise if I filled you in more completely about what happened to me on the journey from Holdfast to here." "Unless you would rather not know?" He regarded Derron quizzically. Derron shrugged. "I am as curious as the next fellow. Just relate it to me after you write it down, though." "That's fine." Merivel agreed. "In case the Lord were to ask you about it, afterwards, someone should know. Or, worse, if something were to happen to it." Merivel proceeded to acquire quills, ink and paper from his gear and wrote swiftly of his account. As he would relate to Derron, while he excised his meeting with the Wildlings, he related everything else, from his departure through his arrival at Marshend. Merivel folded the paper, sealed it and gave it to Derron, summarizing the contents and his story. Derron look quite skeptical. "So, you were attacked by your escort from Holdfast, managed to escape into the woods, and survived on your own there, and in the swamps, and made your way, all alone, to Marshend." He frowned and said, "If that is the tale you wish to relate to His Lordship, be my guest. But I suspect he will find it as hard to believe as I do. Unless they really teach you woodcraft in the Citadel. And you know how to survive traipsing among the great eels of the swamp." Merivel considered this for a long moment. He offered his hand to Derron to retrieve the account which he had written. "You have to understand, Derron, that I made a promise. Perhaps I should amend my account so as not to violate that oath that I made and yet make it sound more...plausible. The details of how I managed to get to Marshend are not relevant to any who were not present." "Haven't you ever been challenged to uphold a promise which contradicts your duty and felt yourself on tenterhooks for it?" Merivel said. He took a fresh sheet of paper but did not yet start writing. Derron thought and said, "Aye, serving two oaths can be quite a chore. I would recommend not making the story difficult to believe. For instance, saying you met some happy-go-lucky smugglers who agreed to help you out of the goodness of their hearts will not be accepted. But think of your story quickly, as you don't have much time." He handed the initial version back and said, "It might be best to say you met people who helped you for their own reasons, but wished to remain nameless. That should keep Lord Draupaud satisfied until he can speak to you personally. But I suspect he will still demand the full tale." Derron thought and said, "Aye, serving two oaths can be quite a chore. I would recommend not making the story difficult to believe. For instance, saying you met some happy-go-lucky smugglers who agreed to help you out of the goodness of their hearts will not be accepted. But think of your story quickly, as you don't have much time." He handed the initial version back and said, "It might be best to say you met people who helped you for their own reasons, but wished to remain nameless. That should keep Lord Draupaud satisfied until he can speak to you personally. But I suspect he will still demand the full tale." "He may at that." Merivel agreed. "Your advice is wise." Merivel rewrote his account hastily, adding in that he was aided by a group of people who aided him only on the condition that he not name them or identify them to anyone else. Merivel recited the amended tale to Derron as he wrote, and he sealed and handed over the new account. "It's truthful if not verbose in that truth." Merivel said. Derron nodded. "That will do for now." Derron sighed and said, "I'll go make sure Niko takes both our notes. I will leave you to your own devices." Derron stood and stretched, then exited through the same back door Niko had used and looked for him and his men. Merivel nodded, and soon headed out the front door of the cottage himself. (Derron's thread continues in The Return: Derron and Niko Once More and Merivel's thread continues in Merivel: Making the Rounds in Marshend) |
