Redfork Menace

Best laid plans

Martyn stood in front of Shanda, frowning. "I don't think it's a good plan." He said finally.

"Duh, Martyn. We don't have time for a good plan." She rolled her eyes.

But her brother held firm. "Sorry, I meant it's not even a passable plan."

She pitched herself back on her bed groaning. They'd been at it for hours and every plan seemed flawed.

"You can't let him get his hands on you again." Martyns' gaze was hard. "I mean it, Shan. They don't call him bloody ben for nothing." The latest reports on the heir of Raventree insisted he could crush a man's head with his hands like a melon.

Shanda got up and began to pace, feeling like the frantic wind beating against her window. It was desperate to get in, and her to get out.

"I told you, I didn't know it was him. And how could I? Once I realized who he was, I exclusively used evasive maneuvers. He caught me by surprise, that won't happen again. Trust me."

No one was more bitter about being caught than she was. Even if he had been a random guard, it was an insult that he'd ever gotten close enough to touch her. Shanda prided herself on her ability to slip through life mostly unseen. She put on the show well enough when required but she lived in the moments between walls. With the rush of her heart heavy in her head while she garnered the most precious resource, secrets. It was the only thing she had a real and true patience for. She could lie in wait for days unaffected, ready at a moment's notice. That is, given its worth her time. Plenty of people knew a profusion of particulars, the problem came in deciding which particulars mattered. Currently, and for so many years it's hard to keep count honestly, it's been Blackwood information. Nasty business is secret dealing though unfortunately and she would always prefer hearing it firsthand.
 
"Take the bow, set up a snare in the copse, and for the love of the seven don't let him sneak up on you."

Martyn had taken up residence on her bed, lounging without a care as he prepared her to sneak into "neutral" territory.

According to the latest edict passed down from Riverrun, a league was to separate the two lands. The borderlands was more or less two and a half leagues. Because of this there was still continued, heated debate over the real border of the two lands. The copse was smack in the middle of the two opposing sides. It was as truly neutral as it could between the two houses. And considering she'd just rolled around in a mud fight last night, it wasn't exactly being recognized as such.

"You're quick enough to evade him but you suck at hunting." Now laying upside down, Martyn was fiddling with the tassel attached to the bed hanging. "I don't know the borderlands like you, so I can't think up a misdirection for you but that's your best shot at snaring him."

The current plan included some iteration of her being seen, a subsequent chase and ideally, a Blackwood trussed up. They didn't have a good backup plan though so in the event that failed she'd book it home or find a good hiding spot to wait it out. And there were so many ways it could go wrong. Martyn had bribed another guard to switch shifts with him, in case she got stuck out longer than expected. The mainest objective of tonight was to find and bring the dagger she'd borrowed home or else the armory was going to start asking question they couldn't answer. Not truthfully or without a raging argument anyway.

"Use your anonymity to your advantage, sow dissent around the other houses. They'll be fine combing everyone in the riverlands."

Shanda wasn't listening to her brothers well meant advice anymore though. She'd reached the stage of anticipation where her brain was moving too quickly for conversation. She was too busy mapping out the planned course of action. She didn't want to get anywhere near the guards, but with the bow she wouldn't have to.