A Lion Vanished? (Alistair)

[Matilys Lannister]

The bustle and the din of the tavern almost made her want to run from it, to flee back through the streets to the Red Keep where she could sit at her loom or in idle chatter with the other young women. This place, where men drank from sloshing mugs of ale and sang and shouted and laughed? It was unfamiliar enough to be uncomfortable.

She told herself that this was not a moment to be timid. She had Lannister men-at-arms right there behind her, didn't she, they'd done as she bade them and went with her, once she told them why, and she was a whole lot safer here than she'd been a few days ago. Forget Septa Jennia and her admonitions that ladies ought not to visit taverns. It wasn't like she was there to drink. Even if, after all that had happened, that would hardly have been unreasonable either. In the days since the battle there had been a curious sort of instability about the place, and Matilys doubted anyone would much care or even notice if she had taken to the fortified wine.

She hadn't, though. It was probably hard for most who knew her to imagine that Matilys Lannister had any sense of responsibility about her. She was, for the most part, one of those people who lived for the moment and chose not to shoulder unnecessary burdens. That didn't mean, however, that she couldn't do what was needed when it was necessary, and this was one of those times.

It had taken her a while to notice that Torin was missing. She could be forgiven that, she'd scarcely left Lancel's bedside. She couldn't bear the thought that her brother might die, without her there with him, when she might have been. Now the maester said that he would probably live, though to Matilys' untrained eyes there seemed to have been no change in his condition.

It was only then, belatedly, that she had looked for Torin. She hadn't been worried for him, having seen that he had returned safely from the battle. She had only wanted to talk to him, only to discover that nobody quite knew his whereabouts. It concerned her. He wouldn't have left during such an unsettled period, not without letting them know his plans. She'd been laughed at when she enquired, of course, and been told that he was probably still drinking to his victory or off in some brothel somewhere - that last probably in a hope to make Matilys blush and stop asking questions.

It hadn't worked. She traced him, eventually, back to Alistair Creyon, whom he had shared a drink with. Three days ago. And Alistair, if she had the right of it, was in this very tavern. Matilys drew the hood of her plain cloak over her golden hair, and approached the man who was pointed out to her as Alistair, heir to House Creyon.

'Ser Alistair?' she questioned, her voice uncharacteristically loud in order to be heard over the more rowdy patrons. 'I need to speak with you. It's about Ser Torin.'

[Alistair Creyon]

Alistair didn't feel well when he woke up this morning. He probably had too much to drink last night. Even though that probably wasn't all that much, seeing as how he didn't have a large amount of money with him. Maybe he felt so bad because he just couldn't handle alcohol that much. He didn't know.

After cleaning himself up, and getting dressed, he went downstairs to get some lunch. He told the ward to bring him bread, fish and a mug of water. A few minutes later, she returned with his food. He began to eat and before he was even finished, a woman with golden hair to her shoulders walked up to his table and wanted to speak to him about Torin.

"Take a seat m'lady." He said to the woman, after pointing to the chair across the table.

[Matilys Lannister]

Matilys glanced back at her escort, and after a subtle nod from one of them she took the offered chair. 'I'm sorry to have disturbed your meal,' she said then, more quietly. He obviously wasn't unwilling to speak to her, and that made it easier. Soft words came far more naturally to her than demands, and this man by all accounts was a friend of Torin's.

'The trouble is,' she went on, 'that nobody I've spoken to seems to know where Ser Torin has gone. I do know that he returned safely from seeing off Stannis Baratheon's men - I saw him myself, that day, but after that...he was with you, wasn't he?' Her questioning was earnest. 'You had a drink together, that day after the battle. Did he tell you he was planning to leave, or to stay away for a time? You don't have to tell me where, if he had your confidence. I'm not here to pry, I'm only worried for my cousin and I want to know that he's safe.'

She pronounced all of this without leaving room for Alistair to get a word in edgeways, and then looked back at him expectantly, hoping that he would be able to put her fears to rest.

[Alistair Creyon]

Alistair listened to the woman. She sounded somewhat desperate about finding out where Torin went. He tried to think whether he said anything, but he was half drunk yesterday, and the headache he had now wasn't too much of a help either. All Alistair could remember was that Torin was at least twice as drunk than he was.

"I'm sorry, m'lady, I was pretty drunk myself, and for all I can remember, he didn't say a word. Apart from all the singing, and ordering the many drinks. I wish I could be of more help"

[Matilys Lannister]

To her credit, Matilys tried to hide her dismay at the fact that Alistair didn't in fact have any new information for her. That Torin sometimes took to singing after he'd been drinking wasn't exactly revelatory news.

'He didn't tell you; that's not your fault,' she reassured him. 'I only asked as I'd heard that you'd spent time with him that evening, and you might-oh!' She stopped suddenly, as if remembering something crucial. 'You must think me dreadfully impolite, Ser Alistair, coming here to ask you these questions when we haven't before been introduced.'

He had been pointed out to her, of course, but there was no reason to suspect he'd recognize her even if he had been at court, and she couldn't recollect ever having seen his face there. As oversights went, it was a forgivable one, particularly given the circumstances, but it was one she intended to put right.

'My name is Matilys Lannister,' she told him. 'As I said, Torin's my cousin. If you do hear anything of him, will you send word to me?'

[Alistair Creyon]

Alistair wasn't surprised when the woman revealed that she was a Lannister. There weren't that many people with the same color of hair. Besides, he spent 6 years as Torin's squire which meant that he probably met all of his mentor's family members and friends at the time.

"I will, m'lady, but I will ride back for silvershield later today. My wife is probably worried, seeing as news of the battle will probably have reached home by now, so I'm afraid I'm not of much help. I'm really sorry"

[Matilys Lannister]

Matilys blinked. She had been fortunate to find him when she did, then, if he was leaving so soon. 'Don't - you don't need to apologize,' she said, a little more sharply than she realized. 'Of course you must ride back to your lady wife and let her know that you are well. You're considerate, to think of her worries.'

It would have been better of him to return home at once instead of spending so much time in the tavern. But even Matilys, fifteen and unmarried, knew that was far too much to ask of a husband. He was more considerate than most, and no doubt his wife would appreciate that when she saw him return in person.

Regardless, he wasn't going to be of any help to her in locating Torin. Pushing back her chair, she got to her feet. ' I ought to go. I'll let you finish your meal,' she said, and if there was no warmth now in her voice - Matilys was still too shaken up by the closeness of the battle to care so much about the impression she was making as she once would have - then at least she was cordial.