Closed starter for @betweencloakandcrown (Cato Hill) Setting: Semi-flashback, at an inn near Wyndhall, close to the border of the Riverlands and the Westerlands. Context: Since the murder of his half-brother, Hugo Blackwood, Lucius has been on the run.
His best bet was to make it North, he knew. For a moment, he did consider traveling along the Riverlands to cross to the realm of the Starks, despite the clear risk of doing so. His dear cousin, the queen, hadn't waited a moment to make her display of righteous justice and ask for his arrest. His homeland was a territory he knew better than most men. The Bastard of Raventree Hall knew those lands so well that he had been able to weaponize them during the war, even against Rivermen who fought on the wrong side. Alas, he ultimately opted to cross the border to the Westerlands and plan a more roundabout path through land and ocean from there.
Lucius had evaded recognition thus far, taking solitary paths, traveling mostly at night. He successfully crossed the border and only opted to make a stop at an inn of fairly questionable reputation. It was the perfect place to lie low, not standing out when in the midst of men who didn't walk around as if they were the embodiment of righteousness. Gods knew he wasn't the only one here who had ended someone's life in the past days.
He settled comfortably at a corner of the tavern inside the inn, and had something to drink and eat. Everyone minded their own business in places like this, which was fortunate. Being a bastard was also a blessing in disguise, as it enabled him to walk that line of being deemed important in some spheres and completely ignored in others. That served him well in a time like this, fading well with every other character in this place. And while Red Rivers was a name known beyond the Riverlands, not everybody knew what face to attach to the blood-soaked myth of the archer.
Lucius appeared relaxed, though he continued to be mindful of his surroundings. That was when he spotted a man who looked his way every now and then. He didn't jump or react with urgency, instead maintaining his composure and gauged whether the other was a threat to him now or not.