002 🌿

[ancarrow]

WHO: Eirlys and OPEN
WHAT: Bloomingtide catch-all
WHEN: Throughout Bloomingtide
WHERE: Around Skyhold
NOTES: No warnings inherent. Prose and brackets are both fine.

a) Healers' tents
It didn't take Eirlys long to settle herself in at the tents, and at the end of her first month back with the Inquisition she looks as though she's been there all her life. She tends patients with equal parts pragmatism and compassion, throwing herself into the care of illnesses and injuries she knows about and hanging back to observe when magic is required rather than simply potions and poultices. When it's quieter, she can be found sat cross-legged outside the tents with her mortar and pestle perched on top of a rock, chopping and crushing herbs, or inside scrubbing the beds and equipment clean.


b) Courtyard
Eirlys thinks back often to the day in the Hinterlands when a simple supply run had turned into a demon attack. It had been the second time a rift had opened right in front of her and both times she'd been powerless to do anything against them. Even though she knows she'll never be a powerful fighter in the front lines, she's very aware that a rift could open up any time, any place, and she needs to be prepared for that. She hovers around training and sparring sessions in the courtyard, watching intently from a distance and hoping she can pick up anything that might save her life.


c) Various quiet spots around Skyhold
She's stolen some paper, ink and a quill from one of the desks, hoping they won't be missed. Seating herself in a nook where she hopes she'll be ignored, she places a vial of elfroot in front of the paper, the name of the herb written on the label in Wellow's spidery handwriting. It's the only word she recognises, so it seems as good a place to start as any. Gripping the quill rather ungracefully in her fingers she tries to copy the word, but only succeeds in scrawling an inky line across the page. On her second attempt she gets to "elfr" before the nib of the quill snaps and her hand drops to the page, smearing ink across the paper and her skin. Her face burns red with her embarrassment and disgust at how she can't even do something that must be so simple and she screws the paper into a ball, hurling it across the room.


d) Wildcard!
Eirlys can most often be found at the healers' tents, the kitchen, and the Andrastian chapel. If you'd like a specific prompt for your character, please hit me up at viridianwings and I'll be happy to set something up!

Comments

Closed to Ellana

[ancarrow]

She's been looking forward to the promise of Elvish lessons, but she's also a little daunted by the prospect. So little was known in the alienages, and Eirlys knew it would become her responsibility to pass on Ellana's tutoring to everyone back home, or at least those who wanted to learn rather than just see it as a closed chapter that no amount of hearkening back to will bring back, and that dwelling on will do nothing to help them day to day. She folds and unfolds her hands in her lap as she waits for Ellana to arrive, enjoying the cool shade of the tower they'd chosen to meet in, out of the way of the bustle of Skyhold.

[serannas]

Ellana arrives as promptly as she can, not liking to leave people waiting for her. With all the lessons she's currently taking, it feels good to have something she can offer in return, especially something she's good at. She can only hope to be as good and patient a teacher as others have been to her.

"Aneth ara," she says as she comes to sit down. "Have you ever heard that phrase before?" She sees no sense in waiting to start. They can jump right in.

[ancarrow]

Eirlys hadn't been expecting such a brisk start and feels her nerves rising a little at an unfamiliar phrase straight off the bat, the "Hello, Ellana!" dying on her tongue rather than going said. "No, I haven't."

[serannas]

"It's a greeting among the People, but I extend it to any I'm friends with. It's the familiar form. Aneth ara means "my safe place." It's a way to tell someone you respect and trust them, to allow them into your space."

[ancarrow]

She brightens at the explanation. "That's a beautiful way to greet someone." And reinforces the image she'd always had of the Dalish as focused on family and personal bonds as the way to make up a society, one she likes a great deal. "What if you need to say hello but you don't respect and trust them?"

[serannas]

"Then we use the formal version: Andaran atish'an. It basically means 'you've entered my place of peace.' It's a way to greet people politely while reminding them that the meeting should be peaceful. Would you like to try and say both now? I'll repeat them if you need it." Ellana is pleased to see Eirlys smiling and enjoying herself, because she's never really taught anyone something before, and she wants to do well at it.

[ancarrow]

She's equally pleased by that definition. "It means a lot that they're words inherently of peace, especially after all the elves must have gone through." It makes her proud to be a small part of it all. "I'll try, but if you could repeat them, that would help."

[serannas]

"I like it too," she agrees, before sitting a little straighter and speaking slowly. "Aneth ara." Elven is a language that flows nicely and almost sounds musically, because there are no hard consonant sounds. But it can also make some words sound mumbled together if they aren't articulated properly. For someone who has heard the words often, they're easy to understand when rushed. But for Eirlys, she'll go slow first.

[ancarrow]

"Aneth ara," she repeats slowly, her tone exactly as Ellana's was, worried she's going to slip up and leave a vowel hanging too long or something and inadvertently say something completely different.

[serannas]

"That's good!" Ellana praises, smiling widely. "With time, it will feel more natural and you'll be able to say it so it flows like the way you speak the Common Tongue. Now the other: Andaran atish'an."

[ancarrow]

"Andaran a-atish'an." She feels her tongue trip over the words and looks up at Ellana for help.

[serannas]

Ellana nods, knowing this one is harder. "It's natural to want to emphasis the wrong syllable." She lifts a hand in the air and waves it back and forth with the syllables, putting extra emphasis on the stressed ones. "Andaran atish'an."

[ancarrow]

"Andaran atish'an," she repeats a little more confidently, looking pleased with herself.

[serannas]

"Good! That's exactly it." Ellana clasps her hands together, feeling pleased. "So now you know how to greet others. Now I'll tell you how to say goodbye: Dareth shiral. It means 'safe journey.' 'Shiral' is an important word to the People. We attach it to words to speak of different kinds of journeys."

[ancarrow]

"Of course 'journey' would be an important one." She looks across at Ellana sadly, feeling just a little of the weariness of scores of generations of their kind.

[serannas]

"Yes," she agrees, tilting her head to give Eirlys an understanding look. "We have another root word that means 'journey' too. It's 'ara.' Aravas, aravel, and even Ashara. That means 'she who is on a great journey.'"

[ancarrow]

"Ara," she repeats, wishing she could write the words down. "At least that's an easy one to remember."

[serannas]

"That's true. I probably shouldn't load you down with too much at once, should I?" This is a good start, and she doesn't want to make Eirly's head spin.

[ancarrow]

"Perhaps not," Eirlys agrees, relieved. "But with such a patient teacher, I'm sure I'll be fluent in no time at all."

[serannas]

Ellana beams at the compliment. "Well, I'll do my best! Do you think that's enough for today?"

[ancarrow]

"Maybe," Eirlys agrees. "Although maybe I should repeat the words you've taught me a couple more times, to get them into my head properly." She repeats them one by one, slowly, tripping over the unfamiliar sounds a little, but just about managing to tick them all off.

[serannas]

The whole while, Ellana smiles encouragingly, nodding along, and when Eirlys finishes, she clasps her hands together.

"That was great! I'm really proud of you. It's so much easier to learn a new language as a child. To do this now -- well, I know I would have difficulty with any language at this point in my life."

[ancarrow]

She turns crimson at the praise, made even deeper by her embarrassment at realising she's blushing. "Oh, no, I know you'd be wonderful. You have the right temperament to learn, the curiosity and the patience."

[serannas]

"You think?" she asks, knowing she's a curious sort, but never assuming that her patience would lend itself to learning something like this.

"Well, now that you mention it, I am learning to play the lute, and musical notes are a bit like a language."

[ancarrow]

"Really? That's incredible!" She looks sincerely impressed. "I'd love to hear you some time."