{ OPEN } Shine with all the untold

[serannas]

WHO: Ellana + OPEN + various closed starters
WHAT: playing catch up
WHEN: covering the month of Solace until she leaves for Rivain
WHERE: Skyhold

Closed starters in comments, but here's an open option:

{ halla at ya }
Back in the clan, Ellana was close to their halla keeper, Sulahni. She could always tell when Ellana was upset, and told her she needed her help to feed the halla. And since Ellana is a soft-hearted soul who often ties herself into knots over things, she spent a great deal of time with the halla, feeding them out of her hand, helping Sulahni apply salves to their wounds, and just sitting beside them as they gazed at her with understanding eyes. She knows she doesn't have the gift of understanding them like halla keepers do, but she's dedicated to taking care of them here. They've had a long journey and she wants to help them settle.

She hasn't chosen names for them, because they don't belong to her. Halla are free and she doesn't own them. But she would love to have one as a dedicated mount, and she had assumed eventually one would stand out as the one who would allow her to ride it. Imagine her surprise when early on, one took a shine to her, nudging her shoulder for treats and following her around to the edge of their allotted space down in the valley, before she gently had to convince him not to go with her. Everyday she can be found with the halla, either feeding them from her hand or petting them, with one trailing her steps and sometimes setting his chin on her shoulder.

"Would you carry me if I asked you to, brother halla? Would you allow me to give you a name so I can call for you?"

Comments

{ sam }

[serannas]

Since returning from Emprise du Lion and their trip to the elven ruins, Ellana has seen Sam often enough around the fortress, and she stops to say hello whenever he looks free. While she thinks she really should pick up with her metalworking lessons again, after seeing Sam as a dog, she thinks it could be interesting to spend some time together in their animal forms. To date, Ellana has only done so with Morrigan, as the two flew on the winds down in the valley below Skyhold. While doing this with Sam could be fun, it could be good practice too. There could be a mission where they scout things out as animals, and being able to communicate in their forms is important. So one day she finds Sam, and the first thing she says is, "I have an idea."

[el_tybs]

By now he's gotten used to Ellana dropping in on him - thankfully not literally - but even so just to have her come up and say "I have an idea" out of nowhere certainly is curious. "Hello, to you, too," he says in return, raising a hand to rub at the back of his neck.

"Exactly... what kind of idea did you have?" He always enjoyed Ellana's ideas, and to lead a conversation with that certainly meant something. Just what?

[serannas]

"It's about the two of us being shapeshifters," she begins, clasping her hands lightly in front of herself. "We already have forms we're comfortable with, but what if we spent some time together working on signals? Think of it: we're on a mission to a city. I'm disguised as a bird and you, a stray dog. We see our targets and want to convey to the other our next move. What do we do?"

[el_tybs]

That... was a good point. "You as a bird and me as a dog? I suppose we would have to use a series of barks and chirps for signals. Though we'd have to make sure we can tell each other from other birds and dogs." Signals would have to be very simple too depending.

[serannas]

"So practice is important. Let's go somewhere private and work out what kind of signals we'll need, and talk it all out first. Then we can shapeshift and see what it all sounds like." She smiles hopefully. "Does that sound good to you?"

[el_tybs]

"Alright. Do you have any place in particular in mind?" He's sure there are plenty of places to practice in private, but a whole that he knows of since he hasn't quite explored Skyhold as some as the others.

[serannas]

"Yes. It's a grove outside Skyhold. I showed Korrin and Araceli my shapeshifting there." She leads the way, and begins to plan as they walk. "I think a lot will depend on the mission itself, but in the broadest terms, we can do something like... counting the enemy. I can fly over and count, and then chirp out the number of people."

[el_tybs]

"So we need to figure what kind of noise you'd make to get my attention, since any noise after that needs to be... different." Sam follows along obediently, thinking more about the conversation than watching where he's stepping, though that doesn't seem to be an issue for him. "What if it turns out there is a large number of people? That would take too long and too easy to lose track.

[serannas]

"I can do different calls," she says, which is the advantage of being an intelligent being. The bird may be predisposed to make certain calls, but Ellana can make things up.

"An attention call, then each separate call is a number. I'll make a completely different one if there are too many to count. Sort of an 'uh oh; we're in trouble' call."

[el_tybs]

Sam makes a humming noise in confirmation, thinking about what other kinds of calls they'll need. Not only was Ellana going to have to remember what call was what, he had to remember as well what it meant. It was going to take a lot of energy switching back and forth to communicate until they were better.

"Should we be traveling there as animals?"

[serannas]

"I try not to change in front of the people here," Ellana says, since they're leaving Skyhold and going through the refugee camps to get to this grove. "Most don't trust mages and I wouldn't want them to be even more distrustful."

[el_tybs]

"Hm," he hums thoughtfully, agreeing to that. He's been much of the same for the most part, though there are a few people he has transformed in front of, or at least knew of it.

"I would hope by now that a fair amount of people here in Skyhold have changed that view a bit." Course there was always more people filing in. Still he could be hopeful, but not causing more problems for the others was smart.

"Have you learned anything new lately?"

[serannas]

The question makes Ellana laugh, clasping her hands together as they walk.

"Concerning shapeshifting or concerning anything at all, because I study so much that I am always learning something. You'll have to be more specific."

[el_tybs]

[OoC: Completely lost this in my inbox. Sorry *cries*]

"Well I was being broad purposely to cover if you learned anything anywhere, but if you want more specific... Shapeshifting and any new skill sets? Things you didn't know before and just took up?"

[serannas]

"I still have just the three forms," she replies. "I do think it would be good to have one larger animal as a form, but I have no idea what. I'll know it when I see it."

Now they're leaving the camps behind as they approach the secluded grove where Ellana sometimes practices her shapeshifting (and where some couples go to be alone and get it on, according to Korrin. Thankfully Ellana hasn't stumbled across any lovebirds here.)

"I still practice the lute, and I am trying to learn about strategy. It involves thinking out all future possibilities as quickly as possible. You have to guess what your opponent will do too." There's a pause before she adds, "I'm not very good at it, but my teacher is very patient." But her teacher is Felix, so of course he is.

[el_tybs]

"Having one large form would be good. I think for myself I'm more invested in having something that flies at some point." The ability to fly must be amazing, and he can only imagine what everything looks like from above.

It would be pretty awkward if they ran into a couple making out, and honestly Sam is glad that they have the space for themselves to work on this idea. Honestly he's surprised he hadn't run across this spot a while ago with all his wandering as a dog, it was a rather nice secluded spot - though not secret apparently.

"Can't say I'm good at that either... who's teaching you?" It certainly sounds like Ellana is doing a lot, and things she wants to do - he hopes.

[serannas]

It is amazing, Sam. Come fly with Ellana. There is no greater freedom than soaring high above it all, looking at everything and everyone so tiny down below.

"Felix is," she says in that tone of voice that is reserved for the man she loves. It's dreamy and light, and very fond. "We play chess together."

[el_tybs]

First he'll have to find something he wants to fly as. A sparrow is good, but a bit tiny for Sam's tastes for himself.

The tone certainly has Sam raising a curious brow - it's not too often they talk about the man after all. "I do hope you do more then just play chess." A smile and then a thoughtful tilt of his head. "I don't think I've met him yet."

[serannas]

"We do lots of things," she answers, without rushing to elaborate. She likes how private their relationship is. Few really see them out together, though it's not because they hide themselves away. They're quiet people who don't cause a fuss and keep to themselves.

"Why don't you stop by the Warden camp and introduce yourself someday? He's quiet, but I think he should have more friends. Then you can see how wonderful he is for yourself, instead of just listening to me go on."

[el_tybs]

No need to elaborate, but it's good to know that their relationship is just chess.

"He's in the Warden camp? Does he just live there or is he actually a Warden?" Apparently there was a lot he did not know about this man that Ellana fancied. "I suppose I should go introduce myself. He has to be quite something to make you brighten up like that."

[serannas]

Ellana glances up in surprise. Here she thought everyone knew she was the Dalish Elf who was together with the human Tevinter Warden. It's not exactly something you hear everyday.

"He's a Warden. A new one. He joined them around First Day." Because he'd been close to death as the new year began, and the Wardens had saved him. "And he's more than I could have dreamed of, and I can dream pretty big."

[el_tybs]

Possibly, but he's also been busy with a lot of things and doesn't exactly listen to a lot of gossip - he did know the Tevinter part.

"Aaaah." First day. Well that explained some things - he had been pre-occupied with work and expecting calls from the north during that time. "So you're saying he's like a dream come true?"

[serannas]

"Well, yes, I suppose so. At least the sort of dreams I grew up having." Which came from reading books written by humans and wanting to know more about them. "It's a funny thing," she muses as they come into the hidden grove. "I knew when I left the clan that I'd finally be seeing the world and meeting humans. But meeting one -- falling in love with one -- I didn't expect it to fall in my lap like it has."

[el_tybs]

"Funny how things work out." His own life had been vastly different with being out of the Circle, a lot which he never thought he'd get while he was in there. "I'm glad that you found someone who's wonderful to you. He knows about the shapeshifting?"

[serannas]

"He's awoken to a fennec sneaking into his tent a few times, yes," she answers with a proud smile. He's even made room for her on the bed and petted her, but Sam doesn't need to know what goes on behind closed tent flaps, now does he?

"Thank you, Sam. How have things been for you? I know you looked a little down at the soiree, but time has passed since then."