OPEN - Then the mountain rose before me

[pinprick]

WHO: Nathaniel Howe and YOU
WHAT: Nathaniel settles into Skyhold
WHEN: Current
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Will update with any warnings that come up.

Courtyard

A dark-haired man in his late thirties or early forties is sitting on a camp stool and shaving, hair damp from a recent wash. He has a couple of inches of black beard he's mostly getting rid of, leaving only a soul patch under his lip. He works the brush while flinching at the cold and peering into a small mirror. The cold is not his friend when the razor comes out, either, but it's too dark inside for shaving. He manages the shave without cutting himself from shivering, at least. Come bother him.

Great Hall

Later, he's inside on a chair by the fire in the great hall, warming up. His feet are propped up on another chair. He's enjoying a lazy session of people-watching, smoking from a pipe and listening to a nearby psaltery player. If you catch his eyes on you, he will give a courteous nod and politely direct his gaze elsewhere. His posture is fairly open, so if you want to approach, he'll speak with you.

Tavern

It's after dark that he goes into the tavern and enjoys the smells and sounds, and occasional polite conversation. But it isn't terribly long before, lulled by warmth and safety, he cocoons himself in his cloak, rests his head against the wall, and falls soundly asleep. Until something wakes him up.

WILDCARD

Comments

tavernnn

[twelvelabours]

He's not one to disturb a man who's sleeping when there's the rare chance for it, least of all one he knows has been on the road. Who knows when some catastrophe'll hit, and they need their Wardens as well rested as possible? Frankly, Herc's happy to let Nathaniel catch some rest, and if it works out that him claiming the seat opposite him (and telling Max to leave the bloke along when the Mabari looks too eager to greet an old friend) means he gets a chair and can watch a mate's back to ensure no coin goes astray? There's worse fates than that.

Herc's got an ale in front of him when there's a sign Nate might stir of his own accord, and nods to the barkeep to bring another over.

"Reminds me," he begins, once the beer is arrived and set in front of his fellow Grey Warden, and when maybe Nate is more awake than asleep, "of that time after our first Orzammar run." It had been a couple of years before Chuck had become a Warden, when he was an angry ball of ego eager to prove himself and fumed whenever his father left him behind at this town or that when he was on missions and he couldn't loiter about in the Anderfels. "I swear, I haven't touched a drop of that dwarven stuff since."

Other people'd say hello, probably, but they've known each other for years. Hellos get worn out and tired, and it's nice to reminisce, sometimes.

[pinprick]

"Poison," Nathaniel agrees, stretching. Oh good, now he's being rude. He straightens in his chair and offers a crooked smile. "Good to see you, Ser."

STORMS BACK IN HERE SO LATE BUT WITH EXTRA STARBUCKS

[twelvelabours]

"Deadly," Herc says with a wry smile. He's pretty sure the hangover from one of those could kill a man, truth be told.

"And you. It's been a while." Too long, most likely, but Wardens don't sign up for the social engagements. Well, maybe Kaisa or Bethany, but they were special cases. "Doing all right?"