[ open ] pardon me for my lack of excitement

[rowancrowned]

WHO: Thranduil & you!
WHAT: Three prompts following Thranduil's arrival in Skyhold.
WHEN: Within three-four days of the newest group of rifters' arrival at Skyhold.
WHERE: Library, Ramparts, Great Hall.
NOTES: No warnings. All in prose, but a switch to brackets is possible.

i. LIBRARY
His lips did not move as he worked over a page. At his right hand sat an inkwell and quill; the paper beneath covered with small, tight tengwar characters. The book before him was a well-loved copy of The Seer’s Yarn, the page open to something entitled ‘Pain and Bane’, and Thranduil had carefully copied out the verses on his paper.

The letters were well-formed, but not fluid. They were an exact duplicate of the page of the children’s book. A few of the words had something in those odd-seeming letters below them- an attempt at a translation, when he could borrow someone to read out the poem to him or translate specific words.

It was a shame to be surrounded by all these books, some of them doubtlessly containing the answers to his questions and to be unable to read them. Clearly, he intended to remedy that as soon as possible.

ii. RAMPARTS
Elves did not sleep. It was not in their biology, they were not designed to need it, and since his arrival, he had managed thus far to avoid it. Three nights without sleep had not affected his looks. Indeed, there were no bags under his eyes, his skin yet flawless and fair. But, as he looked over the beautiful vista, the fur of his hooded cloak shivering in the wind, Thranduil somehow yawned.

And promptly grimaced, his hands tightening on the stone of the ramparts. The sun was below the horizon, the pale light of sunset yet lighting enough of the sky that the torches were not yet. Legolas was safe in their room. He had found sleep by running himself to exhaustion. Thranduil was not inclined to go the same way.

The door to the rooms at the closest tower shut, and his gaze moved from the mountains in the distance to the new arrival. He did not speak—rather, he watched.

iii. GREAT HALL
The plate before the tall elf was not interesting for the amount of food on it. It was full, yes, but not with more than a bite or two of everything on offer for the soldiers, diplomats, and various other people fed here. Thranduil had assembled more of a sampling than a meal, and was working methodically through what was on offer to determine what tasted good—so far, two types of jam and a cheese—and what did not—everything else.

He picked at everything, keeping the distaste to himself when it came upon him. Any irritation was present in how his fingers moved, how they flicked or paused before taking a new item.

When he had arrived, the table had been bare. Now, as the time dragged on, it began to fill. He was not too surprised when someone took the seat across from him, and began their own meal.

 

Comments

ii

[serannas]

It was in Ellana's nature to be helpful where and how she could. She was always willing to lend a hand to those who needed it, and thankfully there were people in the world who weren't too proud to accept the aid of an elf. On this day, she wasn't exactly searching for a way to be useful, but when she came out onto the battlements to see the tall elf with small, pointed ears, her heart leapt. Could this man be from Galadriel's world too?

"Hello," she greeted gently. "Or would the phrase 'Mae govannen' mean anything to you?"

[rowancrowned]

Despite his fatigue, he managed a incline of his head and a smile. For kin, he would gather himself as best as he was able. What he had learned of the state of the Quendi in the short time here was alarming.

"Only recently, my lady." He turned away from the wall, and tucked his hands into opposite sleeves, the yards upon yard of his robe allowing easy storage and a multitude of hidden pockets. The long train of the robe was pinned up, and so the hem only whispered against the ground as he stepped closer. "I am afraid I am only recently arrived, and have not had a chance to learn the tongue of my kin in this world."

[serannas]

His garment was as fancy as anything she recently saw Orlesian nobles wear to the soiree. They balked at the fine dress she had made for the event, because here elves were lowly and undeserving of such finery. What would they have made of him?

"I learned the words from Lady Galadriel," she explained. "Though we are both elves, there are some differences between us. I've been teaching her our version of elven in return. Dalish elves say 'aneth ara' as a greeting, for instance." A smile comes to her face. "You and she are far taller than any elves here, that's for sure. My name is Ellana. I hope the Inquisition has been helping you become accustomed to this place?"

[rowancrowned]

".... Galadriel." He said it carefully, enunciating every syllable, so there could be no chance of misunderstanding or mishearing the name. "The Lady Galadriel is here?"

He caught on that to the loss of everything else she said, beyond perhaps her name. But that one thing was very, very important, and he regarded her with a much more critical eye, stepping closer. "Where is the Lady? I desire to speak with her. Why she has concealed her presence here is of great interest to me."

Thranduil paused, and added on: "Please, Ellana."

[serannas]

Oh, this was a topic that pained her to speak of, because despite their efforts, Galadriel was still under arrest. A woman so full of light left to languish first in a dark cell and then stuck in a room without visitors was such an affront to many of the elves at Skyhold.

Her eyes lowered in frustration for the situation.

"Seeker Pentaghast responded unfairly when Galadriel said she would not swear an oath to the Inquisition, and has imprisoned her. My people made a formal request to release her, but the Seeker wouldn't budge." Her eyes lifted, showing that instead of acceptance at this news, she was still angry and close to defiant. The next step would be to speak to Cassandra in person, to make her understand how bad this looked for the Inquisition. Not only was Galadriel an elf and a mage -- two persecuted groups in Thedas -- but she was a rifter as well. What message did it send to the only people in Thedas who could close the rifts that they would be imprisoned for the slightest offense?

"At first, she was allowed visitors. Now they've taken even that from her."

[rowancrowned]

Externally, his expression remained placid. Polite, of course, the right amount of interest, though the intensity of his gaze strengthened the more she spoke. His mouth remained in a line. Of course Galadriel was here- and of course she had begun to inspire sentiment in the elves here. She always had a talent for doing things that would gain her credit, for veiling herself in light and goodness. Well.

Thranduil bowed once she finished speaking. "You have my thanks, Ellana. Circumstances demand that I must attend to my cousin and this- Seeker- but I would like to speak with you again. Good day."

And with a turn, he was off- to find Legolas, of course. His son was terribly good at sneaking.