In the summer, I remember

[rowancrowned]

WHO: Thranduil, Legolas, anyone good with a bow or who enjoys the wine on offer.
WHAT: ROOTY TOOTY POINT N SHOOTY ARCHERY CONTEST
WHEN: 8th of Bloomingtide, midmorning until sunset.
WHERE: Valley
NOTES: log for a friendly wager! 

The eighth of Bloomingtide began as a chilly morning; not quite cold enough to leave frost on the budding flowers and fresh-sprouted plants in the heights of Skyhold, but nearly, nearly.

By the time the sun was been in the sky for a few hours, most of the early-morning chill had burned off, leaving a day that promised to be nearly too-hot for those who would be stuck in full-plate and in direct sunlight. Thranduil wasn’t expecting any to come clanking down to his little fete, but had none the less secured a spot in the shade. Varric had apparently found him while he was still working on organizing—the target launchers are set neatly in line with everything else. Along the clay pigeon launchers were the standard, stock targets, blindfolds—and on a table off to the side was a few bottles of sweet wine beside loaves of brown bread and hard cheeses.

The contest did not pretend to be anything other than what it was; a chance to meet, and mingle, and possibly show off archery skills. The purses wrested next to the wine and cheese and Thranduil himself. He had found a chair to rest in while waiting for the contestants to arrive, dressed plainer than he had so far allowed himself to be seen. On his fingers, four rings glittered—but his confidence in Legolas was so absolute, he doubted he would lose even one before the days was out.

Comments

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin had actually just meant to pass by Cade after uttering that, maybe with a slight 'accidental' shove on her way to elsewhere, but then Taaranda's voice catches her off-guard. She just sighs and shakes her head at her companion's neverending friendliness, certain Cade doesn't deserve it.

"Careful, you know how we accidentally convert people to the Qun through skin to skin contact."

[fightingdirty]

After watching for awhile, Lena had left her spot near Cade to rustle up another drink, and when she returns, finds her sisters-in-arms talking to him. She bumps hips with Korrin and raises her drink, smirking behind it at both Taar's friendliness and Korrin's comment.

[onlyhymns]

Now there isn't just Korrin. There's three of them, and the other two seem to be her friends, and Cade doesn't know what to make of that.
Looking between them, and with a dark glance at Korrin, he takes Taaranda's hand to shake it politely, perhaps just to show Korrin that he knows she's full of shit. He doesn't say his name, however, figuring it's probably best if they don't know it.

[suplexpert]

Taaranda smiles brightly at Cade and gently shakes his hand.

"Oh, you know she's just kidding, right? We don't follow the Qun at all or anything." There is a pause; she's wide-eyed and friendly, but Taaranda isn't stupid. She recognizes that there is tension, though she doesn't know why she doesn't see any point in keeping that going forward.

They're all working together, after all.

[gatheringstorm]

"There you go again, luring people into a false sense of security." Korrin shakes her head as though disappointed, though she smirks a little at Lena's arrival. She'd almost feel sorry for their company, but...nah, not after what he did.

"That's Cade, by the way. One of the Templar Order's best and brightest." And that name ought to be recognizable, since she'd talked about him back at the tavern, among the list of those who she had a particularly low opinion on. Yes, they got to hear all about how they'd been assigned a tent together and how she'd accidentally flashed him...and, less amusingly, about how he'd beaten an elven friend of hers.

[fightingdirty]

Unlike Taaranda, Lena is fine standing here and not engaging until Korrin mentions just who he is. Really? This guy? Well, elves are freaking tiny. He probably could knock one around pretty good. That's why she doesn't even mess with them unless the job is to mess them up.

"Want me to squash his head between my thighs like a grape?" she asks in a vaguely bored tone. It's directed towards Korrin, but is said loud enough for Cade to hear, and her eyes stay focused on him the whole time, like he's a skittish rabbit she's going to chase down.

[onlyhymns]

Taaranda receives a strained smile, which dies as soon as Korrin speaks again. Cade's heart begins to hammer, and he takes an evasive step back, only find the straw bales behind him; they won't be hard to jump over if he has to, but they'll slow him down.
Just one of these women could probably kill him with her bare hands, considering they all outweigh him and he's completely unarmed. If all three of them go for him, he'll have to just hope he's able to dodge and escape.

Of course this is currently his entire thought process, his eyes darting nervously between them.

[suplexpert]

Cade. It's hard to not know that name. Taaranda doesn't know anything good about him, but she understands how Korrin must feel about him. Still, in her mind, they're all on the same side. There's no need for such tensions.

"No, don't do that!" she squeaks, as if Lena really would. In her heart, she knows better, but still! "I know how you must feel about him, but we're all Inquisition now. We should work together. That goes for all of us."

[gatheringstorm]

Lena's comment prompts a lip twitch from Korrin, who may not seriously consider it and yet the mental image is definitely satisfying. There's a glint of amusement as well as a forming smirk at Cade's reaction, though the Vashoth mage doesn't step forward or make any other threatening moves.

Hearing Taaranda, she pretends to think it over, though either one of them can easily guess which way she'll swing. "...I suppose she doesn't have to squash his head, but only because you asked, Taar. The Inquisition still needs pack mules and the like. You're gettin' off light." She points at Cade, still respecting the muck on her boots more than she respects him, but he won't actually come to physical harm with her around. He's not worth going to the dungeons for, after all.

[fightingdirty]

Lena rolls her eyes at Taar's ooey gooey "all working together" crap, but stays silent, switching her attention to watch Cade like a predator looking at its prey. In the end, she won't do anything to him as long as Korrin says not to, but she can sure try to put the fear of the Maker into him.

"Fine. I can wait until the next offense to do it." Which is either her looking forward to the next time the guy goes crazy, or a warning to him to never go crazy again. With her it's sort of hard to tell.

[onlyhymns]

If only she knew! The fear of the Maker has been in him for as long as he can remember. As well as the fear of... most other things, really.

Cade remains where he is, his own heartbeat thundering in his ears, barely hearing what the women are saying and simply knowing that he can't react in any way that would aggravate them. He looks down, willing them away with all his might, as motionless as a hare hoping a wolf pack will pass him by untouched.