CLOSED: a prayer that will be answered
WHO: Adelaide, Alistair, Anders, Hercules, Kaisa, Lena, Sabine, Teren, Velanna
WHAT: Some safety precautions
WHEN: Solace 1-7
WHERE: The Deep Roads beneath the Western Approach
NOTES: OOC post.
WHAT: Some safety precautions
WHEN: Solace 1-7
WHERE: The Deep Roads beneath the Western Approach
NOTES: OOC post.






...pretend he said fourth, I forgot Alistair like a moron.
His voice is very tight when he speaks again. "I'm not a Fereldan; I'll never yield to a dog's leadership. You lot can. I'm Anders. We yield to... To..." The joke falls apart when he can't figure something out, especially after this latest mess up North. Anders exhales and looks down at his boots. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this. We were supposed to at least deal with Corypheus or Weisshaupt before losing anyone. What team goes and loses someone before getting somewhere? We got griffons but that doesn't count."
it's okay, I'm sure Duncan forgot about Alistair sometimes too
"It's a war. People are lost along the way." That's not what he means to say, or how, and Herc sighs a moment before pushing on. "I get to decide when, and I get to decide how. I'm not lost. Nothing much goes the way it's supposed to in this world, but I'm a Warden, and I chose to be. My Calling's come, and I'm answering. So far as we get what we're supposed to, things are going by the book for me."
Aside from the falling in love, and the recently being captured and locked in a dungeon, and various other things in his life. This is the one thing in it all that actually makes sense. Setting a hand on Anders' shoulder, gripping for a moment, steadying, Herc just looks at his fellow Warden. Not much has gone to plan in his life, generally.
"I'm glad I got to see you free, before I go. And I'm-- glad there are people'll that'll fight at your side, even with a giving them an easy out." He heard from Merrill. It had been a relief to know, though it's very difficult to say. "You're a good man, Anders."
buuuuuuurn
"I don't know what you mean by easy out, unless you mean when I came to you with Nate and handed you the mess of who I am. You could have had me executed. You didn't. I... I was in shock then and didn't thank you properly." Anders exhales. "I'll return to bad jokes shortly here, I assure you. First, though... You gave me a chance at something I'd... I'd barely had, and something I thought I'd not have again."
He's getting too much practice at last words lately. Granted, the previous times had all been in preparation for his own death, but they're starting to get easier to find and he doesn't like that.
"Thank you." For his chance at life, and his own chance at love. "You'll be remembered. And for more than your rather repetitive habit of telling people to leave you behind. I suggest getting that seen to in your next life; it's a useless habit to have."
Herc wants bad jokes? All right. He can have bad jokes.
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Herc exhales a quiet laugh - not a real laugh, bot a hearty one, but the kind of one that comes even through grief and takes the form of a long, slow exhale with a quiet shake to it.
"You try to make an impression and people just talk crap."
Still. His hand drops from Anders' held out in offering. "Make your time count, Anders. Give Nate my best."
The first and the only time he's ever called him that - it always seemed presumptuous. A smile, wry - "don't let that cat of yours give Max a hard time."
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"Please. My cat knows her place. Which is above any Mabari, because she's a cat." He give Herc's hand a firm shake, meeting the man's eyes. This is what will come to all of them. It's a better death than many, but Maker, will they sorely miss Herc's leadership.
"So Blackwall, then. He's honored and all, but I don't think he's going to measure up to you in terms of being a leader. In terms of facial hair, don't tell anyone, but he's outpaced everyone in the Skyhold area."
What else is there to say?
"Make them remember why they should fear Grey Wardens, Herc. Take them with you. And if you want to kill Lusacan in the process, none of us will be complaining." Anders releases Herc's hand and salutes. It's an awkward gesture, he's never actually saluted before, but he has no idea what else to do.
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The salutes gets more of a smile from him, and the gesture returned, albeit more properly.
"I'll leave one or two for you lot, so you still feel useful." Neither of them are good at this, and that's fine by him. A pause, and more seriously: "Thank you, Anders."
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They have... so much work ahead of them now. He likes Teren, but she doesn't always get along with people. Blackwall doesn't talk enough so he's nervous. Their leadership is about to get a lot more questionable. Wardens, mages, this is going to be a mess. He'll just... do all he can and try to keep people from getting hurt until his own Calling comes.
"But if you leave a mess and a couple get past you, I'll help clean some of it up and not tell anyone it was your fault." It's one last bad joke for the road, and he flashes Herc a smile he's trying hard to feel before heading back to the group.