faderift | Sssshhh she'll hear you.

WHO: Katniss Everdeen and Open
WHAT: The Mockingjay listens to Halamshiral
WHEN: Over the Halamshiral visit
WHERE: Halamshiral, all over the city.
NOTES: Slight warnings for elven racism.

In The Merchant Quarter

Inquisition Scouts do one thing where ever they are, and that is listen to the people around them. In the Merchant Quarter, there is no lack of people there. So while the Orlesians wandered from store to store, chattering at one another, Katniss wandered with them, her cloak showing the clear Inquisition pin on it. She let her mouth gape open and her borrowed mask stay a little crooked, and she spoke with the most Fereldan accent she could.

The Orlesians rolled their eyes, and ignored her, which meant she was able to do her job splendidly. Even better was the taverns, when drunken arguing usually meant some sort of useful information to bring along to Leliana later.

In the Alienage

Katniss made herself slight more discreet here - she dressed in her simple clothing and offered her help instead of just helping. At the catcalls of 'shem', her gaze would frost over as she explained that she was, in fact, a half-blood.

That gave her slightly more wiggle room to wander around and listen, but not much. Still, you could find her on the street corners and sitting in front of wells with other half-bloods, nodding her head quietly as they rambled off about their troubles.

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Katniss sighed softly, leaning back against the wall. She gave the Warden a wry little smile, touched with sadness. "I think the Fifth Blight changed all of us, and ... maybe not for the better. Some wounds take longer to heal. He's ... a changed man again."

She nods to that, though declines to focus on any of her own wounds. Cullen's a safer topic, in that respect. "So I've heard, and I would believe it. The older Cullen wouldn't have allowed the freedom that the mages currently enjoy in the Inquisition. And I've heard that he has a pup, as well. Mabari don't imprint on just anyone, do they boy?"

Finishing his snack, Garahel looks up and wags his tail. "I'll defer to a mabari's good judgment." In that, if little else, she's very Fereldan. "Are you one of his subordinates, then?"

"From what I've heard, that is absolutely true." She smiled faintly, "That he does. Adorable little ball of blue energy, and mabari are ... well. I believe all animals are a better judge of character than we are. Except cats. Cats are just evil."

She nods her head slowly, keeping her gaze straight ahead and non-chalant. "I do my part for the Inquisition, yes." She glanced around, "Just don't go spreading it around here."

Not having an opinion on cats either way, Inessa just shrugs at mention of them. "I'll have to take your word for it, as I was never a pet person until Garahel. And your secret is safe with me." She isn't at all surprised that the Inquisition would be employing spies to suss out the general attitude of Halamshiral; it would be more surprising if they didn't.

At least Garahel is unconcerned about the local tension, happily resting on the ground and wagging his tail at anyone who passes. Not many dare to approach the large war hound, but that doesn't seem to dampen his spirits. "...I wonder if you could confirm my suspicions about something, then. I might be wrong, and I would rather know otherwise than live in ignorance."

"Then you are very fortunate, my lady." Katniss smirked faintl, before she nodded her thanks once more. Her grey eyes shift sideways at that question, before she nodded again once.

"I can try. Nothing for nothing, though. I shall need some information in turn." After all, who knows what someone might have told a Grey Warden that they wouldn't tell her?

"Fair enough. You can ask what you wish of me." Inessa has her limits, of course, but so far the conversation hasn't strayed anywhere truly uncomfortable. "I've been among those aiding in the recovery of the destroyed sector, though I've noticed some wary and resentful looks from some of the locals. Do they think we are trying to erase what happened, help Orlais deny it existed?"

Katniss paused for a moment, because that really was a juicy bit of information. She rubbed the side of her nose for a moment, glancing around once more before she nodded to Inessa to step closer. Even the walls had ears, after all.

When the woman was right next to her, Katniss leaned in and murmured directly into her ear. "Not as much Orlais ... as Celene directly. She is the one who had the building set aflame to quell the uprising. From my sources, though, it's just gone further underground."

Inessa steps closer, though she's not entirely comfortable about it. But she ignores that discomfort in the name of discretion. "Ire against Celene and Orlais as a whole is entirely understandable. I would not wish them to believe we are here to make their situation worse, however. There must be a way to turn this around, have them see that we are here to help."

Katniss shifted away, so there was distance between them once more. "I am afraid the only way we can achieve that is if we came down firmly on their side."

She sighs, provoking a curious whine from her mabari. "Which is unlikely. The Inquisition needs Orlais' support, not another enemy. The elves are, as always, inconvenient."

"Not unless we help Briala." Katniss covered her mouth as she said it, so no one could read her lips. "Which, honestly, I would not mind at all."

Inessa's eyebrow raises a little at mention of that name. This time in Orlais is a refresher for her rusty political sense, if nothing else. "The 'ambassador', right? I've heard some mention of her, though I've yet to see her myself. Perhaps that could be possible, if she has enough backing and circumstances align. I wouldn't dare to hope otherwise."

Orlais was sort of a crash course for everyone's political ambitions, honestly. None more than Leliana's spies, who hadn't played on this level. At all, or ever.

Especially not Katniss. She was mournfully aware of that as well, considering what it would take to get Briala on the throne.

Sssshhh she'll hear you.

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