Ebasit Ben-Hassrath maraas-toh, tal-eb iss mer-toh ari-van.

[issala]

WHO: Kas, Korrin, Gorse, Taashath + possible eavesdroppers
WHAT: Kas is scared and spreads the fear
WHEN: 4th of Firstfall
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Possibly language, anxiety, 'Bull is an evil spy' hijinks Edit: Unapologetic bandit slaughtering

The teen had tried to keep it a secret for a while, frightened of what would happen if he opened his mouth about it. Even if Krem had tried to calm him by saying the Chargers wouldn't stand for their boss slaughtering the qunari here, Kas knew better. If this 'Iron Bull' got orders, he'd do it, and Krem might not even know about it until they were all dead or missing.

The longer he waited, however, the worse his nightmares were getting, and so where the blackouts where he'd find himself in new areas of the castle with his heart beating painfully in his chest. It had been a while since that had been acting up, so the stress couldn't be good for him at all.

He had to get it off his chest; he had to tell Gorse, and Korrin. Maybe the big Tal-Vashoth guy, too. He couldn't leave them in danger just because he was scared.

...so he finally heads off, grabbing his new daggers and the bow he was still borrowing, and hurries to find them. They had to know. The Ben-Hassrath were here!

Comments

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin is on the second floor of the tavern, not drinking this time (it's too early for that), but responding to letters. She has a pile of them, from her parents, grandmother, Shokrakar, various friends in the Valo-Kas. None are that extensive, but they've piled up and she's procrastinated in responding. The events at Haven, and then the funeral weren't anything she wanted to talk about.

But she can't put it off forever, so the Vashoth mage keeps her staff nearby and leaned against the wall while she begins scribbling replies. Her focus for this comes and goes, so she wants to get as much done while she's not distracted by duties, issues or people. So, naturally, she's become a magnet for the latter even though she's not aware of it yet.

[issala]

A certain bumpy-cowled scout is nervously walking towards her, trying to not draw attention and doing pretty much the opposite. This was where the Ben-Hassrath stayed, after all, and Kas wished he could just throw a rock at her and have her come down that way.

...but no, he had to go up the stairs.

Reaching her table, he leans over it a bit. "Korrin? I... uh... we need t'talk. Outside. Not here."

[gatheringstorm]

Startled out of her letter-writing, Korrin glances up as Kas speaks. It only takes a moment to notice his tension, and her expression shifts from surprise to grim determination. Whatever's bothering him is more important, and she'll get to the bottom of it. Gathering her letters and shoving them into her coat, she grabs her staff.

"Alright. Lead the way, Kas."

[issala]

He looks relieved when she agrees to come with him, and he nods back at her. Walking down the stairs, he pointedly does not look towards the Charger's area, instead picking up his pace a bit so they reach the outside fairly quickly.

When the door to the tavern closes, he seems to relax a little bit. "Um... over there? By the ramparts."

[gatheringstorm]

"Ramparts it is, then."

She nods and gestures for him to continue, picking up her own pace to match his own. Kas' demeanor keeps getting him sidelong looks of concern, as she can't recall ever seeing him like this. Where has the mouthy kid gone?

"What's going on, Kas? What has you wound up?"

[issala]

He walks with her, checking back now and then to see if anyone was listening to them. The tension is palpable around him as Kas reaches the ramparts and turns to look at her.

"Y'know the big qunari guy that's leader of that mercenary band? I was watching one of his people train - I think the second-in-command - and we got to talking." The teen sighs, rubbing his nubs. "He told me the guy's Ben-Hassrath. Like... like that wasn't a big deal at all."

He swallows, looking around again. "There's a Ben-Hassrath in Skyhold and nobody told us!"

[gatheringstorm]

Well. There aren't many moments where she's left speechless, but Kas has managed to accomplish it. Korrin just stares in utter shock, for a moment not certain she heard that right.

"You...wait, Krem said this? The Tevinter guy with the maul? Tell me exactly what went on, Kas."

She crosses her arms and sets to pacing, needing something to do with herself as she listens.

[issala]

He sighs at that, nodding. "I saw him in the training ring, and I've never seen a human swing a maul like that. It was amazing!" Kas still has flutters about it, okay? Total hero crush.

Until the hero was crushed.

"I was talking to him about the maul and how it should have a name and things like that. Then we started talking about his team and I asked how it felt t'work for a Tal-Vashoth." He bites his lip a bit. "An' he says he's not a Tal-Vashoth, he's Ben-Hassrath and real proud about it, too. Wouldn't touch me without a reason though, he says."

Without a reason. Like getting orders to wipe them out.

"I got real mad an' then Krem got kind of mad too, saying the Chargers aren't brainwashed or anything and wouldn't come kill me or nothing, and that they would veto shit orders." He almost spits out the last part. "Like a Ben-Hassrath would even care!"

[gatheringstorm]

Heaving a sigh, Korrin drags a hand over her face. Ever since she was little, the Vashoth mage knew about the Ben-Hassrath. Her parents never delved into the horror stories, only told her just enough so that she had warning. But she'd heard those horror stories from others and knew they'd be the greatest threat to her freedom, hers and that of any other Vashoth or Tal-Vashoth.

"Well, shit. I know Krem and like him more than I do most of the people around here, but...a fucking Ben-Hassrath, here? If he's so open about it, that must mean the higher-ups know, too. Andraste's tits."

She grinds her teeth, continuing the pacing. "Believe me, I've heard enough about the Ben-Hassrath to get the picture. He may not touch us now, but you can bet your ass that one Corypheus is gone, any 'truce' between the Inquisition and the Qunari would be gone as well. The Qunari won't stop trying to take all of Thedas, and they'd love to see us brought into the fold." She snorts at that. "Me, a saarebas? That'll be the day."

Korrin would die first, without a doubt.

(ok so I lied about waiting to sleep first)

[savethecat]

Gorse did not make a habit of being difficult to find. He easily found not too far from the stables, talking with one of the other herbalists in the Inquisition in a very animated manner.

"See, you gotta add ash to the soil," Gorse said, clearly pleased at being able to spread this information. "They love it - you'll always find 'em growing downstream from camp sites, you see? That's why. Makes sure they grow nice and hardy. Then..." looking up, he caught sight of Kas. Specifically, of a very anxious-looking Kas. Gorse frowned, worried.

"You know what, I'll find you later, alright? I gotta take care of something first."

With that goodbye, he moved to meet Kas halfway as the boy approached, waiting to see what Kas said before he spoke.

(XD)

[issala]

He waited close-by as Gorse was talking to some other person about ash or other weird shit Kas didn't understand. When the older qunari noticed him, the teen is relieved to see that his friend excuses himself and comes to meet him.

"Hey," he starts, suddenly a bit nervous. "I... I gotta talk to you. There's something really bad going on." Kas looks around, trying to make sure they're not overheard.

"Y'know the leader of that mercenary band?" He should start there, shouldn't he?

[savethecat]

Gorse's hands rest on his hips as he listens to Kas, takes in the nervous way the boy keeps fidgeting. Mercenary band, something bad, something Kas would consider to tell him about. Gorse's mind flits through a few possibilities before he settles on what he figures is the best bet.

"The Iron Bull?" He asks, to make sure he's right before asking for other clarification. If something was going on with one Tal-Vashoth, it likely affected the rest of them, few as they were.

[issala]

"Yeah... that's him." Kas replies, trying to not squirm too much at the very name of this guy. Who was he under the Qun? Not the Iron Bull, obviously.

"I was talking to Krem. That's his lieutenant. I met him in the sparring ring because he was swinging that maul around and that was really awesome." It's a bittersweet experience, now. The teen takes a deep breath, looking up at Gorse. "He told me that the guy's not Tal-Vashoth."

He's still scared to even say it out loud, quickly looking around them to make sure nobody was listening in. As far as the boy could see, however, there was nothing but hay and moving horses in their stalls.

"He's Ben-Hassrath, Gorse!"

[savethecat]

Gorse goes very quiet as the words Ben-Hassrath come out of Kas' mouth.

Ben-Hassrath, the enforcers, the secret police, the ones who do what Needs To Be Done According to the Qun. He knew a little about them, from what his parents told him. A little more than some, considering they were able to give him first-hand information. They didn't want to scare their son after all, just impress upon him the importance and danger involved. Possibly not to him, as a Vashoth he was a low priority if one at all. Someone could get over-eager though, decide to take matters into their own hands, decide that Gorse would be a good source of information on where to find Tal-Vashoth they hunted.

Okay, so they were sharing a camp with a Ben-Hassrath.

He hadn't done anything yet, as far as Gorse knew, in spite of ample opportunity to turn over the Vashoth and Tal-Vashoth here. They had all been alone enough, Gorse knew he was trusting enough. Taas would of course be the primary target of the four of them if there were any and he was fine, Gorse had seen him earlier that day. If Krem knew and was willing to tell Kas, he'd bet buttons to boots that the higher ups in the Inquisition knew ... so they were either working with the Qun or didn't mind his being a Ben-Hassrath. Maybe there were caveats involved in his joining to do with that. Safe money was on a few Vashoth not being a priority at all to whatever mission The Iron Bull was on. Not now anyway, but like the wind that could always change with the passing of a minute.

He was afraid, of course he was afraid, in a sort of distant way that comes with not ever truly having to be afraid and being unaccustomed to the feeling. More of a concern to him though was Kas' anxiety, his panic. Gorse was a big brother and raised to help others before anything else.

This only took a few moments to run through his mind before he kneeled down to be more at eye level with Kas.

"Thank you for telling me. Do Korrin and Taas know yet?" Gorse asked, voice calm and even. First things first, assess the danger involved. If they didn't know then he'd have to find them.

[issala]

The teen is pale, shaking a little bit as Gorse goes through the information. Nights of nightmares had left their traces on the boy, and he looks at the older qunari when the man finally kneels down to talk to him.

"Y-yeah. I told Korrin and she's gonna talk to the big guy. She told me to tell you we're gonna look out for each other." That makes him smile, just a little bit between the worry and the fear.

Then his face falls again and he's fighting the fear once more. he refuses to cry about it. He's an adult. A man. men did not cry just because they were scared shitless.

"...I thought this place was gonna be full of good people."

[savethecat]

Gorse just wants to hug Kas, and it takes everything he's got to not do that. The boy spooked too easily before at casual touch and now he was already upset, Gorse didn't want to make things worse.

"Hey, we are gonna look out for each other, alright? Nothing bad's gonna happen if we stick together." Gorse assured Kas with an encouraging smile. "... Could be he's still a good person. Hard to have a chance to show it when you don't know you got options. Maybe his lieutenant was wrong, too. Momma said it's awful hard for outsiders to learn qunlat, he might have been mishearing it for something else. We'll get this sorted either way though, there's nothing to worry about."

He held out his hand to Kas in offering. If the boy didn't want to take it, that was fine, all Gorse could do is leave the option available for him.

[issala]

Gorse has a nice voice. It's calm and kind and good. Kas wants to just shut everything out and listen to it, to stop this stupid shaking, the dumb tears burning behind his eyes, the wild thunder of his heart hammering against his chest.

But he can't.

"They killed my mom... they killed my mom, Gorse! They killed my mom and my kith and I only got away because I hid!" He squeaks, voice cracking pathetically. "They can't be nice people, it isn't possible, you don't understand. They hunt and they kill or they take you back."

His pale blue eyes fall on that offered hand and he bites his lip. He wants to take it, he really does - but he's already being so weak, so stupid. "I just don't want that to happen again."

[gatheringstorm]

After that very disturbing conversation with Kas, Korrin wastes no time. Departing the ramparts, she leaves him to presumably find Gorse while she tracks down others. Namely, Taas and Krem. The Tal-Vashoth is more of a priority as she's not sure he's aware of the situation, so the Vashoth mage will look for him first at the usual haunts. It's almost about time that she talked to him about sending crystal stuff anyway, but her mind is only on the news Kas has given her.

Wherever and whenever Korrin finds him, she begins the conversation the same way, stalking over with a grim expression and blunt words. "We need to talk." Somewhere else is implied if there are people about. This is not a conversation she wants to be having with an audience.

[quietblade]

Taas can be found in the smithy, talking to one of the people there about borrowing a whetstone when he notices Korrin. Giving her a nod, the warrior pulls back his axe into the sheath on his broad back and walks over to join her. He had no problem reading her lips in the noise of the forge, but she wouldn't be able to hear him that well.

"What can I do for you?" Taas asks softly, a slight frown between his brows as he takes in the grim expression. This wasn't a social call about the crystals. Something was wrong.

[gatheringstorm]

Something is definitely wrong, and Korrin steps away from the area, not stopping until they're in a spot that isn't seeing traffic. Only then does she turn around to be certain Taas can read her lips.

"You know Kas, the Vashoth scout trainee?" Leaving out the part about Kas' annoyance with him because that was corrected and isn't relevant. "He just came to me with some very disturbing information, about the leader of the Chargers. One of theirs admitted that he isn't Tal-Vashoth at all. He's a Ben-Hassrath plant."

[quietblade]

He frowns as she walks with him to a less busy area. This was a bad thing brewing, he could tell by every little move she made, the sneer, the crease of her brow. When she starts talking, the warrior gives a short nod. "Yes. Twiggy kid, gives me nasty looks sometimes. I think I spook him."

Then things go bad. That information sparks something in Taas' brain, and he's growling low, reaching for his axe. Ben-Hassrath. he's seen far too many of them in his life, both in the Qun and after leaving it.

"I'll slam his horns through his neck!"

[gatheringstorm]

That reaction isn't unwarranted and Korrin nods with her own lips formed into a thin line, still rather agitated on her own end. She doesn't enjoy making that contagious, but on the other hand, it would be a disservice not to inform him. She'd certainly want to know, if it were the other way around.

"I can't say I'd be sorry to see that. The last thing we need around here is one of them reporting back on us. The higher-ups have to know, though, or Kas wouldn't have been given that information."

[quietblade]

"So this place is full of bastards, bowing to some Ben-Hassrath spy?" Rage is easy. Rage was what they formed him to be, to break bonds and fight until there was no more blood in his body. To be a berserker.

He swings his head to the side as if he wants to gore someone, nostrils flared and teeth bared. Taashath can feel the heat in his veins, anger rushing through him like wildfire. Some Tal-Vashoth were mad beasts.

Taas used to be one, and it is so, so easy to forget his name.

[gatheringstorm]

Rage is understandable, but Korrin also knows it needs to be channeled constructively. Otherwise, he might do something he later regrets...and even if he doesn't regret it, others will. She knows the stereotypes about the Tal-Vashoth well enough, but she won't see him fall to them now, if it can at all be helped.

"Let's get out of here, Taashath." Yes, using his full name to remind him of what he wants to be. "You need to kill something and so do I. The area around Skyhold isn't going to run out of things that need an axe and a staff to end them."

[quietblade]

He's gritting his teeth audibly, hands yearning to feel his weapon. There was a strange sense of focus in the anger, a weird tunnel view that had the red haze of 'enemy' waiting at the end. Bred as a soldier, conditioned into a berserker, lost in the desire for blood.

And then it felt like his head was put under water, cold and clear and cleansing.

Taashath.

"...yes," he says, focusing his breathing. In through his nose, out through his mouth. "That sounds like a good idea."