OPEN: When you ride into the night without a trace behind

[mythalenaste]

WHO: Pel and Nathaniel
WHAT: Meet the halla, open post/catch-all for August/early September
WHEN: Late August/early Kingsway
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Some starters inside.

Pel - Halla Petting Zoo Introductions

Anyone who wants to take Pel up on this offer can find her in the library during the morning and afternoon.

Nathaniel - Closed to people going on the mission to Tevinter

Nathaniel seldom goes into Skyhold if he doesn't have to, but he's there today, looking for you. When he's not there, he's in the Warden camp, looking for you. When he sees you, he approaches, meets your eyes, and nods toward the nearest secluded place.

"May I speak with you in private?"

Both - Wildcard

Comments

Nathaniel

[circleprodigy]

Inessa's not difficult to find. She's sitting outside at the Warden camp, enjoying the brief moment of downtime by the fire with a book and a dozing mabari at her side, who rouses and nudges her whenever she stops petting him. So, she doesn't cease longer than it takes to turn a page.

Upon realizing that she's being spoken to, Inessa snaps to attention and closes the book. Garahel stretches and yawns, then looks up at their company and wags his tail. "Of course. I'm available now."

[pinprick]

He leads her away from the camp. Not out of sight, just out of earshot. All the while he's hoping that she won't think he's asking her because she's an elf (even though it's partly true). When they're away, he folds his arms and turns to face her, brow furrowed.

"I have a...personal matter to discuss. I don't know if you realize who I am, or more importantly, who my father was and what he did."

[circleprodigy]

Gesturing for Garahel to remain where he is, Inessa follows and listens without interruption. She crosses her arms, brow furrowing. "I've heard the name Howe in connection with Loghain, though not the specifics. I was still at Kinloch Hold during the Blight and...it had its own set of issues." Even after the Circles fell, there was never any need to return to Denerim, not after her inquiries met with news of her parents' deaths.

[pinprick]

"My father was Rendon Howe. He was Arl of Amaranthine until he usurped the teyrnir from the Couslands and made friends with Loghain. Loghain made him Arl of Denerim." A beat as Nathaniel lets that sink in before he continues. "The alienage was rising up when my father arrived. He decided the appropriate action was to allow a purge of the alienage, then start secretly selling its citizens to Tevinter as slaves."

He is stoic through this, but doesn't look at Inessa as he speaks. He has to detach himself when he speaks about this, fearing that any reaction on his part will be considered inappropriate. He's not going to make a show of inner torment because he's a privileged human. His father's actions only hurt him in the sense where he lost everything that most of those slaves never had to begin with. He can't pretend their suffering hurts him as badly as it hurts them.

Pel

[amygdalae]

Though halla has always intrigued Bruce, he didn't really dare to think of approaching any of them - he understood their importance to the Dalish, and possibly offending them isn't quite worth the effort of simply trying to indulge on his own curiosity. So when he goes to the library, it really isn't to find Pel - he needed a tome for some reference - but its still good to see her all the same.

"Good afternoon," he greets with a small smile, inclining his head in her general direction.

[mythalenaste]

She raises her hand to give him a little wave. It has been a long time since last they spoke, and she isn't sure why. Both of them are busy people, she supposes.

"Afternoon." Not that she's disagreeing that the afternoon is good, but if Pel can cut the amount of words she says in half, she will.

[amygdalae]

Bruce had been pretty busy on his end, and he wasn't exactly a person who'd go out of his way to talk to people unless necessary. The fact that they both had very different duties in the Inquisition, combined with Bruce having become even more withdrawn after his status as a mage was revealed made it natural that they hadn't crossed each other's paths for a while.

But at least they were here now. He gives a small nod of acknowledgement to her response before he goes to a shelf nearby where she is, starting to try and find the tome that he had come up here to search.

Nathaniel

[justice_is_blond]

He's relaxing by one of the outside fires, letting Purrelden prowl about when Nate approaches. The usual warm smile changes to a look of a little confusion as he picks up the cat and nods.

"What is it, love? What's wrong?"

[pinprick]

"Nothing wrong." Nathaniel sits down by Anders. They are far enough from the others that they can speak here. "But I've decided the mission--my mission will take place in a few days. We will have to leave for Tevinter very soon. Are you still with me?"

He's anxious. He knows Alavda is alive and where she is kept, but what state will she be in when found? Or will she have found herself a generous master and want to stay where she is? Will she be too afraid of Howe's son to come along?

[justice_is_blond]

Anders can read the nervousness in Nate and reaches over to hold the archer's hand.

"Of course I am." There's no doubt in his voice, no hesitation. "I'm with you to the ends of Thedas, mein Bärchen. Anything you need, and anything you want." That he's able to make those promises is freeing in itself; he knows Nate will never ask him for more than he can give.

Just barely does he manage to keep from joking about hoping they don't wind up lighting a spark for another war. That wouldn't go over well.

"Who is the group?"

Pel

[justice_is_blond]

"So on average, how many people have been injured by the halla any given week?" He sounds a little amused as he comes over. Sure, he's been curious, but he'd also been fairly certain the Dalish didn't want humans around the halla so he'd stayed back. Now, though, there might be an opportunity to indulge his curiosity.

[mythalenaste]

"Buggered if I know. It's only a matter of time and hunger before people start shooting arrows while they're pinned up and defenseless."

Pel is not at all pissed off about the halla being here. She's also not at all projecting some of her own feelings of a lack of safety.

[justice_is_blond]

The amusement fades away as he looks her over. Are the halla a problem? Or is it something else? He doesn't know yet, but Anders dismisses the idea of going to see them. Another day, maybe.

"What's going on?" Subtle is for people who are good at it.

Nathaniel

[solutus]

Fenris nearly rounds into him around a corridor corner, his own fault for being immersed with picking apple-bits out of his gauntlets rather than looking where he's going. He's typically much more aware of his surroundings but, well, it was a very good apple. He's still holding the core.

Instantly he's set to politely apologize but he seems to change his mind when he very distantly recognizes who he's confronted and, though they've never formally spoken, puts two and two together and realizes he's been sought out. His expression shifts to something else that turns the corners of his mouth down slightly.

"Whatever you have to say, do say it quickly."

[pinprick]

There's a pause as Nathaniel considers how best to put this in a sentence or two. No detailed explanation for this one. Especially as Fenris is probably the most frightening thing Nathaniel ever saw on the battlefield, broodmothers excepted. Nathaniel decided long ago never to piss him off.

"I'm rescuing a slave from Tevinter," he says lowly. "I'm given to understand you take interest in such affairs."

[solutus]

Of all things Fenris had expected, that was the least of them. Fenris eyes him scrupulously.

"You sound confident," he says, inclining his head and passing over the initial snide response pointing out how cliche it is to seek out the Tevene slave to go rescue slaves from Tevinter. It's moot though, he does indeed have a vested interest and it's evident by the pause in his posture. "I hope your effects are in order. It's unlikely you're going to make it back in one piece."

Nathaniel

[unbrokenoath]

When Nathaniel approaches the fire she's been sitting next to, Kaisa looks up at him, head tilting curiously. The last time she'd asked someone to talk with her privately it was so she could threaten to kill them, but that is, hopefully, not the case here. She could probably take Nathaniel, anyway.

"Yeah, of course." And so she stood, gesturing for Puppy to stay by the fire. Private was private, after all. As she lazily strolls off to the edge of camp, she glances over at him again. "Thanks for that suggestion for the date, by the way. It was pretty helpful."

[pinprick]

"Did it go well?" There's no harm in making small talk as they walk out of earshot. Nathaniel is interested, but distracted. Anxious. And it might be good to hear any report she might have on Bruce and whether he's likely to punch Anders again.

[unbrokenoath]

"It was alright, he seemed kinda...nervous? Then I sang the song that Alistair made about him." Despite the seriousness of the situation, and that it had kinda ruined the date, Kaisa can't help but laugh. "It was fuckin' hilarious, but, uh. Not romantic." She doesn't seem overly bothered, and shrugs. "There goes my plans to settle down and have ten kids, but I think I'll recover. What about you?" She's not going to win any awards in picking up body language, but even Kaisa can tell something is on his mind.

Pel - rolls this over here if that's okay!

[inuko]

The library! Someplace he's familiar with, from initial attempts to foray in and see what information he could glean from reading. Which he enjoys, for the most part, but he's had trouble adapting to using only natural light sources or candles to read by. Oh for the love of electricity...

No point wishing for spilled water to be collected once more in the same flask. Shino takes it upon himself to head for the library when he's next able, on the lookout for a woman matching said description. Which isn't so hard when he's peering at faces looking for trees... stylized trees he realises at some point. When he thinks he may have found her, he smiles, approaching to speak.

"Are you Pel?"

I meant to make a starter for this! Sorry!

[mythalenaste]

Pel's eyes turn up to Shino and her brows lift slightly. Judgment is reserved until she knows what he wants. It could be he wants to meet the halla. Hopefully he's not another pseudo-elf trying to act like he owns the place.

"Yes."

Laughs, it's all good!

[inuko]

It might be even worse. He's young, curious, and culturally ignorant. On the upside, he's well aware he owns next to nothing around this place. By and large, it doesn't bother him, either.

"Great!" His shoulders relax a fraction, along with his smile. "Then it's you I should be asking about seeing the halla?"

[justice_is_blond]

He drops down next to Nate with two dinner plates, for once having enough time on his hands to stop and eat.

"Here. I'm guessing you've not had dinner yet?" It would be nice to share a meal with Nate.

[pinprick]

"None." The weather has left him in some pain today, the inflammation in his chest acting up again. He spent some time shooting, but has since switched that up with napping and doing maintenance work on his weapons. He reaches for the plate, realizing he is much hungrier than he thought when he smells meat and carbohydrates. "Thank you."

[justice_is_blond]

"My pleasure." He hands over the plate and takes a seat before touching his shoulder to Nate's. "Are you all right? Your face looks a little tight."

Not like he waits for Nate's answer before shoving the first forkful of food in his mouth. Lunch had been skipped again; someone had come in bleeding heavily when he thought he'd take that break and his stomach is complaining.