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."

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.

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?"

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.

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."

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]

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."

[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?

[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."

[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.

[pinprick]

"I admire your optimism," Nathaniel says gruffly. "But I've seen you fight. You would have to take leave from the Inquisition, but you would be well-paid for your help, if you came. By the magister we are robbing, no less."

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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]

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?"

[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.

[solutus]

A long, considering moment drags out while he weighs this in his mind, fingers absently clicking against his apple core. Fenris has no real need of money, but the promise of felling a Magister is plenty payment on its own. The cause is noble enough as well, another slave freed from subjugation, though Fenris can't help but wonder a little bitterly what makes this particular slave special enough to warrant a rescue over so many others.

"If I agree," he starts, shifting his weight at the hip, "I kill the Magister." This is not only a stipulation, but a test for Howe.

[pinprick]

"No," Nathaniel says flatly. "This is the beginning of an enterprise. I'm going to rescue all the slaves my father sold to Tevinter. As it stands, the magister will merely think himself robbed by a small band of con men. If I kill him, his sons will hunt down his murderers and the greater operation could be exposed, not to mention the Inquisition implicated. At the very least, other magisters will be on alert if one among them is felled and a slave taken, and at no benefit to the cause. If bringing you is going to jeopardize future efforts to save those Fereldan citizens my family is responsible for, you will stay behind."

[solutus]

So it's personal. "Atonement for your father's sins, I see. And you think this absolves you of something?" Fenris snorts derisively. It isn't any of his business really, but he does like to know what sort of motivations he's potentially conscripting himself to.

"You do need me," He says assuredly and without vaunt. "I assume you have a plan?"

[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.

[pinprick]

"I'm trying to do the right thing." Which isn't entirely straightforward. He is atoning. He actually feels guilty that it took feeling guilty to get him to this point. "The honorable thing."

A faint grimace. "I do have a plan. But you understand this is to be kept a secret. Nothing can be traced back to the Inquisition."

[circleprodigy]

Inessa's actually grateful for his looking elsewhere. Normally, her stoic nature holds up just fine, but this is a topic that's more sensitive than usual. The alienage hasn't been her home for some time, but her ties to it can't be so easily ignored. Her eyes dim as she mulls over the fates of those lost, perhaps even some that had known her, and she takes deep breath, clasping her hands together. It was a dark chapter of alienage's history; thankfully she had been spared from it, but many others were not as fortunate.

Her tone remains steady as she attempts to process all this, as civil as before. She doesn't believe in casting blame at those uninvolved, however related to those that were. "...that explains your reaction, when I told you that I was from Denerim. I had wondered." She wasn't going to pry, either, but now...now it makes sense. "Those responsible have paid the price for their involvement, haven't they? Why mention this now?"

[pinprick]

Now he does glance at her, then away, an eyebrow twitching as if it was going to lift, then thought better of it. He's not going to raise his eyebrow at a girl who probably had family who suffered at the hands of Rendon Howe and took this revelation about Nathaniel with such grace.

"Those responsible are long dead. Queen Anora only involved herself enough to make a show of being appalled and different from those responsible, and it was at the Prince's request that all lands and titles be stripped from my f--the Howes." Not getting into the anger Nathaniel still feels about that completely superficial maneuver that benefited no one but the Queen and Prince. "But the victims, the citizens of Denerim who were sold, were never recovered."