faderift | [Player Plot] Protecting Val Gamord from Darkspawn

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[Player Plot] Protecting Val Gamord from Darkspawn - Pt 1

WHO: Bethany Hawke, Teren von Skraedder, Ciri, Merrick, Inessa Serra, Kain Ventfort, Aleron Darton, and Amelie Durand
WHAT: The Marquise of Val Gamord has called to the Inquisition for help, and the Inquisition has answered.
WHEN: Last week of Harvestmere, first week of Frostfall
WHERE: Val Garmond, in Orlais.
NOTES:Based off the war table mission. OOC details are here

Val Gamord is a small village in rocky hills, surrounded by walls, and presently very cold. Outside the walls, a sizable and semi-organized force of darkspawn has gathered. Reaching the village without passing through the darkspawn requires traveling along a narrow path to reach a small opening in its gates. The main road and entrance to the town are blocked and being battered by darkspawn on a nightly basis.

As noted in the original War Table Operation from DAI, Marquise Bouffon has already committed her handful of personal soldiers to the Inquisition's cause, so the town's only defenses at the moment are its walls and the efforts of the farmers and merchants who have taken refuge there. They'll all be exhausted and incredibly grateful for help. Several will be quarantined and suffering from blight sickness. (Note: They can't be saved; if the team does attempt to put through the Joining, they'll die during the ritual.)

Marquise Effiloche Bouffon will be a gracious host and very thankful for the team's efforts. She will call everyone involved noble a lot, and refer to herself as humble and devout; there will be some apparent truth to that, as her personal home is small and sparsely decorated, for an Orlesian noble's estate. She'll allow the team to stay there if they desire and feed them well. Once the darkspawn have been driven away, she will be particularly eager to see the team leave the town without lingering or asking any further questions. She will permit them to stay at most an additional day before insisting that they leave.

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Bethany usually joins him at some point as he is pouring over the map himself. She slips next to him, whereever he is sitting, and then slips her arm through his, so she can lean her head on her shoulder. Hovering is not something that Aleron gets to claim, all on his own. Or, almost hovering.

One of those evenings, when they are closer to Val Gamord, she frowns as she taps on the road leading into the town. "So this is the main way in, and out. I'm not much on war machines - but could we cut off the road temporarily? See if we can divide and conquer, then follow the darkspawn back to their source?"

Snuggling with Bethany while they go over the map is forever wanted. She leans against him, he lays his head on top of hers. For a long time he'll sit that way, basking in the closeness, even though there is actual business at hand. No apologies to their traveling companions for the blatant show of affection. Everyone will just have to deal or look away.

Attention to the work at hand does pull him only slightly away from Bethany, and only so much as is required to tap at things. "I doubt the Marquise has much by way of siege engines at her disposal once we arrive. Most of Orlais has dragged theirs out to contend with each other, or donated them to the Inquisition." Fortunately, strategy is one of Aleron's strong points. "A single point of access can be a handicap, but it can also be turned to our benefit. We could set a wheeled barricade at the gates and cut off the road in that way, then push it further back, so they've nowhere to go."

Bethany gets a half-smile from Aleron and a nod. "Cutting off the road is good thinking. We've not got the numbers for a full-blown siege, but if we harry them enough into a retreat, we can find where they're coming from and seal it."

She always likes when he tucks her in closer, and she can feel the warmth of him through his skin. She likes the soft breath on her cheek, and the way he presses against her. Still, she is focused. It is necessary for their mission for her to listen to his wisdom here.

"Well, that doesn't do us a lick of good, now does it?" She sighed, but brightened as he brought up a moveable barricade. "That could work - they might not have weaponry but they are sure to have wagons we could use."

She bit the tip of one finger thoughtfully, "Now we will just have to find where the source is - an easier matter once we Wardens get closer."

This is not the first he's heard vague mention of Wardens being able to find darkspawn. But it's almost always couched in such language that implies there is a secret at hand. "I have meant to ask, is there something in your training that teaches it?" He's not certain if he's treading on some sort of sacred ground by asking. There is an air of concealment about the Wardens that Aleron would very much like to find answers for. Not merely for personal curiosity, but for the sake of helping Bethany. He hasn't forgotten her comment months ago that it wasn't a choice she'd have made for herself.

Such thoughts draw his attention up from the map to Bethany and her dark eyes. There is more to the matter than what he knows, that much he is certain of. But more than that, he wishes her happiness above all else.

She shook her head slightly at the question, "Yes and ... no. We are trained to follow the signs, know what we are looking for with darkspawn and their habits -- but we can sense them. It's part of our abilities, granted through the Joining."

She pauses here, before looking at him more seriously, lifting up her hand to cup her cheek. "I promise, I'll tell you everything, once we are formally engaged to be married. That ... sort of puts you into the club." She dimpled at him softly, before she added wryly, "Not that you should hurry on that, just to get some answers from me. I'll be most put out with you if you do."

It sounds reasonable enough, mainly because Aleron knows what he endured for his Vigil and that his own unique abilities came from it. Though as he considers it, he's not really discussed it with Bethany, nor what he is capable of doing. It's not that he's been sworn to secrecy by any means, but there hasn't been a time or reason to discuss it.

"I do understand. Perhaps it's no different than the Vigil." He lays a hand over Bethany's and leans in, expression all earnestness. "Though I assure you, if there is any hurry, it is for you and you alone."

Because he's learned the hard way how uncertain life can be, and Aleron has no intention of ever wasting time or opportunity again. Though in the still of night, he fights with a deep fear that somehow he'll lose her too.

She nodded her head in agreement -- although she is still fairly fuzzy on what precisely grants Seekers their gifts, and what those gifts are. Anders had been very insistent to warn her about that, but so far she had only seen Aleron use his gifts to punish those who had, one way or another, used their powers as mage or templar to hurt others.

The last part though, got him a soft, warm look. Maker's breath, she did love this man. Which made it all the easier to, of all odd things, lean forward and kiss him impulsively. Quick, light, but filled with a burst of warmth, before she pulled back with a flush.

"... well I really do pick the worst time to do these things, but it couldn't be helped. You're just being too earnestly charming."

Maker's breath. He wasn't at all expecting to be kissed, despite very much having been resisting the urge to do just the same. It takes Aleron a moment to check back in with reality and a full smile shows, while he begins to likewise turn bright red. "I think your timing was perfect, Bethany."

Ah and here they are distracted from strategizing. Not that he minds in the least. They have time yet, and until they see the condition of their destination there is only so much they can decide. And Bethany is a delightful distraction from their more serious business.

He might be blushing like a young lad in the flush of a first romance, but he's got at least enough presence of mind to attempt a joke. He's so bad at them, however. "I could try to be less charming. Or earnest."

No he can't.

Oh, Andraste's arse, but that smile. She'd walk over broken glass for that smile, even more so when it's directed at her. Beyond that, if either one of them gets any redder, people will probably think they are on fire.

She smiles back at him, her dimples as deep as they could be, and her eyes glowing bright. Something that only increases when he teases her about being less charming, or less earnest. "Don't try to do the impossible, Aleron."

Ah but he would attempt the impossible if she asked it of him. Bethany has made him happier than he thought was possible and far beyond what he still feels he deserves.

He willingly sinks into making a study of her face. The way she dimples when she smiles. The way the light flickers in her eyes. The way her dark hair slightly curves and brushes against her face. The map? Utterly forgotten. Which is uncharacteristic for him to put aside something that obligation demands he attend to, but ah the distraction. (It's good for him to stop focusing so intently on doing the right thing, sometimes.)

Where Bethany is impulse, he remains controlled and proper. It makes them a good pairing, balanced.

"May I kiss you?" Again. Like they weren't a moment ago. But he will ever be a model of propriety and Aleron would never consider acting in any other way. He adores Bethany, but more than that, he respects her too much to push beyond her own wishes.

What they should consider, and what she would tell him if he had asked if he could do the impossible ... is that he already had. A Seeker and a Grey Warden falling in love in the middle of a war with one of the old magisters from the Chantry tales who was attempting to pull the world down around them? Impossible. Improbable. Yet here they were. So impossible they already had done.

She was more interested in the possibilities of their future.

Another flush to her cheeks, and her eyes shine a little as she states with utter seriousness, "Yes, you may."

She can be serious, and this ... this is something to be serious about. If she gives permission now, she's giving permission in the future, and she wants him to know that window is now open. For both of them.

So permission and a teasing warning? Probably.

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[Player Plot] Protecting Val Gamord from Darkspawn - Pt 1

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