faderift | open | I remember way back then

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open | I remember way back then

WHO: Nari Dahlasanor and YOU :D
WHAT: Building, drinking, hunting, night-walks; you know, whatever.
WHEN: Nari catch-all for Firstfall/Nov.
WHERE: Skyhold and surrounding environs
NOTES: N/A

[Skyhold Main Hall]

Andrastian, Qunari, Templar, Dalish, Circle, Dwarven, Avaar--the balusters alternate in their carved imagery all the way up the hall's twinned staircases. Their creator is sitting crouched at the bottom of the northern stair, putting the final touches on the very last pair in the set, to be installed at the base of the stairs: the flame-wreathed eye of the Inquisition, set in the crossbars of its sword, the blade and pommel of which form the baluster itself. The small dark elf is whistling cheerfully as she polishes it to a glowing luster, raising a polish-stained hand in greeting to any who pass through the doors.

[Kestrel House]

Late afternoons find Nahariel working on the crest rails of chairs with painstaking progress, carving one small feather after another into the dark wood. If one were to look carefully at the sides, they might find a sharp line amidst all the gentle curves; little hidden blades, unyielding against the softness of the plumage.

Her concentration is so total that she'll not notice anyone entering the room--the kind of trust which might be deemed unwise in a house of assassins.

[Elsewhere]

Trying to keep up her slightly rusty blade-work at the practice pells, repairing chairs--and getting paid in ale--at the Herald's Rest, sitting in the Undercroft staring really really hard at a slab of stone, visiting Boggy at the Stables and more!

[Holler if you want a starter. <3]

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Thanks to the Kestrel's generosity, the Grey Wardens now have somewhere warmer to rest as winter enroaches on the Frostbacks. As a result, Inessa is often in and out during the afternoon, coming and going from the space set aside for her order. It's a strange merger, but Grey Wardens are nothing if not pragmatic and Inessa will keep her views along that line.

Re-entering the house once more, the small elven woman glances around, her lips forming a thin line. There's a rare note of impatience in her voice, though she retains her manners. "Pardon me, have you seen--" And then she pauses, realizing the woman present isn't one of the Kestrels or the Wardens, and takes a closer look at what she's doing. Her eyebrows raise. "That is fine craftsmanship."

[Korrin's spending a lot of time in the stables lately, thanks to her latest acquisition. Asher (Asher the Second, if one wants to be formal) is placidly accepting of bonding time, not putting up a fuss as the Vashoth woman strokes the nuggalope while giving him treats. When she spots Nahariel nearby, Korrin grins and waves her over.]

Nahariel, meet my nuggalope!

[The movement of Korrin's arm catches Nahariel's eye, and she stops petting the true... just... horror of nature she came to visit to wave back. A few strands of limp "hair" come along for the ride. The elf makes an exaggerated 'bleaugh' face, shakes them off, and gives the bogicorn a final pat on the nose-bone before making her way over to the mage, rubbing the patting-hand on her leathers as she does so.]

Korrin! And this is...?

[Woah... it does look a little like a shaved bear. With impressive horns.

And there are the hands. Creators.]

Nahariel tenses for a moment, pausing mid-feather, as the unfamiliar voice pierces her concentration. Although her head snaps up to look in the direction it came from, it's only after she takes a quick moment to re-calibrate that her eyes focus on Inessa.

"Ah! Er..." Nari looks down at the work in progress then back up with a quick lopsided smile. "Thank you," she replies. Her eyes brighten as she takes in the other elf's attire. "Are you a Warden? I've been meaning to ask--" she stops herself mid-sentence with another grin, self-deprecating this time, "You had a question, didn't you. Sorry. What can I do for you?"

[Yeah, Korrin's seen all she ever wants to of the 'bog unicorn' so she'll just focus on the less creepy stable inhabitant. She smiles and gestures to the nuggalope.]

This is Asher. The Avvar at Honey Badger Hold helped direct me to where a herd was roaming, and we brought them in. This is the guy I claimed for myself.

[As Nahariel joins them, Asher moves over to investigate by snuffling at her. He grunts, recoiling wherever the bog unicorn's own scent is the most noticeable on the elf, but seems to otherwise be fine with her presence.]

Inessa smiles in turn, a little apologetic for startling the Dalish woman at work. "It's quite alright, and yes, I'm a Warden. I can attempt to answer whatever you wish, if you can return the favor. Can you tell me if you've seen a mabari running through here? Someone rolled in something rather pungent and needs a bath."

Garahel, knowing what's coming and wanting to stall as long as possible, took off with a speed one might not attribute to the bulky war hound. It's very possible he streaked through, even though the list of people who can get him to listen is a very short one. Without Inessa, Kain or Ciri, there's no hope of slowing him down.

A mabari, eh?

"I was fairly absorbed, but you'd think if a war hound ran by I would have..." Nahariel trails off, leaning to the side of the chair. Her eyes glide along the floor, darting to places where fur might have gotten stuck. Finally she leans out just past Inessa, looking back towards the entrance to the house and grins. "Oh-ho." She points out into the hallway where a half outlined paw-mark, printed in... well... something rather pungent, is matte against the dull shine of the floorboards. "Paw print. Smart puppy. Must have seen I was in here and gone around the other way, through the Warden side."

"I daresay you've done this before, and I'm no true tracker, but I'd be happy to help you find the escapee if they've gone to ground somewhere. My question doesn't have a time limit; clever smelly creature loose in Zevran's nice house is a little more pressing," Nari says, wrinkling her nose with an affable smile.

[Nari's more than happy to be snuffled, putting the offending boggish hand behind her back with an abashed grin when the nuggalope expresses his displeasure with it.]

Telam'odhe, I know. Abelas.

[When let, she'll pet his muzzle, and exclaim at the softness. Then again with a small murmur at the odd but lovely way the horns split into different curves. Eventually she'll give him a final pat and turn back to Korrin.]

Those are impressive. I've never seen a beast with horns that do that.

[innocent cheeky >:3]

...Jealous?

Turning and glancing to where Nahariel points, Inessa lets out a sigh upon seeing that paw-mark. It's Garahel-sized, there's no mistaking it. "For a large war hound, he can be more stealthy than most people give him credit for. It's both a boon and a bane, depending on the circumstances."

There's a moment's hesitation, as Inessa glances to Nahariel's work, reluctant to interrupt...but this would go a lot faster with someone to distract Garahel or block him. She nods, her expression both apologetic and grateful. "Yes, please. The Kestrels were kind enough to allow us boarding for the winter. I would rather not be the cause of that arrangement changing in any way."

[That gets a laugh out of Korrin as she observes Asher calming down when that bog scent isn't right against his muzzle.]

Honestly? A little. I wouldn't mind having multiple curving horns like that. Some qunari do, but I'm not that lucky. Still, I can deal with a little horn-envy if it means having his majestic self around. What do you think, should I keep up with the war paint?

Oh, definitely.

[Nari peers around, eyeing the dark lines against the natural lighter colors of his hide, then leans back casually against the fence.]

I like it. Striking. And I bet it makes him feel important and appreciated too.

I used to paint some of the halla's horns, to honor the ascension of Ghilan'nain. They loved it. All the clan would exclaim over them, sneak them little treats. It got so that when I'd finish one, they'd go out to the herd and walk around like they were the Halla Mother herself. [She grins.] We all need all the morale we can get, right? Nuggalopes included.

Seeing Inessa's eyes flicker toward her unfinished carving even as she accepts the aid, Nari puts down the tool purposefully and spreads her hands to indicate the Warden shouldn't worry about the interruption. "I could use a break in any case. Crouching like that for too long wreaks havoc on knees," she said, immediately illustrating with a wince as she gets to her feet and stretches.

"I'm Nahariel, of Clan Dahlasanor," she says, post stretch, offering a slender but callused hand. "Who are we chasing?"

Meeting that hand with a small, slender one of her own, Inessa smiles. "I'm Warden Inessa Serra, and my canine companion is Garahel. This is not a constant occurrence, I promise. He is usually much better behaved, but baths are the bane of his existence."

From the sheer whining alone, one would think Garahel was being tortured every time he was given a thorough rub-down. She reaches into a belt pouch, withdrawing some jerky. "He hasn't had a snack in a while, so there's a chance his stomach might betray him. It is our one hope."

That gets Korrin's interest and she raises her eyebrows, looking away from Asher for a moment. "Have you done that with the halla here? That would be quite a sight. I'd love to see the results, if non-Dalish can visit them." She wouldn't assume they're available for all, out of respect. Asher gets her attention by grunting in her ear, and she strokes that muzzle. "I wonder how well nuggalopes and halla would get along. The former seem pretty mellow, as long as you don't get between them and their food."

[Nari's eyebrows fly up comically in surprise, having completely forgotten the Inquisition had a few halla in residence.]

Oh! I didn't--where are they?

...I should probably ask whoever the halla'amelan is here before I start painting them.

[As far as nuggalopes and halla... Nari grins as Asher whuffs and grunts in Korrin's ear.]

Halla are pretty gentle, overall. Although they can be a bit skittish sometimes. I'm sure if they got used to each other it'd be fine...

[She snorts a little and shakes her head with a grin, thinking about the massive muscular bulk of the nuggalope sharing a pasture with the slender halla.]

How fast does he go? Like a horse?

At the sight of the jerky, Nari's stomach betrays her with a loud grumble. She startles, clapping a hand over it, and then laughs ruefully. "Sometimes I forget to eat while I'm working. If it works on me, I'm sure it'll work on him too." She gestures for Inessa to lead the way through the Warden's quarters. "I'll follow--or, if you like, I'll stay in the doorway and block the escape route?"

[Korrin nods, proud of her nuggalope buddy.]

Yeah, and he has more stamina, so he can keep that pace for a longer time. The hands are pretty good in rocky terrain, too. Being able to grip things can make a huge difference.

As for the halla...um, I don't know. Somewhere in the valley, I guess? I wasn't sure they'd react well to me, so I haven't gone to see them.

That stomach-rumbling prompts a soft chuckle from Inessa, who considers the options before nodding to the latter. "Garahel will likely try to make a run for it but if he sees you, he ought to stop. He knows better than to knock people over or jump on them, as I've trained him against that since he was a pup. If you like, you can have lunch with us afterward? Once he's more presentable."

For now, though, there's a willful mabari to stop.

Nahariel pauses briefly to consider how easily a full-grown mabari could bowl her over, but shakes her head. Surely if Inessa says he won't, then he won't. And if he does? Well, a few dirty paw prints would fit right in on her working leathers. She brushes her hands off on her thighs, and tugs her tunic back into place with a nod.

"Right--I'll wait in the doorway," she says, slipping out into the hall. After a moment, her head pops back into view to say "Lunch sounds lovely," with a quick grin before disappearing again.

[Nari shakes her head in no little wonder, looking at the hands again]

I keep thinking of hands as sensitive things, you know? Like how I might feel about running about in the Frostbacks on all fours. But then I suppose that's how people look at my feet.

[She looks at her feet, and then coughs and colors slightly. She's wearing a pair of leather boots that are a fair bit nicer quality than the rest of her clothing, and look suspiciously like they're lined with something fuzzy and soft.]

Well. Other Dalish feet.

I uh...

...boots were just so good in the swamp.

[As Nari stares at Asher's hands, he uses one to prop up against the stable gate, leaning in to sniff at her again. Korrin gently pushes him back down, not wanting him to break the gate by accident. Glancing down at those boots, Korrin grins.]

Truer words were never spoken. And hey, you're not a bad Dalish for making sure your toes don't freeze off in the mountains. That's a real risk every time we step out of Skyhold, winter or no winter.

Garahel doesn't stay in hiding for long. As Inessa searches, she can hear a thump coming from behind one of the beds. When she heads over to investigate, the smelly mabari bolts away. "Garahel! Come back here, you--"

Just as predicted, he heads straight for the hall, intending to bolt out the front. But the presence of Nahariel has him skidding to a stop, not wanting to knock her over. He makes a hurt, confused whine. Was she in on this plan to stop him?

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open | I remember way back then

Kestrel House

Stables

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Re: Kestrel House

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