faderift | Not Quite Damsels, Definite Distress

Vidal gives the remainders another small smile as Ashton leaves, though it fades when the scowly mage joins them. He's stick-thin and tall, eyeing anyone who remains outside.

"And this is Aleigh," Vidal says. "Don't mind him, he's an asshole."

"Better to be one outright than pretend to be something else, darling," he drawls, hands going into his pockets.

"Robert," is Jamie's reply, coupled with a friendly smile for Vidal.

It's not even a lie, as far as names go. Robert is his middle name. However, given the situation, he's thinking that giving his actual first name now may not be the best of ideas, although he's careful not to let that show on his face as he extends a gloved hand out to clasp Vidal's in greeting. He nods politely to Aleigh at the same time, keeping his expression neutral enough despite the man's statement. That could be taken a lot of ways, and it's something he's going to keep in mind - but for the moment, he's rather curious about what Vidal's said earlier, and that winds up taking precedence...for now.

"I'm sorry, but did you just say there'd been Templars here?"

"Riannon." Ciri says with a cheerful smile still on her face as she reaches out, taking Vidal's hand in a friendly shake before falling back near her horse and idly turning her knife over once more.

Aleigh is given a small nod in greeting though her gaze lingers with his comment though she does not comment on it. Instead she focuses back on Vidal and her earlier comment involving Templars with a curious raise of her brow but nothing more to show that her thoughts might be going beyond what has been said.

"My, my. They must have been desperate," she says, turning the knife over again. "For three to take on so many. Were they the Red ones?"

This war has made mage and templar actions questionable at best when it came to showing the other up or hurting them in some way. But could they be stupid enough to attack a group like this? Possible but nothing about this entire experience feels right.

"Robert and Riannon," Vidal echoes. "I think I can remember those. And no. Addicted, addled by that, figuring that we had blue lyrium. We do. But we weren't going to just give it to them, and they weren't fine with that."

There isn't any regret in her voice. "It's time they learn that if they attack, mages have the right to defend themselves. They can silence us, but we have numbers."

"We finally have numbers," Aleigh says grimly. "And we've learned our lessons. Better than they thought, or wanted." Where Vidal's words had been a small test, Aleigh's are a challenge as if he wants them to ask. ...Because he does.

Vidal sighs. "It wouldn't kill you to be civil." It's spoken like it's an old and regular complaint, and the roll of Aleigh's eyes seem just as commonplace. There isn't heat there, just an ongoing argument.

"Would you... I don't know," Vidal continues. "We have water? Wine? A stable for the horses? Though I suppose you won't be here long, they'll check the house and move on to the Deep Roads?"

Edited 2016-12-14 04:41 (UTC)

There are times where Jamie thinks not being from around here is a bit of a disadvantage. He'd picked up on the mentions of the Darkspawn and the hole earlier, but he hadn't quite entirely put that together with a trip to the Deep Roads until just now, and he could kick himself for not having done so. It almost makes sense - if that's where they've actually gone. Something about that doesn't seem quite right to him, granted, but he can't put his finger on what it is, at least not yet. So for now he shrugs, as if to say it's out of his control.

"Aye, well, maybe so. That's not really for me to say, mind. I'm no Warden. They're the ones in charge."

Which was also true enough, as far as that goes. He's not the one who's put together this expedition, just someone with a vested interest in coming along, and he gives Vidal another, slightly lopsided looking smile, because that comment about being addled by lyrium's hit a bit closer home than he likes.

"I thank you for your kindness, though. I can't say as I'll know how long they'll be, so I don't know if there's time for much of anything other than talking. But I'll admit, I'd not mind hearing a bit more about what Aleigh has to say."

Staying with the others outside, since she and Velanna are the only mages in the group and it seems best to keep one with each group, Merrill can be seen frowning faintly at the mention of Templars. Honeysuckle is urged back over to the others and their horses, and he snorts at the others as if to remind them that this is all Nonsense For Two-Legged Beings.

"A small group of Templars against more mages was always common enough. They didn't try it with my clan much, because our hunters wouldn't be stopped like our magic could be, but they did it in Kirkwall." She already said her name -- might as well own up to it. "Was anyone in the village injured? One of the Wardens that came is a healer, he'd have been able to help. I'm not good at it at all, myself, but I do know a bit about herbs."

Both Vidal and Aleigh blink at Robert, a little surprised that someone wants to hear their complaints. Merrill gets a sad smile from Vidal.

"There were injuries, and we lost two. But that's why, when we sent to the Grey Wardens, we asked for a healer too. Garrett was very helpful there." A black cat with white boots and a silver bell on a blue collar strolls up like she owns the place and threads between Vidal's legs before heading for Jamie's and sniffing at him. She pats his boot as if asking to be picked up.

Aleigh seems to be trying very hard to not look at the cat, though it could just be him trying to work out how someone for once wanted to hear what he had to say. "The lessons we were taught were fairly simple. How to beat someone into submission. How to bully. How to make someone's existence a living misery. But most of all, how to kill. That's what they taught us in the Circles, how to be a living weapon for anyone who had the money to pay the Chantry. I'm planning on joining a mercenary company when I move on. They can pay me to do what the Circles taught me to do."

Vidal's smile gets sadder still as she shrugs, trying to make this seem normal, somehow. "They taught loss, and some of us learned better than others. The world will never be fair, but it's becoming a little more so when we return the favor. That's not to say all of us hate all Templars, or something."

"Speak for yourself," Aleigh mutters.

She shoots him a Look before continuing. "Some of us do. And some of us just want to stay free and not see others suffer the way people we care about have. It's not a crime to fight when there's a war on."

Excuse Merrill while she completely ignores all of that in favor of the cat. It's only the fact that Purrelden seems to want Jamie to pick her up so badly that keeps her from dropping Honeysuckle's reins to scoop her up herself. Instead, she puts her free hand on her hip, frowning. Anders would have brought his cat with to fight Darkspawn. The fact that she's here...

"Hello, lovely."

She does drop Honeysuckle's reins now, dropping down into a crouch and extending a hand toward the cat, making kissing noises. She wants to get a look at the cat, see if there's any signs of what might have happened to Anders (and, by extension, Alistair) while she looks her over.

"Where did you come from, hm?"

And while Aleigh tries very hard not to look at the cat, he has all of Ciri's attention and she listens on quietly as he speaks. There is a sound from her at the mention of his intention of joining a mercenary company that sounds some mix between a scoff and a laugh.

If he wanted to beat his chest and act tough, fine. She'll play.

"And after that? Some of their party will return the favor in full, most likely and I assume some of yours will do the same. So forth and so on until... what, exactly? One party dies out?" It is said idly, not directed at either of the mages as the knife is tossed upwards into the air with a dull look. In fact, she almost sounds bored as if she's speaking to a child about something that should be obvious.

"It'll be the Hinterlands all over again with the innocent stuck in the middle."

For a few seconds it almost seems as though Jamie isn't going to notice the cat at all, as he's clearly listening to what both the mages are saying. But he's fully aware of the small figure that's winding itself around various people's legs, and when he feels a faint patting at his boot he does wind up looking down - only to have his eyebrows arch in faint surprise a moment or so later.

He's no expert on cats, by any means, but he's seen this one enough times by now that he's got a fair idea of what she looks like. The question is what she's doing here, and his eyes flick over to Merrill, giving her a meaningful glance before reaching down to give Purrelden some scritches. While he's happy to pick Purrelden up, he'll give the cat the chance to decide if she wants him to be the one to do that or if she'd prefer to go see Merrill instead. But as he turns his gaze back towards the others, his expression turns more serious, a hint of it slipping into his tone as well.

"They've a point, though, Riannon. This world's not fair, and doing nothing'll not help matters either. Fighting to stay free...aye, well, I've done that myself. I know what that's like."

His eyes fix on Aleigh, then, something considering coming into his eyes.

"Revenge, though...that sounds more like what you want. Or am I wrong, there?"

"I don't want any innocents caught in it," Vidal tells Rhiannon. "If the Templars don't come at mages, then I won't come at them. But I can't stand still and let my people be hurt. They've spilled the blood of my family and my friends, and I won't feel bad about making them pay the same way. It's their call." She shrugs, but there isn't pride in her voice. To her, she's simply stating facts.

Meanwhile, Purrelden lives up to her name by accepting the scritches happily and purring in return, licking his fingers before catching sight of Merrill's offered hand. When Jamie doesn't pander to her cat-sized ego more with any noises, she leaves him and goes to Merrill. She holds up a paw, fully aware that it's cute and it often gets her picked up and petted more. There's some fur missing from the side of her tail as if it got caught in something but she pulled it out.

"I want revenge," Aleigh says bluntly, glaring at the cat. "I want them to know the fear that we did. I want them to apologize and never come after another mage again because once it's happened to them they can't ignore how wrong it was. It's not like we chose to be mages, but they did choose to be cruel."

Vidal sighs before kneeling down and making her own noise for the cat. Purrelden doesn't notice. She's too busy getting affection from familiar people. "The world's complicated, everyone has a different opinion, hear the latest from the town crier here."

"You must understand, then," starts Merrill, as she scoops up Purrelden and gives her a little kiss right on the head. "That's why we're so worried about our friends. As far as we know, they've done nothing to harm you. They wouldn't, unless you were collaborating with Corypheus."

One hand goes to gently touch Purrelden's tail, to make sure nothing broke when she yanked it free from- somewhere.

"And we're quite certain that, if they defeated any Darkspawn, they would have sent us a message. They would have come back. And they haven't, but you say the Darkspawn were defeated, which means- they're missing. And this village was the last place to see them."

Purrelden is carefully bundled close, in case Merrill needs to move and move fast, though she gives the cat another kiss and a little coo of "what a good kitty".

"None of us want to hurt you. We want to make this world better -- for mages, too. We want there to be justice when people are wronged. We want to make sure it doesn't happen again." Just not exploding building justice. "But we also want to find our friends."

Merrill looks up from the cat now, eyes wide and earnest. "Will you please help us? They came here to help. Please don't prove to them, to us, that we can't help you again."

There's more that Jamie could say about revenge and how it wouldn't do anything but cause more pain, but he chooses not to bring that up. Instead, he nods along with Merrill's words, his expression one of someone that's completely in agreement with what she's saying. He wants the same justice for those who are wronged, the same chance to make the world better even if it's not the world he came from. While he'll fight if he needs to, he doesn't particularly want to, not if they can avoid it.

Beyond that, though, he doesn't comment. Merrill's much better than he is at convincing people, as far as he's concerned - and given that, it's probably best if he keeps his mouth shut without having to be prompted to actually close it for a change.

Edited 2016-12-16 17:49 (UTC)

"And I also know what it is like to fight to stay free and for the freedom of others. Weisshaupt was not a kind place to mages either before the Inquisition helped us." She murmurs, a bit softly as if she was far away and in thoguht for the moment.

"You say you do not wish to harm innocents but that is impossible in the way the world is now. Someone always gets hurt when ask for fairness with blood on your hands and knives held to the throats of everyone else even if you believe it the only way. The Wardens tried that and look at us now." But ultimately she sighs. "There are many other things you can do so we can all hopefully reach a world like that. We need to find our friends and after that we have to save this world before the sky eats us. You could help us do both of those things like our friends came to help you."

Ciri prefers action in the end but she knows that would just lead to a pile of bodies on both sides. If they truly wishes for peace (talks of revenge aside, right now) and she leans slightly Kelpie with a look toward where the others had vanished earlier. Just what was taking them so long? It shouldn't be so long for them to look around should it?

Aleigh's glare at the cat in Merrill's arms fades away as she talks, something not missed by Vidal. But Vidal's not complaining. Instead, she's listening too.

"Aleigh..."

He looks at her, a little bit of the irritation returning to his face. "It's a fucking moot point, Vidal. Do you think they'd care about a stray cat?"

Vidal looks at the cat, confused, as Aleigh continues. "You would. Most wouldn't. That's the cat that got out, and half of them know it." Realization dawns on her face and they share a look for a moment before Vidal sighs.

"It was supposed to be a rescue." She crosses her arms a little defensively, looking down at peoples' feet. "If he was really Anders, his message had changed. It didn't make sense." She knows what she's saying, but they hadn't really prepared for people coming after him to help him; they'd figured only their people actually wanted him around.

"And if he wasn't, we'd eliminate the fake before he did damage," Aleigh adds without any remorse. "We're scattered and divided enough as it is. We didn't need that. But, before you get stupid, more stupid than coming into a camp where you're outnumbered, they're alright."

Purrelden, in the meantime, aside from twitching her tail away from Merrill and giving a warning dig of her claws, is settling in and purring up a storm.

"Have you considered going one conversation without calling someone stupid?" It's asked as if she doesn't expect an answer.

"No. There's too much stupid."

"Wait, what?" Her eyes narrow slightly as they speak but does not comment on anything further that is said as Vidal speaks. It was a questionable plan at best and she can't imagine how it would help anyone, especially them, in the long run. Was it so long that Anders' changed?

She would have figured getting your point across by not blowing up Chantry churches with little old ladies instead would be a welcomed change of pace. Maybe they had something against little old ladies they didn't realize?

"What was your plans after you 'eliminated' the fake? Or rescued him? Because if the answer has anything to do with the Inquisition not learning of it or that you'd somehow hide yourselves then I have a pamphlet to give you about our Spymaster for your reading pleasure."

She frowns. "Her birds would tear everything apart before you could get yourself off about your brilliant rescue and damage control plan."

A hand goes to her temple, sighing deeply through her nose. Right, okay. "Either way, you must know we're going to ask to see them."

Edited 2016-12-17 00:07 (UTC)

"I would care about a stray cat," Merrill interjects, even as she scratches Purrelden under the chin in an apology. Anders will have to look at it, though she imagines that might lead to yelling. Not at her, at everyone else, for hurting his cat.

"And we did all sorts of stupid things back in Kirkwall involving being outnumbered. It worked out."

Not everyone sounds half as chipper when being called stupid. But the fact that they wanted to help Anders- well, they panicked. And there's a chance here to get their friends back without having to fight.

"He'd been possessed by a spirit of Justice before I met him. Justice had changed, was now Vengeance instead. We were actually able to pull Vengeance out of Anders, at his request -- something I'm sure you realize has huge implications for the future of anyone possessed, or even at risk of it." Like mages. "And he'd been on the run for years. He looked awful when I saw him again. He was so alone. Other mages hated him for what he'd done. Of course his message had changed. People like us changed him."

Her head tilts.

"You're changing him again now, as we speak, with this. So please. Let us see them." Let her have her friends back.

Edited 2016-12-17 00:25 (UTC)

"We didn't think anyone would give a damn," Aleigh replies to Ciri. "Anyone looking for him seems to want him dead. If he was fake, no one would care. If he was real, no one should care. Your spymaster can be the best in Thedas, but why would she want him back? Like you're acknowledging, a lot of people hate him."

Vidal at least looks a little ashamed by that, looking over at Aleigh. He gives her a look that basically says he doesn't care what she thinks before she looks over at Merrill.

"We knew of him through his network in Kirkwall, I've seen his writings in the last five years. The change was drastic. We didn't know..." She exhales, glancing back at the house as the rest of the party re-emerges. Ashton jerks her head angrily in the direction of the jail and Vidal nods. "We'll let you see them. They came to some sort of agreement in there."

Not Quite Damsels, Definite Distress

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