faderift | The secrets in the snow

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The secrets in the snow

WHO: Araceli Bonavenuta, Morrigan, Yngvi; open
WHAT: Catch-all for Wintermarch
WHEN: During Wintermarch
WHERE: In and around Skyhold
NOTES: Yngvi threads might have discussion of previous character death. Starting in third person but action spam welcome! If you want a closed starter, let me know on plurk or discord!

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Given permission, Inessa first gives Garahel his piece so he'll stop whining, which he promptly inhales and then goes straight to Lux with a happy bark. Watch out, king of the fennecs, this huge wall of muscle is now attempting to nuzzle. "Garahel, mind your manners. You don't want him swatting you." As for his mistress, she holds the treat in her open palm, resigned to slobber but she can use the snow to clean that off soon anyway.

"Different temperaments can make for a powerful combination, I've found. Given a chance, they can balance each other's weaknesses while promoting their strengths. At least, in an ideal situation. I admit it's not always a reality, but that these nuggalopes are spirited yet adaptable is a good sign."

That frustration is met with a small nod, as Inessa bites her lip. "It's...eerie, to know that someone from beyond the rifts mirrored him and his life in many ways. Kain knows about it now, as I had to tell him thanks to circumstances. It unnerved him, but I think his hearing about the other Kain's end will have a positive effect. He's promised not to be as reckless."

Garahel you are getting a frosty paw to the face for your troubles my friend, how rude. A delicate paw because he's Araceli's but know your place, he is a lord. It'll balance itself out when The Walrus snorts all over Lux again, sending him about three feet in the air with fright, slinking about in a sullen mood because he's never had to share with another animal before.

"I wish more had seen them where we were in the mountains to bring them here. It was-- majestic honestly does not do it justice, though at the time we were all more concerned with being trampled. That many large beasts and an accidental stampede was the last thing we wanted. The Avvar are a large people compared to near everyone present." And Araceli, used to being more on par with elves in terms of height, had been strangely glad to not be the only one skittish around their prospective mounts at first.

"Do you have it in writing?" She's only half-joking. "Get it in writing. And add in a sub-clause somewhere about getting to hit him if he stares up at dragons he wishes to fight with a glazed look in his eye. Just write it, or get someone else to and then have him sign it in front of someone." Kain doesn't need to know what he's signing, if he's signed it then it's done and dusted, nothing else to be done about it.

Aw, Lux. Inessa can't help but chuckle softly at his fate, but Garahel whines a little in sympathy. However, The Walrus has the bulk of his attention, especially as his mistress offers a mabari crunch treat to the nuggalope to see what he makes of it. Given his rapt attention, Garahel must be hoping The Walrus will be so indifferent he'll get a second treat.

"I wouldn't mind encountering them in the wild, if precautions were taken. Perhaps more could be found for the Inquisition, though the stables can't have that much more room, unless they're creating an addition."

If they are, oh well. Still, it's good to see that Araceli lets her new friend stretch his legs. No creature is meant to be in a stable for too long.

The thought of having that in writing does get a spark of amusement and a thoughtful smile from Inessa. "There's little need to hit Kain when I can just order Garahel to sit on him instead, but yes. It's definitely a tempting idea...especially since I may not always be present for encounters of the draconic kind. We Wardens try to stick together, but if the Inquisition needs us elsewhere...." Well, that's the way it is.

That treat is very small. What a sad trumpeting sound. "You shall both eat me out of house and home, I am glad I can pawn you off on the horsemaster by looking very sad and confused about all land beasts but him my blubbery friend." Or: Araceli will actually have something to spend more of her money on these days since she doesn't really spend a great deal of how much she makes fleecing folks in the taver.

"They were very calm, all things considered. And we knew very little." What they knew could fit in a bucket with much room to spare but one does not say such things aloud. "Tell me, since my learnings do not always cover such things, does Thedas have other beasts for riding? Elephants? Camels?" This is what happens when friends back home come from places where they go riding. They like to tell Araceli about all their terrible beasts and show her the pictures.

Wincing in sympathy since two of Korrin's friends have (had, it's had, since Asher is dead and Mal has packed himself off to parts unknown) mabari, she takes some comfort in the fact that Garahel isn't a lump of lard like Jayne. "A deadly prospect, I have learned that both ends of the mabari can be lethal." Not that Lux can't be but a mabari can clear a room pretty damn quick. To the last part, she grows thoughtful, clicking The Walrus on when he grows restless, wanting to get on with the stretching of his legs though she keeps the pace as slow as possible. "Do you mean the Anderfels? It seems so long since any word has come on things there."

Poor nuggalope. Inessa pets the Walrus' muzzle apologetically, but that's really all she has unless she upsets Garahel by giving their very large friend the entire bag. That's a fate best avoided, if she doesn't want soulful eyes guilt-tripping her into eternity. "I'm sorry, my new friend. You deserve more, but I'm certain the stables will provide."

Mention of elephants and camels provoke a headshake, as there's no recognition in her eyes. "No I can't say those mounts are known to me. Dalish sometimes ride their halla and dwarves use brontos...though those are more beasts of burden than anything else. Beyond horses, harts and dracolisks, any others are not guaranteed to be domesticated on any level and would thus not be as common."

It helps that Garahel is definitely younger than Jayne or Bronson, barely into the prime of his life as all that energy shows. He barks happily at mention of sitting on Kain, probably already guilty of such a deed. Inessa chuckles softly, unable to deny Araceli's claim about mabari lethality. "That is the one downside about their companionship, I admit." Ignoring that whine, she grows more solemn, not actually thinking about the Anderfels specifically, but that is a very good point. "It has been too long, but I doubt the situation has improved. It must be dealt with, sooner or later. Preferably sooner, before the Anderfels suffers more for it. Should the senior Wardens or the spymaster need us to return, I would do it. The land is supposed to be a bastion of Warden might, not a font for corruption."

"Gracias, I don't need another one with bad habits." Word to the wise Lux, if you turn your head much further to exclude yourself from the narrative, you're going to go head over heels in the snow so you end up making a spectacle of yourself. Araceli won't stop you. "Let me know if you want to hop up here, there's room in the saddle and we're not the largest of people."

Araceli might not have an elven build, but she's closer in height to nearly all the native elves in Skyhold compared to anyone else.

"No one rides the-- what are the things in the desert again? The ones the dragons eat?" Everything else - even back home minus camels someone had on their ship making a mess and a racket - only exist in pictures or trinkets or in stories - so she'd probably draw a blank but someone, somewhere, they must have ridden them. The other things are about the size of some elephants maybe. Although they're simply described as huge or vast for the most part. "You can hitch a ride with a whale or dolphins sometimes, even the big sea turtles, though usually only if they know your life depends on these things or you're gentle and careful, but mounts doesn't work so well when it comes to things in the water. Though I do wonder about him when it comes time for the thaw…Do not get ideas, my friend."

(Seriously, don't, she isn't going to be pitched into a frozen river or take to being charged into it happily.)

Quiet for a moment outside of encouraging The Walrus and making sure that Lux is somewhere within her sight when she knows that wolves are at least present somewhere around Skyhold, she considers it. She doesn't know the Nightingale's mind when it comes to such matters, and Araceli's own cares lie more with the mages, with something she can actually do and feel useful with but secrets are the favourite food of the heart, and Wardens have so many. Or so it seems. "If you are to return, and to take others as you did before that are not of your order I would make the journey if there is not another matter that requires my attention first. Rifts, generally, or something my teacher would have me deal with. Is it truly so bad? We are in need of support, after all, perhaps the Anderfels might be less divisive in some ways."

Her mabari nudged to alertness, he loses some of that playfulness in exchange for keeping a sharp eye out. Wolves are not allowed to come near his friends, even the brattier ones.

Araceli's offer prompts a small but genuine smile from Inessa, who remembers well her work in Tevinter. It's not something spoken near those who didn't take part, but she hasn't forgotten that time, and that the rifter woman's companionship made the experience slightly less nerve-wracking than it otherwise might have been. "Thank you. I would welcome your company, should the timing permit it. And...it is that bad, yes. The Wardens of the north are corrupted; were Corypheus' influence purged, I still could not guarantee it would be any more unified, given what they have done in the capital. There may be no armies to send south, only stragglers like myself that were lucky enough to escape."

...well, that got dark. She always tries to keep a realistic view, but remembering the state of thinks even before she had escaped brings to mind just how bleak the situation truly is up north. It would take a miracle to restore the Anderfels, and she's not sure if the Maker will grant one.

"I have not seen such sea travel, but that isn't to say it doesn't exist here. My experience is limited to the ships that cross the Waking Sea, and I didn't think to ask when we were further north. That said, it's entirely possible that others use such means." Araceli's offer lingers, and her curiosity overcomes any hesitation. She's never ridden atop a nuggalope, and who knows when she'll get the offer again? "A ride atop The Walrus sounds like quite an adventure, one I can't pass up. And as you see, I'm not the largest of people either so room will not be an issue."

With the fox prowling with his followers, Araceli steers The Walrus through the snow, watching for any hidden deeper patches where they might sink. She'll need to see someone else riding their nuggalope just so she can see if they actually uncurl their fists into fingers although that might creep him out.

"I have friends I love where I come from. Friends that all believe in something bigger than any one us. Not in the same way that Wardens do, there isn't anything like that where I come from, no duties so serious outside of a few callings you choose but if it were them?" In times such as this, there's so much she doesn't always feel the need to finish for more than the usual sorts of reasons. "Every person with us is not a straggler. Perhaps to some but they're a person safe from the enemy one way or another, and putting so many minds together, so many skills, there is so much we can do."

This is the first war Araceli's fought in but if she has to sound naive to try to keep seeing some positives so she doesn't lose focus, then so be it.

So she's glad when Inessa takes her up on the offer, slowing him to a halt and slinging herself to sit sidesaddle for the moment to offer her a hand up. "It's...a little different to riding a horse though I haven't really ridden enough to compare beyond liking it much more."

There are points where too much realism can be counterproductive. Though Inessa's aware they will return to haunt her -especially in the dead of night, after dreams not always related to darkspawn- Araceli's words bring to mind a much-needed dose of optimism. Just a little. Grey Wardens can't afford a lot, but it's enough to bring a brief, genuine smile out of her. "A good point, I will try to keep it in mind."

The hand up is accepted, and after a couple of attempts, she manages to climb aboard without a great deal of grace but also without falling and injuring herself. Taking her victories where she can get them, Inessa responds with a nod as she takes a moment to settle in. "They're certainly broader and sturdier. That could make for a smoother ride, especially in terrain such as this, and those hands...." What seemed weird and unnerving on normal-sized nugs is definitely useful for the larger breed. Inessa almost leans sideways to inspect from this angle, then realizes that would be a trick trip downward. So, no.

"How fast does--" Garahel barks, not to alert them to wolves but in a more admonishing tone. "Don't fret, Garahel. We won't leave any of you behind. Continue to look after those on the ground, please.

Now that her leg is healed up, she can swing it back over (missing the head and horns of the nuggalope because yes, she is that annoyingly flexible, thank you parkour childhood) to sit properly in the saddle as she pats her mount's neck.

"I had sore thighs when I tried this but I'm-- I was about to say I'm not used to riding but that is absolutely a lie, it's more the type of riding I'm accustomed to is different." Turning as much as she can without her body signalling that he should turn too, she winks at Inessa with a wicked grin on her face before she clicks her tongue, signalling for him to walk on. "Definitely less bouncy though until it thaws more or I take him somewhere with actual grass, I haven't had him galloping. Is that the word? Do you gallop, La Morsa?"

Araceli why do you expect answers out of this beast, he is interested in plodding along happily, looking around at this wide new world he only got glimpses of on the way to Skyhold with fidgety nervous idiots last time. Let a nuggalope live woman.

"Perhaps they thunder. I heard from someone in the tavern that they race nugs, I would love to see a nuggalope race. Can you imagine?"

Inessa chuckles at that. "Their smaller cousins are fast but docile. A race between this fine example of a nuggalope and his cousins would be a far different thing, I expect. More exciting, too. We've had that 'capture the flag' game, why not a nuggalope race?" Perhaps it is best done when winter's chill has passed, though Inessa can't help but think that some could use a boost after the post-holiday slump. Maybe a collection of mages could handle it? She'd have to bring up the idea with others back at camp.

The smaller elf holds on as best she can, not too tight but definitely with safety in mind. She's not going into this with a 'just a mount' mentality', not when the creature is relatively unknown and only partly domesticated, if that. "How is he around threats? Is he easily spooked, or do his natural defenses keep him grounded? And more importantly, does he try to unseat you?"

"If the Inquisition needs money…" Well, isn't it a very tempting line of thought? "Such easy money too, so many ways to switch it out as well. Race - species? Again, this is not my realm of expertise - against one another then against others, then all at once, head to head, maybe a few obstacles. Different riders to see if that changes anything since you can be certain there are always going to be those who claim the rider will make all the difference." There's probably some truth in that, it's been not so much implied to her as loudly stated but she has chosen to ignore it and 'accidentally' almost kick people in the face when mounting and dismountingso it's a moot point in her opinion.

Inessa's question takes longer to answer than she might be comfortable with but a) there's what either of them might consider a threat and b) that she hasn't really taken him out very far yet so she hasn't exposed him. "He puts up with Lux, and apart from the first time he stepped on Lux's tail by accident and Lux yowled so loud I'm surprised people didn't think there was a demon upon us and come running? He goes quiet around big dogs but he hasn't seen very many at all. What would be big enough to take them on the mountains? A large pack of wolves? Bears?" Bear Grylls she is not. "At first he didn't like me riding him, so I had to leave him in the stables since my leg was a mess so yes, he does rear up though not over sudden loud noises or, say, birds or fennecs appearing out of nowhere as birds and fennecs do."

Wow she hopes someone ate that horse she stole from Tevinter that horse was a panicky asshole that almost killed her every five steps.

"That's good to know. I would prefer not to be thrown, if at all possible. And I know bears and some drakes are in the mountains, but hopefully the Inquisition presence keeps them at bay so he won't have to discover his might against theirs." Nuggalopes seem to have a thick hide to go with those large horns, but still. Inessa's not certain of its longevity versus that of such beasts. "Poor Lux, though. I hope his dignity and tail have recovered."

She glances down with a smile as Garahel frolicks along below, staying out of way of The Walrus' feet and randomly barking at things. "His exposure to big dogs will change that, I suspect. There are many Fereldens in this area and with them, mabari. It will be good for them to have company they can't quite so easily knock over, for a change." Having been the subject of many such incidents, the thought of Garahel trying -and failing- to do the same makes her smirk. "Racing isn't my skill, but I would be a willing audience for the races themselves. Should you enter The Walrus, I might be tempted to test my luck."

"Drakes?" Trying not to sound alarmed, just in case that gets translated along to some part of the nuggalope's brain but drakes, no one bothered to inform her that there are drakes in the mountains, why did no one tell her that when she was hobbling around with both a crutch and a cane? Honestly it's good Inessa is up here with her, unable to see that Araceli's bard mask has failed her completely. "A night taking up my entire half of the bed, stealing my dinner, and disgracing himself by begging as if he had never seen a meal in his life before any lady he saw after that aided his recovery to no end."

Son, why must you be the way that you are.

Most of Araceli's time so far around any dogs has been working with them on missions, and it's more reassuring to see them behaving the way Lux does; being silly and playful, instead of a hyperfocused slab of muscle, teeth, and intelligence that could tear out a throat before you could go for a weapon. "I suspect more than a few of the hounds are going to have their noses put out of joint at having something bigger than them that they can't tip over easily. The nuggalopes might not even care once they get used to being around them." Lux had been twitchy at first, then he realised he was faster than all the hounds and that he could climb where they couldn't so now he doesn't tend to bother much at all. "I'll see to putting in the suggestion for the summer months, that's when tourneys would be hosted here in Thedas, no? Why should Skyhold not have a small piece of one."

Inessa's look is a little apologetic at mention of drakes, but to be fair, she thought that was common knowledge. "They don't exist in great numbers here, I believe. Bears are still more common. I would be remiss if I didn't mention them, however." She mostly knows of their presence here thanks to Kain, who always wants to hike around to get glimpses of them. Lux's antics get a chuckle out of her, as she starts to get used to the nuggalope's gait. It's a bit different from a horse's, but not in an unpleasant way. Certainly more comfortable than riding a dracolisk, that's for certain.

"Garahel can be just as bad, so I understand. Clearly all our current spoiling isn't enough, they must take every opportunity and run with it." Of course, Garahel chooses that moment to look back at them and bark. He can get away with a lot and he knows it, though to be here he knows there's a line not to be crossed and mostly stays within its bounds.

"Indeed, most will be pining for the Grand Tourney in the Free Marches. Unless the Inquisition is suddenly needed to attend en masse, we will need an alternative. Morale is important, is it not? They'll understand, I believe."

One dragon tooth necklace is enough when it comes to exposure to big things with scales that might eat her if they had the chance, thanks. "I could take on a bear if I could climb a thing fast enough but I have read enough about how dragons are tied to many things in this world, I would run out of throwing knives before I took it down or someone came to my aid. Such beasts might be more wily than others but if they respect and understand the rules of duelling then I will gift you a crate of good Antivan brandy and oils for whatever purposes you might wish for them."

Smiling as she eases The Walrus over a few rotted trees that winter finally claimed - she enjoys this more than on a horse, it's less of a jolt to her at least with the amount of padding on a nuggalope - she looks down at the hound. "It is a wonder at times that others will believe they have ever been trained to do as we swear they have been." But she's teasing, after all they know when it's actually time to get to work and get on with things as evidenced by the time in Tevinter they can't talk about.

"I would rather have something here than go there, at least it might be less unruly. There's a good wild party, then there are drunken idiots throwing beer everywhere, slobbering when they try to speak. The Free Marches don't have a singular ruler, all the Inquisition arriving in Markham and somebody will try to paint it as an occupation, and given the state of Kirkwall? I am sure there would be no end to tongues wagging." Especially if they've got Orlesian support by them what with the whole Ferelden-Orlais beef back in the not so long ago.

Inessa holds a little tighter when The Walrus makes his way over those rotted trees, at least until she's assured that it's a smoother ride than anticipated on that front. It still doesn't spark any desire to get a personal mount for herself, but she can respect such a solid, steady being. "I don't know about you, but sometimes I almost forget. Wiggling around on the ground, begging for food or fleeing from a bath...many normal pets would do that. And then I see him in battle and remember what he was bred and trained to do, all his life. Our virtuosos have room to rub it in our faces, I suppose...at least to an extent."

It still doesn't mean Garahel is going to lose his muscle to fat gaining more treats than is healthy, though. She takes that aspect of his life seriously, normally strict on food and exercise and the like...but then so many people try to thwart her on the former. So, she doesn't feel terribly guilty for that strictness.

"Hm...it's true, it could be easily seen as an occupation of sorts. Whatever you've heard about the Free Marches, it's a known fact that despite their many differences and feuds, they will band together for the sake of repelling invaders. The lack of a singular ruler is no handicap, not in that. At least here, any ruckus would be easier to contain as well...in theory." Last year's Satinalia, you give her doubts.

"The little fennecs here, I did read about them but I don't think I could ever train one of of them to do what I did with Lux, not even now that I'm older. And I had Lux when I was a girl so he just followed me about, grew up with me to copy or to do as I asked." Some people make jokes at home but this is Thedas where people might read too far into jokes, Inessa someone she doesn't know quite well enough to share them with so she keeps them to herself for now as the fox creeps off to see if he can pounce at Garahel. "I could smuggle them in my pockets but I think they'd object to being slung over my shoulders and carried up the walls I'm climbing, or I set him to be my lookout and he's never done me wrong."

Maybe that's just loyalty though, all the years of her childhood with him paying off but they've been through some scrapes both here and in Thedas. Whatever she asks him to do, he does it. Doesn't fuss much unless they're both frightened about the thing looming ahead of them. If she has to bribe him then so be it, her parents both taught her how the world works before Felix Bonaventura swaggered off his ship to press a ball of terrified squawking fur into the waiting hands of his daughter.

"Don't remind me, I learned all their heraldries," she says it as though that was a hardship, as though she didn't enjoy that part but sometimes you need to maintain illusions about yourself.

The image of Araceli smuggling fennecs in her pockets gets a chuckle from Inessa, and when she notices what Lux is doing. If Garahel remains focused on The Walrus to the exclusion of his fox buddy, it's his own fault for getting pounced. "That must have been wonderful, having such a childhood companion. I always wondered what it would have been like, but what cats we had in the Circles were mousers, not pets. Even outside it, the chances of me being anywhere near a mabari were unlikely. They try to reserve those for the nobles...or at least, humans."

But mabari will imprint as they please, in the end. It's the great equalizer, to the annoyance of those focused on station. Being a Grey Warden at a time when the Fifth Blight is still fresh in people's minds helped a great deal. Without it, even access to a kennel may not have been possible.

"It's a lot to memorize, isn't it? But I always thought those books interesting, even if it seemed very unlikely at the time that they would see any practical use." Well, unless she requested a transfer but there was really not real reason for that at the time. "Imagine if we could gain their support. A region, known for its squabbling, uniting to stand behind us. It would send a powerful message." Which is why it seems unlikely, unless Corypheus directly creates chaos there. Oh well, at it's not currently at war with itself, unlike a certain empire.

At least both beasts stand out equally since Lux is doing his whole change from dark to russet at the moment, slinking low on his belly, furtive little steps at time before halting, checking, all the signature moves he picked up ini Araceli's shadow. "Not so much when they're biting your fingers for fish and pissing on the carpet. Or in your bed. Or chewing anything they think looks like something they might wish to chew. We don't really have cats for mice and rats in Castileos - too much water for them, we've got dogs since they're better for swimming but would they just ignore you? Or was it a Circle rule? Because I can imagine that, from what I have heard of them." Not all Circles were the same but too often she's heard it repeated that attachments were discouraged, and even with an animal she imagines it could be something the overzealous would soon put an end to for whatever reason they dreamt up. "A dog is a dog. Don't mabari do that-- they pick. People say how wise and intelligent mabari are, and that they pick their people, surely it makes no sense to do any of that if the dogs can pick the person they wish to be with."

In general, she doesn't really 'get' the dog thing. People probably don't get her whole sea thing and they especially wouldn't get the whale part so maybe that's the balance but she doesn't go to bond with a whale, and no one would stop her if she wanted to get close to one. Just another way that Thedas is terrible really.

"I learned flags from ships in port; what country, is it a merchant or not, are they important people and so on. People here are so attached to where they come from for the most part, maybe more for humans than elsewhere I think, and I would trust it more for those not mages but what I have chosen here? As much as I can learn quickly? It might save my life." Bards keep their knives up their sleeves after all and behind every friendly smile is someone waiting for her to slip up.

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The secrets in the snow

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