The secrets in the snow

[foxsays]

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!

Comments

[circleprodigy]

"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."

[foxsays]

"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."

[circleprodigy]

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."

[foxsays]

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.

[circleprodigy]

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.

[foxsays]

"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.

[circleprodigy]

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.

[foxsays]

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.