CLOSED ↠ FALSE GODS, GREAT DEMONS (GET DORIAN)

[liberalum]

WHO: Benevenuta Thevenet, Corvo Attano, Dorian Pavus, Hermione Granger, Iron Bull, Teren von Skraedder, The Outsider
WHAT: A covert operation to retrieve one time magic expert and his keeper.
WHEN: ALTERNATE FUTURE, Early Cloudreach 9:48
WHERE: Nevarra
NOTES: Canon level violence, Tranquil stuff.

It is through an intricate flurry of carefully worded letters that Teren von Skraedder and those who volunteered to accompany her on the diversion to Nevarra learn where they would be meeting Lady Thevenet and spiriting her away, and that she would not be alone. Dorian Pavus, her Lord husband, would be coming with her.

There is a lot of coastline to work with, more carefully patrolled the closer one nears to Cumberland. When they set their anchor down and row out to the grey, wintry shores, it's within a hidden cove. One evening's camping and plotting stretches into the next day, and one day's travel on foot takes them into the city proper.

The political state of affars is immediately clear. Imperial soldiers roam the streets, funnel down forest roads, and wholly possess the Imperial Highway. Nevarra is not at war, but Tevinter crawls over her like ants. The white marble, the black glass, the grey stone of Cumberland shows traces of red lyrium growth, and when Teren and Corvo enter the city in search of the agreed upon location, the deep night has taken on an uneasy red tinge. It carries on the wind and reaches, too, where Iron Bull, Hermione, and the Outsider hang back, awaiting cue to fend off danger should it snap at the heels of those leaving the city.

And lets face it. It probably will.

Comments

[qunari]

"Not a whole lot to like about it. Way too many Vints for my liking."

When Hermione shifts inward, Bull hums, and one strong hand places itself at her back in reassurance. She's fine. She's going to be fine, and damn right he'll step in front of anything nasty that comes her way. That's what he's here for, be the muscle and the draw for fire while the other two do what they do.

Which is going to be short-lived if they start poking the hornet's nest. So. Someone's gotta play the voice of reason here while they wait, miserable and anxious.

[bookish_lioness]

If she were less worried, Hermione would be looking at the Outsider with no small amount of sympathy. She doesn't much like waiting, either, and that much is obvious when she tenses for a moment at the hand to her back before she realizes that it's Bull's. She doesn't calm down after that realization so much as she settles back, grateful for his presence and for the fact that the Outsider doesn't seem like he's about to go off and do something dangerously stupid.

"We haven't been waiting so long, have we?" she asks, more as a way to try and convince them that drastic measures need not be taken yet than as a way to try and keep track of how long they've been waiting. "If there were something wrong, we'd know. A flurry of guards, some shouting, something. Let's save our energy for the worst case scenario and hope we don't have to use it."

[liberalum]

The thing with tempting fate is that it so often takes the bait.

The pissing man has moved on at a lazy saunter, and it's quiet once more. Quiet enough that when the worst case scenario does arrive, it's easy enough to pick up -- the sudden influx of footsteps. Three men. Swishing garb and the hiss of light armor rather than the heavy clank of guardsmen or night watchmen.

"There's nothing," is a quiet mutter. "Should we--?"

"If they come this way, we'll cut them off."

"But if we drive them into the city, we'll lose them."

"The wilderness is no better. Come, we'll ward the area."

Three voices, all men, and then: the glimmering of magic, the white-blue of ice. With a little manoeuvring, it's possible to see the three Venatori men casting their spells -- glyphs on the ground, humming with energy, fading into near invisibility like traps.

And one of them headed for the shadows, inevitably, without really watching where he goes.

[extramural]

Three men, three mages, could be a common enough sight. It's what the three men say, speaking of they and them, that has the Outsider immediately moving one hand to his sword. There are a number of people they could be speaking of, of course -- but there are the ones they are here for, and the timing is just too close for them to take chances, to hope they're talking about somebody else.

He makes a note of where the glyphs are placed, though he's not entirely certain what he can do about it. The man heading for the shadows, however, he can do something about.

There is a glance toward the others -- the Iron Bull, tall in the shadows, and Hermione, shivering in the cold. There is a bit of a shrug as he draws his sword.

And then the Outsider turns back toward the man and lets a tendril of magic shoot out to yank the man toward him, hopefully right into his waiting blade.