[open] we all live and breathe

[eolasemah]

WHO: Sina and yyyooooouuuu
WHAT: Miscellaneous early spring interactions!
WHEN: Drakonis-ish
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: get er while she's still kickin

The Healing Tents

Now that the weather is warming ever so slightly, and Sina is feeling ever so slightly better, she's throwing herself back into assisting the Inquisition's healers. Though she uses magic sometimes, for the most part she's helping out by providing poultices, herbal remedies, and a soothing bedside manner to the ailing patients, keeping herself busy and no longer focused on the anchor in her chest.

This is how she spends the majority of her afternoons, with the occasional break to rest. She's not in perfect health herself, and it's showing more than ever.
Though in most cases she just seats herself off to one side until her strength rebuilds, there have been one or two incidents in which she has very nearly collapsed and required assistance.
If this upsets her, she shows no sign of it, at least not in the moment.

The Garden

Sina's early mornings to lunchtime are spent planting, trimming, and checking the progress of her various charges. They're starting to bud, which concerns her somewhat since frost is still very much a problem, but some coaxing (and perhaps the tiniest use of Keeper magic) keeps things moving along in a healthy and otherwise undisturbed manner.

She can be found here in the evenings as well, sitting outside her tent, sometimes with Nahariel, wrapped in a blanket and enjoying a cup of tea. She's come to think of the garden as home, it being the greenest place in Skyhold.

Elsewhere

There are times Sina can be encountered with her basket of herbs, making deliveries to the various offices and people requesting medicinal teas, or just in transit from one place to another. It's actually quite rare to find her inside the Keep itself, as the stone enclosures make her nervous, but she does have to pass through every so often.
Hippie.

Comments

[eolasemah]

Sina is about to ask what he might mean by 'my time', but she quickly remembers that many Rifters are from long ago even in their own worlds. It's strange, but not unprecedented.
"No need to apologize," she says softly, with a little smile that doesn't meet her eyes, "many are still difficult. But we work hard to fight that."

[conqueredhearts]

"Mm. I can imagine. That you have done so much already is truly a wonder. Ah, are you one of the healers yourself, my friend?" There seemed a fair few of them here from what he'd been gathering. It was either that or he just managed to keep talking to the ones who were good at it and not so much the others. Anything was possible really.

[eolasemah]

"I am," she confirms, "though I mostly assist. My magic is better for healing plants than it is for people." She smiles, a bit self-consciously.

[conqueredhearts]

Rather than fault or judge her for being better with healing plants than people, his smile actually lit up. "But that is wonderful! Plants are just as alive as any person is. To see that there is someone out there who can give them such tender care is a wonder to me. You are magnificent."

[eolasemah]

Hardly expecting that emphatic a reaction from a total stranger, Sina can't help but smile, a blush tinging her face. This man is huge and intimidating, but his heart is clearly in the right place.
"..well... thank you," she sheepishly replies, "I do my best."

[conqueredhearts]

"May I ask how you use your magic to help them? It is not a magic I am familiar with but I am always interested in how mages use their skills." Magic was a wonderful tool just like any physical thing. Of course he had a great respect for it! And an obvious curiosity as well.

[eolasemah]

Sina bites her lower lip as she regards him, and gives a small, apologetic shake of her head. "We guard it carefully," she points out, "--Keepers, I mean. Of the Dalish. But it's nothing against you." A year ago, she'd hardly have been so polite about it.

[conqueredhearts]

He laughed softly and gave a wave of his hand. "There is nothing to worry about. If you cannot share with me then I shall not push. I am content enough to know that it is something that is special for Dalish Keepers." Really it was something so that was good enough.

"Honestly there are things I shouldn't be sharing about things I can do as well. I personally just have never cared to bother with that but I do respect those who feel they need to or want to."

[eolasemah]

Her guard falls a little further, and Sina gives a small nod of gratitude. She never suspected shem would be so understanding, but for the most part they have been.
"The world is better for it," she decides. "Some things aren't meant to be shared."

[conqueredhearts]

"I suppose so. I've not really thought about that part all that much if I am to be honest. Then again when I was ruling over my lands I felt that open honesty was the best policy with my people. That they deserved to know what their King was thinking and feeling." He shrugged then gave her a warm smile. "Still, secrets are not actually terrible things. It would be foolish to fault someone for feeling they should keep one."

[eolasemah]

Historically, the elves of Thedas haven't had a great relationship with humans ruling lands. Though Sina maintains a quiet and level expression, she does seem slightly wary when Iskandar brings this up.
"What are your people like?" she ventures, hoping the conversation doesn't turn ugly.

[conqueredhearts]

"They are wonderful! The advances in science and art and culture made in my lands were extraordinary! Each land that became mine, I encouraged my people to learn the ways of the lands so that they could respect what was there already. After all the people who ruled those lands would be governing them so their traditions should be kept." It wasn't what a conquering king would normally talk about actually. Yet there was such excitement in his eyes as he spoke of his kingdom from all those years ago. After all, in his eyes conquering was not about destroying.

"People from all lands were welcome in my kingdom and it was one of the greatest times of learning ever known in history!"

[eolasemah]

Hmmm.
"...and the people who ruled them... wanted you there," she clarifies, hoping to hear either an affirmative or why he went in anyway. One might say the Dalish are a little sensitive on the subject of invasion. "They wanted to assimilate?"
And not, you know, be killed or put into alienages or Circles, or forced out into the lawless wilds.

[conqueredhearts]

"Assimilate? I'm not entirely sure what you mean by that. After all I was not changing any of their cultures. The changes I brought were an increase in food and money and trade. Their own leaders governed their lands and I respected their ways and actually changed myself to match their new cultures."

He rested a hand over his chest. "My name at birth was not Iskandar. It was the name I took on when I became King of Persia. My people were fond of me though and I had a great many friends among them."

[eolasemah]

She's still not convinced. "And they wanted you there," she rephrases, "all of them." It sounds like a statement, but is a question: one doesn't use the word 'conquer' or 'invade' to describe visiting a neighbor for tea.

[conqueredhearts]

"That would seem to be the case. I'm really not sure why so many are so surprised by this fact." Iskandar tilted his head to the side almost looking like a baffled puppy. An oversized one but a puppy all the same. It always seemed so obvious to him that he wasn't sure why others didn't understand.

[eolasemah]

"... all right," Sina relents, but is still clearly skeptical. Perhaps she doesn't think the conversation will go any further, or just doesn't want to know more-- shem have their ideas about things, and it's worthless arguing with them, she finds.

[conqueredhearts]

"There really is a lot of tension between some of the races. I have heard this but sometimes it takes moments like this before I truly realize it." He didn't seem offended or bothered by the fact though. More than he was just understanding things better. "Ah, you are welcome to say anything you wish to me by the way. Even if you dislike what I have to say as you seem to. Each should be welcome to their own opinion and I will respect whatever you feel as your truth."

[eolasemah]

Perhaps it's how openly he isn't offended that confuses Sina, and she finds herself eyeing Iskandar without quite knowing how to feel. She nods silently without continuing-- this is something she'll need to mull over, most likely.

[conqueredhearts]

He blinked at the way she eyed him then gave a laugh as he scratched his cheek. "Ah, I am very strange, aren't I. You'll probably get used to it. Maybe. I mean not everyone does."