faderift | OPEN | Elfroot and Rashvine and everything fine...

WHO: Nari, probably Sina, and YOOOOOU
WHAT: Bringing our herbs to replant in Kirkwall! We spent way too long cultivating this sh*t to leave it here in Skyhold.
WHEN: Cloudreach 1, just prior to leaving
WHERE: Skyhold Garden
NOTES: NOSTALGIA TRIP + PACK IT UP! Everyone just pile into whatever thread you want to join--it's a small space, and it'll feel more like companionable labor that way. ♥

Nahariel stood just outside the tent she shared with her clansister looking out at the neat planned rows of the garden they'd spent the better part of two years cultivating with a thoughtful frown. When the Inquisition had come to Skyhold, it had been nothing more than a straggling mess of sickly vines, and long-dead plants in chipped stoneware pots. Untended, overgrown, producing nothing more than the lonely feeling of being forgotten and left to the mercies of time. Months of hard work--first just the two solitary Dalish from Clan Dahlasanor, and then many industrious others as time went on--had produced a verdant sanctuary within the keep.

Rows upon rows of Elfroot cheerfully turned their leaves toward the bright mountain sun, carefully harvested in rotation to keep their soldiers hale and hearty, with one or two proud lavender chased Royals pampered in the pots nearby. Arbor Blessing wound its way gracefully up lovingly crafted trellises, a green waterfall rippling in the gentle breeze, the remnant of the bracing wind after its blunting by the fortress walls. The same breeze chimed quietly in the delicate patch of Crystal Grace--a souvenir from their foray to the Winter Palace. A still shallow pond--carefully lined with oilcloth and stones--holds the sky, the clouds, and a healthy crop of Blood Lotus, as well as the children of Nahariel's prized Dawn Lotus, fetched so long ago from the Fallow Mire on the first mission she'd taken. Deep Mushrooms grew stoutly along the wall that never saw sun, Rashvine and Embrium blazed a jaunty red amidst all the green, the small purple flowers and red pods of Deathroot winking a warning from their place wound beneath several trees.

And then, quiet and sun-dappled in the corner, a still tender sapling surrounded by oft polished rocks, painstakingly hand-carved with the names of the Inquisition's fallen and ringed by flowers whose only purpose was beauty; strewn with bright ribbons, unique pebbles, small dolls, and other loving remembrances. A few magelights hung dimly in its slender branches, becoming visible only at dusk, and fading again with the dawn, keeping silent company with those who'd come and gone.

How to leave such a place?

Nahariel flexed her bare toes in the soil and sighed.

How. Well, not alone, for a surety. They'd definitely need help.

--

↠Herbs

Time for a massive harvest! Some will need to be bundled up live to transplant, and when we run out of room for that, the rest can be cut and dried.

↠Memorial

Let's figure out how we're going to move this--unless you'd like to argue we shouldn't. Tree is young and needs to be protected, and uh... that's a lot of rock.

↠After Work

Sit around and drink! Smoke some extra elfroot because there was a lot, man. Let's talk about leaving.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

THAT
IS NOT
FOR SMOKING

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Sina is taking point on this, because she has proven her willingness to yell at people who treat the plants incorrectly. Even if she's... not really yelling or being aggressive at all. The point is, it has to be done right.
She's hurrying up and down the rows, overseeing the process-- they won't be taking all of them, of course, since Skyhold still needs to sustain itself-- giving directions here and there, sometimes diving in to save roots from being severed, and on the whole providing a quiet but encouraging presence. The garden has become her passion project since they first arrived, and she'll see to it that this is done right.

Because he was strong and generally big, as well as not leaving immediately, Iskandar had volunteered himself to help with the memorial movement. If nothing else his size certainly could help with the stone. Honestly though it was the tree he was more concerned with since it was still young.

"Mm. Perhaps there is a way to dig around it to keep it in the soil and place it in a container of some kind we could continue to water?" It seemed the best offer as far as he could tell. Certainly he didn't know this particular Elf woman but he had a certain fondness for the Elves in general given how many were his friends now. So of course he wanted to let this one have the final say here. If nothing else he'd noticed the Dalish had better ideas for preserving nature than he did. Something that should be respected.

Nahariel crossed her arms, peering at the tree. She'd never moved one before either, but treating it like a big herb seemed a fair enough idea.

"I think the most important part is to make sure we keep as much of the root system as we can," she said slowly, "If that's a lot, we can probably ball it up with some soil. Living roots are pretty flexible. And then... wrap the root ball in something that'll keep the soil in and a little of the cold out. Tent cloth? Sack cloth?"

"I would say sack cloth. Tent cloth is treated to ensure water does not pass through. If we want to be able to water it while it is on the ship then the water must be able move through the cloth rather than be repelled by it."

He nodded then looked around a bit before deciding he'd probably have to go fetch the sack required for this. "I can start to dig if you would be willing to fetch a sack that you feel would be large enough for this."

Nari will nod at that. "Clever. Sack cloth it is. There are some tools over by the trellises if you want to get started," she replied, pointing in the vague direction with her chin.

"I'll check with the kitchen for sackcloth--if there're none big enough, I can always cut two open and sew them together," the last was said with a wry grin. "I wouldn't call myself a seamstress by any stretch, but I think I could handle sacks."

Famous last words?

"Excellent! I will make sure not to dig too far until you have returned so that the sapling will continue to have the earth to support it."

He grinned at her then went to grab a shovel to use. It would be important at this time to ensure that he was using the proper too to make sure that he wasn't bringing harm to the plant they were trying to help out.

By the time Nahariel returned, a few empty sacks swinging over her shoulder--smaller than she'd like--Iskandar had made some decent headway. The nut-brown elf sat with a sigh of exertion, folding her legs and dropping the material to the ground, one hand ruffling her hair, the other reaching for a knife at her belt to begin the process of cutting and re-attaching them.

"Turns out the kitchens were keen on using most of the sacks to pack up provisions," she explained wryly. Pft. Food. "Managed to wheedle some beat up ones after annoying them enough." She sticks a finger through a large hole in one of them and waggles it. "More sewing for me. How's the tree coming?"

"Those should do well. The tree is coming along but I hesitate to dig further until we have the bag to slip it into. That way it will not fall over. Though it is very healthy so it can make the journey."

He gently touched the tree with a smile then went over to sit next to her. It wasn't like he could help much but he could at least keep her company.

"This is a fine garden. It is good to see the cherished plants being taken to a new home to have further care and love."

OPEN | Elfroot and Rashvine and everything fine...

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Herbs

Memorial

Re: Memorial

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