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WHO: Katniss Everdeen, and Innocent Bystanders (aka you)
WHAT: Katniss 'performs' at the training grounds of Skyhold.
WHEN: Covering a few hours span.
WHERE: Training grounds, then Skyhold.
NOTES: Warnings for mild violence, slight classism, and the death of innocent apples.

The sun was starting to dip into the afternoon, when a young woman finally crested over the mountain path, and found herself in the valley of Skyhold. She paused at the crest of the hill, weariness and despair taking a brief pause as she stared in open amazement at the fortress itself ... and the army waiting below. They must have filled the entire valley, and temporary structures were already popping up all along the bridge.

There was a wheeze from behind her, and she turned to raise one dark eyebrow at the horse she was leading by the reins. "Ye-es, I know. You're hungry, you're thirsty, you've been that way since we left our last camp. Don't worry, I hear Master Dennet is around here somewhere ... he'll spoil you to your heart's content, you big baby."

A hiss answered that, and she glowered at one of her saddlebags, where Buttercup, the cat, glowered back at her. "I don't even want to hear it from you, demon-cat. You got to ride all the way."

She tugged on the reins, shifting her bow over her shoulder a little more, clicking her tongue softly as the unlikely trio continued to travel down into the valley. It did not take long to at least find some of the horse master's assistants to watch out for Haymitch (and she warned them fiercely against messing with Buttercup.). Katniss herself grabbed a quiver, and unhooked the other saddlebag to carry along with her as she made her way through the camp itself. She spoke little, only pausing one sister to ask where the lines for recruitment were.

Yet for as little as she spoke, she garnered sideways glances. To her travel-stained clothes, to old bow upon her back and the quiver of homemade arrows over her shoulder. The dark hair, braided over one shoulder that was coming out in wisps. Whispers, a few smirks. Another country bumpkin, coming to 'aid the Inquisition'.

Most of the soldiers were quiet in their condemnation, or remembered when they too came to the Inquisition with straw in their hair and fire in their bellies, but there were a few that could not resist the snide remarks. There was not a flicker of emotion across the young woman's face, outside of her eyes narrowing slightly. She did not stop and respond to a single cat-call, and her expression was a mask of apathy as she stepped into line with a half a dozen others to where the registration was. There appeared to be practice dummies for one and all to show their various weapon skills. The young woman watched, almost bored, as each new 'recruit' stepped up to the dummies. Some weren't half bad. Others were ... quickly mocked to go help the Inquisition as part of the kitchen or working staff. She continued to watch, her eyes narrowing further when one young woman left in tears, and an old man left with his head bowed.

Her fist clenched, slightly, around her bow, and she noted those behind her melted away, not wishing to be humiliated. She stood her ground, however, and stepped forward to face two bored looking soldiers - one wearing the Templar armor, and the other wearing the stripes of a Lieutenant. Both of them were eating their lunch, and neither one of them looked impressed with the young woman.

Which was fine. She wasn't much impressed with them either.

"Name." Asked the lieutenant flatly.

"Katniss Everdeen." Was her equally flat reply.

"Nation of Origin." Came the next bored question.

"Fereldan by one parent, unknown by the other." Came her now faintly tart response. When the lieutenant frowned at her, she stated, "My mother was Dalish."

"Oh ... flat-ear then." Said the Lieutenant, writing that down on the form in front of him, not seeing the cold flash of anger that came through steel-colored eyes. "Right, and you're ...some sort of archer?"

"Yes. I am some kind of archer." Was her quiet reply.

The templar snorted. "We'll be the judge of that. Your performance will be judged on a scale of one through ten, for accuracy and speed."

Katniss Everdeen said nothing, merely unhooked her bow from her back and went to stand in front of the first practice dummy. All around her, murmurs were raising, quiet laughs. The two soldiers munching on their lunch...

Close your eyes. Exhale. You are the target. Were the words echoing through her mind. Her eyes snapped open, her fingers released the arrow and it sang through the air where it landed dead center of the practice dummy.

Around her, there were faint murmurs of surprise, and approval. From behind her, there was ... still munching, and the two officers talking with one another and ignoring her. Her shoulders setting a little, she moved ten paces back, and then to the right. Taking aim. Exhale. Thwack. Right in the center of target again.

Behind her, she could hear the two officers still jawing at one another.

"...s'not bad."

"S'not a challege! It's a bloody *crunch* steady target at bloody twenty paces. My infirm granny could make that shot. But really, what can you expect from a bloody blunt-ear - "

The officer's words were cut off when Katniss suddenly turned, bow in hand, and let loose an arrow that flew right through the apple he was waving through the air, sending it into a barrel twenty feet behind. The templar let out a faint noise 'Ah!' before the chicken leg he was holding was ripped from his grip by another arrow, sending it flying behind him. Katniss began run backwards, notching another arrow as she went. Shooting as she moved, she clipped their tin mugs over their laps, sinking into the barrels behind them once more. All the way back to a pile of crates about fifty paces from the targets - one hundred paces from the table itself. Both men had the training to drop to the ground and push the table up, to use as a shield, and as they did, two more arrows flew and struck the table, twice.

Silence fell over the training grounds.

Then there was the sound of someone jumping down off of a height, and booted feet moved over to the table. The sound of fingers scrapping against the ground to pick something up, and then a continued course to the table. The lieutenant and the templar stood, hands going for their swords, but all Katniss Everdeen did at this point was to hook her bow to her back, and in the other hand hold the half spilled inkwell. She put one booted foot to the table, sending it upright with a groan.

The two arrows, neatly piercing Katniss's own application for service -- and the quill. She plucked the quill out, and put the inkwell down on the table, and tore the paper free. Then she wrote '10' in large handwriting. She put it down before the two soldiers, looking from one to the other ... and bowed. Deeply.

Then she turned on her heel, the crowd of soldiers and workers parting before her.

~~~~

Hours later, if one were to come looking for the Some Kind Of Archer Girl, they'll find her on the walls of Skyhold, looking off to the distant mountains. Her belongings are with her, as is her rather grumpy cat, her bow resting against the wall. Her expression is tense, certainly, but anyone clever (or suicidal) enough should know how to approach two angry predators, yes?

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"I should hope not. We've got enough demons from the breach. Though I'm sure your cat would fit right in." He's even funny, too. Look! He's attempting jokes, and there might even be a smile.

If her cheeks were red, which they weren't, Cullen wouldn't notice. He's sadly oblivious to most of that sort of thing until it was outright directed at him. So she's safe, for now. He nods at her words, staying silent for a moment longer. "And you're how old now?"

Age is not a deciding factor in joining the Inquisition, mind you, but he'd like to know the age of the girl who just schooled some of his soldiers. It would be clear motivation for them to pick up the pace in their own training.

She let out a surprised laugh, her lips curving up into a grin. "Oh, there is little doubt of that."

Yes, that is a smile, and one that makes that talking thing rather difficult for her again. Oh, do that again, please. She breathed out, and back in, before his question registered with her. She straightened a little, meeting his gaze evenly. One corner of her mouth twisted into a smirk. "If you are checking to make sure that your fellow soldiers weren't humiliated by a very tall twelve year old ... I am twenty. I will be twenty-one in Wintermarch. So as you can see ..."

She turned around slowly, before facing him again, "They have been humiliated by a full-grown woman. They can have some of their dignity back."

Edited 2015-11-23 04:51 (UTC)

"Still significantly younger than most of our soldiers. They don't like to be shown up by anyone, honestly."

He turns to look over the wall, at the sprawling expanse in which Skyhold sits in the middle of. If there was one thing about Thedas, it was quite beautiful to look at. "If you're still interested, you should seek out Scout Harding. She could use a bow arm like yours."

"Well, then I guess they should start getting better then." Came her fairly dry reply, before she followed his gaze out to Skyhold, and then out to the mountains once more.

She sighed, quietly, "I'm interested, certainly, but there's no way the Commander is going to accept me after I made two of his soldiers look like idiots. Even if they were idiots."

She frowned for a moment, looking back at him, "Wait, Lace Harding?"

"The Commander just accepted you." He's still getting used to the title, to the position, of Commander, but he's starting to fill the shoes properly. "Commander Cullen Rutherford, at your service." He'd bow, but it'd be pitiful.

"Yes, if I remember correctly, that is her name. Is there something wrong?"

"...The - " She is very, very glad that she is not the kind of person who gapes with their mouth open, or like some of the village girls, twitters like an idiot. She just stares at him for a moment, because, well. Of course she knows about Commander, former Knight-Captain Cullen Rutherford. She's only read the Tale of the Champion twenty times.

She just didn't expect him to be ... well. So damned everything.

Reality taps her on the head, and she puts herself out of her daze. Her eyes narrow, "You'll take me - just as I am? I'll warn you, I'm not the sort to kow-tow to lunk-heads, and I will take to task anyone who says 'knife-ear' around me, whether they're referring to me or anyone else. I despise bullies."

She lifts her chin up a little more, "... and absolutely not. We grew up in the same region of the Hinterlands. She's always been a hero of mine. It would be an honor to serve under her, and you." Wait, that came out ... lower than she intended.

"I'll take you just as you are, as long as you cause no trouble and use that bow arm for the good of the Inquisition." A pause. "And should anyone call you knife-ear you report them to me. I'll have no discrimination among the Inquisition. We are all equal here."

Good. She at least knows of Harding, and if the way she acted earlier is any indication of how she'll be of use on the field, they should have no issues. "Welcome to the Inquisition."

"Well, I'll keep the trouble to a minimum ... but I won't be foolish enough to make a promise I can't keep." A pause, before she gives him a considering look. Totally sincere, totally committed to what he was saying. He truly believed they all should be equal.

She bit her bottom lip for a moment, before she nodded her own head, and stuck out her hand. "Then we have an accord, Commander Cullen. My bow arm is yours."

"If you're as eager as you seem, I look forward to working with you."

He takes her hand in return, and while his is gloved, it's a firm grip. At least he hasn't lost that much as of late. It's a quick shake, and then he lets go. "The quartermaster will see to any requisitions you might need in regards to weapons. And find yourself some lodging. Fair warning, you may have to double up." A quick pause. "I hope your cat won't mind."

"I'm more than eager, Commander. I'm committed."

She shakes her head a little, tapping her back, "I have my father's bow - I'll probably just need arrows when I run out." She pauses for a moment, considering what would happen if Katniss had a roommate, and she winces. Noticibly. "I ... think I'll just find us an abandoned corner somewhere. It will be safer."

She gave him a cheeky smirk, "Less complaints for you. See, already doing my part."

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