OPEN POST - there's a green glow coming from the library window

[mythalenaste]

WHO: Pel Ashara and everybody in Skyhold
WHAT: Pel returns from the Fallow Mire with crazy amounts of research and will wall herself up doing work and being totally antisocial unless you save her!
WHEN: 19 Firstfall...or is it the 20th? Today. Today and really, really late tonight.
WHERE: Skyhold courtyard and library
NOTES: This is prior to the general return from Skyhold, obviously. Pel just caught a ride back to Skyhold well ahead of the crowd.

Arrival

It turns out a large caravan full of pious Andrastian humans will leave a tiny heathen elf-woman alone if she carries herself like she's about to kick someone's ass. The trip from the Mire to Skyhold was uneventful. In fact, there was never a good enough reason to use her magic, so none of the van was tipped off that Pel is a mage.

Unfortunately, she had no pack mule, so she's having to haul a lot of crap around by herself. One of the nicer people let her keep her heavier things on his cart, but now she's having to get it all unpacked carrying it with her own two hands. She's too proud to ask for help, but you can offer it if you like.

Library

From the time she arrives, she's in the library. During the day, she can be found bent over books. Sometimes, she's asleep on top of one.

At night, long after the keep has gone to bed, a green glow can be seen in the library window, flickering like flame. If someone chooses to check this out, they will find Pel standing over a stone slab with a veilfire flame in her hand, held over her work like a candle. A rune on the slab gives a faint green glow in response. The fire reflects in the elf's eyes like a cat's as she stares suspiciously at you.

Comments

[el_tybs]

Over the tavern? There were rooms there? He'd only explored Skyhold really when they first arrived and he hadn't noticed anyone there, but it was possible he had looked before anyone had settled in. Well that was good to know.

"Hm?" Sam blinks at the question, tilting his head slightly. Did he want some- "Oh. Ah, yeah." He had wanted to ask Pel something, but that whole thing about Krem had kind of pushed that on the back burner. Guess that was something to talk about later? With Krem?

"I was actually going to ask you if you saw another Dalish Elf come through here. Red hair, green eyes, freckles. Has a green Vallaslin that runs under the eyes towards the temples."

[mythalenaste]

"Shit." Pel sounds like she is suddenly, irritatingly inconvenienced. She sets aside her research and quickly approaches Sam. "Are you the tall healer he was talking about? Mythal'enaste, Salem, I'll twist your ears."

[el_tybs]

Well it seemed that Pel knew who he was talking about, though he hadn't been expecting that kind of reaction. Nor was he expecting her to suddenly get up and come at him all of a sudden, and even though Pel is smaller than him he still has to stop himself from taking a step back when she does so.

"Ah... yes?" 'Tall healer' does sound like something someone would say about him, but he's not usually asked that. "So I take it you know him." Salem was it? "He's not at the tent anymore and I haven't exactly been able to treat him. Don't think he very much likes me, or 'shems' in general."

[mythalenaste]

"Have you tried the barn?" She starts down the stairs. "A lot of elves sort of conglomerate there. Something about animals."

[el_tybs]

He watches as Pel heads for the stairs, following behind a second after seeing as she's still talking to him. "First place I checked. It's not too far from the tents, but I didn't see him."

[mythalenaste]

"Let's try trees. Courtyard first, then gardens, then the kitchens and outside Skyhold."

He's not anywhere in the courtyard. The so-called gardens are starting to look more gardeny, and their trees aren't so leafy as to hide an elf.

Ha. Haha. Salem should know better than to hide from a Keeper in a tree.

"You've one chance to come down before I get you down," she calls to him as they approach.

[fortheloveoffalondin]

Well he wasn't expecting to be pursued by his sister so he can't be blamed too harshly, right?

"What if I intend to live up here?" he snaps back, staring down at the two of them from where he's resting in the fork between a branch and the trunk of the tree. He can't fuss for too long at Pel and he knows that, but she'd brought Sam with her, and that is right out.

[el_tybs]

Well that had been rather quick. Next time he needs to find any of the Dalish he'll be sure to get Pel. Course if he needed to find her and he couldn't - thoughts for another time. She found Salem and that was the important part.

Course said Elf was glaring at him again. "Because that would be so beneficial for you to stay out in the cold. Your wounds aren't even healed yet." And he was climbing trees. He was so smart.

[mythalenaste]

Pel presses her lips together. Then, without warning, one of the tree branches reaches out to grab Salem by the ankle and snatch him off the branch, to dangle him upside-down in the air.

[fortheloveoffalondin]

Someone might have thought there was a murder taking place out in the garden, from the volume of Salem's shriek. It's cut short, as soon as he realizes what's happened to him.

"This is highly irregular and I'd like to raise issue with this treatment of an injured party," he huffs, crossing his arms.

[el_tybs]

Note to self, do not anger Pel.

The tree had just moved, and now it was dangling Salem in mid air by the ankle. He had not been expecting anything like that to happen. Maybe an ice warning shot or something. "Well you wouldn't be injured still if you had stayed in the tent."

[mythalenaste]

"You're not hurt, stop whinging. Now. I'm pretty sure you're listening, so I'll talk terms. Will you stay put if you stay in my room instead of the surgery, I looked after you, Sam checked in twice a day, and you were allowed walks every few hours by his leave?"

The tree's grip on Salem is loose enough that he can feasibly pry himself away, but hopefully he has enough respect for her now that he'll behave.

[fortheloveoffalondin]

"You're a cruel and unusual woman, lethallan," Salem huffs, but obviously concedes, letting his hands fall over his head to catch himself should she decide to let him go. When the branch loosens up, he jerks his foot back in such a way that he started to tumble in midair, allowing him to turn over and catch himself on bent hands and feet. He straightens up, glancing at Sam then bowing his head to Pel. "As long as I'm not kept in a damned tent where I can't even see the sky, I'll be fine."

And, your cameo...

[the_effect_she_has]

There is a sound. A sound of someone choking on laughter.

That would be a hunter snickering at you, oh small elf, as she eats her morning oatmeal. She salutes all three them with a spoon, before she rises to her feet, cupping her bowl in her hands. "I'll just leave you all to ... ah, continue working on this treaty. Make sure to remember the tree in the peace talks."

[el_tybs]

Sam frowns lightly at the look Salem gives him. He so wants to point out that being in a room wouldn't let him see the sky either, and the tent was there to keep him out of the elements as he recovered from frostbite. He just bites his lip though, letting Pel talk since it seems Salem will listen to her.

It's then that Sam realizes he hears laughter and looks around, raising his brows at a woman saluting them with a spoon. "Peace treaty...?"

[mythalenaste]

"The room has a window," Pel allows. "Now come here and let the healer take a look at you."

She came out here without a coat herself, just a shawl she had wrapped around her, which she whips off to adjust around Salem's shoulders.

[fortheloveoffalondin]

Salem's eyes narrow at the woman on the fence, and he sticks his tongue at her briefly before simply holding still to let Pel fuss as she pleased.

"Wait, isn't your room the one you share with one of the other sh- humans? Is there even enough space?"

[el_tybs]

He's thankful that Pel is there and getting Salem to agree to all this. The sooner he could look at the Elf the sooner he could start on the healing.

Course now that Salem mentions it, Sam suddenly realizes that Pel had just indeed invited Salem to share a room with her and Krem. He sighs at that, rubbing his eyes wearily. Well wasn't Krem in for a surprise. "We should head inside. Exposing anything to the cold could make things worse."

[mythalenaste]

"Come on." Pel starts walking Salem toward one of the doors inside. "Yes, I share it with Krem. I'll work it out with him later, but there's plenty of space on the floor. More than enough. The shems are spoiled for space, Salem."

[fortheloveoffalondin]

"They've got this whole damned place under their control, of course they've got space," Salem points out, crossing his arms as he follows behind Pel, looking back at Sam with a squint that looked like he was trying to set Sam on fire through sheer will.

[el_tybs]

Sam makes sure he's at least a few steps back as he follows, raising a brow at the look Salem is giving him. If that's how he got treated for trying to help he wonders how things are going to go when Salem meets Krem.

Giving a frustrated huff he looks between the two of them and tilts his head. "So how do you two know each other? Are you another from Clan Ashara?"

[mythalenaste]

"No, he's my brother," Pel corrects him, as if being her brother and being from the same clan are mutually exclusive.

[fortheloveoffalondin]

"We live in different clans, but she's my older sister," Salem explains, standing just a little closer to Pel, as if he wants to take her arm but thinks better of it. "Not that I see how it's any of your business."

[el_tybs]

Well at least Salem clarified, because what Pel said hardly answered his question. Though that one bit certainly was interesting. Brother? They didn't look too much alike, but then again he wasn't exactly looking that closely.

Sam frowns at the way Salem is talking to him, but it's hardly worth getting angry over it. "Well pardon me for being curious and making small talk." Salem didn't have to say anything if he wanted, but he keeps that to himself.

[mythalenaste]

"Salem, don't be an ass. He's helping you and you're making things difficult for everyone."