faderift | (no subject)

WHO: Bethany Darton nee Hawke, Fenris, Jim Kirk, Inessa Serra, Velenna, Hermione Granger, and whomever else wants to go exploring
WHAT: Book nerds!
WHEN: Last week of Justinian
WHERE: The Kirkwall Library
NOTES: You cannot handle this much nerd.

Bethany was waiting for her little group in front of the Viscount's Palace, and if they happen to get there early they can see her pensive expression as she looks off to the crater where the Chantry once stood. She was, after all, a Fereldan dog who called Kirkwall her home, so every wound here is personal.

Yet as soon as the others appear, her cheer returns, as she excitedly leads them to the Library of Kirkwall, in the lower levels of the Palace. Scholars wander between the tall shelves, but Bethany has an old brass key, and she leads them further down, down, down into the cellars of the library, where crates of books await them. Some are moldy, some are old and falling apart, and some of them are just useless ... but keep looking, you don't know what you might find ...be

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I'm not" Velanna replies somewhat sharply, looking offended that Bethany would even insinuate that she'd harm the book. "I know how to treat things with respect." Really, books get more respect from her than most people.

Bethany gave her a steady look, before she said quietly, "You're very upset - and you know as well as I do that the slightest rough touch on some of these parchments could damage them." A pause, "I can show you the gylph of preservation I learned, if you like."

Velanna takes a deep breath before speaking again, the calm almost forced into her voice.

"I'm not that upset. The book is in no danger. Look," she gestures at the book opened before her, and it is, in fact, unharmed. She can be angry but also gentle, it's a talent she's cultivated from years of having to do slap-job healing patches before getting someone to a real healer when out in the field.

Bethany looks, nods her head slowly, before she smiles apologetically. "I am sorry, Velenna. You're absolutely right, you're taking care of the book beautifully."

She relaxes as Bethany agrees with her, letting out a breath that's a little less forced.

"I wouldn't harm the books. It isn't their fault their caretakers are wasteful."

"I cannot deny that. They've taken very shoddy care of these volumes. They should be ashamed of themselves." Bethany carefully puts the protection glyph on the scroll before her, just to be safe.

"I agree," really Velanna's been crabby about the human caretakers since they walked in. "Someone poured all their time and energy into this book, once. And now it's rotting, because someone else decided it wasn't important enough to be cared for."

"What is it that my father always used to say to me? 'History is written by the winners'. I suppose this was all history written by the losers of varying degrees, so thus was less important." She finished her glyph, lips pressed together, "I think that is what disappoints me the most - knowing that there are so many more stories out there that aren't being told because people just can't be bothered to share a different opinion than their own."

"You and I agree on this," and other things, but Velanna has a lot of opinions about stories and their importance. She lets out a quiet breath, gently turning the page she's on in her book.

"The Dalish have lost so much of our history, and the elves that dwell in the cities have lost even more of it. Attitudes like this are as much to blame as those who warred against each other in the first place."

"Well good, there should be a lot of things we agree on, but this is important." She looks through the pile again, before she looks over at the other woman thoughtfully.

"Have you thought about writing out your own history? I mean - I always see you writing but -- you probably know so much more about the culture and the rites than anyone else in our little group of Wardens."

"I have- some of it, at least." Velanna smiles softly as she turns another page, shaking her head. "That was Jonas's idea. He gave me a journal as a gift, told me to write down the stories I knew and new ones, because I was always complaining about how much we've lost."

Granted her writings have become more than just stories of Dalish heroes, but she still has that first journal, worn but well cared for, as books should be.

"You know, I hear so many mixed stories about Jonas ... I'm glad he gave you that." She smiled softly, before she looked thoughtful, "Well, if you can put together any of the stories here? Future generations will be grateful. I know I will be right now."

"He could be arrogant, but he spared me when any other would have executed me. I miss talking to him." He'd frustrated her, to be sure. But he'd also been a friend, where she hadn't expected to find one. His absence was one of many reasons why she hadn't returned to the Wardens sooner.

Sighing and looking down at the pages before her, Velanna nods her head, fingers lightly ghosting the edges of the paper.

"We can do what we can, here. It's a shame there's no spells to restore moldy parchment."

"I wonder what he'd make of all this - what he would do about it." Bethany mused, as she kept going through her books. "I would have liked to had the foresight of the Hero of Fereldan, no matter how ... questionable his later actions."

"I couldn't say," Velanna shakes her head, squinting down at the page. "He may have done a better job of keeping the Wardens from getting so... fractured. Or he may have fallen for the False Calling too." She doubted that, but it had been a long time since she'd seen Jonas. He could be a very different person these days.

"I suppose we'll never know -- and we shouldn't expect him to come back and save us. Any less Evelyn Trevaleyn, and my own sister Marian." She sighed quietly. "We have to be our own heroes, now."