[OPEN] And so become yourself

[wheretheferngrows]

WHO: Fern + OPEN
WHAT: A catch-all kind of post for mid-September.
WHEN: A couple weeks before the island adventure, about a week after her last open post.
WHERE: Around Kirkwall and the Gallows, specifically the stables, the herb garden, training grounds.
NOTES: None currently, will update as needed. Also, if you'd like a specific starter, please ping me on plurk or discord and we can set something up!

I. THE STABLES


Fern likes the stables. It's the smell, she thinks--not that she's particularly taken in by the stink of horse manure or anything, but horses and dogs and animal smells in Kirkwall aren't so very different from those same smells back in Ansburg (and, more distantly, Ferelden). That's probably why, although the Inquisition has given her a place to sleep in the mages' tower in the Gallows, Fern prefers to bunk in the hay loft above Rooster's stall. It's a bit drafty at night, sure, but still so much easier for her to sleep here, with the animal sounds and the soft, ambient glow of the outdoor lanterns spilling warmly through the windows.

This is where she's sleeping one night when the sound of the stable doors opening wakes her up. Blinking sleep out of her eyes (and plucking some hay out of her hair), she sits up underneath her blanket and steals a tiny peek over the edge of the loft, trying to see who it is who's come to snoop about the animals so late at night. In his stall below her, Rooster swivels his large ears forward and drowsily sticks his head out of his paddock, curious.



II. THE HERB GARDEN


She tells herself that she isn't just spending her free time loitering about the Gallows herb garden because she's hoping to casually run into Sina here, but that's probably a large part of it.

Nevertheless, now that she's spent enough time here to develop a sense of familiarity with the plants, it's not that much of a hardship to go about the process of watering the plants that need it, harvesting from those at risk of going to seed, and placing a few warming glyphs near the summer plants that are at risk of dying when the temperatures dip at night.

At present she's up to her elbows in dirt trying to salvage a few wilting elfroot plants.



III. THE GALLOWS TRAINING GROUNDS


It feels profoundly unfair to Fern that even after being told no by that Senior Grey Warden, after crying in front of a bunch of complete strangers, after trying so hard to find other ways to keep herself occupied and make herself useful, she still ends up hovering on the outskirts of the training grounds when she doesn't have anything else to do.

It's afternoon on an unseasonably warm day; no one particular group has reserved the grounds for a session, so it's a mish-mash of soldiers, scouts, Templars, and other sorts (including, yes, probably some Grey Wardens) who are making use of the facilities now. Fern sits off to the side in a patch of shade with a sewing needle and some of her own worn socks that are in need of mending; with some longing, she watches the Wardens at their work--then stabs the needle through her sock grudgingly. (take that, alistair.)



IV. WILDCARD


(OOC: Surprise me!)

Comments

[wheretheferngrows]

She hears light footsteps behind her and tries to be Very Cool And Casual about looking over her shoulder to see who it is--but can't quite disguise her disappointment when she sees someone who isn't Sina. Still, the sight of another elf, even a Dalish elf, is a welcome one.

"I was just looking for elfroot, but those look like they need a bit more love and care."

"I think they're getting too much sunlight, really," Fern replies and twists her face into a little frown, then dusts some dirt off of her hands and pushes herself up to her feet. She turns to Cyril again with a curious smile, eyes flitting to his vallaslin. "Would dried elfroot do instead? I think there's some of that around the gardens somewhere."

[samahl]

"I think so," Cyril says thoughtfully. "I'm not actually sure what they're doing with it, but I would assume it's just as good dried."

Then, after a moment, he adds with a soft chuckle, "Sorry, when someone talks about dried elfroot to me, I automatically think they want to smoke it." That's probably thanks to his brother.

[wheretheferngrows]

Eyes widening, Fern exclaims, "What?!" and quickly looks around as though expecting to see some fussing Chantry mother descend upon her to scold her for encouraging such wretched vices in others. She looks hastily back to Cyril and shakes her head, insisting, "No! No, that's not what I meant--"

But then it becomes clear to her that he isn't insinuating that she's some sort of elfroot pusher, and was just making a joke. Cheeks burning, she ducks her head and mumbles, "It's just this way--I'll show you," and leads him towards the dried stores of herbs.

[samahl]

He seems amused, but not at her expense so much as at the situation. "Thank you," he says as he follows her.

"I didn't mean to say I thought you partook in elfroot like that. My brother does, though, and had for most of his adolescence and all of his adulthood. That's what makes me think of it."

[wheretheferngrows]

The look Fern shoots Cyril is almost scandalized, but after glancing around them again and realizing that no one else is sending any scowls of condemnation their way, she realizes that she's the one who is odd and out, not Cyril. Does no one take it that seriously around here? ...Maybe it was just her mother.

"My mum would've taken a strap to me if she'd caught me at it," she muttered, rubbing the back of her neck. (Ma Doirnáin is quite the devout Andrastian, the glaring exception being her refusal to turn over her apostate daughter to the Templars; that aside, vices of all other varieties were not well tolerated.)

Reaching the storage room for the dried herbs, Fern pulls the door open and gestures inside. "Here you are," she tells Cyril and manages a little smile for him, shocking topic of conversation aside.

[samahl]

Cyril honestly can't help but find Fern's scandalized expression endearing. He doesn't want to patronize her though, so he avoids much more teasing for now.

"Forgive me, sometimes I forget that others had people like that looking over their actions. My mother passed away when I was very young, and my father before her. The closest I had to parents were the elders of my Clan, and many of them had children of their own to look after."

When she takes him to the elfroot despite all of that, he offers her thanks. "Ma serannas - er, Thank you."

[wheretheferngrows]

"You're welcome," Fern replies distractedly, her ear caught on that strange elvish phrase. She frowns quizzically and tips her head some. "What's that word you just said?"

[samahl]

"Ah, it's two words actually. Ma serannas," he says it carefully for her, repeating the sounds to make them easier to pick out.

"It translates to My Thanks, or Thank You."

[wheretheferngrows]

She'd sorted out the meaning from context, but is nevertheless grateful that Cyril hadn't regarded her with disdain for her curiosity. "Ma serannas," she repeats out loud slowly, then one more time, considering how it sounds to her ear. Then she smiles up at him, shyly thankful.

[samahl]

"Are you interested in learning more of the bits and pieces that have been recovered? We don't have enough for a full lexicon but I'm sure most of the Dalish elves here would be happy to share what has been recovered."

That was, after all, the whole point of the Dalish clans wasn't? To find, preserve, and eventually share knowledge of their history.

[wheretheferngrows]

So far, Fern's experiences with the Dalish elves have been far more positive than her parents had led her to expect. She looks rightly startled by Cyril's offer, her eyes widening some. "Oh--maybe," she starts, not wanting to sound too nosy or pushy. There's a touch of suspicion in the way she gives him a sideways sort of look. "...I thought the Dalish didn't like elves like me."

[samahl]

Cyril frowns a bit at that, concerned over the idea. "Why wouldn't I? We only just met." He points that out carefully, because he can't know how he feels about her without getting to know her better. For now, all he knows is that she's young and an elf and showed interested in the language.