[Closed] The Road to Jader ...

[sunshinethroughgrey]

WHO: Bethany Darton, Aleron Darton, Carver Hawke, Fenris, Alistair, and Inessa Serra
WHAT: Looking for the Champion, high and low
WHEN: Mid-Harvestmere
WHERE: The fine Orlesian city of Jader, and small town just outside of Jader.
NOTES: Warnings for ...well. The DA2 Crew. You know how these guys are.

For weeks, Bethany Darton had been searching for some hint of her older sister's whereabouts since she had heard about the demise of the Hero of Fereldan. Her determination only mounting when Carver returned home with Dog, she remembered one of Marian's last letters, sent from a trader in Jader. She rounded up some people who were actually willing to track down Marian again, and as soon as she had returned from the Island of Red Lyrium, she gathered them all up and headed down to the docks as quickly as she could manage it, to Jader itself.

Comments

The Journey There

[sunshinethroughgrey]

The trip itself is barely more than a day - but it is a day to sit and talk amongst yourselves if you like. Ocean travel does give one more time to catch up than you might realize, or even make new friends.

[circleprodigy]

At least this trip is more stable and pleasant than her last sea journey. Inessa basically agreed to it, since it's one the way to other matters on this side on of the sea. She's never entirely comfortable on the water, but with Garahel to steady her and people as a distraction, the young Warden can manage just fine.

Often, Inessa can be found leaning on the railing and staring outward, lost in thought. But if she hears footsteps approaching, she'll turn and smile. "And how are you doing?"

[lyriumcarved]

Of course Fenris had been very willing to come along. He wants to find out Marian's whereabouts as much as anyone, as she'd been one of the first and few mages to ever earn his respect. He feels like he owes it to her. Now he can only hope they find some sign of her.

As he approaches, he greets Inessa, always one to give Garahel a bit of attention as well, reaching to pet his head. "I'm glad we're no longer stuck on an island surrounded by tentacled abominations. Not that Orlais is always that much better." Still, it's an improvement... ish. It's good to get out of Kirkwall every so often too.

[circleprodigy]

Inessa smirks at that while Garahel nuzzles into that hand. Hi, friend. "If the weather holds, I'll be content. That last voyage was...unpleasant. I don't care for a repeat, in any fashion."

She pauses and looks at him, thoughtful. "What do you think of this lead? Is there a decent chance at finding her?"

[lyriumcarved]

For the most part, Fenris is content to keep to himself, more or less. As long as this journey doesn't pose the difficulties of the last one, everything ought to be fine. While the trip is underway, he finds a quiet spot out of the way of most others on deck. He darts a glance around, and then finally takes out the book that he's currently working on attempting to read. He hadn't had time to get back to it during the last voyage, so... maybe this time. A short, uneventful trip is a good thing.

[unshadowing]

It's one of the nice things about Fenris. He's quiet. Most of his sister's friends liked to talk. A lot. Incessantly. With the occasional exception, Fenris just kept quiet. Carver respects that.

And really, he'd have been fine to leave the elf to it. But since Fenris hoped for an uneventful voyage, well, he just tempted the fates. They hit a patch of choppy waters at one point, which of course is making the ship sway. Carver's trying to help tie up a barrel to make it more secure. Naturally, something goes awry. One of the ropes snap, and the barrel breaks free, bouncing its way across the deck...

...and right at Fenris.

"Elf, incoming!"

Better duck or dive.

[lyriumcarved]

Why can't sea voyages just be calm, boring affairs? Just once, Fenris would like to have a journey that didn't end up with something going awry. But that's definitely not to be this time. As the sea turns rough, he grumbles to himself in frustration. It figures.

He definitely doesn't notice the barrel until it's almost too late. But thanks to Carver's shout, his head snaps up and he catches it rolling right toward him...

He moves fast. Swiftly, he goes into a roll, tumbling away to the side, narrowly avoiding a collision. The barrel meanwhile smashes right into the spot he'd just left, spilling its contents all over. It smells suspiciously fishy, which is never good. "Thanks for the warning. I didn't want to spend the day covered in... whatever that is."

Jader

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Ah, lovely seaside Jader. With it's fine markets, and open shoreline, and almost pleasant speaking Orlesians who are as much interested in Trade and Commerce as to find that coin is a more valuable resource than getting snippy with Fereldans. After the Inquisition ship lands, the small group will be able to meet some of these merchants or in the local taverns to ask questions about whether or not they had seen The Great Champion Marian Hawke....

[lifeofendurance]

Charming, charming Orlesians. They never fail to smile nicely and play nice when it's in their best interest to and disdainful when that also suits. So far, the merchants that Aleron has spoken to have been very interested in selling wares and making coin, hoping that being helpful with this 'looking for the Champion' business will aid in securing a sale. At least, on the surface.

Sneaky snobs that they are, however, they switch to Orlesian when addressing each other. While looking for the Champion is a thrilling tale, they don't actually care beyond convincing 'this Marcher bumpkin to buy something or stop wasting my time.'

Aleron doesn't so much as crack a hint of a smile. But he does lean over slightly and lowers his voice, "How long do I give them before informing them I understand every word they're saying?"

[sunshinethroughgrey]

So very charming. Bethany herself is smiling the smile of someone who has absolutely no idea that people would be saying horrible things about her, oh no, why in the world would they be doing that? She puts one hand on Aleron's arm, her expression giving nothing away as she murmurs back to him.

"Wait until they say something useful and then we can see what we can do about using it to our advantage." Then raising her voice, she spoke as she gently picked up a piece of lace, "Such information is worth it's weight in gold, you know. All things considered. What pretty things you have here ..."

[lifeofendurance]

Aleron nods his agreement, as that's a sensible suggestion, but at the same time he looks uncomfortable. That involves a modicum of deception that isn't a part of his genetic makeup. Diplomacy and lying will never be tools at his disposal.

The distraction of Bethany shopping, whether it's in earnest or not, helps greatly however. He snakes an arm around his pretty wife's waist and leans over to inspect the lace in question. "Do you like it, beloved? Mother says I do not spoil you enough."

Because there's not enough dresses and lace and baubles awaiting them at home already.

[lyriumcarved]

Orlesian isn't a language that Fenris has much experience with, though he has a good ear for picking little things up here and there... Inflections, tones, that sort of thing. That knack had helped him considerably to learn Qunlat, back when he was among those who spoke it all the time. For now, he can only observe, but he definitely is catching plenty of their snobbery in their exchanges.

"Oh, I don't know. I tend to enjoy drawing it out for as long as possible. It makes the payoff all the better when you reveal you understood everything."

[lifeofendurance]

That reply actually coaxes something resembling a touch of a grin out of Aleron the ever lineface-y. He turns his back to the merchants to it's harder still for them to overhear him with his voice lowered.

"They're more interested in making a sale than anything else. Would that I had Mother or one of my sisters here to assist with that." After all, there is only so much leather goods any one person can make use of before it starts to drift into the realm of kink. The Seeker does not do kink. Ravonild on the other hand? No, he'd just as soon not even entertain that line of thought.

[unshadowing]

Why. Why did it have to be Orlais? What was wrong with Marian?

At the very least, there aren't as many sneers as Carver was anticipating, so he's a bit more relaxed as he speaks with the local merchants. For once, he actually tosses his name around much more than usual, hoping to spark something. Most know of it, but only a handful mention something about the Champion coming through, some time back. Nothing definitive, but it's... something, he supposes. At least they're on her trail.

Still, he's a bit frustrated by the time he walks away from the eleventh? Twelfth? merchant he's spoken to. "And Orlesians continue to be entirely unhelpful."

[circleprodigy]

"Perhaps we ought to have brought an Orlesian with us. They might have responded better to one of their own, not some Fereldans with mabari." Inessa remarks dryly, as she gives Garahel a comforting pat. The mabari seems a little put out that those they've met haven't been dog-lovers. He won't be down for long, though, perking up hopefully with each person they pass.

[byblow]

"I can do the accent," Alistair offers as he comes up behind them. He doesn't have a mabari, either, and if he looks enormously and unmistakably Fereldan—well. That's not his fault. His mother was Orlesian, but somehow it didn't help.

He is serious about the accent, however, and proves it by sliding into said accent for his continued rambling:

"I cannot do upper class Orlesian accents, or whatever it is the Marsh people speak, but Jader is not so difficult. It has changed hands so any times that everyone sounds like a Fereldan attempting an Orlesian accent." He catches all the way up—all the better to elbow Carver in the ribs. Not too hard. Alistair cares about Marian Hawke a great deal, and the longer they go without word of her the worse it is, but he's not her sibling. It has to be worse for them. If he can keep their chins up—or make them angry instead of sad, sure, whatever—then he will. "Try it."

[lyriumcarved]

No luck so far. Fenris is close to giving up on the taverns when he spots one more, a little out of the way from where most of the others seem to be clustered. Well, fine. Maybe he'll get some answers here. If nothing else, this has been an excuse to sample the wines they have. Orlesians make some fine wines, he'll give them that.

He sits at the bar, placing an order for something he has yet to try, listening to the conversations going on around him. Someone sitting nearby is boasting about... well, damn near everything. Soon enough, the boasting man starts talking about this and that person they've met, who are all supposedly famous in some way. Orlesians. It's typical. Now there's a fitting place to start asking questions if he ever saw one, though.

"What about the Champion of Kirkwall? I heard she's even been here recently."

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The man looks up, and puffing out his chest some, states proudly, "Well as a matter of fact, I did meet her last year. I bumped into her on her way from the marketplace, and back to her inn out of town. She said 'Excuse me', nice as you please."

[lyriumcarved]

"Did you?" That definitely catches his interest, and now Fenris is seriously hoping he's on to something here. It could all be a lie, of course, more boasting, but he's hoping for otherwise. Maker knows they need to catch a break here. "What did she look like? Can you describe anything else about the encounter?"

The Small Town Outside Jader

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After a few lucky breaks, they will find that the Champion only passed through Jader, but had spent most of her time in a small town just outside of it. A short journey there, and they'll find themselves in a small inn, where Bethany grabs Carver, and heads directly to the owner.

Only one question rests on her lips. Have you seen our sister?

[unshadowing]

Carver draws himself up, tall but (for now) respectful as they approach the owner. He glances at Bethany, hoping his nerves aren't showing in his expression. "You put this together? You want to talk to him, or should I?"

[sunshinethroughgrey]

Bethany looks over at him, her brown eyes fixing on his, before she sucks in her breath. "I will. I mean, we will."

She squeezed his arm, and then pulled him towards the bar itself.

Coming Home Again

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Once Bethany had finished trading Anders's medicines for more supplies to bring back to the Inquistion, and everyone had been gathered back aboard, she and Carver called a meeting on deck, as far to the front of the ship as possible, so the waves would cover what they were saying. Once they were all gathered, she produced Marian's ring from her satchel, looking around at everyone.

"This is my sister's House Seal ring, gifted to her from the lately departed Viscount Dumar. She traded it for room and board at that inn, outside of Jader. That was ... last Kingsway." Her jaw tightened. "The inn keeper told us that she said she was heading home -- except Carver and I? Are not entirely certain which 'home' she meant."

She looked around at each and everyone one of them solemnly. "We believe my sister may be in terrible danger ... so the sooner we move on this information, the better."

[circleprodigy]

Inessa's brow furrows as Garahel lets out a soft whine, leaning into Bethany to comfort her. "There would have been some word of her, had she returned to Kirkwall. Do you believe she might have returned to Lothering, instead? But what remains there?"

From what she'd heard, the town had never recovered from the Fifth Blight. But perhaps that would make it the perfect place for the Champion, if she wanted to be alone.

[lyriumcarved]

"Could there have been some remaining business she had to deal with in Lothering? Or... is there anywhere else she might have gone?" Fenris frowns, thinking over what they've found, from the timing of Marian's last visit here, to what she'd said. He's getting the same feeling from this as the Hawkes seem to be. "But even then... she would have found some way to contact you, even secretly, if she were able. That she hasn't..."

It definitely doesn't bode well. She may have been captured on her way somewhere. Or she may just be in some other precarious position where she just can't afford to make contact with anyone right now. Either way doesn't sound so good.