[Closed] Peeking at the Peak

[justice_is_blond]

WHO: Alistair, Anders, Carver, Loghain, Nate, Teren
WHAT: A happy little field trip out to a happy little place, all in hopes of continuing with a Blight cure.
WHEN: Drakonis 5
WHERE: Soldier's Peak
NOTES: Summarized here.

The Fortress looms before them, cold stone walls protecting cold stone towers, rimmed by cold snowy hills.

It's cold, basically, and somehow manages to look even colder than it feels. The stairs upward are no longer even, crooked and bent as if some giant decided he wanted to romp his way through, and the gates are askew and slightly open.

On the approach there's little noise beyond wind whistling through, until the gate is touched and a flock of ravens bursts upward in a cackling cacophony. Beyond that it's still. Too still, perhaps.

Comments

Mingle on the way

[justice_is_blond]

Teren

[doneisdone]

Though never especially sociable, Teren is unusually avoidant on the journey to Soldier's Peak, with an uncharacteristic air of nervous caution as she picks her way to and from her tent. There are several topics that might come up, none of which she wants, and her solution is, apparently, to hide from everyone instead. At least when not cooking or cleaning Riddle's tack or keeping watch into the late hours.

[justice_is_blond]

Running into Teren isn't as common a thing as he'd like it to be, but Anders notices pretty quickly is that it's even more rare on this trip. He could let it be. It's generally what she wants.

...But what if this is the time when she really just wants someone to talk with?

Anders comes over when they've stopped for the evening and she's cooking, taking a seat on one of the logs they're using for that purpose. "Is it just me, or are you being even more quiet than usual?"

just showing up 2 make things awk

[mactears]

It probably has nothing to do with the taciturn Warden who comes to the fire long enough to get himself a bowl of stew, and then retreats back to his own tent to eat in relative quiet and isolation.

thx fam

[doneisdone]

It could always be that time, but there's never any way of knowing until it's too late. Teren looks like she might be about to answer Anders, but her eyes flit up to watch the shape of Loghain come by and she falls still.
It's not until he leaves again that she looks back at Anders, taking a bite of her own stew. She shrugs one shoulder. IUNNO NOTHIN

[justice_is_blond]

He looks over as she does, before looking back at her. There's a short pause as he gives her more time to answer, but when that doesn't come Anders shakes his head.

"Seriously, Teren, just kiss him. He's not that complicated. He's Fereldan, they're particularly uncomplicated." He's not being entirely serious... but it's also not completely a joke.

"If you can deal with me being around all the time, which obviously you can because you came, then he's got to be even easier. He doesn't talk half as much as I do." Or have half as many countries furious with him. Loghain's a bargain.

[doneisdone]

She cuts Anders a glare at that, pausing with the spoon halfway to her mouth.

"It is complicated," she snaps, "and if you weren't so hellbent on not understanding why, you'd see that." She finishes the motion to take a bite, chewing grumpily and rooting around in the nearly-empty bowl with her spoon.

"How much did Nate tell you about what happened in the Fade?" She didn't call him Howe. That might be a gift for Anders, or a slip.

[justice_is_blond]

Anders looks a little happier, briefly, at 'Nate' being used over the surname, but then he settles back into serious-enough mode.

"In the Fade? Some, but I'm going to guess this is something in the Fade regarding you? In which case, nothing." Which means he's not going to prod at the 'not understanding' bit. She gets leeway because he trusts that there's something here and he cares about her.

[doneisdone]

That information gives her pause, and Teren looks off into the distance for a moment. He didn't say anything. That's...
....surprisingly cool of him.

"...good," she says, and sighs, pressing her hair back out of her face. Perhaps it's best to leave that where it lies for now.
"There are. ...things about me that I prefer to keep my own," she continues, dancing around the subject, "and I find that the more aware of them someone is, the less likely they are to have anything to do with me."

[justice_is_blond]

"Teren," Anders says gently, "I blew up the Chantry. I understand keeping some things from the past private, there are... there are a couple of things that I've only told Nate, but I don't think there's anything you've done that would chase me away at this point."

And there's one thing that he's told no one, and probably will carry to his grave unspoken. But it's also something he'd never see Teren doing.

"I blew up the Chantry and the man you're avoiding is notorious for doing a lot of shady things in Ferelden. The company you're in is about as understanding of past actions as you can get."

[doneisdone]

"That's not what I'm talking about," Teren insists, almost helpless in tone, and she shakes her head irritably. It results in her actually resting her face in her hands for a moment.
"I--..." Lifting her head with a sigh, she looks over at Loghain again, her expression tired and frustrated. "I'm not what he's expecting."

[justice_is_blond]

Sometimes he needs to shut up and listen. This... is looking like one of those times.

"What do you mean?"

[doneisdone]

She alluded to it once, in her letter to him, and there's a part of Teren that hoped she would never have to have this conversation again. In truth, she doesn't have to, but Anders has proven himself as trustworthy as any. More trustworthy than Zerique or Mishka, at least so it appears, but that damage is already done.
Setting her bowl aside, she wraps her arms around her updrawn knees, looking tired and old. "Do you know why I never had children, Anders?"

Carver Hawke

[unshadowing]

Sure, it's cold, but it's Ferelden. It's home, or at least his first home. Carver never minds coming back to this country, even if it holds some painful memories. For a long time, it was the only place he ever knew. Coming back here reminds him of simpler times.

So he's a bit brighter, not even minding the chill as they climb the mountain. Though he senses a tension amongst some of the other Wardens. He hardly knows any of their relationships well enough to determine who and why, nor does he particularly care. Instead, he focuses on what needs to be done. He'll often keep watch or help clean and or gut whatever they've caught for dinner. Though, given the unexplained tensions, he is keeping to himself a bit more, mostly to make sure he doesn't get caught up in any drama.

Sometimes Wardens are as bad as gossip noble women.

Re: Carver Hawke

[justice_is_blond]

"Maker, even you are being quiet," Anders says with a shake of his head as he joins the man with dinner prep.

"Did you nail your sister's braid to something again and you're fearing reprisal? Flirt with the wrong woman and get threatened? I'm going to keep guessing things until you say, so you may want to tell me what's on your mind sooner rather than later."

[unshadowing]

Carver cocks a brow at Anders as he sits himself down next to him and starts chatting. Well then.

"And I'm usually a chatterbox?" he says with a shake of his head, turning his attention back to the animal he's skinning. "I'm fine. It's tense around here and I've no idea why, so I'm staying out of it."

[justice_is_blond]

He shrugs to the initial question.

"It's more obvious that everyone's being quiet when you're not muttering at them." There's a little amusement in his voice, but it's tempered because Carver has a point. "I'd expected a little more... I don't know. Anything, really, rather than the frostiness."

[unshadowing]

He snorts at that. True, everyone being quiet does mean he has less to bitch about. Aside from the tension hanging thick in the air, but that's more of a mystery than a source of irritation. "Something must have happened between some of the people here. Sort of hoping you knew what it was, actually. Not that I particularly care if it's just interpersonal drama."

[justice_is_blond]

"For once, I'm not the one with the gossip," Anders says with a glance around. He sounds a little disappointed - having the gossip is a time-honored tradition from Kinloch Hold and just about the only one he's cared to keep.

"I do care about what it is, and not just because I'd like this to go fairly smoothly before I have more work from it." Anything Avernus has found, if he's found anything, will mean more research and effort from Anders. But it will be worth it. "You can't tell me you didn't find it interesting hearing about any... interpersonal drama that happened within our group in Kirkwall while you were learning how to Warden?"

[unshadowing]

"It might just be from a spat. Seems tense enough for one to have happened, anyway." Disagreements happened, people would get over it. Or not. Who knows with this lot? Though Anders has a point; if things boil over, it could mean a headache for the two of them and whoever else isn't involved. Ugh.

"Not really. It's other people's business. Once you start asking, you inevitably get dragged into it." It likely comes from a place where he'd rather people not butt into his business, so he tries not to do the same.

[justice_is_blond]

"It's a good thing you weren't born a mage. You'd never be right for it," he teases. "Prodding and prying is part of the life. It's a bonus when everyone gets pulled in. How else do you think Marion wound up in the middle of so many things?"

Besides, helping people with their problems meant he could ignore his own. Sometimes they even made his own seem smaller, a definite bonus.

[unshadowing]

It certainly says something that his words don't carry the sting they once might have, or that he doesn't see it as an underpinned insult because of his sisters. There's a slight twitch of his jaw, but nothing more. "Because Marian's an incessant busybody and willingly tosses herself into that. She's a mage, so I suppose by your logic it makes sense." He loves his sister, really he does.

[justice_is_blond]

He grins. "Exactly. Mage equals busybody. We can't help ourselves."

Anders gets up, stretching slowly. "I suppose it's time to go demonstrate this talent and ask directly. Mourn me if I get stabbed to death?"

[unshadowing]

...was that a serious question? Uh.

"I'll... help build your funeral pyre." He shrugs. Hey, at least he's trying? Kind of? "Maybe give a eulogy if I get enough drinks in me."

[justice_is_blond]

The grin widens. Poor Carver, doomed to be the straight man around all the people who joke around. Anders is glad he gets to see a little more of this, though, considering how they'd used to not get along at all.

"Your words warm my heart," he says with a dramatic bow, and then he's heading off.