[closed] tiptoe through the tulips

[altusimperius]

WHO: Benedict, Wren, James, Simon, Hanzo, some new friends
WHAT: The time has finally come to return Benedict to his people. Something maybe goes a little bit wrong.
WHEN: Early Bloomingtide
WHERE: southern Tevinter
NOTES: Warnings for violence.

Three Templars, a magister's son, and a Shimada cross the border from Hasmal to the Tevinter Imperium: it sounds like a joke, and in many ways it probably is, but to Benedict it just seems like overkill.
His mother requested the Templars, ostensibly for protection against the southern apostates driven mad by their little war; Hanzo, a man whose name he recognizes but is too young to properly remember, presumably tagged along for the practical benefits of visiting Minrathous without the Inquisition's grandeur.

Magister Calpurnia Artemaeus awaits them at the family home, and all they have to do is get there. Surely the nightmare will soon be over.

Comments

[eruit]

His own travels away from home had been ten years in the past; it's been a very long time since Hanzo has done any travel towards Tevinter whatsoever. It's not an easy road to take, especially not with a group of people that is as varied as their own is... He wants to see his homeland with enough longing that he has no desire to complain, but he is already feeling the budding edge of frustration at simply trying to choose a route to go.

"Toward Perivantium may not be faster," he says, voice low and quiet. It's carefully measured, as if designed not to give away any kind of feelings either way. "But there is a risk of danger in the Plains which may slow our travel. We are not here to seek a fight, we are here to make haste."

There's nothing to say that they won't be entirely free of the Venatori, either, which makes his brow drop as he grows a little more tense.

[judgemewhole]

James had no idea which would be the faster way, outside of reading a map. So when it came to deciding which way to go, he honestly would prefer to stick to the map. He held Dauntless's reins loosely, looking from Benedict, who he did not want to follow, to Wren, whom he knew was only along to keep Simon and himself from being left in the dessert to die.

So, in the interests of keeping this going, he glanced over at Hanzo. Then back to Simon. After that, he drawled out, "Well, I cannot speak for the rest of us, but staying out here in the heat will be bad for the mounts and the people riding them. Quicker would be wise."

[altusimperius]

"What's that," muses Bene snidely, "a Templar said something intelligent for once?" He directs the comment at... no one, really, because he's surrounded by Templars and a former magister he considers beneath him, but someone has to appreciate his scathing wit. Maybe the fennecs will.

[limier]

"Perivantium." As though that settles it — perhaps Benedict has a budding career in reverse psychology — "We can trade horses in Hasmal if need be."

Unless Ashlock has a compelling argument otherwise. One sandstorm was enough for the year.

[judgemewhole]

"Which would still put me ahead of you by one." James muttered under his breath, before he nodded at Wren. "Agreed. I'll ride vanguard, if that's all right with everyone."

Anything to be as far away from Benedict as possible. Honestly sometimes he just wanted to throttle the boy. This would take away the temptation.

[eruit]

"Perivantium, then." Hanzo, truly, doesn't mind either way. He is more than capable of defending himself, protecting himself, and he can do his duty and extend that protection to the people around him if necessary. The sooner they get to the Imperium the better; he can see his home, briefly, drink it in once more, before returning to the Inquisition as though he has not lost anything at all in the journey.

"There will be many stables along the way. I doubt we will have issue." His knowledge of the area is old enough that he's not entirely certain, but he doesn't think that it's too novel an idea.