it takes me back to where i first started; | ota

[lacere]

WHO: Scout Harding and you!
WHAT: A catch-all for all your Lace needs, including mothering scouts going on adventures, gossip from her underlings about her supposed relationship with Bruce, tavern time with friends, and runs back and forth to the Hinterlands -- but if there's something you want to do with her, now's the time!
WHEN: From the beginning of Haring prior to the Scout departure, and until the middle weeks.
WHERE: Skyhold and the Hinterlands, potentially.
NOTES: None at the moment.

1. SCOUT TEAM PREPARATIONS ;

She is not going with them.

It is strange to not be, to be surrounded by those who were recruited with her and after her and those that are her fellow scouts, her Inquisition family, and to not be joining them in this venture. She will, with time - wherever the Inquisition goes to next, these are only forward scouts, and she trusts them to do the job assigned, to chart the way for when she and the others do get there, for when they start to make a holding in these places.

Harding's front is perfect, and practiced. Outwardly, it does not bother her, and she makes busy. She reiterates orders from the top, goes over the plans and the information the Inquisition has scrounged up on both destinations multiple times, checks and rechecks supplies, goes to the quartermaster, goes to the armory, prepares. But it is not for her -- and despite it all, it is still strange not to be going with them. She trusts in what she and each of them have to do, and yet - do they spread themselves too thinly? Should they concentrate their efforts and not have her go elsewhere, when she could help here?

She has her own things to do, after this. And despite the inner questions, Harding is firm.

In the day leading up towards the scouting party's departure, Harding makes her final checks, but most of all, she lends an ear to any nerves that might need soothing, and mothers over her effective flock. If you don't see her beforehand, you'll find a drink heading your way in the tavern that night from her but also a quiet reminder to not sit here all night and go to bed.



2. SCANDALOUS GOSSIP!!, OR, ON MARIGOLDS AND HIGHTOWNS ;

It does not take long for the rumours to find their way back to Harding.

For one thing, the scouts in the mire had already talked about her secret paramour in earshot after she'd written several letters to Bruce, so she was aware - she had laughed once, and then firmly told them to cut it out. That had done little to dissuade them once they had a face (and a name) to attach to this 'B' that their boss had been writing to, apparently, as the rumours circulated around the mire and Skyhold and made their way back to her, in paper form as well as eavesdropping. Really, they should have expected no less from their boss who worked for their spymaster, who knew everything.

Plus this piece of paper with to the minute breakdowns of time she and Bruce spent together. If only they put this level of detail into their reports.

Still, at first it was only the scouts, but now it seems that everyone and their mabari knows, from the dignitaries arriving to the scullery maid to the horsemaster, and each retelling gets wilder and wilder. A passionate kiss had been in the latest retelling, and, frankly, this was getting out of hand.

Harding's first port of call is to seek out Bruce.

Of course, you can approach her before or after that about the rumours. Who wants to know about Harding n' Hightown? Everyone, apparently.



3. TAKING A BREAK ;

Whilst not making preparations or seeing to scout duties, Harding is a frequent visitor to the Herald's rest. She comes and goes without a word, sometimes bringing her work, sometimes making the the tavern itself her work and occasionally dropping coin into more than just an ale for herself.

She invites friends on occasion, and sometimes seeks them out. Sometimes she writes, sometimes she reads, sometimes she spends too long watching a particularly handsome individual for no reason than maker, they're so aesthetically pleasing and please stay for the rest of the night, thanks.



4. ON ASSIGNMENT (THE HINTERLANDS, THE FROSTBACKS);

The presence may be known, but there is still much to be done and connections to be upheld. It's all about presence as well as making the Inquisition stronger, making them seem more reliable and a constant. Harding knows this well; whilst the Herald ploughed ahead, those below were the ones to be her reach where she could not be, and now with her passing, that was even more important. They had gone to the mire and done what was needed well enough, but the Hinterlands remained.

Harding makes frequent runs to The Crossroads and further to Redcliffe, bringing people for deal-making, scouts with supplies, sometimes on covert missions selling stuffed nugs with another dwarf (don't ask). Sometimes she goes further afield across the Frostbacks, sticking to the mountain paths that may or may not have been forged by the Inquistion, to keep watch, to wait for those from Orlais and Ferelden and further afield who have announced their intention on visiting the Inquisition. Sometimes she takes people back, rather than to, but there are many hours to spend in the cold, waiting, watching.

Do you go with her on one of these excursions?



5. OR IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE YOU HAD IN MIND?

Comments

4.

[the_effect_she_has]

Katniss could have come up to Lace as one of her fledgling scouts, true enough. She could have come to her as one warrior or another. But long before there was Lead Scout Harding and Other Archer Everdeen, there were two young girls in the Hinterlands. Their parents were friends - and they ran the hills until the Blight came and changed all of their worlds.

It was to that memory that she appeared in the Herald's Rest, a place she rarely visited but that for Lace being here that she appeared. Taller now, even taller than when they were growing up, and a hint of world weariness to her shoulders. But her slight smile was warm as she dropped down at Lace's table and said with utter seriousness.

"So, I've heard that someone around here might just be the Lead Scout of the entire Inquisition. Someone I always said should do more than just herd goats."

[lacere]

"I can't imagine who that person would be," Harding feigns, off-handedly, with a shrug. She tries to sound blase, not bothering to look up from her report (because she saw Katniss when she entered, knew her immediately, of course she did), but the smile spreads on her face all the same until she does look up. "This Lead Scout of yours doesn't sound like a terribly smart person. Good thing they had you - and that hole in the sky - to set them on the right path."

[the_effect_she_has]

"Oh can't you? She was ... oh, around your height. Same kind of eyes, same kind of freckles. Although honestly her sense of humor tended to be ... kind of dry." Katniss put her chin on her hand, smiling in turn. "And she had to have some brains -- after all she gave up goats for callow youths. I am sure they listen somewhat better."

She let out a sigh, "And I can't be smart either, jumping into a battle where we're going against ancient darkspawn and power-mad templars and Venatori."

[lacere]

Harding hums, thoughtfully, leaning back in her chair. "The sheep don't talk back," she says. Or spread rumours - or maybe they did, who knew what kind of rumours sheep spread to their sheep friends, and there was this one ram in Redcliffe that One-Eyed Jimmy had practically begged every passerby to find. Maybe the gossip had spread to him already.

"Well, sometimes you just have to know when to make a stand for a world you haven't already seen, but you're going to. And to help everyone you find along the way. Not that I know the two people we're talking about, or anything." Harding laughs, shaking her head. "Welcome to the Inquisition, Katniss. You'll find that none of us are too smart about our day jobs here."

[the_effect_she_has]

"Well, that's because you can put an arrow in the sheep's arse without worrying about getting in trouble. Of course, we can try it on one of the callow youths and see what happens. I bet they bleat just as loudly." Katniss is joking - but if she finds anyone who has been talking out of turn about Lace? She'll be hitting first and speaking to Commander Cullen later.

"Sounds like a pretty big job for two hick girls out of the Hinterlands - not that I know who we're talking about either." That grin grows, one of the real ones, before she goes to give Lace's arm a gentle jab, "So I've been told! You wouldn't believe how shocked I was to find out about you being here! I thought they would have sent you to herd all of the surface dwarves into picking up a sword. Even better that they made you Lead Scout. Your mother must be over the moon."

[lacere]

"I would never," Harding objects with a scoff. Like she would impale sheep or scouts just because one would get her into trouble and one wouldn't. But she does think about it. "But they probably do. Too much hassle in trying it out, though."

At the mention of her mother, Harding rubs the back of her neck. Yeah, about that. "She writes often. She wants to buy a map from our neighbour so she can track where I've been. Which means telling her more about the places I've been." You understand the problem. Not that she doesn't want to share the wonders of a place with her mother, it's just the bad things. I mean, who wants to say Haven was destroyed by a dark magister, then assure that she's not in any extraordinary danger, and by the way, you should head to Denerim as soon as you can. Kinda doesn't go in the same sentence. "There's still time for every dwarf we come across, though. Apparently I make a good impression to newbies."

[the_effect_she_has]

"I would. Well ... no. I would never hurt an innocent sheep that didn't deserve it." She leaned back, slinging one arm back over her chair. "True. All the paperwork. My spelling is still questionable."

A slow nod, before she pursed her lips. Mother Harding was a good, hardworking woman who Katniss could only call 'sweet'. Fussing over her and Prim while they were growing up, always making her take an extra provision of canned goods. "Well, just tell her that I'm here now, and I'll make sure you stay out of trouble." A pause. "Mostly."

One corner quirked up her lips, "So let me guess ... people find you inspirational. I never would have guessed, she said to her childhood hero growing up."

[lacere]

"I'm not sure she'll be convinced about the keeping out of trouble part," Harding teases. Harding always admired Katniss and her tenacity and resolve, and it had in part inspired her to see just what was out there in the world from the stories her father had once told when she was young. She'd picked up a bow for many different reasons, joined the Inquisition for many more, but Katniss was in there somewhere. "But I'd expect a letter from her if she knows you're here. I think she enjoys writing them."

Still, despite the tease, there was a lot of trouble two young girls in the Hinterlands could get into if they chose to go off on adventures for an afternoon or two.

"I suppose they do. There's a lot to be said about resolve and determination. Try hard enough and you'll find yourself in charge."

[the_effect_she_has]

"I only got you in trouble two times, and one of those times we could have just blamed the bear." Katniss sniffed faintly, but her eyes were bright with humor. They softened though -- because so many had died ... and to have a bright reminder of happier days? "I ... would welcome it."

Oh, more trouble than either one of them would admit while sober.

"...I'm not exactly the charming leader type. I'll leave that up to you."

[lacere]

"You never know," Harding shrugs, but her smile is gentle. "They might put you in charge of a group of scouts. Fair warning, they'll probably find out a friend of mine is here soon enough and will try to get stories out of you. They can be intense." Especially when all nine of them swarm - she's trying to curb that with fellow allies, at least.

[the_effect_she_has]

Katniss's eyebrows rose together, before she pursed her lips, "Should I be shutting them down like that Redcliffe boy who kept mooning around us - who, by the by, I still say wanted you and not me?" She was joking - but she would firmly shut down anyone who was looking to embarrass her friend.

[lacere]

"Nah," Harding laughs. She gives her a look that says and it was you, but she continues on with another shrug. It's not embarrassing, so much; it's rather flattering they're interested but she knows the reasoning behind it. "They mean well. They're good people, and the ones that are assigned to me? I couldn't ask for a better team because they get the job done. But everyone here has a past and a story to tell; some don't feel like sharing. Guess it gives them all something to latch onto when there's mysteries and rumours about their boss."

She pauses, and adds as an afterthought, "You wanna tell them blatant lies, go ahead. We'll see who figures it out and who doesn't."

[the_effect_she_has]

Katniss returns that look with a raised eyebrow, Oh no, it was so you, but does not respond until Lace has finished explaining the situation. That was Lace for you, all over, generous to a fault. That they were Lace's people meant that she was going to take care of them. "I guess we all have rumors spread about us. Well, except me."

She'd yet to hear her name on the rumor mill. Frankly, it was a relief.

A smirk crossed her lips, "Well, they don't know me. I might be able to get away with it."