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it takes me back to where i first started; | ota
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.
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?
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"I've done all I can, for now. At least I think so. Packing is done; if I take on any more it'll compromise that need to travel light. That's a priority, isn't it? I admit, I haven't experience or talent with this sort of mission. I'll blast away whatever needs it, but otherwise, I have a feeling that the actual scouts will be doing most of the work."
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She shakes her head, because that's all shop-talk, and will probably do nothing but add to Korrin's nerves, if there are any. "You're a team, but you have to make sure you have what you need. Mages don't usually come along, but if there's a way to make something easier, then suggest it. The scouts can do their thing, but so can you."
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And I can handle my own needs, always have. As long as my staff and potions are with me, that's what matters. I've tried to big as much in the way of ingredients for the latter as possible, but it's hard to estimate when we're not sure if we're heading back or waiting for everyone to catch up." So, erring on the side of caution. "You said mages don't usually come along, but have you worked with any on your scouting trips?"
no subject
"Not often," Harding admits. "It depends what it is, where you're going, how subtle you have to be. An arrow from a tree is much less of a giveaway to a position than a bolt of lightning. But not everywhere is the Hinterlands, and not everywhere has become a war ground."
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And the part about trust makes absolute sense, of course, reminding her all too well of the Valo-Kas and how vital it was that they have each other's backs on missions. Not that she'll see them again for a while, but it still applies. "It'll be a little strange, having a new rifter on for this one. I hope he's up to it. His fighting skills aren't in doubt, but this is all new to him. Even though he's not a civilian, it could still be overwhelming."
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Harding has mixed feelings on that one. One, yes, helping is good. Two, rifters are an uncertainty that's never going to become certain as it's something they have only word to take. It's harder to dig up information on someone when there's nowhere to dig, but she means what she said about trust. She's willing to extend that the once. Not twice.
"Even if it's foreign to him, if it's anything like he's used to, it could help. It's called culture shock, isn't it? If you go from one thing to another? Sitting around in Skyhold isn't going to help, and the last thing we want is people with green shards in their hands running away and being found overwhelmed by another force. Possibly Corypheus, just like how he went after the Herald."
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Then she frowns as another thought comes to her. "That mark can seal rifts, though. We've seen that, in the mire. If it comes down to keeping a low profile or sealing demons away, I can't say I won't be tempted to encourage him on that."
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Harding sighs, a heavy sigh for someone so small. "If it becomes necessary," she agrees. "I would prefer more than one. Or not to at all, given that we still don't know what effect it was having on the Herald, or even them, but... we don't have many options if a rift opens in a bad place."
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