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

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?

Threaded | Flat

The evening before heading out, Korrin's seeking out Harding wherever she might be found. She's done her packing and training for her trek to Emprise du Lion with the others, but she's far too restless to crash early. So, it's on her mind to seek out one of the best scouts in the Inquisition. Hopefully she'll be able to bestow some advice. Battle-wise, Korrin doesn't need the help, but when it comes to scouting missions and keeping a low profile, she's somewhat less talented...and yet not too proud to hold back from admitting it.

When she spots the dwarven scout, Korrin flashes a smile as she approaches. "Hey, got a minute?"

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."

Rachette tries not to be short with this scouting dwarf telling them all what to do and how to do their jobs. Tries, in fact, to mostly keep her head (figuratively) down and out of sight. She already knows how to scout, it's just the area (desert? really?) she would need to learn how to handle. The heat and dryness will be welcome, though.

Still, she doesn't know everything, even if she'd like to. And she shouldn't be jumpy around other dwarves, ones without a brand. She schools herself into a calm much like this scout, Harding, has done. "So, what exactly can we expect of Grey Wardens?"

The gossip... yes. The gossip was indeed something Bruce could live without, although at this point he supposed there wasn't anything that he could do about it. Still, that didn't really help with the side way glances that several of the scouts and other assorted people were giving him as he went about his usual daily routine of checking up on the patients under his care.

Then again, he had to remember that the refugees weren't exactly immune to gossip as well.

When Harding finds him Bruce is currently occupied with an elderly old lady, and there is an extremely patient smile on his face as the lady gives him as assorted variation of advice about 'chasing that fine young lady' and how to treat her right. Clearly, unless somebody intervenes, Bruce is going to be there for a while.

The Herald's Rest. It hadn't taken long for Sam to make his way to Skyhold's tavern, once he'd been made aware of its existence. He had hoped, in this place where everything and everyone is unfamiliar, that the tavern might offer a little bit of home, and he isn't disappointed. Everything is too big, of course, from the chairs to the people (though you won't find him complaining about the taller mugs of beer), but it's cheerful and friendly and cozy in a way nothing else but a tavern quite is, and he sips his ale contentedly, feeling more at home than he had since he'd arrived.

And then he catches sight of her - someone else about his size, tucked inconspicuously into a corner across the room. The sight of someone else small is enough to make his heart leap a bit in his chest, if only for the hope of solidarity, and he moves before he can think twice, making his way carefully through the crowd until he's standing before her table. She's working, he can see now, bent industriously over a stack of papers on the table and writing in what seems to be the same unfamiliar script that everyone here uses. He hesitates at the sight of how busy she is, but when she glances up and catches sight of him he has no choice but to bob his head in greeting, blushing scarlet.

"Hello," he mumbles. "Beg pardon - I didn't mean to interrupt."

Harding isn't the only one stuck behind while everyone else is going off to explore. Beleth understands the worry that she might feel, and leaves her boss alone while she clucks at the other scouts like a mother hen. However, the Herald's Rest isn't work, exactly, so it would be safe to approach then, surely. Maybe? Maybe she should just let Harding deal with important matters.

But a friendly ear can be helpful, so the next time Beleth sees Harding in the tavern, still working, even here. Slowly, she approaches the other woman.

"Would you like a drink, Scout Harding? I think that if anyone's deserved a break, it's you."

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