[open] where I go

[onlyhymns]

WHO: Knight-Lieutenant Cade Harimann and you
WHAT: A jumpy templar is out of the dungeon and getting his bearings on Skyhold. What horrors will he face? (by horrors I mean other people)
WHEN: Early Haring
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES:If your character met him during speed dating, feel free to assume that conversation happened IC (except Nerva) and that they're already acquainted.

Finally unleashed upon his new home, and wearing his traveling leathers with the unmistakeable flaming Templar sword emblazoned on the chest, Cade made his way around Skyhold with the intention of finding a purpose for himself.

1. The battlements. Cade was unnerved by crowds and limited sightlines, so he had taken to spending a good chunk of time up in the battlements. It gave him an opportunity to watch, listen, and grow accustomed to life below, which was so very different than how he'd come to understand the world.

2. The training grounds. Although he had first been seen in his heavy Templar plate, wielding a sword, left to his own devices Cade was more likely to use the archery range. He was an exceptionally good shot, and spent hours shooting targets with the single-minded concentration of one who was trying not to think about anything at all.

3. The chapel. He could often be found alone in the small chamber just off the cloistered garden, on his knees and with his head bowed to the altar of Andraste.

4. Anywhere! Give me a place and I'll find a reason that he'd be there.

Comments

training grounds

[wickedchase]

"Well well well -- look at who they let out of the dungeons below."

It's not as if he means to sneak up on Cade, but Twisted Fate habitually walks very light on his feet, and it was easier to just have a sit down and watch the templar fire off his arrows. Frankly, seeing him with any weapon is not entirely comfortable, but if Cullen feels that Cade can be part of the Inquisition, that's not really his business.

Either way, following up with him seems a fine idea.

"And how are we feeling, twitch?" Fate drawls, crossing his legs, giving off the display of being terribly relaxed.

[onlyhymns]

That voice. The sound of it sent a shudder over Cade, and he lowered his bow to glower at the elf, at least this time not looking like he was about to fly off the handle. The lyrium in his bloodstream made a huge difference in his temperament, even if he was never an exceptionally friendly person.

"Do you need something," he asked quietly, brusqueness entering his voice despite its low volume.

[wickedchase]

Fate folds his arms and glances over the templar, brow raised.

"What a fine, warm greeting." Not that he anticipated anything else. "Why, I came over to see how you were doing, of course. Not causing a scene lately, are we?"

[onlyhymns]

Cade opened his mouth to respond sternly, and only sighed, his head drooping. He pushed his hair out of his face and looked back up, still watching the elf with distrust, but at least seeming to have taken his admonishment to heart.

"No," he said, a bit sullenly.

[wickedchase]

It's not as harsh as it could have been, but clearly it seems to be weighing on Cade somewhat. Fate looks him over, then shrugs and stands up to approach him, seemingly without fear.

"I suppose not. I don't have a frame of reference on what having a lack of lyrium is like, but if you're so aware, then no harm done." The elf offers his hand.

"Shall we let bygones be bygones? Hmm?"

Chapel

[lennethvalkyrie]

Lenneth had walked by the small chapel a number of times, had glanced in with some curiosity, but had never seen anyone kneeling there until today. Today there was someone--a young man. She stopped in the doorway to watch him pray, a wistful smile on her face.

She stood quietly until he stirred, and then spoke. "That is... Andraste, yes? The Bride of the Maker?"

[onlyhymns]

Cade visibly tensed when Fate approached him, but unlike their previous meeting, made no move to ward him off. At the very least, he understood that they were in a place governed by rules, and people couldn't just attack each other for no reason.

Hesitantly, he took the elf's hand and shook it. His expression was one of nervous distaste, as though at any moment he expected Knight-Commander Meredith to leap out of the bushes and demand he stop what he was doing.

[onlyhymns]

The sound of a voice startled him. Cade straightened and looked over his shoulder, somewhat surprised at the person he saw there.

"Yes," he said softly. He hadn't met anyone yet who didn't know who Andraste was, but he'd heard tell of strangers here in Skyhold, who didn't know any of their customs whatsoever. Perhaps their ignorance could be forgiven, at least for a time.

[keeperofmagi]

"Is he flirting with you?" A stern female voice asked from behind him - not Knight-Commander Meredith's, perhaps, but still.

It could have been a joke, maybe, but like with everything Nerva ever said, it was absolutely impossible to tell with the deadpan way she spoke.

"I am happy to see that you have been released, Cade."

[lennethvalkyrie]

"I... know little of her, save that," she said. It was strange, to be in a world where she did not know the gods. As strange to not be called to their feet as a general. She had met no-one yet who had seen the gods of Thedas, but that did not mean they did not show themselves. "Would it be burdensome for me to ask you to tell her story?"

[wickedchase]

"That's the spirit, twitch," Fate says, smiling a little more warmly.

Then, he hears that familiar voice. He struggles to not frown immediately, for multiple reasons -- but one in particular he still isn't certain yet if he should confront. The mage removes his hand from Cade's and turns to look at Nerva.

"Little lady," Fate drawls. "Don't worry. He's safe from my wicked ways."

[onlyhymns]

Cade watched her for a moment, then shook his head lightly and beckoned her inside. He was well-versed in the story, as any good Templar should be.
"She began as a slave," he began, turning his head to look back at the statue, "of the Tevinter Imperium. From childhood onward, she had visions of a being she understood to be called the Maker, who had abandoned Thedas after having created it, and from whom mankind had turned to worship the Old Gods. She fled the Imperium and married a mortal warlord, Maferath, with whom she could not bear children. So she prayed." He glanced to Lenneth, as though to make sure she was still following.
"The old Tevinter gods would not answer her prayers. She prayed and wept and finally, she sang. And the Maker, the one true god and creator of all things, heard her voice and invited her to join Him."
He paused for a moment, and looked up at Andraste's face, benignly carved as it ever was. "But she instead convinced the Maker to return to His people and His creation. She compelled Him to forgive us and brought His light to our world. And then," he took a deep, saddened breath, "she was betrayed. By Maferath, her husband. Who sold her out to the Imperium, where she was burned."

[onlyhymns]

Cade quickly turned to face Nerva, his face coloring in outrage at her suggestion, though he shook his head. He had only met the woman once, and assumed she and this elf had a history ill-conceived enough to make her ask such a thing.

He was almost equally as horrified by the manner in which Twisted Fate addressed Nerva, and he bristled in affront as he said, "you will address her as 'Ser', elf."

[lennethvalkyrie]

Lenneth nodded slowly, her eyes moving to the statue as he spoke. It was a lovely carving. Her hands raised to the sky, eyes lowered to her feet as if perhaps praying, or looking kindly upon those praying to her.

"Do you sing then, when you pray? So that the Maker will hear you as he heard Andraste? Or speak to Andraste, that she may carry your words to her Husband?"

[keeperofmagi]

"I think I am fairly certain no one is safe from your ways," Nerva said flatly. She had visibly bristled a well, at the nickname, which still always managed to rile her, but Cade immediately correcting him brought the rage down from white hot to a mild, if visible annoyance.

"Thank you, Cade." She glanced over him as if to check his current mental state and then nodded to herself. He was fine, for now. "Has he been behaving?"

[wickedchase]

"What resounding faith you have in me." Usually, he'd have a much more jovial tone, but with what he knows how, he almost seems a bit more stiff with Nerva. Not very typical of him.

Twisted Fate snorts at Cade, and deepens his voice to a theatrical mockery of sounding authoritative: "And you will address me as Lord Fate, human!" A roll of his eyes and he mutters, "Really. Referring to someone by their species. Just when I said bygones be bygones."

He raises a brow at both of them. "So no senses of humor or manners for templars? That it?"

[onlyhymns]

"At times we sing the Chant of Light," Cade replied, "...I..." He pursed his lips and sat back, lowering his head slightly. "...I speak to her in my mind." He had never really thought about why he didn't pray aloud, but the thought of it struck him as... well, nobody really wanted to hear his voice, and there was no need to subject anyone to it. Even in the chapel, he was better seen and not heard.

[onlyhymns]

Cade opened his mouth to respond to Nerva, but then the elf had continued his prattle, and Cade closed it again crossly. "No," he said to her, matter of factly. It was possible he was responding to Twisted Fate as well, although it likely wasn't intentional. He looked as though he wanted to continue arguing, but he hadn't made it to Knight-Lieutenant by taking part in every underling or adolescent mage's quibble. Instead, he simply looked up at Nerva with a glance that seemed to say 'you deal with this a lot, do you?'

[keeperofmagi]

Twisted Fate seemed out of humour, somehow, and her frown deepened, eyes narrowing slightly as she regarded him. He was usually an ass, sure, but there was enough difference in tone that she noted it.

Was he not sleeping enough?

"Diminutive nicknames have never counted under the banner of 'manners', Twisted Fate." She says mildly, but not angrily, and isn't very inclined to argue it further. There was a slight crispness to the syllables of his name - accentuated. Making a point. She may as well have been a school marm come to drag one of them off by their ears, but not having quite decided which one she needed to drag away, yet.

She looked at Cade. "He can say what he wants, Cade. You have my thanks, but I can handle him."

[wickedchase]

"I suppose it was simply too much for me to hope that this little twitch was capable of being a gentleman. But then, it seems I should already lower my expectations. We're both used to that, hm?"

The tone is terse, and he certainly lacks his usual confidence and swagger when he speaks to Nerva. He isn't teasing in so much as he's irritable.

"Coddle him as you see fit. I'll relieve us both take my leave."

[lennethvalkyrie]

Boots tapped on stone as Lenneth moved up to look more closely, both at the statue and the man. She stared in the quiet for a long moment, and then turned her head to look at him, expression guarded and serious.

"What... becomes of your soul when you die in Thedas?"

[onlyhymns]

Cade clenched his jaw irritably, finding irony in being lectured on manners by someone who clearly knew nothing of them, but he held his peace. He looked between the two of them, shook his head in resignation, and turned away to step back towards the archery range. Whatever strange relationship these two had, he wouldn't interfere, but he wasn't going to stand here and be insulted either.

[onlyhymns]

"It returns to the Maker," Cade answered, fairly easily, "in the Fade. The place of dreams, whence all magic comes."

[lennethvalkyrie]

Then war was for the living, here. Well enough.

"Are there statues for the Maker? Temples? I have heard mostly of Andraste here." Her eyes turned to the statue again, noted the sword at her side. She gestured toward it. "Was she a warrior?"

[onlyhymns]

"The Maker's form is unknown," Cade explained, "though... perhaps a spirit of some kind. Andraste was the vessel of his word, come to impart it to mankind." He nodded to her next question. "She was. She led the Alamarri in the Exalted March, cleansing the ways of the Old Gods from what we know now as Ferelden."