Closed | The journey goes on as your love ever nears

[mythalenaste]

WHO: Pel and YOU
WHAT: Arriving back at Kirkwall
WHEN: Early Firstfall
WHERE: Kirkwall
NOTES: Pel would have written to her close CR to let them know she's coming back, so if you think your character would have known about this, assume she wrote! Prompts written by request.

Closed to Close CR

The woman who steps to the dock from the boat is scarcely changed from the woman who, nigh-on a year ago, stepped from the dock to the boat. Her hair is a little lighter, perhaps, and plaited down her back instead of on each side. There is more lean muscle, a body harder and sturdier than ever before. She is not wearing armor at present, but she does carry a unique sword, which few saw before she left--an ancient elven blade with a hilt long enough to effectively double as a staff. Nevertheless, she has changed. Her heart has grown, her mind has stretched, her decision to live quietly as possible exchanged for the certainty that she must do more than study in order for this war to be won. It is not a joyful certainty. She wanted to continue in peace with no greater worry than raising a child, but that would not be realistic. If she falls in battle, she prays Sina will forgive her.

It is the child she hoisted up to the dock who has changed. Little Sina walks straight up to a total stranger and hugs his legs, her host of white, wild curls mussed from the journey.

"No-no," Pel says quickly, taking the toddler's hand, "that's not your lethallen." She steers her daughter in the direction of the nearest greeter--you. Sina immediately transfers her embrace to the correct person this time, despite not recognizing you any better than the random stranger.

"This is your lethallen," Pel says with a grin.

Comments

Closed | Val

[mythalenaste]

There's a vigorous rap at the door of Val's room. Upon opening the door, Pel is there, smiling and so glad that she is very nearly showing teeth. That's a big deal--she hates her teeth.

"Hello, lovely. Did you miss me?"

Of course she wrote to him regularly, and also to let him know she might be coming back to Kirkwall. She didn't confirm.

[samahl]

Cyril has been buzzing since she heard that Pel would be arriving in Kirkwall. He had missed her more than he could say. Missing out on Sina's development had been depressing on some levels too. Now, though, he can make up for lost time.

When she hugs a stranger rather than coming up to him he laughs. "Though that stranger is rather good-looking, at least you have good taste little one." Then he hugs the child before moving to embrace her mother.

[byblow]

Little Sina would be little by any standard, but attached to Alistair's leg she's practically a speck. He's seen bigger cats. So of course what he says is: "Maker, you're enormous."

He then promptly halves their height difference by sitting down on the ground in front of her, entranced enough to ignore anyone who might think he's being undignified even more than he would usually ignore them.

"What has your mother been feeding you?" he asks, and cuts a look up at Pel, because he doesn't actually expect Sina to answer. Not coherently. "Extract of giant?"

[chainlightning]

"Lethallan!" Merrill returns in delight, for both little Sina and for Pel. The child is scooped up and a kiss is immediately pressed to her brow. Once she's certain Sina is secure, Merrill moves next to Pel, offering a one-armed embrace so that they might have a three-way group hug.

Merrill can't quite stop smiling.

"How was your trip?"

[nadasharillen]

For all that Pel's face is a welcome sight—as is her daughter's—it is a hard one. The last time she'd seen the woman had been marked by her broken weeping, and with that, the weather turning, and the babe's name...

"Walking already!" Nari piles as much good will and humor on top of it as she can and is kneeling down with a broad lopsided smile as soon as she marks the toddler's trajectory. It's less likely that the little one will be able to mark what tightness there is in her that she can't hide. "Soon running, and jumping, and climbing trees no doubt," she reaches out to gently poke the girl's nose with the tip of her finger, "so much as there are trees to climb in Kirkwall."

Finally, the finger offered to grab at (or eat, or both), she raises her eyes to look at Pel, her voice a little calmer than it had been for her daughter. "Aneth ara, lethallan. How fares Skyhold?"