i should've been a cowboy

[chainlightning]

WHO: Merrill, open
WHAT: Horses
WHEN: Drakonis
WHERE: Stables, outside Kirkwall
NOTES: Canon-typical talk of war, probably

i. the stables
Living in the alienage instead of the Gallows, Merrill is one of the more common sights at the stables than some of the other Inquisition members. She likes to spend time with each of the mounts, from the mundane to the exotic. The griffons aren't here, of course, but each of the creatures deserves a kind touch and some treats, when she can get away with giving them. Her own war horse, Honeysuckle, gets special pampering on the days when Merrill has time. She sits near his stall mending his blankets or adding embroidery. She gives him full brush-downs and braids his mane, and despite his ill-temper toward some of the random stablehands, he's always a sweetheart with her.

Maybe it's whatever sweet nothings she whispers to him in Elvhen, but it could also be the treats that she offers him during their time together.

ii. riding
An elf on a horse is still a strange sight in Thedas. Elves in the 'wild' have halla. Elves in the country have a goat or a cow, if they're lucky. But Merrill, in the Inquisition, has learned to ride with her back straight and her head tall. The tack on Honeysuckle is clearly Orlesian in make, though it's not any sort of fancy style. It's functional, and it has the Inquisition's symbol on it... and a few Dalish tweaks.

For as much as Merrill is also a mage and a Griffon Rider, there are times that she knows she'll have to partake in combat on horseback. Getting out on Honeysuckle to let him roam is fun for them both, and when they're far enough out along the Wounded Coast or up on Sundermount, she can let him run. She can twirl her staff from the saddle too, can make sure Honeysuckle is used to the feeling of magic coursing from his back, the sizzle of lightning and the movements of her staff in his peripheral.

Every once in a while, they disturb a flock of birds and Merrill lets out a whoop of exhilaration.

iii. wildcard
[ come at me bro ]

Comments

[chainlightning]

"For a while, they weren't sure they were there - just that miners kept disappearing. Apparently they were very stealthy dragons for a while." Merrill giggles at that, not quite able to keep the mental image of a dragon grabbing someone with claws over their mouth from her mind.

She nods, though, patting Honeysuckle again. "If any dragons start lurking around, you'll be the first person I tell. It is nice, though - helping make places safer."

[in_death_sacrifice]

"Dragons and stealth... that's not something that often goes together." Yet, for some reason, he can see it too, and there's something darkly humorous about it, even if the outcome... wasn't so good for those who got snatched. Still, he has to also admit he's quite impressed by these stealth dragons. "That was their way of surviving, I suppose... although it was at great cost to the people living in the area."

He glances skyward thoughtfully and also nods. "Yes... please do let me know. I'll be glad to do all I possibly can."