faderift | and if I only could make a deal with God

WHO: Mia Rutherford, Cullen Rutherford, and YOU
WHAT: Councils and meetings are well and good, but someone's got to see to the damage done and the people who need reassurances.
WHEN: Haring 12, 13, 14
WHERE: Closed thread in Cullen's office. Then, all over Skyhold. Mostly wherever an extra set of hands are needed.
NOTES: Possible discussion of traumatic events.

And she'd thought Darkspawn were terrifying. They had been, certainly, every bit as deadly and in numbers that could shake even the bravest of men. The images of Honnleath falling to the horde would never leave her mind, as long as she lived.

But that creature that had gone tearing through the castle...

Of course in its wake people wanted to turn it into a point of argument. The mages were quick enough to engage the more political side of the issue to protect their people. Not unwise, when blame would shift so quickly their way. But politics weren't her concern, certainly not those of the mages and templars. There were instead many in the hold who might need help picking back up after the nightmarish encounter with the monster.

Simple things could go a long way. Bandages and herbs for the injured. Mending torn clothes. Warm food and blankets as a comfort to those for whom the effects could not so easily be mended. They were not grand gestures, they would shape nothing in the grander course of things, but someone had to look out for the little people. She'd gladly take on that role.

----

Then, of course, her mind would turn to her brother. He'd faced abominations numerous times in his life, and being here meant she finally had the chance to look him in the eye, to see if he needed anything, and make certain he was holding together. That business tended to be harder to take care of through letters alone.

So her last stop of the day was the Commander's office, where she knocked sharp and brief before waiting exactly ten seconds. Then, answer or not, she was coming in.

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"Not today. I'd imagine they have their hands full with all that's happened, but you might try his office first," Mia replied, nodding towards the battlements. It sounded as though whatever the news was, it might be urgent enough to pull Cullen away from the business of the abomination, if only for a moment.

"Take a deep breath. We'll find him."

She nods her head, smoothing back her hair, "And ... I will. We've already sent reports, this is just to show him the maps." She paused, and added, "And to make sure that everyone is all right."

She looked around, "And since I am here - and his office can wait - what can I do to help you?"

"Oh, I've only footwork to see to at the moment. Making certain everyone has bandages, healing herbs, water. Some of the poor things are still too stunned to make their way around properly."

Mia's lips thin faintly. "You saw the same thing after Darkspawn attack. There's a sense of it not being real, that if they stay still and let it pass over them it'll all just be some bad dream. Took us all by surprise."

Katniss nodded her head slowly, her jaw tightening as she looked around, "Yes ... I remember that. The same with the Mage and Templar attacks. If you just close your eyes, all the bad men will go away."

She shook her head a little, "Except, they won't, and these people know it. I wonder how long it will take before we start seeing fights about the mages and the templars again."

"Not long at all. I'm fairly certain I overheard the stirrings of such. Tragedy always brings out the temptation to blame someone, so it all makes sense. So it seems manageable somehow."

She shook her head, her arms folding across her chest.

"I don't know that we'll ever see an end to that particular argument. I don't intend to wait around for it, in the meanwhile."

"Maker's breath ... " Is Katniss's reply to that, along with a roll of the eyes, before she gives the older woman a wry little grin, "You really do know how to just roll right over everyone else's nonsense. It's what I like best about you, Mia."

She folded her arms around her, looking around with a practiced eye, "Are you sure there's not anything I can do?"

"I barely have enough time to manage my own nonsense. Why would I endure anyone else's?"

Mia gives her a faint smirk in return, before her expression grew more somber. "If you do find the Commander, do tell him I'd like a word when he has a moment. Not that I imagine he'll have many to spare."

One hand reaches out to smooth a tendril of hair out of Katniss's face. "And perhaps we'll do something about that before you leave. Hard to aim a bow with your hair flying in your face, and we want you coming back," she tuts.

"Mmm, true. Nonsense should be kept in-house.'

She looked at her, and her voice softened. Just a touch, just for ... well. For him it would soften, damn it all. "How has he been taking all this?"

She gives Mia a warm look, honestly she would hug the woman if she didn't think Mia would scold her. "I can't say it's been easy, no."

"As well as you'd expect." She clucked her tongue softly. "Maker knows he's had enough on his plate before. Now, I wouldn't doubt he'll be expected to weigh in on what becomes of the mages and templars."

And he'd so hoped to leave all that behind him, hadn't he? Brow furrowing, she let her attention fall back to Katniss, offering the girl a kind smile. "Come. Let's see what we can do while there's still time. You could probably use the practice."

"I was sort of hoping they'd sort of just ... listen to us civilians and maybe try to think it through first before blowing up everything around them." She paused, then sighed, "And he can't be involved in this. If he does -- it'll be a political shitstorm. Not to mention driving him to drink."

She breathed in, deeply, before giving Mia a warm smile, "I probably could."

"We're hoping to avoid people resorting to drinking this early," Mia replied, wrapping an arm around the young woman's shoulders as they walked. "But yes. He's in a very precarious situation, considering his background with the templars. If there's any way to make this easier for him, I pray it makes itself known soon."

She waved a hand briefly. "But that will keep, I think. I have an idea for a few braids that might actually keep these shorter strands from flying loose as they do...although they do look quite fetching just hanging there. We are going for practicality out in the field, I think?"

"Good. Alcoholics make horrible soldiers. I know this from personal experience." She leaned into Mia a little, before she nodded her head soberly, "Whatever I can do, to help, I will. You know that."

She grinned at that, before saying with a touch of teasing, "It is very hard to kill a red templar when my hair is blocking my sight, yes."

and if I only could make a deal with God

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