Take my love, Take my land

[aintwejust]

WHO: Malcolm Reynolds, Jayne the Mabari and You!
WHAT: Malcolm rides in with a Mabari and Mail for the Inquisition
WHEN: 20th of Haring
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Anyone that wants a letter or a package that can be carried in a pair of saddlebags is welcome to claim some good or trinket or something from Malcolm, he's been wandering this way for awhile. Brackets or Prose are good.

So here's how it is.

A man, a horse, a bag of mail and a grumpy Mabari wandering right up the road to Skyhold. The dog's a dark brown, the horse is a warm brown, and the man's a muddied brown on account of all the foutu mud he's been riding through all the live long day on the way up to this mighty fine hold. Fort. Ruin.

Honestly it's more the last than either of the other two, the battlements a little worn and ragged and the gate itself kinda questionable. Were it not for the many wonderful things said about this establishment and it's Inquisition Mal'd be entertaining second thoughts. Arlight if he's honest he's already entertaining second, third, and fifth thoughts but he's got a powerful need to be here and here's where he's gotten paid to drop off a lotta letters and packages of various value and weight. He's not about to back out of a decent, legitimate job when he's been paid.

Well-

He sighs and urges the horse onward through the gates, clicking his tongue to bring the Mabari to heel. Or. Trying to. The dog's got a mind of it's own and trots about,sniffling and snuffling at anyone in the immediate area that may or may not have food. If they've got food? He starts pawing. Or gnawing. Much to the exasperation of the muddied man on the bay. "For the last time you gourmand petit sac de merde, leave 'em alone."

If snapping at the dog doesn't work he leans out with his heel and nudges the Mabari with his boot- or he hefts the butt of his spear and knocks him upside the head. It works well enough.

If spared the hound and horse he's found wandering around the courtyard, handing out letters while still trying to mind said horse and hound- horse following at his heel better than the hound tends to.

Comments

[serannas]

Hopefully the kitchen staff aren't knocked to the ground by the hungry dog. Ellana watches Jayne go before turning her attention back to the man.

"Where did you grow up, if you don't mind me asking?" It sounds like there could be an interesting story there, and Ellana loves stories about the lives of others. They're all exciting in their own way, because they've had different experiences than she's had in her own life.

[aintwejust]

"Fereldan." Broad enough to part with- anything more he ain't much interested in spreading around. It's his. Not much left of that Ranch or what happened to it- but what little there is he keeps close to his chest. "Nice enough country, fulla mud, people, dogs. Sometimes with the mud it's hard to tell which is which."

[serannas]

"I've seen a little of Fereldan. We traveled through on our way to Skyhold." And immediately she realizes she needs to explain what she means by "we." "I mean some others in my clan. We all came over from the Free Marches."

It was her first time away from the clan, her first time on a ship, her first time seeing humans, dwarves, qunari, and elves from the cities. There's still so much of the world to see, but she's had a decent start.

"I also went to the Fallow Mire, so I know all about the mud."

[aintwejust]

"Now that is a place fulla all kinds of unpleasantness, and I'm not just talk'n about the folk what live there." He props his spear against his shoulder and leans into it, lounging a little. A fine, restful trick that looks a little rakish- well. When he ain't covered in mud that is.

"See'n as you didn't get drowned in all that boggy water I suppose whatever saw you down there got seen to?" Dalish are good at that, seeing things get done. Or leastaways the ones he's met.

[serannas]

Ellana nods. "I think so. There were multiple issues, but we managed to rescue a group of missing scouts. I'm not sure if the healers found a cure for the plague that struck the area or not."

[aintwejust]

"Huh. Wandered 'round that way a few months ago my own self, didn't hear much about plagues or anyone aside the local drunks what gone miss'n." World's getting wider and stranger every day. How 'bout that? "Inquisition sweep in, clear it up best they can, sweep out again?"

Seems a little...governingish, for his taste.

[serannas]

"We tried to convince the locals to relocate for their safety, but some had no wish to leave. And, like I said, the healers were researching for a cure, but I'm not sure if they were successful. There were rumors of finding the source, but I wasn't involved in that." She stuck to gathering supplies until they knew more on where the missing scouts were, and then she helped with that.

"Now we have scouting parties in Emprise du Lion (her pronunciation is terrible) and the Western Approach. There has been troubling news coming out of each area."

[aintwejust]

"Whole south's go'n to the void in a handbasket. Probably not all that long before the North follows." Maybe sticking around won't be such a bad idea. Make his sky a little less crowded. Give himself a few more years after it's over to drift and work.

Maybe.

[serannas]

"That's why the Inquisition is taking a stand now, to stop this chaos from spreading anymore than it already has. People are frightened, and they need to see that someone is listening to them and trying to help."

It's something she doesn't feel the Chantry is doing, but as a Dalish elf, she won't even say anything about that.

[aintwejust]

"Does seem like most kings and queens and sundry are all caught up in their own how-to-do's rather than the sky ripp'n itself open and pour'n out all kindsa unpleasantness. Good to know we got people work'n on chang'n that." Korrin had said they were good people.

[serannas]

"This is definitely the place to be if you want to make a difference." Ellana's so proud that she gets to be a part of all this. And she also enjoys the good mix of people who are here from all walks of life. She's been learning so much and there's plenty more to add to it.

"Once you've finished with the mail, would you like me to show you around? Perhaps the kitchen first? You must be hungry after your ride here."

[aintwejust]

Ain't rightly a difference he feels equipped to make at the moment, but she's so bright and shiny it reminds him something fierce of Kaylee. That's more than enough for him to stow his scowl'n. "Well I got a coupla rounds to make, a horse to stable and a mabari to wrangle- think he's wandered off again- but when all that's sorted I really need to find whoever's in charge of, uh. Strangeness and the like 'round these parts."

A particular kind of strangeness he doesn't rightly wanna spread around.

[serannas]

"Strangeness? I'm not exactly sure who to direct you to, unless you elaborate." Because strangeness is increasing everywhere since the Breach opened.

"There's no one person in charge, but there are some people I could suggest to you. Is it something a spymaster would want to hear? Or a commander of forces? Or something to do with politics, like what you would need an ambassador for?"

[aintwejust]

"...How bout whoever's in charge of that strange green mess that's cutt'n up my sky? And, say, bits of it that keep fall'n out around and gett'n in the way of people mind'n their own business?" Would that be a commander thing, a spy thing, or an ambassador thing?

Honestly it's probably a mage thing but he'd rather not duck into that mess unless he truly need to.

[serannas]

"Oh," she replies, thinking that over. Other than the rifters, the only person she knows who has a shard stuck in them is Sina, and if there was any way to help her, Ellana would have made sure Sina had the treatment by now. "The healers and mages have studied people who have rift shards in them, but no one knows yet how to remove them. I'm sorry. You could ask around the healer's tents over there if you'd rather not take my word alone."

[aintwejust]

"Huh." Well. Merde. "Ain't a way to just magic it off? Give it a little spell or summat and send someone on their way?"

Honestly he's got things to do and sticking around the Inquisition while they try to wrap bandages around the gutwound of the world ain't exactly one of them.

[serannas]

"I'm afraid not. If something like that could be done, the people here who have them would probably be far happier." But then her head tilts in thought. "Of course, then there would be no one able to close the rifts anymore and demons would keep pouring through. At least they're good for something."

[aintwejust]

"..." Give him a second. Or. Five.














"You're say'n my hand is some kinda magic now?" What kind of nugshit is this?

[serannas]

Magic nugshit, Mal. Magic.

"Well, I'm saying it's capable of something that certainly seems like it. But that doesn't make you a mage; just in possession of something we don't fully understand yet."

[aintwejust]

"But I don't want it. I wanna get it gone and get on with my life." He didn't ask for this. He didn't need this. He's put up with enough end of the world bullshit and he doesn't need another go around. No Ser.

[serannas]

"Of course you don't," Ellana says, a small frown coming to her lips. "I can't imagine who would. And if I knew how to get it out for you, I would. I have a friend suffering with the same, as well as several rifters friends. I don't wish this on anyone, but there is no easy solution right now. I'm sorry."

[aintwejust]

"...So I'm stuck with this. Till, what? Someone here sorts this out? If I want it gone I gotta cut off my foutu arm?" Cuz that, that ain't an option! That is decidedly NOT an option, now or ever. He likes his arm, he's been through a lot with this arm. "Had it my whole life and I'm not really all that keen on gett'n things changed."

[serannas]

Startled, Ellana shakes her head no; even waves her hands for emphasis.

"Creators, no! Not that! They'll figure it out. Please, just give them time. In the meantime, you can talk to the others with the same thing and see how they're coping. That's something I can't understand."

[aintwejust]

"Look I don't wanna monter sur mes grands chevaux about this, I just want it fixed. Point me at who I need to bother to get some kinda answer that ain't 'well you're stuck with that' or 'Maker's Breath he's a demon' and I'd be mighty appreciative." Cuz he can't stay. He can't. He's got a crew what needs him.

[serannas]

"I-- I don't know what that means," she admits quietly. It sounds Orlesian, but as she told Felix once, she has no interest in learning Orlesian. What she wants is to be able to learn the whole elven language, but much like Mal now, they can't always get what they want.

"There are healers over there," she continues, pointing towards the healing tents. She knows they won't be able to give him an answer any more useful than she has, but he seems unwilling to believe her, so what else can she do?