[OPEN] : Keeping Up With the Dahlasanors

[nadasharillen]

WHO: Nari and Sina Dahlasanor, and you!
WHAT: Various and sundry activiities with some clan-sisters.
WHEN: End of Haring
WHERE: Skyhold!
NOTES: Sina and I are missing big group fun times, so we're hoping to run this one slightly differently. Everyone in the pile! :D If someone else is responding where you are, assume you can see and interact with them. If multiple posts happen at the same time, well... they both happened simultaneously!

[Note: Exceptions for anyone who'd prefer a private conversation Wildcard will be granted. :D]

[Bonfire]

As the day fades to dusk, Nahariel is piling all the cleared foliage and dead branches from the restoration of the garden in the courtyard to burn it, while Siuona sits beside the proceedings laughing quietly, a mug of tea in her hands. The steam curls up, then disperses into the sunset. From the exaggerated movements, and the hunter "riding" one of the larger branches around, it seems as if Nari is telling the story of the capture of the Bog Unicorn. They'll both raise a hand in greeting at any approach, welcoming help with the fire, audience, or perhaps another storyteller.

[Sparring]

It's midday, and Nahariel really doesn't think they ought to be doing this with Siuona's health the way it is, but when the First says jump, you say "...Okay, fine, how hard do you want me to go?"

The two are squaring off in one of the practice rings; Nari with two wooden practice daggers, and Sina with a quarterstaff. They haven't even begun yet, and the hunter keeps looking around twitchily for any excuse to postpone or halt the exercise. Sina, on the other hand, looks quite determined despite her slight protective hunch and intermittent cough.

[Wildcard]

For whatever reason, from the tip of the Rookery tower to the dungeons below Skyhold, it seems as if any time you run into one of them, you run into them both. Sometimes arm-in-arm, sometimes a few steps away, sometimes kicking each others feet as they sit on a bench in the sun weaving flowers from the garden into garlands and crowns, but always together.

Comments

Sparring

[el_tybs]

He had only walked over to the ring just so he could enjoy his drink and reminisce on somethings, or rather someone in this instance. So seeing the two Dalish armed with practice weapons and staring each other down was a bit of a surprise, though a pleasant one.

Keeping quiet, Sam settles himself at one of the posts and takes a seat, so not to disturb them.

[eolasemah]

Sina had been lying in bed too much, and although she ostensibly needed to, she didn't want to go soft if her skills with a staff were ever needed. She was mediocre with it, having never actually been in a real-life combat situation, and relying on magic in a crisis, and this was precisely the reason they were here today.

She spun it testingly, with an impish smile at Nari, then lunged forward to swipe at her from the hip. Her movement was measured but precise, and she tried not to let her health interfere, as impossible as that was.

[nadasharillen]

Nari dropped a leg to the side to brace, then twisted and brought up both blades to block the strike... which pushed a little closer to her ribs than she'd planned for. She raised both eyebrows and grinned. "All right then, maybe you're not as weakened as I thought."

The hunter dropped backwards to disengage, bounced a few times on the balls of her feet, and then readied her stance again. She circled for a bit, then moved forward--although not at full speed. She feinted with her left, then kept it raised slightly to ward off the blocking swing--if one came--while the right flashed out beneath it towards her clansister's side.

[el_tybs]

Well this was certainly a way to bring in the new year - probably a way he would have spent bringing it in if he had his usual sparring partner. Smiling he sips from his mug, flinching now and then when the wooden weapons collide, clanking loud.

Good thing they weren't using real blades.

[eolasemah]

Sina simply giggled in response, nearly running right into the feint, though she gave a quick turn and, with a cracking sound, knocked the dagger away. This left her wide open for the second dagger, which elicited an "eek!" as it poked her in the side.

"Oh no, I'm dead," she sighed, lowering her staff. Spotting Sam, she lifted her hand in a wave to him.

[nadasharillen]

"Out of practice, is what you are," Nari replied with a grin, patting her First affectionately on the 'mortal wound', "I know you're not out on missions, but now that I know you're healthy enough to make my left hand tingle when you block it, perhaps we try a few rounds each day?" She didn't want to bring up the abomination attack--that safe in Skyhold might not always be safe--but although the hunter was smiling, but the look she gave Sina was a serious one.

Following Sina's gaze, she looked up and waved at the other mage. "Sam! Have you got any stick-fighting tips? And 'make a fireball come out of the end' doesn't count."

[el_tybs]

It looked like he had been spotted. Raising his own hand, he waves back, giving the two elves an amused grin. At Nari's question he blinks, his hand lowering to rest on the post. "Tips for who? You or Sina?"

[eolasemah]

"For me," Sina answered sheepishly, turning her staff in a slow spin, just to remind herself of the motion. "I could just do a fireball, but I don't want to scorch poor Nari's eyebrows off."

[Bonfire]

[arlathvhen]

Beleth is always interesting in stories, and when she sees the two, she wanders over curiously. She's not completely rude, though, and she will stop when she gets close enough, putting her hand to her chest and ducking her head to the sisters. "Aneth ara, lethallanen. A warm fire seems a good idea for such a cold day." Not content to just stand there, after a moment, she starts helping Nari drag the foliage into a neat pile--though she does stop to give the other Dalish a few curious looks. Sina, she's met a few times before. Nari was the mysterious sister that she's heard about, then? At least, that would be her assumption.

Wait. Names. Shit.

"Ah--I am Beleth, a hunter from Clan Ashara." She adds hastily. Well done. Super smooth.

[eolasemah]

consolidated here!

Bonfire.

[hugeinorlais]

Varric enjoyed a good bonfire-circle, just like any city-dwelling dwarf stranded in the Frostbacks did, but what he really couldn't resist? Fireside shenanigans. He had never before walked away from someone pretending, emphatically, to ride an imaginary horse and he didn't intend to start now.

He sidled up to the fire, a mug of something hot in hand, and shot a bemused smile at the two Dalish.

"This looks like a good one," Varric declared and took a seat by the fire. "What'd I miss?"

[eolasemah]

"Varric!" Sina called cheerfully, waving him over, "...and Beleth!" She didn't seem to mind not knowing Beleth intimately, for she was in high spirits and excited for an evening of warmth and talk. Even her shard seemed to glitter more cheerfully, and it didn't appear to be bothering her as much as it had been only days ago.
"Nari, this is Beleth of Clan Ashara," she said, gesturing from one to the other, "and Beleth, Nahariel Dahlasanor, my clan sister." She smiled back at Varric as though apologizing for all the elfiness currently happening.

"You haven't missed much yet," she informed him, "but I've told Nari all about your stories, if you're in the mood for the telling."

[nadasharillen]

Nahariel "reigned in" the branch near the fire, "dismounted", then let it fall into the fire with the rest, sending up a bloom of sparks into the darkening sky. She waved at the group, walking over to join them.

"Aneth ara, Beleth," she replied with a smile at the other elf, and then turned to nod at the dwarf, "and Varric, I'd assume?

"I was just telling Sina about the 'horse' we found in the Fallow Mire. It's mostly me bouncing around painfully on bony bits, trying to get it to stop while it stirrs up skeletons. Some swearing, some praying, fun for children of all ages." She grinned. "Please take over. I'm getting sore again just in the telling of it."

[hugeinorlais]

Varric couldn't help the broad smile that bloomed over his face as Nahariel summarized her acting. Her 'horse' crackling cheerfully as it joined the rest of the branches already burning in the fire-pit.

"Wait, wait, wait," Varric started and shook his head, a low chuckle bubbling up as he did. "You found a horse in the Fallow Mire, and went on a ride through skeleton infested waters?"

He whistled, then, and shook his head, amusement plain on his face.

"That's a pretty high bar to just walk in on, I'm not sure I've got a story that can top that, at least not right out of the gate," Varric said. He motioned to Sina and shot her a wry look. "Especially if you've been telling all the good ones already."

[arlathvhen]

Beleth nodded politely to Varric as he approached, apparently just as curious as she was about the tale that Nari was telling her sister. She turns to the other two Dalish, first introducing herself to the one she hadn't met. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Nahariel. Sina told me a bit about you--only good things, I assure you." She smiles warmly, putting her hand to her chest, and ducking her head.

At learning about what the conversation had been about, Beleth's eyebrows rose. "Oh, I heard about it. What did they call it? I can't remember the name, but Master Dennet put up a big fuss about it when it came to him." She sank down onto the ground, turning to Sina and giving her a nod, as well. "I haven't seen it in the stables, though."

And back to Varric, woo.

"I would like to hear one of your stories. No one's told my any of them. Except the one I was reading. Um, the Champion one. I liked it." Certainly not Swords and Shields. What are you talking about. Shut up.

[eolasemah]

Sina grinned, nodding along to Nari's explanation. "I wish I'd been there to see it," she remarked, "although I'd have worried, so it's probably better I wasn't." At Beleth's question, she looked to Nari, her grin growing brighter. "You've been calling it Boggy, haven't you?"

[nadasharillen]

"Only good things?" Nahariel grinned at Beleth, "she's left most of it out, then. As far as the name, I have indeed been calling it Boggy. I'm not sure it has an official name. I'm not even sure what it is. I haven't been by to visit it since I tried to curry its coat and a patch came off in the brush." The hunter ran a hand through her short hair with an embarrassed smile, then turned to Varric.

"Even though we're from the forest west of Kirkwall, we weren't all that knowledgeable about everything that happened there." The corner of her mouth twitched, eyes dipping to the ground briefly--they'd heard about the Sabrae, of course. "I hear you've a book running around about it, so I won't ask you to recount it all." Nari smiled again, eyes flickering mischeviously, "Tell us something you didn't put in?"

[hugeinorlais]

"What? And incriminate myself?" Varric asked, his expression and tone both passably aghast. He shrugged as he got more comfortable--as comfortable as one could get while seated on a log, really--and glanced at the three elves. Beleth had read the Tale of the Champion, Sina wished she'd been in Kirkwall (that was something Varric was not going to comment on), and Nahariel wanted something juicier than historical accounts.

"Well, so long as you promise not to tell the Seeker," Varric agreed idly and leaned forward to rest his arms on his knees.

"No shit, there I was, just standing in front of the Black Emporium," Varric began in his best and most dramatic writer's voice. "Just minding my own business, waiting for Hawke to come around, when this mage plows straight into me. Knocks us both clean off our feet and both his pointy hat and staff go sailing right through the front door of the Emporium."

Varric paused, but not for effect. Even he still had trouble believing this part had happened.

"The guy was frantic, rambling about luggage and pear trees and tourists," Varric continued. "I figured he'd probably gotten mugged, maybe hit on the head a little too hard, but there was no getting the guy off of me until Hawke and Fenris showed up and finally pried us apart.

"He must have been desperate, I realized, because he started grabbing at Broody for help. That didn't pan out, unsurprisingly, and he tried grabbing for Hawke. Shit, he even turned to Aveline, babbling something half-intelligible about losing two flowers and appointments with death. We couldn't make sense of him.

"Broody figured it was demons, Aveline thought he was drunk, and Hawke didn't really care, at least not until we heard the ominous, rapid pitter-patter of feet. Lots of tiny feet."

He held a hand aloft and shook his head as he swore an oath to Andraste. He described a brief, frantic battle with an unseen, swift moving animal, told how they'd all had to flee into the Black Emporium of all places, and how they'd ended up knocking over enough relics and breakable artifacts that whole civilizations had probably been lost to the dustbin.

"I've never seen anything like it, not before or since. The mage made for the door. He almost got there too, but when he reached for the handle, it got him. Out of the smoking hole in the shop floor, a trunk--an honest-to-the-Maker traveling trunk--with teeth and a hundred tiny feet jumped clear out of the basement and swallowed him whole. Its lid snapped shut and, just like that, the mage was gone and the trunk arced gracefully back toward the floor. When it fell back down--well, not one of us heard it hit the ground."