But I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more!

[ombranera]

WHO: Zevran and any on the road!
WHAT: Walking, drinking, dancing, dirty songs and poetry while hiking to Skyhold. Perhaps a stop in a tavern or two along the way.
WHEN: The course of several days on the road.
WHERE: The Road to Skyhold, Skyhold itself
NOTES: Zev is a walking content warning coarse language, innuendo, drinking

Strange how after a solid year of hiking over hill and dale, through Imperial Highways and muddy side tracks he'd sworn to never do so again no matter the company or the cause. And yet here was Zevran yet again on foot (an elf with a horse attracted too much attention in the area) walking the long way to Skyhold with the odd thumb out for any passing caravan- provided they were not bandits. Company he did not mind. Burglary? Less so. From what little he'd heard of the events at Haven and his concern for a country that had been, for all to brief a time, a home of sorts, Zevran made his merry way along the road to this fortress rumored to be the best option for a strategic regroup. Perhaps he would meet someone familiar, perhaps he might offer his services.

The options were many. As were the songs that he would use to amuse himself, strumming a worn, well sanded lute while he walked. Now and then snatches of Antivan would curl through the air, lilting and easy and- to anyone that understood? Absolutely filthy.

"Le mie gambe sono avvolte intorno a voi collo,
Il tuo cazzo nella mia strada, spinte e agitare!
Ero a letto , ma ora sono in questo petto .
Cosa stai mi dà grande piacere!"

So on and so forth from one tavern to the next on the long trek, if coaxed and if it would see him fed or paid, he would play a few of the softer, more romantic tunes he knew. But for the most part? Smut. Quite a bit of smut. It wasn't as though anyone truly understood him all that often.

His actual arrival was a little less Merry, he had to give one thing to wandering bandits. When they coordinate well enough for a solid ambush and attack en masse? It wasn't the simplest fight to handle alone. Escaping unscathed wasn't entirely possible but he had managed to find a group of either merchants or refugees or a mix of both, he wasn't all that certain, to walk with for the last streatch. One even deigned to allow him to ride the last leg in- provided he rode on the back of the cart and entertained them. As such Zevran's arrival was marked with his voice crackling out past laughter.

"'But yes, she asks, what is the difference?' and I tell her-

'The difference is in where you put the cucumber.'"

Comments

[serannas]

"Not quite," she replied, her lips curving up into a smile. It had been awhile since anyone had referred to her as lovely, and the last one who did... well, she didn't like to think of him anymore. "More like steal me away for my mageiness." But she was hardly distressed mentioning that. It was simply fact.

"Oh, are you now? And why do you claim the title?"

[ombranera]

"And all the more fool they, one cannot steal a mage and hope to keep them." Woo a mage- well. That was something else entirely. "Well, we are the best adventurers, the kindest and most attentive of lovers, and we throw all the best parties. None of this Orlesian nonsense with the masks and the scheduled dancing and the dull music."

[serannas]

Her Keeper had warned that few Templars would bother dragging a Dalish mage to one of their Circles; they would just kill her out in the wild and be done with her. And so in a way, Zevran's views lined up with her Keeper's, because they wouldn't keep a mage.

"Yes, I don't really understand the masks myself. I can still see their eyes and their mouths, so they're hardly hiding their expressions." But whatever. Go be weird, Orlesians. You do you.

"Have you been on many adventures?"

[ombranera]

"Quite a few! I think one of the greatest would have to be the year I spent in Ferelden, or perhaps that brief stint I had as a pirate. Then again being an assistant to a forgetful Enchanter was quite amusing as well- or perhaps the dragon riding." That may or may not be a complete falsehood. Zevran would never tell.

[serannas]

"You've really done all of that?" There was a slight note of disbelief to her voice. She was naive, but not that naive. How exactly would one ride a dragon without being flung straight off? It wasn't like you could easily slip a saddle over its back, or tie a lead around its neck.

[ombranera]

"That I have." A strong bloodline and careful living- well. Careful aftercare to reckless living has left Zevran looking a bit younger than his thirty some odd years to the untrained eye. "Though I am not your standard Antivan- I dare say I've seen about twice as much as those in my country."

[serannas]

"You've actually ridden a dragon? And lived to tell? What kind of dragon was it?" Now this is a story she has to hear. Ellana's been stuck hearing the same stories for years, with the occasional new one about the hunters' encounters with humans and how they'd scared them off. And when Gavin would come back from his latest adventure, Ellana always sat enraptured at his tales.

[ombranera]

"Yes, a High Dragon, and it was quite stressful at the time- nor did I ride it for very long." Straddling it's neck while impaling the skull with a sword probably didn't count as 'riding' but- it was close enough for him. "But it was quite the adventure."

[serannas]

Amazed, she stared wide eyed at him. He was being serious? He had to be. If he wasn't, he would boast that he'd ridden it for longer than that.

"I should say so! Were you thrown off its back?"

[ombranera]

"It's neck, actually. And after a time indeed I was- fortunately I landed in a great snow drift and did not suffer anything worse than some bruising and laughter from my compatriots." Specifically Oghren and Alistair. But that is what one got for attempting to climb a dragon.

[serannas]

Ellana couldn't imagine laughing after seeing someone perform such a feat, but maybe she had to be there to find humor in it.

"I'm very impressed! There are few who can claim to do what you did."

[ombranera]

"Most would be eaten, yes. Luckily I was able to jump out of the way while the Dwarf distracted it." Oghren did have his uses, after all.

[serannas]

"You had a dwarf with you? Did he have a beard? My friend Gavin said all the male dwarves down in Orzammar had beards." She'd been thrilled when Gavin had returned to the clan with stories of the dwarves and the strange fashion in which they lived underground, never allowed to see the sun. Life in the clan could feel confining at times, but she was grateful she had the sun on her face and the wind in her hair.

[ombranera]

"Most do. I have met but one that did not have a beard and in it's stead he had a truly impressive thatch of chest hair. It was the envy of all he knew." A marvelous thatch, and a pity he did not wish to hop boarders- or hop at all as it were.

[serannas]

"Ohhh," she murmured, wondering what that looked like, since sadly, male elves lacked that impressive amount of body hair. Who knew? It could look completely ridiculous, or unappealing, but she at least wanted to have the experience of knowing for herself what it looked like. She was eager to experience so many new things.

"And you? Were you envious of it too?"

[ombranera]

"For my own person? Not so much. To be able to touch it? Ah- that would have been something. It seemed quite well tended to." And he could appreciate that in dwarves. "Quite plush, I would dare even go so far as to say: Silky."

[serannas]

His descriptive terms had her laughing in delight. He was such a funny character and already she could tell she enjoyed his company. Plus he had stories to share! What more could she ask for?

"So he allowed you to stroke his chest, did he?"

[ombranera]

"Alas, no. We did not know each other for long and he did not quite care for that manner of appreciation from another man." Such a sad day. "But here and now I have a lovely woman smiling at me, what more could I possibly want?"

[serannas]

And that just made her smile all the more. She didn't want to get drawn in so easier, but, well, what harm was a few compliments when she'd been lacking in them for far too long?

"I really can't think of a thing, except maybe sharing a drink with her?"

[ombranera]

"Now that is a marvelous idea." He stood, dusting himself off and slinging his lute across his back. "Do you happen to know where we might find the Tavern? I have only just arrived and have not yet sought it out."

[serannas]

"It's just up this set of stairs and to the right," she answered, gesturing where they needed to go.

"Is it easy to play the lute?" she asked as she moved in that direction. He would see that she was always full of questions.

[ombranera]

"It takes some practice, memorizing where it is to put your fingers for the chords, the patterns, learning to read music or pick it up by ear. A fine way to pass the time on long journeys, I have found. Would you care for a lesson?" He most certainly would not mind teaching her a few of the less dirty songs in his book.

[serannas]

"I would love one!" she replied, looking excited at the idea. Even if it was a challenge, it was at least something she could try. Something new.

"Before or after drinks?"

[ombranera]

"Mmmm. After, I think. Music is always more enjoyable after a bit of wine, ale, or brandy." And he has heard such things of this tavern's brandy. Good things.

[serannas]

"Very well." Ellana led him into the tavern and towards the bar, where a surly looking dwarf stood with his arms crossed. She did her best not to stare, because dwarves were also a new sight. At least when she spoke she didn't sound in awe as she asked for an ale. And once she had her drink and Zevran had his, she looked for a quiet place where they could sit and converse more.

"How about over there?" She pointed a finger off towards a corner table.