[Open] Blade to shackle-bearer, valiant of spirit

[judgemewhole]

WHO: Character(s: James Norrington, Alayre Sauveterre, Pel Ashara, NPC soldiers and templars and YOU.
WHAT: First Templar Training Session for Inquisition Soldiers
WHEN: 14th of Wintersbreath
WHERE: Skyhold Training Ring
NOTES: Warnings for Violence, Racism against Elves, Templars being badass.

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Norrington had told all of the other Templars that he would begin training the soldiers in direct Templar training on how to handle abominations, and he was as good as his word. He put up a list for sign-up for the soldiers, and it was filled within minutes. His own Templars came to help train the fifty-plus soldiers, and James took on lecturing duties. Explaining the differences between demons and abominations, and beyond that, spirits as best as he understood them. Informed them that no, not all mages were simply 'abominations waiting to happen'. It was a conscious choice of the mage within the Fade to make that deal with a demon, and typically? It was because the mage had lost control of their abilities through either fear or ... coercion.

Then he had each soldier run through practice drills on the best way to defend against demons, using his Templars (and any who volunteered) to walk them through step by step. Then, to demonstrate how it all worked together -- James called Templars into the ring, and took them on, sword and shield. The effect was just what he was hoping for, the men were completely rapt with attention. Which was good - he wanted for them to soak it in.

And if any of the passer-bys wanted to stay and watch? Learn something or just know how much training went into actually hunting and killing demons? Well. Visual demonstrations were always ... effective.

And afterwards ...

Afterwards, James would be hanging milling on the side of the ring - talking to the soldiers or his fellow Templars. If you wanted to speak to him, challenge him to some sort of sparring match, or just taunt from the sidelines? Now was the time.

Comments

Re: Afterwards

[judgemewhole]

Norrington was wiping the sweat from his brow, when he saw the elvish woman at his elbow with a cup of water. He took it from her, frowning faintly, "I - thank you, but there's no need to fetch water for me. I will be happy to get it myself."

He paused, before handing it back to her. "Here, drink it yourself."

Now that Pel had made him aware of all the thoughtless insults that came to her people every day - it made him uneasy to give any orders to any elf, unless it was under a military precept. How many times had he thoughtless taken a cup of water without thanking a servant for it?

... well, probably close to never, but how was he to know? He had to change his behavior so others could learn, and duplicate it in kind.

[arlathvhen]

She hadn't gotten the cup for herself, and she debates whether or not to point this out to him. But there will be plenty of things to argue about without including such a silly thing. So she accepts the cup, though it's promptly ignored in favor of turning her gaze to the field. She had thought to grill him on his intentions, but he had been thoughtful enough to shout them for all of Skyhold to hear. Which made her job both much easier, and a great deal harder.

Finally, she turned to Norrington, expression direly serious.

"Do you truly intend to marry her? Have you already decided that, barely knowing her? Do you have any idea what bonding entails for Dalish? For her?" She kept pressing, eyes focused on him. Pel would probably be grumpy if she knew Beleth was demanding these answers, but if not her, then who?

[judgemewhole]

He goes and gets himself his own cup of water, sipping at it. Which is why he almost spits it out when she turns to look at him and basically demands to know his attentions.

Oh. Er. All right.

He swallows, with a bit of a choke, before he gives the woman next to him a narrow-eyed look of his own. "I take it you are one of Pel's relations?"

He wants to be clear on this one. Adelaide had, at least, sat down with him in a polite conversation. This woman was going to be calling him out right here and now, he wanted to know who was doing such..

[arlathvhen]

She stares at him for a few moments, face neutral. Maybe a little unimpressed. After she was sure that the silence had stretched long enough to be safely uncomfortable, she nods, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

"Pel was raised by my mother. Don't you know anything about the members of our clan that are here? We are the family she has here, and you don't know who we are?" She pressed, her lips a thin, disapproving line. Anyone from her clan would see an eerie resemblance to the Keeper, the same straight spine, and the same politely disappointed tone.

"Pray tell, what are your experiences with the Dalish as previous to your...whirlwind romance?"

[judgemewhole]

He looks back at her, and waited. And then waited another moment. His eyes narrowed after another full moment because she was now crossing her arms over his chest and was clearly ...

His eyebrows rose together at that accusation, but he kept his mouth firmly shut until she asked her question. He tilted his head slightly to the side, before he began to speak, "I came across one or two clans while traveling through the Free Marches. Usually I avoid them altogether as they don't like shem outsiders and certainly not Templars. Beyond that I did a great deal of study on what I could on how the Dalish handle mages. Beyond practical uses of blood magic, the Dalish have a surprising small amount of abominations."

He arched an eyebrow, "And what, praytell, do you know of me, or my people before you came over here to interrogate me?"

[arlathvhen]

She watches as he speaks, lips forming a thin red line. Unusual for a Templar, she supposed, that he would avoid Dalish clans. Unless he just didn't have the forces that would make it worth it to try to take on a clan for the apostates inevitably held within. At the phrase 'practical use of blood magic' her lips twist into a grimace, though she looked placated at the acknowledgement that they don't have many abominations.

"I know that Templars are a constant risk to our clan. I know that they want to take our mages and lock them away in a tower, when they should be our leaders. I know that there are some clans so scared of Templars that they leave behind mage children, rather than risk the Templars coming to slaughter them. I know that the very ordinance of your Order, that you were built on, would have called you, if you met my twin brother, to kill him, or force him into a Circle, and if you thought he was a danger, you would tear his very soul out of his body."

Her voice is low, and calm, though there's a sharpness to her words, and she doesn't look away from him. "That's what your Order does, is supposed to do. So you are either a traitor to your Order, or you are a risk to mages. Which one is it?"

[judgemewhole]

There was no right answer to this - not right to what she was looking for. She was looking to find something to hate about him, and honestly? Honestly honesty was all he was going to give her. So he stood up straighter, his green eyes cool but his expression grave as he responded with as much dignity as he could muster. His gaze never leaves hers, as well.

"I am true to the principles in which I believe, and the ethics in which I was trained. 'Magic is meant to serve man, never to rule over him' - which means when magic serves the greater good then it should be protected and it should be preserved. Templars protect people from the dangers of magic - but they are meant to protect mages from the dangers of people. Such as the mage children of when there are too many in a clan, and they leave them out into the wilderness to fend for their own. Those children I will take back to the Circle, so they will not be murdered by ignorant peasants. I will see them fed, see them educated and most importantly I will give them a safe place to grow up in."

He set his shoulders, "Outside of that, what the Dalish do is the Dalish's business, as far as I am concerned, except in the matters of those they abandon. Others in the Order might disagree, and that is why they are elsewhere, and I am here. If they have murdered your clans, then they are in the wrong and they should be thrown out of the Order immediately and put on trial for gross misconduct and murder."

A pause, and transition, "As for being a risk to mages -- I am a risk to any mage who decides that their selfish need for power makes innocents a good source in which to bully, steal from, or use as human sacrifices to meet their own ends. I will not tolerate mages who use their gifts to suppress others, to murder people to build their own power -- " Something chokes him for a moment, and he looks down for a moment, and breathes deeply. "My apologies." Calming breath in ...

"In short to your answer - I am no danger to mages who simply want to live their damned lives. There are no more Circles, so they are responsible for their own protection. If they want the Templars help, I will not deny them but I will not force myself, or my people upon them. In turn, I want them to respect the fact that magic is dangerous, and some people who use it are dangerous, and they need to be taken care of quickly and with extreme force."

[arlathvhen]

There isn't a right answer, and Beleth doesn't think there will ever be one. Not with what the Templar order used to be. Just like she didn't think there was a right answer to Norrington being with Pel. Funny how that worked.

But she doesn't just ignore what he has to say, either. She listens, eyes turned away, but obviously focused on his words. The hesitation when he talks about mages murdering people nearly makes her sneer--she's sure there's some Tragic Backstory to that, but Beleth can give her own if she really wants. She still has her own scars--But that's not the Templar Order's fault as a whole. Just like whatever mage made Norrington hesitate wasn't the fault of mages as a whole.

"Alright, then." And that's about as close as she's going to get to accepting what he said for right now--She'll think on it more later, when she's not already worked up about five other things. "So that's your decision. Now I ask you, which would you have Pel choose?" She looked back up at him, eyes hard.

"If you ask Pel to be with you, she will be forced to leave her clan. So, she would need to choose between her family, between her people, her place as the First, and the place of Keeper some day, and...you. Would you ask her to make that decision? Would you even want her to?"