faderift | Tell me a story long and true

WHO: Mia Rutherford and OPEN
WHAT: So much to do, so little time. Bustling around Skyhold.
WHEN: Wintermarch. Feel free to fudge the dates as needed.
WHERE: All over the bloody keep.
NOTES: n/a

The weeks press on. The world looks to the Inquisition to see what happens next, the mages and templars struggle to prove their independence and their willingness to work towards the greater good, and a calm finally seems to have settled over the keep in the wake of the abomination attack. Personal trials seem almost trivial in comparison.

Almost. She's still noticeably avoiding Pel, and stiffly departing if the woman ever comes around.

But there's more to be dealt with than one sour encounter. She drops in on Cullen from time to time now, a little less concerned with keeping her distance than she is with how well he's dealing with the lyrium-induced headaches. She visits Katniss soon after hearing about the unfortunate scuffle with one of the soldiers, though part of her is pleased that she's holding her own. There are care packages to be made up and delivered to various families and individuals within Skyhold -- herbs for the healers from the travelers and scouts, and sometimes cookies for the children -- and all in all life is as busy as it should be.

Better than sitting at home in South Reach and fretting, with no one to tend to. Though what must it say about her that she only feels at ease when she's seeing to someone else's needs? Likely nothing she wants to hear, admittedly.

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Kaidan was one of those who tended to gather up herbs on his travels. A hold over from when he had to make his own potions on the go. At least there are healers that can make far better ones than he ever could, but he felt it his duty to pick some herbs whenever he got the chance. At least he could keep the place supplied rather than just take.

"Mistress Rutherford?" he asked the woman who had been pointed out to him. "I am to understand that you are gathering together herb supplies?"

"That's right."

She'd been scribbling something down as she went over the supplies, taking inventory and determining the best way to distribute whatever might be left. Luckily she had a head for numbers, could have easily done it on her sleep. Hearing a voice call out barely had her lifting her head.

"If you've more, we'd certainly welcome them, ser...?"

Kaidan gave Mistress Rutherford a wry smile. It had been a long time since he'd been called 'Ser'. "Kaidan Alenko, mistress. Warden Kaidan Alenko. I found mostly embrium, but a little bit of Dawn Lotus as well." And Mia could guarantee they were in good condition - he knew how to take care of herbs.

At that, her eyes do lift up. "Warden."

Well that's what she got for paying attention, wasn't it? Almost at once she moved to stand. "Ah, forgive me. I hadn't realized...yes, that's wonderful. We could do with some more for the poultices. The healers have been running short, as of late."

Kaidan didn't want any extra treatment just because he was a warden. Truly. "I guessed you might be. There's been a real influx of people of late." Especially Wardens and the like, so it was only fair that he help out. "If you need anything else in particular, let me know, and I can make sure it's found." He had a lot of bored Wardens on his hands, after all.

"That's...very kind of you."

She might have assumed any Wardens they got on their hands would be out fighting one thing or another, not hanging around gathering herbs. She wouldn't turn down the help, of course, and she waved him closer.

"Alright, let's see what you have. They'll want to prioritize where these get sent, as low on stocks as we are." Her gaze shifts between the herbs and the Warden, perhaps the first she's ever gotten to meet in person after hearing so much about them.

A pity they couldn't be in Honnleath, but that was hardly their doing.

Well, there weren't many Darkspawn in Skyhold, so the Wardens were kicking their heels. Might as well be useful, especially when they were the recipient of a fair few of those potions.

He was chafing at the delay to helping his brothers and sisters, but that wasn't this woman's fault. "Are you low on stocks of everything, or just a few specifics?" If he knew, he could look out in the future.

He hadn't been anywhere near Ferelden during hte Blight, away on his own missions, or he would have felt more guilty about now being able to help.

At that she sighs, letting her hands float upwards in a helpless gesture before falling again. "Our numbers grow by the day. At this point, anything we can get our hands on would be of benefit. I might start going out myself to start plucking them off the mountainside," she replies dryly. "And Maker knows we're forever running low on elfroot. Somehow."

One hand lifted to rub at the bridge of her nose. "Forgive me. I...perhaps I should stop a moment. My eyes are beginning to cross," she murmurs, before rising to her feet.

Kaidan nodded. "Well, I know we Wardens tend to use potions where we can, so it's only fair that we pick some when we are out and about." If nothing else, Scipio and Rafa could go and collect some elfroot rather than bothering everyone else. "At least we'd be doing something."

He looked at her, and gave her a little smile. "When was the last time you ate?" he asked seriously, knowing the signs in himself.

"Breakfast. Which was some hours ago, yes," she admitted with a wry look. "I suppose I ought to be paying more attention, but it all seems to slip away from me once I get started on something."

A steadying breath was taken before she started to pull herself upright. It had been foolish of her, after chiding so many to take better care of themselves. But it was always easier to see the good that could be done for others first.

"Oh I know a lot of people like that," he said with a grin. "I was headed to the kitchen to find something to eat anyway. Might I suggest you join me?" Or at least allow him to bring her something to eat if she insisted on working through the hunger.

In truth, she probably needed the break, and the Warden had been kind enough to offer. She didn't know what else she might have expected of a Warden...they were meant to be valiant, noble sorts if anything in the stories was at all true.

Still. A little too good to be completely true. So her sense of cynicism tells her.

"I'd be happy to." A smile tugging into place, Mia gave a courteous nod before stepping over the piles of herbs. It's careful work, though she manages to keep her skirts from sweeping anything over before turning back to Kaiden, tilting her head towards the door. "Well. Shall we?"

Don't worry Mia, you caught him on a good day, though Kaidan had a huge streak of nobility in him, if he were being honest. He had a lot to atone for from his past, so he tried to be good at least.

He inclined his head once, making sure he avoided the herbs lying about as well. "You seem to have had a fair amount of herbs gathered in," he noted as he fell back on that little used skill of 'making small talk'. "Have you heard of where the best places are in the Hinterlands?" Getting out of Skyhold for a few days sounded like a good idea.

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