Tell me a story long and true

[lettersfromhome]

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.

Comments

if this... works....

[lacere]

"Mistress Rutherford?"

It's more to get her attention; Harding knows who she is. She's prone to bustling herself, always busy, always working, but she does hear things from her scouts, and its polite to give a heads up seeing as, y'know, she's here in the courtyard, Mia's here in the courtyard too.

"The scouts are back. They'll probably be coming this way soon with the herbs you wanted."

[onlyhymns]

Cade is on one of his eternal patrols of the battlements when he sees Mia below and ascending the stairs. He pauses to watch her a moment, then forces himself to go towards her and meet her at the top. He recognizes a fellow restless soul when he sees one.

"Lady Rutherford," he greets, with a small bow.

[lettersfromhome]

"Ah." There's a relieved noise as she straightens, dusting off her hands. "Maker bless them. We've not run short yet, and I'd just as soon that stayed the case without wandering down to the swamps myself."

She looks a tad more harried than usual, blond curls falling loose about her face, but she hasn't seemed to notice. She still seems composed, despite the slight dishevelment.

"Will we be needing to take any to the soldiers, once the healers have had at them?" she presses on, her gaze settling on Harding.

[lettersfromhome]

"Ser Harimann." And she does sound pleased to see him, if slightly out of breath when she reaches the top of the steps. It's excuse enough to greet him, and to draw to a halt long enough to catch her breath again. It's been quite the busy morning.

"How lovely to see you again." A glance is given off the battlements with a soft smile. "And the view hasn't changed much, has it?"

[onlyhymns]

Cade smiles a little, once again finding that it comes easily with someone like Mia. At her question, he looks around, then down, blushing sheepishly. "Not much, my lady, no," he concedes. "But one day it might." It's fortunate they have him up here making sure the sky doesn't fall into the mountains.

[lettersfromhome]

"I won't hold my breath for the mountains to move on my account."

A breath taken, she reaches up to tuck a loose lock of hair back behind her ear. In the wind, it's near impossible to keep it all neat, but she's not going to be too troubled with her looks. Never has been, really. No reason to start now.

"You've been well, I hope?"

[serannas]

Ellana is taking a break from reading in the library to enjoy the fresh air. Skyhold may be in the mountains, but the crisp air is spared from being frigid as a result of the hot springs that lie underneath. It's a beautiful day, and she is contemplating bringing her book out here to read when she finds Mia in the middle of carrying her care packages.

"Mia," she calls, jogging over to her. "Would you like some help carrying some of those?"

[onlyhymns]

"Ah... yes," Cade decides. As well as can be considering the circumstances, which is to say, he's still alive and hasn't gone back to the dungeon yet.
"And you as well?"

[lettersfromhome]

The uncertainty in that answer stirs some curiosity on her part, but she presses it back down again. Gently.

"Mm. I've been managing to keep myself busy, at the very least," she replies a bit wryly, hands folding primly in front of her. "Although I find myself in need of a few moments respite, apparently. Must be all the fresh air."

[lettersfromhome]

She's managed to balance quite a few in her arms, perhaps overestimating herself, as a few seem to want to tumble free despite her stubborn attempts at wrangling them. She might have told anyone else that she was fine and shouldered the burden herself, beings as it was her own miscalculation.

But she knows Ellana yearns to help as much as she does. There are some people she does not mind sharing the load with.

"One or two might be trying to leap away from me. If you could...there on the edge," she murmurs, tipping her head towards the offending packages.

[onlyhymns]

"It is thinner up here," Cade replies, unsure of what that even means or where he heard it, but it's a thing to say.
"..I hope I'm not keeping you." This is said with an air of sudden realization. She's busy, of course she doesn't have time to just stop and talk to every idiot who crosses her path. "...I... can escort you again, if you wish it."

[lettersfromhome]

"No, of course you're not keeping me. I'd have told you so." Though the smile that follows says she would have at least done so kindly.

"But, as it happens, I was planning on circling about to the kitchens for some of cookies I stored there this morning. Took the long route, I think, but I wouldn't mind some company on the walk over."

Post-battle

[the_effect_she_has]

It was fairly notable that Katniss had a split lip and the side of her face was nicely bruised, and even more notable the tales that were told. They got wilder in the telling, so that when Katniss brought fresh meat for the refugees, the children all clambered around her to ask if she had really gotten attacked by a bear-ridden Avaar fighting for the hand of Commander Cullen.

Fifteen minutes later from setting that straight (and per her promise to Pel and Cullen, setting everyone on the right path of fighting is not good), she was carrying the skins back to Skyhold when she found Mia coming out of a tent. She crooked a smile, before going to walk next to the woman, "And a good day to you, Mia."

Yes, she might have looked like she lost a fight with a sledgehammer, but she was surprisingly ...chipper.

[lettersfromhome]

Proud as she might be of the woman for standing up for herself, she's a mess. There's a cluck of her tongue as she turns, looking over the damage with a shake of her head. "So you say," she replies, arching an eyebrow at the girl before tucking the basket of herbs primly under her arm. "Thought if you're looking to get that treated, I'm headed in the opposite direction just now."

[the_effect_she_has]

"Absolutely not. I've got a healing potion already, but that requires eight hours of sleep I'm not ready for just yet." Katniss glanced over at her, and sighed. "So you're disappointed in me as well?"

Katniss really should just go through all of her friends to get the 'You should know better!' discussions out of the way.

[lettersfromhome]

"Did I say that?"

Mia shakes her head, the corner of her mouth curling upwards.

"I'm not here to judge you, dear. I'm not even entirely sure what happened. People talk, of course, but I've had my fill of the rumor mill. I can tell you that much."

[the_effect_she_has]

"You know what I've found interesting about the rumor mill?" Katniss said, tipping her dark head a little to the side, "It is perhaps the greatest work of fiction I have ever heard -- and I happen to be a great fan of Master Tethras."

She paused, then added more soberly, "But it can't happen again. Not like that. The Inquisition doesn't need to be fighting with itself. Justified or not. I've got to learn to keep my temper."

[lettersfromhome]

"True. But you didn't need me to tell you that, did you?" Mia's eyes had darkened somewhat in regard to the rumor mill. Still rather bitter about that, but spilled milk and all that. She pushes it aside, curiosity getting the better of her.

"So. What did happen?"

[onlyhymns]

Cade believes her, and his faint smile states accordingly. He nods, in what is almost another bow, and offers his arm for her to take. "I'm glad to provide it," he says quietly. "How is the Commander faring?"

[lettersfromhome]

There's an almost scoffing laugh at that. Cullen's life of late has been complicated at best. Paramour engaging in fights on his behalf, the ridiculousness of the rumor mill, his lyrium withdrawals...all problems she did not want to add to. And certainly had no business telling anyone else.

"He manages. As we all do. Though he seems to take a great deal of pride in what the Inquisition has accomplished thus far. That's the best you could hope for, really."

[onlyhymns]

Cade is surprised by the scoff, though he doesn't pry. He's not invested in the rumor mill himself, often preferring to pretend it doesn't exist at all-- at least when it concerns the people he knows or himself.

"As he should," he replies pensively, "I am interested to see where the Inquisition goes from here. And what our role in it will be." As Templars, no doubt. Or... not-Templars.

[lettersfromhome]

"Frightening, isn't it? The whole world turned on its head, everything we know shifting balance and going off-kilter...and yet we still fall prey to the same petty differences. The same arguments. Little insecurities. Little problems."

Mia hums thoughtfully. "I've no grand prospects myself, but I do wish you and your brothers well. Perhaps the Order can be salvaged in a fashion. Cullen would tell me of the good that could be done. Perhaps it will do so again."

[serannas]

Quickly gathering together some of the packages, Ellana smiles and arranges them in her arms.

"Where are we going with them?" she asks, not yet knowing what they contain. No matter the destination, Ellana will see them safely delivered. It's good to feel useful and contribute to the Inquisition in any way possible. It's something so much bigger than herself, yet filled with people who all have the same goal.

[onlyhymns]

Little insecurities. Little problems. Is that all they are?

"Your care is appreciated," Cade replies, with a quirk of his mouth, not quite a smile. "...if it is not salvaged, I admit I'm... afraid of what might replace it." But he's afraid of a lot of things.

[the_effect_she_has]

Katniss clicked her tongue against the top of her mouth, before she sighed. Best to get the truth out there, she supposed. "Sergeant Retty, formerly of the 4th Platoon, now out in the Western Approach came up to me in the tavern - first accused me of getting a cushy job with the Scouts because I am seeing Cullen."

She sucked in a breath, fighting the spark of anger at the very thought of it, "John and I - he's one of Harding's scouts, let her know there was no such thing as a cushy Scout job. Then she stated some very ... untrue things about your brother and ladies of a certain profession, of which I apparently am, and this time Jim helped me straighten her out."

And at this point, Katniss sighed, "Then she punched me. In the face. With a gauntlet. And ... called me a half-blooded whore. And ... I lost my temper. By a lot."