faderift | [Open] [I can move mountains, move mountains.. ]

WHO: Bethany Hawke and You
WHAT: Exploring the Inquisition
WHEN: The next few days of Wintermarch
WHERE: The garden, the tavern, the courtyard, the library.
NOTES: Content warnings, OOC notes, links to other relevant posts, etc.

The first thing Bethany did after arriving at Skyhold?

A bath. A beautiful, long hot bath where she soaked with nice soap and some sort of fancy oil and just ... cleansed herself from about a week's worth of sand and dirt. After that though, well.

Bethany used to be the sort of person who would keep to the edges to not be noticed. Kept herself hidden, to keep herself from being taken to a Circle. Her family went through such risks to keep her free - keeping her head down seemed to be a small sacrifice to make.

Now, nine years - almost ten! - years a Warden and she still observed quietly from the background. Yet now, she would step forward. Move more boldly, with more confidence and a great deal more poise. She also, as she had been apt to do even in her days in Kirkwall, stopped to help people.

So there you will find her, all around Skyhold, quietly soaking up everything, or chatting happily with someone as she helps them carry firewood or food out to the hungry troops training in the yard. The first thing you will know is that smile - dimples and bright, and completely unfeigned. Who knows, maybe it's just pointing at you.

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"You know I will help." That was Fenris, ridiculously loyal to his friends. If Bethany needed his help, he would be there.

He stood watching her for a long time, before shaking his head in disgust. "Corypheus," he said with a snarl. There had been all the rumours that he had returned, and well, with Bethany here confirming it. "How did we fail to kill him? And what push did the leaders make? Or is that one of the Warden secrets you can't tell me?"

"I know you will." She smiled at him, giving his arm another squeeze. Just like she would be there for him.

She nodded her head solemnly, before she sighed and rubbed a hand across her face. "To tell you the truth, Fenris, I don't know the answer to any of those questions. I don't know how we killed them, and I don't know the specifics of the blood magic ritual. I just know we need to know more of Erimond, and just what he is capable of."

The simple words 'blood magic' produced a typical response from Fenris and he stiffened with anger, but calmed down. It wasn't Bethany, or anything she was involved with. His issues were far deep rooted. "Well, I think you have come to the right place. It would seen most people of import are arriving here at this Inquisition." And many others beside.

She could see him tense, and she gently rubbed her fingers along his arm. Of course she knew why he was upset - damn Danarius right to the Black City and back again. She gave him a warm smile, before she nodded once, "Of course I have. You're here, aren't you?"

"Mostly because I'd heard that there were Tevinter magisters here." And had been sorely disappointed that he hadn't found any to kill so far, but he was ever hopeful.

"You know ... I haven't met a one. I know there were quite a few in Redcliffe, but the Inquisition cleaned them out here. Although - as you know - in the Western Approach there might be a few." She gave him a wry smile. "Which you probably already know, come to think of it."

"At first it seemed like there were more, but now... it seems that there are hardly any." He nodded, then gave her a small grin. "We might have cleaned some out when we were in the Approach. They were... paying no attention to their surrounding." And then they paid the ultimate price for that.

What a shame.

"Oh, what a shame about that." Was Bethany's oh-so-innocent response. "People really should look where they are going before they run into a giant sword being wielded by an angry former slave."

She gave him a faint smirk, "I hope they ran into the sword two or three times?"

"Either that, or they ducked their head into it and it became miraculously severed at the neck." What a shame indeed. "At least there are a few less slavers out there." Always a good thing, frankly.

"My my,, look how clumsy they are, getting their heads chopped off like that." She tsked slightly, "Really should watch where they were going." Or trafficking human lives, the monsters. She looked at him, smiling warmly, "I'm glad you were able to save more people from a life of slavery. Just ...remember to be careful?"

"They should be more careful," he agreed with a grin, and the look he gave her was a fond one. There were very few that he would accept mothering from, Bethany being one of the only people he knew he would take it from. "I always am, truly." He wasn't, but he didn't want her worrying.

"Quite so. Swords are very sharp." Bethany stated with a straight face, before one corner of her mouth lifted up. "Good. We've lost much already, over all these years. I never want to lose someone else I care about for at least another twenty years."

He gave a small sigh. Ah, dear sweet naive Bethany. "I can't promise the twenty years part," he pointed out. "But I always take care, don't worry about me."

"Oh well Maker's Breath, Fenris. You should at least be able to outlive a Grey Warden." One corner of her mouth twisted. "Although considering our life expectancy, maybe just five or ten? Does that sound more reasonable?"

He frowned a little at that. "I thought Grey Wardens had a life expectancy of around thirty years after they Joined?" he asked. He didn't like to think of a world without Bethany in it. "I will try my best. I don't seek out being hurt, but sometimes it just happens." It is accidental when it does happen.

"For the most part. But darkspawn can take us, just as easily as time." She gave her friend a warm, gentle smile, "Either way, I only have about twenty years left to me."

That was so precise. He didn't like it. If it was a vague 'Oh, Darkspawn will get me one day', he would have accepted it more easily. There was something more going in, but Wardens had their secrets, secrets he would never know.

"But not today. That's the most important thing." Because the world needed more gentle souls like Bethany.

[Open] [I can move mountains, move mountains.. ]

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