Put on your gloves and your black pumps

[unbrokenoath]

WHO: Warden Kaisan Daesun and YOU
WHAT: Another Warden arrives and is very noisy about it.
WHEN: Current
WHERE: Places around Skyhold
NOTES: Some mild swearing probably.

The Gate

She'd been hoping that Skyhold had those huge wooden doors some fortresses had, so she could shove them open dramatically and cruise in while everyone was staring. Now, that would be pretty damn awesome. Unfortunately, Skyhold had the extremely practical iron metal gate, that you couldn't throw open dramatically. What's worse, is that before she even got close, she was greeted by scouts who politely tried to figure out why there was a tall armed woman stalking up the path to Skyhold. Exasperated as she was, she told them who she was, and gave them a list of names of Wardens who would verify her identity. Being dragged in by some very angry scouts would be indeed dramatic, but Kaisa was not in the mood to provoke quite that feeling on her entrance.

Still, Kaisa was a Warden, and she was used to working with limited resources. So she buckled up, straighted her back, and after speaking to the scouts, strode up through the gate of Skyhold, with as much swagger and confidence as if she were a reigning monarch stepping into her personal hold. She made sure that her strides were long enough that she was in front of the scouts who had come to question her. After all, this was her introduction to Skyhold, it was far more appropriate for her to be first. Her hound trailed after her, marring the cool, collected look just slightly, as he sniffed around, wagging his little stub of a tail like mad.

Once inside, she paused, hands on her hips, looking around at the courtyard, yellow eyes sharp and scrutinizing. The scouts had already dissipated, off to update necessary people that another Warden had arrived. Yes, while this wasn't quite the entrance that she had favored, she had done a good job. Now she just had to stand there looking cool and intimidating and everything.

The dog, meanwhile, flopped down, and had to be stepped around by the Warden, lest he drool on her boots.

The Herald's Rest

Well, at least this door was closed. It wasn't quite as cool as the door to a fortress, but you couldn't be picky. So, once again, she straightened up and put a knowing little smile on her face, then proceeded to throw open the door. Yes.

For a few moments, she stood there, standing in the doorway, looking around the tavern. Then she turned on her heel, swaggering on over to the bar and plopping down, grinning at the bartender (who didn't look nearly as amused as he ought to, really). She placed her order and sat back against the bar, eyeing the tavern. In her opinion, gathering spots like this were vital to picking up the atmosphere of the place, and even if she hadn't managed to impress a bunch of people and look really cool, at the least, she could try to get a feel for just what kind of place this Inquisition was.

If she was going to be working with them until this whole Warden mess got sorted out, it would be important to know how the people here felt.

Battlements

No need for cool entrances at this point. Having settled in for the long haul, Kaisa decided to take in Skyhold as a whole, and leisurely made her way around the battlements. Every so often she'd stop, observing the comings and goings within the hold, or eyeballing the mountains outside of it. She wasn't much for grand plans and strategies of large battles, so she couldn't make any expert assessment on Skyhold's fortifications. But she knew enough, she was pretty sure. At the least, she'd been to enough fortresses that she had some idea of what was a good one, and what wasn't.

Judging from what she's seen, and how long this has been standing, it strikes her as pretty good.

As she wanders, she hums to herself, mind not focused on who might be listening. Other Wardens might recognize the tune, but those who have never heard the Calling will only hear an eerie jingle, something unlike any music composed by a person.

Comments

Herald's Rest

[gatheringstorm]

At a table close to the bar, Korrin is seated and steadily draining her tankard. Well, sort of seated. Her feet are propped up on an empty seat and no one seems eager to claim it from her, despite the fact that it's an active night. Pleasantly mellow, Korrin's content to do not much of anything tonight, though her attention returns to the bar as she signals for another drink. And she pauses, because that Warden looks familiar.

"...Kaisa?"

[unbrokenoath]

Well, she hadn't expected to get called by name when she first arrived. Kaisa starts, looking for the source--luckily, the source happens to be very distinctive. Once the familiarity sinks in and recognition hits, the qunari in question is given a cheerful grin.

"Hey, Korrin!"

She grabs both the drink she ordered, and the one that Korrin flagged for, making her way across the room. In that short period of time, Kaisa dredged up what memories she could of the other woman--a good, solid fighter, with a decent sense of humor about her. Both good things, in her books. The Warden nudges Korrin's feet with one of her own, still smiling.

"Let's catch up. Move your feet or I'll sit on 'em and drink both our mugs."

[gatheringstorm]

"You wouldn't...okay, fine, have it your way." With a long-suffering sigh, Korrin eases her legs off the chair. If she's going to give it up at long last, doing so to a friendly face makes it worthwhile.

"It's good to see you again. And before you ask, no, the rest of the company isn't here. It's just me and a few unrelated Vashoth roaming around making the smaller folk uncomfortable. Someone has to do it, right?"

[unbrokenoath]

At least Korrin gets her drink for her troubles, slid on over to her with a smirk, while Kaisa sinks into the newly unoccupied chair. She holds up her mug to Korrin, before taking a sip of it, still smiling. She listened to Korrin, nodding at the information, giving a little snort at the mention of the 'smaller folk'. While Kaisa's never been short, she's pretty sure that everyone is smaller folk to qunari.

Which is probably the point.

"At least we'll be ready if the key to winning this war turns out to be getting shit off the top shelves, huh? That Corypheus fellow will never stand a chance." She shook her head, shifting in the chair. "So, where is the rest of your crew? Did you finally run away to join the circus?"

[gatheringstorm]

"Thanks." Korrin smiles as she takes the drink and drains a little right away after raising it in turn. Ah, smooth. That last question prompts a snort of amusement as she shakes her head. "Nah, something even crazier. Some of my company were at the Conclave, for extra security. When that all went to hell, I was nearby on another job, so I signed up. I'm not letting that Corypheus bastard get put in the ground without one of us there to see it through. The others are in Nevarra by now, I think. That's where the last 'care package' was sent from."

Guess what was in it. Go on. Though with Korrin lifting her tankard at the same time, it's not a difficult guess to make.

Battlements

[justice_is_blond]

He knows that tune. He knows it, and it makes him pause in his step and reconsider walking up here for now. But Anders needs the break from being down below the walls, unable to see the outside - it builds up after a few days and he needs the reminder that at least for now, he's free. Which might not remain true if he approaches a Warden he isn't sure if he knows or not. He shouldn't. But he'd liked being a member of the Taint Brigade despite the darkspawn, and the marshes, and the deep roads, and all of that. The rest. The rest he'd liked, and so he hesitates near her.

"It's a good view." Survival has never exactly been his strong point.

[unbrokenoath]

She stops, startled out of her reveries by another voice. Feeling slightly embarrassed at being caught unawares--It was the kind of thing that could kill a Grey Warden--she doesn't face the newcomer quite yet. Instead, she pulls herself out of her thoughts and turns her attention to the view in question.

"It is, isn't it."

She turns to speak more to the person who approached her, and promptly wheels to a stop. She's not a good actress, so it's a damned good thing that they're alone here, because first her eyes widen considerably, then dart around with alarm, making sure that they are indeed alone. He's different, it makes sense--It's been quite a few years. But there's no mistaking it when she sees him. Once she's sure no one will be swooping in on them, she leans forward, hissing.

"You--What are you doing here? Andraste's tits, if they see you..." She reaches out, resting a hand gently on his arm, expression now worried. "Look at you, do they not feed you? If someone tries catching you, just turn sideways, like a piece of paper."

[justice_is_blond]

How many is it now? How many know him, and if it comes out that they know him, will be facing consequences? The gentle touch on his arm tells him that he's not in trouble, but he feels like he should be.

"That's actually the plan." It takes work to keep his voice light, but he's had a lot of practice. "Turn just right, vanish, and let the wind catch me and carry me away. It's worked so far."

Anders offers her a half-smile, one that's tired, as he joins her against the wall. "Kaisa. It's been some time. Call me Detlef, if you've forgotten." Or as she's obviously not forgotten. "And if they see me, what happens, happens. I have to do what I can to help, and hiding isn't going to accomplish that."

A greater danger than recognition is ones who know he vanished around the same time as Justice from Vigil's Keep and can connect the dots. He doesn't know if Kaisa can. It's possible, though.

[unbrokenoath]

"Detlef. Of course." She wants to roll her eyes and ask if that's really the best name that he could have thought up? Really? But that would be risking blowing his cover, so she resists the heckling. She can always find another time to do it, in a more private location.

In the meantime, she doesn't look particularly pleased by Ander's assessment that he had to come out of hiding to help, because she, personally, doesn't think that he'll be much use to anyone if he's been lynched by an angry mob. She eyes his tired face, and she remembers a man who had been meticulous at grooming himself. A man who had always been kind and funny and welcomed her to the order when she was younger and even more reckless than now.

That hand on his arm tightens its grip, and she pulls him closer, to put her forehead against his, eyes closed.

"I'll protect you. You're still a Warden, and I've lost enough brothers and sisters. If you ever get into trouble, just call me, alright? With the sending crystals, or whatever. I'll come. I swear on the Maker." She whispers it to him, voice intent, and her eyes sharp when she opens them and pulls away. "And if you ever need anyone to...verify your, um. Being Detlef."

Gate

[el_tybs]

He wasn't sure if he could say cool and intimidating was the words he would use to describe the tall, unknown figure that had just walked into Skyhold, but she certainly was interesting. Grabbing his towel from the edge of training ring, Sam wipes his face and slowly makes his way over to the posing figure, brows raised as he takes in more of her.

And the dog, which seemed awfully cheerful compared to the woman it was with.

"Greetings."

[unbrokenoath]

Cool and intimidating are totally the words to be used, gosh, Sam. Rude. Well, it might have been for all of the couple seconds that she doesn't speak. But as soon as she's approached by Sam, she breaks out in a friendly smile, which kind of ruins the whole atmosphere. But Kaisa is pretty bad at not smiling.

"Hey! So, this is the Inquisition, huh? Nice lookin' place you got here. Can you point me to whoever's running the show here? I gotta chat with them."

Had to ask about the other Wardens she heard about, try to figure out just what in Andraste's name was going on with this place, and why the Wardens were gathered here. And what the Inquisition intended to do regarding them. She hadn't come this far just to find out there was little point in being here, after all--Though at the least, it'd be nice to do a headcount. See who else had managed to successfully leave.

[el_tybs]

Considering he's seen Qunari, golems, a bog unicorn, bears and has been to Emprise du Lion and the Fallow Mire, Sam has a pretty decent range on 'cool' and 'intimidating'. Sorry, Kaisa.

"Hey," he repeats back, lips curling up into his own smile at the rather cheerful greeting and giving a short confirmation that she had indeed found the Inquisition. Course it figured she wanted to talk to the higher-ups, a lot of the new faces often wanted to do that.

Humming lightly as he wrapped the towel around the back of his neck, Sam moves up closer and then points to where the troops were training. "Commander Rutherford can be found there training the troops, or up in his tower right there most of the time." There's a pause before he turns again and points to the keep. "Nightingale can be found with her reports up in the rookery, and Lady Montilyet can be found in her office."

[unbrokenoath]

What if she gives you a noogie huh Sam what then.

But she does not, in fact, give Sam a noogie. Rather, she listens to him explain, looking where he points, and nodding. The troops, the information, and the face. She's not quite sure where Grey Wardens fit into that scheme--Probably with Cullen? They were mostly a fighting order, after all. But were they going to be fighting for the Inquisition? Montilyet handled diplomats, that might be more accurate...

She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Thank you. I'm just not sure who would know--Well." She turned to look at him again, rubbing the back of her neck. "There are Wardens here, right? Grey Wardens? Do you know where they are, by chance?" She'd like to ask him for the Warden with the highest seniority, but even if he knows, the ranks are a bit...gelatinous right now. Once she finds them, she'll figure out who to report to.

gate

[sistertohermen]

Rachette comes trudging back up to Skyhold not long after, having spent some time in the wilderness. She's got a couple snowhares tied together over her shoulder, a pocket full of winter berries that she's honestly not sure are edible but will be sure to ask someone more knowledgeable about the surface about.

And this chick is just standing there like she's...frozen solid like a statue, maybe? Posing for a statue, as if one is to be erected in her honor? Chette stares hard at her back and moves around her. "If you have something to do," she starts with a hint of exasperation, "then I suggest you get to it to stay out of the way. Not the best place to be standing around."

[unbrokenoath]

She isn't posing for a statue exactly, but if Rachette felt particularly inspired by her, Kaisa certainly wouldn't turn her down. She's pretty sure she deserves at least one.

At the sound of a voice that didn't seem to be particularly amused by her entrance, Kaisa swung around to look for the source of the voice. For a moment, she looks vaguely confused. Then she looks down--Oh. There she was. Kaisa lifts her eyebrows at the dwarf, trying her very best to look like a particularly enigmatic and mysterious Warden. It's slightly offset by her dog rolling around in the dirt next to her, waggling his tail happily.

"I'm waiting." She replied primly. "There are some people who are going to meet me here. If I went somewhere else, that'd rather defeat the point of trying to meet them."

[sistertohermen]

Humans and their dogs. She'll never understand. There's a moment of staring, because yellow eyes are striking, but she adjusts her prize and shrugs at the ~mysterious~ human. "Right here in the way of foot traffic? Wonderful. I hope they meet you soon and usher you inside somewhere."

[unbrokenoath]

Excuse you, it's mysterious human to you, bub.

"Yes, right in the middle of foot traffic. And torso traffic, for the vertically challenged of us." So much for being alluring and mysterious, because that terrible joke comes with a big dumb grin to go with it. "Maybe it will encourage them to come sooner, to save us all the inconvenience. Me, of waiting, and everyone else, of me."

She paused, looking around, but no one looked to be approaching the woman aside from Rachette, and the grin faded somewhat. Feeling more business-like, Kaisa turned back to the dwarf.

"There are Wardens here, right? Grey Wardens? There's supposed to be a lot of them here, or so I've heard."

battlements;

[foxsays]

By now Skyhold is more than accustomed to people climbing the walls rather literally. There are even lessons on how to learn such a skill to stave off the other kind of climbing the walls because even if everyone needs a little time to relax, it doesn't help the feeling that you're sitting around doing nothing when people are out there and need your help.

Today it's just the instructor climbing the walls as a fox comes strolling along without a care in the world, orange and black fur fluffed against the cold. Every so often he appears to be poking his head over the edge to look down to the courtyard before he yips, tail wagging.

Right on cue, a young woman pops up and over the edge of the battlements from below, hauling herself over to hop to her feet with a grin.

"Snow, snow, and oh look! More snow!" Several months her and the view is honestly getting somewhat grating in her opinion.

[unbrokenoath]

There's a fox on the battlements.

Kaisa stares at it as it approaches on its merry way, no fear of a dog or an arrow striking it down, and she's glad that her dog is off exploring the hold on his own. Kaisa has to guess that this is either the bravest fox in the world, the dumbest, or has a person looking after him.

Right as she's thinking that, just such a person appears from the wall, and Kaisa is pretty sure there wasn't a ladder there, and she had to lean over to edge to check because how did she do that. The Warden is not, if you couldn't tell from the heavy metal armor and massive sword, much of a climber. But she's not entirely sure that even a climbing kind of soul could manage such a feat.

But the strange, possibly half-bird woman is quite pretty, so she lets it go in favor of leaning against the battlements with a grin. "Well, my view has improved, at least." She tells the other woman cheerily. "If foxes are in the habit of summoning forth beautiful women, I think I've been in the wrong market for a pet all along."

[foxsays]

A fox that survives his owner hoisting him up on her shoulders to climb buildings, racing through what few streets there are to follow her on the rooftop as guards shoot at her is a fox with little fear.

"A good day to you," she says after a little puff to get herself up and on her feet, dusting herself off before she can get a proper look. Tall - though most everyone is tall compared to her - and clearly strong judging from the weapons and armour. All very impressive, especially to someone preferring lighter everything on her person.

"And mine as well, there are too few beautiful ladies upon the battlements to distract me from mountains, mountains, and what could that be? More mountains. Until now I was rich in many boring views." Well no, that's a lie because her cup runneth over with stunning women in Skyhold but usually all she does is frighten soldiers that try to tell her off but never really manage it. As for the fox? Well he might have stationed himself, looking as fluffed up as possible, tail wagging, eyes hopeful. "What can I say, like myself he has developed a taste for the finer things in life, and beautiful women are an especially great weakness."

[unbrokenoath]

"Do you have a personal opposition to stairs, or is there something shifty about them that someone forgot to tell the hapless newcomer?" Kaisa looks amused either way, one eyebrow raised as she gave a second look at the wall Araceli had just scaled. Also impressive, even if Kaisa couldn't imagine a particular reason one would eschew stairs without reason.

But oh, she's flirting back, and Kaisa can't help but grin, looking incredibly pleased with both herself and the situation at hand. She'd only been here a little while and already things were looking better. Literally and figuratively.

"Mountains aren't very considerate in that manner. Stubborn lot they are, immobile and all. Ladies are much more thoughtful. So thank you." She ambles on over to close the distance between them, so she can first hold a fist to her chest, and give a short bob of the head to Araceli, then hold her hand out to the fox. "A creature after my own heart. Warden Kaisa Daesun, at both you and your furry friend's service."

[paperwing]

There's footsteps on the ramperts, and loud ones, at that, someone running closer. As a mage, Sabriel was not built for running, but having spent the best part of ten minutes squinting up at the battlements, Sabriel wasn't about to let Kaisa out of her sight again.

She'd been preoccupied with Council business when the Wardens had arrived, so she'd missed Kaisa's grand entries, only hearing the relayed, likely elaborated versions. Or not; if there was a Warden that it might be? It could be one she had met at Montsimmard. Running into the rest of her brothers had confirmed that. Then had come the point of tracking Kaisa down, which she has done, finally.

But she's a mage, even one with a predisposition for fighting with a sword, so you'll forgive her if she's a little out of breath and all she can manage is to shout in gladdened surprise, because even with the confirmation, there's another thing about seeing someone in person.

"Kaisa!"

[unbrokenoath]

She hears the footsteps of someone running at her first, and her first instinct is to tense up, hands balling into fists, ready to fight if necessary. But that's her name being called, and it's a familiar voice. She's relaxed enough to not look threatening when she spins around, just confused. Confusion that turns into surprise and delight when she sees Sabriel. Another Warden--and a young one, too. She'd left before Kaisa did, and the older woman had wondered if she'd managed to make it to safety.

It was a relief to find out that she had, and it's with a wide grin that Kaisa moves to close the space between the two of them, and pulls Sabriel into a bear hug--careful to be gentle with the squishy mage.

"Sabriel! Maker's breath, but it's good to see you. When you guys managed to leave, I just about had a heart attack. I was worried to death and right back." She stepped back, looking over the younger woman to make sure that she was indeed alright. "Some other people ended up leaving a little bit after you did. I hung on for a while, until I could hop a boat from Lake Celestine." She sighed, running a hand through her choppy hair. "Spent a month in Fereldan trying to figure out what to do, until I heard a bunch of us were here."

super super late i'm sorry

[paperwing]

Having run up several flights of steps and now in a tight hug - it reminds her of Korrin, honestly - on any other day she might have pulled back sooner, because air, breathing, breathing is good. But today she does her best to return it in kind, though of course it's far weaker. Just a little relief seeping out in that embrace, the held breath of them only being able to wonder what had become of the Wardens out to the west. Now there was one more.

Sabriel's a little shaky when she does step back, but there's more from the relief than the sprint. But she looks settled - tunic in place of armour and hair pulled back, faintly smelling of soap, and not a mark on her. "I think we both feared the worst after making it out," she says, meaning Alistair. There no way to drop a memo that they were fine, or ask the same in return. "But I am glad you made it here unscathed. The Inquisition has been welcoming and - accommodating - given our circumstances, even if they are not able to assist us."

i am the latest

[unbrokenoath]

"There were more of us," Kaisa crossed her arms, looking out over the Skyhold ramparts. "Who left after you did. Once we realized that you managed it. You know there were a lot of us that didn't want to have anything to do with what Clarel had been getting up to. I don't know how many got away--After you left, the people who were complaining started getting watched more carefully." She shook her heard, turning back to Sabriel.

"But I'll just have to believe that they did. Just because they're not here doesn't mean they didn't make it out of that situation. I had no idea where you guys were, until I got to Redcliffe, and started hearing about the Wardens in the Inquisition. Maybe...we ought to try to get a message out to them? That the rebel Wardens are in Skyhold? Or would that be too dangerous...?"