faderift | open: something grabs ahold of me tightly

open: something grabs ahold of me tightly

WHO: Inquisition Forces
WHAT: Inquisition forces cross the mountains into Orlais to deal with Emprise du Lion
WHEN: Wintermarch 25 onward
WHERE: EMPRISE DU LION
NOTES: This is a mingle-style log for the Inquisition camps, local tavern, and general/open Inquisition work, etc.

This time they hike down to the west, but the trip through the mountains is no easier. The snow is heaped up about the road where wagons have pushed it aside, stomped into slippery pack beneath the feet and hooves that have gone before. Of the main track it is ankle deep at best and in places it drifts, waist-deep on a tall man and enough to bury a dwarf who hasn't come prepared with snowshoes. Everywhere the wind howls, biting cold, and the sky hangs low, a pale flat grey that makes it difficult to judge distances. Those who know winter weather call it a snow sky, and near-daily squalls prove them right.

They set up camp in Sahrnia, across the broad expanse of frozen river that has trapped the villagers here upstream. Tents pop up in rows and in the shells of tumbled-down buildings, fires blazing and thawing the ground to mud. When the supply wagons roll in they re-open the local tavern, brightly lit with flaking paint on the walls that might once have been colorful and patterned tiles on the floor that seems to swim like an optical illusion after too many glasses of the cheap red wine that fills the cellars.

Even deadlier reds hold the hills: Red Templar sightings have been frequent and it is said they are operating in several locations in the region in significant force. Some of these men and women have become hulking, crystalline beasts. Many others are in the earlier stages of corruption: red-veined and -eyed, aggressive and superhumanly strong, but still visibly human and coherent if spoken to. Red lyrium is even easier to find, jutting out of the ground or cliffsides, filling caves-- the Tower of Bone, a fortress that has stood for centuries, now threatens to split from the inside out. The area's wildlife was none too friendly before, but now the wolves and bears have begun to be corrupted by the lyrium and many will attack on sight, without provocation. (The snofleurs that bumble harmlessly around the river seem unaffected.)

Everywhere there are ruins: broken bridges, crumbling colosseums, and the great hulking mass of Suledin's Keep tucked between the distant hills. Scouts reported that Red Templars hold it as well.

RIFTER ARRIVAL - SAHRNIA - THE HILLS - TOWER CAMP - A HANDY MAP

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Katniss stopped pulling her sled for a moment, her expression shifting to something more serious. Not bleak, not despairing, not the age of someone who has grown up too fast or has yet to learn what it is to grow at all. It's a steadying gaze, of someone who has finally seen the scope of things.

She came. She fought. She had taken lives and saved lives. But it wasn't going to be enough, and it wasn't ever going to be enough to save everyone.

She inhaled, then exhaled.] Korrin. Whatever else happens, here or in the future, I want someone else to hear me say this. So if I die, pass it along to the people I care about.

[At that, Korrin comes to a halt later, looking at Katniss with a raised eyebrow. She's not sure what to make of that statement, and it's enough to divert her attention from their surroundings for the moment.]

Alright. Spill it.

[Katniss looked off across the frozen landscape, before she looked up at Korrin.] This war ... it's not going to last a few weeks, or even a few months. We might be at this, for years to come. Not just the war, but all the clean up. And over all that time - people are going to die, Korrin. We aren't going to be able to stop that. We'll be able to save most of them ... but not all.

[She pursed her lips together at that, before she looked up at Korrin.] And that's ... that's why I'm really here. For the most, and to bury the rest. I learned how to survive, and now I'm here to teach others to do the same. Survive, fight, keep going until you can't, and then go a few steps further. So if I die tomorrow - in two weeks or two years -- tell them. Tell them this is the moment I decided not to give up.

[Korrin has to reluctantly agree with Katniss' assessment of the war and its length. She can see that happening as well, and the longer it continues, the longer the clean-up will be afterward. There's no escaping that...or the fact that death will continue to happen. She's steeled herself for that by now but still looks grim at mention of it.

Looking at Katniss, she doesn't bother with bland reassurances that the other won't die, because there's no way she can guarantee that. Hell, she can't guarantee her own survival. But she nods, able to promise at least one thing.]

I'll do that, Katniss. The most important thing we can do is to keep going; it almost doesn't matter what reason you give yourself, as long as you have one. Right now, it's enough not to let all this overwhelm us. We can sort out the reasons later.

[She nods her head quietly, before she starts pulling the sled again. Her voice is quiet, as she does so.]

We have to keep going. Or everything will be lost. And no matter the sacrifice -- nothing is too great to keep more people from suffering as we've seen here. What matters is the here, and the now, and the next village or town after that. We can think on our reasons -- when we're done doing our duty to Thedas.

[There's something concrete here. A focus that Katniss has lacked before - only seen in training and now -- applied to life.]

I can't take any more stupid, reckless chances, Korrin. I have to think about everything I have done, and will do, from now on.

[All good sentiments, though Korrin's first instinct is not to promote sacrifice. If they can take down the greatest threat to Thedas, she'd prefer to do it and survive. Martyrdom, for her, is a last resort--not a first. She begins pulling her sled along as well, not at all winded yet.]

I'm glad to hear it. Between Asher, Kain and others, there are enough reckless idiots to go around. [And she's fond of Asher and doesn't actually think too badly of Kain, but it's true.] Let's not add to the list. Besides, I doubt certain people depending on us would appreciate that, either.

[Funnily enough, that was precisely what Katniss was talking about herself. No more self-sacrifice, no more taking stupid chances with her life. They needed every person, every skill, and they needed them to stay alive.

Most of all, she realized how far she herself had to go, to grow. To really live again. All of this had brought back Prim's memory -- but in a different way. Her sister would never want her to hurt as she had been hurting. She would want her to keep going, and stop others from hurting as well.]

I couldn't agree more. [Kain was a man of many talents but Maker did he like to take risks ...] Wait, who is Asher? [Because confused Katniss is now slightly confused.] And no, they would not. So ... I'm planning on sticking around. As long as I can.

[Korrin answers that with a warm smile at that, nodding firmly.]

As am I. I'll need friends to celebrate with when this is all over, keep that in mind.

[Oh, Asher. Where to begin.]

Asher's a fellow mercenary, part-Avvar, all Reaver, no indoor voice. If you know him at all, it's probably because of that one time he wrestled a bear. Well, one that we all know about. I have no doubt he's done it again. He recently joined the Inquisition, probably to show off.

[Katniss looked up at her, then her lips curved up at the corners.]

Just as long as we avoid your maa'tlok.

[She listened as they pulled the sleds together.]

All right, well, that's great. I'm sure we'll be looking forward to dragging him down before he starts another civil war. [She said dryly.]

Mal and I know him, so he'll...probably...listen to us. Sometimes.

[And if not, it isn't difficult to have him pass out due to strong liquor.]

I promise, no weird and overly strong qunari liquor. But we'd definitely deserve the good stuff. As it is, I think after this I'll make some spiced wine if you want something to warm you up. Same as last time.

Well, that will be ... sometimes be a relief.

[She smirked faintly, before she looked thoughtful.]

You know, we might just have additional meat that I can make you all Fereldan ram stew. It goes great with spiced anything.

[Korrin nods in approval to that, always supporting additional ways for them to keep warm.]

Perfect. As long as the village is fed, I'm all for it. It's better not to rely on those rations more than we must, so we don't strain resources.

[She thinks about it.]

To be safe ... we should bring these back, strip them and parcel out the meat, then come back and take down a few rams of our own. before we're called to battle today.

[Should give her more than enough to make a few cauldrons worth to stew while they are fighting -- and if she lives, they have supper.]

No rest for the wicked, hm? But that's fine with me. I can't stay idle around here for too long anyway, it just makes me wonder what else is going wrong that I'm missing.

[That's the primary reason why she won't be found in the tavern. Unwinding in such places is a luxury afforded when not actually on the front lines.]

Well, we are certainly that ... but I agree. Idle hands and idle minds make for a bad combination.

[Better to be active in everything around them - then stop to think about what was happening when they weren't in action. Katniss had been to the tavern once, only once, since they had been here and that was only to release some of the tension in her body.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

open: something grabs ahold of me tightly

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject