If you go down to the woods today

[hlif]

WHO: Asher Hardie; open
WHAT: Hunting bears!  And maybe other things but mainly bears.
WHEN: Pre-dragon attack on the camp
WHERE: Emprise du Lion
NOTES: Language most likely.  Bear slankets will be on offer from the spoils upon returning to Skyhold.

It's the cold in Emprise du Lion that spurs Asher into action, that particular sort of cold that gets into your bones and can kill someone if they're trapped for too long.  There are plenty of problems to be dealt with, Red Templars chief amongst them, but Asher can let others with more of a personal grudge deal with them first because the wildlife here is bold, maybe because of hunger, maybe because of other reasns because wolves tend not to have bright green eyes.  Whatever the reason, someone has to deal with the other threats that might get bold and decide to come down to the camp and it's what he's spent most of his time doing so far, when he's not propping up the bar in the tavern that is.

Hunting's more fun with company, and so he puts the word about the camp, that he's looking for a few others to come up high into the hills with him where the game is thickest.  The promise of pelts might be an incentive here - it's one of the coldest places he can remember being and he's used to the cold, even one that's come on as hard and fast as winter has here.

The crew isn't the typical hunting party but everyone tagging along wants to be there, and Asher's in good spirits as he leads them all off just as the sun is coming up over the horizon.

Hopefully it'll just be bears and wolves they're fighting today and nothing that's going to fight back with more than claws and teeth.

Comments

[hlif]

Even Asher has to pull a face at the stench of burning hair and flesh, moving to stand downwind as Bronson charges over. The wolves aren't getting back up any time soon without a necromancer or spirits to intervene so he drops his axe in the snow to grab the dog, shoving their foreheads together with a bright smile.

How many times can a man tell his dog he's a good lad, the best lads, a top bloke, all in babytalk in two minutes?

"Might be a den somewhere up these parts though, don't worry, we're not going looking for it but it'd be worth seeing if there is." Something to tell the Inquisition presence here at the very least. "You fought well there."

[el_tybs]

Many times it would seem, and for the entirety of it Sam just stands to the side, brow raised as he watches Asher babytalk to his mabari. Not that he's against the affection, but seeing a man like Asher talk as such as a bit interesting.

"I've been getting a lot of practice," he says in response to the compliment, smiling lightly as he slips his staff back into his holster. "You two were pretty impressive yourselves. I don't see many fight with an animal companion.

How do you suppose we go about finding the den?"

[hlif]

Look Bronson is a good dog. A great dog. The best dog. Or maybe Asher will never forget that bloodied sack of skin and bones he lifted out of a pit and nursed back to health on the road between jobs until Bronson muscled up and started to play, flopping on Asher as if they’d known each other all their lives.

“Nice to let yourself off the leash isn’t it?” Because the last thing Asher is going to do is discourage the love of a fight and getting to let it all out. “Ash warriors do it all the time, plenty of soldiers go to war with their mabari and the royalty still have kennels. And if a hold has a beast that can fight, like say a bear, it’ll join them in raids and battles, s’probably just more a Fereldan thing than anywhere else.”

Blowing a sigh out through his teeth, he looks up to where the wolves came from then to the sky before he cocks his head to listen to the wind. “Following the tracks is the best bet if there’s a party but as soon as the snow falls again we’ll lose them, a hound would be able to keep following but we have no idea how unpredictable they’ll be given the conditions here. I don’t go for traps, they’re nothing but cruel, so it’d be trying to get close enough to see it then to pen them in; someone up top, archers, mages maybe, warriors and rogues without bows down below on either side to flank if we can and a couple to draw them out.”

[el_tybs]

Thinking on the question, Sam eventually has to nod in agreement. He was able to use his healing plenty, but for once he had been able to utilize some of his other spells which was nice. Not that he liked burning wolves, but still, it did seem to let him get it all out.

"I suppose it is. Anything with four legs and fur seems to be more of tools or pets than a companion in other nations." There was obviously a reason they were called 'dog lords', but while others might say it like an insult, they took it as a badge of honor.

"I understand the entire concept, it's good, but are you suggesting that we go looking and just the three of us try to pen them in. Or are we going to call others once we find a den?"

[hlif]

"I've seen what Orlesians call a 'hound' and nothing could be further from my view of one. These dogs abandoned Tevinter for us barbarians, we've always understood each other better than other people understand us." Dog lord is the only sort of title Asher would ever see attached to his name, everything else is rejected vehemently.

"No, we go back to camp, scouts might have heard something, maybe find out if the locals know anything and we come back in a group. For now we say this was a job well done and salvage what we can from the mess somewhere by a proper fire with a proper seat. I'm not going to sort through their teeth here where I'll freeze my balls off."

[el_tybs]

"Well then. I guess we best start collecting them and head back to camp. Before the scent attracts something else out here, or something comes looking for whatever sent fire into the air, yeah?" That being said, Sam goes about grabbing the rope at his side to start tying up the carcasses.