[ CLOSED ] THE ANTIVAN CROWS SEND THEIR REGARDS

[ombranera]

WHO: Alistair, Araceli Bonaventura, Beleth Ashara, Anders Detlef, Korrin Ataash, Taashath, The Iron Bull, Twisted Fate, an Zevran Arainai. Guest Starring: Samouel, Cyril, and Merrick, Super Special Guest Star: Leliana.
WHAT: The Crows come for the Ombra Nera.
WHEN: Begins Guardian 6
WHERE: Skyhold/Antivan Border/The Road
NOTES: CW/TW FOR: Flesh hommonculi, violent/gruesome content, torture, blood magic, non-consensual drug use, adult content, adult language, reader discretion is advised. Sign up post, original plotting post, hit me on PM or @ thesouthernbelle if you have questions.

It's a normal morning in Thedas until, abruptly, it isn't. The Crows come calling; they are swift, they are certain, they are silent and leave behind but one witness that won't be alive for much longer (or so they assume). Prize in hand they ride North for Antiva.

Subthreads for portions of the plot are yours to tag around in as you like!

Comments

[samahl]

"Attacked?!" Cyril is hurrying now. "Is he-" He stops, he can't even consider all of the possibilities. "Breathing?"

[el_tybs]

The shout has Sam pulling the crystal away from his face, wincing slightly at the volume of it. "He is- barely. Just hurry alright?" A pause. "The room isn't booby trapped is it?" More than likely he'll be beating Cyril to their room, and the last thing he wants is to worry about a trap upon trying to get into the room.

[samahl]

"It's not," Cyril replies. "I'm almost there. I'll meet you there." He really isn't sure he can talk much more. He really just wants to get to his brother.

[el_tybs]

He's a bit thankful that they're done talking since it makes it easier to get into the room. Sam tries his best not to knock anything over in his rush to get Merrick to a bed, wincing a bit when he does hear some knives hit the floor.

By the time Cyril gets to the room Sam is already stripping Merrick of his clothes, needing to get him out of the wet leathers so that he can work on getting him warmed up. Even though Cyril has just got there, Sam is quick to take the blankets and already giving the Elf more tasks to do. He knows it won't be easy for Cyril knowing how he and Merrick were, but it was important.

"Cyril. I need you to focus. I need a bucket or two of water." A pause. "I already alerted the guards about it, but we need someone to check the area where I found Merrick - I was a bit pre-occupied. We need to know who or what did this."

[samahl]

It's good that Sam took charge and told him what to do, because the moment that Cyril walked in he was frozen in place. He felt like there was something thick and horrible stuck in his throat and gripping at his heart. Sam's voice filters through it though and gives him direction. Get water. That's an easy thing he can do.

He gets the water and comes back, bringing it to Sam's side. He just wants to be by Merrick's make sure he's okay, but he has to focus too. He has to make sure that everything was okay.

"He was with Zevran," he says. His eyes are still on Merrick but he has to share this information. Zevran might be somewhere out there dying. "They were training this morning. Is Zevran hurt too?"

[el_tybs]

Merrick is still not responding by the time Cyril returns, but he isn't doing worse. On the upside his body temperature was slowly coming back.

He's in the middle of using the water to clean the wound when Zevran gets mentioned, which has the mage stopping and turning a bit to look at Cyril better. It's the first time he's seen Cyril so out of it, and it takes him a few tries to grab his attention again.

"Hey. You said Zevran and Merrick were training?" It's good information, but it's unsettling as well. "I did not see him... Merrick was wrapped up on his own next to a boulder. I need to keep an eye on Merrick, but if Zevran is out there... Cyril, I know you want to stay here, but I need you to go and check to see if Zevran isn't out there. Take someone with you just in case."

[samahl]

He wants to protest, to insist that he stay here with Merrick and never leave his side, but Sam is right. Zevran might be out there, alone in the snow, and that idea is terrifying.

Cyril trusts Sam. He knows that he's a gifted mage who will do what he can to protect and save Merrick. He knows that Sam has a better idea of what needs to be done right now for his brother.

More than that, every second he stands here like a fool is a second more that Zevran is in danger. He nods. "Contact me if he gets worse," he says, but then he's rushing out the door to get someone to help him find Zevran.

Beleth is someone he can trust, who he knows cares deeply for both Merrick and Zevran. That and she's close. He seeks her out so they can head back to where Sam found Merrick.

[arlathvhen]

Beleth is easy to find, tucked in a corner of the courtyard, busily writing a letter to someone. Unaware of anything that's happened, she looks peaceful enough, occasionally stopping and chewing thoughtfully on the quill as she thinks over words. The sounds of someone rushing over make her look up, and Cyril gets a cheerful smile for all of two seconds, until the look on his face sobers her own, and she stands up, shoving the letter into a pocket.

"What's wrong?"

A clanmate, is her first guess. There's something wrong with one of their other clanmates. Anyone else Cyril is close to, Beleth doubts he'd rush over to her for.

[samahl]

"Something terrible," Cyril answers. He glances around, at the humans in the courtyard, and then focuses on her. "Come with me, lethallan."

He doesn't want anyone else to overhear just now, because he isn't sure who he can trust. He quickly leads her to the place where Sam said he found Merrick. As they move, he explains.

"Merrick was attacked. He's alive, but he's unconscious." His voice is tight, because he cannot afford to be emotional when they have to figure out what happened to Zevran. "He's with Sam now. He was training with Zevran and we haven't found him yet. You're going to help me look, and see if we can figure out what happened."

[arlathvhen]

She can already feel a sinking in her gut as she hurries after Cyril, head bent towards him so she could hear him speaking. As soon as the words hit, Beleth halts mid-step, staring at Cyril with horrified shock. That sinking feeling twists, like she's been sucker punched. Merrick was attacked. Who could attack Merrick--Who could attack Zevran?

She's not going to find out standing here with her mouth hanging open, so she quickly hurries to catch up to Cyril, finally stopping at the area. Her mind is already racing, and she has to lean against the large rock for a few moments, hand on her face as frantic thoughts bombard her.

"Have you tried getting Zevran on the sending crystal? He could have just left Merrick to train and moved on. If you reach him, get him here. If not--Don't panic." She says, in a panicking voice. "Just--" A few deep breaths. What would her mother do? Beleth tried to channel her, because the daughter certainly had no fucking clue.

"Okay. Look around." She can do that. Simple, easy steps. Categorize everything. Make a list. Inspect the scene. Another breath, and she starts to move around the rock, looking for any kind of clues.

[ombranera]

The first is something small, a blackened stone with a white rune polished smooth by years of worried rubbing, knocked loose during whatever scuffle there may or may not have been. Behind the boulder a scrap of fabric torn and snagged upon the rough surface, worn wool with rough stitching similar to what Zevran uses to mend his shirts, double looped knots. Most damning, however, are the scuffed marks of boot leather- a set for Zevran's- and three others of similar shades and textures.

[samahl]

Cyril hadn't thought of calling Zevran because he's been on autopilot since Sam called him to tell him about Merrick. The sight that they find though, the signs of struggle against a higher number of opponents, it's not good.

Cyril has been a hunter through all of his adult life, he can figure out what those markings mean. They might not be exactly the same as figuring out a fight between a halla and some wolves, but the hints are clear to him.

He bends a picks up the blackened stone and slips it into his pouch. He doesn't know what it is exactly, but he assumes given the attention it has it must be important. He'll keep it for later.

"Someone took him," he tells Beleth. Saying it aloud makes his chest ache but he doesn't have time to dwell on the cold fear he feels. "We have to tell Skyhold, maybe the Commander or The Iron Bull, someone in charge. They probably attacked Zevran and Merrick while they were training and poisoned Merrick during the fight. Then dragged Zevran away." He points out where the marks are to show her. "They already have a head start."

[arlathvhen]

"The Commander? Cullen? What would he do, besides stand around and look pretty? Maybe blame it on the mages." She snapped it out, words harsher than they'd be with anyone outside of the clan. It's not even that she minds Cullen that much. Panic is gripping her heart as Cyril reaches the conclusion that the evidence is forcing her to as well. She wants something simple, she wants this to turn out to be a prank, they're overthinking it, they're freaking out over nothing--

She leans against the rock again, both hands covering her face now. Deep breaths, deep breaths. She can feel the edge of a fit creeping up on her, and that never helps.

Slowly, slowly, she breathes. Freaking out isn't going to help.

"Lady Nightingale should be the first person alerted. She's Zevran's friend, and whoever came in here didn't do it with an army. The Iron Bull would be another good place to start. He's a trained spy, too." Compartmentalize. Make a list of people. She sorts through who she knows, trying not to look like she's on the edge of a meltdown. She can't look like that around anyone else--Cyril is safe, but they can't do this alone. Fits will have to wait until after people.

"Pel. Pel needs to be told. Gavin. Everyone from our clan. Alistair--I'll tell Alistair. He has to know."

She lifts her face from her hands, turning to Cyril. Then, before everything becomes a rush and tumble of people and questions and theories, she reaches to him, and pulls her clanmate into a tight hug. She's not sure if she's trying to reassure herself, or him, more.

[samahl]

Cyril allows himself that moment of comfort. He needs the hug the moment to deal with what is happening. He is grateful for her and for that moment. There's only a handful he would allow that for himself, but he knows she needs it just as much. After that moment, though, he pulls back. "We need to get going. We know what happened now. We can send messages to the important people to get Zevran found."

Then, after a moment, "Merrick is in our room. I think I'm going to go back to check on him. Can you handle informing people?" A part of him just wants to follow the tracks to find Zevran, but it's bound to be too dangerous. That and he can't leave Merrick alone.

"You can come to the room after too, if you want to see him."

[arlathvhen]

She wants to protest, because she doesn't want to be the one who has to talk to people, who has to try to explain what happened, how it could have happened, when she doesn't even know. She doesn't want to be the one that people try to wring answers out of.

But Cyril needs to go back to Merrick. She knows that any separation from Merrick when he's injured must be killing Cyril, so she just runs a hand through her hair, and pulls out her sending crystal.

"Alright, I'll take care of everything, Cyril. Don't worry. Just--keep an eye on Merrick for me, please. I'll come over as soon as I get some time. Let me know if there are any changes in his condition, please." She presses her lips into a thin line, and starts towards the gate, already beginning to mutter the list of names that would be needed. The sooner they got after these people, the better.