OPEN: Like the High Tide Takes the Sand.

[keeperofmagi]

WHO: Nerva and OPEN
WHAT: After swearing an oath to Cassandra, Nerva has foresaken her title as Templar, and sworn to serve the Inquisition only.
WHEN: Over the next couple weeks so that whoever is wherever can still come bother her.
WHERE: Either Emprise, directly after her oath, or in Skyhold after they return
NOTES:The Oath, also warning for Nerva and her Opinions....

There is something uncharacteristically quiet about Nerva, these days. A solemn silence where the passion should be, a held tongue instead of the lash. After returning from Nevarra, after trudging through the snow of the Emprise, she retreated further and further into herself.

That didn't mean the passion was gone. Rather it was turned inward - almost self-flagellating in its intensity, ripping through everything she believed, and the things she thought she believed, until her soul was left at it's most raw, most pure state.

She needed a purpose. She needed a path.

And so she made one.

Any doubts she had, she did not voice. Any doubts she had, were gone, after she made her oath.

She did not have room in her heart for doubt. She did not have room in her heart for the wretchedness that had been there, for months. No. She only had room for commitment, for the cause. And if she could not fully live one, she would live the other.

If she could no longer be Templar in word and deed, then she would be no Templar at all.

She would turn herself into a sword for the Right Hand.

Over the next few weeks, her downtime was used to carefully and painstakingly remove all symbols of the Templar Order from her armour, her clothing, her weapons. Everything she had owned, had come from the templars, and she had no funds with which to simply replace them, so she worked. Mostly on her own, removed from others. She had no desire to make a big display. Her faith - her purpose - was her own, no one else's. There would be no announcement.

Just the careful and purposeful continuation of Duty.

Comments

[girlinthebox]

They're symbols. They mean what they want you to. The commander still wore the crest on his bracers, even so far removed from the Order. The Sword of Mercy had a place, a purpose, even if some of the Templars saw it as too literal a weapon.

But River understands the need to peel it away, to be something new and shake off even the semblance of remaining chains.

So she creeps in to watch, head resting on her arms, dark eyes following Nerva's movements as she works so diligently. Would she replace them with watchful eyes instead?

[keeperofmagi]

Nerva has never been good with keeping symbols that once meant something else to her. Her first name is all she kept of her childhood, and even that was more out of necessity than anything else. If she is to make herself a new life, she will scrub herself of the old one.

But when she feels eyes on her, and raises her own, a wave of guilt washes over her.

River. A thread left loose, one that she felt a personal responsibility to fix, but -

It wasn't her place. And even when she had thought it might have been, it had hurt her to even dream of actually attempting what was necessary. And now -

Now. Now she had no right, anywhere, to do anything at all.

"Hello, River," She murmured, carefully removing the stitches of embroidery on a tunic.

[girlinthebox]

Today appears to be one of her better days. Her eyes shine when they flick up, regarding her warmly before falling to the busy work of needles and fingers, pulling things free from flesh. No. Fabric. It's different. She's shedding that skin.

Serpent of the North, but not one to be feared. Never that.

"They're afraid," she offers up, after a moment. But her voice is calm, almost reflective. Watching her pluck at the thread is relaxing, in a way.

[keeperofmagi]

"Who is afraid?" She asks, her attention half split - trying to focus on River and not stab herself with a needle at the same time.

She pauses, frowning. "Did something happen?"

Coming back from Emprise du Lion

[judgemewhole]

"Congratulations."

Is the first thing a weary Norrington says to Nerva, as he approaches her from across the courtyard. He is no longer wearing Templar colors himself, but rather the Templar symbol of old on a dark green background. Still, Nerva had found her path through turmoil so deep that he could only imagine.

If he himself wasn't feeling it himself. He gestured to the seat next to her, silently asking if he could sit.

[keeperofmagi]

"For what?" Nerva asks, looking up with a frown and a furrowed brow. She had only just arrived back, and she let the pack slide off her back to rest at her feet, giving her shoulders some rest.

She could think of nothing she deserved congratulations for.

[gatheringstorm]

The past few weeks in the Emprise have taken a toll on her armor and now that she's in Skyhold once more, Korrin has the opportunity to see it properly mended. There's only so much that can be done at camp, give the lack of resources, material and expertise to be found elsewhere. So as soon as possible, the Vashoth woman will make her way to the Undercroft for repairs. Harritt will grumble, but he's also the only person Korrin will trust with it, so she'll endure that without complaint.

Waiting for him finish, she glances around the area and spots Nerva. The woman is far from her list of favorite people, and doubtless knows it thanks from their headbutting at mage council meetings. She would be content with mutual ignoring, but Nerva's activities catch her eye. The bracers themselves aren't anything unusual, but the fact that she's working on removing Templar symbols from them definitely is. Their lack over other parts of Nerva's armor are then noted, with an increasingly curious gaze. Finally, she can't hold back and comes over to watch her work.

"You don't care for Templar symbols any more?" Her tone isn't passionate or hostile as it sometimes is in the council vault; at the moment, it's purely one of curiosity. Her gaze and arched eyebrow echo that as well.

[keeperofmagi]

Despite the dispassionate tone of Korrin's question, Nerva still bristles - as if being caught doing something she knows she shouldn't, and having to answer for it.

Only this time, she is doing what she knows she must.

She raises her eyes - her expression hard, defensive, and her hands still at their work.

"I wear the symbols of my station," She said, tensely. "I will not wear the Templar colours falsely."

[gatheringstorm]

The bristling--well, fine. She's put up with worse; Korrin can't exactly blame Nerva for a reaction she could well have had were she the one approached. That said, the Vashoth mage is not actually spoiling for a fight this time, and so keeps her tone even.

"You...left the Order, then? Completely?" Jumping to conclusions is a bad habit of hers anyway, but that's certainly what it sounds like. Her eyebrows raise, surprise visible on her face. Of all the things she might have expected from Nerva, that...is not it. At all.

back at skyhold;

[wickedchase]

A distraction is nice, in consideration of... many things. Much, of course, he remarks little on openly.

As always, with him.

What does surprise him is how unnervingly (no pun intended) quiet Nerva has been. It seemed like she'd been to herself during their time in Emprise du Lion, but he had other things to be concerned with.

He's quietly given up on finding his arrowhead at this point.

In any case, it's hard to miss now, and he wonders. In the courtyard, he approaches her, adjusting his hat.

"Nerva. You seem introspective today," Fate remarks, eyes curious.

Re: back at skyhold;

[keeperofmagi]

Nerva was carefully scoring leather, the templar sigil now half torn away, scrubbed from existence. She looked up, after a moment, as if both his approach and his words took time to filter through her careful and precise duty.

"I am not." She frowned back down at the leather belt in her hand. "If I seem preoccupied - it is because I have much to do."

[wickedchase]

Well, now. This is a curious position he's caught her in. The mage raises a brow, and slowly meanders his way closer to Nerva, arms folded behind his back.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" Twisted Fate muses, half-grinning. "What's the occasion, hm? Removal of your templar badge. Rather..."

There is a pause, then more seriously he asks, "I suppose I should ask: is this a good occasion for you, or did something happen you did not want?"

[noleechesneeded]

There was no announcement, but it was impossible not to notice the change. The Sword of Mercy left scars behind, patches of fabric brighter than the rest where it had been embroidered, or metal left gleaming where the symbol had been filed away. All together it was enough to be noticeable to Simon as they each went about their business in Skyhold, enough to get the mage to stop and wonder.

"They didn't kick you out, did they?" he asked without a great deal of tact. He wasn't trying to be mean, he was honestly confused as to why all that trouble had been gone through. Simon also had to admit he didn't know what was involved in a Templar's dismissal. It had never happened during his time in the Cumberland Circle, at least not that he'd seen. He'd think they'd take their armor back rather than having it be stripped of the usual heraldry.

[keeperofmagi]

It was like poking a sleeping bear with a stick, really, and where Nerva had been quiet and brooding, a moment ago, she now faced Simon with all of her heckles up, and a good, flat glare to go with it.

"I was not kicked out of the order," She said, her voice sharp as a whip crack. "Not that it is any business of yours. I have merely dedicated myself solely to the Inquisition."

[noleechesneeded]

That hadn't gone over well. Simon really ought to start learning how to better choose his words... The mage stiffened visibly when Nerva lashed out at him, even though it really shouldn't have been a surprise. He hadn't been trying to poke the bear, more like checking her over for injuries...by sticking himself face-first into her den.

"Good for you," he answered, mirroring the snap in her voice with a skeptical sneer in his own. Because surely that was going to help smooth this whole thing over. "I have to commend your efforts to save the Inquisition coin as well. Though I'd think we could afford at least one new set of armor..."

Skyhold / Undercroft / Late Guardian-ish?

[lifeofendurance]

If there is anyone present in Skyhold who could possibly understand the need for purpose and a path, it's the somber silent man in Seeker's armor attending to weapon sharpening. Ever since Seeker van Reeves announced the annulment of the Nevarran Accord, Aleron has been at a loss. Naturally at first he discounted the news as a blantant falsehood. The more he's learned, the more aghast he is at everyone abandoning their vows and obligations. It's left him painfully adrift to know where he is now meant to serve.

He believes it to be with the Inquisition. At least now. It's taken a few days of questioning and intense attention to his devotions to reach this conclusion. A cynical person could accuse him of deciding it thus out of his craving to have a straight path laid out before him where his duty lies. They would not be entirely incorrect. But conviction fuels him and so he is committed to the cause.

As Harritt grumbles while working away the nicks from his longsword, Aleron looks over to find a woman addressing her own armor by herself. The hallmarks of the Sword of Mercy are still present on some of the gear, which is not a wonder. What troubles him is the effort which she is giving to removing it. Perhaps she has been expelled from the Order, but unwilling to part with good armor. Or perhaps she's as lost as everyone else. Do the Templars even exist anymore? Do the Seekers?

It's such an unusual thing for anyone to be doing, he has to address it. "You're altering your armor, Ser...?"

[keeperofmagi]

She looks up at the voice, ready to snap an irritated 'yes' at the interuption, but stops when she realises she doesn't recognize the face.

But she does recognize the symbol emblazoned on his chest.

She stands up too quickly, the piece of armour she had been working on going clattering to the floor, and with a slightly mortified look she picks it up again, before standing at attention.

"Seeker, my apologies, I did not realise you were-- here." It's lame because she didn't really know he existed at all - thought that Cassandra was here alone. But if he's here, and a Seeker, then he's probably working directly for Cassandra.

"I-- Yes. I will not have my loyalty parted. I am here for the Inquisition, and I have sworn myself to Seeker Pentaghast's service, and I would have my armour reflect that."

[lifeofendurance]

Aleron doesn't wince when the armor hits the ground, though it's certainly sharp on his ears. Nor is he particularly surprised when his presence startles a Templar. Ex-Templar? He's rather accustomed to it as matter of course and remains as stoic as ever. But, he is rather concerned he might have inadvertently caused some damage to the piece that was dropped. As he listens, he holds out a hand for that particular piece so he can examine it for himself, without breaking eye-contact.

What he hears is... oddly reassuring. And familiar.

"I apologize for taking you by surprise. Please, be at ease." He's aware that might be asking the impossible. Most Templars are made uneasy by his presence. Though there is some question if they should anymore. It seems if no one answers to anyone any longer, which is not right. "It's good to swear yourself fully to your duty. Especially when so many have cast off their loyalties for less than righteous reasons."

Emprise du Lion | Camp

[equanimiti]

Solitude and silence had kept Alayre company for the last few days. Between those two and the bitter cold of Emprise du Lion, Alayre kept to himself and only seldom shared words with others. He retreated into the depths of his mind and abandoned all things else for the sake of finding clarity. Whether or not he found clarity is debatable. Yet, as Norrington had described to others, Alayre seemed to be of sound mind now.

He was idly strolling through the camp during the late hours of the day when he came across Nerva. A curious gleam settled within his gaze as he watched her tear away the Order's sigil off her clothing and everything she possesses. It's a disturbing sight to behold especially for someone so directly tied to the Order.

A moment of silence passed before Alayre dared to speak. "Why?" His voice is quiet but the dismay is there.

Re: Emprise du Lion | Camp

[keeperofmagi]

She looks up, the defensiveness already at the ready - but when she sees who's voice it is, the bristles calm and she simply goes back to her work.

"I will not be a Templar in name only. If I am to be a sword of the Inquisition, then that is what I will be. But I will not continue to be stymied by half measures."

[equanimiti]

Once Nerva finds her calm, Alayre questions her. "What exactly does that mean?" He asks quietly as he dares to come near. His gaze lingers upon the former Templar briefly before drifting towards the clothing she's working on. Anything that once symbolized her affiliation with the Order had been stripped. Nerva looks almost bare now without the Order's sigil upon her and it's a mildly disturbing sight.

Uncertain of how he feels about this sudden change, Alayre reserves his opinions for now. He's not here to talk her out of her decision. Alayre is merely observing. Nerva is free to do as she wishes. She's a woman grown after all.

"We're lost but we can find our path again."

/strolls in late, doesn't care...

[aggregiopavali]

After dealing with the whole situation with the blood mages and what they left behind, Fenris felt the need to scrub his armor, and perhaps replace at least some of it. He felt unclean, unhappy in his own skin, and he had to do something about it.

However, he didn't expect to spot someone else here, someone who was busily getting rid of symbols of an old life. He'd heard rumours that things had gone very wrong in the Templars, and here it was, seemingly confirmed, though he'd rather here it from her. "Hard work," he noted as he came in, putting his armour down on the tables to check.

Re: /strolls in late, doesn't care...

[keeperofmagi]

"Yes," Nerva replied, glancing up as the elf entered, the deep Tevinter accent having put her on edge immediately, but as soon as she saw his face, it calmed. Fenris was about as far from a Tevinter Magister as she was. If not farther.

"It did not seem right to waste it. So the work is worth it."

[aggregiopavali]

Further. Definitely as far as possible from a Tevinter Magister as it was possible to be.

"Not something I'd have expected to see." She seemed the Templar for life type, but it looed like he could be wrong about that. Interesting.

[nofury]

A better part of a month away from Skyhold had done her a world of good. Time on her own, out in the open wilds, always had. Maria trusted her own instincts far more than the general consensus, and it was with a small sense of resignation she returned to the fortress and all the politics and daily dramatics it entailed. Still, duty called.

She'd put her horse up, sent the mission reports, and now she had to bring her armor down for the small patches and repairs so long away always demanded. She was in simple tunic and breeches, hair still a ruin as she handed her plate mail off with specific instructions, and just leaving the smith when she spotted the other Templar, the woman absorbed in a task of her own.

"Lecuyer."