faderift | { OPEN }

Entry tags:

{ OPEN }

WHO: Ellana Ashara + OPEN (with closed starters for Sabriel, Sina, and Merrick)
WHAT: Ellana returns to Skyhold from Emprise to catch up with people and settle back into life here.
WHEN: Guardian 20th through the end of the month.
WHERE: Skyhold

{ open }
After Ellana fulfills her duties in Emprise du Lion, she's allowed the opportunity to return to Skyhold or stay and wait for more assignments. But after everything that's happened while she's been away -- especially to her friends -- she wants to see Skyhold in person again. The journey back is thankfully uneventful, and as she gets through the front gate, she already has a list of people to see. But over the coming days, she settles back into a routine around the place, namely: visiting the mounts in the stables and petting those who seem agreeable to it, taking supplies down to the refugees encamped down in the valley below, reading out in the sunshine, or practicing with her new lute, which is a birthday present to herself.

[ ooc: feel free to have your character know it's Ellana's birthday from a scout if they want to give her a present. it's on Guardian 22nd! ]

{ sabriel }
Ellana is looking forward to getting back to Skyhold and flopping back into the bed she shares with Sabriel. It's not that sleeping in a bed roll is tough, seeing how she's done it her whole life, but her bed is something new and wonderful, and she's actually missed it. Coming into Skyhold, she sees not much has changed after the event with the rift. She heads to her room, drops her bag, and flops back onto the bed, sinking her head into the pillow and sighing happily. She'll unpack later. For now, she'll rest until Sabriel turns up and the two can catch up.

{ sina }
Hearing about what happened to Sina made Ellana want to return home, but she couldn't abandon her duties to the Inquisition, and she was assured Sina was recovering. Still, after resting from her journey back, she goes to find Sina to see how she's doing. There's a quick stop to the gardens first, where she picks some flowers. Her eye catches the Dalish memorial in the corner and she kneels beside it for a moment, relieved that Sina's name doesn't have to be added to her clan's stone. Then she returns to her goal of finding Sina.

{ merrick }
First Sina, then Merrick. Sam had told her what had happened to him via crystal and she had burst into tears. But Merrick was strong and Ellana had known he could beat the poison in his system. She also knows that what Merrick likes doing with Ellana more than anything else is to sit and sing, so she travels down to the merchant stalls with coins jiggling together in her purse, hoping the lutes she once saw there haven't all been bought up yet. She's been saving up to buy herself a lute for her birthday, and now the time has come. Thankfully, there are several available in her price range, and she selects one, testing it out. It will suit her, and she pays, taking the lute and adjusting the strings until it sounds as near enough to Zevran's as she can get. She still doesn't know many songs, but it's a start. And she can play for Merrick. Since the lute has no strap (she'll have to find someone to make one) she carries it in hand as she searches for her friend.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Korrin doesn't make it back from Emprise du Lion until the tail-end of the month, thanks to dragons. However, when she returns it isn't unprepared. A passing scout alerted her to Ellana's birthday days so, and after drilling said scout about her preferences/plans, came up with something. After she's sent her armor to get repaired, the Vashoth mage will seek out her fellow council member for some gift-giving. The lute music gets her attention, of course, and she approaches with a small smile on her face. Normally, she wouldn't interrupt, but there's a reason to speak up.

"That lute must be heavy. Hopefully this will be enough to fix that..." Hence, the strap that she's holding out now.

Ellana is working on a simple song, but is having some trouble with the speed it's meant to be played at. She looks a little flustered when Korrin arrives, but looks up and grins when she sees the gift.

"Korrin! Oh, ma serannas-- thank you. This is just what I need." Taking the strap, she attaches it to either end and then stands to put the lute on her back. She adjusts where the strap sits on her shoulder, looking pleased.

"It's perfect! And the lute has been a pain to carry around in my hands, yes. How did you know I had one?"

That grin is all Korrin needs, and she returns it as Ellana adjusts the strap as need be. The coin spent is well worth it to make a friend happy. And after spending time in a land of silverite and dawnstone everywhere, coin is definitely not an issue for her.

"I overhead a scout back in Emprise du Lion say it was your birthday, so I asked some questions and learned you were interested in buying one." No intimidating on purpose, honest. Though with her looming over the poor guy, he might have been quicker to respond than otherwise. "I had to stay and help with the dragon problem, but consider it a belated gift."

Her face is all surprise, but then she laughs.

"I guess he was the one who took down my name and birthday when I officially joined the Inquisition." And really, it's nice to be remembered this way. Now she just needs to discover Korrin's birthday too.

"Well, I love it." Though she does move to take the lute off so she can sit once more. "And how was the dragon problem? Not a problem anymore, I hope?"

"I'm glad. I figured even if you already had a strap, you could still switch them out as you please." Sitting down beside her to spare both their necks, Korrin sighs contentedly. She's grateful for the chance not to move for a little while; riding on a very uncomfortable mount doesn't count towards that.

"No, the villagers are safe from high dragons now. There were actually more than we thought; another dragon no one saw previously had claimed a third ring as its lair. I didn't fight that one, but Cassandra, Jamie, Merrick and I faced one of the ice-breathers that decimated the tower camp. Merrick saved my hide at least once; that tail-swipe could have flung me clear off the battlefield, if he hadn't warned me in time."

Her eyebrows lift, and she blows out a breath. She hadn't been in Skyhold when Merrick was poisoned, for all the good she would have done, and now he's been off fighting dragons.

"He's bounced back quickly, hasn't he? I saw him right when I returned, and then he was off again." She shakes her head. "I know he's seen more fighting than I have, but he's still the youngest of us here. I worry. And now it sounds like I should be worrying about you too. Here I thought nothing would be able to harm you, but a dragon would do it."

Korrin just smiles and shrugs, not completely brushing off the concern but not about to play it up either, not when she emerged intact. "Hey, I made it through. My armor got the worst of it, but most of the time my barriers held. Knight-Enchanter training is the best thing that ever happened to me, dragon-wise. It didn't matter if the damned thing drew me in, since I could still fight it close-range. And that way, I could still protect everyone."

She sobers a bit as her thoughts turn to Merrick and what happened, though. "I was surprised about him bouncing back, too. Relieved, but surprised. Not that he didn't have the best of care, of course, but I was useless on that end and couldn't stick around. Not when there were Crows to find. That he and Zevran made it through is a miracle I won't soon forget."

"Oh, yes. They tend to flap their wings and that drags everything in close, doesn't it?" Ellana has never faced a dragon before, but she thinks she could do it, with people like Korrin by her side.

"They were lucky," she replies softly, but she looks up with a smile, not wishing to bring down the mood. "If you ever had any doubts that elves could be as hardy as dwarves, there's your answer."

Likewise wanting to remain on the lighter side of things, Korrin smiles at that last part. "Indeed, I'll never underestimate elven resilience now. Others should take lessons."

That reminds her, it's been a bit since she's checked in on and gently ribbed either of them. She'll change that, though isn't in a hurry to abandon Ellana. "And yes, that's the second most annoying tactic they have. That shriek is the worst one, though; there's no real way to defend against it. I swear my ears are still ringing."

"Hmm, stuff cotton into your ears, perhaps?" Hey, Ellana is trying to help. But seeing how she's never faced one, she's a bit lacking in dragon fighting advice. Surely the Nevarrans among them have some tips. They pride themselves on their country's history with dragon hunting.

Well, Korrin's heard worse ideas. She shrugs, looking thoughtful. "That shriek sounded like it could get through anything, though that isn't to say we shouldn't try. And I really doubt those are the last high dragons we'll encounter, clustered like that or not. Maybe the quartermaster can come up with something, though I'm not getting my hopes up too high.

You'd have been a great help, by the way. That thing was vulnerable to fire, and between two mages, I'm sure we could have worn it down a lot faster pummeling it with fire together."

Ellana perks up at that, liking the idea, even though it's too late to be a part of it.

"I remember we spoke once about how we liked the storm tree, but I think everyone knows me for my fire spells. That's all right. It's what I know best of all." And the best magic is the kind you don't have to think very hard about. It flows out of you as easily as mana flows in.

Korrin would definitely agree with that sentiment, which is why she relies on lightning spells as much as she does. It's what she knows best, and can manipulate the easiest. She notes how Ellana perks up and grins. "Next time I'm alerted there are ice dragons in the area, I can pass on news if you'd like. Then we can prepare to kick ass together."

That talk reminds her of something else they discussed, and she raises an eyebrow. "Are you still interested in rift magic as a possible path? How is that coming along?"

"Please do. I'd like to get out there and kick some ass." She is still green when it comes to combat, but she hopes to improve. When she joined the Inquisition, she wasn't exactly sure what role she could play, and defaulted to common soldier because it seemed what someone who was undecided should do. Now she's on the mage council and there's more she can contribute, but that doesn't mean she'll stop fighting to protect others.

"Oh, that," she says to Korrin's question, releasing a sigh that makes her shoulders sag. "I'm a bit stuck on that actually. Maybe discussing it will help? The thing is, I'm undecided if I should go down that path or not. After what happened to Sina, I'm wary about the power of these rifts, but at the same time, if we don't study them and learn to control them, they could control us. Do you know what I mean?"

Frowning in thought, Korrin nods. "I think so. What we don't know could very much harm us, as the world keeps demonstrating. Maybe learning more about this rift magic could lead towards finding out a way to help Sina and others less severely affected. Maybe. It's all connected to the Fade, so it's...possible? But it's also a new, untested kind of magic. From what I've seen of Your Trainer, it definitely takes a toll if you're not careful. Please don't forget your own name, Ellana."

"I definitely don't want that," she says, fighting a frown. "There's so much I want to do and see, and I don't want to forget it all, not to mention forget how much I want it all." She pities Your Trainer and wonders who she was before she started studying the rifts. Is she the type of person who would hate who she is now, or would she be pleased to have unlocked the power of the rifts at the expense of everything else?

"There's time to think it over. I doubt all these rifts are going anywhere soon."

Korrin can't help but pity Your Trainer as well, and feel slightly guilty for not training with her regarding rift magic. Dangerous as it seemed, it didn't feel right to have the woman sacrifice so much and return that with nothing. Perhaps after she'd mastered more of her Knight-Enchanter path, though that was a very long way from happening.

"You're right about that. I kept finding them on my traveling between Emprise du Lion and here. We're sealing those we find, but there always seem to be more. And as we continue west, I bet it'll still be true."

It's an unfortunate truth; one that Ellana feels helpless to do anything about. She has no shard in her hand, and certainly doesn't want one either. With all these rifts still around, she could either sit here and do nothing, or try to understand the nature of them. Maybe that could help the rifters return home. Maybe that could reveal ways to seal them without the need for a shard. She really can't say. But she knows she hates feeling helpless.

"I agree. But the longer these rifts are out there, I think the more people there will be studying them. Maybe it's worth the risk."

She nods slowly, her expression serious. "I...can't argue with that. If that what you set out to do, I'll be around to help. I have enough on my plate at the moment with Knight-Enchanter studies, but that just means I can use it in your defense. And maybe when I've learned more, I'll feel comfortable branching out there, too."

"Thank you, Korrin," she says, her voice filled with gratitude. "I know it's a dangerous path, but I won't be the only one looking into these rifts. It will be good to have your help."

It feels like there is so much to do now that she's back at Skyhold. She hardly knows where to start. Between looking after the refugees, looking after her friends, working through mage issues for the council, starting to look into these rifts, and now practicing with her lute, it appears she has the burden of choice.

"How do you feel about the Council these days? The issue with the rift was a big cause of stress."

Though Korrin has already intended on accelerating her training as much as possible, Ellana's gratitude is added incentive in that area. She's used to training on her own, and is fine with it, but Skyhold affords her a rare opportunity to work with other mages. It'd be an interesting chance to put that to use, and not just for politics.

Speaking of which, she sighs. "It has, and I'm wondering how much we'll be able to help shardbearers. Not just in terms of their mark, but ensuring that they have rights such as those available to anyone in the Inquisition. I doesn't seem right to campaign for mage freedom only to slam the door on others. We all know how supervision for safety's sake ends up going, even those of us who've never been in a Circle."

"It's common for people to worry when something big like this happens. I can see why some would wonder if this is a thing that can happen easily, or without the rifter needing to be a mage. I feel for them." Her gaze lifts to Korrin. "I mean the rifters, though I can see the other side too. But you're right; tightening the reins on people does no good. There must be a better way."

"I have no concrete suggestions on what that better way is, not yet. But that could be part of the point, couldn't it? That we ought to work with the rifters to find one, not against them? Anyone bearing a shard has the power to do what we can't, by closing rifts. The least we can do is try to cooperate."

Just what would happen if a rifter were proved to be hostile, Korrin has no idea, but she's not about to start seeing enemies in everyone who arrives. Most are just overwhelmed, lacking the context for things Thedosians take for granted. They ought to be caught up to speed, as much as time will allow.

"You must have seen my note, about what took place. Maybe that exact instance won't be repeated, but in light of the rift opening in Skyhold, other tests or restrictions could be coming. And this time, it might not be voluntary."

She had seen Korrin's note, but since Lenneth had volunteered, and didn't appear to be coerced in any way, Ellana can't see a problem with the way she was treated. If the Templars had tested her while claiming it was under the authority of the Inquisition, then that would be a problem, but it seemed to her to be three people taking it upon themselves to figure out the nature of the rifters.

"I did, and I can see that happening. The Council will probably come together to vote on our official position to give to the advisers."

"So I return just in time for the fun stuff. Typical." Korrin's lips curve in a wry smile, not really expecting anything else. It is what it is and they'll just have to deal with it. "How are you feeling about it all, now that you're not sharing a seat?" She hadn't been able to ask about Ellana's adjustment after Pel's departure, constantly distracted with one crisis or another, but now's the time to change that.

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