{ OPEN }

[serannas]

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.

Comments

[serannas]

Her shoulders hunch a little and she nods. The elves that have come to the Inquisition haven't exactly been welcomed with opened arms, but there is no alienage at Skyhold. There is no place to point to and tell the elves they had better be inside that area after dark, or else. Maybe, in their own way, the city elves are tasting freedom not unlike the kind Ellana is now that she's left the clan. It's far from a perfect world for them, but they're taking charge of their lives. No one is making the decision for them.

"There are many ways to languish," she agrees. "Being kept as property is certainly one of them." Her lips purse and she looks down at her hands a moment, picking at her cuticles. "Did your family have slaves?"

[blightedson]

"Yes," Felix replies honestly. "Even growing up, I saw it as a perfectly acceptable fact of society. In my father's home, they're treated like valued servants and some even as an extension of the family. I didn't realize how disturbing it was that they were my family's propety until I came to Orlais."

[serannas]

"And you saw the elves there." It must have come as a shock to him to realize that elves were being kept down, and that they might want more than their lot in life.

"So did you grow up with elf children? Children of your family's slaves?"

[blightedson]

"Not really," Felix said thoughtfully. "I... I was very well protected and a lot of my interaction with the slaves under my family's home was limited. It didn't help that ours didn't have many children my age."

[serannas]

"Well, I never saw a human until I left my clan. It seems our interactions with the other race really came about because of the Inquisition." A lot of good things have come from the Inquisition.

"I suppose you won't be going back home now that you're a Warden, will you?"

[blightedson]

"I'm afraid that's correct," he admits. "I gave my birthright to Dorian too. There's a mess back home to deal with, but my father has been stripped of his title so he'll be unable to tend to it. We'll have to see what Dorian does once this conflict is over."

[serannas]

"Oh," she says, expression softening. "I hope it wasn't too painful for you to give that up? I hadn't thought of your family's title."

[blightedson]

Felix sighs a bit and then wipes his hand on his knees to give himself something to do. "It..." he starts, but he wasn't sure how to finish this. "I didn't think I'd ever have to consider what to do with it. I was going to die and the mess would be left to whoever would be willing to clean it up." Then, after a pause, "That probably would have ended up being Dorian anyway."

[serannas]

"And it's different, when you have to willingly give it away, instead of leaving it for others to deal with." It's a conscious decision, not an afterthought. Ellana smiles sadly and after a moment's hesitation, she touches his wrist in sympathy.

"Are you getting used to being a Warden and all it means? I know this isn't an easy time for any of you right now."

[blightedson]

He nods. There's a lot he wants to say, but the Wardens keep their secrets well. "It's been much easier with the so many Wardens here. They've all been so willing to help me learn and share their stories." A pause. "It's strange, and there's a lot of deal with right now, but I feel like I belong with them in some ways. I only hope I don't turn out to be a disappointment."

It was also strange how easy it was to share that doubt with her.

[serannas]

"Felix, you won't," she's quick to say. "They saw your determination in living your life day to day, and your courage in facing your end. I saw it, so of course they did too. You're going to be an amazing Warden. I know you'll work hard, and you're so giving, and loyal." She stops herself before this turns into full out gushing.

"What I mean is, you could never be a disappointment to anyone."

[blightedson]

Felix tilts his head a bit as he looks at her and then he smiles at the compliments. It's easier to take because she seems so sincere. "Perhaps. I'm not sure how well those skills translate into fighting darkspawn, but I suppose we'll see."

[serannas]

"Yes. Hopefully not right away." She doesn't like the idea of him being in danger. "You've been training with them, haven't you? What weapon did you choose?" Since she's sure a staff is out of the question.

[blightedson]

"A sword for now, though Dorian got me a staff that helps with defensive spells. I'll probably have to rely more on the sword." He frowns just a bit as that very old scar about his lack of magical talent rears it's ugly head. Honestly, it's such a deep and old wound that it passes quickly, back to whatever part of his mind it lies mostly ignored in.

[serannas]

"Swordsmen are very talented," she says, trying to encourage him. "I could never put that sort of strain on my wrist or shoulder." At least she thinks there is much less while twirling a staff.

"A greatsword or a longsword?" she adds a moment later, since the latter would probably require him to carry a shield too.

[blightedson]

"Longsword. Honestly, I feel pretty exposed without the shield too. I know it probably complicates it because both of my hands are full, but without it I feel like they'll have too easy a shot at me."

The small amount of darkspawn he has encountered in his life make him never want to feel exposed around them again.

"I've been working on getting the strength needed in my arm. I hope it's easier than trying to tap into my magic."

[serannas]

There's a brief flash of worry across her face at the thought of him being exposed like that. But despite that, she knows the Wardens wouldn't set him up to fail. They must know what they're doing.

"You'll do well. I know you will. And if you ever need anyone to sneak you food in between training sessions to keep up your strength, just call on me."

[blightedson]

"Can I call on you even if I just need some company?" he asks, before he realizes that could be taken to imply something naughty. Then he clears his throat. "I mean, um, like this? I enjoy talking to you."

[serannas]

It isn't the first thought that crosses her mind. Sometimes she's just too innocent for her own good.

"Of course you can. Spending time with you is something that I'd like to do more of, if you're available." She can't cut into his important Warden business time, or time with other friends, but she wants to carve out a little space for herself.

[blightedson]

"I'd like that," he says. "We both have our own responsibilities, so we can give each other some time to decompress."

[serannas]

"That's right. I've been doing things with the Mage Council." She sits up a little straighter, looking proud. "We're hoping to gather a bunch of mages together to work at the land off to the side of the fortress, to make an area to build lodgings for people. And a bridge can connect it to Skyhold. It's a way to help and show others that magic can be used for good, and for things other than combat."

[blightedson]

Felix's face brightens a bit. "That's a great idea. And it will help with some of the crowding issues. It'd be wonder to have more space for all of the people arriving."

[serannas]

"It would! And then the refugees wouldn't have to sleep in tents. They could have sturdy lodgings that can better stand against the wind and cold night air." Ellana loves having a room here with a door for privacy and stone walls to keep out the wind.

[blightedson]

"How about security? Do you have plans on how to evacuate in case of another attack?" he asks. He had been there at Haven. He didn't want a repeat.

[serannas]

"Oh, that's a really good question," she says, eyes widening a little. "I can bring it up to the council. We should definitely build a path down into the valley or something of that nature. That's smart of you to consider that."