(closed) far too young and clever

[fullmoon]

WHO: Peter & Remus
WHAT: Young mages sticking their noses into Skyhold's nooks and crannies and dusty bits
WHEN: Before Peter goes to be a hero in Haven
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: None

Stairways to nowhere are not so a rare thing. There were even a few at the Circle in Markham, where additions or repairs had resulted in walled off passageways, and somewhere out in the wide wondrous world of Thedas there are surely some that exist for less mundane reasons, with magical flower crowns waiting at the bottom.

These, however, are stairs to nothing. There's nothing magical about it, but even if it's only age or conflict that damaged this tower, there is something a little unnerving about coming down around the corner of a curving staircase and finding empty air, cold wind, and a steep drop down a mountainside.

Remus puts an arm out to stop Peter ahead of the crumblier last steps.

"Maker," he says. Unnerved, as previously stated. It lasts half a second, and then he's dropping his arm and putting a hand on the wall for balance so he can try to see around the corner without going any further down the steps. They used to lead somewhere, surely.

Comments

[cameasarat]

Distracted as he'd been in the keeping his footing on slightly crumbling stairs, Peter doesn't see Remus' arm and stumbles a little as his decent is suddenly stopped. A small, loose pebble of the stair he ended on broke free and rolled off into the darkness, plunging down into the deep. Peter swallowed hard as he watched the rock skip then vanish. Yeah. Maker was right.

After the embarrassing eep he unconsciously let slip out when Remus stopped him, Peter had some need to claw his way back to a more respectable level. He raised a hand and, with a too long moment of concentration, called a tiny spell wisp forward, letting the glowing ball float lazily towards the darkness to add a little light.

"This place is a relic."

[fullmoon]

"Beautiful, though," Remus says.

Not this particular part. This particular part is empty and black, except where Peter's wisp--which Remus eyes with some mild suspicion, as he does anything spirity, but doesn't remark upon--illuminates some jagged stone just ahead.

"The wind must be coming from somewhere." He hardly noticed the eep, let alone judged for it, but he does look back to make sure Peter is all right. "And this must have led somewhere. There's probably something on the other side of the..."

Gaping, empty nothingness, except gaping empty nothingness wouldn't kill you if you fell into it, and this probably would.

[cameasarat]

"Giant hole in the ground?"

He offered a smile that attempted to be braver than Peter felt, but he joined Remus in trying to look regardless of the growing concern. There may be something, after all. Something interesting.

"There's a few underground libraries I've seen. Or maybe another wine cellar. I dunno. We'd need...rope?"

Rope might help. Maybe. With enough of it.

[fullmoon]

"Rope," Remus agrees. "And--pulleys." To get across, and to have any hope of getting back. He tries thinking it through and can't get very far; after a moment, he adds, "Dwarves. We need dwarves."

There aren't dwarves in the Circle, obviously, so his understanding of them doesn't extend much further than dwarves build things well.

"Can you do anything brighter? Fire?"

[cameasarat]

"Dwarves."

Peter nods in sage agreement. Sure there were walls to build and the main hall was...questionable in stability, at best, but surely the hidden bits would have the more interesting things? Priorities had to be made. And he certainly couldn't scamper over any better as rat than as a boy.

"I- there's a lot of. Us. Here. For fire. Can't you?"

[fullmoon]

"Peter," Remus says, less exasperated than cajoling. He doesn't see how more practice won't help. He has faith! Etc. But that's probably an argument--or civil discussion--they've had before, and he won't put Peter through it again now.

He takes another cautious step down, so he's near enough to the edge of the broken steps that he can drop a flash of fire over it without catching anyone's feet. The flames hit stone and dissipate and--

"It's not as deep as I thought. You could probably jump."

That's a joke.

[cameasarat]

He gets the joke and gives a half-hearted huff of mock offense in response. He just didn't want to catch anyone on fire while their escapes were lots of stairs and death hole, alright? Totally reasonable. Practice was for nice, safe, stone rooms with clearly marked exits. Or when demons were charging. Demons always helped motivation to try.

"You could-" he swallowed, but all in all it's not a suggestion so far out of typical Marauder turf "-could lower me down, probably. After I change."