[Open] Nothing so strong as gentleness

[the_effect_she_has]

WHO: Katniss, a baby wolf, and you.
WHAT: Katniss finds a baby wolf in the forest, and brings it back to Skyhold, and begins to raise him on her own.
WHEN: All during Drakonis
WHERE: Forest outside of Skyhold, inside Skyhold.
NOTES: Welcome to Katniss's specialization reward, aka Ranger. Warning for wild animal death.

Closed
The forest was starting to come alive again. It was still cold, of course, with patches of snow everywhere. The temperature was just starting to warm during the day, to where you couldn't see your own breath. There was the start of flooding in the lower parts of the forests, and in some of the caves, carved out of the mountains themselves.

Katniss's boots sunk into the soft, frozen muck slightly, as she made her way through the trees, up the side of the mountain. Today was not a day for rabbits, or even snofleur. The wind was high, and she had seen geese flying across the sky again. She could get a few decent birds for the kitchen, and more than a few for the refugees. She tilted her head to the sky, breathing deep, closing her eyes to feel the sun on her cheeks.

That's when she heard it - the soft whine of something that sounded like a dog. She frowned, worried that some mutt had wandered up the hillside, and gotten caught in one of those damned bear traps. She stepped through the bushes, and made a soft noise of shock and pain. A wolf mother, and her pups, all dead from their burrow being flooded. But she had heard a whine ...

There! Crouched yet to his mother, whimpering. Katniss moved close to the pup, who looked at her with scared golden eyes. She crouched down, taking out a piece of meat, and leaving it down for the pup, before backing away. It looked half starved and cold, and it reminded her ... well, he reminded her of herself, she supposed. All alone, out here, and he had no idea how he was going to make it.

And just like that, Katniss's decision was made for her.

Open

Which was when Katniss brought a wolf into Skyhold. She figured, hey, she already brought in a grouchy horse and a demon cat. What was one small wolf?

All right, one small wolf that would grow into a full-sized wolf, but you could train wolves, right? The Emerald Knights did it. Of course it would have been helpful if the Chantry hadn't killed all of them and probably burnt all the damned records that would teach Katniss how to do the same, but she'd learn.

For the little guy's sake, she'd have to.

So for those looking for Katniss during Drakonis, they'll find her mostly in the courtyard with a young wolf pup. Feeding him warm milk and small bits of meat, running him around the yard, or just sitting there with the wolf curled up against her, sleeping. Mostly, you'll find her trying different ways to train him as a companion, and not as another one of the not-so-adorable lapdogs running around the camp. The amount of success she has? Really varied on the day.

Comments

[middle_of_calibrating]

"Oh I think I'll enjoy the praise you'll give me. Just have to wait for when that happens, yeah?" He says, his smirk turning into more of a half grin as he watches Katniss and her pup. It was cute little thing.

"Whelp I don't know much elvish so can't help you there." Her laugh is infectious, and Garris finds him laughing along. "That would be worth it just for that. But whatever you think suits him."

[the_effect_she_has]

"We'll have to see that." Katniss stated, her own smile quirking up at the corners. She stroked the wolf's ears again.

"I'll have to think about what really works for him." She stated, as he looked up at her, with bright yellow eyes.

[middle_of_calibrating]

"I'm sure he'll like anything you give him. They're not overly picky on names I don't think." Raising a canine would be hard work, but Katniss was a capable young woman. It would be a good distraction and keep her company as well.

"So, where does he sleep?"

[the_effect_she_has]

"No ... wolves are wolves, and wolves I don't think care about names." She gently bapped the wolf cub's nose, starting a mock fight.

"He sleeps in my hut with Buttercup and I."

[middle_of_calibrating]

"Well then you don't have to overly worry about what to call him, as long as he knows it's him you're referring to."

Buttercup? "Who's Buttercup?"

[the_effect_she_has]

"No, but I want him to be respond to a name. That way I'm not spending my time going 'Hey You'."

She smirked faintly, "Buttercup is my sister's cat -- and he's evil. A literal demon cat."

[middle_of_calibrating]

"Of course. 'Hey you' would get everyone looking. You'll think of something. Maybe some 'brave' act he'll do will inspire you."

Literal demon cat? "Literally a 'literal' demon cat?" Um...

[the_effect_she_has]

"Exactly. I am not going to be yelling, 'Hey you, you peed on my boots' to everyone in Skyhold. I'll get in more fights than I care to." She stroked the pup's ears again. "Maybe so ... that wouldn't honestly surprise me."

A pause, then a sigh. "Not that literal, Garris."

[middle_of_calibrating]

Alright, imagining that is rather humorous and Garris cannot help but smirk some at the mental picture now in his head. "Yes, I'm sure plenty of people would not appreciate you possibly suggesting they peed on your boots."

Not literal, good. He shrugs a bit. "Hey cannot be too careful around here."

[the_effect_she_has]

"You see my dilemma then." Katniss bapped the pup on the nose again, before she let him nip at her fingers.

She paused for a moment, her lips twisting. "You're not wrong about that."

[middle_of_calibrating]

"Well you'll just need to come up with a name sooner than later is all."

Garris gives a snort in confirmation. "So other than not being an actual demon... it's an evil cat? What does it do?"

[the_effect_she_has]

"That I will. Maybe something will strike me soon from the world around us."

She smirked as she stroked the ears of the pup again. "Well, he thinks he owns Skyhold, for one. For another he'll take on any comers who come after him. That includes templars."

[middle_of_calibrating]

"Well that seems typical of a cat - thinks they own everything. And he fights everything? Is that evil or a cat with a death wish?" A pause. "It gets along with the pup?" Weird.

[the_effect_she_has]

"I would say a death wish except he keeps winning." Katniss sighed helplessly, "And after he won the battle of dominance, Buttercup considered the pup as part of his property."

[middle_of_calibrating]

A pause then an amused raised brow. "Katniss does that mean the cat beat you up if it lets you sleep in the same room?"

[the_effect_she_has]

"Nope. That cat and I have been enemies since it was a rag-tag kitten with teeth and claws. We respect that we are both mean as dried mud." Katniss replied, with some tartness. "He comes for me and I'll boot him across the courtyard."

[middle_of_calibrating]

Dried mud isn't that mean, probably annoying and flaky, but Garris doesn't say that, just simply grins. "So you kick the cat like a furry little ball?" Guess she's right about them both being mean. "How hasn't it just run off?"

[the_effect_she_has]

Here she paused, and here her face twisted into sorrow as she looked out across the courtyard. "... because ... because we're all that's left of Prim. He knows it, and I know it."

[middle_of_calibrating]

"Oh... I'm sorry." Garris should have realized that, but because of his lack of tact he had walked right into that. Feet first it seemed. "It doesn't seem like the best relationship, but... it seems you two have each other at least."

[the_effect_she_has]

Katniss waved her hand, swallowing hard. "I'm learning to make better ones with people -- and animals." The pup rolled on his belly, and Katniss gave him the rubs he desired. "The fact that Buttercup and I have a truce at all? Is probably the miracle the Chantry's been looking for."

[middle_of_calibrating]

"If only the Chantry could learn to be like you and Buttercup. Perhaps minus the kicking across the courtyard." Technically that had kind of already happened, hadn't it?

[the_effect_she_has]

"Hah, if the Chantry was like me and Buttercup ... well actually that might not turn out too bad. Wary truce and secret cuddling could be worse." Katniss mused aloud.

[middle_of_calibrating]

"There's secret cuddling? Oh, well, that's just going too far. Can't have any of that." He grins slightly, more so at the odd, none descriptive image that popped up in his head with imagining that.

[the_effect_she_has]

"What, you don't think the mages and the Templars and the Chantry just can't hug it out?" Her tone was this side of sarcastic.

[middle_of_calibrating]

"From personal experience? No." He's smiling and keeping it light, but there isn't sarcasm in his own tone. Garris really cannot see that happening.