Moving Day

[pinprick]

WHO: All the Wardens and whatever onlookers/helpers they may find.
WHAT: Moving Day
WHEN: Current-ish
WHERE: Skyhold and just outside Skyhold
NOTES: The Wardens are grounded. They have been told to camp outside Skyhold. So it's moving day.

It is a relatively flat and pretty utterly frozen piece of land outside Skyhold that the Wardens have found. Since there are only a couple dozen of them, they don't need a large space, at least. There's going to be a premium on slightly more elevated spots, so it's first come first serve. Some Wardens arrive with the sun and lay claim with canvas, stakes, ropes, and poles stacked up while they go back for heavier things. Digging into the frozen ground with the stakes is rough, especially for those who brought wooden stakes instead of iron. Some will be forced to wait until the sun softens things a bit. Some are chasing away the feeling of eviction by making themselves at home, starting fires in pits, or making light of their work through periodic bouts of horseplay. For example, one large longbowman with a wounded right arm, fed up with teasing for his inability to do heavy lifting, carries with his left arm a blond mage who hits him repeatedly with a pillow. Unperturbed, he continues on.

But when the tents are pitched and the sun is down, the cozy camp is a little less strange. People will gather around fires for warmth and companionship, knowing that after one sleep, this will start to feel like home.

Comments

[pinprick]

1

"I have cots for everyone!" Nathaniel announces. "A man at Skyhold set them aside for us. If you want one, you'll have to help me carry them down."

His right arm is still in a sling, but he still has a good back and legs, and a good left arm. His tasks are one-handed, but he's still pitching in where he can.

2

At night, he sits and smokes his pipe by the fire, feeling oddly at ease under the frozen stars. He'd felt like a squatter in Skyhold, crowded by people, utterly at the mercy of the Inquisition. Now it's just the Wardens, and it feels good. Allied, but separate. As it should be.

Closed to Anders

Anders is a little tall to be doing this with, but as long as it's working, Nate will do it. The pillow has him suppressing laughter, reminded of his vicious pillow-wrestling with Delilah when they were children. It's fun to have the last laugh with the mage at last.

[sunshinethroughgrey]

1

"Sounds fair enough." Bethany stated, as she went to grab one cot and then lifting her staff to float another behind her. She looked over at Nathaniel, her mouth twisting slightly.

"And my guilt is heavy enough to carry all of these, if you really want."

[pinprick]

He gives her a disgruntled look. Thinks.

"I'll settle for a good, dry firepit. No need for you to serve the entire camp."

[sunshinethroughgrey]

She gives him another wan smile - she is trying to get back into his good graces after all.

"All right, I can definitely manage that." She thinks, "Should be stones aplenty in the riverbed."

[justice_is_blond]

He stops hitting Nate with the pillow eventually, surrendering... but not because he's lost. It's a two-fold thing. One part is sudden self-consciousness and recalling the circumstances of why they're even moving - this is his fault. The other is because he can potentially be slightly more effective with words.

"You can't carry any of the heavy gear, but you can carry me? If you tear something and undo all of the hard work I've already done, I'll have my revenge."

[pinprick]

Nathaniel gives a grunt and eases Anders back to his feet. He cannot, after all, do that forever, and he's sure Anders has a point.

"You were being a brat," he points out lamely, trying to keep things light.

[justice_is_blond]

"I was? Me. The one doing most of the carrying for the both of us. Are you sure you've the right person?" The teasing isn't as strong as it could be, but at least his voice is nearly right for it. No one's swung at him yet today or yelled. It's a good day.

[ombranera]

1

Zevran, of course, cannot help but be present. Well he could, it's cold, it's camping, but it is the Wardens and it is Alistair and they are all terribly grizzled and in need of a good shave. That, honestly, is what he and his Kestrels set about righting first, off to one side from where the tents are erected. For now it is not much, an awning, a half wall to block the wind, a sturdy chair that was padded as best as one could make it without creating cushions of something that would not last in the cold or damp. Somewhere to shave and trim themselves- or have Zevran or one of the Kestrels do so for them. For a price. A few coppers, a silver, whatever they have to offer.

They tag in and out of crafting this arrangement, helping the wardens pack and carry, set out tents or light a fire. Building a proper pit in the center of this strange little tent city for cooking has most of Teresa's attention at the very least. Zevran himself gives orders and before the day is out? A chest from his room is brought down, game hunted and slaughtered. A good, rich, proper Antivan hunting stew is on simmer for the rest of the day. It is not fish chowder, but it is something.


2

The fledglings flit about as needed, hauling, cooking, setting up tents, shaving. Call upon them here if you wish.

[doneisdone]

The elf looks familiar, though Teren's not sure from where. Nonetheless, here he is, helping out, and she's hardly one to turn down assistance.
Carrying a sack of grain over one bony hip, she approaches Zevran. "You're not a warden," she observes, not unkindly. "To what do we owe the honor?"

[ombranera]

Zevran never forgets a face- and what this face in particular is doing here? Zevran cannot say. He does start a bit before clearing his throat. "Ah, I am a friend of Alistair's."

There is a reason she sets off internal bells- soon enough he will recall the why.

1.

[justice_is_blond]

He comes over after he and Nate have made some progress on their own tent, looking over what Zevran and his little not-Crows have done with a trace of amusement.

"It really does bother you how we wind up looking, doesn't it."

[ombranera]

"Yes, it does. You are an order of distinguished...well. You are an order. You may as well look the part." Getting the second wall up to cut the wind would be a fine goal before they lose daylight.

[sunshinethroughgrey]

1

There were many advantages to being a force mage. One of those was, of course, being able to use that to shove stakes into the frozen ground, to pull the tarp tight on the ground so Bethany wouldn't be sleeping on the snow. She set up her cot, a small table with her personal items and books, and started unpacking everything else in her personal area.

She will also go around, to help everyone else set up with their tents, either by hand or by magic.

2

Later on in the evening, Bethany sat in front of the fire while everyone else moved around, talked and laughed with one another. A ball of yarn sat with her, and she is already knitting into a warm blanket.

[failedfirst]

1

Velanna has already been camping outside of Skyhold, uncomfortable by the sheer amount of people combined with no desire to sleep under that much stone, so when the Wardens officially moved she'd already laid claim to the best spot.

Her tent is deliberately a little further away than anyone else's, but she's made it a comfortable enough home, with books stacked up inside, both those she's had with her and a few borrowed from the library.

She can usually be found sitting outside it, writing in a worn-looking journal or three, or reading by her own fire.

2

Far be it for Velanna to say she isn't useful to the other Wardens. Where needed she'll help build fires or soften ground with flames so that stakes can be driven deep, and maybe if asked very nicely she might even encourage some tree growth to block the bitter wind.

[doneisdone]

Teren has very little to bring down from the Keep, having just arrived, but she assists with the belongings of others and of transporting bulky supplies. Tall and willowy as she is, the woman has quite a lot of strength-- that or she runs on spite alone, which is entirely possible. She's making herself useful in any way she can, perhaps just to expedite the tedious process of moving house. Or.. tent.

1

Once it seems that everyone is reasonably settled, and the sun is beginning to set, Teren is the first to build a cook fire and begin putting together a hot meal for everyone. She does this mostly in her usual hawkish silence, though is likely to accept assistance if it's offered.

2

With all their rations in place, Teren sets herself about organizing and cataloguing each crate and sack. Anyone who interferes or makes her lose count will be destroyed.

[justice_is_blond]

He keeps a little to himself, stays a little out of the way, but carries anything that it seems people need help with, lifts what they'd like, and generally keeps from making direct eye contact until later in the day. They're not leaving Skyhold just because of him, but he'll be an idiot if he even considers denying he isn't a part of it. While he's glad to be alive, there's no ignoring the fact that their lives would be easier if he had died the other day and actively he's aware of this.

1 - get help with anything!

As the day goes on, though, he starts to relax. The helping is accompanied by little jokes, as well as snow down the back of Nate's shirt. His cat is allowed to wander and sniff everyone and everything, and there are faint smiles offered along with offers to thaw the ground in spots with fire.

2 - join in and tell a story!

Evening falls and there's food and company. There's one thing missing, something he's missed for some time: storytime.

"So Nate and Velanna know this one, but it should be new to the rest of you. And perhaps it serves as a cautionary tale as to why you shouldn't listen to the suggestions of very, very drunk dwarves. You may just have to spend an hour after the fight attempting to pry them out from under a pile of ogres."

There's a little smile playing on his face as he launches into the tale, when Oghren had the 'brilliant' idea to lure a few ogres to one place and have the party attack them as usual while launching himself off the tallest thing in the room - an ancient dwarven statue that chose to crumble when he jumped, throwing debris that needed to be dodged as well as the ogre attacks.

1

[doneisdone]

It begins with a request for Anders to help Teren carry a barrel of rations, but the situation quickly becomes something else.
"So you're the one who caused all that ruckus," she observes, her thin mouth quirking into a small smirk of either amusement or derision. "I hope you've found the end result satisfactory." She doesn't seem too bothered by the wardens' exile from the keep, and for all anyone knows, the statement might be in earnest. With her, it's difficult to tell.

[justice_is_blond]

He glances at her at the observation. Is she angry? Joking? There is literally no way for him to know, and a quick glance around shows no one else listening whose reactions can give him a clue. Anders takes a breath. He could apologize, certainly. It's not undeserved. Or he can start trying to set the tone of being back with the Wardens in a way that's a little more in line with what he hopes the long-term will be - not constantly trying to apologize, but the give-and-take of teasing he'd had once before.

"What, still breathing? I can't complain about that. Carrying heavy barrels, now that I could complain about." There's the faintest trace of a smile on his lips. Hopefully she takes that not as complaining, but a light joke. "Then again, at least I'm not trudging through the snow while-- oh."

1

[blightedson]

Felix is understandably curious about Anders, but he's given the man distance to allow him to deal with everything he has to deal with. While Felix is very happy to set up camp and get things ready, at times it's pretty clear he has no idea what he's doing with certain things. He's a Tevinter altus, he's never even considered camping until his Joining.

He finds it a good excuse to talk to Anders and addresses him, "Can you help me with the canopy? I don't think I've gotten the knot right."

[justice_is_blond]

It's one of the Tevinter mages. Anders has been trying to keep from being too eager to speak with any of them, in part for their own safety outside of Tevinter, and in part because he doesn't want to look like an absolute idiot. But there is no denying that he's a fan of the freedom Tevinter offers mages and has been for some time, so when Felix comes over, Anders can't help but give him a slightly hopeful smile.

"Of course." The response might be a little hasty. He might be a little too happy that this man is talking with him. He tries to cover it with a shrug. "No one wants the canopy to be loose, especially in winter."

He leans in, taking a look at the knots and trying very hard not to glance over at Felix as he does so. "So you're Felix, then. How are you finding the southern lands?" A moment later he's reaching up and undoing the first knot - it's indeed off.

[kallian_endris]

When she heard the Wardens were being moved out of Skyhold proper, Kallian felt the least she could do was lend a hand to get them moved and settled.

1

She didn't dare use magic, but the little elf was stronger than her delicate appearance might suggest. Mostly, she helped carry baskets of supplies of medicine and food, but she could also be found helping carry cots and tents. Whatever needs to be moved. She's happy to help.

2

As darkness fell, Kallian helped serve the dinner, offering food and drinks to everyone. But when it was time for stories, her attention was rapt, and she lingered near the campfires--unless someone shooed her off.

Wildcard

[Choose your own adventure]

[lettersfromhome]

For all the ill that may come of their actions, the Wardens are necessary. Those who lived through the Blight understand this. Mia is therefore likely more forgiving of whatever measures they take, even if she has her own private feelings on the matter.

She's come to offer what assistance she may, just the same. It falls in step with her regular self-appointed duties, making certain supplies are organized and bringing along armfuls of whatever might be carried by hand.

Mia also has lunch, in limited amounts, for whoever gets to it first. Nothing spectacular, just some smoked meats, bread, a little salty cheese and some fruit. But everyone's hard at work, and a little nourishment might be just as helpful as lugging along a crate full of metal stakes.

[justice_is_blond]

He makes a note of every person who isn't a Grey Warden who helps out. It's not about debt, as this is entirely their choice, and it's not about who is fine with him either, because he's not quite arrogant enough to think that. They're assisting. That's enough. Even more, they're showing that some people won't react to everything with anger.

Mia gets more than noted, especially as she's brought food. His stomach complains, making him try to figure out if he had breakfast or not. Not being sure is a sign he should go over.

"Mia. Thank you for this." He nods to the food without touching it just yet. There's a chance he'll be told it's for others and not him. It isn't a high chance, but Anders is trying to keep any hoping down today. Especially considering she's one of several he's lied to.

[lettersfromhome]

Including Adelaide. Which she's not quite forgiven him for.

Still, she doesn't make any move to restrict him from taking a share in the food. Her lips twist, but she does offer up the basket to him regardless. "Things will be difficult enough for the Wardens in the days to come. People forget the good they can do when the measures they take seem a step too far. But I am not one of them."

The look she gives him is rather steely, just the same.

Felix Alexius (comes late with starbucks)

[blightedson]

The first time that Felix camped was after his Joining. He's never had to rough it before and is very used to being well tended to in luxury. Even his death bed had been one of the nicest rooms in Skyhold.

Because he is an altus from Tevinter, one might expect him to be complaining - about the cold, the uncomfortable bedrolls, the hard work needed to set up and maintain a camp - but he doesn't do any of that. If anything, he seems pleased by all of the hard work. In a way, he is. He's amazed at what his body can do now, when only a short time before he had even had difficulty breathing.

He hums as they move, mainly to keep his mind off the Calling. The song isn't one anyone in the South would know, unless they have happened across Tevinter lullabies before.