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

[ombranera]

"He is a special little elf, is Gavin." That is why Zevran likes him quite so much.

"Ah, well. If he found it in himself to forgive Jonas that- likely he will not think anything of me, though I must thank the man for having hired me to kill the wardens. My life would have been quite different otherwise. So I owe Nathaniel a kiss or two for that if nothing else." A beat and he tilts his head, considering. "Or, perhaps, when I am not quite so cranky we might tease him by kissing one another- if he is one to be moved by the appearance of others touching."

[justice_is_blond]

"Now I need to meet him." Anders pauses and frowns. "Depending on his view of... matters. Like me. Should I wait a few weeks? Hope for opportunity to save his life?"

Being Detlef had been easier. He could simply talk with people and not wonder if they were fantasizing about driving a knife between his ribs. It wasn't something he deserved, that freedom, but it had been nice while it lasted.

"And I'm not certain as to whether or not he'd be moved. I'm open to trying it, of course, but I think there's a fair chance he'd glance over, roll his eyes, and move on with his day. I'd a very different reputation when we knew each other originally." There's a beat, and his smile returns, even growing on what he'd had earlier.

"Apparently Jonas needed to keep a flirtatious blond around at all times, and after you there was nowhere to go but down. Maybe the reason we've not heard from him in some time is because he's now found himself an entire group of flirty blonds and has absolutely no reason to leave his bedroom."

It's been over a decade with exposure to an archdemon. Chances are far more likely Jonas has gone to his actual calling... but Anders isn't about to give voice to that thought.

[ombranera]

"If that is all he ever needed he has it in spades in his wife. Or. So I think. Anora is...a singularly terrifying woman." The longer Jonas was away, the weaker her hold on the throne might become. Not for a lack of ability, connection, or skill; but Fereldan would want a king, would want an heir, would want a full royal family. Not a queen alone, no matter how marvelously competent.

[justice_is_blond]

"You missed the operative word." He's never met Anora, but he's heard of the woman thanks to Jonas. "Flirty. There is, so far as I am aware, nothing flirty about Anora. Which is not to say that she's flawed, a powerful, intelligent woman is very attractive. But if he's looking for flirts, he'll not find one at home."

[ombranera]

"You have never met the woman, nor a Mac Tir. Threats of conquest and immanent violence are flirting." She was a strange and scary woman, but not one that was without her charms. "He has a peculiar taste, does Jonas. Perhaps something so unyielding is what suits him best."

[justice_is_blond]

He considers this before conceding the point with a small smile. "Have you met Velanna yet? I'd enjoy knowing how she compares. Her threats can be flirting. Though sometimes they're most certainly not."

Which had never dissuaded him. If he stopped flirting with everyone who threatened his life, he'd get laid as rarely as Vael.

"There's no way to make the next step magically easy, is there."

[ombranera]

"I have heard of her but not yet met her. Is she truly as lovely as they say?" Anders will offer an honest opinion, this much Zevran knows to be true.

Posts set Zevran leans back to peer a the tops, frowning. "Unless you can lift the beams for the roof with your magic? No. It will take lifting and ropes."

[justice_is_blond]

"In a fight there are few you'd want on your side more. She's relentless, covers the area with a skill that's enviable, can use the surrounding nature in a way that I've never seen any other Dalish do." There's a beat and he gives Zevran a half- shrug. "On the other hand, until she gets to know you, she's equally relentless with being harsh. Especially if you're not Dalish. It takes a lot of time to get through that... But it's worth it. You'll always know where you stand, always know where she stands, and if you're a friend, that's at your back."

He pauses again, and this time grins for just a moment. "At your back, with a long list of the ways you've been an idiot this time. You might like her." 'I do' goes unspoken. He's pretty sure that much is obvious. Having Nate and Velanna here was one of the brightest things about Skyhold.

Not as bright? The fact that he's not got the precision to do the heavy lifting with magic. Anders looks up and sighs. "I'm not sure the Inquisition has a mage with a force magic focus. That's what we'd need, unfortunately. So ropes it is." They're nearby, at least, and he grabs two coils so he can give one to Zevran. "I could use some direction; I've notdone this before."