faderift | Mirror, mirror in the Hinterlands

WHO: Morrigan, Merrill, Lace Harding, Maria Hill, Beleth Ashara, Malcolm Reynolds, Ruby Lucas, Kain Highwind, Clarke Griffin
WHAT: Eluvian extraction; Morrigan's eluvian has fallen into the hands of the Venatori and their Red Templar accomplices, so it's a mad dash to the Hinterlands to meet Leliana's forward scouts to fight the Venatori and provide cover for Morrigan and her team to secure the eluvian
WHEN: Final days of Drakonis
WHERE: Hinterlands
NOTES: Violence and possibly language? Related ooc post

Skyhold is rarely peaceful or quiet, not in any meaningful way but like pristine glass, tis shattered in the early hours. Morrigan can be seen heading from her rooms towards the back of Skyhold before she is suddenly gone, a few of the more loose-lipped scouts gossiping about how the Witch of the Wilds strode from the rookery later, not angry. Worried.

No argument either with the Nightingale.

Perhaps some had already been informed that she might need assistance. Others might have stopped her on her journey to ask what has someone with her reputation in such a flap.

The answer is the same: something of great value has fallen into the hands of the enemy, assistance and swift action are required to ensure it never falls into the clutches of Corypheus.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Kain nods in understanding, as he continues separating skin from muscle, before carrying on with a similar process, wanting to be certain they claim every edible part of the bear. It’s a good find, after all, and should hold them over for a while on the trip out.]

Right, it seemed very important from how she spoke of it. Whatever her reasons may be, I don’t doubt that they’re substantial. She certainly may have her secrets… but then, who doesn’t? [He himself is a pretty good case in point for keeping things to himself.] I decided to help her in part because she expressed an interest in learning more about us rifters, and the shards... well, that, and the idea of seeing combat out here.

[Morrigan had said it herself, too, she’s outside the usual Circle teachings, so Kain is willing to bet she could be an incredibly useful ally.]

A lot of people seem to want to know more about rifters, ( she murmurs, frowning a little at her work as she mulls over that thought. )

I mean, I get it, I just... sometimes I feel like my skin's going to crawl right off with how many people are probably watching us.

( Another cut, quickly done, and she sets into the next, briefly glancing over at Kain. ) Feeling cooped up, huh?

[Kain likewise is making quick, efficient work of the section he’s taken, ensuring that no part of the bear is wasted. He slices with precision, glancing over at her.]

I don’t blame you. That feeling of unnecessary scrutiny and suspicion is part of why I’ve started taking any excuse I can find to leave Skyhold. [He’d heard about interrogations and the like, and been immediately agitated by the very notion. He’s been one of the loyalists from early on, so probably doesn’t have to worry, but even so.] Along with that, I like to prove my worth, and give myself a challenge at the same time… You certainly could say I feel cooped up, though.

I'm not sure it's unnecessary, really. I mean, we're from different worlds, they only have our word to rely on for anything about us. I can imagine the King and Queen back home taking steps to keep people safe.

( Pensively, all of that, and she stills her hands for a moment. ) This is their home. Makes sense they'd want to protect it. I just... being the receiving end of the suspicion is the exhausting part.

Undoubtedly, all worlds would have their suspicions… likewise for my world. We’ve had a hostile visitor from elsewhere before, so... they’d be wary too.

[It’s just that Thedas has even more hostility about that sort of thing, even among their own people. It’s not like they’re without their reasons, though...]

I suppose we’ll just have to continue proving ourselves, show them we’re not a threat.

Really? ( 'Elsewhere' is ambiguous when you talk about the potential for inter-world travel, but even so, her attention is piqued. ) When you say 'elsewhere', do you mean like 'rifter' or just from another country or something?

( Clarification may be necessary. )

There are worse things to prove yourself for, right?

( Like proving you aren't a bloodthirsty killer, for example. )

I mean… another planet. The moon. I know how strange that sounds… The whole matter is complicated. [He’s already getting used to people being weirded out by it.] Not all of them were bad, though, I’ll say that. It was only one madman among them who posed a threat.

[Kain nods agreement. Like having to prove that you won’t backstab anyone else again. Yes. Things like that.]

There are. We could be in a much worse predicament, all things considered.

It's not that strange, ( Ruby offers. ) I'm a little familiar with inter-world travel. Not so much with moons, but... by comparison that's not so radical and out-there.

( But, she sighs. ) Sometimes just the one is enough.

( It certainly seemed that way to her, at least, and she's brushes her hair out of her face with her arm, still holding her knife. )

Exactly. How you going, over there? We probably don't want to carry more than we need.

( Same as it was to waste the rest, and it shows in her voice a little. ) More for the wildlife, I guess.

[Kain has been going in to conversations expecting people not to know, so that’s a good thing for her to actually be aware of it in some way.]

I didn’t think it was so strange, either, but there are some who have no idea… You’re right, though. One person alone can do considerable damage… I’ve seen it firsthand.

[The hard part is always repairing the aftermath of all of that ruin they might cause. Kain has been working steadily, and by now has gotten quite a lot of the meat… that, not to mention the other useful parts like the fur and claws… they’ll have plenty to take with them.]

I think I’ve gotten nearly all that can be salvaged, at this point.

It's still very unusual where I'm from, but not unheard of. I actually thought I'd just landed in a part of home that I'd never been to before, when I was in Emprise du Lion. Not so much, as it turns out, ( and she smiles, rolling her eyes a little at herself.

She doesn't go on to elaborate about Regina or Rumpelstiltskin or Zelena, to divulge any of the terrible things about her world. No one really needs to hear about that, and her brief efforts to explain the Dark Curse to Hermione and Cassandra hadn't really been easy. In fact, Ruby had felt a little bit like they thought there was something seriously wrong with her.

Instead she wraps up what she's doing, using some of the snow to rinse off her hands and rubbing them down with a rag after tying up what they've done so far in the bear's skin. )

All right. Want to head back?

Lucky you. I ended up landing in that ghastly mire when I first arrived. I think I’d rather have dealt with the cold than that place.

[Lurking undead and foul swamp waters… not too pleasant at all, ugh.]

Though even that had elements that reminded me of home… I’ve dealt with more than enough zombies and ghouls… Though the demons here are certainly another story.

[There are plenty of monsters, elemental fiends, Eidolons, and so on, and even mages capable of some nasty things, but the demons are truly another thing entirely. Kain glances at what he’s got, and her as well, looks like they’ve salvaged a great deal. Good, they got something useful out of this attack.]

I’m ready when you are.

Oh, that sounds like fun.

( Ruby grins a little bit, though she... yeah, she can't help making a little face at the mention of zombies and ghouls. Given some of the demons she's fought here and how dead and ghastly they look it doesn't seem like a huge leap, but hearing someone say it is another matter. ) I'm glad that wasn't an element of this place that made me homesick, honestly. So far I think we're ghoul free, there.

( She moves with long strides back towards camp. "On the plus side, no zombie bears, right?"

What I wouldn’t give to be ghoul free…

[But that’s never going to happen, at least not anytime soon. Kain chuckles a little at the zombie bear comment, giving a firm nod in return. There is that much they can count on. Well, that and they’ll have plenty of bear to go around for a while to come. All in all, a good start to this mission.]

Mirror, mirror in the Hinterlands

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