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WHO: Eirlys and YOU
WHAT: Eirlys arrives back in Skyhold
WHEN: End of Drakonis
WHERE: Skyhold's courtyard and throne room
NOTES: No warnings. Prose and brackets both welcome. So yeah, Eirlys is back, I have a CR meme comment for her here!

a) Courtyard
At first glance, it's not obvious that Eirlys has been away. She gets back into the routine of life at Skyhold easily enough, if for no other reason that she excels under the sort of pressure that the healers there - and everyone else, for that matter - are under. She's brought a fresh supply of herbs and poultices, and she's kneeling in the midst of the sick and wounded, attending to them as best she can. On looking closely, however, she's very pale and tired, and she's far thinner than she was when she left Skyhold, after months of scarce food over the winter in the alienage. While she remains the pinnacle of compassion with her patients, she doesn't seem too pleased to be back overall.

b) Throne Room
It takes her a few days to pluck up the courage to make herself heard. She dislikes being the centre of attention, preferring to focus her efforts on the wellbeing of others instead, but she knows that in the long term nothing will change unless she speaks up.

She makes her way over to anyone who looks important - or at least, anyone who looks like they belong to the Inquisition more than she feels she does herself. Clearing her throat, she asks quietly, "Excuse me, but I need to speak to those in charge."

c) Wild card
Choose your own starter, or hit me up at

viridianwings if you'd like me to write another option for you!

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"Only yesterday." She'd hoped to be back over a week ago but she'd underestimated just how far it was to walk, especially in her weakened state. "It feels like I've been away years."

"Aye, well, you've not been away that long, promise. Although given everything that's gone on around here I'll not say as it really doesn't feel that way sometimes even on my end."

He paused for a moment, taking in her thin frame, then pursed his lips and glanced back towards the kitchen before looking back at her.

"I'm thinking of grabbing a wee bite to eat in a little bit, so what would you say about going with me? I can help out some with your patients first, though. I've been learning about some of the herbs and such."

"That sounds wonderful." Her stomach rumbles, as if in assent, and she wonders when the last time she had a decent meal was. "And your help would be much appreciated. There are a couple of wounds that need cleaning and poultices to change, but nothing more serious than that just now, thank the Maker."

A small part of him wonders when the last time she had a decent meal too, but for once he bites his tongue rather than just blurting it out loud. If he can keep his mouth shut long enough to get through cleaning wounds, then he can see about getting her something a little extra to eat - and that should help, as far as he's concerned.

"Aye, think that'll likely change next time we wind up sent somewhere, mind, but it's been quiet here from what I can tell. Well, apart from that ball-thing that went on recently. Afraid you missed that one."

"A ball?" She sounds both nervous at the idea and relieved that she'd arrived too late to have to attend. "It's probably for the best I missed that. I'm not sure I'd have fit in well."

"Aye, to get some support from some of the nobles around here."

He means around Thedas in general, but he doesn't specify, figuring it's close enough to make his point. However, Eirlys isn't the first person he's spoken to that feels like they wouldn't have fit in by a long shot, and he gives her an understanding nod before piping up again.

"There was a party for the people who didn't feel so comfortable with that sort of thing, too. To tell you the truth, if I'd not agreed to escort Kallian there I'd likely not have gone at all. As it was, I'd not be surprised if a couple of those nobles were wondering why I'd bothered showing up there at all. Least I had something I didn't mind wearing, though."

"What did the nobility think of you, having come through the rifts?" She was sure they'd get the same sort of curiosity that bordered on rude as say the Qunari.

"Well, there was one Marquis who wanted to know what sorts of beasties I'd fought going through the rift. And back home, for that matter. And I'm fairly sure I think some of them think that I hit my head when I was falling given what I was wearing."

He flicked a meaningful glance down at his kilt, then looked back up again and gave her a grin.

"Found someone other than the tailors they'd sent here to come up with my outfit, you see."

Eirlys follows his glance downward. "From what little I know of Orlais, it wouldn't surprise me if you'd set off a fashion trend there, now."

"Och, I don't know about that. They keep saying this is plaidweave, even though I can tell you it's a proper tartan and any of that yellow stuff."

Granted, there'd been some clans back home that had had some interesting colors on their tartan, but the plaidweave here was something else. Still, he gave Eirlys a shrug.

"Given the way they tend to react, I'd almost reckon the nobles here are allergic to the thought of it, for the most part. You'd think they wouldn't be, given some of what they like to eat."

"It certainly is more tasteful than plaidweave," she offers, though her knowledge of fashion is woefully limited. "And that surprises me. I thought they'd lap up anything that was specific to the worlds you came from."

There's a tiny but quite pleased smile sent her way for the compliment, but then he grimaces faintly, one hand absently coming up to scratch at the back of his head. It's the one with the shard in it, and it glints green for a moment before being masked by his hair.

"Aye, well, if we'd come here some other way, maybe...but I'm still not sure most of them know what to make of that. Or the shards we've gotten stuck with, for that matter."

"I didn't know what to make of that at first, either," she admits, feeling rather guilty over her initial distrust now and offering a rueful smile. "Especially after I'd seen the demons pouring out of the rifts first hand..." She shudders, the fear of the demons still very raw and fresh within her. "But you've come here to help. You're the only ones who can seal the rifts. They should take you as a sign from the Maker, to be embraced rather than shunned."

He can't say as he blames her for that, really. Having rifts that normally spawn demons all of a sudden turn around and start having people tumble out of them too is enough for anyone to be just a bit wary when it comes to dealing with the people afterwards. While he's glad that she's come to see that the people aren't so bad, he does find himself wondering a bit about the last of part of what she's said - enough so that he tilts his head and gives her a quizzical look as a result.

"You really think we're some sort of sign from y- er, the Maker?"

"I really don't know." She wants to be certain, but her own faith keeps wavering from a pillar of strength to being completely absent, and she isn't sure what to think of anything any more. "The Chantry said that the Maker turned his back on us long ago, after all. But to have come through the Fade, surely it must either be the work of the Maker or the demons that dwell there. I'd much rather think it the former."

"Aye, well, suppose you've a point there."

He doesn't particularly care for the notion that demons could be behind the reason for them being pulled here any more than she does, even if he's not entirely sure how they could've managed it in the first place. Or how the Maker could've managed it, for that reason, something that gets him frowning in a vaguely thoughtful manner

"Although are you sure that could be the only two reasons? What if there were some other reason behind it, something that had nothing to do with either demons or the Maker?"

Eirlys shifts uncomfortably. The thought had occurred to her, and the fact that these rifters had come from so many diverse worlds that had never even heard of the Maker seemed to weaken the arguments for Him in Thedas too, something she hadn't decided how to feel about just yet. "It's possible," she concedes. "But in that case it's something I have no knowledge or understanding of at all, though I'd be curious to find out."

"Me too," he admits.

Admittedly, he doesn't have any more understanding of that than she does - a little less, even, considering everything he knows about the Maker are things that other people have told him since he's gotten here. But it's not the first time that there's been some sort of mystery going on in his life, and while he doesn't always necessarily want to solve the ones he stumbles across - at least not right away - having the mark stuck in his hand makes him a bit more inclined to want to solve this one. The only problem is is that he knows he's not the best person to do so, and as he glances down at the mark in his hand, he lets out a sigh.

"I wish my friend was here. He's the most clever man I know. If there's anyone who could figure out what's going on here, it's him."

She places a comforting hand on his shoulder. It was hard enough for her being out here, let alone being abruptly ripped away from everything you'd known to be spat out of the Fade in a strange world. "Well, you were brought here. Maybe he will be too."

Being a tactile person by nature, he certainly doesn't mind that touch, and the comfort it offers is something that he can appreciate - perhaps even a bit more than he's willing to admit out loud. Still, a small, grateful smile appears on his face for a few moments, hinting a bit at that even if he doesn't specifically say anything about her gesture.

"Aye, maybe so. It'd be good to see him again." Realistically, though, he knows that it's probably not something he should expect that'll happen. There doesn't really seem to be any rhyme or reason as to who turns up when, and hoping for something that may never happen seems to be a bit foolish. "But even if he doesn't, at least I've made some friends here. And I'll not complain about that at all."

"That's an admirable attitude to have." Far better to make the best of it, though Eirlys knew she probably wouldn't react so well if she'd been thrown into a completely different world, and one in the midst of such chaos to boot.

"That does include you, you know," he points out. Admirable attitude aside, he's grateful for that, and he gives her a warm smile for a few seconds before turning back to what they'd been doing in the first place.

"Right, so. What do I need to do next to help you out here?"

Eirlys looks around to see what else needs doing, then smiles up at Jamie, feeling rather satisfied. "I think the greatest way you could help right now would be to join me for lunch." She knew she ought to eat something, and now her patients were attended to and everything in order, she didn't feel so guilty about looking after her own needs.

"Now, I'll not say no to that."

Eating is something he's always willing to do - and if it's with a friend, that's even better, so he sets down the extra bandages on a nearby table before circling around to the other side of the tent.

"Let's go see what we can turn up, then."

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