faderift | (no subject)

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"It's all right. Really. I think... I'm probably an oddity among my fellow Dalish. I wouldn't want them to think I don't hold them close in my heart, but to me, a clan is different than a family." Maybe that's why she's always struggled to find her place in the clan. Instead of thinking of them as her family, she put up a barrier to keep them separate in her mind. But that's a deep thought and one she doesn't want to examine closer right now.

"I won't find them silly. I need to realize that what I know as easy as breathing hasn't been taught to you, and shouldn't assume anything. Please, let me know if I assume wrongly?"

"I shall. And I'll answer any questions you might have about the cities in return - although none of it's too pleasant - or about healing." Those are the only subjects she considers herself even a little of an expert on to be able to share.

"Well, I wouldn't want to make you talk of upsetting things," she says cautiously. Ellana is curious, but maybe she should wait for Eirlys to bring up the subject instead, to talk about what she wants to talk about.

"Oh, it's all right. Besides, I feel that all elves should know about conditions in the alienages. Even if they choose not to help us then, at least they can't claim ignorance." She colours a little as she realises the insinuation there. "Not that I'm saying you would," she adds quickly, "just that there are far more Dalish out there than I realised possible, yet we're so apart from all of them."

"I'll admit, it surprised me to hear that you knew so little of us. But I suppose most Dalish try very hard not to be found." An unfortunate thing for an elf whose heart has always wished for more.

"I wish I could say that will change, but the Dalish are stubborn. I just hope for some change someday. Settling down in permanent settlements would be wonderful, but hard to obtain without having land gifted to us again. And then not taken away. Again."

"If there were some way to purchase the land rather than wait for it to be gifted, they could never take it back." But Eirlys knows the price would be so high that it would be unattainable.

"If only," she muses, knowing the Dalish have little of value, except things they would never part with, like their halla or their ironbark weapons.

"But that's enough sadness for today. I should go."

"Of course, I shan't take up any more of your time." She smiles, waving as she wanders back to her work. "I hope we see a lot more of each other."