We come from the land of the ice and snow

[faderifting]

WHO: Open to all
WHAT: Thedas' strange new guests are delivered to Skyhold
WHEN: 25 Harvestmere (October)
WHERE: Skyhold main gate & courtyard
NOTES: This is Part I of a two-part intro event, Part II will be posted tomorrow.

A long uphill tromp through the snowy mountains ends at Skyhold, the distant fortress finally before them in all its tumble-down glory. There is time to admire the drop into the river gorge far below as they cross the only bridge into the castle; it is briefly backed up with traffic, several carts bearing supplies and visitors stalled as the portcullis is raised. Those coming to help catalog and unload the shipment and greet the guests, or otherwise present near the front courtyard, will find themselves witness to a far more interesting arrival.

Guards at the gate carry the word quickly, and more gather, though they make no move to imprison the strange people who fell out of a rift. They just line the perimeter and keep a close watch. Perhaps this adds a level of tension to this first encounter, but it also reassures the many who are unsettled by the uncertain turn of events and keeps in check those who might attack first and ask questions later. Others will no doubt soften the Inquisition's first impression, offering food, information, and other assistance.

Medical attention is available in the tented-encircled corner of the courtyard where the wounded from Haven are still treated. The quartermaster's assistant is called upon to provide spare odds and ends of clothing to those in need, and to issue blankets for all, though they are left to fend for themselves to find places to sleep.

Any mage willing to help is called in to do so and a cluster forms in one side of the courtyard to examine the rifters. They are objects of curiosity in general, but the marks on their hands are of particular interest, resembling smaller slivers of the Herald's famous mark. Despite their best efforts, no mage will be able to provide any real insight after this initial assessment. What the rifters and their marks are is a question they cannot answer today.

But one question is answered: in the midst of all the commotion, another Inquisition agent arrives from Haven, rushing in red-faced to announce that the Herald's body has finally been found.


OOC

It will be decided (partly for OOC reasons, admittedly) that the rifters will not be imprisoned at this point, but they will be watched carefully, and the guards are on alert for any strange behavior by people with glowing hands or strange attire. And of course, their freedom can be revoked at any time if they're deemed a danger. Though there are some OOC considerations at play here, you're welcome to ICly lobby for more or less freedom for the rifters, and things may change based on IC action/consensus.

Also: Part II, aka the log for the funeral/wake/etc. event, will go up tomorrow!

Comments

Simon Tam - OTA

[noleechesneeded]

Medical Tents

It's one of the few moments that Simon bothers to look like what he is, wearing the robes he carried with him all the way from Cumberland and the strapping the staff on his back. They're surprisingly well cared for in spite of how long it's been since he actually set foot in the circle, as if they haven't seen much use until very recently. Though most of the strange new arrivals probably won't think much of it if they notice at all.

Simon has stationed himself at the tents, doing his part to see to the 'rifters' in question. Whether it's mending injuries or just offering a blanket after the cold march up to Skyhold, it's something Simon is glad to do that isn't tailing his sister.

...he just hopes she can stay safe for at least a little while. Being away for even a moment puts his stomach into knots.

Wildcard

(OOC: Or give me a starter of your own!)

[fleurdesel]

"How long have you been here?" It's asked without preamble or so much as a hello, but that is the sort of day this has been. The mage looks tired- like she has any room to speak, but Adelaide makes a point of checking in with the other healers every few hours on a normal day- on one like this? It's all the more vital to make certain they are rested, fed, and taking time to recenter themselves. Doubly so if they're employing magic to heal.

"Do you need someone to take the line for a moment?" Whether it's she or one of her students that'll step in- that depends on how long he needs.

[noleechesneeded]

It speaks to how tired he is that he first thinks she means how long he's been in Skyhold. Simon is taking the moment to count out the weeks when she adds to the question, clearing things up before he can open his mouth and make a fool of himself. It wouldn't have been the first time. Simon's brow smooths out as he shakes his head, hands busy grinding down herbs to restock their potion supplies in the lull between patients.

"Only a few hours," he says as if it's nothing. "There are others who could use the break more."

A chance to check on his sister would be nice...but knowing River it would take Simon longer to track her down than would be responsible. She's with someone trustworthy, he hopes. That will have to do.

Belatedly he looks up from his work, to put a face to the voice...he's seen Madam LeBlanc quite often, and though they haven't spoken much she reminds him of his mentors back at the circle. It means her somewhat stern presence is actually a bit comforting, though he doesn't imagine she'd appreciate being told as much.

[fleurdesel]

"And their breaks they have had." At her insistence, in fact. For some it's returning the favor they'd extended her in the weeks before, a reminder that despite her magic she is only human and has her limitations. More than one equally stubborn surgeon has had their arguments and put her aside for a moment to sip tea, breathe quietly, and not be bothered. It's only right she do the same when they are the ones that have forgotten. It's a courtesy she extends even to the mages- especially to the mages. They have more to offer and more they lose when they heal each patient.

"Put the pestle down." It's not quite an order- more the tone she uses for her students, arch and dry and without any particular room for argument.

"Come to my tent. I have tea." It is not much but it is hot and it is tea. If they're lucky she'll yet have some honey leftover. Simon is, as she dimly recalls from the few times they've spoken, talented, helpful, and from a Circle. While titles and hierarchy don't matter without them the expectation that he will follow remains.

[noleechesneeded]

Simon's hands pause before she even tells him to as if he knows what's coming...he's trying not to smile about it in fact, his lips thin between his teeth and his head dipping back down for a moment. Then, sure enough, it's apparently time for him to stop. Though the invitation for tea in her tent does catch him by surprise, prompting him to look up again. He wants to ask if she's sure that's all right...but habit makes him think better of it and instead he stops his work.

"Thank you," he says. The pestle is wiped clean and the mortar's contents covered so they won't dry out while he's gone, just a moment of due diligence rather than trying to stall, and then he leaves his station to follow her out.

"...I hope I'm not imposing," he adds, even if she was the one to invite, practically insist, that he join her.

[fleurdesel]

"Not at all, you are invited." While she's well aware of her reputation for not being terribly patient with patients nor being particularly friendly, it is still something of a surprise that people would consider her rather open, insistent invitation an imposition. Perhaps she ought to try smiling more. No, that won't change anything. Probably some scraps of civility that she ought to expect as she extends them herself.

Without further commentary she leads him from his tent down the line to hers, the lantern she hangs outside to show she's taking patients shuttered for the moment. It won't be a long break, but it will be a break. A little time in the quiet without having to grind herbs or ease pain.

"How do you take your tea?" There's some rock sugar in a jar off to one side of the kettle, an almost empty container of honey, and a half empty jar of wildberry jam. It is not much but it is something.

[demonicbeauty]

Ariadne hadn't been hurt much in the battle. A few bumps and bruises, but nothing she wasn't used to. She wasn't cold either. A nice lady named Korrin had given her a cloak. Admittedly, she was so petite that she was practically drowning in it, but it gave her all the warmth she could want. Really, the reason why she ventured into the medical tent was unadulterated curiosity. She knew next to nothing about the healing profession, but there was something kind of wonderful about it. She liked the idea of taking someone who was broken and putting them back together again. In another lifetime, she would have enjoyed studying the art of healing.

But she had to live with this one.

Bundled up in her cloak, she slipped inside. There was so much activity--and so many unfamiliar scents--that she didn't know where to look first. More or less at random, she turned her attention to a young boy, who looked only a few years older than she was. Rounded ears usually meant Human, but she couldn't pick out his scent right away.

He seemed oddly worried though.

[noleechesneeded]

There were others in the tent that needed healing as not all had been as lucky as Ariadne. Simon was currently in the middle of helping one, a soldier who had been left with an impressively bloody gash going across his torso. Normally he'd be able to better focus on tasks such as this one, but Simon couldn't ease the lines in his brow or the tightness in his jaw as he worked. At least he wasn't letting his distractions impact his performance.

The mage's hands swept slowly over the wound, a soft light emanating from them and converging back on the injury. He worked slowly, taking his time weaving the spell and as he did, the cut was slowly knitting itself back together.

Movement caught the corner of Simon's eye, and the mage dared a quick look off his patient to spot Ariadne. The girl was watching him, and as Simon was only able to get a quick glance he assumed she was there in need of healing.

"How badly are you hurt?" he asked.

[demonicbeauty]

She decided to take his acknowledgment as an invitation to move a little closer. It was wrong to startle a healer at work, but now he knew she was there. Besides, seeing the way that the light glowed as he moved his hands...it was strangely beautiful.

"Oh, I'm all right," she said. Her voice was bell-like, a bit younger than the rest of her looked. "I was actually wondering if there was anything I could do to help? You've all been working so hard all day and I..."

Well, to be completely honest, she felt a little useless. And it wasn't a feeling she particularly enjoyed.

[noleechesneeded]

The cloak she wore hid her well, making it hard to tell if she was injured at all, but Simon wasn't about to send anyone away at a glance alone. When she spoke however it was clear that she wasn't in any sort of pain and for a moment he nearly told her to leave to make room for someone who was. But Simon wasn't that stern a healer...and the immediate offer to help helped her case.

"How much do you know about healing and medicine?" he asked. It wasn't to judge her ability, at least not in a negative way. Simon needed to know how best to make use of that offer.

The soldier under his care grunted softly, forcing Simon to shift his focus back on the spell with a grimace. He couldn't let himself get distracted like that.

"There's a basin there with boiled water and a cloth, bring them here," he directed. Even if she knew next to nothing, he could use an extra set of hands to clean up the blood and make things easier for him to see.

[demonicbeauty]

Eager to please, to be of use, Ariadne hurried to where he indicated, fetching the basin and the cloth. Despite the enormous cloak, she moved with grace. Alastrians had an extraordinary sense of balance, which was probably part of the reason why they lived in trees.

"I don't know a lot about healing," she admitted, bringing the basin over. "But I used to tend to the medicinal herb garden in Valeria."

That wasn't part of her duty. Lysia had recruited her and groomed her to be a spy, not a gardener. But she had a certain touch for plants. And being around them reminded her of home. So it had become a favorite sort of past time. The royal healers under Amanda were fond of having Ariadne around and had taught her how to take care of each and every plant.

[girlinthebox]

For the moment, she's staying close. It won't last, it never does, but he's her touchstone and she needs him near. Even if that means being crammed in with the dying, the wounded, the screams without voices. Her eyes are fixed on one man who appears to be staring out at nothing, physically mended as best anyone could but so far away. Back in the fields of Redcliffe as they were burning.

Her fingers twist in the hem of her own blanket, fixated, while Simon darts here and there.

[noleechesneeded]

Though it's difficult for River, having her only a glance away is actually comforting for Simon. Knowing where she is and being able to check on her at any time puts Simon's mind at ease and lets him focus on the wounded. It's a constant and steady drain on his reserves, but it's something he's trained for and he looks almost comfortable when his path of mending takes him her way.

His focus slips when he notices the way she's staring and Simon slows down, reaching a warm hand out to touch her shoulder and hopefully pull her attention away from whatever it is that has her looking so lost.

"Hey..."

[girlinthebox]

She feels the weight of his hand, the warmth of it, and it's like a tug of a lifeline when she feels the current pulling her away. The man's mind isn't loud but it's easy to lose oneself in the bramble, the soft ambient sounds of despair. A little further and he could see so much...

Simon's voice is what cuts through in the end, and River's eyes drop to her hands.

"He's not coming back."

[noleechesneeded]

Simon's chest tightens slightly as he draws in his next breath, the mage quickly deciding this needs more than a moment. He kneels down next to her, letting his share of the work be set aside, something he's loathe to do but even an inkling that River needs him is reason enough to let it happen.

"Who..." he starts to ask, following where she had been looking and sees the man, still and staring but still breathing. He's not one of Simon's patients, but he doesn't appear to still be injured. But the open eyes and the still features suggest something is wrong...something he's not sure he wants River to be associated with, but Simon doesn't himself sink into that fear just yet.

"...where is he going?"

[girlinthebox]

"Back to the place where it happened. He can't leave."

Her dark eyes shift towards her brother, always so concerned. For her, yes, but also for those who came into his care. He was meant for this.

No. For more than this. And she took him away from that. That guilt still resides in her even when she has no way to properly express it. Instead her fingers twitch against the edges of her robe sleeves.

"He carries the echoes inside of him. The rest is gone, all gone quiet now."

[fayth]

The blanket is more than a welcome sight for Yuna, who had stayed close to the fire, huddled together with her knees close. "Thank you..." she was grateful for the added warmth and took the blanket with no hesitation, wrapping it around her bare shoulders.

She supposed, she wasn't really dressed for the weather, reminded of her journey through the mountains of Gagazet. She was silent for a moment more, not even sure if she should speak -- it was obvious that she, among the others that had arrived from the rift, had caused problems for the people here.

"Um," Yuna paused, then seemed to finally make the choice to continue, "do you... always help out here? This is -- where people come to be healed, right?"

[noleechesneeded]

It certainly is a colorful dress, though it was true it isn't exactly practical for Skyhold. Even with the springs below heating the ground it still only 'warm' relative to the snowy mountains surrounding them. Simon offers an understanding smile, inclining his head and for a moment he nearly moves on, only staying once the girl speaks up.

There are enough healers around to make sure everyone in especially dire need is being seen to, so he decides quickly it can't hurt to take a moment. Simon's brow lifts as he crouches down next to her to make for easier conversation.

"Since I've arrived I have, yes," he answers. Rather than answer her second question, Simon's brow furrows with a concerned look. She doesn't look to be hurt, but it's possible she's been hiding it... "Are you injured?"

eek this is so hideously late im so sorry, it was lost in the mess of my inbox...

[fayth]

"No," she shook her head quickly, afraid to cause worry, "I'm fine, everyone's been so accommodating, I..." at least, everyone that she had run into so far. There were obvious tensions around the hold, but she had been fortunate enough to stay out of trouble, and despite the flashiness of her clothing, out of the watchful eyes of those that didn't quite believe they meant no harm.

"I wondered... if there was anything I could do to help, you see..." she trailed off, wondering if discussing her magic was even a good idea, but her desire to do something pressed her to continue. "Since -- I arrived here some of my magic seemed to be..." gone? sealed? "inaccessible. But I still have the power to heal so I..."

Wasn't offering what skills she still possessed the very least she could do?

S'all right! I'm happy to backtag.

[noleechesneeded]

So she was a mage...and now that she said as much, Simon could see how what he'd thought of as a dress could have actually been robes. It made sense, and her request certainly sounded sincere to Simon, but it posed something of a dilemma considering she was from the rifts. His lips thinned between his teeth, looking out over the fire for a moment and taking the time to make himself more comfortable kneeling at her side rather than just crouching down.

"And you heal with magic?" he asked, just to be certain he understood. "At this point any help would be welcome...but I imagine it would be best if you spoke to one of the advisors about it before jumping in and casting spells without warning. You don't want to startle any of the templars...even those of us who didn't come out of the rifts need to be mindful."

Not all of them were as mindful as they should be, in Simon's opinion, but the poor girl didn't need his political opinion making her more nervous than she already seemed to be.

♥

[fayth]

As soon as she'd said it, the regret began to sink in. The topic of mages seemed to be a rather tense one, and Yuna was beginning to quickly realize that. At least, it seemed, she had slipped in front of someone that was open to the prospect. "I do," it felt like a confession, and she looked down, flexing and relaxing her hands while she tried to find the right words.

"But... you're right. And that's certainly something I don't want to do. I admit I don't know all that much about stitching, but maybe... if I could watch someone that knows, and learn..." she looked back up at him again, her eyes hopeful. "Then maybe I wouldn't have to only rely on magic to help anyone."

And Simon, well. He sort of looked like he just might know what was what around here.

[gatheringstorm]

Whenever there's a break in the activity following that arrival, Korrin is making the rounds and seeing if there's anything else to be done. Nevermind that the Vashoth mage spent the day on that arduous trek to Skyhold, she can't stand the thought of crashing when she might be useful. Or abandoning sobriety, but again with the wanting to be productive.

Pausing at one of the medical areas, Korrin looks in and enters when she notes that there are no rifter patients to deal with currently. "How's everything in here? Do I need to yell at someone for more supplies?" Well, not literally. But people tend to listen when a large horned woman tells them she needs something.

[noleechesneeded]

Simon turns and looks over his shoulder, blinking quickly as his gaze darts up. It would be embarrassing to admit that he's never seen one of the qunari this close before, even though there are a handful within the Inquisition already, so he doesn't...though the surprise is probably quite clear on his face.

"It's, well, busy," Simon answers, though they currently have a moment to breathe, at least. "I was just cleaning up after my last patient to see what's needed..."

Which includes changing the blankets on his cot. It's not always necessary, but neither is the fear a bloodstained cot can inflict on a new patient as opposed to a clean one. The mage has the old set bundled under his arm and reaches for another--the last one, it turns out. He holds it up with a slight shake.

"...more of these, it turns out. If there are any to spare."

[gatheringstorm]

The human's surprise doesn't bother her, as long as his eyes meet hers and not her chest. He seems to be off to a good start, at least.

Bloodstains faze Korrin not at all, not after spending her life among mercenaries and then being one. However, she can see how that might present an issue with those less hardened, especially given that they've already had enough of a shock earlier. They might as well make it as easy for the stranded, marked folk as possible.

Glancing to the fresh set, Korrin nods. "There ought to be. I've been checking with others, so unless someone snagged the entire pile, you'll have what you need. Be right back."

She then departs, returning a few moments later with more in her arms. They're managed easily enough, as she's been doing this on and off for a bit. "Hopefully, you won't need many more. We did what we could to patch people on on the way back, though admittedly potions were running low after that rift battle."

[noleechesneeded]

The cot has been changed when Korrin returns, as neat as if it hasn't been used at all. A small bit of consideration, but one that Simon considers worth taking the effort for. Every little bit helps with the stress of so many unexpected arrivals. He looks up again and his reaction is easier the second time. There will never be any chest staring from Simon to worry about.

"Perfect, thank you..." he says, crossing over to take them off her hands. She's even taller up close, forcing Simon to crane his neck a bit as he looks up. "And I hope you're right. This is the longest pause between patients I've had, hopefully that means most have been seen to already..."

Though Simon may well curse his luck by saying so out loud, the mage takes the risk. Still, so long as no one bleeding is coming inside and she's mentioned being at the battle, Simon has to give in to some of his curiosity.

"How bad was the fighting?" he asks.