[ open ] fly high across the sky from here to kingdom come

[shieldwalls]

WHO: Aveline + open
WHAT: arrival + exploring
WHEN: around the time when the Rifters arrived + first few days afterwards
WHERE: all over.
NOTES:  none... that I can think of!

Courtyard.

Skyhold is a marvel, Aveline will give it that. Grand turrets and towers she can see. The first look at the famed Inquisition is the activity going on in the Courtyard, where vendors sell their items, soldiers spar and train. She allows the guard beyond the gate to take her horse and she hefts her pack, so that the battered Templar shield at her back is visible. The air is crisp and cold and there's mud on her boots, caked and dried.

Hadn't missed that much.

She hadn't thought that she'd be setting foot on Ferelden soil once again in her lifetime, but here she is. Aveline only pauses briefly to look around, before stepping in proper, almost immeadiatly turning towards the first individual she sees.

"Excuse me. Can you direct me to Commander Cullen's office?"

The Rookery.

It's difficult to locate, with all it's many staircases and different rooms all over, but the first place she visits is the Rookery, a letter sent off to Donnic and Kirkwall to let him know that she had made it. It's short and non-descriptive, but Donnic would understand the need to keep things vague, with Sebastian and Starkhaven currently backing down against them. Oh sure, they'd likely hear from him again.

She watches the bird with her letter attached grow smaller into the distance until it's but a speck, then gone. Strange to think that she had allowed herself to come this far, travel so long to be somewhere else entirely -- her life back across that sea (and Maker, does she not look forward to the ship ride back). But if her friends needed her, than she would be here.

Training grounds.

Even after the long journey, Aveline doesn't take long to rest, she freshens up and changes from her armor to more casual training attire -- the sword and shield are both still at her back as she makes her way down towards the training grounds. The dummies near the tavern are well worn, and used. There's and edge of nerves to her, a knot of worry that she can't quite push down or shake but it doesn't show on her.

Her strikes are well placed, each swing of her arm is strong and every hit with the flat side of the blade is followed by a second one directly after. After a while, she swaps the sword for her shield, blocking imaginary blows and hitting the dummy with solid hits.

Her hair is falling out of it's tie, by the time she is finished and the sun is beginning to set and finally she feels worn enough to go rest.

Exploration. - everywhere else

From the gardens, to the tavern, to the library -- Skyhold is vast and it takes a matter of hours to walk around it entirely. Aveline prides herself in knowing the long winding streets of Kirkwall -- and even ten years in the city, there are passages and areas that she still discovers, but otherwise, she knows her city.

But she hadn't always, just as she doesn't yet know the layout of the change in scenery. But that is what she's doing. Certain areas are off limits and those are the ones that she doesn't scope out, but she works to familiarize herself with the layout, landmarks -- what is where, and perhaps... she is looking for certain familiar faces in each one of these areas.

Wildcard!

[ If you don't see anything that tickles your fancy here, feel free to come up with your own. Aveline will be all over, exploring. And if you'd like to plot with me personally, you can send me a pm or hit me on plurk
at rabbithearted

Comments

[sunshinethroughgrey]

"That poor man ... I know he's tried so hard not to let us get to him but we kept on getting to him, didn't we?"

Amusement flashed over her face, an amusement that fled at the look on Aveline's face. So many sins, Anders, that you have to make up for ... she got the bucket of water, put it by the fire, and then took Aveline by the arm and walked her closer to the river - which led closer to the tents, but also allowed them to be alone and not overheard.

She'd learned her lesson there, all right, even to lowering her voice. "All right, what's going on?"

[shieldwalls]

"There is little that doesn't get to Bran, you'll find. He's even more of a prat to deal with as Viscount."

Aveline frowns, but remains silent until they're away from the closeness of any who could hear them. She looks out over the water, before turning to cut to the point already, instead of wasting time in getting to it.

It's not because she's angry, with her friends. Not really.

"The spymaster wrote Kirkwall when Anders turned himself in. She said he had help in remaining concealed as long as he did. From his friends. What can you tell me about that?"

Aveline just wants to know why.

[sunshinethroughgrey]

"Well, I cannot argue that. Poor Bran..."

The question is a surprise -- Bethany's expression says as much. Then she lets out a snort, a faintly bitter one, before she shook her head. "Of course she did ... "

A sigh, before Bethany straightened and looked Aveline straight on. "I can tell you that I hid who Anders was from the Inquisition. For his sake, and for others. I held my tongue to pay a debt, and then I stood up for him and upheld my sister's word, to answer for my sister's honor. I did many things the spymaster, and Fenris, now despise me for -- and I would do the all again in a heartbeat."

Her brown eyes didn't waver, "He saved my life, Aveline. At risk of his own."

[shieldwalls]

Aveline would very much like to be angry, and her eyes meet Bethany's but for a moment, she remains silent. Fenris would not have turned him in. He would have chosen to rip out his heart on the spot, most likely. Aveline would have told the first authority figure present and petitioned for a trial. She pinches the bridge of her nose -- she finds the younger woman standing her ground admirable.

But her disappointment is so thick it could be cut with a knife. She's not surprised by the answer, even if it was not the one she wanted to hear.

"You realize how these actions reflect on the Inquisition as a whole? And that had his presence been known earlier then we would not have had Sebastian bloody Vael and his armies camping on Kirkwall's doorstep as long as we did. I know what he did, and it is admirable of you to stand up for him, and for your sister's word, but... the consequences of this deception are not only yours to bear. That's all I have to say."

Hello Bethany, this is the face that Hawke herself was on the other side of many times.

[sunshinethroughgrey]

Bethany, true to her word, holds her ground. Even with the heavy disappointment in Aveline's gaze, she had made her decision then and she would make it now.

"These actions reflect on no one but the Wardens, who take on their own through acts of mercy. I lay no claim on the murders Anders has committed -- it is up to him to sort himself out with the Maker and make it right. As for Sebastian ... "

She sighed deeply, looking at the ground, before she looked at Aveline solidly. "I'll go to Starkhaven myself, and face him, if I must. For you, for Kirkwall, and for the Grand Cleric. I owe you that much - and I suppose ... well. I owe Sebastian as well."

[shieldwalls]

"You're welcome to try. But Sebastian... he's not the same man you knew. Grief can drive a person to do things. Vengeance." Aveline purses her lips, pausing.

"I will be honest with you, because I owe you that much. I might think Sebastian is a great bloody fool to go after a city that clearly isn't hiding anyone, particularly one that they rightfully have no reason to protect. But I understand his desire to see justice for those that perished both inside the Chantry and as a result of it. I wanted the same, for a time. To have Anders arrested and tried proper."

Still does, there can be no denying that.

Particularly during the rebuilding, directly afterwards -- "But I can swear he will suffer no threat from me, while we both remain here. I will even have his back, if need be."

She wouldn't be too upset if he happened to get crushed by a dragon, though.

[sunshinethroughgrey]

"... You know, it's funny. I thought for all of Sebastian's faith, he would learn how to forgive. That they all would." Her voice is soft, almost thoughtful. "My family - we never forgot, but we forgave. We didn't hold it against the mages of the city for what was done to Mother. Sometimes I think that was the only thing that saved Anders, that day. Forgiveness."

She sighed softly, her arms wrapping around herself. "Thank you, Aveline. I know it is hard for you, as it is hard for Fenris. I have faith that he'll make amends, one day at a time. And I'm ... so happy that you are here, regardless."

She softens her voice, "I am sorry I had to lie - I am a horrible liar to begin with so I'm surprised no one caught me."

[shieldwalls]

"Not everyone has that capacity. Sebastian is a stubborn bastard, and he's lost his family twice over. But I too thought his threat was empty, at first until he showed up at our doorstep, demanding that we answer for harboring a criminal."

As if Aveline would have let him stay in the city, unchecked. But she gives her a slight nod. While she doubts it will ever be enough for her or Fenris to fully forgive, perhaps one day. "I'll speak with Fenris on your behalf."

"I have to say," she smiles somewhat -- "It is a little surprising that nobody caught you on that. Particularly the Spymaster. Seems to know everything, that one."

[sunshinethroughgrey]

"I'm not entirely sure someone can claim the Maker and Andraste is on his side if he can't understand the concept of mercy, and not punishing the masses for the crimes of one person." Bethany said dubiously, before she sighed.

"He ... will be Fenris about it, you know." A wry little smile. "I suppose I should just wait for him to come to me."

A little laugh. "Perhaps that is why I got away with it. No one expected it of me, so it was easier to slip past."