[ 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

[shieldwalls]

"You'd be right to think so. Especially now." Mages and templars, and an ancient Tevinter Magister alive and free are definite things to be wary of.

Aveline nods. "Yes, I've heard of you lot." People falling in from other worlds, something that is unheard of to her until now. And to many, perhaps. But perhaps most strange to those who found themselves in Thedas. "Where are you from? And what are the Dragoons?"

[dragoon_pride]

“Especially now. Though this latest one seems especially terrible, it sounds like your world overall has had its share of hardships, over time.” Too many, especially when it comes to demonic creatures rising forth and wreaking havoc every so often. Not a pleasant thing by any means.

Kain’s tone takes on a lot of pride as he talks about home, this means a lot to him. “In the world I’m from, I come from a nation called Baron, a strong kingdom known for its military strength… The dragoons are a force of fighters who seek to emulate the dragons in a sense.” His helmet and the rest of the armor’s draconic appearance would probably make sense now. “We can jump to great heights, giving us an advantage over enemies of the air and land in combat.”

[shieldwalls]

"We have. In the last ten years, this land faced a Blight -- when Darkspawn, controlled by an Archdemon arise to the surface." Her lips twist, "And then the Mage-Templar war which begun in Kirkwall, and now the Breech. Corepheyus. We can't go ten years without something falling apart."

Unfortunate, but true.

Aveline listens, and looks at him again -- taking in the armor. "That certainly explains the armor." Still -- "That, is an impressive skill to have, if I might say so. And will probably come in handy, in the days to come."

[dragoon_pride]

“That’s a great deal of bad luck… but I suppose if this world has made it out of all that it endured in the past, it can do so again.” It’ll have to, he thinks. It may not be his world, or any of the other rifters, but they’re here and their lives are just as threatened by anything that should happen.

Kain nods. “It’s always been useful in the past, and it has in the battles I’ve fought in here so far, as well. I’ve even put my dragon-fighting skills to use.” Fighting a high dragon was an intense experience, but he’s glad he could be there to be part of that battle.

[shieldwalls]

"It is, but I have the same hope." It's more than Ferelden at stake. It's all of Thedas, and those visitors that were forced into a conflict not of their own by chance and the rift.

"You faced a dragon, here. For a race that was thought to be extinct, they certainly don't seem to be any longer." Her mouth twists into a smile. "I hope to see your skills truly in action, one of these days. In the meantime, would you like to fight something more challenging than a dummy?"

[dragoon_pride]

"Right... because if and when it comes to it, the Inquisition's forces will put all their strength into it, I'm sure of that." Who knows how they'll fare, but he's seen the others, seen what they're capable of. They have a really good amount of fighters among them, skilled warriors and mages alike.

As for her other question... would he ever! Training is important, going through the motions and all, but an actual challenge is even better. He's still finding out how the warriors of this world fight, still surprised every so often by some of their techniques. "I'd like that a great deal. The dummies get all too boring after a while."