(no subject)

[hallaherald]

Traveling was something the Inquisitor actually liked about his job. As a Dalish, the open road just felt right, even if he was traveling on a hart rather than in an aravel. Adamant Fortress was nearly two weeks away from Skyhold, but they had made good progress so far and the weather had been surprisingly decent through both Ferelden and Orlais. They had mostly been traveling on the Imperial Highway, and it has been blessedly empty of Corypheus' forces. Just plenty of refugees.

...he would honestly never be used to people bowing to him.

When they stopped for the night about a day from Montsimmard, Mahanon took a moment to stretch his legs after caring for Ghilan. The large scar on one leg that he had gotten after Haven was destroyed didn't like being in the saddle for hours on end, but it was nothing he couldn't take with a few stretches and a cup of tea. Maybe some food, too - he wasn't sure when he had eaten last.

Speaking of, the mage made his way over to one of the fires lit for cooking, pleased to see that food and warm water was already there for him. Sinking down on a fur next to it, he noticed that he had the Champion - Hawke - as company by the fire. The rogue was a fascinating person who Varric did nothing but praise, but Mahanon hadn't really had time to get to know her other than plan-related discussions and brief pleasantries.

A smart woman with biting wit and good ideas. Surprising amounts of humor, too. He could definitely see what Varric liked about her. The elf gave her a little nod and a smile, unstrapping his staff for a less cumbersome seat. "Hawke. How is traveling with us treating you so far?"

Comments

[hallaherald]

Mahanon wouldn't really call Corypheus Hawke's responsibility. Both she and Varric had stated several time that the darkspawn was dead when they left him, so they couldn't know the damn thing could cheat death. Nevertheless it was really good to have someone who had faced him before, because the elven mage was honestly getting rather worried about all of this.

Wardens, of all people out there. It seemed so wrong, like one of those badly-written villain plots in the dwarf's books.

The elf busied himself by grabbing a plate and filling it with some of the available food. He looked a bit amused when she mentioned her cooking skills, gesturing a bit to the simple food with his spoon. "Remind me to introduce you to some Dalish cooking, if you think this is good." Not that he was the finest cook in the Free Marshes, but still. Herbs were a thing, people!

Placing the plate in his knee, Mahanon brushed back his white hair to get it away from his face before rubbing the back of his neck for good measure. Forever in the saddle gave you all kinds of little cricks, and going to the Western Approach was one of the longest journeys he'd been on.

Tasting the food, he gave a slightly content sigh and looked at Hawke again. "Varric told me you knew a Dalish?" The Inquisitor seemed a bit more curious, the slight cat-like gleam of his eyes reflecting the light of the fire about as pale as the rest of him.

[questionablewit]

That they were facing Grey Wardens wasn't the surprise to Hawke that it was to everyone. She remembered very well what had happened to Anders in the Deep Roads. It was one of the reasons she was here. Corypheus, red lyrium, Samson...it was hard to miss how many of the things currently troubling the Inquisition connected back to her. If she were suspicious, she'd wonder if she were a jinx. Since she wasn't, it just made her more determined to do something about them.

A smile crossed her face, made of equal parts affection and exasperation. "Merrill," she confirmed. "She cooked for me a few times. It was pretty good." Though that didn't say much either, since a lot of what she'd eaten in those days had been Enchantment Stew. Not much of a basis for comparison.

She eyed Mahanon sidelong. "She was much more willing to be friendly towards shemlen than most of the rest of her clan." She used the word in full knowledge of what it meant, all the connotations. "Like you. Is your clan more accepting of humans, or is it just you?" Her mouth quirked. "Or is it making a virtue of necessity? I'm afraid you're stuck with us, given the situation."

[hallaherald]

He made himself a cup of tea as well while listening to Hawke, adding some of the herbs he kept in his pack - since honestly, soldiers didn't pack tea even for the Inquisitor, and he wouldn't ask them to. If he wanted special treatment he'll do it for himself.

Holding out a second cup to the rogue in case she wanted some, he then shook his head a bit. "Keeper Istimaethoriel made sure we weren't aggressive against the human populations, but we had little contact with them until the Conclave." He shrugged a bit at that. The only true hatred for humans he had seen was his old lover, and that was easily the reason they broke up.

"Then my clan accidentally got involved with some human affairs after I joined the Inquisition." He still felt rather guilty about that, leaving his clan without even a goodbye in person. "Attacks by 'bandits' employed by the Duke of Wycome, being blamed for a plague that only affected humans... it was madness, and they only survived thanks to Inquisition forces. Now they're in Wycome, part of the city's council."

That in itself was really odd to think about. Dalish in a city? The world really was changing, and some parts of it he wasn't too sure were a good thing or not. At least the city elves had been saved, as well.

There was a smile on the Inquisitor's face as he took a sip of the tea. "I may be 'stuck' with you, but humans are interesting people. I never thought I'd call some of them my finest friends and advisers, but if there's one thing all of this is good for, it's opening the eyes and seeing none of us are very different inside."

[questionablewit]

"A Dalish clan in a human city? There's something I never thought to hear." She remembers what the alienage was like the day Marethari visited. Merrill had been astonishing enough to them, but Marethari had been a walking legend. The awe and wonder had been palpable.

She wonders how it will change the elves, to have the Dalish interacting with their lost kin, and wonders more how it will change them to be able to affect human politics. Hopefully it'll shake elves and humans both out of some of their prejudices. That would be good.

Though she won't hold her breath waiting for it.

Still, they can take steps, like what she's going now. "You can certainly say that again." She grins and counts off on her fingers. "Elves, humans, dwarves, Qunari, whatever that strange boy is..." What's his name again? Con? Colin? It's annoying how she never seems able to remember. "You've got a full set in your Inquisition. No wonder it's so popular. I expect any day now you'll recruit a dragon."

[hallaherald]

"It sounds so strange, doesn't it?" Things were really changing in the world after the sky was torn open and the red lyrium had spread all over. It was the main reason for the Duke of Wycome's insanity, after all. "They're safe, and that's one weight off my shoulders. Apparently the people appreciate their presence and the Inquisition protection as well."

Well. Maybe not the humans, but the racist naysayers had enough wits to stay quiet. The city elves, however, were ecstatic and had risked their lives giving information to his clan before things were cleared up.

When Hawke started mentioning the diversity of the Inquisition, the elf brightened a bit more. "Cole. His name is Cole, and from what Solas has told me, he's a spirit." A strange person, a bit alien in his thinking... but so kind.

It's impossible to not laugh a little at her last comment, however, and he shook his head. "I wish. It would help immensely against this Archdemon." Plus Bull would be out of his mind from excitement.

[questionablewit]

"A spirit?" Hawke had personal reasons for finding that interesting, even if they weren't really relevant by this point. "That's a good trick. He's pretty solid for a spirit. How'd he manage that?"

She assumed it was some other way than by possessing someone and being an abomination, or else it'd have been put like that.

[hallaherald]

"I honestly don't know. He's not possessing someone... he just is here." In all honestly it's super weird, but the kid was a good person despite his weirdness. "It's unique, if anything."

In all honesty he had been worried at first, but Cole had been so adamant about wanting him to strike him down if he ever became a demon. After a while, he had come to trust him.

Taking another sip of tea, he then looks over at her again. "Did you ever meet any spirits, or was it just all those blood mages and demons?"

[questionablewit]

Justice would count, no doubt. But Hawke doesn't discuss Justice, or the man it inhabits, not even with people she likes. Varric, maybe, or any of the others if she ever ran into them. But no one new. No one who didn't know him at the time.

"Nothing so uncomplicated," she answers smootthly, which is true if misleading. "Ghosts, once, or something weirdly like them. And scores of blood mages and demons." She shakes her head. "Moral of the story: don't weaken the Veil under your city. Pity the magisters who built the place didn't learn that one."