#daandov

“I enjoy making you wonder what you would do without me.” Oh, yes. He was grinning under there, all but preening himself for his usefulness. “That is all.”

And speaking of kings... Henry tightens his gauntlets upon the reins. "You sound like a girl who'd read her fair share of stories. How's the reality compare?"

hypatia releases a cross between a laugh and a gasp as she enters the room, pretending to be appalled by valvari's remark... but in reality, the joke hits hard and sends the inquisitor doubling over with giggles. "it's — it's not that big!" both women are referring to hypatia's new sword, a salvaged grab off a dead warrior during their travels. she's holding it with one hand in the doorway, hoisting it up, attempting to keep the heavy greatsword balanced without banging it into the wooden entryway. "i thought it looked nice!" she goes on, still giggling, and in her fit of laughter, hypatia loses control of the sword's angle. it comes down, heavy, nearly digging itself into the wood surrounding the doorway. she keeps laughing. "i can't hold it with one hand," she explains as she drags herself and the sword over to val. "it's heavy. it's like holding a whole 'nother person. it's like trying to pick you up and swing you around." this laughter is nice, and much needed considering their past few days of difficulties. hopefully this makes val laugh, too, boosts her spirits, makes her see the humor in this moment despite the odds. "guess i need more training with it. i liked the hilt and the... the designs on the handle, but i guess i didn't consider how heavy this thing would be. you want to try?" two handed now, she offers out the sword for val to take. "be careful. you're not used to wielding big things, now are you?" silence, then... another giggle fit. poor valvari.

"oh, i trust you," the inquisitor hiss-whispers, face scrunched with concern as she crouches low to the grass. "it's him i don't trust." with a jut of her chin, she gestures at the lumbering dragon, its massive form shaking the ground with every step. from the very moment valvari suggested talking to a dragon (like... speaking with one. conversing. having a conversation with an actual dragon), hypatia has been nervous. she turns her anxieties into physical displays, clenching tighter and tighter on the handle of her sword, and shivers a bit when her friend turns around to touch her chin. "val," she warns, her voice still low, "i'm worried for you — this could end badly if you don't..." from the look on val's face, however, it seems her dragon-tongued friend has made a concrete decision that hypatia can't shake. she's going to do this. try this. she's going to try talking to a dragon. "be safe," she goes on, face folding with a slew of concern, care, and defiance. "i guess there's no sense trying to talk you out of it, so just... call out to me if you need. i'll be..." she points at the rocks nearby, "here. tucked away. just... say my name, val, and i'll come running. andraste be with you."

centuries burns on the backs of his eyelids. a million and some odd words from the very likes of mortals. feeding and tapering down his throat. he has seen such : he has known such. and yet , perhaps — not with such fiery blood. and more yet on the horizon of this very morning. soft and saccharine voice , ❝ but i should like to see such betrayal. name your price , girl. and do your worst. ❞

“You are many things, Valvari, and subtle is not one of them.” Unceremoniously, hands reached forth to grab her arms, hoisting the woman to her feet. He steadied her, but did not let go just yet. “I should have remembered that when you said you wanted to take the subtle path. What a fool I am.”

An ever so brief lifting of the eyes from the pages of his book. One brow quirks as to silently say: May I help you?