Thedas On Fire

He inclined his head in a short bow.

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind then, Solas. No disrespect meant.” He’s at least pleased that he hasn’t offended or otherwise bothered the other elf in some way. Staying on Solas’ good side would maintain high priority since they would be working together. Wouldn’t do them any good to be at each other’s throats while trying to help the Inquisition.

“It was an excellent choice. Wonderful flavor and would be greatly appreciative if you could show me where it was.” He wasn’t one to often visit the kitchens, preferring to make his own snacks if he ha the means for it. But if there was an overabundance of this tea, he’d be more than happy to take some off of their hands.

There’s a pause from the mage as his gaze travels to the steaming cup Solas has in his possession. It wasn’t tea, that was for certain, but the scent drifting from his has caught his attention.

“Though, I am curious,” he started, “On what you have.” He takes a breath to decipher the scent.

“Something with apples?”

An offer [Closed] 

Kahen’s expression did not change, but his sister did detect a slight blush on his cheeks when she looked his way to see his reaction. Why, they had only just met and one of the Heralds was already complimenting them. Lovely…

Kahen did not reply to the compliment, clearing his throat quietly instead. “Perhaps you would prefer Herald?” He suggested to Val. They would call them what the two elves preferred: they were their new employers after all. Or rather, ambassador Montilyet was… At least she handled the payment, but they were meant to work for the Heralds. “Just ‘skilled?’ It’s a pity you have not heard more about us… Maybe we should try harder for our reputation,” Kash said with a smirk. “We have sold our skills for about a decade. Mercenaries, hunters, caravan escorts, bodyguards… Our list of jobs is quite extensive, messere.” “We have worked for farmers, merchants, noblemen, and many more from Antiva to Orlais,” Kahen added, glancing down to the two elves. “We make ourselves worth the gold spent.” “Indeed. Though we have not worked for an Inquisition before,” Kash pointed. Though… This Inquisition could hardly be called that. It was barely even a few recruits. “We offer our services because we are sure you need all the help you can. And if I’m not wrong, your lady ambassador may be worried about recent threats made by the Chantry and the nobility - who do not support the Inquisition yet, as far as I’m aware… And we might be able to help with that too, if you find our offer appealing.” Bodyguards. One qunari for each Inquisitor. They had worked as bodyguards before, both for just looks and for their fighting skills.

An offer [Closed]

They had no need to search for them: the heralds came to them. Kashaadi and Kahen stopped, observing the two as they approached. One visibly enthusiastic as he came their way, the other serious and stiff.

“It is good to meet you both,” Kahen greeted with a vow of his head. Though when the one called Tay quickly turned around to lead the way, Kash let out an amused little chuckle. “I don’t think he cares for your bowing, Short Horns,” she murmured to her brother, who only gave her a look with slight annoyance in his eyes before they both fell into step to follow the two elves. “Nothing to be sorry about, messere Val. We’re pleased to have finally arrived,” Kash said. “You know our names already. Have you heard about our work, too?”

He can’t say he’s really surprised his not wanting to be referred to by a title, but it still seemed disrespectful either way. Maybe he would take him up on going by first name basis when not under the scrutiny of the Advisors. That seemed like it would be the best way of going about things without getting himself into trouble.

That’s a relief.

He watches the exchange between the two brothers, nervous as he lifted his mug to down another gulp of his Rivaini ale. Were all siblings like this? Or was it just these two. He can’t help but think that if he’d ever gotten to know his siblings, if he had any, if they’d have bickered like this under different circumstances.

Not something to dwell on now.

He blinked, startled with now being the center of attention between the two of them. He’d never been entirely fond of wine, but it seemed rude not to take him up on the offering. 

“Yeah. Workin’ direc’ly under Nightengale. For the most part I’ll be actin’ as field leader when we got some important recon an’ missions to do. Aside from that, I’d be more than happy to accompany ya’ll on the field if nothin’ else comes up.” He pause before he quickly adds.

“Not that your missions aren’t as important, I mean.”

He looks up from the paperwork he’s rifling through, greeting the other elf with a smile upon his return. He scrambles to help Solas make room for their drinks, though he can’t do much with their shared space and he doesn’t want to offend the elf by moving his papers around.

So he settled with just movie his own. 

It seemed to do the trick, at least a little, and he readily accepts the tea from Solas. He could smell the blueberry from when he’d walked into the rotunda. And it smelled heavenly. 

“Ma serannas, hahren,” he spoke, inclining his head a small bow. A term of respect. Appropriate, given Solas’ knowledge and importance to the Inquisition. 

He took a sip of the provided tea, visibly relaxing as it worked through him, providing warmth and comfort. Helping to ease the nervousness he felt around Solas before he went back translating and reading.

An offer [Closed]

@thedasonfire || Tay and Val

The south was absurdly cold. Either rainy and muddy, or covered in snow. But they had heard the rumors just as everyone else, spreading across Thedas like wildfire: a tear in the sky, demons terrorizing the land, and someone who could apparently stupid.

Well, not just one. Two.

“We’re here.”

His sister brought Kahen out of his thoughts: indeed, they had arrived in Haven. Boring little village in the mountains, at least until the Temple of Sacred Ashes nearby exploded with the Divine and so many others inside. “Indeed,” he acknowledged as they stepped through the snow.

“So this is the so-called Inquisition? … Doesn’t look that impressive to me,” Kash said with a chuckle, lips curving into an amused smirk. It was just a handful of little houses and a small Chantry; and, by the looks of it, only a handful of people too.

“They wouldn’t need what we can give if they already had a large army, would they,” Kahen murmured to her.

“Assuming they want it,” Kashaadi replied, looking into her brother’s eyes that were the same golden as her own. “So, do you think you’ll know when we see them? All elves look similar,” she added, obviously joking by the spark in her eyes. “Kashaadi…” “What? They’re all tiny!” She laughed and shook her head slightly to shake the snowflakes falling on her horns. “But then again, humans too are tiny…”

“Do try to show some decency by not insulting them for their height… Remember we’re here to get work.”

“Everyone else seems to think differently. Look at them trying not to stare, like we might eat them if they look into our eyes,” Kash said with another soft laugh. They were used to the stares though: it was the same in Antiva when they worked there, and it was the same everywhere else. Ah, Tal-Vashoth like them were a little too much for some people to handle.

“Let us hope the Heralds see the use in that,” Kahen murmured, not echoing his sister’s amusement. He ignored them, his gaze set onto the Chantry ahead. He assumed the people in charge would have set their headquarters there. From what he had investigated before they came here, they had the Hands of the Divine with them, and the Inquisition was an Andrastian organization by definition… Even if their heralds were rumored to be elves.

“No.” Tay ignored his brother as he sharpened his blades. The harsh screech of metal made Val cringe and poke at his ear-hole to erase the sound. It seemed to make the sound worse though. “If we’re to meet these new recruits we must be amicable!” Val held out the flowers he picked with a very cute pout on his face. If he had given that pout to anyone but his brother, he was sure it would have melted them on the spot, but Tay was immune to his tricks. “We impress them with the viability of this shit organization, not fucking flowers.” Val grinned at him and whispered. “So since the Inquisition isn’t a viable organization, and is mostly awful Chantry propaganda, we woo them with these very nice flowers, and my pretty smile.” Tay looked at the flowers Val had in his hands and tried to hide a smile with a roll of his eyes. “Whatever you say... idiot.” They got up once Tay was finished with his broody blade sharpening and then made their way towards the meeting spot. Val wasn’t sure why they were charged with vetting new recruits, but he was incredibly excited to speak to qunari as he never had before. He was in a very cheery mood, so much so that he found himself swaying his robes to and fro, and kicking up pebbles like a child about to get his hands on sweets. They saw the obviously large horned pair in the distance. Val’s white and blue robes billowed about his feet as he picked up the pace, and he hid the flowers in his huge sleeves, and even someone with the keenest eyes wouldn’t see them beneath the many layers. Tay, on the other hand, was in no such hurry to impress, or meet them. His hand was in a hunters position on his hip near the weapons on his leather belt, and his gaze was firm and steady.

He set to work right away. He wanted to be useful. Needed to be that, if he was being honest. He makes it a point to start organizing everything in neat stacks, starting to separate them in terms of subject matter and relevance on one side of the desk, while the other he reserves for some parchment as well as a quill and an inkwell. 

It would be helpful to write notes and compare them after all.

Within moments, he’s already fully engrossed in his assignment, pouring over notes and copying his findings down on paper. He almost misses the question from Solas, blinking once as his question finally registers before he focuses his attention on the elder elf. “Ah…I’m…I tend not to be picky when someone is offering, but I do have a preference for the fruitier teas,” he spoke, offering a small, but grateful smile.

He’s uncertain why, but Solas puts him a bit on edge. He suspects it’s because of his importance to the Inquisition. How close he is to the Inquisitor and how much the Inquisition relies on his knowledge of the Fade among other things.

It’s intimidating really. Just how much he knows and how he’s now expected to be able to keep up with the man. There’s also the strange presence of magic about the man that mildly unnerves him. Old, power magic that he’d never felt before.

Granted, he hadn’t been practicing magic for a long while, probably not nearly as long as Solas; but he was beginning to realize that different magics had different charges. Different feelings to them.

He stood bone straight as the older elf finally acknowledged him, a thin bead of nervous sweat rolling down the back of his neck as he watched, as he listened attentively to Solas. Watched as he piled on paperwork after papework on his desk with rising alarm.

He hadn’t realized Solas had taken on so much work by himself, How had he managed to accomplish as much as he had??

“Of course. I hope I may be of some help to you.” He may not have been as knowledgeable as Solas about most things, but he was at least intelligent. He’d be able to figure things out. Eventually.

“I’ll get to it right away,” he spoke, circling around the desk to take a seat before starting in on his task.

He smiled in response.

“I’ll drink to that.” That was one thing that was true; He certainly wouldn’t have survived had it not been for the rest of the qunari in his area. Granted, he’d been raised by the Tamas like the rest of the children there. Still, he didn’t think he’d been able to survive had it not been for his caretakers toughening him up a bit.

He hummed into his mug. Best not to think about it anymore. That was in the past and he wasn’t under the Qun anymore.

He turned to look at the sound of the commotion, brows raising as he caught sight of the second Inquisitor. He looked every bit out of place in the tavern, yet still commanded respect regardless. Even caused him to sit up a bit more straight as the elf approached. 

The two Inquisitors couldn’t have been any more different, he thought. Complete opposites, really. 

He smile, mildly nervous. 

“He’s been nothing but nice to me thus far. Nothing to worry about on that front, Val. Er…Inquisitor.” He’d always been nervous more around people who dressed in nicer clothes. If anything because they always seemed to be the ones who looked down on him. Val didn’t seem the type to be like that, but still. Old habits died hard, he supposed.

He’d been uncertain, of course, when one of the advisors had approached him to ask something of him. He’d been surprised, however, when he’d been asked to become an apprentice of sorts. Even more so surprised when he’d been told he’d be an apprentice under Solas’ care.

He’d been hesitant. He knew nothing about the other elf save that he was a mage. Not of Dalish origin, but an apostate much like himself. An elven apostate who didn’t seem all too thrilled about the Daish. 

That bothered him deeply, but this didn’t seem the time or place to bring something like that up. Still, would the man even want him as an apprentice? And what would apprenticing under Solas even imply?

He’d agreed, of course, if anything to provide some sort of help. Seemed as if the elf needed it if they were asking him.

He’d found himself questioning if his decision had been the right one as they entered the rotunda, the elf in question seeming to have fallen asleep at his desk. Or at least seemed close to doing so.

He stood nervously, watching the bald elf for a moment before willing himself to speak.

“My name is Yue. It seems I am to be your apprentice for the time being,” he spoke, inclining his head in a small bow. 

“I hope I may be of some use to you.” 

Spooked (Closed)

@thedasonfire  for Cole

It’s late. The moon high in the sky was enough to tell him just that.

He really shouldn’t have been sneaking around so late in the night, but he’d missed supper. Going over paperwork and reports of course. He might have missed the meal with everyone else, but he could at least sneak into the kitchens to grab at least a snack.

Maybe a tart for Ama if he could find one. 

He knew there would be no one there at this hour. Even the meaner of the cooks would be gone for the night and wouldn’t be back until the early morning. He still had hours before that. 

Carefully, he eased the wooden door open, sneaking his way inside and gently closing it so it wouldn’t make a sound. There’s a flash of an image from the corner of his eyes and whirls around, nearly jumping out of his skin once he his gaze catches sight of the spirit.

“Cole!” he exclaimed, startled by the appearance of the the young man. In the kitchens no less. He does his best to calm down, willing his hammering heart to calm before he’s able to speak again.

“Maker’s breath, what are you doing here so late?”

Cole showed himself willingly when he was called out, but he had hoped he could be quieter.