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Topic: Excuse me....Where am I? [OPEN RP] (Read 392 times)
caitriona Guest
Excuse me....Where am I? [OPEN RP] « Thread Started on Apr 2, 2012, 5:18pm »
[[18 Cloudreach, midday]]
"Oh! Sorry! I'm sooo sorry!"
"Watch it, knife ears!
Caitríona stumbled away from the surly looking shemlen man before her. It really wasn't her fault! That market stall over there was showing off some very shiny jewelry and she swore that someone was baking pies somewhere. No sign of those though. Or the Drowning Bryan. And she'd walked around the city, like, seven times now!
With a meek, subservient bow and a smile, she called to the man. "Sylaise's blessings upon you, sir!" and was rewarded with a hand gesture that looked like...oh, oh...well that wasn't very nice at all..
Amaranthine was not quite what the elf expected. Perhaps she'd been luckier in Highever: arriving with friends, meeting interesting and generally kind people quickly. Certainly, the city itself was exciting. All cities were, that was true. There certainly was plenty to see. As she walked about, the elf fluttered from market stall to market stall, staring wide eyed at everything she saw. Turning towards one table, she saw a wonderful emerald colored dress. Ambling over towards it, she ran a hand over its fabrics. It didn't seem anything more than dyed cotton but it felt much softer and lighter than her traveling robes. And it was just her size too!
With a wide, childlike grin, Caitríona took up the dress and held it up against her, giving a light twirl and imagining herself at a fancy dinner with Rae, the lovely elf woman she'd met in Highever. In her mind, she had some sort of fancy title like "Super Grand Magical Herbologist of Grandness" or the like. There were no templars and her research alongside Evelyn had cured all diseases. Everyone smoked two bowls of elfroot a day and--
"'Put that down, you dirty little fetcher!"
Reality called back to her with a jolt and she was back on the cold streets of Amaranthine. A round faced but fair looking woman was grabbing at the dress, tearing it from Cait's hands. "What? Oh, I wasn't. I mean, I didn't think that..."
She didn't finish the sentence. "That you'd get caught stealing?! I've half a mind to call the guards right now! "
Guards?! What would they do with a Dalish elf they thought was a thief? Hang her upside down by her ankles?! "Nononononono! I..I...it was pretty and I only wanted to..!
By now a crowd was forming, small in number but enough to make the elf feel quite uncomfortable. With a slight giggle, she bowed apologetically and turned tail, fleeing into the streets, arms flailing above her head, bounding onwards. "IjustgottafindtheBurningDragoooooon!" she attempted to explain as a chorus of jeers followed her down the way...
Joined: Oct 2010 Gender: Female Posts: 630 Karma: 9
Re: Excuse me....Where am I? [OPEN RP] « Reply #1 on Apr 2, 2012, 6:45pm »
Amaranthine was not and never would be Denerim, but at least it gave Siali an opportunity to practice her less combat-based skills and stop them going rusty. She had earned a salute walking past the guards that morning, dressed in her now fully cleaned Warden gear, and had then faded into the shadows. It was a little more difficult to go unnoticed with the blue and silver and the griffon on her shoulder announcing her title to everybody walking past, but not too much difficult. If people didn’t see her in the first place they weren’t going to register the armour.
That, and it was fun to pop out from time to time and give people a heart attack. The nobles of the land could talk all they wanted about changing attitudes towards the elves, humans were still going to nearly wet themselves when one appeared out of thin air well armoured and armed. Wade’s new sword, which closely matched the shape of her Dar’Misu, was mostly hidden by its sheath, but the hilts of both blades stuck up prominently above her shoulders. Next to a full-grown human man, she’d still look like a skinny little squirt, but a skinny little squirt that was a Warden. Only idiots would try making trouble for her.
Siali was half hoping for some trouble, though. Fighting darkspawn had been arduous, gruelling. A chance to smack some heads together with only a little effort would be very welcome. She wasn’t stupid enough to try stirring up unrest for the sake of a bit of exercise, though. She hadn’t run afoul of her superiors yet and she planned for it to try and stay that way. Purposefully goading shems into taking a whack at her would only earn her something distasteful like a month of latrine duty.
She was on the lookout for something other to do than buying the ingredients to refresh her stock of poisons and explosive flasks, though, and eventually, Amaranthine provided. Her ear twitched as she heard the familiar refrain of ‘knife-ear’ and sank into the shadows, looking around for the source of the insult.
It was only a short distance away. A crowd had gathered to jeer at a confused-looking elven woman, and Siali did a double-take as she registered the markings across the woman’s forehead. She’d seen a few Dalish in Denerim by this point, Savvy and Mala notwithstanding, but it was still a surprise to come across one in a city, and more so in Amaranthine. The woman eventually fled up the street yelling something about The Burning Dragon. Not anywhere Siali had heard of, but she didn’t like the look that some of the people in the crowd were starting to attain and she decided that the woman might like some company of the visibly armed variety. Leaving the shadows, she chased after the stranger until she caught her shoulder.
“Excuse me, er…” was she supposed to act like a soldier when she was wearing her Warden armour, even if technically off-duty? “Miss.” Miss? She’d never called anybody Miss in her life. “Did you need help or something?”
Re: Excuse me....Where am I? [OPEN RP] « Reply #2 on Apr 2, 2012, 8:10pm »
Stumbling and bouncing her way through the streets, Caitríona ping ponged about. The elf rammed into passersby and desperately moved from the entrance to one establishment to another. She felt dizzy, sort of like the world was spinning around her. Even with her time spent in Highever, large crowds still managed to disorient her greatly. A few times, she halted completely turning around in place and trying to see if she could spot anything that looked remotely friendly. If only she could find her way back to the city gates..she remembered seeing a small stable there. Maybe she could sit there for a bit. Perhaps just hold out there until she managed to see Anders walking through the crowd. She'd only be there for a few days. And she was sure the pigs wouldn't mind.
By the wet nose of the Dread Wolf, she just wanted to sit down. Her backpack felt heavier than usual. The trip from Highever had been uneventful thankfully but that didn't mean she wasn't tired. A good bed would be amazing right about now. The elf hesitated for a moment. Maybe she could sneak between to buildings and set herself up for a nap. There'd be time to look for the Frowning Horse later on. She hazarded a look back from where she fled. She was far enough away for now. Sure, a few people were still staring at her but it didn't look like anyone had given chase. It was a shame, she thought. Such a pretty dress. True, she didn't particularly have money but she did have elfroot and a few other things. She'd have gladly traded some of her wares for something nice to wear when she finally visited Auriana. Something better than her drab travelling robes, that's for sure.
Not that it mattered much. She had no clue where she was. Might as well just curl up somewhere and-
“Excuse me, er…” came a voice, tapping her shoulder “Miss.” “Did you need help or something?”
The elf gave a small leap of surprise and then turned to look at the source of the voice. The last thing she'd ever expected was another elf. Caitríona looked over the woman carefully. Armored, a sword somewhat like a Dar'Misu, tough looking. For the briefest of moments, Caitríona actually considered the possibility that this was a city guard. There'd been a few back in Highever. But the woman's voice was not commanding. It was curious, if perhaps a bit bemused. In fact, the sight of another elf was almost enough by itself to make Caitríona want to cling to the other woman. She fought the impulse and offered a simple, if forced smile instead.
"Aneth ara!" she greeted with a small, meager curtsy motion. "I...um...I'm good! Well sort of. I'm lost. Very lost. I'm looking for the Braying Donkey...No, that wasn't it. The Cranky Crab? The Crown and Liar? I've walked about here most of the day and I can't find it. Cities! Such a wonder!"
Joined: Oct 2010 Gender: Female Posts: 630 Karma: 9
Re: Excuse me....Where am I? [OPEN RP] « Reply #3 on Apr 3, 2012, 4:06am »
The woman jumped when Siali tapped her shoulder, and turned around, eyeing her quickly up and down. Siali returned the gesture, noting pack and travelling clothes. Definitely a new arrival in the city, although whether she was completely unused to cities in general, Siali couldn’t tell yet. It seemed likely, given the Dalish markings, but Siali had lived most of her life in Highever and she’d still had obnoxious comments from humans from time to time. It became less frequent the more she glowered, though.
She was careful to keep an expression of pleasant curiosity on her face for the other woman, however. The scar twisting her mouth probably wasn’t helping but at the very least she could look like a reasonably agreeable person rather than somebody who did not have particularly refined social skills. The other woman gave her a tight smile, and greeted her with a Dalish term that made Siali’s chest tighten a little. She missed Savvy’s habit of sprinkling his speech with Elvhen. She was trying, for the moment, to remember Erna's advice that she shouldn't give up hope for his return just yet, but she sincerely doubted everything was going to be fine. She pushed the thought away to focus on what the woman wanted.
The woman curtseyed at her (that was a first) and said she was looking for an inn called the Braying Donkey. Which didn’t sound a bit like the name the woman had been yelling as she ran up the street and away from the crowds. Siali’s forehead wrinkled thoughtfully as the woman admitted that wasn’t it and tried to work out what she was referring to. “The Cranky Crab? The Crown and Liar? I've walked about here most of the day and I can't find it. Cities! Such a wonder!"
At least she actually seemed to like cities rather than loathe them, and it sounded like she had in fact been in one before. Siali rubbed her forehead for a moment as a name came to mind. “The Crown and Liar…do you mean the Crown and Lion? It’s slap-bang in the middle of town.” She just managed to avoid adding that it was impossible to miss. If it was then this woman would have spotted it by now. “I can show you the way, if you like.” It wasn’t as though she had much else to do. She held out her hand to the other woman. “Siali Arnith.”
« Last Edit: Apr 3, 2012, 9:48am by Siali Arnith »
Re: Excuse me....Where am I? [OPEN RP] « Reply #4 on Apr 4, 2012, 7:28pm »
The elf nodded her head up and down. "Yes! The Crown and Lion! That's it! she confirmed. She recalled a sign that said something along those lines. But it looked like some type of club. She didn't want to walk in if she was not a member. "I'm supposed to stay there until Mister Anders arrives! Is it close?"
Caitríona edged a bit closer to the woman as they began to walk down the street. It wasn't that she trusted the stranger, not really anyway. It was just that she was one of the few people not offering her dirty looks. And that counted for something. Although she admitted that Siali was possible the scariest elf she'd ever met. Tall, armored. Her eyes were stark and her strides deliberate and bold. As if she was daring observers to get in their way.
She peered closer at her fellow elf. She certainly seemed different than other elvhen'alas she'd met. Caitríona leaned only a few inches away from Siali's face as they walked, her eyes lingering on the scar on the woman's cheek. A thought struck her, causing her to gasp. "Are you a pirate?!" she asked boldly. "I heard once that pirates have scars on their faces often. Or eyes missing. Are...are you taking me to your ship?!"
Joined: Oct 2010 Gender: Female Posts: 630 Karma: 9
Re: Excuse me....Where am I? [OPEN RP] « Reply #5 on Apr 5, 2012, 4:13am »
The woman confirmed that she was looking for the Crown and Lion, although she didn’t give her name when Siali gave hers. Still, Siali offered to show her the way there, and the Dalish accepted before saying she was supposed to be meeting ‘mister Anders’ there. Siali’s mouth thinned. Why in Thedas did Anders have business with a Dalish elf? She would have thought a human man would be the last thing a female Dalish would want to be around. Did the woman even know Anders was a mage?
Fortunately she had enough tact not to mention this – Anders might still be in Highever at the moment but she didn’t want a wrong word to earn her a lightning bolt to a tender part of her anatomy – and nodded when the woman asked if the tavern was close. “It’s a few streets away – about ten, fifteen minutes walk.” She started heading in the general direction of the Crown and the woman fell into step beside her.
Siali wasn’t sure what to say to her, or even if she should bother. She’d mention she knew Anders and would let him know the woman was in the city when he returned to the Keep, although she might do that via one of the servants. She couldn’t avoid talking to him forever but she could do her best to keep out of his way. But for now she walked on in silence, talking the stranger along the quickest route to the tavern.
After a while she became aware that the woman was staring at her.
This was not uncommon. The combination of scar, uniform and bright red hair with the pointed ears sticking out conspicuously was enough to draw attention most of the time, which was why Siali preferred to move from shadow to shadow rather than walking openly along the street. What was unnerving was how close the Dalish leant towards her, and when Siali tried veering away a little it made no difference.
Eventually, it annoyed her enough that she pulled to a stop. “Okay, what-”
She was interrupted as the woman gasped. “Are you a pirate?!” Well, she hadn’t been expecting that. Siali gave the Dalish an incredulous stare at the other woman kept talking. "I heard once that pirates have scars on their faces often. Or eyes missing. Are...are you taking me to your ship?!"
“You-” The leap of logic was so vast it actually staggered Siali for a moment. “You’re aware there was a Blight recently, right? A lot of people have scars or bits missing. And have you not seen this before?” She tapped the griffon embroidered on her shoulder. “I’m a Warden, not a pirate. Maker’s breath.” She eyed the Dalish. “How do you know Anders, if you’re not familiar with the Wardens? What’s your name?” She might not need the last bit of information to tell Anders that a Dalish elf was lodging in the city and asking for him, he’d probably know who she meant, but Siali wanted to know herself.
Re: Excuse me....Where am I? [OPEN RP] « Reply #6 on Apr 10, 2012, 5:18pm »
It was nice to walk around the city with someone else. It wasn't often that Caitríona got to do that. Not even back in Highever. Evelyn always was so very busy and she didn't really have any friends to stroll with. Which was a shame because Caitríona like walking in cities but she got lost more often than not without a guide. Cities weren't like forest, where everything made sense and was orderly. Away from the forest, it was all hustle and bustle and chaos. That was the best part of it. But also what made it so confusing!
This Siali woman walked about with such confidence that it managed to put a surefootedness into Caitríona's own stride. When she asked her fellow elf is she was a pirate, she wholeheartedly expected the answer to be something along the lines of "Yarr!" but it turns out her assessment was premature.
“I’m a Warden, not a pirate. Maker’s breath.” the surly elf groaned in response. A flush of red rose to Caitríona's cheeks. Well, this was rather embarrassing.
Continuing to walk, she bowed her head in supplication. " Oh! A warden! I'm sorry I should have realized..." she smiled nervously. "I'm glad you're not a pirate. I don't like boats. They make my stomach ill and not even a good elfroot smoking can fix it."
Siali followed up quickly. “How do you know Anders, if you’re not familiar with the Wardens? What’s your name?”
Humming as she walk alongside the woman, Caitríona stopped to reply. "Oh. I know what Wardens are!" she stated confidently before thinking aloud to herself. "Was Anders wearing a uniform when I met him...? Hmmm. Can't remember. Anyway, I met him in Highever. He was visiting the woman I worked for. He was nice! I'm forgetting something else...Ooops! Name. I'm Caitríona!
Joined: Oct 2010 Gender: Female Posts: 630 Karma: 9
Re: Excuse me....Where am I? [OPEN RP] « Reply #7 on Apr 11, 2012, 6:25am »
The elven woman blushed as Siali pointed out she was a Warden (did she really look like a pirate? At all, in any way?), before the other woman dipped her head and apologised for her mistake. Siali waved the apology off. She wasn’t really offended, just surprised by the conclusion the other elf had jumped to. And at least the other woman didn’t seem disappointed to learn that she wasn’t a pirate. "I'm glad you're not a pirate. I don't like boats. They make my stomach ill and not even a good elfroot smoking can fix it."
Siali gave her another bemused look. “I never knew smoking elfroot was an option.” She shrugged. “I wouldn’t know what I’d be like as a pirate anyway. Probably pretty bad. I’ve never been on a ship.” Except on a couple of occasions, when she had crawled through portholes in order to carry out a contract when she was working with the Crows, but that hardly counted. Those ships had been firmly tied to land.
Given that knowing about the Wardens seemed like the most likely way somebody would be familiar with Anders, Siali asked how the woman had met the mage. The other elf did actually know what the Wardens were, but it turned out that Anders might not have been wearing the uniform when she met him. “Anyway, I met him in Highever. He was visiting the woman I worked for. He was nice! I'm forgetting something else...Ooops! Name. I'm Caitríona!”
“And he invited you to come and meet him in Amaranthine, did he?” So he’d had more than a passing interest in the woman, then. “Hm. Well, he’s not back from Highever yet. Shouldn’t be too much longer though, I don’t think they were planning on sticking around long after the wedding.”
Siali bumped several theories about why Anders would invite a Dalish elf to come and visit him off each other in her head. When she passed the message on to him that Caitriona had arrived, she’d watch for his reaction. If he seemed worried that she knew about Caitriona, Siali decided she’d keep a close eye on the mage for a while. From a safe distance, of course.
Lost in these thoughts, she almost missed the large shadow looming out of a side road and flung a hand out just in time to catch Caitriona’s arm and pull her back before the shadow made a grab for the Dalish woman. There was a grunt of annoyance before a tall human emerged, wielding a hammer, of all things. “C’mere, knife ears.”
Siali crossed her arms and stared up at him, pulling a particularly ugly expression at the human. She saw his eyes flicker to the insignia on her arm. “Do you really want to give us trouble?” The man glowered down at her, clearly weighing up his chances. Siali decided to push it. “Two weeks ago I killed an ogre by shoving a sword in its ear. Getting in our way in very, very stupid.”
Before she’d been a Warden, she would have happily led this man on a blind chase down an alleyway where she could ensure he caused no further problems with the minimum amount of fuss, but as she was supposed to be responsible now she was giving him at least a little warning. Hopefully he wouldn’t be stupid enough to attack.
Re: Excuse me....Where am I? [OPEN RP] « Reply #8 on Apr 16, 2012, 5:40pm »
“I never knew smoking elfroot was an option.”
It was a statement that opened up the floodgate. With an amazed look and borderline fainting swoon, Caitríona turned to her fellow elf. She couldn't believe it. A shem not knowing? Well, that made sense. An elf not knowing about the uses of elfroot? It was almost criminal! Within a moment, Caitríona launched into an extended listing of the herbs uses and applications.
"...so you see, it's not even just for colds or cuts or bruises. It increases sex drive, let's you lift up to 100 extra pounds in concentrated doses, makes music sound better! Everything! You could even put those altogether, I suppose!" she finished with an inexperienced giggle.
For whatever reason, it seems that Siali didn't want to discuss elfroot much. A fact which greatly saddened Caitríona. Mostly, her fellow elf wanted to ask about Anders. "...he invited you to come and meet him in Amaranthine, did he? Hm. Well, he’s not back from Highever yet. Shouldn’t be too much longer though, I don’t think they were planning on sticking around long after the wedding.”
Following close behind Siali, Caitríona tried to explain things simply. "I had to leave Highever and I didn't really know where to go so he said to come here. And I have a friend who's a Warden so I thought it'd be good to at least visit her. Maybe find a job in the city selling herbs or flowers or something. I think I could do reasonable well for-"
“C’mere, knife ears.”
A man had approached them without Caitríona noticing. He didn't look very nice at all. Muttering under her breath, she replied. "That's not my name..." before offering the man a smile. It was quite different from the threats Siali offered. Following on her fellow elf's heels, she spoke again.
"Um...can we not fight? I don't have much but I can give you something to go away. I have a few potions I made here. You could sell them!
Joined: Oct 2010 Gender: Female Posts: 630 Karma: 9
Re: Excuse me....Where am I? [OPEN RP] « Reply #9 on Apr 19, 2012, 10:10am »
Apparently not knowing the virtues of elfroot beyond being the key component in things that helped patch Siali up after a rough fight was astonishing to Caitriona. The other woman immediately launched into other things elfroot made possible other than accelerated healing. Apparently it was also an aphrodisiac, which was surprising to Siali given how many times she’d used health poultices in her life – she hadn’t ever been tempted to jump somebody after patching herself up. It also increased strength and enjoyment of music. This was all news to the Warden. Then again, she’d never been much of a one for music, and presumably she’d never had a concentrated enough dose to reap the second benefit.
Caitriona made some comment about how all three results could be useful in the same situation, and Siali tried to imagine any situation where being turned on to the point of distraction, able to crush a rock with one hand and appreciate music at the same time would possibly be good when combined. She would have thought that the first two at least would result in frustration more than anything else.
Unable to make much sense out of the other woman’s observations so far, Siali asked her about her arrangement to meet Anders, and pointed out that he hadn’t actually got back from Highever yet. She might have a bit of a wait. Caitriona stopped talking about elfroot and outlined her circumstances. "I had to leave Highever and I didn't really know where to go so he said to come here. And I have a friend who's a Warden so I thought it'd be good to at least visit her. Maybe find a job in the city selling herbs or flowers or something. I think I could do reasonable well for-"
Caitriona was cut off by the instruction of the huge thug that made a swipe for her from the alleyway. Siali pulled her out of the way and then, insanely, the other woman smiled at the shem who was looking at her with a faintly greedy expression. Siali wondered if she wasn’t quite all there. Hoping to scare the human away before he started swinging that hammer around, Siali pointed out that messing with anybody who killed darkspawn for a living was a bad idea (he didn’t need to know she’d only been in one battle with the creatures).
To her amazement Caitriona piped up again. "Um...can we not fight? I don't have much but I can give you something to go away. I have a few potions I made here. You could sell them!”
If Siali wasn’t concentrating on not taking her eyes off the human so she could dodge a swipe from his weapon if he decided on that course of action, she would have stared at the other woman. The man was certainly almost gawping at her. Siali reached over her head and started drawing her blade, allowing the scrape of metal to sound very loud. The man started raising his hammer, but then seemed to think better of it, and stepped back into the alleyway with a grumble. Siali would have liked to follow after him but she had her current companion to think of, who likely would not be much help if they got into a fight.
Once she was certain he had gone, Siali let her Dar’Misaan fall back into its sheath and looked at the other woman. “How are you planning to pay for your room, if you only had potions? Or do you have some coin tucked away you didn’t tell him about? Also, who is your friend in the Wardens?”
Re: Excuse me....Where am I? [OPEN RP] « Reply #10 on Apr 22, 2012, 6:14pm »
Kindness certainly has a way of winning even the most dire battles. For a minute, Caitríona thought that the man might have simply ran away because of how scary Siali looked when she scowled. But that was silly. It was obviously a change of heart, of course! Prompted through her gesture of charity. What else could it be?
The man turned and sank into the shadows, prompting both elves to relax. Their body's tension faded away and although the experience startled her, it was over so Caitríona began to hum happily. At the very least, she couldn't say that cities were dull, now could she?
With a bouncing step forward, the Dalish elf proceeded forward down the allyway before her companion's voice caused her to stop and turn about.
“How are you planning to pay for your room, if you only had potions? Or do you have some coin tucked away you didn’t tell him about? Also, who is your friend in the Wardens?”
So many questions. The elf smiled. She liked Siali. She was the first person in the whole city who didn't curse at her or chase her off. In fact, she actually seemed interested in Caitríona. That was nice. In response to her first question, the elf stopped, bringing her travel sack to the ground and rummaging through it. As she did, her eyes narrowed and the tip of her tongue popped out out the side of her mouth a bit. "Hmmmmm....Oh, here we are!"
At once, she pulled out a tattered coin purse and grinned from ear to ear. "I have...three whole copper coins!" she confided, as if she was sharing the location of a buried treasure. But, I won't have to use them because Mister Anders said he was paying for the room. Such a nice man, that Mister Anders. Did you know that he like animals?"
She quickly stuffed the coin purse back into her bag, before tossing the sack over her shoulders again. "My friend's name is Auriana and she's great! She's, like, the most pretty person I've seen and she's really funny and brave and really, really helpful! I've seen her fight darkspawn and she's probably going to be the greatest Warden in the history of anything."
She punctuated this with a nod before thoughts of fighting caused her to grimace a bit. The woman looked at Siali with a curious gaze. "You...were you going to hurt that man?"
Joined: Oct 2010 Gender: Female Posts: 630 Karma: 9
Re: Excuse me....Where am I? [OPEN RP] « Reply #11 on Apr 24, 2012, 4:26am »
In answer to her question about how she was going to pay for her room, Caitriona started digging around in her bag. Siali waited, guard up in case the other elf was going to unexpectedly pull out a pouch of gold and start swinging it around where anybody could grab it. There was nobody around at the moment, but in these streets it paid to keep alert in case there was something lurking in the shadows more successfully than a man with the hammer. Caitriona did pull out a coinpurse eventually, but it looked a little threadbare and was obviously not heavily filled.
With the air of somebody imparting the secret of great fortune, Caitriona confided that she had three ‘whole’ coppers. Siali didn’t know how successful she was at keeping the expression of sympathy off her face. The other woman clearly had no idea that would barely buy her sleeping space in a hayloft, which were in short supply in the middle of the city. “But, I won't have to use them because Mister Anders said he was paying for the room. Such a nice man, that Mister Anders. Did you know that he like animals?"
Slightly derailed from her original reason for asking, Siali nodded. “He has a cat at the Keep. It’s quite nice.” Except when she trod in mice remains, then it was an orange-furred Fade demon.
Before Siali could get back to her point, Caitriona put her purse away and started talking about the other Warden she knew. Siali’s eyebrows rose as it was revealed that Caitriona had met Auriana. After being treated to a litany of Auriana’s virtues, Siali let the ghost of a smile appear. “We were recruited around the same time, in Denerim. I travelled to Amaranthine with her. We get on pretty well.” They hadn’t talked much lately, but she was more relaxed around her fellow recruit than she was around most of the other Wardens except Oghren.
Caitriona suddenly grimaced. "You...were you going to hurt that man?"
Siali’s expression became slightly masklike, and she shrugged. “If he had decided to try and hurt us, yes. I was trying to frighten him off without actually drawing my weapons first.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Some people require a little more intimidation than others before they decide I’m not worth the trouble of attacking.” Even the Warden insignia only got her so far with the most stubborn humans.
She finally got back on track and remembered what it was she wanted to say to Caitriona. “Anyway, there’s a bit of a problem. Anders might have offered to pay for your room for you, but he’s not back from Highever yet. Which means he hasn’t had time to send the coin, and you don’t have anywhere near enough money to pay for one yourself.” She jerked her head in the direction of the Crown and Lion, coming to a decision. Had it been Erna walking around the city without any coin, she would have invited her to stay at the Keep, but if that wasn’t an option she would offer her the same gesture she was going to for Caitriona. “Come on. I’ll cover the cost of your room until Anders arrives. At least then you’ll have a roof over your head for the next couple of days.”
A dull throb of pain knocked at her temples and Siali massaged them, wincing. This headache had been building for a while and it had chosen now to tip over into the seriously uncomfortable. “Ugh. Don’t suppose one of those potions you’ve got is good for a headache?”
Re: Excuse me....Where am I? [OPEN RP] « Reply #12 on Apr 30, 2012, 1:18pm »
Caitríona watched Siali carefully as her fellow elf answered her questions, her face scrunched up as though she was trying to assess the artistic worth of a painting or solve a complex puzzle. She did he best not to seem ingracious; it was a brave thing to stand up to bad people and Caitríona appreciated that her new friend's willingness to stand up for her but still...fighting was fighting.
"I'm glad you didn't have to hurt him. Or get hurt. Basically, I'm glad not one got hurt. Fighting's just about the worst thing in the world and we all really shouldn't be doing it. I mean, I see no reason for us to fight anything ever and I don't really want anyone to ever do so on my account..."
With a small nod in the right direction, the pair kept moving forward. Anders, it seemed, was not in town yet and Siali was certain that he'd not paid for Caitríona room. And the surly elf did not thing her Dalish counterpart had enough to pay. Caitríona gave a dismissive giggle in response. "I'm sure he sent a message ahead of him. And if not, I have more than the coppers. Before I left Highever, I bought about a dozen little wooden halla statutes. Very cute. That should help. And if not, I have potions and herbs and could even cook to pay for my boarding."
“Come on. I’ll cover the cost of your room until Anders arrives. At least then you’ll have a roof over your head for the next couple of days.”
The reply was immediate. "I couldn't. Really. I'm sure that everything will work out just fine!" Caitríona asserted with a smile that was anything but assured in itself.
Without much warning, Siali began to massage her temples. “Ugh. Don’t suppose one of those potions you’ve got is good for a headache?”
There was a flash of motion as Cait set to work, opening her bag, rummaging, grabbing elfroot and her impressive looking pipe, packing it, lighting it, taking a few puffs herself, and finally shoving it in Siali's hand. "Smoke this. Thank me later.
Joined: Oct 2010 Gender: Female Posts: 630 Karma: 9
Re: Excuse me....Where am I? [OPEN RP] « Reply #13 on May 1, 2012, 5:26am »
Caitríona pulled odd faces throughout Siali’s explanation; as if her reaction to having a human grab at her and her efforts to get both Siali and the human to step down from their confrontation, she wasn’t exactly keen on violence. Siali tried to avoid it when she could these days – at least as far as other free-thinking beings went – although she raised her eyebrows when Caitríona said there was no reason to fight anything ever.
“Darkspawn. There’s a good reason for fighting,” Siali deadpanned. Caitríona couldn’t be labouring under the illusion those things could be negotiated with. Could she?
Rather than being blunt and asking the other elf if she would want everybody to step back and not fight if she was being dragged below ground by a hurlock, Siali indicated that they should continue towards the Crown and Lion. Caitríona didn’t have the money for board, but said she could trade wooden halla statues and her ability to cook and brew potions instead of coin. Somehow Siali didn’t see the landlord being swayed by that idea. He was nice enough to anybody who had coin, not so much to those who didn’t. And besides, they already had a cook. After a moment’s consideration, she offered to pay for Caitríona’s room, at least for now. The woman clearly should not be sleeping on the streets in case she thought somebody heading for her with a knife in one hand and wearing a wide smile was simply going to ask for directions.
"I couldn't. Really. I'm sure that everything will work out just fine!"
Siali suppressed the urge to snort. “Okay. Well, if the landlord doesn’t accept your offer of tiny deer statues and potions, I’ll cover you. We’ll wait and see.” The man was probably going to think the pair of them mad.
Thinking about the contemptuous look that was probably going to appear on the man’s face made Siali’s headache kick up another notch and she thought of a use for the potions Caitríona had mentioned. Instead of retrieving a vial from her bag, however, the other elf produced a pipe and started packing the bowl. Or ignore what I said, fine. She could pick one up at the apothecary along with what she needed for her poisons.
Caitríona puffed at the pipe a few times and Siali impassively watched the small plumes of smoke rise. She was then surprised with Caitríona passed it to her. “Smoke this. Thank me later.”
Siali eyed the pipe dubiously. She’d never smoked; along with any form of perfume or cologne, it had been banned by the Crows as a smart enemy would notice any unusual scent nearby. And even before she had been picked up by Carlo it had made sense not to partake. Berwyn had spent all their money on alcohol, she could ill afford to develop an addiction to any substance herself.
Caitríona had indicated it would help with her headache, though, so Siali gingerly raised it to her lips and inhaled.
Hot smoke rolled down her lungs and she started coughing so violently she was surprised that one or more of her internal organs hadn’t made a break for it. She caught Caitríona’s shoulder for support as she gasped for air before straightening up, eyes watering, to glower at the other woman. “What in the Void was that supposed to do? Make me cough until I forgot I had a headache?"
« Last Edit: May 1, 2012, 5:27am by Siali Arnith »
Re: Excuse me....Where am I? [OPEN RP] « Reply #14 on May 6, 2012, 5:37am »
Caitríona wanted to spend more time explaining to Siali just exactly what was wrong with violence, even against darkspawn. In truth, the elf knew her arguments were not likely to sway the woman. Indeed, Siali's whole demeanor and appearance seemed a vindication of violence. She looked strong and self made in a way that only a life of conflict might create. Caitríona knew it when she saw it. Scarred and stern, Siali wore the lessons violence had taught her like an armor. But that didn't mean that Caitríona had to enjoy the fact that it was such.
She wondered what she would have done if Siali had injured the man in the alleyway. The answer was simple. She would have helped him. Just as she would have helped anyone hurt. Just as she'd helped Lucian. In her heart of hearts, she wanted to believe that if she showed enough kindness to everyone she met, it might catch on like a flame to tinder. And that meant honoring her vow to Sylaise always and with all life. From Siali's words, she likely would have found the notion as absurd as William had during their travels.
But the time for such discussion and thought passed quickly and faded into actions of health. A strong smoke would clear up Siali's headache in no time and there was nothing better to smoke than good, well dried elfroot. Handing her fellow elf the pipe, Caitríona smiled warmly. It was always a marvelous thing to her to see someone healed of an ailment, no matter if it was a headache or something far more severe. When her new friend began to cough furiously, Caitríona's smile was immediately replaced with a confused grimace.
“What in the Void was that supposed to do? Make me cough until I forgot I had a headache?", came the half sputtered reply of her fellow elf. Walking over, Caitríona took the pipe and began to puff at it herself. No. She hadn't accidentally put deathroot in there or anything. It definitely was elfroot, which meant that one of a few things had occurred: perhaps Siali was allergic to elfroot, which Caitríona quickly decided was possible the worst possible thing ever in the history of allergies or, bless her heart, Siali had never smoked elfroot before.
Deciding it was the latter, Caitríona shook her head in reply. "It's elfroot, Da'len" she explained softly, giving Siali's back a kind and understanding pat. "You're just not doing it right. You're rushing it. You need to take a good, long drag on the pipe, inhale well, and hold it for a moment before your exhale."
Bringing the pipe to her lips, Caitríona demonstrated, inhaling strongly and eventually dispelling a strong bit of smoke from her nostrils. A contented warmth spread over her and she smiled at her friend. "See? Not too hard, is it? Sylaise bless you, you'll get use to it in time. Even with that bad puff you took, wait a few minutes and you should start feeling better."
She gave Siali back a quick rub before she pressed onward, walking down the alley. Upon exiting, the pair were met with a fair looking tavern with a proudly displayed sign reading "Crown and Lion", which Cait recognized immediately..except the last time she saw it, she was certain the sign had read "Clown and Goblin". She gave an embarrassed, tittering giggle and looked over at Siali with flushed cheeks. "Oh. This is it? I thought this was the "Browning Onion". I guess I didn't look too close. City and all that; so much to see, so little time to see it! Shall we head in?"
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