fadewalk | RP: Surana

Varric had parked himself in his usual spot in the great hall waiting to see if the kid would show up. No luck there, but he was scrambling a little at the thought of coming face-to-face with the Hero of Ferelden.

It was funny, he mused as he propped Bianca against the wall and waited, eyes scanning the hall restlessly. He could be the best of friends with a Champion--and fucking hero until the end; he would force the world to sing songs about Hawke even if he had to write the bloody sagas himself--and close with an Inquisitor and Herald of Andraste, but he was still nervous meeting someone like Surana.

Funny. Definitely funny.

Kind of pathetic, too, if he let it tie his tongue any. Not that he was planning on that.

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"Oh, me and mister whiny here?" she scratched behind his ear, sweet smile on her face "When I went to Ostagar, to become a Grey Warden, the Kennel Master asked me to help him muzzling Jäger. He was sick due darkspawn blood and needed to be tended to, but he was biting anything on sight. He didn't rip off my hand and I can say it was love it first sight, if you believe such things. The battle of Ostagar tore us appart but he found his way back to me near Lothering and we are together since. 10 years with my whiny beastie, isn't it boy?"

Jäger strode around her, proud as a lion and barking his old, rusty barks.

"Smartest mabari I've ever seen. Most stubborn too."

He barked again, this time as if scolding Neria.

"Mabaris are smarter than most men I know," Varric said with a slowly growing grin. "I owe my ass to one, several times over. It's a pleasure to meet you, Jäger."

The hound approached the dwarf and barked, touching his should with his forehead as if making acquaintance with him.

"Owe you life to a mabari? Don't do we all?" she laughed "Did you use have one?"

"Oh, not me. Only true heroes have mabari," Varric said.

"Only true heroes huh? Guess that's why the dog lords freaked out when they saw me and Jäger." she smiled, stopping by the great hall. "So, where can we find your ale?"

"The tavern or the kitchens will do." He'd been joking earlier, but honestly? Yeah, today really was shaping up into one that required a drink. "Kitchen's closer. You know," Varric added as he led the way through the back corridors, "the first week or so we were in Skyhold, Solas was the only one who didn't get completely lost trying to go anywhere. The rest of us awkwardly smiled--or grunted, depending on the person--as we bounced around from room to room together, trying to figure out what the hell to do with ourselves."

"Off to the kitchen then." and she glanced the mabari "And you, behave."

The place was, indeed, huge. And she was sure she had just seen a small part of it.

"You see, I lived for six years in Vigil's Keep and I'm pretty sure there are still rooms in that fortress I can't even dream of." she shrugged "I wish I could have met the rest of the Inquisition. Leliana really told me the nicest things about them and the Inquisitor."

"They're all good eggs," Varric agreed easily. "Most of them handy with a game of Wicked Grace. You ever played?"

"Never had the chance or someone to teach me."

That earned a hearty--if a little strained--laugh. "Well. Maybe there's some luck to be had here after all," Varric said, pushing the door to the kitchen open. "I'm nothing if not an excellent teacher."

"That's wonderful! I don't know you, but I have some time I can spare for this purpose."

Neria went through the cupboards and shelves, preparing a basket with ale, some bread, cheese and few apples.

"I just hope we don't get trapped in the Fade forever by eating this food."

Varric paused, apple raised. "...is that a thing?"

"Sometimes, if a demon offers you something. Mostly Desire Demons though. Since I don't see any here..."

She shrugged, taking a piece bread.

"Demons, fade rifts, darkspawn magisters... You know, some day it'd be good to retire from all the crazy shit and just go back to things that make sense," Varric muttered, considering the apple.

Then he took a bite.

"Seems good, for a change. Only my problem is with the Deep Roads, not with Fade Rifts... at least, until today. Add pockets of darkspawn groups to it too. Well, if i could complete the cure, I could probably wipe out them from this world, forever."

A sigh escaped her mouth.
To wipe them forever was just the First Warden problem with the cure.

Varric winced.

"I'm all for your motives," he said. "It's just I've seen some dark shit with Wardens trying to cure all Blights lately. How, ah, has it been going?"

"As bas as could be...?" she scratched the back of her head "Weisshaupt is furious with the southern Wardens and how easily they were fooled, there is a lot of blame being put over my shoulders and on the top of it, I'm threatening the whole Order with my possibility of a cure. Can't say those are happy days for being a Warden." them she snorted "Supposing there are any happy days for being a Warden."

"Big supposition there," he agreed with a crooked grin. "So the other Wardens aren't glad you're looking for a cure? Don't they want to avoid the calling?"

"But if I could get rid of all the Taint in Thedas, what would be the purpose of the Grey Wardens?"

"Huh. So, question: if you get rid of the taint, would Wardens be able to do their Wardeny thing?"

"I'm trying to find a way to suppress only the deadly side of the Taint, like dragons do. But supposing all Taint was gone, no more darkspawn to corrupt the Old Gods souls, then the Blights would be gone, forever."

Again, he had not-too-distant memories of how badly that had gone before, but Varric went ahead and swallowed that back. Now definitely wasn't the time. "Sounds good. Do you need help carrying anything up?" he added, holding the kitchen door open for her with his hip, his own arms full.

"No, thank you, I'm good."

She left, heading back to the great hall.

"Just for you to know, I'm not like Clarel. I know you have no reason to believe my methods are different from hers, but they are. No blood magic, no suspiciously nice magisters offering their help. Just me, my research and elven magic. I'd hate it if this made you wary of me."

"I'm wary of everyone and everything until it's part of my family," he admitted. "It's not personal."

"Fair enough. At least now this is clear." Neria smiled.

Past the great hall, through the garden and back to the Eluvian room, full of glass shards, she led out another sigh; so many pieces to put back in place.

"Okay, easy said than done. We should raise the frame first, so we have room to move."