( open ) in peace, vigilance

[heroica]

Who: Warden Cousland and YOU
Where: Outside (various)
When: 08/29
Rating: PG...?
Summary: The day Robyn arrives to Wonderland is very busy and very confusing.


( morning ; arrival )

[ It isn't Ferelden, that much she can tell. Robyn has spent her entire life in the place, knows its trees and air and people like the back of her hand. Not once has she traveled outside its borders (she's been to the Deep Roads, for Andraste's sake, but has never stepped foot outside of their fair kingdom). Well... that is, until now. Until they'd been discussing what would surely be the final battle, the clash against the Darkspawn hordes, against the fearsome Archdemon itself, and then...

This. She'd been alarmed, to say the least, but not panicked. After everything, it's hard to lose your cool at a simple change of scenery. All the same, she notices the plants, catches voices in the air that are distinctly foreign, and has to wonder.

Where am I?

She spends no time trying to figure that out, of course. The Warden, bow slung over her back, but dagger at her hip, moves quietly through the grounds. It'd be easiest to just speak with one of the natives and she's always favored a non-violent approach, when possible, but these are extraordinary circumstances. She hasn't felt this upended in a long time and it has to take some preparation. Not the usual (traps and such), but stealthy observation of the land around her and, if she's lucky, whatever people may be camped nearby.

"Camped," she thinks, until she comes across the mansion. The brunette stops dead, eyes wide and shocked; it hadn't seemed like any part of a town or city, but here is someone's estate, clearly, a bizarre structure that rises up from the grass like a jarring behemoth. ]

Maker's breath. [ But perhaps she's gaping for a moment too long... ]


( afternoon ; danger )

[ There is a wolf in the field beyond the gardens. It isn't just any wolf, however; the Blight Wolf will likely be alarming to anyone who is unfortunate enough to see the monster-like animal as it wanders through the grounds. Oddly, perhaps, the wolf doesn't seek out prey or attack and of the local animals or horses. It pants, sniffling around, exploring, but seems mostly without interest in anything living.

When someone crosses its path, the wolf lowers its head, bears its teeth, and growls. Watching. ]


( evening ; settling )

[ It isn't long before she makes camp. Well, a semblance of it, anyway; the young Warden rolls a log from the forest with some effort and leaves it on the outskirts. Following that, she arranges a series of stones, moving into the trees to gather firewood which she promptly deposits. Though a mage would make the entire process easier, she is alone at present, and lights a fire with a flint so that flames crop up between the twigs in bright shoots.

The mansion seems tame enough, her fears quelled for a time by the other she'd spoken with. It isn't her country, her world, even, or the Fade; that has anxiety prickling inside her like she hadn't felt in a while. It's so strange how easily the others seemed to accept it, too... and Robyn thinks, I've made it through worse, much worse, and contents herself with a short sigh, stretching out her legs before her. She's still sitting in full armor, though it's light enough not to be uncomfortable and, frankly, she finds it a great comfort to have the leather garb keeping her safe in completely uncharted territory. ]

Hmm. [ When darkness begins to fall, she wonders if she'd be better off inside the walls of the manor. She'd been told that it was safe, that there was food and warmth and a room for her, somehow. Well, they did bring me here. But something about it makes her uneasy and she's not in any hurry to leave the simple familiarity of the lonely camp she'd made in the grass of the very-foreign Wonderland. ]

Things can't ever be simple, can they?

Comments

evening! (if this works?)

[outofthebreach]

[ It had been by accident he'd spotted the campfire out of his window while settling in for the evening, and recalling that it wasn't far away from where he'd met the Warden that morning, it has him wondering.

Slipping out of the mansion and heading in the direction of the glow, he approaches the camp with care before confirming that the figure seated beside the fire is indeed the young woman he'd met earlier. He lets his approach make enough noise that he shouldn't startle her too badly - he's not in the habit of sneaking up on friends, especially when they happen to be heroes out of legend. ]

Warden Cousland?

yassss

[heroica]

[ He doesn't startle her; he makes enough noise to draw her attention before he appears... and Robyn is in the habit of keeping alert for bloodthirsty monsters, which also helps. ]

Inquisitor. [ She smiles politely as he approaches, seated alone on a log before a small fire. There isn't anything else to speak of, but she moves to the side; it's a sizable enough trunk. ] Will you join me?

[outofthebreach]

I'd be honored. [ He flashes her a smile in the firelight as he moves to join her, sinking down on the log at her side and stretching his long legs out in front of him. ] You realize there's a house with plenty of empty rooms right there though, yes?

[heroica]

I'd be blind to have missed it. [ But she's grinning, glad for the company. ] ... Honestly, we haven't - hadn't been spending much time at all indoors lately, and this is almost a comfort right now.

[ To be without anyone she knows isn't a new concept and this isn't even close to the most distressing thing that's ever happened to her. All the same, there's a lot on her mind, particularly a lot of people that she's worried about. ]

I mean to look through it tomorrow, though, if that sets your mind more at ease.

[outofthebreach]

I know how that feels. I've been traipsing all over the ass-ends of Thedas for the past year. [ It's declared with exasperated fondness as he settles comfortably and glances over at her. ] I've spent more time in a tent and a bedroll than I have in my own bed. My mother would be delicately scandalized.

It's enjoyable, though. At least, when it's not in a bog. Or a desert. Or in the snow. [ He pauses. ] Or too near a dragon. Wait, what part of this was meant to be enjoyable again?

[heroica]

I can't imagine she's anything but proud of you. [ Doing the Maker's good work, and all that. Robyn still only has the outdated version of the Inquisition in her head, the one rooted more firmly in the Chantry, and has yet to hear of how very different it's come to be.

Dragon makes her think of the Archdemon, the being that speaks to her in her dreams (nightmares), and it occurs to her that she isn't sure if she'll have them tonight in this unconnected world. ]

Was it ever meant to be anything more than a duty? [ It's a light joke based in sincerity. She doesn't know, either, how Brennan had come to head the Inquisition, but her experience with the Wardens had begun almost entirely out of her own control. ] What is the purpose of this new Inquisition?

[outofthebreach]

Well it's certainly made the family name rather infamous of late.

[ He lifts a hand to rub at the back of his neck as he makes a face at the question. Because the answer can be fairly complicated. ] To restore order, mostly. There was a catastrophe near the Temple of Sacred Ashes. The Divine and a good many powerful people were killed in a terrible explosion there and we were formed to discover who was responsible and set it right. Although for a while there was a giant hole in the sky, a rip in the Veil. Spawned a bunch of smaller ones all over southern Thedas and demons kept pouring out of them. We had the fun task of finding them all and sealing them again. The big one too. Bit of a mess, that.

[heroica]

Infamous? I should think the man closing holes in the sky should be the opposite.

[ Does she seem almost indignant? Well, it's true!

Robyn listens attentively with growing seriousness, nodding occasionally, perfectly silent and very deep in thought even after he finishes. ]

Do you know what - or who - caused the explosion? [ Maker, to think that the Most Holy and dozens of others could be murdered... She's paled considerably at what is their shared future and his great responsibility. ] And you had to fight off demons and close rifts all at the same time... I'm so sorry, that all seems a terrible burden for one person, or... even one group, really.

[outofthebreach]

Well, the Chantry declared me a heretic, first. That was more the cause of infamy. They preferred to pin the blame for what happened at the Temple on me since I seemed to make a fairly easy scapegoat, at first. Plus, people sort of took to calling the 'Herald of Andraste' since... well, it's complicated, but the rumors spread like wildfire and the Chantry wasn't too pleased about that either.

[ Personally, despite his upbringing, that had been about the time when he'd been ready to leave them to clean up their own damn mess, but he couldn't do that to all the innocents caught in the crossfire. The common folk who had no defense and no place to hide. But Maker's breath, he hated politics. Even now, he was heartily sick of the Game, no matter what his skill level had evolved into.

Her questions about the explosion have him dipping his head in a nod. ] Yes. We found him. Or rather, he kept hunting me, so I suppose we kept finding each other. We ended him at last, but it took us quite some time. And no small amount of luck.

evening!

[magisterium]

I'm afraid not.

[The response comes unbidden from somewhere to her left, where a mage in Tevinter dress stands roughly two yards away, leaning comfortably on his staff as though it were no more than a very ornate walking stick. It's evening, but the weather is pleasant enough that he'd decided it wasn't too late for a walk-- or so he would tell anyone who asked.

Truth be told, he'd glimpsed the Blight Wolf from a distance earlier, losing track of it before he could get close enough to investigate, and he'd been curious to see if it might make another appearance if he made his way out to the gardens after supper. Instead, he'd found himself drawn towards the outskirts of the grounds by the faint flicker of firelight, curious.

It seems he was not to be disappointed. The girl herself wasn't familiar, but her armor was.]

You might find yourself more at ease within the mansion. It's safe, I assure you-- at least at the moment. You won't need your armor there.

[heroica]

[ Oop. Robyn starts, just a little; he seems to have just materialized out of the blue (or, darkness, rather) and into the outskirts of the camp. She has her hand at her back on the hilt of her dagger before she relaxes, smiling easily. ]

So I've been told. I'm reserving judgment until a full inspection tomorrow.

[ Or, more truthfully, as she'd admitted to Brennan, she enjoys being outside and is more used to it than trusting herself to the confines of the mansion's strange walls. ]

Inquisitor Trevelyan mentioned he had arrived with a mage from Tevinter. [ It comes with no real reservations or prejudices; she travels with a diverse group and has seen enough of Ferelden alone to be open-minded about most anything... or so she thinks. Robyn has yet to see much of Wonderland. ] Might I assume you are Dorian?

[magisterium]

You assume correctly. He must have told you how devilishly handsome I am.

[The reply comes easily, effortless, and he invites himself to join her without any further discussion, seating himself on a lopsided stone across from her so that he's perched on the other side of her little campfire.]

And that makes you the Grey Warden he mentioned. Robyn, was it?

[He hadn't heard much in the way of details, but he'd gotten her name.]

[heroica]

He kept a more detailed description to himself.

[ But she smiles as he sits; truthfully, any reminder of home on this very confusing and harrowing day is welcome, and Dorian seems perfectly pleasant. ]

Robyn Cousland, yes. [ She inclines her head briefly, watching him across the fire. ] From your past, I think, in some... wild distortion of time that I don't yet understand.

[magisterium]

Then I daresay he's done me a great disservice. I'll have to have words with him.

[A smile pulls at one side of his mouth, bemused, his voice warm and teasing all at once. Even with strangers, gregarious is his default setting.]

Ah-- something I've recently become quite familiar with, I'm afraid. There's another here from Thedas whose situation is similar. I know her, but she doesn't remember me or our dear Inquisitor, hailing from years before we've ever met. A friend of yours, I do believe.

[He raises an eyebrow, curious.]

A Lady Morrigan.

[heroica]

I won't have you scold him on my behalf! [ She smiles back; like Dorian, she's naturally prone to friendliness with complete strangers, and not always to her advantage. ] Wouldn't you rather me form a fresh opinion, with this being my first meeting with a Tevinter mage?

[ Not that she's one to form opinions based entirely on rumors. In any case, he's been more than agreeable thus far. ]

Morrigan! [ Robyn nods, crossing her ankles beneath her. ] I'm not sure she considers me a friend, or... even knows me, really, but...

[ She sighs shortly, trying not to look as lost as she feels. ]

She remembers many of the same things, but... not all. Not me.

[magisterium]

I may scold him anyway, just for the fun of it. [His good cheer remains as he proceeds to make himself more comfortable, leaning forward with an arm resting against his knee.] A fresh opinion-- now there's an idea. Here I was thinking I could use all the good press I could get.

[Even when he'd done so much to help the Inquisition before his actual joining it, his presence had been met with all sorts of resistance-- not to mention concerns.]

Doesn't remember? She doesn't remember me, either, I'm afraid. Is it the same situation-- her being from an earlier time?

[heroica]

You won't find prejudices here. [ It's frank, but true. Their closest allies, or so they thought, had murdered her entire family. Since, she's learned too well not to trust a book by its cover, introduction, or any other part of it without being thorough. ]

It isn't that. [ She sighs softly, leaning forward to encourage the flames, poking at the fire with a twig. ] She remembers more of our travels than I do, but the Warden traveling with them - the one that isn't Alistair, I mean - isn't... me.

[ It doesn't make sense, but more than that, it scares her. Makes her feel like she's been cut out of history, as if she never existed before her time in Wonderland. What does it mean? ]

She remembers another Warden, an elf. Dalish, I think. As if everything else is the same except that I'm not a part of the story at all.

morning!

[henrydaniel]

[Henry spends a lot of time alone; there's something about being evil for a weekend that's made him want to take some time to reflect. But still, as he's going to sit out in the gardens, he see someone looking for surprised to be where they are, and he adjusts his backpack on his shoulder, walking forward but stopping to see if he can help.]

Are...you okay?

[heroica]

[ She's surprised to hear a voice, particularly that of a child (or, potentially, a demon or spirit taking a child's form). Even so, Robyn smiles kindly, albeit hesitantly. ]

I think so. [ She has armor and weapons on her person, at any rate. ] Can you tell me where I am?

[ There are a hundred other questions at her tongue, but she'll keep it to that. ]

[henrydaniel]

[So, she's definitely new, and Henry tries to look as reassuring as possible even though this place is sort of terrible, he's convinced.]

You're in a place called Wonderland. It's...magic. Everyone was doing one thing one second, and then suddenly they were here. We have no idea how we get here, we just...are.

[Saying it like that is so much easier than trying to come with some kind of portal explanation. Magic and a general sense of 'no one knows what's happening.' It sounds about right.]

[heroica]

Magic. [ Nothing new, but this type of magic... well. ] Could it be that we are asleep and this is all some dream? A shared one, maybe?

[ There's usually an explanation, even for magical happenings, though he may not know it. ]

"Wonderland." [ She chuckles softly. ] Do you know who named it?

[henrydaniel]

Maybe...I mean, that's one possibility, for sure.

[He's had shared dreams, in the burning room thanks to the sleeping curse. But he's not sure that's what's happening here because that'd be a huge magical feat, right?]

I'm not sure who named it, but it's based on a fairy tale that's pretty popular.

And...real. Except this version of Wonderland isn't like the version I've read about.

[heroica]

Read about? [ Robyn tilts her head, peering at the boy. ] You've heard of it before, then? I admit, I've never... come across the name.

[ To be fair, she doesn't done as much studying as she might have, had she not been outside and training. ]

A fairy tale? You mean, based on a story?

[ THAT ISN'T PERPLEXING AT ALL ]

[henrydaniel]

[To be fair, NOTHING ABOUT HENRY'S LIFE INS'T PERPLEXING.

He nods though.]

Where I'm from, most of the world thinks Wonderland is just a....fake place. A place in a book made up by someone, but it's not, I'm from a part of the world where magic exists, and a lot of the places people don't think exist do. Wonderland included but...it's not like this. The Wonderland I always read about is bright and...not nice, but not this bad.

[heroica]

So, it isn't that... we're in the story, but in a place modeled after it?

[ Interesting. Someone with magic, clearly, who'd enjoyed the book? ]

Where are you from?