Off To Denerim - Nygozy's Group

"Aayugara, Ianto, Jezarine. You are with myself and Kai."

Torture barked.

"And you go where you want you beast." Nygozy turned to the rest, "Let's get going."

She waited for the others to get going and for her group to gather then turned and walked towards her horse, "We won't have to leave too quickly. We carry our own supplies and gather vegetables from the garden so that we have a light supper for tonight. Ready to see what is going on in the world now, Aayugara?"

"Smile for me, my love, my only,
A smile that only I can see.
Smile for me, I feel I'm flying,
Don't you cry, you belong to me."

The sky of the Fade... lurid whirls and swirls of colour, hypnotic... no, psychotic. The very stuff of dreams, of ideas. Stories, in their rawest, most unrefined form. Magnificent.

"No smiles for me, my love, my only,
Your eyes have turned away from me.
But I will never leave you darling,
I promise that you'll dream of me."

But that was the danger of the Fade... unless you came to it naturally, the very essence of the place tried to distract you. If you weren't careful, it could rob you of your sense in the space of a thought... what little thought you had left, once the demons had finished with you. Pause, glance to the left: A pack of shimmering wolves paused in their dismemberment of an errant spirit, their hungry maws poised slavering dreamstuff at the Intruder as she drifted past, waiting for a break in her concentration. An example in point. Nightmares were everywhere. And the twisting feeling in her gut was telling her that she had outstayed her welcome.

Now... where were they? Six minds. One full of curiosity about the world, another full of life. Dog-like loyalty and an actual dog. One who hid in the darkness, and...

Ah. A smile twinkled in the dreamscape. The wolves recoiled, phasing away as swiftly as their thoughts could carry them.

... one who had conquered the darkness. So. Here was where the story began.

"Darling, darling, snow-white darling,
Hear my voice e'en as you run.
Remember well the words I told you,
Dreams always from nightmares come-"

-hm? They were moving? Not quickly, but still... oh, drat! If they moved too far, then it might take her WEEKS to find them again. Concentrate, Sophia.

Sophia had always likened stepping back into the real world as a combination between waking up and sketching a full-sized portrait of herself: a shifting mage had to fit herself into her environment, drawing herself into an existing environment and then inhabiting the altered space. Everything had to be managed with the utmost care, every idea and facet of personality meticulously retrieved and filed to prevent loss or (even worse,) possession. Hair: black. Eyes: clouded. Intention: Clear. Destination: The Warden's Camp.

"Yes, Sophie dearest. But where in the Warden's camp?"

...Oh.

The Fade warped, hurling the willowy mage back into reality. Sophia found herself staggering, coughing as the cold morning air bit savagely into her cheeks. Everything that had seemed so clear in the Fade giggled and leered at her, the ground shifting beneath her feet, trees and plants multiplying between blinks. The camp... she had to get to the camp before they left-

Sophia noticed the short-haired elven girl a few seconds after she tripped over her. Gasping in shock, Sophia managed to stop herself from falling by draping her arms around the elf's shoulders in an impromptu embrace, but she could feel the world continuing its merciless tilt, delicately pulling her balance out from under her. Screwing her eyes shut, Sophia hoped desperately that her cushion was stronger then she looked, otherwise they would both find themselves face down in the dirt. It was almost enough to make one throw a tantrum. First impressions were SO important, and here she was about to make a pancake out of one of the Warden's allies. How humiliating...

Gather gather. This is what she had been asked to do so the Dalish healer did as she had been bade. Her mind did not stay on what she was doing as it drifted off towards Ianto and Royce, wondering mildly what was going to happen next. Where were they going to make a new home for the wardens and how many were they going to need to make with the potions? She was quite upset at that idea. The ritual was nothing but dangerous and she didn't like the idea of anyone dying.

There. She saw that Nygozy was done with her gathering and had gotten up onto her pony. What a cute pony with such a sweet little mohawk but it also had this look about it that you did not wish to mess with the little beast. The bay she had received was nothing like the one the Dwarf had or even anything like the war beast Kai rode.

Jezarine put her pack onto her bay horse and got ready to mount the animal when she felt something weird in the air. It seemed like some form of magic but where was it coming from?

"Ianto?" She looked towards the ex-Templar, "Can you feel ... ah!"

A tear in the air then a person came out and fell against her, draping her arms around her shoulders and making her fall backwards. Jez whipped her arms about in circles as if she was trying to fly but she was doing her best to get her balance and it almost worked until her horse betrayed her, moving out of the way so she could fall. She hoped beyond hope that it wouldn't hurt. Then she hoped there wasn't any horse patties waiting there either.

You did that on purpose, you stupid horse!
Sophia pushed herself up onto her knees, trying not to retch. Reality still wasn't entirely in focus and the fall had sent her reeling: a horsey welcome just added insult to injury.
"At least I landed in something soft... I've certainly made better entrances..." And she had to giggle, really. Tripping over an elf and landing face-first in horse dung? A stage comedy come to life! But speaking of the elf... where was she? Left, a pony with a mohawk (cute, but strangely scary,) right, a black beast of a horse who would look quite at home on a Orlias tapestry. Up, nothing but the grey morning sky. Down...
Oh. She hadn't landed in horse dung after all. Claws of ice tore at Sophia's spine. Huge, guilty, rending claws. She recoiled off of the little elf as if she had been burned, perpetual smile frozen in shock.
"A-Abelas! Are you okay? I didn't mean to fall on you, I... oh no..."
Never move someone who might be hurt. Assess any possible injuries first. A ribboned finger brushed the elven girl's brow, channeling a brief burst of healing magic to aid with any bruises.
"Again, I am so sorry. I'm normally not this clumsy... are you hurt anywhere?"

Ianto hadn't arrived to camp on a horse the morning before, but luckily the farm had had a few extra in the barns. They weren't exactly war stallions, but Ianto had always had a soft spot for horses (and all animals, really), so he didn't mind taking what could be considered a second-rate horse. All the little gold mare had to do was get him to Denerim, or whatever Fade bedamned place they were going, and he wouldn't ask anything else of her. She had a good temper, though, calm, and if they all made it to their destination in one piece, he'd even consider keeping her.

All in all, as their crew was readying to go, giving Lithawen's group ample time to get ahead, Ianto was feeling good. He had a pretty little horse to ride, Jez was in his group (Royce had gone sorrowfully to his own assigned group, and he wasn't quite sure how to feel about that), and, best of all, he'd had a good lyrium dose earlier. Sure, it had been rather humorously interrupted by Margaid's spontaneous introduction to lyrium high, and he'd been caught by Jez, but he couldn't bring himself to feel bad about that. Jez hadn't cared (or, at least, hadn't said that she'd cared), and that was all that really mattered to him. Now, he was just ready to do his job.

It was just after coming to terms with this rather unexpected good feeling that he began to feel a... well, a tingle at the edge of his mind. It wasn't unlike using his Templar senses to track a mage, except he was pretty sure that he wasn't actively using those powers, so whatever was coming was pretty powerful. He had begun to turn his head towards Jez, responding to her own startled-sounding question, when a startled gawk rang through the air, and Ianto was left staring rather dumbly as Jez was tackled into the ground by a woman who literally came from nowhere. His brain finally caught up with his eyes a moment later, and he quickly hurried over to both women, leaving his horse (who, by the way, he'd named Moonlight) to wonder where her new rider had run off to.

"Jez!" He barked sharply, but if he was to be honest, he wasn't too worried. From what he'd seen, she wasn't in too much immediate danger, especially if anything could be garnered by the apparent fussing the new woman was now paying the dark elf, but Ianto wasn't going to go around trusting women who came from out of thin air quite that easily.

Of course, he was still noble-born and bred, so when he offered a hand to help the stunned elf up, he offered an equally firm hand towards the woman. "Are... are you alright? Eh, that is... both of you?" He asked, almost hesitantly because it was a fairly lame response to seeing two women topple over each other, but it was the best he could come up with right away.

Hey there was sky up there and trees over there. Wow. Imagine that.

Even though the dark Dalish had been knocked down she wasn't really hurt so much. She was mostly stunned and her head had been rattled a bit as it had hit the horse's hoof and it nudged her which, of course, made her noggin' hurt even more.

"A-Abelas! Are you okay? I didn't mean to fall on you, I... oh no... Again, I am so sorry. I'm normally not this clumsy... are you hurt anywhere?"

During these words a shimering sense of healing came over Jezarine and she gasped. This healing was different than what she was used to. It held a sense of the fade in it. Her eyes focused on the strange face in front of her then Ianto's hand came down.

"Jez! Are... are you alright? Eh, that is... both of you?"

She took Ianto's hand, letting him pull her up then flopped against his side, "Ow. I'm ok. I think. Thanks for the healing." Her expression was of confusion as it all had happened too fast for her to actually catch what was going on. She blinked and held onto Ianto like a life preserver as the fade style magic messed her up.

It had not taken long to acquire what they needed or to get on their horses to get ready to go. The only one who wasn't on their horse yet was Jezarine but the Dwarf was in no hurry to get going. Let the groups ahead deal with speeding along if they wished. Instead, she patted her pony's neck, smiling at Palindrome as she did so and not noticing her Elven guard watching her with a strange expression before the sneer returned.

Then something felt wrong. Her head snapped up as she could feel the tearing in the air. Having been around enough matters dealing with the fade, even though Nygozy was no mage she could certainly tell when something magical was going on.

That was when a strange woman popped from the tear, landing against Jezarine and wrapping her arms around her.

Nygozy was down from Palindrome in a moment but Kai had been faster, grabbing hold of her upper arm and keeping her from rushing ahead. She looked back at Kai without pulling away as she heard this new voice saying she was sorry and the three speaking a few words. As she did so the assassin guard moved her back a few paces.

"No." Was his word to the situation. The Dalish Elf glared at this new person as if he could rip her to shreds with his vision alone. This wasn't something he was expecting or liked. It was too convenient for someone to pop into their part of the party like this, play all coy then try to kill the Hero.

Torture stood on her other side, watching the woman just as warily as Kai was watching her.

"Your name and why have you dropped in on us like that?" She asked the woman as she stayed out of range of the woman, just in case.

Her nerves seemed a little jangled, but apart from that...

"... oh. Thank you."

She took his arm as if she were afraid to break it: two slender fingers rested lightly on his forearm, acting only as an aid to balance as she flowed gracefully to her feet, black hair (still slightly Fade-tinted,) flopping forward over her face. In truth, she was simply savouring the feeling under her fingertips too much to waste it in a needy grasp. Warmth... actual human warmth, even if it was wrapped in a hunk of leather and metal, was a rare commodity in the realm of dreams. Even so there was something familiar about it, a jangle of loyalty and light and thrumming, yearning tension... Ah. Of course. She had touched this mind before.

"So I am in the right place..."

A single cloudy eye smiled out from behind its ebon curtain. Oh... reality had stopped spinning, and what a reality! The morning air no longer snarled, but wrapped her in its sparkling embrace. The sky, the land... immutable, unchanging, but somehow almost as beautiful as the most precious of dreams. And her rescuers! The feel of their dreams simply didn't do them justice! The little elf, especially given her wide-eyed confusion, was adorable, full of doubtful wonder and just a touch of beautiful resilience as shown through her spiraling tattoos... the marks of a Keeper? Her companion... tall and powerful, the mischief in his eyes now partially hidden behind concern and wariness and in its turn hiding... something else. The smile quirked slightly. How interesting.

"Ow. I'm ok. I think. Thanks for the healing."

"You have no need to thank me." Sophia replied quietly, her mind still wandering. "I imagine you would have done the same for me. It would have been rude, to allow you to break my fall and then have done nothing about it." Her fingers still resting on that steady forearm, Sophia's knees began to bend into an automatic curtsey-

"Your name and why you have dropped in on us like that?"

- and reversed her back into a standing position as the question rang out. There were two more of them... the dalish, swathed in the black of an accomplished assassin, was glaring at her with such hatred in his single eye that Sophia actually glanced over her shoulder to make sure that she was the target of his malice. In all fairness, she had just emerged from the Fade and tackled his comrade, but still... part of her mind assessed him (possibly practiced, close-range fighter, watch closely,) and the hulking mabari, detaching from the majority of her thoughts to better concentrate on its task. The rest of her mind was needed to focus on the matter at hand: the imposing dwarven woman who had challenged her. Even though she was short even by the standards of her race, Sophia found herself momentarily lost for words at the sheer presence she exuded. This was... this had to be the woman who had dealt the finishing blow to the Archdemon and survived...

"You are Warden Nygozy." A calm statement, not a question. This time Sophia managed to complete her curtsey, her smile sparkling with warmth. "My name is Sophia. It is an honour to meet you at last." The willowy mage rose to her full height, finally letting her hair cascade back to reveal her face. "My reason for 'dropping in' is quite simple: I wish to join you. I understand that everyone must do their part in order to repair the damage done by the Blight, and what better way is there to do that then to offer one's services to the Hero of Fereldan?" She tilted her head to one side, amusement flitting across her lips. "Although, if your bodyguard continues to stare at me like that, I'm afraid I may die before I am of any use to you."

"And you think that the best way to come into our group is to show up out of nowhere? Showing up unannounced and unexpected like this is dangerous, especially in a group like this where most if not all of the memebers have some sort of battle ability."

Kai watched this woman cautiously. Something was strange about this new comer, she was a mage that was for certain. But she seemed to have some kind of air about her, maybe it was the thing called the fade? Whatever it was the assassin remained ever cautious.

One hand held on to his weapon, the other to Nygozy's wrist. His grip was firm yet gentle, tight enough to hold on safely yey syoftly enough as not to harm the woman.

"On the contrary." Sophia's smile twitched. "I am well aware that stepping through so abruptly wasn't the wisest decision I could have made. Nevertheless, it was something that had to be done: if you had moved too far away from where I was watching, it might have taken me weeks to discover you again. And before you become wary of my observations, it was precisely because of the aforementioned 'battle abilities' that I undertook them. I had to be certain what you were capable of in the event that you did decide to act before thinking. Although..." A laugh slipped from between her lips. "... my sudden appearance may have done you more good then harm. After all, if I had been truly intent on attacking you, I would have taken you completely by surprise." The cloudy eyes sharpened slightly, taking in the stranglehold the assassin had on Nygozy's arm. "... but I take it you already know that." A dreamy, absent-minded shrug. "At least now you'll be better prepared in the future..."

"As for me... I doubt you'll believe me, but you are in no danger from me, unless you wish to be. I have no interest in fighting, and besides, I was hoping we could become friends. It would certainly make my job a lot easier... which is... um..." Sophia paused, tapping a ribboned finger against her lips, her smile almost-but-not-quite fading as she combed her memory. "... oh... that's right... I... collect stories. Tales. Myths, legends... a little while ago, I missed the chance to collect the greatest story of our age." The smile returned, this time rueful. "To slay an archdemon and survive... how amazing it would have been to see it. But there's no use in imagining what might have been." She glanced back to Nygozy, eyes suddenly sharp and sparkling, sapphire blue in the morning light. "If you will allow me, I wish to see what happens next. The first chapter of a story might be the most gripping, but the second tends to be the most telling."

With almost anticlimactic timing, Aayugara finally caught up to the rest of the group. He saw Nygozy, the angry elf man from earlier (or at least he thought it was the angry one, he wasn't quite sure) who was now wearing an eyepatch, the others he saw Nygozy talking to, and... someone new?

Aayugara sighed and said "Why am I always the last one to hear about news like this?" Then he stopped in his tracks. He felt the fade, and instantly knew what had happened here. Hopefully, he turned to her and asked, "You came from the fade? You're like me?"

Ianto watched the raven-haired newcomer thoughtfully. It might have been naive of him., but he didn't really feel... wary of her. Well, that wasn't right. He was a Templar. He was trained to be wary of mages (she must have been a mage- stepping out of the Fade like that), and that wasn't going to just go away, no matter how much his more rational mind trusted them. But still, when he grabbed her arm to help her up he just felt... well, good. Connected, or something. Like he'd met her before, even though he was pretty sure he'd remember a face like her's (and those eyes...).

Anyway, he'd stepped back and let Nygozy handle the situation. After all, he was just a soldier, and it was up to leaders like the little Hero to deal with newcomers. His opinion probably wouldn't matter much, anyway. It was almost hard to believe that he had only just met these people- people he already considered companions- just the other day. He guessed that battles brought people together like that. It was natural. Then again, he'd always been pretty good at getting along with people.

He stood closer to Jez, placing a hand on her shoulder unconsciously, making sure she was alright from falling. He glanced at her, for a moment forgetting Nygozy and the newcomer, and gave her a once-over. He quirked an eyebrow at her, a silent 'are you alright'. She'd fallen pretty hard, but the mage had done... something to her. Jez had thanked the woman for healing her, but he could still be worried for her.

"And you think that the best way to come into our group is to show up out of nowhere? Showing up unannounced and unexpected like this is dangerous, especially in a group like this where most if not all of the memebers have some sort of battle ability."

"On the contrary. I am well aware that stepping through so abruptly wasn't the wisest decision I could have made. Nevertheless, it was something that had to be done: if you had moved too far away from where I was watching, it might have taken me weeks to discover you again. And before you become wary of my observations, it was precisely because of the aforementioned 'battle abilities' that I undertook them. I had to be certain what you were capable of in the event that you did decide to act before thinking. Although... my sudden appearance may have done you more good then harm. After all, if I had been truly intent on attacking you, I would have taken you completely by surprise... but I take it you already know that. At least now you'll be better prepared in the future..."

Nygozy noticed the reactions from twitchy smile to the dreamy look and wondered about this strange person. There were many things to ask but she was considering where to start. This Sophia was straight forward about things which could either be good or a huge sham of the reason she gave for wanting to join the group. There were so many variances of why the woman came to them and usually Nygozy would take people for face value until they proved otherwise in their trustability.

But both Kai and Torture reacted to her. Why? It was easy to note that the mabari did not like the fade in the least. He tended to not appreciate anything to do with that particular part of life unless it was used for his mistress's care.

"As for me... I doubt you'll believe me, but you are in no danger from me, unless you wish to be. I have no interest in fighting, and besides, I was hoping we could become friends. It would certainly make my job a lot easier... which is... um... oh... that's right... I... collect stories. Tales. Myths, legends... a little while ago, I missed the chance to collect the greatest story of our age. To slay an archdemon and survive... how amazing it would have been to see it. But there's no use in imagining what might have been. If you will allow me, I wish to see what happens next. The first chapter of a story might be the most gripping, but the second tends to be the most telling."

Nygozy gave Kai a look to tell him to hold off for a few moments as she asked the other woman questions. She waited a moment then touched Torture's head to calm him, "I can see where you would do as you had if you were interested in coming into our group and creating an account of the stories of what we do. I'm not sure what you wish to accomplish with that though, unless you were a bard or were writing history books. There is no more Archdemon. Yes there are still many Darkspawn but our main goal is to re-establish the Wardens in Fereldan. I do not see what we could help you with unless you wish to hear tales."

Oh... how beautiful... skip straight, Sophia, one two three... there. She halted inches away from the heavily armoured knight, reaching out fearlessly to let her fingers run over the antique curves and rivets. The touch of the Fade, ancient but oh so distinctive, sparkled faintly forward to meet her, whispering in her ears. Dreams... so many ancient dreams, hidden in this man's mind. And if his armour was any indication...
"You have come a long way..." An index fingernail rang softly off the side of his helm. "This is..." Come on Sophia, this wasn't exactly difficult... "...Fourth Blight plate... the rivets are slightly different, as is the temper... but there's no sign of rust. A bit of dream-dust in the steel, perhaps... but otherwise it's just as perfect as the day it was made." This armour was a story in and of itself... how many battles had it seen? Who had worn it before the Fade-marked man behind its visor? Who had they been? Who had they loved, or hated: what had they fought for and dreamt of? A rush of warmth flooded Sophia, almost bringing tears to her eyes. She barely heard Nygozy speaking, asking inevitable questions. Reluctantly, she tore herself away from the Knight. It wouldn't do to gawk at his armour all day, and besides, ignoring one's host in favour of a hunk of metal (however exquisitely crafted,) was the height of rudeness- wasn't it? Or was it leaving food on one's plate after dinner? But talking back to someone genuinely trying to help you was quite bad as well-

Ack, I'm ignoring her again!

And it was just as well that she had decided to pay attention.

"... hearing tales?" The willowy mage blinked, her smile expanding into a perfect boggle of confusion. Obviously she hadn't been clear enough... which was completely her fault. Talking to flesh-and-blood mortals was nothing like sharing thoughts (literally,) with a spirit. Be nice, Sophie. Look her straight in the eye and explain yourself. Three, two, one...

"I don't want to hear tales... I want to live them. Have you ever heard a bard performing in a tavern? Their songs and stories are embellished..." A pause, a slight flick of her smile, "... flavoursome..."
The smile abruptly vanished, freezing Sophia's eyes solid. A faint whinny trembled as the little gold mare shrunk away, desperate to flee.
"... but not pure... calling such travesties 'pure' is an insult to the tales they once were." She snorted, glaring at the ground as if it were a mountebank itself. "I wish to experience the tales I 'hear' in their purest form: it is the only way to truly understand the essence behind them. After all, in order to understand something completely, one must understand it in its most basic form."
Terrible eyes fixed on the hysterical mare, softening, smiling. Hush, little horsie, don't you cry.
"I love this world. Really, I do. So I wish to understand it... dreams have always made more sense to me then reality, and although I love the world beyond the Veil, there is magic here in the solid world that I have very little knowledge of... shhh, Auria, shhh... I think I have a sugar lump here somewhere... you have a very pretty nose, for a horse." Sophia giggled as the mare picked the lump off her beribboned palm, snuffling renewed trust. "... that knowledge is precious to me." A misty glance, skipping over Nygozy and her comrades. "... and despite what you might think, your reformation effort is linked to that. News of it will have already caused changes across Fereldan. All I ask is that you let me travel with you, so I can witness those changes first-hand." The laughter burst from her before she could stop it, swinging her lightly onto the mare's back, just behind the saddle. "And if you don't say yes... I'll just come with you anyway." Sophia curled her legs under her in a languid sidesaddle, as at home as if she were relaxing on the grass. "Should I ride up here? I'll be so quiet that you'll barely even notice me... and if I DO turn out to be a ravening Abomination in disguise, I'm sure that my saviour's handsome friend-" a soft nod to the elf and her guardian, "-will be able to contain me." The sapphire eyes sparkled. "Do you think that a fair enough arrangement, Mistress Nygozy?"

((OOC: Sophia is calling the mare Auria simply because of her golden colouring: I didn't mean to usurp your naming rights, Ianto.))

Everything was going too fast for Jezarine to actually catch much. She noticed the look that Kai was giving this Sophia and the dog seemed not to happy either. This made her uncomfortable being anywhere close to the woman and pressed against Ianto with concern on her face. Oh please don't anyone fight.

Jezarine sighed as Nygozy calmed both the assassin and the dog but still was not sure about the situation at all. She rubbed the back of her head then noticed Sophia go directly for the new guy Nygozy had found the night before. Then she spoke to Nygozy again and ...

"Hey! That's the horse Ianto got." She pouted then breathed out looking up at Ianto then shrugging before giving him a shy smile, "I guess we ride together then if you like?"

Aayugara was surprised and confused as the strange girl skipped up to him, and felt his armor, carefully examining every scratch and ornate detail on his armor.

"You have come a long way...This is... Fourth Blight plate... the rivets are slightly different, as is the temper... but there's no sign of rust. A bit of dream-dust in the steel, perhaps... but otherwise it's just as perfect as the day it was made."

Aayugara didn't know what to say to this, mostly because he was amazed at the accuracy of her description. His Armor was not only from the Fourth Blight, but it was irregular as it wasn't standard Grey Warden armor. Right as he was about to say something, Nygozy started speaking. The girl turned to her as she finished. Apparently this girl was from the fade, and had come to Nygozy to join with them to collect the story of what would happen next. Then Aayugara realized,

"Oh..." he said quietly, and disappointedly. "Then you're not from my time." He felt crushed, his hopes raised that there was another one who was going through exactly what he was, and smashed as soon as she explained her purpose. He truly was alone.

"Hey! That's the horse Ianto got. I guess we ride together then if you like?"

((OOC: I'll use yellow in this thread so people don't get confused with who's saying what))

The exchange between Sophia and Nygozy went pretty much over Ianto's head. It wasn't for lack of trying, though. He was simply standing far enough from both women that he was occupying that strange distance where by all rights you should be able to hear someone talking, ad yet could only manage bits and pieces. And here he'd thought he'd perfected his eavesdropping technique at the Chantry.

Sophia was... interesting. Maybe it spoke ill of him that that was the best word he could come up with, but 'strange' was too harsh, and he didn't know enough about her motivations to call her 'mysterious', though that certainly fit as well. He was tempted to add in 'crazy', but he'd seen real 'crazy', and this wasn't exactly it. As he watched her fawn over that other guy's armor, though he couldn't hear what she was saying, it was clear to him that she was impressed- almost enamored- with the work. Perhaps he was missing something, but it looked like regular armor, to him. Of course, he didn't know much about the guy. They'd have to talk more, later...

But he was getting distracted, now. A faint, frightened whinny from Moonlight drew his attention reluctantly from trying to catch what Nygozy was saying to rubbing a hand down the mare's neck, trying to calm her while muttering a soft, cooing noise that even he didn't know he could make. The poor thing was livid, eyes wide and nostrils flaring, and though she didn't do anything more drastic than that (yet), it was clear that she was uncomfortable. He didn't know what it could have been, though. Nothing had been around to spook her, and the only one speaking had been Sophia, and Ianto doubted that her soft voice could agitate her so.

But, then, he'd been wrong before. As Sophia stepped closer to him, he should have been more glad that now he could hear what she was saying, but was distracted by her own brand of cooing noises as she tried to calm the horse. He was about to take a step back, to let her try her hand, but Moonlight- what had Sophia called her? 'Auria'- whinnied even louder, and Ianto reflexively stroked a hand down her neck. Poor girl...

The gold mare's cries began to soften, and a moment later she was back to her calm, quiet self, placidly nibbling at the sugar cube. He turned his head to look back at Jez, to give her some assurance that Moonling-Auria was okay now (he was sure that Jez would be upset by the agitated animal's state), but his eyebrows drew together, perplexed, as she glared past him and shouted to something over his shoulder.

"Hey! That's the horse Ianto got." He blinked. What in Ferelden was she talking abou- He turned his head to look at there the darkly-colored elf was looking, and his eyes widened. Oh.

"What are you-" but his own confusion stopped him from even finishing his own question. "How did you get up there? You like... flew, or something." Alright. Perhaps not the most important aspect of the action. Regardless of how she'd gotten up there, she was still on his horse.

He frowned slightly when he realized exactly what that meant. "Oi," he started, finally working up the indignation he should have been feeling, even if it wasn't that strong. "That's my horse." He tried to sound disgruntled, but ended up simply sounding like a child, whining for a toy that another child had run off to play with.

He turned to look back at Jez, his hand still clenched in Moonlight's - or Auria's- head-harness, the horse seemingly oblivious to the custody match going on about it. His lips were pulled into a pout, an expression that he'd been told was cute, much to his constant dismay. As much as he didn't mind sharing a horse with Jez, it was the principle of the thing. You just didn't come in and take a man's horse. It was just... well, you just didn't.

He had noticed that she was sitting behind the saddle, rather than on it, so perhaps she wasn't meaning to take his whole horse, as strange a sentiment as that might have been, but it still seemed odd to him. Well, whatever. Half of him was still too busy wondering how she'd mounted the horse's back so easily.

"You have come a long way... This is... Fourth Blight plate... the rivets are slightly different, as is the temper... but there's no sign of rust. A bit of dream-dust in the steel, perhaps... but otherwise it's just as perfect as the day it was made."

The woman had skipped over to Aayugara almost as if she were a child and gazed in an enchanted manner at the armor the man wore. The swiftness turning from discussing why she wanted to be with the group to checking out the Fade victim was something unexpected and kept the Dwarf's attention leveled on the woman to see what exactly she was up to. Finally she turned back to the Warden and spoke to her.

"... hearing tales?"

The woman seemed severly confused by Nygozy's statement that Sophia wished to hear tales. It was odd to see the reactions this woman was displaying. There was a childish air about her yet ... how did she feel so much more ... she was not sure what she felt but whatever it was made Torture and even the horse Ianto had chosen nervous.

"I don't want to hear tales... I want to live them. Have you ever heard a bard performing in a tavern? Their songs and stories are embellished... flavoursome..."

"Oh... Then you're not from my time."

Aayugara had a lost expression like he was completely alone without a soul who could understand him or relate to him. This was not surprising as all of this would be stressful to him having come from the past, thinking someone else from your time was there then to learn once again that you are alone with strangers.

Nygozy looked directly at him and gave a slight nod to indicate she'd noticed his distress, her eyes showing concern before turning back to Sophia.

For a moment she had not caught what Sophia said then it came back to her from background sounds. Bards embellish. That was true enough. So she was not story teller ... then ... what was she?

And why did her smile disappear with a frozen look to her eyes. This was worrying the little mare which did nothing to make Torture feel any better. She could feel the mabari and Kai both tense, ready for any action that may be required.

"... but not pure... calling such travesties 'pure' is an insult to the tales they once were. I wish to experience the tales I 'hear' in their purest form: it is the only way to truly understand the essence behind them. After all, in order to understand something completely, one must understand it in its most basic form."

Her eyes flicked to Kai's even though she did not turn to see him. She could see he'd done just the same thing, looking sideways to see if she caught the strangeness of the woman's explanation. She returned her attention to the woman from the Fade once more, watching how she spoke and calmed the gentle mare.

"I love this world. Really, I do. So I wish to understand it... dreams have always made more sense to me then reality, and although I love the world beyond the Veil, there is magic here in the solid world that I have very little knowledge of... shhh, Auria, shhh... I think I have a sugar lump here somewhere... you have a very pretty nose, for a horse... that knowledge is precious to me."

This with a glance which made Nygozy wonder even more as Sophia turned her attention to the whole group in a swift once over.

"... and despite what you might think, your reformation effort is linked to that. News of it will have already caused changes across Fereldan. All I ask is that you let me travel with you, so I can witness those changes first-hand."

Then she was on the mare, sitting as if it were no more than dropping to the ground for a picnic, her voice carrying in an amused manner which made even less sense than anything else.

"And if you don't say yes... I'll just come with you anyway."

"Hey! That's the horse Ianto got."

"What are you - How did you get up there? You like... flew, or something."

"Should I ride up here? I'll be so quiet that you'll barely even notice me... and if I DO turn out to be a ravening Abomination in disguise, I'm sure that my saviour's handsome friend will be able to contain me. Do you think that a fair enough arrangement, Mistress Nygozy?"

"I guess we ride together then if you like?"

"Oi, that's my horse."

There was enough to take notice of with the strenuous reactions coming from the garnering of the little mare and it was not something that Nygozy wished to see come to a fight with the members of her group. Something about Sophia gave the Dwarf pause as she tried to figure out what kind of person she was.

"Get off of Moonlight." Nygozy stated shortly, announcing the words as a command and not a request, "That horse was picked out by Ianto and is his mount. You will not commandeer whatever you like. If you wish to be with the group, instead of following along, you must adhere to the rules everyone else must go by."

She waited a moment before continuing, "Ianto will take Moonlight and if Ianto would like to take Jezarine with him and if she wishes to relinquish her bay horse then you can use him for your mount." She noticed Jezarine nod.

Nygozy patted Torture's head then rubbed his ear, "You will be expected to contribute to the party with chores and help requested, according to you skills and capabilities."

A few moments of petting Torture's ear ensued as Nygozy watched Sophia's reactions carefully, "You will ride up front with Aayugara. Maybe the two of you will be able to discuss armor and weaponry of the days of the fourth blight. Ianto and Jezarine will ride at the back as rear guard if Ianto accepts the previous offer to take Jezarine with him, and Kai and Torture will do what they do best."

She looked to Sophia, "Is there anything you wish to add?"

Oh... but wouldn't the safest place for a suspect newcomer to ride be behind a guard so that an eye could be kept on her? Sophia's lip snuck out for a swift pout. She had sat behind the saddle for a reason, after all. Oh well... with a final pat to Auria/Moonlight's hindquarters, the willowy mage flipped fluidly from her perch to the ground and back up onto the horse indicated before the startled bay quite knew what was happening. She had no qualms about riding on her own: in fact, she preferred it. One couldn't get to know one's mount well if one had to share it with someone else.

But perhaps she was getting ahead of herself. Her saviour... Jezarine... hadn't given her permission to claim the bay for herself yet. Who knows, perhaps horse and rider had a history... fantastic images flashed before Sophia's cloudy eyes: the little elf and her horse, trekking across pristine snows, through primeval forests, relying on each other for friendship and support... it would be blasphemy to break up such a partnership. But as she was comfortable already (lounging in the same languid fashion as she had on Auria,) it wouldn't hurt to stay where she was until Jezarine made up her mind...

An what of her riding companion? Aayugara? A strange, beautiful name attached to a time-touched man... and the two of them would be leading the pack. Sophia's smile flickered slightly. She had to applaud the dwarf's sense of tactics: putting the newest member of the group in the position of human shield... the perfect position to be mopped up by oncoming foes, or stabbed in the back should the newcomer become unruly. Really now... one had to wonder if the little dwarf had something against those touched by the Fade.

But never mind. She had been accepted, more or less. What was a little bit of suspicion?

"I have nothing more to add, Mistress." A curtsey... well, as much of a curtsey as one could manage while sitting on a horse's rump. "I will assist you to the best of my ability... maybe I could cook..." She tapped her lips with a ribbon-wrapped finger, mulling over the possibilities. Would they be camping for the night? If so, she had to start thinking now: meals were always better when planned in advance, after all. Maybe a roast animal, dripping with gravy... and tea! She hadn't tasted tea since she entered the Fade! Sophia practically wriggled with pleasure. How exciting it all was!

Nygozy spoke up and Jezarine was surprised by what the woman said. It wasn't like she had cared more for her horse than any other and did not mind losing the use of it. She looked to Ianto for affirmation that he did not mind this agreement. He probably wouldn't mind but she was curious about what he thought about the woman from the fade.

That is when this "Sophia" got up onto her horse, without a problem even though she seemed lost in some thoughts.

"I do not mind. Actually, I feel better that way as I'm not all that good at riding." She ducked her head a bit, feeling timid about this as she always felt less than everyone else when she admitted to some failing or other. So many from Orlessia found horse riding to be great but when she had been there she never got used to it. Horses were no where near as intuitive as a Halla and were work. You'd think that something that made your rump feel that bad after being on it would do a bit of the thinking itself.

Nygozy left it all at that. It was time to ride so she made a motion for them to move on, "Let's get going before the rear guard decides on running into us."

They rode on and Nygozy watched the woman in front of them with concern. She knew that Kai was watching Sophia as well but not as avidly as he was watching her. Of course he would be doing so as she was his responsibility but something in the way he did it made her turn her head now and again to smile at him.

It was hours later that they came to Lake Calenhad and she noticed new people in the camp. She smiled, interested in everyone who had joined the group but wondered how she would speak with them all individually with everything that was going on around them.

For goodness sakes. This was no time to worry about such things. She had Drake and Sinjan to take care of things. That's what they always did as her companions. She missed those she'd traveled with before but life changed and she had to get used to all of those changes.

That was when she noticed the Qunari speaking with the red head by the water. Torture was there, sneaking about in the bushes already so she knew that these two were also within the group. Or at least the woman was.

"I am going down to the riverbank to speak with the Qunari." She announced to the others, "If anyone can cook then please do so. There will still be enough daylight to get everything ready which has to be done."

Nygozy then got off of Palindrome, patted the war pony's neck and left him to someone else to care after him. A Qunari was of importance, even if the person was not her Sten. The emergence of one could only forewarn of something and she needed to find out in what.