Timid Terror

((Anyone can join. I am thinking that it is likely that Ianto would be with her but anyone else is welcome as well. Group outing and maybe shopping ... and whatever you can think of ))

"Are you sure about this?" The gates were imposing. Ok so they were imposing before when she arrived to see the king and then again when she left with Kai and now again returning. While chewing on her index finger, her other fingers curled and touching her lip as her big eyes took everything in once again, "I mean, I know that Nygozy told us we can come stay at the Inn and all after our chores were done but are you really sure we should? This may seem silly but I've never really walked about here even when I stayed at the palace. It never occured to me to do so and I wasn't sure if I should alone. Maybe ... oh ... I don't know what to do in a city, really I don't and some people here don't care for Elves."

Jezarine was now looking about timidly as she stepped around people and stayed close to the one she knew. No one would let her get hurt. No one would let her get hurt. No one else would get hurt either. Oh no she didn't want to have to be healing her friends again. It was sad seeing blood coming from anyone let alone those she knew.

''It is not that they don't care'' Calliara looked furious, just as a primal predator, her eyes wandering nervously around them ''It is more like they think elves exist just to serve them, or be used by them. Specially women, so don't walk alone or quite far from the group''

The Dalish was nervous, her nerves almost cracking and looking around like she had been encaged. She hated human cities, and mostly that city even if she had lived some years there. Too many things to remember. Too many things to regret, and even more things to cry about.

BUT, she needed some supplies for her and for Bowen, who had refused firmly to go shopping and instead went to a tavern with anyone who wanted to go with him. Maybe Caterina would be able sometime to make him go shopping for himself eventually.

''Alright, so what do we need? We need blankets, packed food, new waterskins and our horses checked. Also, I assume each one need to buy personal things. Ideas? Am I forgetting something?''

Alright. Denerim. Cool. So far, pretty much everything bad possible had happened, so Ianto was going with the horribly naive hope that nothing else could go wrong during their stay. Seriously, though - everyone kind of needed to have some limit on their bad luck. So when Jez had quietly asked if they could go see the City, Ianto had immediately agreed, even though something in the back of his head said they probably shouldn't push their Maker-damned luck.

Still, he had nothing against the city itself, and he'd really like to look around, to see what had changed while he'd been gone. He had been gone for quite a while, after all, and he couldn't think of ant better way to see the sights than to eagerly drag Jez and everyone around like some sort of overly-excited mabari-tour-guide.

"Yes," he said, for the hundredth time. "I am absolutely sure about this. You'll like Denerim. Sure, almost everyone here is a racist bigot who'd like nothing more than to see the Alienage burn, and a lot of them are noble-bastards who couldn't give a rat's ass about a beggar in the street and wouldn't give you the time of day if you were bleeding on the ground, and it's dirty and it's dangerous and actually kind of smelly but," he paused, grinning down at her, "it has the best shopping this side of Orlais and damn do they have good bread. And, you know, entire stores dedicated to the healing arts and magic usage." He thought Jez might like that - as long as he could keep her away from some of the surlier residents of the town, this should go off without a hitch. "We can even grab lunch at the bar later, if you'd like."

He looked back at Calliara as she listed off the things they'd need, nodding to himself at each one. "Oh," he piped up, raising a finger to point something out. "That Cousland girl said something about visiting some armory in the area. She said they had the best stuff around." He looked down at Jez, his eyebrows knitted together as he tried to remember something. "What was it called?" There were a lot of armories in Denerim, so it was important to remember the name. "Something 'Emporium.' Or something." Well, whatever. They'd probably be able to find it by that half-name, at least.

"I don’t want to know what happens if you get separated from the group. Really, I don’t.” Jezarine took a deep breath, “Spices. Nygozy was adamant about these specific spices and this type of cook pot she heard of so she can bake a cake in the fire. She said it was a really unusual thing, new and was promised they worked well.”

As Ianto spoke she smiled, enjoying listening to his voice even if he was saying not so great things about the city. "That's not helping." She said as she grabbed onto Ianto's arm but she started to giggle at his persistent joking showing the exact opposite to her wuords, "I was here but never ventured out. How did you get through it all Calli?"

She peeked around Ianto to see what was about then looked back up, “Good bread? Oh yes lunch would be good too and … healing arts. Magic?” Her eyes opened wide at the thought and she licked her lips in interest. The man knew how to entice her and her big brown eyes went hazy with interest.

Jez let go of Ianto's arm to move about, becoming a slight bit more adventurous. She had people who cared for her so what could go wrong? But the first thing she did was bump into a Dwarven man who was walking about, "OH! I'm sorry." She said while walking backwards into Ianto, "I didn't mean to bump into you I'm so sorry. I didn't see you and . . . oh geez . . ."

"I was here but never ventured out. How did you get through it all Calli?"

''Badly. The first time I came, alone, two or three men tried to have their way with me in one of the alleys. I killed them and I was imprisoned, because of course no elf could be a Grey Warden'' The Dalish rolled her eyes, almost growling ''Duncan and his second came soon. The next time I tried to go shopping alone I had 'one of my moments' and started throwing up blood in the middle of the market, so the Templars came, yelled that I was a Maleficar just because of the blood, and took me with them so they could torture me and make me confess what I was. Again, Duncan and the rest came, there was almost a battle between the Chantry and the Wardens, King Cailan found everything hilarious and made the Chantry let me go. So, Duncan banished me from going out alone, and I had to go shopping with someone, always''

She was still looking around, with the list of things they needed in her hand.

''Where do we start?''

Rakot woke up in the bed of the room that Maghai rented out for him. The sun was already high up in the heavens, as Rakot stretched out in his bed and lifted his head off the pillow. Coming to his senses he immediately jerked his hand to the back of his head and started scratching furiously.

"Sodding lice."

He muttered angrily under his breath. Pausing after a minute he looked around the room attentively, his memory coming back to him.

Its quiet....its quiet! Maghai isn't here! I am free!

His expression changed to something resembling a smile, but immediately reverted to his usual surliness as the hang over finally hit him.

I better start drinking again....my head is about to split open.

He reached under the bed and pulled out a wooden keg, lifting it up with one hand brought him disappointment.

Its sodding empty...

The man got off his bed and went to the sink in the corner of the room, dipping his head in a bucket of ice cold water.

That should help for a bit....got to go get more ale. But not the stuff this sodding poor excuse for an inn is serving, gonna have to go to the market to get me a proper brew.

He got dressed, tied his maul to his back, put his knife into his boot, grabbed a bag of gold from the table and went downstairs, his giant frame tumbling slightly side to side. Stepping outside he squinted for a second, it seemed as if the sun was aiming to burn out his eyes as his headache began to come back. Shacking it off he continued along the road to the Denerim Market District.

The Dwarf who Jezarine had bumped into grunted and turned, yelling at her for being an imbecile of a knife ears and to get out of his way. He then went to hit her but just then she noticed something from the edge of her vision. She looked up, her jaw dropping and started to shake just before letting out an ear splitting scream of terror.

Jez turned, bumping into Ianto then hid her face in his chest, crying and screaming into his body armor, "No no no no no ...dead dead no no ... can't be can't be ... nooooo ..." She wailed trying to hide her face almost like an ostrich hiding it's head in a hole for something scary to go away, "No ... ghost ... has to be a ghost... can't be ... can't be ... noo please..."

The Dwarf stopped with his hand up, surprised at her reaction and that she was with a large human and this other Elf who both looked as if they were upset. He looked about to see why Jezarine was screaming about ghosts.

Ianto had been very intent on giving the dwarf a piece of his mind, already moving to intercept the hit that he could see was coming, until Jez fell back into him and started screaming. His eyes widened fully and for a moment he was frozen until he hesitantly and carefully put his hands on her shoulders, panicking in a completely unhelpful way.

"Jez?" He called to her, hoping his voice didn't really sound that screechy and hysterical. "Jez, are you alright? What's wrong?" The dwarf hadn't actually hit her yet (not that that was any better), and he didn't think that that his actions warranted a reaction like this, even for her. And he was perfectly alright with asking obvious questions if it let him figure out what in Andraste's name had just happened.

He lifted his head sharply, looking around. What had she seen - what could have caused this? He glared at the dwarf with a venom he really hadn't known he'd had, and made it very clear to him that if he didn't haul tail out of here right now, he'd show him the end result of fifteen years of Templar training.

So...no more Maghai...after spending several months traveling with that bugger I'll be a happy man if I never see another elf again.

The hang over gradually returned in full force, Rakot found himself stumbling forward towards the tavern and looking at the ground.

Its the voice...those elf voices, they're so....elven, just makes me want to strangle the whole load of em. Good thing Maghai isn't around right now, else that sound he makes then he talks would make my head literally split open.

That's when he heard the scream, followed by "No no no no no ...dead dead no no ... can't be can't be ... nooooo ....No ... ghost ... has to be a ghost... can't be ... can't be ... noo please..."

The pain in his head erupted tenfold, Rakot grabbed his forehead with both hands.

...kind of like that.

The pain dulled after a few moments, and he turned to face the commotion.

"Lady, have some sodding mercy and stop your screaming, some of us have a condition...."

He roared towards a group of adventurers, that stood opposite a rather angry looking dwarf. He walked closer to the group.

"Whats this all about anyways?"

He looked at the dwarf.

"Atrast vala, salroka (Greetings, friend.; Dwarven). You've been drinking the piss? I am now annoyed, but elves are annoying by nature, so the girl here gets a pass. Now you caused her to be annoying in close proximity to me, thus how about you remove yourself before I start playing whack-a-nug with your skull? You see what I'm getting at, duster?"

Rakot grabbed the handle of his maul.

"Rakot! Rakot!" Maghai ran after the Dwarven raised human waving his hand crazily in the air as he did so then bumped into the large man. He heard a scream and squealed himself but not in fear. The Elf watched as a Dwarf rushed away from this man who was comforting a young Elven woman. Yes, it was ... he rushed forward, "It's her! It's her, Rakot! Come say HI!"

The crazy Elf rushed closer to them and bounced up and down, "Jezzie! Night Herb, Jezzie! Common ... talk to me? Hey you ...." A beetle started crawling up his pant leg and the blond Elf screamed, jumping around while hitting his slacks and yelling at the top of his lungs, "Aahhhhh it's killing me! Can't you see ... can't you see?"

Maghai started running around in a circle, still screaming and waving his arms wildly until he ran into a tree. There he pulled his leggings off and swatted them against the wood, yelling at the insect and sounding like he was being beset upon by demons. Finally the beetle fell off off his pants and he turned, still holding his leggings with a strange grin on his face, "Jezzie. I'm ok see! I killed the nasty bug!"

Maghai entered the scene, with despair in his eyes Rakot looked towards the tavern.

"But I was so close....so...close..."

When the pain came again.

"So..Maghai, this is your sister than, judging by the way she just randomly decided to scream in the middle of the sodding day, she is also crazy. I am starting to wonder is it that all elves are like this, or do I just have a way of running into the insane ones? I need a drink....I need a couple of dozen drinks.....sod it, I might as well suffer through the family reunion."

Alright.

Alright, alright.

Alrightalrightalright.

What?

"Jez," Ianto said flatly. "What in the Fade is going on?" He hadn't let go of his old on her, not by an inch, but he craned his neck to look down at her, a hopelessly lost expression on her face. As terrified as he was at her reaction, the blond elf - it was like watching a puppy mabari run around hopped up on lyrium. It was like one dizzying display of loud hyperactivity the likes of which Ianto had never seen in anyone above the age of four. He hated having to ask her a question, hated not knowing what was wrong, but this was too much - his head was going to explode if he didn't get into the loop somehow, and soon.

Of course, his confusion didn't stop him from glaring in earnest at the human man who'd spoken in dwarvish to the dwarf who'd almost dared to raise a hand to Jez. Really, though - what kind of man yelled at a woman for being scared out of her wits? Not a good one, he knew, and probably racist, to boot. But he couldn't spend that much energy on continuing his disapproving stare at the black-haired man - a shaking Jez-in-his-arms was taking up a much larger portion of his attention.

Then, of course, the rude-human-guy spoke, and Ianto's whole body stilled. "Wh-," he looked between the crazy elf, the surly man, and Jaz, shaking in his arms like she'd seen a ghost. "'Sister'?" He mimicked, not sure he could pull anything more intelligent than that out of his brain just as this moment.

Jezarine shook, not seeing what the golden boy was doing as she still hid her face then looked up, stark terror clear as she tried to gain a bit of composure. Maghai speaking to her didn't help as she cringed, fearful of this aborition.

"Magpie is dead." She whimpered, "They buried him with the rest ... in the communal grave. My twin died with the rest of our clan from the plague." Jezarine cried, "It can't be ... how ... I don't ... "

She timidly looked back, worrying and hoping for she was not sure how to deal with this vision of the dead but he stood there, his leggings in one hand and a goofy grin upon his face. What could do this? This was too much for her little mind to take in and she was sure she would have run all the way back to the mountains if it had not been for Ianto being there to hold her.

"Hey!" Maghai looked put out by the name he was just called, "That was mean Jezzie! And ... well ... I got better." He grinned foolishly, "When I got back from my steaaaaa.... visit to the human village I found your herbs and took some of that black nightshade willow or whatever it was and a whole buncha lyrium. It was soooo good I tell ya! You've always been able to mix the best stuff. Even old Dieran had nothing compared to you. Anyway, when I woke up I was in the tomb with the rest under ground. I went crazy, Jezzie. I dug my way out then went back in looking for you. I couldn't find you! There were bugs and creatures of all kinds and gross gross slimy ... I don't want to know what else was in there. Anyway, some family or other nursed me back to health when they found me and I thought you were dead until I found this weird witchy woman who told me I was wrong."

He looked about with a huge smile, "Then I found Rakot, and I found the Rose Thornie woman and here I am!" He put out his arms and chuckled, "I'm here. I found you. It cost me quite a few gems I stooo ... acquired but it was worth it!"

Rakot suddenly raised his head and straightened his back as if trying to put his finger on something that was bothering him. He sniffed the air a couple of times, taking it deep into his nostrils.

Darkspawn...no...the smell is too weak....what else could it be?

His gaze landed on the other elven girl that was with the group.

Is it coming from her? She doesn't look like a Shriek to me. The only explanation could be...

"Oi, knife-ears!....No, not you Maghai, and not your sister...you with the fancy armor. You stink of the taint, I'm curious, you wouldn't happen to be a Gray Warden?"

OOC: referring to Calliara just so we're clear.

Calliara was an astonished witness to Maghai's display of crazyness and Jezarine's sobbing in Ianto's chest. The Dalish blinked once. Twice. Trying to understand what was happening and why those two were screaming that loud and that much.

"Oi, knife-ears!....No, not you Maghai, and not your sister...you with the fancy armor. You stink of the taint, I'm curious, you wouldn't happen to be a Gray Warden?"

The Dalish looked at the enormous man with the maul, as enormous as Bowen, that was addressing her in such a polite way.

''I am a Grey Warden, yes. And if I understood well, I take I may offer you my condolences'' She pointed to Maghai's blabbering

"Thank you...I am expecting my medal for integrity any day now....four months I traveled with this crazy elf and I didn't as much as choke him once in all that time."

Rakot looked at the group again.

A gray warden, a human and an elf child....what an odd bunch...though I can't say my dynamic duo with Maghai is exactly a common sight either.

"So, Gray Warden, if I may ask, what are you doing in Denerim? I don't see any darkspawn about, or are you leaving your duties of exterminating them to us little people?...."

Rakot looked at the ground and rubbed his forehead, as the hang over spiked yet again.As the pain passed he looked up.

"Pay it no mind Warden, its the yesterday's drink talking, my disposition is less than sunny on account of the tremors in my skull. I respect your Order, you and I have the same enemy. So let me inquire again in a more polite tone, whats your purpose for being in Denerim? Unless of course it is a secret, in which case say no more."

''We are here because our Commander wished to speak with the King, but our duties will sent us away soon. It's not a secret''

Calliara even smiled at him. Creators, he was enormous. Like Bowen. That made her like him, even if it was foolish, but someone so patient to not have killed the bug killer had to be interesting.

''My name is Calliara, by the way''

Rakot extended his right hand for a handshake.

"Rakot Hemlin, formerly of the Hemlin Arms & Armor merchant company, currently a...freelance mercenary I guess you could call me. Its a pleasure to meet you and your companions, Warden. Your Commander is a fine warrior, I've caught sight of her once on the day that the Archdemon was slain. I arrived in Denerim just ahead of the Blight, kept fighting in the streets with a cohort of city guards at my back, we were getting swarmed for two days straight until the Wardens showed up with the army. Lost some good men...but once the Commander got there the pressure on us dropped significantly, we were able to break through and evacuate a good number of civilians. And once the Archdemon fell...well that was a thing of beauty, the Darkspawn just started running, their will to fight completely obliterated. Send my regards to your Commander once you report back, if you would."

Rakot turned his head towards Maghai.

"So what now? I think it is safe to say that you no longer require my services."

Calliara shook the man's hand without hesitation. After some years dealing with humans, she became used to that gesture, even if at first it amazed her. What was with all that touching?

''That I'll do. Hemlin Arms and Armor, huh? Another Warden that is here, and another one that isn't yet, the both were mercenaries and I recall hearing them mentioning that name.''

When Rakot addressed Maghai she looked at the elf as well, waiting

"Ooookay," Ianto said slowly, gently moving his arms from around Jez so that he could look at her better. Now that it was (sort of) apparent that nothing bad was going to happen in the next few minutes, and that Jez wasn't going crazy so much as she was in denial of something, Ianto felt more comfortable moving away from her in the interest of getting some answers.

"Jez. Jezarine," he repeated, trying to get her attention through her panicked words. The hands that had been frantically wrapped around her shifted to resting reassuringly on her shoulders, and he bend his head a bit so that he could look her in the eye. "Don't look, if it's bothering you." It was pretty clear that she wasn't sure whether she should believe the crazy-elf's story, but Ianto wasn't sure that someone with what he suspected was the attention span of a three year old could make a story like that up. Possibly. Well, maybe. Actually, it was pretty likely that someone that crazy looking could make up that story, but the way Jez reacted, it seemed unlikely. It seemed more like she was afraid to believe it, rather than that she thought it was untrue. And that really just made it all the weirder. I mean, how many long-lost brothers came back from the dead, for real? Ianto had never heard of such a thing happening, unless foul-play or magic were involved. "Is it true? What the craz- what your 'brother' said?" he asked in a tone he hoped was gentle, cocking his head to the side slightly as he looked at her.

He let himself glance up at Jez's "brother" - still crazy looking - and the burly man for a moment before looking back at Jez. He thanked the Maker that Calliara was there, too. She, at least, could handle the taller man while he dealt with Jez. Hyper-elf . . . well, he could keep attacking the tree. He probably wouldn't hurt anyone - or himself - in the next few moments. In that time, maybe Jez could give him her side of the story, or at least talk to the blonde-elf about it.

Ianto's calm reassurances finally got through to her where even Maghai's explanation had not. It was so crazy but ... wait. The black nightshade will with the lyrium, rose and dandelion, "That mixture can put someone to sleep for hours, even days. It's used as a healing sedative by our clan ... I mean, what was our clan."

She looked towards Maghai, glad that Ianto was holding onto her, "We had all wondered what part of our genetics made me not fall to the plague and my brother ... you ... to do so." Her voice started to gain her normal strength as she wiped her eyes with the back of one hand, "This is amazing. You survived and I didn't even know it."

A feeling that someone was going through a bit of pain caught her attention and she glanced at the big man Calliara was talking to then sent a surge of healing energy to him to get rid of the hangover. Once done that she looked back to Ianto.

"It can be. It is not impossible." Jez then turned her head to look at her brother, suddenly acting like a responsible sibling, "Hey! How many times had I told you to stay out of my mixes? If you hadn't done that you never would have been thought dead in the first place. Golden boy or not you knew to ask me. If I ever catch you doing anything like that again I will kill you! For goodness sakes, that's dangerous!"

Maghai smiled like a complete loon as this man spoke to his sister, helping her settle her mind. He was so sweet to her. And yummy. No he looked like he didn't swing that way and if Jezzie looked like she liked him as much as he thought she did she would beat him to a pulp trying to take him away. Oh no. He'd just have fun watching this one.

Then he heard Rakot ask if he was needed anymore and he turned his head, "What? Well ... no ... I guess ... but weren't we friends?"

Then Jez figured it all out, realized what he had done and he was ready for her to give him a hug but then she gave him trouble.

His lips began to tremble as if he were about to cry like a five year old and his big blue eyes became wet, waiting for the rainworks to begin. She was right. He had been told to not get into any herbology stuff without asking first because it was dangerous. He knew better. But then again he still didn't like getting into trouble and was ready to wail until he realized something else.

This man had been holding his sister close and acting really friendly to her. Whereas he could understand Jez liking him, considering the guy was so hot, he still had that brotherly care going on, "Hey! What are you to my sister?" He yapped at Ianto as he pointed his finger at the larger man's chest.

My head feels fine again...what the? Magic? Nevermind the reason, I feel sodding good.

"Friends?...I think not, we're colleagues at best and our joint venture has come to an end. Now I have to go figure out what to do next...if any of you ever find yourself in need of a mercenary, I'll be in that pub over there in the corner of the street, neck deep in ale for at least the next few months. Bring money."

He tipped his head to Calliara.

"Good hunting, Warden."

Rakot turned around and began to walk in the direction of the pub.

Ianto blinked, startled, and looked over at the brother-elf - Magpie or something, Jez had said. Just a moment before his eyebrows could furrow together in confusion, the words hit home, and his face heated instead. He twitched back from Jez slightly, though didn't move too far back (though she seemed alright now, he was glad to note).

"I - wh - she - Nothing!" He finally said after much more stumbling and stuttering than necessary. Of course, leave it to his brain to fail to come up with a satisfactory, sane answer when he really needed it. Now, when he'd only been trying to make Jez feel better, his stuttering would probably make him look like some kind of pervert or creeper or something. Yeah. That would help impressions.

He coughed, straightened, and tried again, more calmly this time though his face was still beat red. "Ahem. That is to say, Jez was worried about you. How can I help it if you come off as a little," how to say it nicely? "odd? I didn't know what to expect." He couldn't help but pout a little at the end, sounding more 'petulantly defensive' than 'explanatory,' as he'd hoped.