Girl's Night Out

(Any female characters are allowed. Sorry dudes - it's ladies night >w> )

Calliara had come around a little earlier in the afternoon to tell everyone their room assignments at the Warden's hold for the next few days. Caterina couldn't complain, and there was more than enough room for everybody, and each room seemed able to hold more than one person (which worked just as well for her).

But that wasn't her main concern, at the moment. After the elf had gone around to everybody, Caterina had noticed two things - one, she looked tired, or sad, or both, even though she appeared to try and cheer up (and it had been impossible not to laugh when Sinjan had started a fight with that Ianto kid over who got the room with the bear-trophy on the wall), and two, the white-haired elf had very obviously been crying.

Now, Caterina wasn't usually a very nosy person at heart - she liked to keep tabs on her friends, but other than that, Antiva had taught her to let other people handle their problems on their own. And that was fine. Handling problems by yourself was important, and she had no intention of trying to 'help' Calliara through whatever she needed helping with. What Caterina would do was drag her and every other girl in their party out for a night on the town. Yes. That sounded like a brilliant idea. Men and shopkeepers were more than willing enough to cater to a band of soldiers, especially a band of soldiers as fabulous looking as they were. Some shopping before the shops closed, maybe dinner and ale at one of the Taverns - it wouldn't make Callaira's problem go away, but it would certainly make her feel better, if Caterina had anything to say about it.

So, without waiting another moment, Caterina stood from the uncomfortable bed she'd been lying on to think, and exited her temporary quarters. She had to find every female Warden and non-Warden she could get her tanned hands on, and she'd drag them all out with her if it killed her.

Calliara had spent the last hours sitting alone in the common hall of the Warden's quarters, in front of the enormous fireplace, checking her arrows as she usually did when she was bored, on watch, or merely thinking. That hall wasn't the main hall, the one which was meant to receive any visitors, that hall was more like a dining-hall/passtime place/the place where everyone could be together and drink and party if wanted.

But at that moment, with everyone hosting theirselves in their new rooms, it was deliciously silent. It was full of memories and ghosts of past parties as well

Hearing someone's steps, the Dalish tilted her head to a side, recognizing the soft, almost silent steps of Caterina, and smiled. The rogue walked like possessed by some kind of great excitement, and the Wolf wondered what was the Antivan up to.

It was to Caterina's good fortune that she found Calliara the first of everyone. After all, didn't it make sense to ask the main guest before one asked all of the other guests? Not that she was 'asking,' per say - Caterina fully intended to drag everyone along with her, kicking and screaming or otherwise.

The common room was infinitely warmer than the hallways, where the hung tapestries and intermittent torches did little to warm the cold stone. She smiled contentedly as she came closer to the heat of the fire, for the moment passing by Calliara in order to stick her hands as close as was safely possible to the flames. After a minute, she rubbed her hands together and turned, looking back at Calliara with a glint in her eye and grin. The elf had been sitting quietly even as Caterina had stood in front of the fire, tending to her arrows without an apparent care. She seemed a little better looking now than she had earlier, but looked no less lost in thought. Good. Then there was still need for a night out.

"Hello, Calliara," she started obviously, her grin as warm as the heat at her back. "You wouldn't," she continued slowly, "happen to have any plans for the evening, would you? Nothing with Drake, or with Bowen or anything?" Even though she tried to keep the question casual, she couldn't quite manage to keep the cat-like smile from her face.

So Caterina had something in mind indeed.

Calliara lifted an eyebrow, eyes still focused in her arrows, but a sly smirk curved her lips.

''What are you plotting, Cat?''

Without even realizing the nickname she gave her, the Dalish looked at her with the corner of her eyes

''I have no plans for the evening, yet. Bowen is organizing the wine cellar with some of the men, and I don't know where's Drake, maybe there too. I take that they are going to drink everything that can be drank''

Caterina grinned, like the proverbial cat with the canary, and made a quick cheer in her head. Excellent. Without any other plans, there was nothing keeping Calliara from coming out with her tonight.

"Oh, Calli, mi lobo hermosa, what makes you think I am 'plotting?' That is a very negative word to use," she said, nodding sagely. Not a moment later, though, her smile had returned, and she'd all but bounced over to sit on the floor at Calliara's side. "But, if you've no other engagements for the evening, I had been thinking of doing a little shopping, perhaps have a little dinner afterward. A night for the girls, if you will. I was going to track down our companions in just a moment, and I was fortunate enough to find you first of all."

Calli returned the arrows to her quiver and stared into the fire, thinking about it. A girl's night out. Surely it was an Antivan thing, or maybe just a human thing, but for the Dalish the concept was as strange as it had been from other planet. Shopping? A dinner? Well, it soundd like fun, she decided. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea, but...

''You are aware that the bartenders and such would think that Jez, Lithawen (if she wants to come) and I are slaves of Macha and yourself, right?'' The Dalish smirked ''It would be fun. Ok, I go''

Suddenly she realized something, and looked at the Antivan suspiciously ''And surely you're not pretending we're going out wearing full armor and such... We'll have to... dress up properly? I don't know how to do that...''

Caterina shrugged, dismissing the idea. "I do not care what some lowly bartender thinks of you or Jezarine or Lithawen. I will gladly but their minds in the proper place, if such a thing were to become a problem." It didn't bother her overmuch - a gang of girls was usually enough to put off any man, for a time. A single girl out in the city was a target - a large group of girls was something to be feared, and stayed away from. They had a tendency to flirt men out of their money with no benefit in sight. There was a saying in Antiva that she'd always liked: beware a woman and her ladies, lest you return home with a lighter purse than if you'd run a debt with the Crows.

Of course, the next thing Calliara said brought a smile right back to her lips. She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Of course. We cannot go out in armor and such - no man will buy a woman all she wants to drink if she looks like she can best him in a fight. I never go unarmed, of course, but tonight is a night for fun, not for work. Unfortunate that I should not have brought any of my dresses with me from Antiva, but I believe that we should be able to rectify that. Surely Macha knows some ladies of court we can borrow clothes from." It was fun, to go into a town with all of your finery on. She had done so on many occasions in Antiva, wearing the jewels and dresses that she had stolen from careless nobles. Men had flocked to her as if they were pigeons she'd laid crumbs out for - it had been fun to tease them, then. "Fear not, Calli my dear," she said, patting the girl on the shoulder with finality. "I will take care of your clothing. You need only wear it."

Calliara looked at her, still suspicious, but with her usual gentle smile

''I will wear trousers. Nothing in pink, orange or yellow. In fact, I only use black, blue and silver colors. Sometimes green or brown if I need camouflage. But for going out...'' She thought for a while and then shrugged ''No dresses and no skirts. And I won't wear anything like that, just so you know. And of course I'll take some daggers''

Caterina pouted, but it was mostly for show. She was actually happy that Calliara had agreed to dress up at all. She could work with the no dresses rule - there were many fashionable men's pants out there that would look lovely with a blouse or long coat, and such a combination would look wonderful on the white-haired elf. "Of course, my friend - no skirts, and no dresses. I will be able to work well with even that."

She stood then, and grinned down at her elven companion. "Shall I search out the others on my own, or would you prefer to accompany me. Oh - I suppose you could find Macha, and ask her if she's any clothes we can use. Lithawen and Jezarine will need smaller clothes, I think . . . ." She was short, herself, but Caterina had enough experience with stealing clothing of the wrong sizes and altering them to fit that she could easily work with whatever Macha had on hand.

''Maybe...'' Calliara started, unsure, and even blushed ''Maybe we can do both. Look for Macha and then prepare the clothes all together. Maybe... it will be fun? Isn't that... girl's night about that?''

By the way, even if she was a bit taller than other elven girls, she was still short for a human. She looked confused again. ''But Macha is taller than me, and... well... she has more curves than me... even you have more curves than me'' She snorted ''I don't think her clothes would suit me''

Her face lit up at the suggestion. Yes! How could she have not thought of that. She wanted to slap herself. "Yes!" She said excitedly. "That is just what a girl's night is about! You are exactly right, Calliara my dear. I was foolish to have forgotten - you are very good at this! We will find the others, and then find Macha and her clothes." This was going to be fun, indeed.

Ah, but the clothes. She had neglected to take body shape into account along with the height - a mistake. She hummed thoughtfully, and then made a quick motion with her hand. "Stand up. I will see . . . ." There was a limit to what she could do, with quick, temporary alterations. Height was one thing - hems could be temporarily pinned up, or made to trail properly - but size was another thing. Thankfully, the didn't have to work with smaller to larger - she was about the same height as Calliara, if even a bit shorter, but the elf was right that she was curvier, and Macha was sure to have both height and curves to work with. Still, it was easier to fit larger clothes onto a smaller body than it was to fit smaller clothes onto a larger one. "We will come to that when we come to it," she said absently, her mind still in her thoughts. "We will know more when we can ask Macha what she has at her disposal."

''If she wants'' The Dalish said, still a bit unsure, but pleased. She stood up slowly and streched, recovering her quiver and her bow.

''Then let's go and look for her and the others. We must take Nygozy with us as well. Poor men'' She laughed suddenly ''Being abandoned here, all alone. How sad''

She nodded, looking Calliara over quickly before tucking her estimated sizes into her mind. "Of course I will ask Nygozy - she has been working so hard, and I do not think she took seeing Alistair again very well. She will need the cheering up, I think. I was hoping for you, our other elves Jezarine and Lithawen - if her grace would be inclined to come with us," she smiled to herself at that, "and Sophia, Macha, and myself. I am prepared to drag people along, if I must." There was no way she was going to take 'no' as an answer from anyone, short of their having an emergency. Not even work or duties could keep her from pulling people off to come.

Caterina giggled mischievously as she bounced slightly on the balls of her feet, watching Calliara ready her arrows. "Alas, the poor men. They shall simply have to continue 'organizing' the wine cellar without us. A dull party it will be, I should think, without us there to give it life. But they will have to make do." She adjusted her traveling cloak around her - even indoors, the buildings were too cold for her to want to take off her warmer clothes - and looked back at the white-haired elf. "I have not seen Lithawen or Sophia since we arrived, but Jezarine will surely be in the gardens, and Nygozy will be in her room, I suspect, though I do not know. Macha should not be hard to find, either. Who shall we seek out first?"

''Macha, then Jez, then Nygozy, then Sophia and the last one Lithawen'' Calliara decided, smiling ''Macha because we need her to talk Nyggy into it, Jez would be overwhelmed by three people instead of two and would agree happily, I don't think we'll have problems with Sophia, and Lithawen... well, if she sees that all of us are going, maybe she'll come too''

The Dalish offered her hand to the Antivan without thinking ''I'll take that dressing up and such involve hairstyling and other kind of girly things that I don't know...''

"It appears that we have a plan, then," she said, glancing at her companion with a crafty smile. "We need only gather our victims, and take them along." She gladly took Calliara's hand, giving it a playful swing as she started them along the hall. The stone corridors were instantly colder than the common room had been, but Caterina didn't mind so much this time around - she was too excited to really worry about a silly little thing like cold.

"Thank you for the room near Bowen's, but the by," she commented offhandedly as they walked. Macha's room was further away from their rooms because hers was more permanent, but it wasn't too much of a walk. "Your room assignments were very thoughtful - you are very observant, to have put everyone where you did." She hadn't missed that Lithawen's room should be next to Sinjan's, and those two had even escaped Caterina's eye for some time. She wasn't even sure there was a 'those two,' but something was certainly going on between them. Caterina hadn't spoken to Calliara much yet about her and Bowen, but she wanted to, and she still wanted to thank her for that subtle show of approval. It meant a lot to Caterina that the elf seemed to accept her.

Calliara smiled for herself. ''Thank you, but it was Bowen's idea. At first he wanted to share the room, but then he thought that you two don't have anything 'official', and he is too knighty to let anyone think bad about you, so I gave you rooms that are together and have a hidden door behind the dresser. Enjoy looking for it''

The Dalish winked at her, smiling, but she was also sniffing the air looking for Macha

Caterina really couldn't help a little laugh at that. "How sweet of Bowen, to think of such a thing," she said with amusement clear in her voice. "A man has never worried about my virtue so much. I shall thank him, then. Truth be told, it seemed to me that there was room enough for everyone for me to have my own, whether I use it or not." She winked when she finished, and laughed a little more. It was . . . nice to know that they two of them, Bowen and Calliara, had taken her into account like that.

But the were almost at Macha's room now, and she left thoughts of Bowen and men behind her. Right now was girls' time. Like an excited child, she broke her hold on Calliara's hand to run forward, stopping in front of the door to knock impatiently on the wood. She thought she heard movement or voices inside, so she was sure that someone must be in the room. Hopefully it would be Macha, and not some maid tidying up.

Macha had been talking to Will about the earlier fight with the impostors when a knock sounded at her door. The lady Warden looked up from the sword she was polishing just as Argos's ears perked from where he'd been sleeping at her feet. She cocked her head curiously that someone should be looking for her at this time of day, and she stood, placing her sword aside and sending Will a curious look before taking four quick strides to the door.

"[color=slateblue]Yes?[color]" She asked as she turned the handle, opening the door part ways. When she saw who was on the other side, however, she blinked. What a surprise - though not an unpleasant one - to see Calliara standing there with the white-haired Antivan from the fight earlier. The Antivan woman had a look of eagerness on her face that Macha recognized from whenever Zevran or Leliana had had a particular 'idea' in their heads, and for a suspicious moment, she wondered what it was for now.

But it was rude to stand there with the door only a little open, so she stood back and opened it all the way, smiling at her guests. "Calliara. It's a pleasure. I haven't met your friend yet, unfortunately . . . " she said, trailing off to look at the shorter, tanned woman.

The Antivan didn't seemed much phased. She still looked happy to be there, and still had that 'plotting' glint in her eyes. "I am Caterina, a Warden just as yourself. We are going to have a night out, all of us girls."

Macha blinked. Well . . . she certainly got to the point. She flicked her gaze back over at Will, and then turned her attention to the elf and Antivan once again. "Oh? Well, that certainly sounds like fun."

"Yes," Caterina replied. "It will be. We are inviting you, and we will be abusing your clothing resources." She leaned forward into the room, and looked to where she must have seen Macha looking before. "Oh. A friend. She is welcome to come, if she would like." She flashed a white smile at Will before leaning back, giving Macha an expectant look.

"Why don't you two come in first," she finally said, fully stepping back to allow the two women into the room.

Lithawen had done pretty much nothing upon entering the city of Denrium. She took a nap, woke up and moved to another bed to take another nap, woke up to avoid chanters, and found her way to another room to take another nap. She wasn't even sure she was in the Grey Warden's housing anymore. Something about the city made her sleepy, that and she wouldn't have to listen to Kestrel's idiocy while asleep. The fade was a much better place to be than Denrium.

''We need your help to talk Nygozy into it. Creators know she needs to stop thinking about business for a while'' Calliara said, following the excited Caterina inside the room. She bowed her head to the another unknown girl, and then turned to look at Macha ''We also need to find Jez and Lithawen. And Sophia''

Macha nodded her head as the two women entered into her room. A night out? Well, she needed it. It might even be nice. A chance not to only talk more with Calliara, but with all of the other girl Wardens (and non-Wardens)? She found herself smiling before she knew it, and leaned against a dressing table that she never used, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, it sounds like fun. I'd love to go. A break would be good." She glanced over at Will, then watched the Antivan assassin look the room over before placing her hands behind her back to look back at Macha, and then Macha looked finally to Calliara.

"I can help with talking to Nygozy. She can be hard to take away from her work, when she's so caught up. I think a break would do her good, most of all." Not that they all didn't need it. Macha knew that the politician's life was getting to her, and she often missed the days when she was risking her neck to dragons and darkspawn, instead of to noblemen and merchants. She always liked her chances of survival with the darkspawn better. "I don't know the other girls you're talking about, unfortunately, but I'd love to meet them."

Will looked at the small company of women now occupying her Lady's room. She didn't know any of them by name or face, but Macha had been telling her of her earlier encounter with an elven Grey Warden, Nygozy's new second, at the castle earlier. The whole fiasco left a very poor taste in Will's mouth, and she was silently berating herself for not being there to protect her liege Lady...or, well, the king, (but mostly her Lady), but there was nothing she could do about it now, and Macha would surely be displeased with her for being so hard on herself. Will had a natural tendency to fret when she wasn't being her natural calm and agreeable self, particularly when it came to her Lady's safety.

But now was apparently going to be the time for festivity. Will was slightly taken aback that the newcomers had so easily understood her to be a woman, but it didn't bother her. She wasn't deliberately hiding anything; it was actually somewhat refreshing to not be mistaken for a man every once in a while. She might look a little out-of-place to others in a group otherwise composed completely of (obvious) women, but she enjoyed the prospect of getting Macha to take some time for herself with her peers. And attending would put her in the ideal position to ensure that Macha actually relaxed, but to also ensure she stayed safe.

Will nodded amicably at the two new white-haired women. They looked like good, strong people that might do her Lady some good.

Caterina looked between Macha and the woman who had been in Macha's room, and then back at Calliara. Well, this was going splendidly. Caterina had to confess, she didn't know much about Macha besides the fact that she had traveled with Nygozy and was a Grey Warden as well, but it was heartening to see that she was just as invested in Nygozy's health as she and Calliara were. From what she had seen so far, they would get along well, she and Macha.

The woman still sitting in the corner by the dog was a slightly different matter, but not necessarily a more difficult one. Caterina had almost mistaken her for a man for the briefest of moments, but Caterina was nothing if not attentive to looks, and her ears were too delicate to be a man. It also helped that she had been sitting in another woman's room so comfortably - no man stood around a woman that beautiful without looking at least a little bit anxious. Caterina smirked to herself at the thought. Men were very easy to read, that way.

Still, the masculine woman seemed agreeable, if quiet, and Caterina could see no reason why they shouldn't invite her. A friend of Macha's was a friend to her and the rest of the Wardens, after all. With each passing minute, Caterina found herself more and more excited for the coming night out.

Calliara listened intently, arms crossed over her chest and still feeling a bit confused about all that plan. But she kinda liked it, and was curious.

''Caterina looks too excited to speak her plan, but she wanted to ask you if you had clothes you'd want to lend us. I don't think any of us but you would have proper attires for what she is plotting''

She wondered if Drake would like all of that.

''Also, we need to go and find Jezarine, surely she is in the gardens or the library; Lithawen, Sophia, and Nygozy. And I think I'm not forgetting anyone. So, ladies, we should move, shouldn't we?''

Of course, the tomes on blood magic had been censored by the Chantry. How predictable.

Sophia had been pleasantly surprised to find a library tucked away in the warren that was the Warden's Hold. At first glance, it looked less like a library and more like an attic: elegant shelfs slotted somewhat hapzardly between practical stone walls that overflowed with tomes, some bound, some simply tied together with string. Certain corners bubbled with shadows that refused to budge even when she passed her lantern over it. Under the table, dust bunnies squatted, a petrified still-life of dusty daydreams that seemed to glare pure Taint at the mage flowing gracefully through their midst. It was almost enough to make a mage turn and run for her life, and if she hadn't been familiar with the far more forbidding library of the Circle, Sophia might have done just that.

It was the stories that had done it. Beneath the dust and the darkness lay the scent of stories long forgotten, Blights and battles fought over countless years. Even if no physical record of them existed, Sophia could still feel them lingering, drawn to the forest of shelf and shadow by the presence of their mouldering brethren. Reading them would be a challenge. Delicacy was called for. Patience. And maybe, just maybe, a decent helping of imagination. Ribbon-wrapped fingers skipped across spines broken and whole, asking the dust which lay upon the shelves which books had been read and when. An archaic filing system at best. Sophia licked a finger, dabbing a swift note in a nearby dust-pile to remind herself: reorganise and index. She could navigate this easily enough, but her companions were at a disadvantage. The Mistress would be at a disadvantage. Rectify, rectify, rectify.

And this brought her to the tome, whole pages destroyed, those that remained heavily scarred by merciless quills. Biting back a sniffle, Sophia carried the book over to a table, setting it down gently so that the poor maimed thing wasn't injured any more then it already was. Maleficaria... anything that a Templar didn't understand, anything that they wanted to destroy, had a habit of falling into that catagory. Maybe, just maybe...

Torchlight shone down on Sophia as she studied, peering curiously over her shoulder as she turned page after page, lost in a world gone by. Searching for pictures of a certain tattooed bird.