Shanedan

Pathetic. Did the humans realize or understand the squalor they were living in? Could they? Perhaps not - they were little more than barbarians, after all. The wealthiest among them was poorer than even the trash that followed behind him. Without the Qun, life was spent in idle fancy, or was simply wasted. Victory was in the Qun.

It was degrading, to have to walk about the human city with this heavy cloak to hide his figure. Those that followed him - there were three, and the tallest of them was shorter than he was, but they stood out among the diminutive humans nevertheless (though the last of them could have passed for one of the frail humans that milled about like cattle) - wore identical cloaks, but their faces were masked to hide their sewn lips; the chains about their necks and hands were visible, though. He seemed to be leading a procession of prisoners through the marketplace, but no one who followed the Qun was a prisoner - the things behind him fit into the Qun like a brick fit into a wall. They were tiny but necessary parts of the whole, and no matter how detestable they were, they had their place, and understood it.

The people around him gave him wide berth and made no attempt to hide their undignified staring. As he understood it, his people were relatively unknown amongst the majority of the human populace, but though they may not have known what he was, they understood that here was a superior creature, and, like startled sheep, gave him his careful space.

The figure at the back of his procession had considerably less opinion of the people around her. They were there, and she was there, and they moved out of the way so that she did not have to. That was all. She was vaguely aware that her mouth hurt today, because she had been struck for a poorly performed spell yesterday, and the stitches at her mouth had protested the blow and had come undone, and had had to be redone quickly. The pain was inconsequential, however, and had been entirely of her own doing - if she had not failed, the threads would not have broken, and so would not have needed to be restitched. Like the Qun, everything followed an ordered path, and blaming her pain on her handler would have been unproductive and insubordinate.

The mage was aware of the small beast following in her footsteps; a tiny, black little creature that had been by her side since coming to this town that smelled of waste and dampness. It had refused to leave her, and so it stayed. The cat was fortunate that her handler had not yet taken notice of it, or it surely would have been done away with at once.

Her attention returned from her thoughts of the young creature when she heard her handler make a disgruntled noise. A human man stood in his way, and seemed to be trading angry words with her Arvaarad. Unfortunate for him - her leashholder had been irritable this past week, and she could tell already that he would stand for no slight, even from a kabethari who knew no better. He should have been patient with so simple-minded a person, but since coming to this foreign place, her handler had become quicker to take pride in his own name, and not the Qun's. It was distressing, but it was no matter. She was saarebas. She was thing, and she existed only to follow his orders, or die for them.

There was the distinctive sound of a sword being drawn, and she closed her eyes to recite a prayer for the man's soul in her mind. It was a sad thing to watch a life die without knowing the path of the Qun - there would be no other life for him, after this. The humans around her screeched in terror like crying lambs, and without looking she could feel the things beside her move to be ready for their master's command, should it come. She went to do the same.

Guremi walked about the town ignoring the people as she strode through the streets in a direct path towards the market square. She moved calmly about as if nothing could phase her and all would have been well enough until she saw them.

Saarebas with an Arvaarad.

This was a situation which could mean trouble, considering that some of the humans did not like strangers let alone those who were from the Qun. People knew of the Qunari and much of the time they reacted badly but more than likely because most Qunari anyone ever saw in this land tended to be mercenaries.

But this was not a group of mercs making trouble. This was a group being led by their owners. Their owners. Led by an owner like a dog which followed an owner no matter how abusive the owner was as they did not know any more. They knew no less than being what they were and had no concept of freedom. Slaves. Even though they saw it as their way and saw what they were as a lesser identity than an Arvaarad they were still owned.

I will never be owned.

The words in her mind hurt, the memories of such humiliation and pain could not leave her side. The fear of being sold and taken as one's pet.

Her attention was drawn by the sound of a blade which removed her from her memoirs.

"What is going on here?" Guremi spoke in a commanding voice as she moved towards the group, ready for action if it were required, "I am honour guard to the king. Speak your peace and be about your business or there will be action taken on behalf of the crown."

The Tamassran had been converting the poor in Denerim, teaching them of the better life of the Qun. His imposing figure helped convert the less easily swayed, even though he himself was a pacifist. Leave the fighting to the soldiers. He had several more sessions of conversation with the Elven Saarebas, Jezarine. He enjoyed their conversations and debates. It was difficult to find more open minded intellectuals here in Fereldan. He was sitting on a stool outside, teaching children as the procession of the Averaad passed through the streets. The Tamassran was tall for a Qunari, standing at nine feet, so he was very hard to miss, especially in his plain tan robes.

"Victory is in the Qun, children. Once you have your career, you will dedicate yourself to it and your superiors, and the Qun will give you absolution. Not any invisible man in the sky. Not any dead madwoman. Only you can change your world, not these imaginary creatures." He said, his hands moving as he instructed. "Always remember, waste nothing. Every person is valuable. Even tools like mages. They are not people, but weapons to be used." He finished saying and many children nodded, through their fear and ignorance of mages. Others shifted uncomfortably.

The tiny human man turned his head to look at the female warrior - an absurdity in and of itself - and glared at her. Ungrateful wretch. Female or not, a warrior was a thing to be deferred to. Authority, no matter where it lay, was to be respected, but this merchant obviously had no such common sensibilities in his head.

"This huge guy bumped into me! There a'in't no King matter, 'cept that he owes me a new cart."

"You are a thief as well as a liar, then. I have done nothing, and I owe you nothing. You would do well to hold your tongue before you put forth any further nonsense."

"You - !" But clearly the man was neither clever enough nor quick enough to think of some retort in due time. Instead - and the action only served to cement just how little sense the man had in his head - he turned on the man, heedless of the King's woman standing just beside him, to strike.

Quicker than lightening, her hands were up, the chain clinking between them, and the glow that enveloped them was a deep, steady purple. Just as quickly, the man crumpled to the ground before his fist could so much as come near her leashholder. Even without checking, he was clearly dead.

The men and woman around her errupted into screams, but she simply lowered her hands as if nothing had happened at all, their cries muffled from behind her mask. The humans were unused to displays of magic, or else they feared for their own lives. At the very least, though, they seemed to care less that the man was dead than they did for the fact that someone had died, and that they might be next.

Her handler did not look back at her, but she could feel his smug satisfaction for her quick actions - to him, her diligence was just the same as if he'd raised his own sword with impeccable skill. She worked for his own glory and any action she took could only speak to his personal skill as a handler of mages. Satisfaction was unbecoming of a Qunari, but she had no place to speak - or even think - of judging him for it.

"And now the wretch is finally silent," he said with a grave nodded, a pillar of calm amidst the flurry of cries about him.

Before she even had a chance to work things out with the idiot he was dead. Guremi watched him fall with unblinking eyes, her expression not wavering even as people began to run and the sareebas went back to her place in line. The red head lifted her chin and stood directly in front of the Arvaarad without even looking at his entourage.

"There was no need for deadly force, Araavad; therefore, I require that you come with me to settle this issue. Qunari are allowed here as is any other race but all must adhere to the rules of the land."

She pointed to guardsmen who had shown up in response to the altercation, "You will deal with this, find out the man's identity and bring his goods to the palace for his next of kin. Remember, the birds will inform the Warden Commander of any removal of properties not yours."

"Arvaarad, come with me and bring all of your Saarebas."

Her handler stared at the woman a moment, no doubt wondering more at the idea of a female soldier, but no sooner had the appraisal begun that it ended, and he nodded. Without a word, she and the other things around her fell back into step behind their master, and just as silently, they followed.

By now, the men and women around were cowering rather than fleeing. It was an improvement over their hysterics from moments before, at least, and it afforded her to clear her head from the haze that always took over when she performed magic. She couldn't have known, because she had never had the opportunity to practice her magic any other way, but the casting of magic without words was always more taxing on the body than when incantations and staves were used. It was the Qunari way to teach mages to use their magic thus, of course, but even when it was all they knew, their bodies still rejected being abused in such a way. Beatings and punishments, the body could be taught to endure, but it could never quite become accustomed to having its natural flow of mana was forced in such a way.

Their procession was led through the city, and the citizens who had not even been present for the altercation seemed to instinctively shy away from them. Perhaps it was the human guard who was so obviously doing the work of the realm, but it was more likely the fact that the entourage she led was made up entirely of the hugest and most imposing figures they had ever seen. Her eyes never once broke their gaze at back of the thing in front of her, but from the corner of her vision she almost thought she'd seen a familiar creature, sitting with a collection of impossibly tiny and fragile children, but before she could look further, they had moved, and she could not have looked back without willfully acting against an order, and so, she did not.

The Tamassran had finished his lesson and sighed. Another group converted. Some more needing more persuasion. His task was impossible: Convert enough Fereldans so to stave off the invasion that was to come. To spare the bloodshed. The Tamassran had no love for these barbarians but he detested violence, and did what he could to help avert it. Still, he heard the sound of chains behind him and his golden eyes widened as witnessed a procession of cloaked and hooded Qunari walking through the streets of Denerim. Was the invasion here already? Impossible. It was far too soon. Why then were there Qunari here besides himself and the Tal'Vashoth?

Determined to investigate this, The Tamassran approached the group's leader, calmly walking up beside him. It was then he realized that the other Qunari behind him were Saarebas. With stitched mouths? That was news to him. Normally they cut out Saarebas tongues to prevent them from casting spells like Blood Magic on their handlers or others.

He had been away for a long time it seemed.

"Good day, Avrvaarad. I must admit, I did not expect to see more Qunari here than myself." He said. It felt good to speak in his native tongue. It had been so long since he last used it that his accent was a little sloppy.

Her Arvaarad never once broke stride, even as the other Qunari man came in stride with them. To have hesitated in his step would have seemed a weakness, and there was no reason to stop when the scholar could so easily keep pace with them, as well. She did not pay so much attention to the new Qunari man except to watch him carefully for a moment before returning her eyes forward as she was supposed to. With the men and women about her, there was no threat to her Arvaarad, but another Qunari needed to be more carefully watched. This one was a scholar, though, a Tamassran (strange as it was to see a man in such a position), and he did not concern her.

The Arvaarad's eyes did not so much as glance at his Qunari brother. Following behind a female warrior was degrading and insulting, but to disregard the laws of another country, even one as barbarian as this, was unacceptable. It did not sit well on his nerves, however.

"What you expected is not my concern, Tamassran. The job converting of these barbarians is an important one, but military matters are not yours to know." Despite his words, he too felt the comfort of speaking his tongue to one who would respond. When he spoke, it was to order the weapons at his command, and though a Tamassran was no warrior, he had a mouth, and could use it as well as any scholar of intellect could.

The two Qunari spoke in their own language which was not a matter for Guremi to be concerned about. Whether she understood tone, inflection or even languages meant nothing as she navigated the streets to get this Arvaarad and his followers to the palace without incident. That did not seem to be an issue as most gave them a wide berth, especially since Guremi was large enough herself to keep most people at bay. Most women did not get to her height or strong body structure without having been through a lot.

No comments were made to the Tamassran as he joined the group either. She need not speak to the man as she tended to stay away from him as much as possible. It would be the same with these new Qunari as well.

Once they were at the gates, Guremi spoke with a guard who shrugged, "Ser Darslan, I am afraid to say that the king will not be available; however, the Warden Commander has been taking audience."

"Nygozy has?" It didn't surprise her but she was not sure if she did question just in case. Qunari males were not so hot about warrior women. Actually ... even better, "Thank you. This way."

She led the group into the building and to the rooms that Nygozy had taken on for business meetings. The warden had not wished to have meetings within her own warden quarters. She wanted that for throwing around paper and so she could relax.

"We are here." Guremi announced unnescessarily as the guards at the door watched them carefully but opened the door for them and followed into the comfortable sitting room. It had couches and chairs for people to wait, "The Warden Commander will hear the case."

"Would you like anything sent in to eat or nibble on. The Warden Commander may take some time." A younger guard asked inside the room. There were six guards within the room, standing at attention. Apparently the king was being very protective.

The Arvaarad only just managed to keep himself from responding that, yes, he could very well see that they were here. So like a kabethari to state the obvious. He stood inside the room with the three saarebas behind him, and they stood as if waiting for their own Arishok were about to greet them, grim and at attention. They did not sit, and they did not fidget.

"They will not eat," he replied curtly to the guard. Why a respected Commander would need such an extensive guard, he could not say, but their presence did not bother him. Each of them was a weak looking thing, and should a problem arise, they would be easily subdued. "And I will not eat," he finished, turning his gaze away from the guard who was little more than a child to stare straight ahead of him.

The smallest Saarebas behind him looked about her with eyes concealed behind her mask. The room was small and ugly compared to the great meeting halls in Seheron, but that opinion was not hers to have. She had only to look for weaknesses, as she'd always been commanded, because it would not do to have a surprise come upon her Arvaarad because she was careless. Satisfied that she had seen the room in its entirety, she went about looking at each of the guards.

Most of them were too young to be in possession of any real skill as a warrior, so she did not even cast them a second glance. The only potential adversary of worth was the strange female-warrior, which was a thing she did not understand. The woman was taller than even she was, which was a feat indeed for a kabethari, but then, perhaps it was fitting that a thing such as her was so small and insignificant, even when compared to a barbarian woman-warrior.

The Tamassran had followed Guremi and the procession of Qunari. "Forgive my speaking out of turn, Arvaarad. It is just that living among these barbarians for so long has left me yearning for home, even though I shall never see it again. One wonders why I volunteered for this impossible task." He sighed and they entered the first room to where Nygozy had her meetings. The Tamassran had been keeping to himself, occasionally visiting Jezarine, especially after her kidnapping, but he would often disappear for long periods to teach the locals the Qun.

"If when you return to Seheron, please convey my report to them: Seven villages converted, and thirteen hamlets. I am traveling with the Warden-Commander and attempting to convert those who follow her, though the going is difficult." He said, shaking his head. "The Circle Tower is also so lax in its defence a single of our own Saarebas could raze it to the ground. The Arishok must know that Fereldan's mages are weak after the Blight."

"Just try to see how weak our mages are and you may have a surprise at your hands." Nygozy said as she came from the direction of the other room but where exactly she had been was not noticeable and the fact that she spoke in the Qunari language was something different to some. Her inflections were not perfect but she did know it, "Seven villages and three hamlets. That is impressive, Tamassran. You may wish to keep that information to yourself and not announce it around even within your own tongue."

The small woman walked directly towards the Arvaarad and stopped a few paces away so she could look up at him without getting a crink in her neck. There was a pause in which she waited, a strong yet small figure that looked ready to move at a given moment. Like a wolverine, she was not one anyone could easily sway and she was just as dangerous.

"Your arrival has not been unnoticed, Arvaarad. The true meaning to this and the reasons for what has been going on within this city have yet to be discussed. Military matters must be at hand."

How she found this information out even before they had reached her location was something she was not about to tell. Not to mention how she knew what they had been saying when it was in their own tongue. Let them wonder. Nygozy was not about to let them in on her secrets as she did not trust this meeting at all.

The Arvaarad looked up from where the Tamassran was speaking of his impressive deeds in the name of the Qun, as a tiny woman - tinier than he had ever seen - approached. This was their Commander, he thought with no little surprise, though he was ashamed of his own reaction. Could so small a creature truly be of use to the people of this barbarian country? Truly, they must have been lesser men than even he had thought, to have turned to someone so . . . unimposing.

The Saarebas had a similar reaction, though it was highly inappropriate of her to do so. Such a small creature, and a woman at that! Perhaps there was some secret strength that this woman commanded . . . but she did now know how that could be so. Even she, who was small for a Qunari, had never seen a creature quite so short. Humans were strange to her, but she had never even so much as seen a dwarf in her life.

"The Tamassran should not have spoken so freely," he conceded, watching this new, strange woman with a wary eye. "But matters of conversion are not military business. All are free to follow the Qun, who wish to turn to its ways." He was quiet again as watched her, unsure of how to approach this . . . anomaly of a woman.

"We do not wish to conceal our presence. The time for secrecy is past - only the inevitable remains before us, Ferelden Commander."

The Tamassran was getting angry now. He folded his arms over his chest. "You do not outrank me, Arvaarad. I remember teaching your generation better than this." He then looked over to Nygozy. "It is strange that you have learned my language in such a short time with the Sten. But it is probably proof of my guess that you were once Qunari in a past life." He grunted and then glared menacingly to the Saarebas group following their keeper. He turned to the Arvaarad. "Their mouths are stitched. Is this a new practice? When I was last in Par Vollen we simply cut out their tongues after they cast spells without being ordered to." He grunted.

"I am Grey Warden Commander, Nygozy. You are correct that your arrival was not not concealed. It is difficult to conceal one so large especially when they walk about with an entourage of Sareebas in a foreign land as if they were above all else." She smirked at her size joke even though she did not feel that even if he understood it he would react one way or another, besides offended, "You two spoke of military matters, minisculely on your way over so it makes me wonder that they may be at hand."

Nygozy glanced at the Tamassran, smirked then nodded at his assessment, "That is an interesting belief and one which Sten had mentioned as well." She was saddened by the memory of the man leaving, "Kadan he was to me and he taught your words well. Any Tamassran would be proud of his abilities once one gains his trust but I do not know if what you believe is even viable as we know nothing of such revelations."

"I have also noticed the stitching and would wish to know of it's reasoning."

The Arvaarad watched in silence as the tiny Commander exchanged words with the Tamassran that meant little to him. He had heard from the Arishok that a platoon of Sten had made their way into Ferelden a year or so ago, and he had heard that only one of them had returned, 'changed' in a way. The Arvaarad did not approve of learning from these barbarian children, and to name one 'kadan?' Surely this Sten had become mentally damaged in whatever attack had killed his brothers.

"I am not free to discuss matters of the Arishok with you, Commander," he said curtly, and only just barely managed to say 'Commander' without any disbelieving strain. No matter what this woman wanted, diplomacy was not revealing all of his leader's plans to her.

He didn't even look back at the saarebas behind him as he spoke of them dismissively. "Their mouths have been sewn since they were discovered as mages and given to my care. They can perform spells without the used of their tongue, and now, they have never had the chance to perform unauthorized spells. It is preferable to prevent disaster, rather than attempt only to clean it up after disaster has come about. They are but things - they do not deserve your sympathy."

The Tamassran listened to Nygozy's recounting of the Sten's teaching her. "He overstepped his boundaries. But I am glad that you at least learned some of our language. It makes you more civilized than the rest of these barbarians." He observed and then looked to the Arvaarad. "It just seems like such a waste of ability that you are not using them to their full potential by stitching their mouths closed. It also seems so excessive." He grunted, then shook his head. This country was rubbing off on him. He had gained more compassion here than he had before he left Par Vollen.

"We will speak of that later, Tamassran."

This man was not going to be helpful with much at all so Nygozy was not about to be kind to him, especially with the normal Qunari higher than thou attitude. One moment she was on the floor before the Arvaarad and the next she was on top of a tall side table looking the man directly in the eyes. It was nice to be able to use the darkness and shadows like a cloak.

"Now, Arvaarad, you will tell me what you are doing here with several Sareebas, and what had happened in the streets which has made one of the king's personal guard bring you to my attention." Her eyes shifted towards the Sareebas, "And tell your mages to stand down or this will become a bloodbath." Once again she was not about to tell him how she knew anything but grinned knowingly. Let him wonder.

A growl from behind the mages indicated more than just the guards, herself and Guremi within the room.

With a quick, abortive movement of his hand, the saarebas behind the Arvaarad stood down from their tensed positions, ready to have defended their leashholder from the quick, little woman. The Arvaarad watched the Commander carefully - evidently, he had underestimated what he might have expected from her. He would not make that same mistake again.

"My business in your country is the business of my Arishok, and I would not tell you of his plans even if you chose to execute me for holding my tongue. I will tell you, however, that your guard," he said 'guard' as if he could hardly believe that the red-headed woman was such a thing, "came upon me as a foolish man incited a quarrel with me. I simply struck him before he could strike me."

Hazel eyes were in tune with all that was happening around the room and the sound of Torture huffing out air told her anything else she required to know. The Arvaarad spoke as any of their kind normally would and it did not make her think any differently. It was their cultural lives that gave them this attitude and it made life more interesting sometimes.

"I see." She said simply, giving a slight grin as his answer was one she was expecting.

Nygozy rolled her shoulders then made a slight movement of the head towards the guards . The young guard who had first spoken to the Qunari bowed at the neck then motioned for the other guards to back off and be at ease. It seemed strange that the younger man was the one to make the call as he couldn't have the authority to do so but the warden commander seemed to let it be so for whatever reason there was.

"Understood, Arvaarad; however, the actual matter here is that you killed a person within the city. Not that I have not done that myself." She didn't seem worried that the Sareebas were ready for almost anything. The key words being 'almost ready' and she lazily stepped back one step but stayed on the table, "I understand the reaction to protect one's self but in this case, could it not have been done non-lethally? In these lands that could get one into further trouble, which is not something we wish to have. If you would change the tactics in which you opperate to this then it should not be so bad."

She hopped off the table, "Is there anything that you wish from the crown or the grey wardens? I am sure you are not in the head city of Denerim only for a pleasant walk across the country."

"The merchant was being difficult. I corrected him. It was his misfortune that he resorted to violence in my presence. That is all there is to the matter, Commander, and I will not explain my actions further." To have to even say so much to this bas was demeaning enough, but to have to explain something so obvious as if speaking to a child - he truly hated the filth of this country.

"As for your offer," he continued, "there is nothing I need from you or your King." Explaining was one thing, but receiving their 'help?' He would rather set his saarebas free to the world than lower himself to that level.

The female Saarebas behind the Arvaarad quickly turned her gaze away from the small woman. She had been watching her with a measure of curiosity, but the harsh tones of her Arvaarad, though not directed at her, reminded her that she should not be so lax in her attentions. The Commanding woman had already proved herself more of a threat than they had anticipated, and becoming too interested could mean danger to her Arvaarad.

Nygozy waited and watched something behind the others with a cold eye, "Guremi. How bad was the offense?" She asked in a bored voice.

Guremi kept her spot beside the warden commander, staring over the Arvaarad's shoulder, or seeming to as she was carefully watching all, "The merchant had drawn his weapon even though I was clearly stating for him to stand down. It is my belief that the merchant would not have stopped even if it had come to arresting the individual. Removal of the Arvaarad and the Sareebas was to keep the peace and avoid any further altercations whether by fearful bystanders or other denizens."

Cut and dry for once. The small dwarf did not stand down but looked back at the Arvaarad, "You may stand down, Guremi, and leave us." She waited until the large woman left the room then smirked at the huge man before her, "I already have had messaging with your Arishok and it was indicated that you would be coming to this area. And don't give me the scowly face as if you do not believe me."

Once again she was not about to spell things out to the man but she did start tossing a coin purse up into the air and catching it as it came down, almost bored. It looked strangely like the coin purse the Arvaarad carried upon his person.