Meeting the Wolf - VK

Sinjan smiled as he tossed an apple up and down because he did not have to worry about much except for whatever he was ordered to do. The one thing he loved doing though, he was already almost done, as he hung out with the horses to brush and take care of them. They were much easier to get along with as they were not trying to eat everything that he tried to eat. He didn't mind the apples disappearing but holy hanna the new wardens were eating everything else. At least he already put a lock on his secret stash of bribery cheese for Nygozy and Alistair.

He tossed his apple to one of the horses then walked away as he started off to whatever this meeting was that the Wolf wanted. It was too bad that he had to go but it wasn't like he was in the middle of anything too interesting. That reminded him. Where had Leliana hid herself? Oh well.

He went towards a tent where he knew they were meeting and waited in front of it. Calliara wouldn't want to talk inside so he didn't even bother. Or would she? He waited instead, calmly yawning.

''Here you are'' The Wolf's voice, calm, serene, as always. But there was something more in that moment. It sounded almost defeated.

Calliara sighed, arms crossed and looking tired. Sinjan was her friend, and she felt she hadn't to hide the way she was feeling from him, so she showed herself as she was at the moment.

''I needed to speak with you. As you know, or not... I am the Commander until Nygozy can assume her duties again. At the moment she is... She can't take charge. So, I have to ask you, if I ask you to do something, would you do it? You are no Warden, and you really don't have to obey me, but I need to know if I can trust that you'll help me''

The Ferelden Noblewoman with the black hair - forgetful of him that he didn't know her name, but she seemed nice enough - had come to him to say that he was wanted by Calliara, and so, having nothing else to do (though he would have dropped whatever he'd been doing, anyway), he'd nodded, and said he go right away.

Traveling and setting camp for the last two days had been quick and easy, and it had given him and Fa'hallen time to themselves. He was just glad to be back on the road again, and out of Denerim, and without even asking, he knew that Fa'hallen felt the same way. He'd been in that city so long that he'd been about willing to do anything to be back with the forests and clear sky.

Fa'hallen ambled along beside him, and when he found the spot where the black-haired Warden had said Calliara would be, well, there she was. The halla snorted happily to see Calliara again, and Iauron smiled a little in response to seeing her so pleased. Except, Calliara didn't look so well, and both of them noticed, so when they finally stopped in front of the white-haired elf, Iauron was careful not to seem intrusive.

"Hello, Calliara," he said, nodding his head a little in greeting. He glanced aside as Sinjan and smiled warmly as well, and then he turned his attention back to the second-in-command. "You asked for us?" Well, the black-haired Warden had only asked for 'Iauron,' but asking for 'Iauron' was just as good as asking for 'Iauron and Fa'hallen.'

Kassina appeared from out of the trees and headed toward Calliara and the others. She was wearing only a flimsy ragged tunic with her leather pants and was splattered with blood. Blood stained her blond hair as well.

"Wolf call Kassina?" She asked as she approached, seemingly oblivious to her appearance.

He walked up to Calliara and pushed some hair from her face, "Calli darling, you know I'd do almost anything for one of my best friend's loves. Plus, you are Nyg's first so I better." He pretended to be telling her a secret, leaning in a bit and putting a hand to the side of his face, "And we know that she'd whoop my rump if I didn't. Or worse! She'd tell my Pa!"

Sinjan gave her a kiss on the forehead then stepped back with a wink, "Iauron! Fa'hallen you beautiful girl you! Where have you been? I've missed my cloud maiden." He walked over to the halla and petted her neck, "Tell me your elf has been taking the best care of you."

He looked at Kassina and whistled, "I hope whatever gave you all the blood is dead or it could be trouble."

Kassina looked down at herself at Sinjan's comment. "Oh. Dinner." She answered in response to his comment. "Kassina clean deer, fish for pa...ty? Big dinner night new wardens. Need lots meat for burn. Hear wolf want Kassina. Come fast. No wash first."

''Thank you, Sin'' Calliara smiled weakly, and then smiled at the others when they arrived. The sight of the halla made her feel better, and before she answered any of them, the Wolf kneeled and hugged the mighty animal, hiding her face into the white as snow fur. Then she stood again, and now she was looking more as her usual self.

''Thank you all for coming. I wished to speak with all of you. Kassina'' Calliara smiled warmly. ''I could talk with your pack myself, as I understand animals and they understand me, but I think it's a matter of courtesy that I speak to you and then you tell them. I need your pack to patrol the surroundings of the camp out of the watch posts' view. Please tell them to not get too tired doing so, and if they see something strange, ask them to howl twice, a short howl and then a larger one, and then repeat the call just to be sure. I'll tell everyone to be warned by that howls if they hear them. Also, tell your pack that if there are cubs among them and they wish them to be protected while they patrol or hunt, they can rest with our own cubs close to the biggest firepit''

Then she turned to Iauron. ''Lethallin. I need you and Fa'hallen checking the watch posts. I mean, when someone is there, on watch, I need you two patrolling to be sure they are not sleeping. It has been a long, tiring day and a long, tiring journey, and I am aware that many of us are tired. Also, please keep an eye on the horses and the aravels''

Finally, Calliara looked at Sinjan. ''Sin, I'm afraid you'll have the worst job of all. I need you to be my eyes when I am busy with other things. I can't be everywhere in camp, and Bowen and Gunnar are busy already checking the defenses and moving the aravels to form a circle around the firepits. Can you tell them I wish them to prepare waterskins over the aravels, just in case there's need to wet the wood so they won't burn? And please, if you see something that can be improved, tell me. There are too many people in here and I only have two eyes''

Fa'hallen nuzzled at Sinjan and then at Calliara, appreciating the attention of the ones she considered her extended family. Iauron smiled on, happy for her, and then, once the hugging was done, he and Fa'hallen nodded in unison.

"You needn't ask as if it were a bother, lethallan," Iauron said with a small smile. "We are both here to be used as needed - it is our pleasure to do whatever we may to keep the camp safe, and to make your job any easier." Fa'hallen snorted, silently agreeing with what Iauron said, and he absently ran his hand through the fur at her shoulder. "Is anyone on watch right now that I should be keeping awake, lethallan?"

''Being honest, I don't have any idea. I was attending the Joining and then all this mess happened. Please tell Bowen and Gunnar to set the watch spots, I think five would be enough, and ask them to organize the turns as well. Thank you, brother'' Calliara smiled warmly

Kassina nodded as she was adressed. "Short howl. Long howl. Kassina tell pack. Pack is many, patrol easy. Will ask 'bout cubs. Alphas may not want cubs near humans, but Kassina ask."

Kassina listened a moment more, but that seemed to be all she was needed for. "Much hunting still. Wardens eat much." She said with a grin before running off and dissapearing back into the forest.

[OOC: Blergh, sorry, sorry. Finals week, only paid attention to the thread I was alreayd in. :X ]

Griffinhart was a ghost at Calliara's side, not speaking, barely moving except to remain in sync with her. Either she had not regarded his presence, or had some other task for him; either was fine for him, though he still itched for a task of some manner.

His weight shifted slightly, barely, to keep his swords in alignment with his neutral posture; and the warrior waited still in silence. His orders would come - they were not fighting; Calliara would have no issues with ordering him about. Or so he hoped - it was a distasteful thing, to be under the command of someone who would hesitate to make sacrifices.

[OOC: Don't worry luv :3 How did your finals go?]

Calliara nodded, then turned lightly her head to Griffinhart, without really looking at him.

''I wish to speak with you in private'' She said, and moved to the nearest tree, to lean her back against it. Now her icy eyes stared at him, serious.

''I know Nygozy asked you your opinion about things, trusting you to give an opinion free of emotions and such. I hope you'll do the same for me while I'm in charge and Nygozy is indisposed. These are my orders: You will keep an eye on Nygozy's tent. If you see someone entering that isn't Jezarine, Kai, Torture or myself... first warn him or her that tent is forbidden unless I give permission. If they insist, hit'' The Wolf said bluntly. ''Without killing if possible, but I want people to know I am serious with this. No one but the ones I said is allowed to enter the Commander's tent''

Calliara looked around, thinking, and then her eyes went back to Griffinhart, unblinking. ''That's part of your duties. The other part is that I need you to check the defenses and see if there's something that can be improved. Bowen and Gunnar are already preparing a couple of moats and moving the aravels to make a circle around the firepits. Be sure that there are enough waterskins to wet the aravels if needed so they wont burn. The wolves are already patrolling the surroundings, and they will make a call - a short howl and then a larger one, and repeating the signal - if something happens''

The Wolf thought again. She had felt before that there was something wrong between Griffinhart and her. It wasn't really obvious, as the man was as expressive as a brick wall, but...

''If someone that are not darkspawn approach the camp, stop them. If they don't say who they are and what they want and try to continue, kill''

[OOC: I'll be pleasantly surprised if I pass more than two of my five classes. Why in the hell did I think it was a good idea to take two CS and two math classes?]

Her commands were, in essence, orders to do as he had always done, with additional specifics. "Guard the Warden-Commander's tent with less-than-lethal force, guard the camp with lethal force, and defensive assessment," he repeated, nodding. "Understood." But the warrior did not leave immediately, for there was a flaw he noted in her orders.

Namely, he was only one person.

"I can be doing any of those things at any time, but I cannot do all of them all of the time. Do you want me on shifts, or would it better that I randomly attend to a given task at random times?" There was no question of aid - the thought had never crossed the warrior's mind. It was matter of order and procedure.

[OOC: Maths ugh ugh me don't like maths D: I studied a year of Geology degree before starting History degree and the first year I had eight different subjects about maths... Obviously I failed miserably]

Calliara nodded and pressed her nose's bridge tiredly, closing her eyes. ''True. I wish you patrol just Nygozy's surroundings. She is our primal concern now. I have asked Iauron already to patrol between the watch posts and the wolves are further. Your main priority is Nygozy's safety''

Suddenly she thought about other thing. ''Another thing. If the worse happens and we are attacked and outnumbered, I want you to get Nygozy and the children - Cestrah, Dartmoor, Kassina -, with Khael, Takara and Robert... and Fenrir, and lead them out of here to a safe place. This is a direct order, Griffinhart. And if it's not possible to get the children going, take Nygozy out of here and leave everyone else. And I mean, everyone''

Just thinking about everyone dying made her sick, but she managed to not show it. She tried not to think about Nygozy's opinion if that even happen and she was dragged by Griffinhart to a safe place, all alone.

[OOC: I love maths. It's just that I'm also incredibly lazy and maths is hard. Still discrete math is a fun subject. I learned how to count!]

A change of orders, then. That was just as fine, and Griffinhart said as much, nodding. "I can dedicate more time and effort to one task than to three." And he was to be their guardian, and their fallback plan. He would be, in essence, their last line of defense. What had happened with the Warden-Commander that necessitated such measures?

It wasn't that this manner of thinking was unpleasant to him - it wasn't, if only because he did not understand the concept of "unpleasant" thinking - but it was a drastic change in long-standing policy. And it was a measure of trust - a rather large measure of trust, placed in him and on him. But Griffinhart did not ask what had happened to the Commander, because Calliara had chosen not to reveal the truth initially, and because Griffinhart did not think that the truth ultimately mattered in this case; Nygozy was alive enough that her lieutenants cared to keep her alive; and her lieutenant had contingency plans that depended on - dictated - Nygozy's survival.

"...and I mean everyone," she said. Griffinhart nodded once more. A single word, then. "Understood."

He turned, and headed for the Warden-Commander's camp.