Fuel for the Primal

Early morning sunlight filtered through the tree tops. The grass and ferns still had dew on their leaves, and birds chirped happily to each other. There were some small flowers with different colored petals and leaves scattered on the forest floor. It was a fairly normal morning as far as mornings go.

Varen stepped quietly from inside her tent. She had her red robes on, as well as her gray cloak. She stretched a little, noticing that only a few people in camp were milling around. The elf pulled her ashen hood over her head to conceal her face.

Varen walked into the surrounding forest a little ways, making sure she could always see camp. Her gaze scanned the forest floor, looking for a particular flower. Whites, reds, oranges and even blues were blooming, but nothing black. Sighing in frustration, Varen walked a little further into the forest. When back in the tower, the mage had seen a parchment about a black flower with white spots. This flower could be ground and mixed into an ink that could be used for tattoos that made the bearer have small resistance to melee combat. Well, at least that was what the parchment said.

For all Varen knew, the plant could be a deadly poison, a trap to lure in the greedy. Or, on the other hand, it could just make the ink a different color. Whatever it could do, Varen was determined to find it. The elf wandered farther still, forgetting to look over her shoulder to see if the camp was still in sight.

Left, no right. Agh! Where in the 'ell am I? A street sign er two would be plen'y useful about now. Nice, cold mug, couple'a tavern wenches to fill me drinks, 'ow did ye convince yerself to go wand'rin aroun'ere?

The forest was - obviously - a very, very different place from the streets of Denerim. Faelní Haeval, having spent her entire life in Denerim, was completely out of her element. The lack of roads, signs, and people in general was difficult to navigate. Trees everywhere, and hardly a well tread path in sight, truly disorienting for one such as her. She silently cursed the party of bandits that attacked the group she had been travelling with since Denerim. What happened to them she had no idea, though she expected things did not end well for them. It had been dark at the time of the attack, and since Faelní has slipped away early in the confusion it seemed unlikely they were looking for her, especially since more than a few hours had passed.

Yes, jus' dandy. Set out fer a new life to die in some godfersak'n woods with no supplies er nothin'.

Faelní heaved a sigh as she came to a stop, taking a moment to catch her breath and leaning against a tree as she did so. The negative attitude wasn't helping. She knew she had to find a path, or road, or something. That was really the only way, then maybe she could find her way to Amaranthine, or somewhere else closeby. Anywhere but the damn woods!

What was'at?

Her head quickly perked up at the sound of movement in brush nearby. Footsteps? Or..perhaps some animal? There was no way she had been tracked, no way...even so, in her already heightened and anxious state, was it any wonder that Faelní expected the worst? She broke into a run, looking over her shoulder. She got maybe about twenty paces before she realized her feet weren't hitting the ground anymore.

Looking down, she saw the problem. Behind her, the ground was slightly raised - a small but steep hill, at least in the direction she was heading. She went tumbling to the ground, rolling once before coming to a stop flat on her stomach and left dizzy from the experience. Her eyes gazed dizzily around before she even pushed herself to her feet, and a look both anxious and relieved came across her expression when she suddenly realized she wasn't alone. A cloaked figure, but Faelní could see red hair poking out from beneath the hood. Whoever she was, she may as well have been the Maker himself, come down from the Golden City to guide poor lost Faelní back to safety.

The elf pushed herself up to her feet rapidly though took a moment to regain her balance. And what a sight she must have been - a short, thin elf garbed in leathers and looking about as confused as a dwarf experiencing his first day on the surface, with dirt and scratches on her face from wandering blindly in a place she had no business being in the first place. Faelní Haeval quickly blurted out the obvious.

"Oi! I..I be a bit lost..aheh."

Varen flinched slightly at the sudden appearance of the elf from the sky. A shape shifting gone wrong, perhaps? The mage calmly glanced at where the other person came from, and fought a smirk from appearing on her lips. There were skid marks about the size of feet on top of the hill. The other person had fallen.

When the elf stood, Varen noted that she was about the same height and build as herself, but the mage was a bit taller. "It does seem that way, doesn't it?" Varen meant these words in a joking matter, but didn't know if the woman took it that way. The other woman's accent sent a small pang in her chest. It reminded her of her first home.

The mage had spent the first ten years of her life in an alienage. Sure, those years were pretty bad, but it was her childhood. There was always her bird....her poor poor bird. Varen shook her head to clear her mind of such thoughts.

"The definition of lost depends on where you are headed, however. Where are you going to in such a hurry, sister?" Varen's voice was quiet, but loud enough to be heard over the wildlife. She didn't mean 'sister' in the literal term, for Varen was an only child. Besides, she didn't ever remember meeting this girl before.

Poor Faelní still looked a bit confused and not to mention a little flustered, but at least she was shaking off that dizzy feeling. All in all, however, it was a rather embarrassing way to introduce oneself. He hand quickly went to work wiping the dirt off hercheek, stopping for a only a moment to trace a finger over a small scrape from the fall. After settling herself, she took a few steps closer, tilting her head very slightly to one side in a similar manner as a curious child. It took her a moment, but Faelní realized the other elf was simply joking with her.

She smiled a little at that, deciding that her initial impression of the stranger was a good one - though to be fair, there were very few things that put her off. Faelní listened while the other spoke, though it would take her a few moments before she would actually respond. She looked visibly confused by the wording of the first part of the question, working at it like someone might work a riddle. And then finally, her eyes lit up. Faelní wasn't the smartest elf out there.

A sudden grin broke out on her expression. "Well o'course it does. Hah! I'm Faelní, stranger, an' I be headin' anywhere out of the woods." She said with a nod, though quickly corrected herself. "Unless o'course ye be plannin' on stayin. I'd like to tag along if'n its a'right with ye. I'd just get lost if I went wand'rin off meself." While normally not the nervous type, Faelní began to chew at her lower lip. She wanted nothing more than to be free of the woods as soon as possible, but tagging along with someone who seemed to know what she was doing was certainly preferable to going it alone.

Varen smirked slightly under her hood. This girl didn't seem to mean her any harm. The mage slid the hood of of her head revealing red hair and golden eyes edged by tattoos. "My name is Varen. A pleasure to meet you."

Out of the forest? Varen could take her to camp. Or would that be the right thing to do? Would it be her place or right to be able to do that? After all, it was the Commander who had found her. Maybe if she called for someone? Perhaps she could walk Faelní through the forest. Varen was in search of a particular flower....maybe she could help.

"I'm trying to find a flower....A black one with white spots. On our way back to where I am staying, perhaps you could help me look for it?"

The grin on Faelní's face would only widen as the other elf returned a smile. Despite the rather unfortunate series of events that had occurred hours beforehand, it looked to Faelní like she had made the right choice after all. Varen, pret'y lass, she thought to herself as Varen removed her hood. But no, there wasn't time for thoughts like those. Faelní had been known around a couple places in Denerim as a major flirt with both men and women alike. She had a hard time resisting anything - or anyone - that seemed like fun.

"Varen, eh? The pleasure be mine, thank ye." Faelní moved a bit closer so as not to have to talk so loudly, her yellow-ish eyes flashing as they caught sunlight through the treetops. She had never heard of a flower looking like that, not surprising for a city elf like herself. Nevertheless, it sure beat getting lost again. "I don'know much about flowers, but I be 'appy to keep an'eye out fer it."

She would walk with the elf, staying close behind and occasionally looking back over her shoulder when she heard a rustling in some underbrush or some other noise. The forest was still a very strange place to her. "If'n ye don' mind me askin, why ye travellin alone in the firs' place? Isn' it..I dunno, dangerous 'round 'ere?" Her inexperience with places like this was beginning to show even more with each passing minute.

Varen started back towards camp, only partly scanning for the flower on the way back. She was more occupied with making sure that there were no dangerous creatures around. Varen shrugged lightly. "It may be dangerous. Other than...a few days ago, however, this forest seems pretty safe to me. Especially considering how close we are to camp."

The mage placed her hand on the hilt of the Tevinter dagger slung on her waist. It wasn't menacing move. In fact, if she meant to be threatening, the last place she would reach for was her dagger. Varen looked halfheartedly through the trees when she saw the beginnings of camp. "Besides, if anything came along I'm sure I'd be able to handle myself."

....For the most part. Varen thought to herself.

"So, what brings you to these woods anyways? You do seem a little out of your element, if you don't mind me saying."

Faelní perked up at those words. What had happened a few days ago? It seemed odd that someone would stay in an area for so long if there was any danger at all - that is until Faelní saw the campsite through the branches and leaves just ahead. As more of it appeared she quickly realized that Varen was far from alone, even without seeing others milling about. The campsite was simply too big for one person. She hoped she would be welcome, but with her new aquaintance to vouch for her - hopefully - Faelní expected that she would at least have company for a couple of days, maybe more depending on where they were headed.

Anything be better than wand'rin alone.

She didn't comment at the mage's claim of being able to hold her own, simply nodding in response. She didn't doubt it of course, even without actually knowing the girl was a mage. As the next question was directed at her, she simply shrugged, that grin of hers returning, though ultimately she decided against weaving an extraordinarily exaggerated tale. For now..

"I's a rather dull story I'm afraid. Me caravan I was trav'lin with was attacked jus' last night a bit farther north. Lots'of em, it looked like. I ran 'n got meself lost. Hope the poor sods got'emselves outta trouble, but..nothin to be done about it now." She heaved a sigh, her eyes getting a bit distant as if she felt remorseful about her decision to bolt. She hadn't known the people she had been travelling with all that well. Most of them had been travelling south toward Amaranthine as far as she knew. Of course, they were all humans and wanted little to do with a loud mouth city elf. Still, Faelní felt some guilt. The outward signs of this, however, disappeared as quickly as they showed up.

"What I'd give fer a drink about now. Hah!"

Fremelda was sitting by her private campfire, a little ways away from the rest of camp, with her tent behind her. She camped there to get away from the sounds of Pendra and Gareth's constant rutting at night. As such, she also was the vanguard of the camp, being the first to see whatever approached the camp and she did, seeing one of the mages bringing along someone familiar in the back of her mind. Frowning to place where she had seen the elf before, she stood up and strode up behind Faelni, poking her in the side with a finger. "Have we met before?" She paced around Faelni and Varen, but mostly around the brown haired elf. "Ah ha" recognition came to her face and she grinned, and then hugged Faelni tightly, squeezing the girl's butt while she was at it. "From the thieves guild. Roddy's runner girl weren't you?"

Varen nodded in response to Faelní's story. She didn't say anything in response to it, however. It seemed like the other girl had a pretty normal life.

The mage laughed and pointed towards camp at the mention of a drink. "Trust me, we have quite a lot of ale and the like to go around. Unless those two drank all of it during their fight...." Varen trailed of when Dragonis started circling around the two. Varen had seen her around camp before, but didn't ever remember meeting her. A small smirk played on her lips as what seemed to be a happy reunion took place.

Fighting? Lots of ale? Faelní liked the sound of these people more and more with each step closer to camp. And her experience with Varen so far indicated that they were a friendly lot to boot. Of course, she wasn't judging the character of all the camp's inhabitants based on her experience with one of them, but still - where one good-natured soul was there tended to be more. Usually. It was then she felt a poke in her side.

"What is it Va-" Her voice cut out when she realized that it wasn't Varen who had poked her to get her attention, but someone else. Her yellow eyes narrowed as her gaze met that of the other woman's. It was an odd way to make someone's aquaintance though there was something definitely familiar about the woman. Clearly, the other woman felt the same way. Has to be from Denerim, then. An' the mos'likely thing'd be we met drinkin, but...

Faelní saw the woman's eyes and face light up and swoop in to wrap her arms around the elf. She happily returned the embrace, crooning playfully when she felt groping hands give her rear a hard squeeze. That smile combined with the playful squeeze quickly stirred the memories up, and a devilish grin replaced her previous expression. "Am I dreamin' this? Fremelda? The flir'y minx from that night all those years ago? Hah! What ye be doin' here?"

Clearly excited, Faelní clapped a hand on the woman's shoulder, leaning back for a moment and casting her gaze back to Varen. "I dunno if this be luck er fate Varen, but I'll tell ye jus' made me day."

A grin was plastered onto Fremelda's face. She was overjoyed to see a familiar face (let alone bedfellow) from Denerim. She recalled that one night in a tavern in Denerim where there was a bar fight with Faelni as the victor, and Fremelda had invited her to her room. That was one of her better nights of passion in her life and it was a pleasant memory. "Five years. You haven't aged a day." She smiled, running her fingers through Faelni's hair. "It's good to see you again, beautiful. I think you should let the Commander know you're here though." she looked over towards Varen, offering a smile to the mage. "Can you do that, please? I have some cooking to look after here." she said and walked towards her tent again.

Varen shook her head in response to Faleni. "No problem at all." She felt a little out of place at the reunion, but said nothing of it. When Dragonis turned to leave, Varen crossed her arms in front of her chest and bowed. Looking back to Faleni, she smirked and motioned to where they were headed. "The Commander's tent is this way." The mage started to walk off, making sure her companion was following.

(( went to : https://dragonageafter.forumotion.com/t378p45-time-to-talk ))

Fremelda's joy was certainly shared by the elf, and the knowledge that she had a friend already among the people here at the campsite was a comforting one indeed - though to be fair, making friends wasn't much of an issue for her, either. She grinned at the comment about still looking youthful. It was enough to bring out a small blush and a small pause before she fired back.

"'aven't lost that charm a'yers I see, eh Fremmy?" She stayed mostly quiet as the other two women conversed, nodding when appropriate. The word commander did catch her attention, however. Was this some kind of military camp? It didn't seem like one, but that would explain the size. A forward camp perhaps? The fact that it might have been a Warden camp didn't yet cross her mind, considering the Blight was over already as far as she knew. Shrugging and pushing the thoughts aside, she quickly embraced Fremelda once more before taking a step back to follow Varen. "Ye try 'n keep yerself outta trouble, or very least wait until I 'ave a chance to join ye, hah!"

With those parting words, she followed Varen to where the taller elf pointed out, the commander's tent.

((Mmmmkay, coming~ ;p ))