Start to Denerim - Sinjan's group

"Thank you to those who have decided definitely that you will join us. I'm afraid our journey starts now but we will not be going far tonight. Just enough to be out of this smoke. Margaid, Ianto and Iauron, you are with me. Everyone else can choose to help Drake or to help Sinjan. I will be working on our travel groups for tomorrow."

"As you wish oh master oh mine." Sinjan teased, smiled at Lithawen then walked over to the pretend dead young tree to pull it back to it's original placement. A slow creaking could be heard then he went to Nygozy's tent and started to disassemble it.

Lithawen looked over to Sinjan as she felt his eyes on her. He was smiling. Strange. The Dalish chocked it up to feeling protective and territorial after their encounter in the woods, but he did not interest her at the moment.

Her attention was on the other Dalish in the camp. There was Iauron, whom she knew very well. They had grown up in the same camp, and were practically siblings. She was more interested in the white-haired one, the dark-skinned one and the man with the eyepatch.

She watched Sinjan enter the Durgen’len's tent and she waited for him outside as he set to dismantling it. Her eyes scanned the area as she wondered if there was anything of importance in the bag she had brought, it was no doubt dangerous to go back and get it now.

And after running through the check list of things she brought in her mind she was happy to conclude that she had the three most important things with her. Elendil, which now sat in it's usual place on her back. Her Arcane Warrior book and subsequent journal of translations were always on hand, always kept in her pack. And her mother's necklace, nestled safely under her turtle neck. Everything the arrogant woman held dear was with her. And therefor she had no reason to risk her life going and getting a few random items she brought from Orlais, good riddance to that horrid armor anyway, the one that seemed to be more of a fashion statement than a battle commodity.

Once the tent was down and packed up he noticed that Lithawen was there, quiet and not doing anything. He shook his head and looked up, "Ok what's wrong? Have I offended you somehow or do you just believe that these chores are under your station?"

He started packing up the gear. Amazingly, for being a commander there was little gear to pack. Nygozy's bed was all a bedroll on top ferns and soft, needled branches and the table was a cut log set on end. There was a lamp and gear which consisted of medical supplies, potions and poisons. Other than that was one backpack which Nygozy already had with her.

"I have to start tossing wood on the waste piles." He said calmly as Torture came over to him. He put the one pack on him and secured it to his back as if the mabari was a horse, "If you like, freezing the trees around the area. There shouldn't be any bush fires with the cold but you never know and that would help." He tossed her a bottle of lithium then grabbed some of the branches which had been bedding.

Lithawen rolled her eyes as he commented on her idleness. "If you and your commander lived less fruitfully then you would have nothing to clean up." she snorted. "So yes, I see such chores as below me,"

She sighed as she caught the bottle of blue liquid, she looked down at it thoughtfully for a moment. "I can not drink anymore today," she said with a sigh. "I may be a mage, but most of my training has been for my Arcane Warrior abilities. I am not a ranged magic user, and today's battle I was forced to go beyond my limits. Any more Lyrium in my veins and I might just start glowing." she said leaning against a tree. "But I'm sure your commander has a couple of freeze bombs you could use," she snickered.

She turned around and scaled the tree with agility, reaching the top branches with ease and looking out. "The bush will not catch." she called down assuringly. "And on the off chance it did, it would not go far. There is a river and a few rock formations that would stop the progression. That added to the deforestation done by farmers. There is nothing to worry about."

"Ah yes we should sleep in trees and never have any potions or medicinal stuff for in case. We can always find what we need even when in the snow." He snorted, "I see that all her dresses and frivolous statuetes are a burden. The shoe collection is the worst!"

Sinjan sighed as he carried all the branches to the trail and tossed them over, "I have no idea about how much you can drink. If you haven't guessed, I'm not mage, surprise surprise. You did a good job though. We couldn't have contained them like that without your spell casting."

The knight finished tossing the branches then threw a couple cold bombs at the trees as he walked down the trail, "I will be following Nygozy's group at a distance. If you wish to come with me you can. If you want to be with the other Dalish then go ahead. You seem to be interested in them. I can handle on my own with Torture."

He'd noticed her look at the others and gave up thinking about it. He wasn't the kind to fight for a woman and Lithawen was definitely a fight. It was part of being raised that he was taught to respect a woman's wishes. If she wished to be around that other Dalish man then he wasn't going to stand in the way. Why was she hanging out with him anyway?

"Of course I did a good job. I may not be well trained in being a 'normal' mage, but I am powerful enough to hold my own, if not the entire camp's own."

Lithawen jumped down from the tree, landing beside him. "You mean Ewwy-on? Oh I mean Iauron." she laughed heartedly. "I remember the days when we would wrestle and I would punch him in the face, and sometimes throw a toad in his breakfast." she smiled. "He is a son of my clan. Kin to me. My brother. I am surprised to see him here, as I have not seen him in years. Tho I can only handle about five minutes of him before I start throwing him in the mud." shrugging, she rolled her eyes. "And I have no reason to push myself onto the others. The rouge seems quiet taken with the leader, the mercenary could very well be crazy, the white-haired one... she seemed the type of person I hate, and the Keeper... well I don't like competition."

She walked a bit away from him, and placed her fingers to her lips and blew, producing a high-pitched whistle. "I will ride with you," she said as Arlathan jumped through the bush and trotted to her side. "You seem keen to ditch me, so that makes it more fun to hang around and annoy you to death." laughing as she jumped up to her horse's back, petting his black mane with a smile.

"Shame. You will have to pace yourself my love," she cooed to her horse. "We are to follow a group of dog-hearted buffoons, and are kept company by a slow man." she teased as she eyed Sinjan with a snicker.

Looking down at Torture she couldn't help but laugh again. "You treat your giant rat as a pack-mule! What a riot!"

Lithawen leaned forward and watched him closely. "Tell me, are you going to stare at me with such... distain for the whole trip?" she asked with a cocked eyebrow.

As it turns out, Marcus did not eat the sausage seeing as everyone was going on about their superstitious drivel, so he sighed and ate some raw ones that were not smoked. He then decided to work for the Wardens for the time being, and went with the man named Sinjan's group. He watched as the Warden started to set up and clean the area, and he himself helped move the bodies, while catching snippets of the conversation between the blonde girl and the human. "Crazy am I? Aye, maybe. But seeing as we've shed blood together, I can let you two in on something. My real name is Marcus, Marcus Kel'thor. Durbans is technically the name of my axe, but I use it as an alias as well." He smiled weakly as he then began to pack his own things. As it turned out, he was carrying even less than Sinjan was. How this elf managed to survive for so long in the wilderness was anyone's guess. "I'm at your disposal, Wardens... for now. I've nothing to go home to, after all." He smiled wearily and started to hum as he helped prepare for their journey out. He picked the same mare he used when going to the market with Calliara and Drake. He didn't know her name. He asked her but she never replied. She was content to just be called 'Girl' as it were.

He looked back at her, "I have no clue about 'normal' mages. Not my expertise." He shrugged as he grabbed a long branch and started poking at the burning dead with a disgusted grimace.

As Lithawen spoke, he poked, making sure the Darkspawn would burn for hours yet. So this blond was a relative of hers, in a sense. Somehow that eased his mind but he wasn't about to show her that. Not intentionally anyway. It seemed that Lithawen had a grudge against everyone, including her own race. That was good to know. Where did all this anger come from anyway? He wasn't sure he wanted to know that.

"Competition? Competition for what?" He asked as he watched her call her horse. He grinned then whistled for his own horse which came along fairly quickly, "Good Snow." He said patting the horse's muzzle, "What do you mean I'm trying to ditch you? Woman you ... ah forget it."

"Crazy am I? Aye, maybe. But seeing as we've shed blood together, I can let you two in on something. My real name is Marcus, Marcus Kel'thor. Durbans is technically the name of my axe, but I use it as an alias as well."

He looked at Marcus, wondering about the man and his sanity then patted Drake's mare as she'd come with his stallion, "Hey Cosima. Looks like Drake will be unable to ride you for a while. I hope you don't mind this one riding you again. Drake won't mind you borrowing her again, Marcus." Cosima nodded her head in normal horse fashion.

"I'm at your disposal, Wardens... for now. I've nothing to go home to, after all."

Sinjan shook his head, "I am not a warden and you should tell Nygozy of your interest in sticking with the group. I am no leader."

He looked up at Lithawen, "Yes I am slow and yes we do have Torture carry things as well but we are all expected to help out in some manner. Even the dog." He looked about for the mabari and sighed, "Who seems to have gone off whatever way he wants. And yes ... you give me disdainful looks. Why can't I give you some?" He was joking around, mostly.

He got up on Snow and clucked his tongue, "We'll look about for any straggler Darkspawn before going."

"Crazy am I? Aye, maybe. But seeing as we've shed blood together, I can let you two in on something. My real name is Marcus, Marcus Kel'thor. Durbans is technically the name of my axe, but I use it as an alias as well."

"Shed blood together!?" Lithawen laughed, "You make it sound like we are veterans of a war. This skirmish was nothing special, no bond has been formed between us because of it. You are a crazy man who happened upon the camp."

Arlathan stepped around in anticipation, wanting to get moving soon. He wanted to get moving but these two legged creatures were yapping away. It was annoying. Why didn't they want to run? Get running? Run run run. That's all that he wanted to do. Get out into the open and just bound away. How did these people ignore their need for the wind in their hair?

"Competition? Competition for what?"

Lithawen's head shot to Sinjan and she glared. "Competition. She is a Keeper, as am I. Why should your hero have use for two people who will have very similar skills and knowledge?" she scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder smugly.

"I'm at your disposal, Wardens... " That's all Lithawen needed to hear before she smiled mischievously. "Disposal? Then you are willing to do anything?" she asked cocking an eyebrow.

Marcus smiled that he finally knew his horse's name. "Cosima, eh? Pretty name for a pretty girl..." He stroked her mane as he talked to her. He nodded his thanks to both explaining Cosima's name, and who to pledge his services to towards Sinjan and then smirked over at Lithawen, switching back to his idiot mode. "Ah, my fair headed Keeper, true it was but a skirmish, but I am no Warden, and that was probably the third biggest battle against the blighters I've ever participated in. Plus, we barbecued them together! What better way to form a bond than a bit of pyrotechnics?" He pleaded his case and chuckled at her last statement. "Alas, self mutilation is not in the list of things I believe I am required to do."

"A Keeper? Who is a Keeper besides you?" Sinjan looked about confused about what Lithawen was talking about, unknowingly showing his lack of knowledge of his mother's people, "Do you mean that new woman, uh, Jesafine? I thought she was some sort of healer and lore person who knows about warden stuff somehow. Besides, you two have very different styles. You're blunt and she's ... soft."

Sinjan shook his head as he started off, his military training starting to show as he spoke, "Don't let her talk you into anything, Marcus. She's been here only as long as you have and has no standing to give orders or requests." Curiosity got the better of him, "The third largest? What was the first largest you've fought in?"

Lithawen gazed at Sinjan blankly. "Style has nothing to do with it. You can tell she is a Keeper from her Vallaslin. And you weren't complaining about my bluntness before," she said frowning. She couldn't help but be offended by the comment, and in her anger turned to him as she threw a branch at the Knight.

"I am a Warden and thus I have authority." she stated plainly as she nudged Arlathan forwards. If this man continued to insult her then she would have no more pleasure with him. Shame since the first time around was most enjoyable. Her eyes looked Marcus up and down; he would do as a substitute. Or maybe she would just set fire to him. Yes that would be a great stress relief, and would set him straight.

"Ahhh." He shook his head, "Woman why do you have to take everything ... forget it! Just forget it." He grumbled a bit and Snow reacted to his frustration by moving sideways. When she threw the branch at him it hit his forehead, making his temper even worse, "And you don't have authority here just because you are a warden. If Nygozy gives it to you, the King does or whoever from Orlesia gives you any then you have it. Until then you're just a grunt like the rest of us."

"Fine. Go work with Drake's group. I've had it past here," He chopped the side of his hand at his brows to show how far he'd had it, "I'll patrol by myself or with Marcus, if you wish to patrol with me, Marcus."

Snow started off at a trot, going around Lithawen and Arlathan.

And so it was, that Sinjan and Lithawen started arguing. Marcus lifted an eyebrow but did not interject. He did feel Lithawen's eyes wander over him as she passed by, and for some reason the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. "As much as I enjoy a lover's spat as much as the next onlooker, I do believe we need to keep it down in case of patrols. As to the query of my first largest battle, that would be...Lothering. I held off Darkspawn while the refugees escaped. The Wardens had either died at Ostagar or didn't give a damn about the settlement and passed it by, so I took it upon myself to fight with a handful of lads who had nothing to call home anymore. We had to retreat, but only after three hours of battle and many, many dead Darkspawn." He looked aside. "My first encounter with the monsters, and I was admittedly scared. In the intervening year, I had hardened considerably, and fought in a few scattered skirmishes against the beasts." He recollected and leaned back in his saddle, staring off.

Sinjan asked if Marcus would patrol with him, to which he shrugged. "It would be better if we would not separate with the fair haired one. Though you may keep your distance from her, ser if I can be so bold."

"Trying again to ditch me? No I think I will stay, annoying you is fun." Lithawen laughed.

"A lovers' spat?" she asked turning quickly to Marcus with a glared. "You have to be lovers for a lovers' spat." she snapped. She snorted and stuck her nose in the air, "He is right though, we should stay together. You would be severely outnumbered without me."

"Lotherin? I heard of what happened there. Though I did not hear of your... bravery." she mused skeptically.

Eyes rolled as Sinjan let Snow pick his way through the bush. Some snow fell onto the knight's head so he shook it off like a dog, figuring Lithawen was likely to say something about that. He scowled as she said she was going to bother him. He looked back at the two and snorted.

"Lover? What makes you think ... we just spat ok? She's ... doesn't matter." Even though he was trying to pretend nothing happened his cheeks flared up red and he had to turn his head so as not to show the red creeping up his ears. It wasn't right what he'd done, even if she did want it. He was a gentleman yet this wild woman made his blood boil, making him want more even if at the same time she could make him want to throw her away for all her stubborn, higher than thou attitude.

Sinjan rode quietly for a moment letting Marcus talk, "Most of the wardens died at Ostagar. You should talk to Ny about it though. She was there even if she seems to feel bad about Lothering."

Marcus shrugged when he heard both of their protests. "Could have fooled me, with the way the argument was going." He said off handedly. And to Lithawen's query about not hearing about him he shrugged again. "Alas, I am no Warden, and thus unworthy of praise. I am but a mortal man who defended refugees long enough for them to escape death." He muttered. He nodded slowly to Sinjan though. "I may just tell her, yes. I don't expect a parade or anything in my honor, I just did what I had to do."

"Lover? What makes you think ... we just spat ok? She's ... doesn't matter."

Lithawen glared, shaking as her anger built. Didn't matter! So that's how the man choose to treat a woman after the fact!? Not as gentlemanly as she was first lead to believe. "Eloquently put little Knight." she growled, grabbing for something close by and chucking it, just a bundle of twigs and leafs.

She rode up beside him and tugged on his ears, it was quick and she couldn't pull that hard before Arlathan moved away from Snow, feeling uncomfortable so close the other horse.

Even as Arlathan moved Lithawen away, she continued to fume and glared deeply at Sinjan. The man just seemed to keep digging a whole for himself in her book. How many feet did he have to stick in his big mouth anyway!? Stupid man. Though it was nothing new, this man was the same as every other one. After having sex they got testy with her, and she got pissed off at them.

"What?" He got out of the way of the thrown twigs and such then yelped as she pulled on his ears and moved Snow away, staring at her, "What's your problem now! You're the one who first said we had to be lovers to have a lovers' spat! I thought you wanted to keep it secret and sodding hells, you're right. I'm no good at eloquence."

Sinjan rubbed an ear and glared at her, "What is it? You want me to yell to the world that we did it under the trees and it was wonderful?" His face went blank then he gasped, "Now look what you made me do! A gentleman never tells things like that. You ... you ... ahh. I can't be around you without you reacting like a stoned dope!"

"Your damn right it was wonderful! Do I look like someone who doesn't know what they are doing!? No! Of course not!" she quickly retorted, her face flushing in anger.

Lithawen scoffed loudly, "Only when I'm around? You could have fooled me, I could have sworn you really were a stoned dope." It was any wonder how she was able to stomach sleeping with such an idiot of a man! "A gentlemen you are not! Your noble father must be prode his son is as arrogant as other Denerim nobles. I know your kind and you are all the same, rich boys who believe they deserve to be treated as princes, when you've been nothing but a hurlock's ass!"

With that she decided the conversation was over, and nudged Arlathan. The horse reacted, feeling the tension in the air and from Lithawen. He trotted far enough a head that the two would be adequately separated.

And now Marcus felt quite out of place in this conversation so he stayed quiet while Lithawen vented her anger out on Sinjan, and then she wisely seperated from him. Marcus moved his mare in between theirs so that they stayed seperate. He started to carve a block of wood that he kept in his pack, taking his carving knife out from his boot. He whistled tunelessly as he whittled away the wood shavings, the smell of fresh cut maple filling his nostrils with that pleasant scent.

Hopefully those two would calm down and not attract unwanted attention, but if trouble arose, he would make sure they made it to Denerim to meet with the others.

"Arrogant? Listen to who's talking there." He patted his horse's neck, ignoring the rest of what Lithawen was saying. The breeze fluttered across his face and he decided to revel in the feeling instead of having anything to do with her attitude. Marcus even got between them to try to keep the peace and he let them do as they pleased. He didn't care right now.

Snow halted his steps and snorted, waving his head back and forth. Sinjan patted the stallion's neck and looked about, hearing what he'd at first thought was the wind but now realized was crying. The knight gave Snow a nudge and the horse rushed off towards the sound, seeing four Hurlocks and two Genlocks surrounding something.

Sinjan's sword flashed out cutting two heads off then he dismounted, getting between the rest of the Darkspawn and a bundle of tattered clothes, legs, feet and what seemed to be two young children huddled together but he didn't look too well, concentrating on the enemy.

Lithawen rode a head of the two men. She didn't care to listen back on them, even if they were talking, which they weren't. And the silence offered nothing but fuel for her anger, but at least it was better than feeling nothing. And the rage just proved that she was interested in this game, though she needed to make a play to get the control.

The small whispers of wind didn't catch her attention, it was boring, everyday occurrence. So she was caught off guard by the sudden rushing of Sinjan. Lithawen sighed as she let her shoulders slumped forward and her lips drew into a thin line. 'Can't get a three minute break today.' she thought angrily as she turned Arlathan to follow the Knight.

More darkspawn. Of course! There were always more darkspawn. Unfortunately Lithawen wasn't in the prime for a fight. The least she could do was get the lump of people out of there.

Arlathan cantered over to Snow and lead the other horse towards the children. Lithawen jumped down and got everything up onto Snow's back. "Get into the trees. And stay hidden." She instructed as she climbed back up to Arlathan's back, riding him through the small group and sweeping her short sword down, taking off heads as she could.

Two Hurlocks were left but they were quickly disposed of. Sinjan turned to see Lithawen there and looked about to see if there were any more Darkspawn but there were not. He took a deep breath and started walking towards where the horse went off.

"Fast work of it." He commented to Lithawen calmly, giving her praise in a sense without really saying much. Once he got to where Arlathan was he looked up into the tree where a Elven boy around twelve was in the tree holding onto the human farmer girl.

The boy looked down and scowled as he wrapped his arm around the girl tighter as if someone would try to take her away, "Don't even try to take her back there. She's staying with me! Hear me!"

"Whoa whoa. We're not here to hurt you or anything." He was confused by the youth's action.

Lithawen rode over to the children and Sinjan, snorting slightly at his comment but choose to ignore it. She climbed up to the first branch and looked up at the boy with soft eyes.

"Da'len, Shue shah tauthau toetoi thuet." she spook softly as she slid from Arlathan's back, looking up the tree at the children.

"Come down from there Da'len. Abelas if this Shemlen has scared you." she spoke in a calm and even voice, coated in what could be considered motherly affection. She may not have liked people in general, but even the angry Dalish couldn't hold such anger up in the face of innocent children.

She climbed higher up, to the branch the boy and girl were on and held out her hand. "Let's get you down, so we can make sure you and the girl are not hurt."