VK - Maadox, Shade, Tatsoo, Ianto, Jezarine, Royce and Gunnar

Tatsoo turned and walked back to Maddox then looked up at him, "Ye were gonna ask a question of me bafore? Mebe we ken ride togetha instead an Gunnar take da rear if ye must speak wif me. Yes?"

She got onto her horse and looked at him, wondering what he had wanted to say earlier.

Maddox had only felt more confused by the situation. How did anyone else figure out that the dragon was Shade? How did Nygozy find out? Who was this other wolf that shown up when Shade reappeared? Is Shade going to still be doing advanced recon for them or is he leaving with the other wolf?

"Uh, yes...Gunnar, you go watch the back, I'll be upfront with Tatsoo. So, we should head out now and...is he coming back?" Maddox asked completely unsure about the situation. Could this day be any more eventful? Shapeshifters, elf haters, human haters, it's a bit overwhelming for first day in command of a squad of Wardens. It's so much easier leading men into battle then this.

Tatsoo listened to the wolves for a moment then nodded at Maddox, "Yes. Dey just be talking. Wecon is dere job ah think. Dat right?" She was having trouble with that word and her brows furowed as she tried to work it out in her head, "Ah don know what be goin on dere but dey stay ahead to watch."

The young woman looked at Maddox, "Ya aright? Ye seem ta be ruffled."

''I'll watch the back. In any case that's the best position for me'' Gunnar snorted, waving his stump, and then made his pony to go to the back while whistling some dwarven tune. He didn't seem to have recognized Rakot from when he saw him with Tendir at the Pearl, or he didn't show any motion about it

This was his first mission with these new Wardens and the new Commander. Bowen and Calliara trusted her, and the Commander even made the Wolf her second, so it spoke lots about her. The others... well, the ones that had been with the Commander while the Blight surely were formidable folks. And the others... well, most of them survived the Joining. That had to be a sign about them.

Kai moved on down the line and appeared beside Maddox and Tatsoo. Yet another group already moving. This mission was going well.

"Message from the hero. As you've already figured out the dragon situation is under control and everyone is moving out. You should also know there is a pack of wolves travelling with us. They belong to a shifter mage and are allies. They are not to be harmed and are to be helped if it is needed. Please make sure all in your party are aware and report to the commander if you have any problems."

And again he was off, disspearing down the line.

"What can I say? Today's be a very eventful day and it isn't over yet. Shade transforming into a dragon could have ended this whole endeavor here." Maddox replied. When Kai came up to them and told them Nygozy's orders, including something about wolves traveling with them.

"See?! Now we have wolves following us. And all of this on a day I had been tasked with commanding a group that I'm relatively new in, it's a bit stressful. I mean, I've lead people before, but without any of the weird occurences."

"Dis was a bad place ta go changin, ah agree dere." She admitted then waited as Kai spoke. The thought of wolves made her smile and look about.

Tatsoo put a hand on Maddox's arm and sighed, "Ah think dat it always be dat way wif dis bunch. Dere seems to always be anodder strange thin dat canna be explained or jus is na normal. Ah guess dat de Darkspawn make it so ye not mind de unusual." She chuckled, "Ye be doin well, Maddox. D'na worry. Nygozy chose ye cause she knew ye has talent so just keep yer head up and all be well. Yes?"

Sometimes she could be nothing but sunny dis-positioned. It was just how she was. If she didn't think positively she would never have been able to survive without her tribe and the woman certainly would not have been able to get through in this new world that was so different from where she came from.

"I understand it probably makes recon a lot better with a bird's eye view, but he could have just turned into a bird or something. Dragon was downright overkill and given their reported knack for attacking people, an idiotic choice, especially without any warning. But I digress..." Maddox sighed, rubbing his brow slightly. With power like that at your disposal, you need to have the knowledge to make good use of it. Perhaps some time in the Circle of Magi would have helped him out in the long run.

He looked over at the group and decided to relay Nygozy's message. "Since Shade is no longer flying above us as a dragon, we should keep moving. Also, a pack of wolves has joined in our relocation to the keep and are not to be harmed. If they run into trouble, we are obligated to help them. Are there any objections to these orders, I want to hear them right now."

Shade looked back at the group watching out for them making sure no one was coming up behind before he let out a playful bark towards Tatsoo than turned his attention back to scouting. He nodded towards the other wolf and nodded his head further up. "Let's scout farther ahead I'm confident they can hear us from a couple of leagues up.".

Shade pushed off running ahead as the wind blew brushing through his fur sending a shimmer down his spine as he felt the thrill of feral power in his muscles, The speed of his paws, the strength of his body even being a Elf didn't compare to this just line nothing else compared to being a Dragon. It was as if a whole new meaning of life opened up and he could stay a mighty lord of the sky forever.

((Gone here: https://dragonageafter.forumotion.com/t317-shifting-times))

Having Jez so close in the saddle made Ianto feel significantly more at ease than he would have been if she'd been on another horse or, Maker forbid, in another group all together (though he didn't think Nygozy would do something like that to him). He'd sort of sworn to himself that he'd let Jez get over the whole thing with Rakot, and he knew that babying her probably wasn't a good thing in the long-run, but he'd damn well keep her where he could reach her in a moment's notice at least up until they reached Vigil's Keep.

HIs descision to keep her close had, apparently, been a pretty good idea, because only half a day's ride into the trip and Ianto was pretty sure he'd already seen a dragon in the sky. It was entirely possible that he'd imagined it, but he didn't think he had, and that only kind of put his teeth on edge. Because, well . . . hello - dragon. Didn't that say everything?

He huffed and lowered his head so that he was just toughing the top of Jez's head. "Jeee~ez," he whined playfully, pretending to be upset. "I'm bored and I'm going crazy trying to think of the name of that flowering herb that you says can stop toothaches. I've been trying to remember it all morning."

[If that was bad, just tell me and I'll fix anything >w> ]

(It's just fine Livi. Ianto is always adorable.)

All of the hubbub about Shade changing into a dragon concerned Jezarine at first but once she knew what was going on and understood that all was well she calmed down and sighed. This day was becoming quite the adventure even before getting onto the road. It was so much that she could never expected that she did not feel confident in keeping her senses until she thought back onto what had happened to her in these last couple of months. She'd fought Darkspawn, done a lot of healing, was kidnapped, talked with a Qunari about life and wasn't put into shackles for being a mage and had become incredibly entranced by Ianto.

The fact that Ianto was protecting her did not matter to her. It was sweet and wonderful and made her feel loved and wanted even if she did feel that he had other reasons besides only herself. She wanted to know what those reasons were but could not get herself to ask him because sometimes he seemed sad watching her and that had to be due to whatever his past experience had been. So she left it be hoping that he'd come out of it.

At a pause in her reading was when Ianto decided to become playful, pretending and generally being funny.

"Jeee~ez. I'm bored and I'm going crazy trying to think of the name of that flowering herb that you says can stop toothaches. I've been trying to remember it all morning."

"That would be camomile or echinacea. If it is white petals with a yellow center looking something like a small sunflower then it is camomile. The purply pink to red with a dark red to brown center is echinacea. Both have similar petals." She answered with a smile, "Now, do you remember what cooking spice-herb can also be used for toothaches?"

It was wonderful how he liked to play these learning games. She enjoyed it a lot and figured it was likely one of the reasons he tended to play them. Her eyes moved as her head tilted to look up at him sideways, "And you're sure I got a good tent for us, right?" It was her first purchase choice of her own for anything that was more human style for camping out than Dalish and she was still a bit concerned that she may not have looked well enough for all the requirements he'd told her as he was looking at something else at the shopkeeper's wares than she was.

Gunnar observed them all from the back, with his smoking pipe and tapping absently on the bracelet that protected his stump, with the shield, humming as well with the rythm.

Alone and almost ignored, he didn't feel bad because of it. It was a delight to listen to people so young and full of life. They remembered him of what the Order once had been, and what the Order had lost. He regreted greatly to not have been there, where he should have.

The dwarf didn't knew any of them yet, nothing but their names and that Bowen and Calliara liked them and trusted most of them, excepting the last addition, Shade. He missed his two old friends greatly, but orders were orders, and once they could set a proper camp, he would be with them.

For now, riding, listening and smoking would be enough

An eagle soared in a circle around the group, letting out a screech of greeting before landing a few feet to the side of the group and becoming a young blond elven woman.

"Mag sister! Need you! Stupid human no stop! Get all hurt. Need you fix! Kassina no fix, not strong enough. Come come!" The words came out of the woman's mouth in a tumble and she bounced impatiently on the balls of her feet.

"Come now, come come!" she said impatiently and began jogging off in the direction of Nygozy's group, looking over her shoulder to make sure she was being followed.

((Gone here: https://dragonageafter.forumotion.com/t301p60-vk-nygozy-kai-wolfram-griffinhart-alistair-and-zevran))

The sudden arrival of Kassina made Jezarine jump and drop her book to the ground. She looked down with a sad expression as she hated damaging books but thankfully their horse had not stepped on it. With a sigh she looked at Kassina, "Could you get my book? And what stupid human? There are a few to choose from. No offense, Ianto. You're not a stupid human but oh ... I'm a ... oh oh nevermind... someone needs healing. Just lead us there and I'll heal him."

((Gone here: https://dragonageafter.forumotion.com/t301p60-vk-nygozy-kai-wolfram-griffinhart-alistair-and-zevran))

Ianto was about to tell Jez that, yes, for the thousandth time, the tent she'd picked out was just fine when a little elf came suddenly running up to the horse, causing Jez to jump. He quickly put his arms out to steady her, and frowned a little as her book fell to the ground before looking back between Jez and the newly arrived elf (who, he assumed, was part of their group).

He watched as Jez fumbled with her words, smiling to himself as he always did when she went off like that, and then nodded. "If they need healing, Jez, then we go to them. Simple as that." With one last nod, Auria-Moonight went trotting off after the blonde-haired elf.

"I understand it probably makes recon a lot better with a bird's eye view, but he could have just turned into a bird or something. Dragon was downright overkill and given their reported knack for attacking people, an idiotic choice, especially without any warning. But I digress..."

"He rally likes da dragons an all an seems to feel most comfy in dat form. Mebe dat was normal fer him ta react like dat being all scared a whateva scared him. Ah don' know wha scared him dou. Dat was stwange."

"Since Shade is no longer flying above us as a dragon, we should keep moving. Also, a pack of wolves has joined in our relocation to the keep and are not to be harmed. If they run into trouble, we are obligated to help them. Are there any objections to these orders, I want to hear them right now."

"No objections here." Tatsoo answered then chuckled as she overheard Ianto and Jezarine talking. It was cute but cute was interrupted as there was a thunderclap and a storm front ahead of them then it was gone. She was startled and couldn't think of what it could have been but that didn't really matter now.

It wasn't long after that Kassina showed up with healing duties for Jezarine and Tatsoo frowned, "Ah wonda if we will be getting vewy far at all taday."

"Can you remember to tell him that in the future he should tell who ever is in charge that he plans on turning into a dragon so we can warn the others next time? If he told me or you his intent we could have sent word to the others and we would have avoided the whole incident."

Everything was rather quite for a while, outside of Ianto and Jezarine's conversation. It seemed for the best to put them with each other. When the sudden lightning and thunder happened, it didn't surprise him. He figured this was going to be a very eventful day. He turned to Tatsoo and said, "I'd bet half of Ferelden that elf Kraven is involved with that."

When Kassina later came asking for Jezarine, the medic, he knew something went bad. "We'll meet up with you there. We shouldn't be long."

Tatsoo nodded at Maadox's request, "Ah shall tell him dat it was a bad shoice to do dat and to na do it wifout ordas ta do so and what it did so as ta make him know de conse ... consekensis of his actions." She sighed, "Dere still be many words ah cannot say well but at least people seem ta undastand me most of da time now."

It was quiet and Tatsoo allowed Maadox the time to chew on whatever he was thinking about but when he mentioned Kraven she had to nod, "Aye he does seem da type ta be flashy an all. Ah wonda why."

Quiet again. She was starting to dislike this quiet right now and she wasn't sure why. Maybe because it felt kind of awkward and that she was not used to with Maadox. Then Kassina came and got Jezarine. The healer went off with not much more than a nod to Maadox, seeming intent on saving whoever was hurt.

"Ah think dis be a long trip wif dere already bein a anjury. D'ye think we will even get to da campin ground wifout much more trouble?"

"Hopefully, Tatsoo. I just hope the next interruption is some highwaymen rather than our own. Highwaymen I can deal with. Temperamental elves who can seem to explode and vanish into the fade, not so much." Maddox replied. This day was just mentally taxing. He just wanted it to be over with.

As if almost on cue, he noticed what looked like Nygozy's group up ahead. Fully stopped. They must have found the camp. "Well, look at that Tatsoo. That looks like Nygozy's group setting up camp. We can finally call this crazy day a night.

Shade trotted back his body shifting as he came closer until he was once more a Elf and after being his other forms for so long the loss of all his sharpened senses made him feel woozy and stumble before he caught himself on his staff. He looked up at Maadox and pointed with his hand. "You can probably see it but there setting up Camp. Wanted to let you know I will be in the Forest keeping a eye out for anything trying to sneak up on us so you can rest easy tonight.".

Shade looked up at Tatsoo and smiled and touched her hand before he walked back towards the forest his body becoming a great wolf once again. The flash of red vanished amongst the leaves of the Forest almost like a Shadow melting into darkness.

"It be disconsorting dat be true. Ah neva had ta deal wif anythin so strange. Ah used ta think de Darkspawn be surprisin but dese events ... ah am na sure if dis be a normal thing but ah think it might be. Dat be scary a bit."

She looked ahead and smiled, "Ah think ye be right, Maadox. Tiberius he may be innerested in a good rest too. Don' ya me friend?"

Shade came over and spoke to Maadox, touched her hand then left. Her eyes dipped coyly and she squeezed his hand before he went then turned to Maadox, "Ok ye be meaning ta ask so go ahead."

"Thanks Shade." He replied curiously as he watched Shade go over to Tatsoo. Very...odd behavior. Unless...no, they couldn't have possibly known each other long enough for that.

Tatsoo's comment following that, however, did hint at that. "Is there something going on between you two? You seem to be the only person he trusts despite how little he's been in the actual group."

Tatsoo turned to Maadox and nodded, "Aye. It be fast but feels right. Ah be told dat he was outta control but ah notice he be settling out an listenin. Ah overheard some a what he and de odder wolf be sayin and he was given de choice of coming back to stick with us an he chose ta do his job as a scout. So ah guess ..." She shrugged, "Before he had not listen ta orders."

She sighed, "Ye not angry at dat are ye?"