Start to Denerim - Sinjan's group

Marcus was weary of this. Everything was becoming too philosophical for his tastes, so he mounted his mare. "So let's just get on with it... let those two find their place, and be on our way." He sighed and started to carve in another block of wood, after adjusting Durbans on his back to be in a comfortable position. He had no real interest in that hopeless couple anymore, deciding to focus on his companions and the journey ahead instead.

Sinjan nodded, "One of them anyway. Bastards, scuse the language kids,"

"We're not kids!" Merav grumped.

"Uh huh." He yawned, "They were breaking up a couple marraiges so they could rape the women. They didn't last too long but one got away and brought the guards to arrest me. The guards noticed my ears and ignored anything I said, wanting to cut my head off there and then. That's when Nygozy showed up. She called right of wardens or whatever it is and took me with her to stop a slave ring she'd been investigating. I couldn't believe someone would stand up for Elves but she did."

Sinjan looked back at Lithawen, "If you were wondering, that's why I follow her."

Lithawen tilted her head slightly. "So Kestrel is dead?"

Stopping a slave ring, perhaps she had misjudged the Hero. It wouldn't be a surprise if her brother's family was some how apart of that, after all they still lobbied for slavery. But it was defiantly not a surprise that he would purposely such a ruckus for the sake of it.

"Brinn is a half elf like you. Though his father was from the Alienage, he left Denerim a few years after Kestrel was born, met up with a Dalish clan. His grandparents fought tooth and nail to keep his father a secret." she explained. "He was a bloody hypocrite anyway. Him and his friends would always do what they could to make life hard for the elves in the Alienage."

Sinjan nodded knowing what exactly Lithawen meant about Brinn's family. He'd heard of them too often whenever his father went to the Landsmeet and the few times he had gone himself. It wasn't pleasant around any of that family, "It could be that he tried to be more human and was angry at his elven side. Some people are sad and disgusting that way." He snorted, "If you can't be a hundred percent then beat on those who are. Anyway, he will never do it again and his friends would not either."

He looked back at the two Elven adults, "You understand one race hating you, one which is not your own but you also know the love of those who are your own race. When I helped Nygozy to free those of my race I had been labeled a shem because, as you say, if people don't notice my ears I can fit in with humans. Even with them treating me badly I still fought for them against those who wanted to harm them for being what they are."

So Kestrel was dead? "Shame, I wanted to kill him." she muttered, though seemed neither happy nor angry either way. "I hope he died slowly, and painfully. I think he just hated the fact that our father was happy as a Dalish rather than in the city, and I am not surprised he would be jealous of my mother. I guess I can thank you for killing my brother then, Sinjan."

Lithawen cocked an eyebrow and snorted a bit. "You keep pressing that point. Trying to impress me sir knight? Woo me with your tales of heroism?"

She sighed again, as she played with the ends of her hair, wrapping strands around her fingers in a bored fashion. "I remember telling you that I do not exclude races in my hatred."

"Next time I will psychically find out who wants to do some killing and hold off." He joked to Lithawen when she said she had wanted to kill her brother, "Don't thank me. I have to admit that he had your reflexes and was not an easy fight. If it makes you feel better I did give him some hits just to make him hurt."

Sinjan shook his head, "You are not a woman who woos easily and are more likely to freeze someone who tries too hard than to even smile at them. It just means you expect true intent over frivalous ones."

"No you hate everyone equally. I got that." He stated quietly as he turned to look into the air as he heard a hawk.

"So ... what was it like to grow up Dalish?" He asked the two adults. The youngsters were almost asleep from the rhythm of Snow walking.

Marcus listened to the conversation between Lithawen and Sinjan, but didn't speak as it really did not concern him. Still, it was a fascinating discussion. Sinjan being a noble's son, Lithawen having a half brother who was also a noble, but one of the petty kind. And then the conversation shifted to Lithawen mocking Sinjan about him trying to court her, and then it was her statement she hated every race which made Marcus' eyes roll. Finally, Sinjan posed a question to both of them. "So ... what was it like to grow up Dalish?" he asked them. Marcus only laughed. "Ah ha. You thought I was Dalish? Thanks for the compliment but no. I was raised in West Hill with my brothers and sisters. I worked as a lumberjack." He smirked. "Hardly the adventuring type the Dalish are. We've heard stories about them, of course, but never saw any."

"You are not a woman who woos easily and are more likely to freeze someone who tries too hard than to even smile at them. It just means you expect true intent over frivalous ones."

"Then you will have your work cut out for you," She liked the attention of men, as much as any woman did. Though she acted tough and scary but she was still just a woman, but when Sinjan held her close before she felt... different than anything she had felt before for anyone, she had yet to figure out whether it was good or bad yet. She shook her head trying to throw out the idea.

Lithawen looked to Sinjan and thought on his question as Marcus began to explain how he wasn't Dalish. "How do you sum up the only life you know?" she asked with a sigh. "The only thing I have to compare it to is life with the Wardens. Trapped behind the stone walls you city dwellers claim protect you. I have traveled around the world time and time again, slept in the ruins of old, hunted on top of mountains, swam in rivers both hot and cold. It is a life free from the cage your walls create, an adventure everyday."

"You miss so much while in your cities, in your houses. You miss how beautiful this world is. From the smallest bugs to the tallest trees. It's hard to explain when you've only known dead woods stacked into a nice little house to protect you from the winds, and rains. You take this world and you change so much of it, instead of enjoying what was given you constantly ask for more."

"Ask what you will of it, but I don't think I can explain it better than... it's just completely different."

"You are not Dalish? Wow, am I bad at figuring out what people are. A lumberjack even. Heh. At least the axe fits you then. That is a strange combination."

He listened to Lithawen and nodded, "It's not quite like that but I have to admit that I have no clue about the woods. I like the wilderness but am no good in them. I've tried, believe me but it seems my mother's sense never took." Sinjan shook his head sadly feeling frustrated, "I wish it had. Without her in my life I never got to know what it was like or how to deal with the wilderness and my father cared for me but is not good at it either."

Lithawen nodded a bit. "Just as I am lost in cities, you are lost in the wildes." she muttered. Even after three years it was still disorienting being in the cities, amongst all those people who you don't know, who you know are nothing like you. Even a small crowd in the city could make her uneasy and sick to her stomach.

"You're not too old to still learn." she said in all seriousness. "It isn't a sense you are born with, but rather you learn. There are elves who leave their cities and join with clans all the time. They learn, just as the children do, how to survive and contribute to the clan."

Sinjan looked at Lithawen and smiled, "It's nice to know I'm not the only one with no proficiency in an environment."

He chuckled, "You are so sure one can teach me how to survive in the wild? My dear nymph, I would certainly like to see you try to teach me. I'm stunned brainless when it comes to anything to do with it. I know it isn't a sense and that you learn it but I'm dense. It's sad really."

Lithawen looked at him and laughed, "I do not have enough patients to be a teacher, especially for one who admits he his a nitwit." she shook her head, there wasn't much in her life that had helped her hatred for having to teach others. And it didn't help that everyone expected her to be a great Keeper.

"You would owe me greatly for such an inconvenience Sir Knight, and you have already proven yourself to be a formidable man." A little out of character, she winked at him and laughed again, looking forward to see if the cabin was in sight yet.

"Very few people have enough patience to train me on anything to deal with the wilderness so I don't feel insulted by that comment. I'd be surprised if you did say you could teach me anything." He smirked as they continued on then looked over the hillside towards a trail.

Sinjan chuckled, "I would close to owe you my life for such attempts." He laughed, "Well, thank you. You are formidable as well. Not to mention Marcus. I would not like to be at the end of your cold or his axe."

"We're almost there." Dena said as Snow slowed, "I ... it was not nice earlier ..."

"Then you are likely to die by my frustrated hands," Lithawen said shaking her head. "If nothing else I could yell at you enough, you might learn to act as an adult rather than a child who always gets his way." her shoulders lifted slightly as she shrugged, the joke meant only for her amusement, she didn't care that it had to be at the expense of another. Just as she didn't care much for the daft.

"The Darkspawn never leave 'nice' in their wake. They are creatures of habit, and there are probably no other survivors." she said to the children. Cold and calculating, that is the way she treats people when she isn't yelling at them in anger, she considered it being kind to them, as she didn't extend the energy to truly be kind to others.

Her hand wrapped around Elendil in habit as Arlathan drew her closer to the cottage. "Be on guard, there may still be stranglers about," she said to the others. She looked back at the two young children and frowned. With haste she unfastened her short sword (sheath and all) from her belt and tossed it to the boy without a word.

Marcus had been silent for some time now, a pang of sorrow in his heart that he wasn't very social unless spoken to or the conversation involved him. It was just his way, the way he was brought up under the heel of his human masters back in his lumberjacking days. Still, it was nice to be around people again who weren't trying to dominate the huge elf. He grunted when Sinjan mentioned his axe. "Rest assured, my instrument of insatiable insanity is against shedding the lifeblood of a comrade unless he warrants it. Do you?" He lifted an eyebrow at Sinjan. At his decline, Marcus shrugged. "Then you needn't fear."

His eyes fell to Lithawen, the Dalish Elf. Lithe, small, and from the conversation, scathingly cruel when she needed to be, cold and unfeeling when she wasn't (at least to Marcus). He wondered what had caused her heart to be so hard for someone so fair, from the Free clans.

"Oy." Sighing was all he could manage from that statement, "You hardly know me enough to make an observation like that. It's assumption because I am a noble's son but I should blame myself for assuming that you would be a sweet Elven lass who didn't chew people's heads off because they moved a muscle or act like a self-centered bitch with her knickers up her crack every time she can't have her way."

Dena blanched when she heard what Lithawen spoke but after hearing Sinjan she put a hand over her mouth and looked a way while Merav snorted then chuckled. "It was a compliment, not a suggestion, Marcus."

He smirked, "I've never weilded an axe that large before. Maybe we can show each other skills with the other's weapons and compare strategies. That could be interesting. I always find it good to learn more of your teammates and their styles so you can coordinate in actions and increase your abilities together."

Lithawen dismounted Arlathan as Marcus commented on his axe. A strange weapon choice the elf had never understood. They were more suited for cutting trees, and unless they were your enemy, a sword was more deadly.

And then the Knight came back with a clever retort, and blue flames engulfed the red steal of Elendil as she spun quickly, the edge close to his neck as she glared at him. "You are dangerously close to getting on my bad side, Sir Knight." she smirked, showing that she wasn't yet to that point of annoyance with him. "But make another comment about my attitude or the where-abouts of my knickers and-" she turned her blade the children and frowned again. "and you will watch them die."

She turned again to the road.

Marcus noticed the tension rising between Sinjan and Lithawen. Still, until it turned violent, he would do nothing. Marcus smiled at Sinjan's suggestion for a spar. "I am afraid I must distinctly decline indefinitely. Were I to spar with your superior self, I am afraid my rage would become quite evident. You have seen me fight before. As soon as my person is injured, I go ballistic and don't stop until everyone be dead. I am quite sure you're fond of having your hairy head on your haughty shoulders so I cannot." He replied and looked over at Lithawen, who was eying Durbans suspiciously. "Once a lumberjack, always a lumberjack, my dear Dalish. An axe is the symbol of my trade, and there's nothing in combat that can match a two handed axe in sheer power. It's weight is all focused on the head and beard, which means I can cleave through some shields where a sword or bow cannot."

"Then you are an uncontrolled berserker. We had a berserker in our group before but he was able to control it. It takes time, I hear, like any other technique." He snorted at Marcus's comment of "haughty shoulders" and rolled his eyes, "Another who knows nothing of me. Fine."

He was about to continue on when Lithawen reacted. Dark green eyes flicked to the blade at the threat while lifting his gaze to Lithawen's. At first it was amusement in his eyes that he'd hit a nerve but as soon as the woman threatened the children it changed into steely anger and a sneer formed on his lips.

As soon as she turned from him, Sinjan gave his horse a slight slap on the rump making Snow trot of ahead while he snarled, taking up the distance between himself and Lithawen and grabbing her wrist that held Elendil.

"I will accept you threatening me." He snapped, "I can accept you pushing me around and treating me like dirt because you believe I am below you. But to threaten a youth, especially one of your own kind is sickening. What in the world is in your head? Have you been taken over by a demon? Because you certainly act like you have no care for anyone but yourself."

Lithawen's eyes were scanning the forest around them, she was agitated and thus more on her guard then ever. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Sinjan closed the space between them, and grabbed her wrist. She turned to him and cocked an eyebrow.

"If you are alright with the insults then we shall get along just fine." she dry chuckled and shook her head as he continued on about her threat to the children.

"Because you certainly act like you have no care for anyone but yourself."

"Perhaps that is true. Why should I care for others though? What does it bring you, Sir Righteous? Satisfaction? Or does it clear up a guilty conscious? You are an amusing one, and that was so masterful, so... bossy. So basically powerless." she ripped her hand from his grasp and laughed. "And if you grab my wrist again, I will brake every single bone in your arm."

Marcus shrugged at Sinjan's comment. "I've not been trained by Ash Warriors so my technique is sloppy compared to theirs, but it works all the same." He said and combed his fingers through his thick brown hair. A lover's spat was starting again and he didn't want to be a part of it. He said he was going ahead to the farmhouse nearby and let the two have at it. He ushered the two children with him, taking them to where apparently, the rest of the group was.

Sinjan rolled his eye and eased his grip while she pulled her hand away from him. This woman was so exasperating he could hardly handle it.

"That is a joke: you calling someone else high and mighty. And no, I don't have a guilty conscience except for not being able to kill more noble asses who were abusing people in the alienage."

He noticed Marcus leaving with the children and vowed to thank him later for that but was not going to be able to yet. Lithawen exuded challenge and he couldn't back down. He had no idea why but he had to stand up to her or he'd feel like she would run roughshod over him all the time.

"Break every bone in my arm?" Now that got his attention and made him smirk. Sinjan then grabbed both her wrists and pushed her up against a tree, looking down at her with a hungry smile, "You liked that before. I thought you enjoyed the rough and tumble and what can be done with a person's hands. Break the arm and you don't get that."

Within a moment he'd let her go and backed up with a grin as he took out his own sword, "I think I know now. You just like to fight, don't you? Well come on. If you want to get out your anger at the world, let's fight. It could be fun."

Lithawen scowled at him, but shook her head. "With that mind of yours you should feel guilt over their deaths. How many families did you ruin? Sons, fathers, brothers, all slaughtered by your hand. There are mothers who would spit on your grave. And yet you feel nothing for them? Nothing but that hatred. You are just like me little knight. We're exactly the same."

Sinjan rushed her, and Lithawen was pinned to the tree faster than she cared to admit. His heated breath tickled at her cheek as he looked down at her, smiling. He looked at her hungrily. As most men did, or at least the ones Lithawen shared beds (or in this case rather a forest floor) with. "You are rather full of energy. I would liken it to a child, just as I would your attitude."

He backed away quickly, and Lithawen watched him as she leaned against the tree.
"I think I know now. You just like to fight, don't you? Well come on. If you want to get out your anger at the world, let's fight. It could be fun."
She frowned to him, what an idiot. "You wish to spare while in the midsts of a Darkspawn infested forest?" she spat. She knew her limits, and the battle before wore on her body and mind. Ranged spells were always a must for mages, but somehow Lithawen had managed to neglect her basic elemental training in favor of sparing with blades. Both consumed her mana, and she could feel the heavy weight pulling at her arm.

She tossed Elendil away from her, loudly clanking at the red steel hit the ground. Lithawen braced herself as she started to cast her backup, Keeper, spells. It was probably some sort of sin to the Creators that she didn't use this magic more often. But it left her utterly venerable, and Lithawen never trusted her company enough to let them have her back.

Lithawen could see the waves of mana cast around her as One with Nature took effect, slowing even the air down. She could hear it. The fait heart-like-beat from the trees. Roots far underneath the earth, pulsing with life as they shot up from their resting place, going for Sinjan with the intent to inflict damage with their blade-like-thorns, also going in to knock him back and away from their Keeper.

"Of course there are consequences to others when one kills but I do not kill without provocation." He stated calmly, "It seems in both of our natures to have hatred for others. The difference is why and where we channel it."

Sinjan chuckled, "I would liken you to a child as well. So it is another thing we have in common."

The clanking of Elendil made him react, removing his shield from his back while watching her motions. Keeper spells. She had mentioned that she was a Keeper in her jealous reaction towards that dark Elven maid. With her stance he was able to guess what she was going to do as he'd seen the same thing with living trees in the Brecillian forest.

As the sounds of flora moving came to be noticed, he knelt on the ground, lifted his shield and slammed it into the soil three times. The action created a thundering sound along with making the land around him shake, forcing back the roots which had threatened to attack and making the ground beneath even Lithawen tremble.

He looked up hoping the shaking would put her off balance.

Lithawen could feel the effects of the constant strain of her spell, her knees felt weak. She was glad that she had stayed close to the tree, and was able to put a hand back to keep herself standing and steady. But even the tree couldn't keep her on her feet as Sinjan attacked the ground, causing tremors.

The Keeper's back hit against the tree again, and she slide down to sit. Panting a bit as the effects of her spell wore off, leaving her glaring at the Knight. "Congratulations, you beat an exhausted woman." she growled. "I bet that makes you feel just fantastic,"