The Age of the Dragon

[Alaylyne]

Alaila had been watching as everyone slowly gathered, not saying a word even when Thomas called her a 'red-haired' elf, simply being a shadow. The elf didn't offer an answer when asked about her fighting style, either. She's a mage - primal, if they wanted the details, but her shape-shifting she will keep for herself. At least for now.

 

"If you'll excuse me," she started after a few minutes, putting her hood on as she held her bag with one hand and her staff with the other, "I shall return shortly. I must....fetch something."

 

The woman simply nodded to everybody in the small gesture of greeting and walked out of the tavern, soon disappearing in the mass of the people in Lowtown.

[LeoXaladin]

After the elf walked out of the tavern, Cyhran stands up.

"I'll be right back.", says Cyhran and goes out of the Tavern.

Edited September 27, 2012 by LeoXaladin

[Flipout6]

"Ostagar, Redcliffe, and yes, Denerim. Missed Amaranthine, though. Feels odd sitting by while bigger events happen elsewhere. I have plenty of experience when it comes to fighting darkspawn." Jadaco stated proudly. As much as he went through in his career in the army, he was proud of his service. He felt a twinge of unease at saying this to a Warden, he didn't want to be conscripted. Unless there was a blight, all they did was recruit and venture into the Deep Roads, and he wouldn't be able to bear being kept away from the wilderness simply to do that. "I do hope that isn't reason enough to conscript me, however."

 

At the statement of the woman's name and her status, Jadaco's head snapped up. "Pirate queen, huh? Now I definitely have an eye on you. No, I don't mean sexually."

Edited September 27, 2012 by Flipout6

[Naktis]

"That's the red-haired elf I've been talking about." Thomas replied and pointed at Alaila when she was walking towards the door but Cyhran left too, so the mage continued eating.

 

Illadriel smiled slightly. "Don't worry. I'm not going to conscript you. We're not desperately seeking new recruits at the moment. Your help in today's expedition is more than enough." She reassured Jadaco. She felt a growing respect towards this man. Skilled and brave warrior, a good man too or so it seems.

 

The Warden was anxious to start the expedition but she waited for everyone else to finish their breakfast.

[Flipout6]

The expression on Illadriel's face told of impatience, so Jadaco finished his food quickly and stood up.

 

"I'm ready to go when you are." He said. Indeed, he was wearing his armor, had all his weapons, and a backpack full of supplies was on his back, he could go anywhere in the world and not be missing anything.

[Alaylyne]

Alaila walked out of the stinking inn - as she referred to it - and breathed in the city air. It wasn't much better outside, but at least there was no...wait, it almost was the same. Only here you can actually see the sun.

 

Holding her hood on, the elf was quickly walking towards the Alienage, not wanting to leave the town until she checked something. She could scarcely believe her mother left without even leaving a note. Even though she didn't find anything the first 27 times she searched the whole house, the mage wanted to be sure. Completely sure.

 

She didn't see Cyhran leaving the tavern as well, almost completely disappearing behind a corner when he went out.

 

It was still pretty early and she didn't see much people except for elven that were beginning with their work, but they payed no attention to some random elf in the Alienage. The red-haired elf stopped to look around for a few minutes before an old house that looked like no one lived in, waiting for a moment when nobody of the elves were paying attention to her and went in.

 

To those quick enough, an edge of her cloak could be spotted before the doors closed and the woman disappeared within the old dwelling.

[Macman253]

Wind leaped off the roof to fly like a crow from rooftop to rooftop his cloak spreading like massive wings, something he enjoyed at night was these runs around the roofs of the alienage. He landed and rolled on the roof of The Hanged Man and slid down onto the sign where he came to rest. The quiet silence of the night air was shattered by a womans scream and with that Wind took off like his namesake. Bounding around the rooftops like a thief on a mission he came to a stop over an alley. There he saw three humans and a young elf woman. She was attractive, young maybe only twenty winters and she had dalish tattoos aswell as sleek red hair and bright blue eyes.

 

"Well well well, she is a pretty thing indeed." Wind thought as he planned out his move.

 

"Hey Bruno, we got ourselves a pretty little knife-ear here? Who wants the first turn?" Said the leader as he clung on to the wide eyed girl. The group of would be ravishers all laughed, he could smell the booze on them, but as he watched he saw three very fat gold pouches and decided to investigate them aswell as the woman. carefully he lowered himself onto a window frame and then leapt across to the opposite side of the alley, as he flew he pulled his twin crow daggers from his back and sunk them into the wall.

 

"Shes got such a pretty face, too bad were gonna change that." The one called Bruno joked with the others, they all continued laughing until Bruno abruptly stopped laughing as Wind dropped down, both blades sliding effortlessly into his flesh and slicing bone. Bruno was down for the count.

 

"Now its not kind to 'te fair woman to hurt her so...I suggest my friends that you leave her." Said the cloaked and hooded figure. He inversed his grip on his daggers for the close order fight he knows will happen.

 

"You don't tell us what to do elf!" Yelled the first human as he drew his sword and charged, the alley was tight here and Wind knew this, Wind took a run at the human but jumped and ran along the wall, his blade slicing the humans throat as he passed and the robber gurgled loudly as he choked on his own blood and finally toppled over and expired. Wind smiled but under his hood you could not see anything but his smile. The last human aimed his crossbow at Wind, his body shaking with fear. The woman sat cowering in the corner her ankle was bright red and most likely sprained and Wind knew he had two seconds before the human would turn that crossbow on her.

 

"Stop! Don't move or I'll shoot!" Barked the human as he aimed the crossbow at him. Wind just laughed and took another step and with that a familiar clack of a bowstring and the bolt came flying at Winds face, Wind smirked and reached up to snatch the arrow out of the air. He furled his cloak and drew a large hand-bow and racked the bolt into the slide and fired, the bolt piercing the human in the eye and he dropped like a stone.

 

Wind approached the panicking girl and drew back his hood to reveal a handsome elven face, a dalish tattoo for Wind on his cheek he smiled. "Be calm senora, I am 'ere to help you..." He said in a low soothing voice as he offered her his hand. She took it sheepishly and he lifted her up into his arms. She looked deeply into his mismatched eyes and spoke to him in dalish.

 

"You are blessed with the gift of the Wind do you know that?" She asked him.

 

After he gathered the coin pouches Wind thought some on what she had said and just laughed it off. "Senora I am only an elf, with a particular set of skills and one of them happens to be saving fine damsels in distress.." He said smoothly as he held her. She smiled and blushed heavily. "I see and you are a charmer as well, but you bear dalish markings yet you speak like an antivan? Why is that so?" She asked as they walked through the empty streets of Low Town. Wind was curious as to why she was so interested but he just smiled and answered. "My mother was Dalish, my father Antivan. She said I would be as fast and fluid as the Wind so she gave me the tattoo when I was just a boy. She died a short time later and I joined The Crows." The woman thought hard on this and then buried her head in his shoulder and quietly went to sleep.

 

By daybreak they arrived at The Hanged Man, Wind's favored haunt and home. The Old Bartender let him rent a room in the back because he had helped run out a gang of mercenaries that were causing too much trouble for the old man and as his reward he had a rent free room. He kicked the door open and stepped through, the place was lively and full of talk of the town and shady deals which is why he loved it there. Sitting in his favored place was Varric, his giant crossbow sitting next to him. Varric saw Wind and the girl enter and he just smiled.

 

"Wind one of these days your carousing with women will kill you..." He said with a laugh as Wind walked by. Wind smiled and replied "Only after your drinking kills you mi' amigo." Wind gently sat the young girl down on his bed and placed the blanket over her. He plopped down in his favored chair that was behind the only door in and facing the only window and drew one of his blades and quietly drifted off to sleep.

[LeoXaladin]

Cyhran goes towards alienage.

He walks to the big tree in the center and puts his hand on the trunk.

The energy and power of the tree is for Cyhran palpable.

He is pleased that the tree is maintained by the elves.

 

Then he goes to a door and knocks there. An elf with long black hair opens the door.

When she sees who is at the door, she says in a low voice: "Ahh Cyhran, come in."

Cyhran looks around him and enters the room.

 

"Sit down." She says, "What brings you to me?"

"Why the question Medea, you know why I'm here.", replies Cyhran.

Medea giggles, "Hmmm maybe, maybe not. I'm just an ordinary elf. "

"You want probably never give up the tricking and acting, do you?", he asked the elf.

 

She stands up, goes to Cyhran, sits on his lap, puts her arms around his shoulders and slowly approaches her face to his.

"It's just fun to fool unsuspecting people, especially those stupid nobles and templar."

 

Then she stands up again and walks into the bedroom.

"But you're here for something else."

She comes back with a bag in her hand and hands over to Cyhran.

Cyhran says with a satisfied air: "Thanks Medea. The next round is on me. "

"Haha, I insist." Medea says with laughter, "I hope you come back to us. It has become boring since you left. "

 

"Maybe, maybe not. See ya." With a wink and a smile Cyhran goes out to the alienage.

He quickly runs back to the tavern.

As he enters, he welcomed all who participate in the expedition and sits down to them.

"So I'm ready."

Edited September 28, 2012 by LeoXaladin

[SteffiSyndrom]

"Ohoho, you I like!" Isabela chuckled between two bites about the man who had introduced himself as Cyhran. "A duelist then? I'd love to compete with you," she winked and finished the last few pieces of meat and eggs then washed it all down with ale. Isabela noticed the lightly disgusted look of Illadriel, she didn't blame her. After all, it took her three years to be able to drink Kirkwall's ale for breakfast.

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and looked at Jadaco as he mentioned her. His comment made her chuckle. "You just keep telling yourself that, sweetie.

Anyways, I am ready to go when you folks are," she added and wiped her hands with a small, red cloth.

[Alaylyne]

Closing the door behind her, Alaila waited for a minute or to to make sure nobody was following her, taking a deep breath afterwards. Good. Half way out of this bloody town. The elf took off her hood, looking around the old dusty house. It was the same as the last 6 times she went it. Everything covered with a layer of dust except for places she walked around, decrepit furniture - that little that was there - and a single room beside the one she was in.

 

Red-haired woman slowly started to walk around the dwelling again, her bright blue eyes examining everything around her. There wasn't a single piece of paper she hadn't looked at, not a single object she hadn't turned upside down and back again or moved and still all that awaited her was one big, empty nothing. Alaila walked in the sleeping room where she used to rest with her mother, looking around with a sigh.

 

"Inan...vhenan'ara" she said to the dust and memories only dwelling here, sitting down on a old, haggard bed that was split into two parts. The dust that arose when the elf fell on it made her cough, trying to find a stop of the old thing that wasn't so dusty. The bed creaked was creaking the whole time, but what caught her attention is that when she moved to a certain spot - where she used to sleep - there was silence. Which was completely ridiculous, considering her spot was the worst of the whole bed - which she often used to entertain herself and drive her mother crazy.

 

Kneeling beside the bed, the elf took out her dagger and cut its side that was facing the ground. Shortly after she lay down on the ground and dragged her head under the bed, looking at its insides.

 

"Ha!" Alaila came back up holding a piece of paper with something written on it, coughing dust before she read it.

 

Aquila, I've heard what happened to your daughter and it's a tragedy, but there is still hope. She may have reached the Dalish after all! Do not despair, my friend, but have faith. I am sure Alaila is going to be alright. And if you're ever in need of help, deep, deep, down you go. Atrast nal tunsha.

Signed, Reiora

 

The elf could feel her heart beating faster with every word she read, gripping the piece of paper tightly. It was a letter for her mother from a dwarven friend of hers and it was over 10 years old, somewhere around the time Alaila was sent to the Dalish. Her mother knew! She knew Alaila would come back eventually and this was her way of telling her where she was. It must have been! Why would she hide the letter otherwise?

 

Wiping off some dust from her face, Alaila tucked the letter in her bag and quickly left the house, looking around one last time. Whatever happened, the woman knew she wouldn't return here.

 

Around 20 minutes after she left the tavern, the mage walked in again, walking over to Thomas and the rest of the people. Seemed like everybody was there and that pirate woman from yesterday was with them, too. Isabela earned a distrustful glance from Alaila, but the elf said nothing.

 

"Are we going?" she asked the group, holding her staff tightly, "I am itching to get away from this town as possible."

 

While she spoke, an old song her mother used to sing to her was spinning in her mind.

 

Down, down, down we go....into the depths of the unknown...down, down, down we go...