The Age of the Dragon

[Alaylyne]

Alaila was looking at the mage before her, debating whether to take out her pipe or not. No, better to save what little camomile she had left - after all, the mage wasn't sure how long will she be forced to stay in this town.

 

"Hmmmm..." the Warden said that she was here to help, but which side? The templars or the mages? And besides, weren't Warden forbidden from getting themselves and their order involved in political matters such as this war that is currently rampaging? The elf wasn't sure how to feel about the Dalish Warden sitting at the other table, but the mage seemed harmless. Or at least a very good actor. She might consider trusting him in the future, but the Dalish still seemed suspicious to her, despite the woman being her own race. Tis a strange thing to feel more comfortable around a shemlen than around one of her own.

 

Thomas' hand was left hanging in the air, for the elf did not take it. There was the awkward silence again, but Alaila seemed perfectly comfortable with it.

 

"You will have to excuse me if I do not give my name away so freely, but suspicion's what kept me alive all these years." she replied neutrally, looking at the mage.

 

"I am about to leave the town, for it seems my business here is done." She had to leave as soon as possible because she certainly won't find her mother if the Templars catch her. Words that left the elf's mouth were somewhat more sharper when the mage asked about her reason for staying. She couldn't help it, but every question felt like poking in her privacy, and it made her feel uncomfortable.

[Naktis]

Thomas only shrugged. It wasn't really his business why one of the Wardens is here and what she really wants. As long as she keeps turning the blind eye when he's helping the mages to flee Kirkwall is all fine and well with him.

 

"I don't see how me knowing your name could harm you in some way but whatever." He was really getting tired of the suspiciousness of the elven people when it comes to them, humans.

 

"Well good luck with that." The white-haired mage said and glanced around the tavern again. "With all those Templars in town it won't be easy to leave the city." He decided not to say anything about him actually helping the mages to escape, especially when she doesn't even want to speak with him. He knows all too well how apostates feel, especially here in Kirkwall but he has no problem with at least telling his name.

 

Illadriel didn't care what Thomas and the elven woman spoke, she was too busy watching the woman drinking ale at the bar. Something was strange about her but she couldn't really tell, not yet at least. What if the woman is here to spy on them or Thomas or that red-haired elf? She knew that Wardens are not likeable by everyone. Some even tried to assassinate the Hero of Ferelden, most likely more than once.

[mythicdawnmaster]

Elvira had heard enough to determine the both of the pair talking were apostate mages... perhaps she would turn them in for alittle extra cash? No... that was far too easy a way to make money, far too boring.

 

She made her way silently to Illadriels table, and sat down at an empty seat, making sure not to move the chair an inch. She dispelled the effects of her shadow form, and smiled at the grey warden, who was still looking at her double suspiciously. "You've been watching me for a while now... shame it's the wrong me. Don't worry, i'm not a spy, or an assassin here for your head warden... i'm just curious. Curious and bored."

[Alaylyne]

Alaila was silent for a few seconds, far shorter than usual before replying.

 

"Knowing one's name is a dangerous weapon." her words were quiet but her voice was soft, the dark blue gaze fixed on the white-haired mage. "You may not understand that fully, but me not sharing my name with you's got nothing with your race, human. The Dalish Warden is as suspicious to me as you currently are, if not even more."

 

The elf sighed heavily, leaning back in her chair as she pulled out her pipe and put camomile she had left in it, lighting it with matches she had set on table. Her wooden staff was leaning against the wall right of her, her legs crossed as she was looking around. The woman that was sitting at the bar had disappeared, somehow standing over at the Warden now. She didn't notice her move - was it a decoy?

 

"You did always quickly presume one of the Elvhenan does not trust you simply because you are human." There was a short moment of silence as the red-haired elf was smoking her pipe, entertained by blowing circles of smoke in the air.

 

"That's where you name comes from."

 

If the mage would not provide her with an exit from the city, she'd have to do what she feared - shapeshift and fly away. But using magic so openly in the centre of a templar-mage war...it wasn't smart. But the mage had little choice.

[Naktis]

Illadriel didn't even flinch when the same woman she was watching appeared out of nowhere at her table. One of the tricks that shadows are using. She should have known.

 

The Dalish took a sip of her drink and glanced at the woman. "Trust me, I am not worried." For a brief moment she eyed the woman cautiously before continuing her speech. "Curious. About what?"

 

Thomas laughed. He didn't know what was that funny though. The elf being suspicious or that funny looking stain on the wall? "You being all mysterious makes you even more suspicious than me and my Warden friend together." He replied and glanced at his table only to see that some woman was siting there. He shrugged it off.

 

After a few moments of silence Thomas finally seated himself at the table and leaned closer so no one would hear what he's saying. "For a while now I've been helping the mages who were fleeing the city. If you wish I can get you out of here." The mage smiled leaning back into his seat.

[mythicdawnmaster]

Elvira didn't take her eyes off of the warden and replied "As to what you are doing here, and why your friend over there helps mages escape the city... i had heard Warden's were meant to stay out of political manoeuvring, and as horrible as this whole affair with the mages and the templars is... it's still politics." Elvira said with a sigh

[Alaylyne]

Alaila watched as the man changed his mind and sat down at her table, casually blowing circles of smoke in the opposite direction.

 

"Shemlen. Quick children." the elf said after a long silence, ignoring Thomas' question firstly. "That was a proper name back in the past, not an insult. I wonder who first deformed the usage of the word."

 

Looking at the mage's blue eyes, the red-head was considering his words. An apostate mage whom she has just met offering her a way out of town. She was in danger, that much was known to her, but trusting a complete stranger...? Alaila sighed. She will take his offer, but just because she can defend herself if this is some kind of a trick. Using shapeshifting was the last option.

 

"It's true I need to get out of city. Let's hear it, then, what you had in mind."

[Naktis]

Illadriel watched the woman calmly. Her statement wasn't all that surprising. Everyone knows that Wardens tend to remain neutral though sometimes there's no such option as neutrality...

 

"My business is my own" she spoke and shot a quick glance at Thomas. "Same goes for him."

 

Illadriel realized that her presence here in Kirkwall was... unexpected but that doesn't bother her. She's not on the Templars side, the fact that she's turning a blind eye to Thomas' activities was good enough explanation for that. She's not on the mages side either, thus she never helped mages to... neutralize any templars.

 

Thomas looked around again before starting whispering. "I know a secret route in Darktown, which mages used to escape for years, everyone from..." he paused for a moment unsure whether he should tell this or not. The mage decided not to mention anything, not yet at least "nevermind. The point it, even now mages are using the route as the Templars haven't discovered it."

[nethgros]

He could almost smell the taint, sickly and rotten. The feeling was the worst part - like grease caressing his movement.

 

This business between the mages and the templars had brought him to this city, but now something far more sinister had caught his attention. If what he felt was truly darkspawn, then this city needed much more help than he previously anticipated.

 

He walked swiftly toward the Hanged Man, and as he did so all the bystanders stared at this shirtless hulk brandishing a greatsword. As he entered he needed to crouch in order to avoid a collision with the doorway, and the second he stood his eyes immediately locked onto the table crowded with the strangest people in the room. Whereas his next move would've typically been to charge the pests and offer them an embrace of silverite, this time he stayed his hand, as it was obvious that none of them were darkspawn. Yet, he could still feel the taint crawling out of one of them, so he walked over to investigate.

[mythicdawnmaster]

Elvira sighed "Don't give me all the answers right away will you?" She rolled her eyes and said "Well, it's clear you aren't on anyone's side, but it's also clear you sympathize with the mages plight... just try not to make it too obvious around those arrogant templars. Well, whatever the case, it seems that despite your friends business being his own, you are helping him with it by turning a blind eye, if the templars were to know that... well you'd be in a little trouble wouldn't you?" Elvira said calmly, still figuring out exactly how they planned to get that elven mage out of the city... the Templars would surely have noticed those they were hunting have gone missing, and the most easy person to pin the blame on for that would be the mysterious warden. "Just hope the templars don't think my way, or they will start pointing fingers at you for there targets going missing... because lets face it, you and your white-haired friend there stick out like saw-thumbs... and it's always easier to pin the blame on the warden." Elvira said. She decided just then she would try and help these people.. after all, she was leaving the town anyhow, and she could certainly find a way to secure there exit. Be it by trickery, or maybe even smuggling.