The First Blight: Curse of Dumat [RP/Closed]

[FortyThree]

"Yeah. I guess I'm not. She's pretty special, though."

Diocles was frowning again, turning to look out over the waves. He couldn't talk eye to eye on this. It was not easy to think about, let alone speak about.

"So.. I am going to try. And I will protect her from now on, I promise you that."

His grip on the railing tightened, as if he was trying to snap the wood. Alrik was on his mind again.

 

[Rosen2012]

Ulrin watched the human, how he turned away and how he tightened his grip on the wood. Was he mad at him for bringing this up? Good.

"Its not just others you need to protect her from, Diocles. Its yourself as well. You had better try your hardest. Harder than you try in our battles against the Darkspawn." He turned facing out over the railing as the other man did and cast his eyes on the water. "Do you understand... We do not get to choose anything in our lives. You as a human have freedom. You have picked your partners all your life. Elven women like Sulahn'nehn are not granted such freedoms. My own sister never had such freedom." He glanced at the archer out the corner of his eye. "She's chosen you, for whatever reason, she thinks your sweet words and charms are only for her. Only the Creators must know what she sees in you. And while we are still only just learning to trust one another, she is my sister. And you wrong her, and I will kill you of she doesn't."

 

[FortyThree]

The barest hint of a smile crept onto the archer's face.

"If it actually comes to that, I just might let you."

 

[Rosen2012]

Ulrin did not return the smile. Instead he rolled his eyes at the archer's jokes, as usual. "You are never serious unless there is a Hurlock charging your way, are you?"

 

[FortyThree]

"That's about what it takes, yeah."

Diocles shrugged, leaning back a little.

"You have to learn to have your fun where you can. It's a stressful life. What about you, Ulrin? Have you given up on romance, and the physical pleasures?"

 

[Rosen2012]

The elf raised any eyebrow at the archer. He could not be serious. "Do you think field slaves and runaways have time for romance, Diocles? I can't say I have ever had much time to focus on physical pleasures either. I was worked each day until I felt I could not stand any more. And then if I was not tired, I cannot say I spent my time trying to find love. If I had a moments rest I spent it with my sister; making sure she was well, making plans to run. What few times I had for such leisure were so fleeting and far between. And after I was on the run, never. So I guess the answer is not that I have given up, but I do not have the time for it. I never had. I had to focus on staying alive."

 

[FortyThree]

Diocles sighed. This elf was trapped in the past.

"You're free now, more or less. You aren't running. You have time."

Deciding to turn it into a joke, he turned and cocked his head at Ulrin with a grin.

"You've gotten along fairly well with Ghil, right? No intention on climbing that mountain?"

 

[Rosen2012]

Again the elf was flabbergasted. What was wrong with Diocles. "I-I would never! No! W-what is wrong with you! Ghil is- Ghil is my comrade. I trust her. I would never disrespect her by attempting to- to seduce her." He let out a long exhale through his mouth, "Not to mention what makes you think that's even acceptable?" He leaned forward on the railing of the boat and sighed. "Diocles, please... I am not going to attempt anything on Ghil, she would snap me in two in a fit of anger. And you know good and well I am not 'free'. Not so long as Theadrin is watching over us. None of us are really free."

 

[Slycne]

"Hahaha." Jarrik laughed heartily while holding his hands up in a mock defense. "I did say to peel it first."

He demonstrated scrapping off the brown dirt encrusted skin revealing a yellow fibrous flesh beneath, before popping a morsel into his own mouth. The root had a rich flavor, almost pungent, with just a hint of spice, which only became more pronounced as chewing extracted more juice from the dried root. The soothing taste and aroma put senses at ease.

He offered a prepared piece. "It's no farce."

 

[FortyThree]

Diocles couldn't help but laugh at the man's reaction.

"Hahah! I'm not sure she'd react quite that badly. I think the worst you would get from her is a 'No.' Maybe accompanied by a 'You are too puny.' As for Thaedrin, he is not our master, just our commanding officer. We have our duty to the Wardens, yes, but he has no say when we're off duty."

Diocles seemed to squint, as if deep in thought. He appeared to be taking a moment of rare serious introspection.

"When is seduction considered disrespectful?"

 

[Rosen2012]

"It's a matter of stepping out of line, Diocles." The elf sighed. How did he out this to the human? "I respect Ghil. Her skill as a warrior and her advice to me as a friend. She has no interest in me beyond our friendship why would I attempt to seduce her when it would obviously fail? Its tackless, and would just make me look like a fool. And unlike you, I do not enjoy annoying every woman that comes into view."

 

[FortyThree]

"Ah! So it's a self-esteem thing. Makes sense."

Diocles wasn't quite ready to give up. He would get this elf to crack a smile if it took all year. He turned to the elf while feigning an offended look.

"And please don't paint me unfairly as some.. Misogynistic pervert. I annoy everyone equally."

He couldn't help but smile a little himself as he finished that line.

 

[Cinnonym]

Ghil accepted the second piece, although at this point it may have been a matter of competition; if the Rivaini could do it, so could she. It was still strong for her palette, but it certainly cleared her sinuses. Maybe it hadn't been a prank. She shrugged, accepting this development with the nonchalance she showed towards most things.

"...You were a boatman, maybe?"

 

[Rosen2012]

Ulrin sighed, "No its not a self-esteem issue. If anything its a race issue. Oh, just forget it, Dicoles." The elf shook his head before lifting his hand to let his knuckles rest against his cheek. "I suppose you just cannot understand. Either you are too dense or you choose not to."

The elf snorted at the human's last line, perhaps slightly smirking at the comment, but it was quickly smothered out. "I will give you that. You have annoyed everyone cursed to be in your presence."

 

[Slycne]

"Aye, I grew up along these coasts."

Jarrik leaned up against the railing next to Ghil, now that it looked like she wasn't fighting to keep down her meal. He smirked. "I didn't have the heart to stay trapped up on a boat day after day though and found work elsewhere." Standing this close for the first time, he took measure of how tall she truly was - inching him out to his slight chagrin.

"So..." Not particularly sure how to have a conversation with the Alamarri barbarian of few words and sometimes fewer clothes. "What do you think of the other wardens?" It seemed to be the topic on everyone's mind.

 

[FortyThree]

"A race issue, hmm.. You know, we all have the same parts. I've checked."

Clearly, the incorrigible archer was beyond caring if he offended the elf. At this point it was full possible he was trying to get himself punched.

"Or.. OH! I get it, of course. You simply treat us differently because we were born of a different race than yours."

He nodded sagely, barely hiding a smirk.

"Well, I can't fault that. I mean, that kind of thinking has never hurt anyone."

 

[Rosen2012]

Ulrin couldn't believe Diocles was still talking to him. How did Sulahn'nehn stand this human? How could she be so smitten with such and obvious oaf. He was about ready but his ears off to save himself, or at the very least loose his own lunch over the side from annoyance.

"Diocles, do you really have nothing to say to me other than witless jokes and innuendos about what I should or should not be doing with what female Wardens I meet?" He looked over at him frowning. "Can you not take the hint that I despise this topic. Perhaps that is why I grow so tired of you. It is the only topic you speak of. Ever. Like Theadrin does nothing but speak of Darkspawn and work you speak of nothing that does not some how come back around to what you can insert your nethers into, all with a smile on your face." The elf rolled his eyes, he was beyond tired. "You might not think of race, but understand it is always on my mind. It has to be. The only real reason Sulahn'nehn and I are free to walk about is because we are in the company of ones like you and Theadrin. You know good and well if we were separated no human would believe we were Wardens by our word. We'd be snatched up to be slaves. Out side of this group, we are less in the eyes of every other person we encounter. Could you please, not joke to me about a subject that has very well shaped and defined my entire life and cost me my only family! If you want someone to laugh at your jokes and tell you how clever you are then please, go back to Sulahn'nehn. She finds your distractions amusing. I find them insulting."

With that the elven rogue pushed off the railing and turned to make his way back across the ship. He'd take his chances standing next to Ghil. If he stayed next to Diocles any longer he'd find himself trying to shove the man off the boat into the waters below.

 

[FortyThree]

Diocles shook his head, mulling to himself as he turned back to the water. He really shouldn't antagonize Ulrin so much, but he found the elf sucha bore, constantly whining. There wasn't a warden without tragedies, after all. Not to mention the hypocrisy.

He watched the waves silently for a few minutes. Listened to the waves break upon the ship to no effect. Given enough time, these waves would wear down any cliff, any dock, any fortress. But not the ship. The ship would be fine, as long as it kept moving. He breathed in the scent of the water with a sigh, then decided it was time to get moving belowdecks. He had plans tonight, after all.

 

[Cinnonym]

"I do my best not to be thinking of them. I was there, Alrik told you how I was to be the grey-colored Warden. It was not my choosing, but I do what I must to keep living. As I have always been doing."

She was leaning on the railing much more comfortably now, and perhaps that was why Ulrin had come to join her again. The barbarian reached a hand out and stroked his rust-colored hair as one might a favored pet. That was the extent of her knowledge of physical affection, of course.

"This one was having the promise of a quick death. Then they made him take the drink as well." Ghil gave the Rivaini an appraising look, taking quiet note of his size, the endurance necessary to wear such heavy armor comfortably for so long. She didn't know what it was about the Joining that allowed only few to survive, but neither constitution nor willpower must play a role or Sulahn'nehn and Ulrin would certainly be dead. "And you yet wish to be one?"

 

[Rosen2012]

Ulrin was startled at first by the sudden feeling of Ghil's hand on his head. He almost pulled away thinking something was on his head that she was trying to remove. However as he heard her spoke it sunk into the elf that she was petting him while she spoke to the Rivaini about his joining. Was that to comfort him? Like one would comfort a pet?

He leaned forward on the railing again and accepted that Ghil was going to do what she wanted. Petting him like a loyal pet... And Diocles was suggesting he make an attempt to seduce the woman. Ha! In truth that was probably the funnest joke he had ever told him.

"You do not wish to be a Warden," the elf spoke up. "Aside from the joining. And the nightmares, you are also stuck with Theadrin. And that is not worth it alone."