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

[FortyThree]

"I, uh.."

Diocles looked stunned at the outburst, he never expected it from quiet Ulrin.

"..I didn't.. Perhaps my jest was in poor taste, Ulrin. I apologize. Despite what you may have heard, I've certainly never forced myself on anyone."

He looked at his food despondently, quite put off all of a sudden.

Geez, they think I'm some kind of magister

 

[ShadowFolk]

"Yes, Ser." She nodded her head to Delphina. "I don't think we'll have any trouble following that order. Not that...I mean no offense...Oh, Creators."

Ulrin's little snap didn't help make things less awkward. Was he actually a predator? He didn't seem like one. Sulahn'nehn picked up her fork and took a bite of meat large enough to keep her preoccupied. Less than five minutes passed before she excused herself. "I think I will turn in for the night. I'm still so dreadfully tired."

 

[Rosen2012]

The idea of rest didn't sound appealing, but leaving did. Ulrin stood taking up Sulahn'nehn's departure as a chance to leave himself. "I too, will be going. Good night, Ghil. Constable Delphina." He didn't bother to say good night to Diocles, instead he followed after Sulahn'nehn to find the rooms the group had been issued for the night.

Halfway to the rooms Ulrin stopped walking and spoke up to the other elf, "Sulahn'nehn, please stop for a moment."

 

[duckflesh]

Delphina watched the elves go, driven speechless, as usual, by Ulrin's boldness.

"That one was either beaten too much, or not enough," she remarked to Diocles, winking. "Keep making friends. I should really go visit Constable Thaedrin. I hear he's quite badly off."

 

[FortyThree]

"Mm. I always do. Please, tell him I, mention my name, hope that he's comfortable. He'll be up in no time just to slap me."

He winked back at her, waving her off half-heartedly as he resumed eating.

 

[ShadowFolk]

What had she just said about a man and a woman walking off together in the direction of a bedroom? However, they were still elves and maybe because of that they would be mostly ignored. She slipped back into thought about how she could play down her slip up if it were ever brought up again. Even in her head she was on the losing side of the conversation.

The surprise that the word 'please' was a part of his vocabulary was enough to stop her in her tracks. "What is it?"

 

[Rosen2012]

Ulrin nodded to her, thinking he was going to warn her about Diocles. She was so trusting of the archer and his charms, or at least appeared to be. Humoring his jokes, going along with his banter. But human's can't be trusted. She ought to know that, she was like him was she not? Protecting themselves when not fighting the Darkspawn should come first, not letting their guards down just because a few humans seemed nice. Any nice human was clearly waiting to do you harm later. Surly Sulahn'nehn's magic was strong enough to keep at least Diocles at bay.

"...Your magic, is strong. Much stronger than I expected... I was wrong, to say that you should not fight. But Darkspawn aren't the only thing you should use your magic on. Please, keep yourself safe with it."

 

[ShadowFolk]

For just a second, she was alarmed. She'd thought he was aware of what happened shortly before being found by the Wardens. But that was not what he was getting at or so she assumed. The alarm turned into perplexed look and then understanding. Thaedrin. Who else? She had been hauled off by him earlier and returned looking worn out. No one else made sense to her.

"Thank...you?" her rising inflection couldn't be hidden if she tried. "Sorry. It's just, um. Unexpected. Your concern is sweet, but is too little, too late. What good is a power you barely have control of?" words soured in her mouth as she spoke,"Did you know, before I came here, I used my magic on purpose only once? Of course you didn't. How could you? Did you know that before I came here, use of my magic would have been a death sentence to me? Of course not. And did you also know that I would have given anything for someone, anyone to stand up and stop that...that blighter from taking me away? No one did anything and let that blasted blood mage take me away! Do you have any idea what it is like to be subjected to that magic? I was put through things that you cannot imagine. And all you have to tell me when you see me next is 'eat' and to protect myself. Oh if only I had known how."

 

[Rosen2012]

Ulrin tightened his lips as she spoke shaking his head, "No. Of course I know nothing of you, of what your spells could or could not do. If I had known you did not know to use your magic then-" he shook his head, his hands clenched at his sides, "Then I do not know. I do not know what any of us can do against him. He has already shown me he can force me to do as he pleases with a prick of his palm. That is the only reason I have the 'second chance' you so graciously assured me was the Creators doing. When all it was was Theadrin's magic that kept me here. All I had known was that you stood and did well in combat, I did not know it was through chance, but thought it was skill." The elf crossed his arms, "And yet, here now I still observe you trusting the other humans. Trusting them, when they are lead by that same blighter that took you away! Do you think they are kinder? Do you think Diocles is not a monster on the inside? Or that woman Delphina? They are all Tevinters just the same. You are so mad at me for pointing out that you trust one because we stood back while Theadrin took you away? Was it not Diocles own admission that his words are what brought the blood mage's wrath upon you, but you forgive a human so easily over your own kind."

The elven rouge shook his head, "I only wanted to tell you not to trust one over the other. Not to bring you pain over what Theadrin did."

 

[ShadowFolk]

Her mouth fell open. "Pain? You didn't want to bring me pain? You've just said you had him in your mind, that awful magic was used on you. You knew what he was capable of doing and you didn't speak a word of it. You may not have wished it on me, but you certainly didn't try to stop it." She thrust an accusatory finger at Ulrin's face, "You may be confusing trust with obedience. I have not laid trust in anyone here, including you. Pleasantries, kindness, and banter are not the equivalent of trust. I know better than you think that kind words and sweetness do not make a person good. I can forgive because it is good, I can forgive because he did not know it would happen, but how am I to forgive you? You, who knew full well what the Constable is capable of. I never thought there would be something worse than the archdemon, the nightmare of darkspawn. But I have seen it. And it remains in my mind. And now all I can think is, 'He knew and he said nothing. He felt it and he did nothing.', would you forgive one so easily in my place?"

Sulahn'nehn turned, opening the door to her borrowed room. "Tell me, Ulrin. Why should I trust you, who knowingly let me walk into a nightmare?"

The door clicked shut behind her.

 

[Rosen2012]

Ulrin grit his teeth at the shut door and cursed aloud in the hallway. A fool. That's what he felt Sulahn'nehn was, maybe he was too. But certainly now he was aggravated with the elven female. There was just no point in talking to her, she still thought obedience was worth tolerating; where did that get them? Where did that get her! Didn't she obey Thaedrin and leave with him, she could have just as easily turn and ran!

He turned in the hall to kick at his own door before opening it and retreating into the room. Surly he was right when he guessed it this morning, his 'second chance' was the sentence the Creators had dealt out to him. Surrounded by humans, fighting Darkspawn, and now watching and listening to Diocles imply that he has just as sick an envisioning for another elf as what was placed upon his sister. He sat upon the end of the bed knife in his hand and wondered if he could escape or if should stay and endure this punishment for another day.

 

[Cinnonym]

Ghil sat in silence for a long moment while the two elves distanced themselves first from conversation and then the table altogether. She set aside her second plate, stacking it atop the others, and leaned forward in her chair. Since it was only Diocles and herself left, she felt she could be candid:

"You upset a lot of people for some reason."

The barbarian clapped him on the shoulder, nodded once, and stood to saunter to the stairs with one thigh wrapped in bandages. Upon reaching the bedroom she and the elven girl were assigned, she tested the knob and was almost surprised to find it unlocked. Better that she'd come upstairs as quickly as she had before some drunkard fumbled inside and scared the poor thing to death. Ghil eased the door open and shut it gently behind herself, crossing the room to sit on the edge of the bed and begin removing gloves, boots, plate and mail.

"Soola," she grunted, tossing her things in a pile on the floor, "Soola, you are not asleep so quickly."

 

[ShadowFolk]

All she wanted in her new life as a Warden was to find a nice niche she could fit into and be as comfortable as she possibly could given the circumstance. But she couldn't have even that was out of grasp. Thaedrin seemed out to get her and Ulrin kept bringing her down when she found a moment of peace.

When the door opened, the elf shifted. She considered pretending to be asleep for a while before propping herself up with a sigh. "...Yes, I am awake."

 

[Cinnonym]

Ghil turned to regard her carefully, an eyebrow raised. A moment ago she'd seemed in good enough spirits, though red and stuttering and avoiding gazes. Now she seemed tense, embittered. The woman pulled her legs up, folding them in front of her on the mattress.

"Are you wounded?"

 

[ShadowFolk]

"No. I am fine. The healers were very thorough, my wound is closed." Sulahn'nehn sat up straight, considering if she should speak or not. "I am...upset. It's...complicated."

Had there been a break after the last word came from her mouth, Ghil would have been unable to tell. She immediately launched into ranting. "It is just, I do not understand Ulrin. He tells me things to upset me, he does nothing and it upsets me. Just a little while ago he told me something that made me with I finished my training with you. I wanted to hit him so, so badly. The Constable hates me, if that was not already apparent. Diocles confuses me and Ulrin shouts at me for speaking with him because he is human. He acts as if I should expect him to stab me when my back is turned. Diocles! Who has been nothing but sweet to me. And the, and pardon me here, stupid blighter blames me for things I have no power to control." she grumbled under her breath before heaving a sigh. "Sorry. It's funny, I don't think he said a word about you."

 

[Cinnonym]

Ghil blinked in surprise at the flood of words. Fortunately, she understood most of them.

"Hold. Which is the blighter? Ah--It is all males, likely. Come, Soola, this face in front of me is not the face of a fighter." The barbarian woman had no history with comforting tiny elves in nightgowns, and so there was no precedent to guide her actions. She opted to gently squeeze her shoulder and leaned closer to speak, "And you are a fighter now, even without a sword. This that we are in is an army, and you need not like your brothers and sisters to be an army. You need only know how to protect yourself, from words and from harm. It does not matter who thinks you are wrong if you think you are right. So, do not mind Ulrin. He has reasons for the words he is giving, but you have reasons to listen or to not listen. I am human. Do you think I will stab you?"

 

[FortyThree]

"Yes. .. Thank you, Ghil, for treating me to a portion of your boundless wisdom."

Of course, he had waited until after she had left before sharing that. He paused briefly at the table, hoping to give Ulrin time to get to sleep. After he believed enough time had passed Diocles trekked up to their shared room. It was an unpleasant surprise to find Ulrin not only awake, but playing with a knife.

"Relax, put that away. I'll take the floor."

Komnenos placed his quivers in the corners and began to unstring his bow-The blasted thing slipped out of his hand and into the air, reversing its curve with enough power to knock the skinny man out. Cursing, he caught it, laying it gently by his quiver. He put his sheathed knives on the floor next, followed by his armor. His tunic went over the knives, forming a pillow. He decided to leave his trousers on, both for warmth and safety.

 

[Rosen2012]

Ulrin looked up at Diocles as he entered and spoke to him, "It is not for you, unless it needs to be..." He looked down at the blade in his hands studying, still contemplating on what he was going to do tonight. he hardly payed attention to the archer until he heard him fumbling about with his equipment. "Is that too, a ruse of yours? To appear clumsy? Its not very convincing."

 

[ShadowFolk]

She'd never heard so many words out of Ghil nor words so comforting. With each day that passed, her view on humanity as a whole shifted. She glanced at the hand on her shoulder, expecting a firm grip. The elf was surprised at how tender she'd been, something she did not know the barbarian was capable of.

Sulahn'nehn thought briefly and then shook her head, "No. I think if you had reason to bring harm to me you would have done so already. And...you told me you do not like magic. But, you know what I am and I am still well. You are not what I thought you would be. I don't know if it will matter or not to you, but... you are, I think, a nice human and you have my respect."

 

[FortyThree]

"Mph. No, it.. Look. You see the way the bow curves backwards when unstrung, and how when it is strung, the tips still curve back? That is what makes it a recurve. It is more accurate, has a longer range, and is completely superior to another bow of the same draw weight. The drawback is, it is a ***** to string or unstrung, and it has a massive amount of tension at rest."

Diocles could have gone on, but he figured he was long past the point where Ulrin cared at all. He sighed, turning his back on the elf and lying down on his makeshift pillow.

"..Now, speaking of tension at rest, perhaps you should sleep."