[She gently shoves her dog's shoulder.] Get down now, Thunder, I need to get into my pouch.
[Thunder listens, and she digs into a hip pouch offscreen, producing a folded-up piece of paper. It isn't like she has to refresh her memory (she doesn't unfold it yet, in fact), but talking about it...it feels like she has to have it in her hand.]
You were part of a group of Wardens who had gone to address signs of darkspawn activity, and were returning. Your group made camp at the same place as a delivery from the Circle - magic supplies, runes, potions, and enchantment services, as a favor from my friend Sandal. You were...ill, or something? [The uncertainty breaks the more official tone she's taken.]
The report came from their camp, and they didn't know the details. I, um...doubt it was just illness, given the rest.
[Here, she unfolds the paper, runs her thumb over a part of the bottom. Her eyes are looking through it, ever working through its puzzle.]
Some of the Wardens in your group had once been templars, and one of the templars escorting the Circle group was a friend of the one who had been watching your condition. They were talking in the entrance to the tent they were keeping you in, and...
There was a light. A bright blue light, and a surge of magic. I can only imagine they made some disparaging comment about mages, or-... Or worse, speculated on what had happened to you - and what they would do about it.
The report only exists because a Tranquil who had been enchanting the last pieces of equipment for us ran for her life.
[She pauses for a moment, to let that sink in.]
...Garevel didn't see at first how strange that was. Doesn't it sound like a normal reaction? To run? So he didn't question it for her to answer, and I wish he had. I don't understand it, either, but-
He sent some of the guard to the location...and they found a massacre.
[She should pause here, let him react. Defend himself. Clarify some of this, any of this. But she's caught up in the heart-stopping disbelief of the moment she'd first read it, leading to the frantic nonstop flight on dozens of insect wings to see it for herself, to the fear closing her throat as she examined the wounds and ruled out the damage caused by scavengers after the fact... Her voice starts breaking in spots as she continues, unable to bring herself to stop until she's told the whole story:]
Thankfully, I- I was only two days away on foot, myself, bringing supplies to Avernus, so- so since I could shapeshift and fly I could see before they burned the bodies-... Scavengers had eaten some already but-... [When her voice breaks this time, it's a sob. She restrains herself, but it's already happened.] But...
[The camera is shaking - so are her hands. Thunder whimpers off-camera.]
What was it, Anders? Hunger? [Her voice is a sorrowful, fearful whisper on the tail of remembered emotion. A good chunk of time had passed since then, and the fact that this Anders was, somehow, under someone else's command, has escaped her thoughts. He was here. Himself. He'd managed to regain control and recounting the report of what had happened was enough to drive it home, wrapping up relief and all the pain of relating it into a confusing tangle of emotion.]
no subject
[She gently shoves her dog's shoulder.] Get down now, Thunder, I need to get into my pouch.
[Thunder listens, and she digs into a hip pouch offscreen, producing a folded-up piece of paper. It isn't like she has to refresh her memory (she doesn't unfold it yet, in fact), but talking about it...it feels like she has to have it in her hand.]
You were part of a group of Wardens who had gone to address signs of darkspawn activity, and were returning. Your group made camp at the same place as a delivery from the Circle - magic supplies, runes, potions, and enchantment services, as a favor from my friend Sandal. You were...ill, or something? [The uncertainty breaks the more official tone she's taken.]
The report came from their camp, and they didn't know the details. I, um...doubt it was just illness, given the rest.
[Here, she unfolds the paper, runs her thumb over a part of the bottom. Her eyes are looking through it, ever working through its puzzle.]
Some of the Wardens in your group had once been templars, and one of the templars escorting the Circle group was a friend of the one who had been watching your condition. They were talking in the entrance to the tent they were keeping you in, and...
There was a light. A bright blue light, and a surge of magic. I can only imagine they made some disparaging comment about mages, or-... Or worse, speculated on what had happened to you - and what they would do about it.
The report only exists because a Tranquil who had been enchanting the last pieces of equipment for us ran for her life.
[She pauses for a moment, to let that sink in.]
...Garevel didn't see at first how strange that was. Doesn't it sound like a normal reaction? To run? So he didn't question it for her to answer, and I wish he had. I don't understand it, either, but-
He sent some of the guard to the location...and they found a massacre.
[She should pause here, let him react. Defend himself. Clarify some of this, any of this. But she's caught up in the heart-stopping disbelief of the moment she'd first read it, leading to the frantic nonstop flight on dozens of insect wings to see it for herself, to the fear closing her throat as she examined the wounds and ruled out the damage caused by scavengers after the fact... Her voice starts breaking in spots as she continues, unable to bring herself to stop until she's told the whole story:]
Thankfully, I- I was only two days away on foot, myself, bringing supplies to Avernus, so- so since I could shapeshift and fly I could see before they burned the bodies-... Scavengers had eaten some already but-... [When her voice breaks this time, it's a sob. She restrains herself, but it's already happened.] But...
[The camera is shaking - so are her hands. Thunder whimpers off-camera.]
What was it, Anders? Hunger? [Her voice is a sorrowful, fearful whisper on the tail of remembered emotion. A good chunk of time had passed since then, and the fact that this Anders was, somehow, under someone else's command, has escaped her thoughts. He was here. Himself. He'd managed to regain control and recounting the report of what had happened was enough to drive it home, wrapping up relief and all the pain of relating it into a confusing tangle of emotion.]