You're Under... A Desk [Complete]

[Merrill]

[Harvestmere 9, afternoon. @Aveline Vallen ]

Well, this was somewhat embarrassing. Having worked up the courage to pull herself away from the eluvian and step outside her house, Merrill thought it a wonderful idea to make her way to The Hanged Man. Certainly Varric would be around and, if she was lucky, Hawke as well. Friends were in short supply in Kirkwall and the idea of surprising them with a visit was exciting. Varric often sent groceries to her house, which was very kind, but the elf longed for one of his stories. That Hawke might be around as well to provide colorful commentary of her own would be very nice indeed. And so she set off.

She wasn't in Lowtown now though; Kirkwall had far too many corners really and it was far too easy to lose your way. The Dread Wolf himself could hardly conceive of a more complicated and labyrinthine city. And so it was that Merrill found herself wedged under a very dark desk in he middle of the Viscount's Keep. Not entirely stuck but not entirely sure how to extricate herself. Really, it rather dark down here and no amount of fussing could reveal a secret passageway or other means of escape. She idly thought about blowing the desk away with magic but that was something she'd never really consider. The only thing Kirkwall hated more than its elves was the mages. Better to keep a low profile and try to circle about from the desk and back where she came from.

It would probably just take a little while before she could slip around and make that happen..

 

[Aveline Vallen]

Aveline had went on a morning patrol with one of her newest recruits. It was a routine activity, as she wanted to get the measure of how the recruit was taking to their duties. Nothing happened out of the ordinary, and the young woman was amiable enough.

She wandered back into the barracks, removing her gloves as she made her way down the stairs. One of her officers stopped her before she went into her office, giving her a short briefing about seeing an elven woman, one that they all knew Aveline had some ties too, wandering about the barracks. They weren’t sure if she left but they would let her know if they saw her again.

Aveline could only imagine one elven woman that matched the description, and she wondered if Merrill had gotten lost again. Or if she had something she needed to talk to her about. She certainly hadn’t been to see the woman much since taking up her duties as Captain, mainly as she usually joined Josc on such visits. Still, she felt protective of Merrill, despite her magical proclivities. She was part of the extended family.

However, when Aveline entered her office, she sensed something was a bit off. She rested her gloves on the edge of her desk, and looked around the room. There weren’t really any places for anyone to hide from view save for one. So she slowly made her way around behind her desk. She rested one hand on the edge, and leaned down looking into the dark space.

“Are you comfortable down there?” She said with a soft grin.

 

[Merrill]

It was rather dark under Aveline's desk. Merrill thought it a bit like a very small cave, without spiders and skeletons and such. In some ways, her predicament could be read as an adventure of sort; no doubt Varric would spin this into one of his stories. But not even that thought stopped the elf from feeling a tad frustrated. It was one thing entirely to, for instance, get caught in a cupboard. Twice she'd managed that but the nice thing about cupboards was that you could simply twist to open their doors and sneak out when most people had gone away. Maybe there was a servant or a viscount who caught you scurrying away but that wasn't so bad. A desk? Well, that was another matter. Try as she might, Merrill could not twist to slide out. She was right and truly stuck.

“Are you comfortable down there?” It was Aveline. Thank the Creators.

Merrill shifted ever so slightly, catching the smallest trace of Aveline's features in her periphery. Even that small glimpse was reassuring. Aveline was always so strong and certain. The strong part was the more important at the moment though.

"Hello, Aveline," Merrill greeted, as if nothing was wrong. "Would you be able to move the desk ever so slightly, Aveline? I've been trying to wiggle out for hours but it is very snug."

 

[Aveline Vallen]

Merrill was a willowy woman, but somehow she had wedged herself under the desk in a way that Aveline wondered if she hadn’t hurt herself in the process. When the elf turned to look at her, Aveline was perplexed with how she had even managed that.

"Hello, Aveline," Merrill’s tone was the picture of normalcy, as if something like this happened to her everyday. And perhaps it did, just not under Aveline’s desk before. "Would you be able to move the desk ever so slightly, Aveline? I've been trying to wiggle out for hours but it is very snug."

“Hours? Maker, Merrill, you should have called for someone.” Her expression was filled with concern then, and she stood up, putting her hands under the lip of the desk.

“I'm going to lift, you tell me when it’s high enough for you to get out of.” Normally Aveline would have been concerned about moving the desk for all the paperwork littered on it. But she was more concerned that Merrill had been stuck in that position for hours. She lifted in increments, listening for the woman’s voice to indicate she was free or in any pain.

 

[Merrill]

Merrill had to work somewhat to turn her head to see Aveline move but she offered a smile once she'd managed to do so. Really, it was good to see anyone at this point but the elf had great affection for her tough friend. Guard Captain! That was very exciting and Merrill rather enjoyed the fact that she had so many friends with interesting lives. It made up for her rather dull one. Aveline, for her part, mostly looked worried.

“Hours? Maker, Merrill, you should have called for someone.”

The elf tried to shake her head but mostly just succeeded in knocking her head at bit against the wood. She grimaced slightly but quickly fell back to her bubbly neutral. "Oh, I couldn't do that," Merrill said as if the matter was obvious. "It would have been very rude to start shouting; someone could have been taking a nap and I'd hate to wake them."

“I”m going to lift," Aveline said. Merrill gave a sigh of relief; she didn't want to have to live under a desk for the rest of her life. "You tell me when it’s high enough for you to get out of.”

Slowly, Aveline lifted up the desk until Merill ppoped right out, scrambling away like a cat before bouncing to her feet and brushing herself off. There wasn't too much dusty but enough had settled that when the elf brushed it into the air, the resulting cloud elicited a very meek sneeze.

"I'm out, Aveline," she said happily. "I am so terribly sorry about that; I was trying to go visit Varric and thought I'd found a shortcut but it turned out it was just your desk. I think I went up when I should have gone down."

A pause. "So, how's the guarding today?"

 

[Aveline Vallen]

"Oh, I couldn't do that," Merrill said before she was free of the desk. "It would have been very rude to start shouting; someone could have been taking a nap and I'd hate to wake them."

“No, I promise that you’d be doing me a favor if anyone who could hear you was napping. They are certainly not supposed to be asleep.” She could not help the smile that crossed her lips, even though her concern had not left her eyes. She went on to indicate she was going to be lifting the desk and for Merrill to exit as soon as she was able.

It wasn’t long after she had started lifting that Merrill seemed to glide right out with a grace that Aveline found herself impressed by. She lowered the desk just as slowly as she had lifted, thankful that the trappings of work had not been disturbed too greatly.

She rested an arm on the desk and looked over at Merrill as she began to speak, "I'm out, Aveline. I am so terribly sorry about that; I was trying to go visit Varric and thought I'd found a shortcut but it turned out it was just your desk. I think I went up when I should have gone down."

Her mood hadn’t taken a hit being stuck under her desk for as long as she had been. Aveline still wasn’t sure how she got stuck, but wonders would never cease when it came to the elf. The logic -- or lack thereof -- in her words also made her head spin a bit. Long enough for Merrill to ask, "So, how's the guarding today?"

She gave a soft laugh, “The guarding goes as well as it can. Nothing to pertinent for me this afternoon, so if you’d like an escort to the Hanged Man, I’d be happy to see you there. Or have one of my guardsman help.”

She wondered if she should start having her guards keep an eye out for Merrill, maybe offer to help her find her way when they noticed her. It might keep her from ending up stuck under someone else’s desk that would not be so kind.

 

[Merrill]

It took Merrill a few moments to really find her legs again. Hours under a desk did little wonders for one's posture and sense of balance. She bounced a bit in place, trying to ease the stiffness out of her back and limbs. When she'd got wedged the temptation to call for help was overwhelming but once she realized where she was, she decided against it. The Keep was full of important people doing important things and they were likely to lock her up for causing a row. Plus, it seemed very rude to cause commotion. Aveline seemed to disagree.

"I promise that you’d be doing me a favor if anyone who could hear you was napping. They are certainly not supposed to be asleep.”

"Not even naps?" the elf asked sadly. She imagined that guards and officials needed rest from time to time. Here time with the clan as Marethari's First was a tiring mixture of administrative and organizational tasks that often left her fatigued. Finding time to rest as needed was essential when helping to run a clan and it couldn't be much different in the city. It made her worry; she asked how everything was going for Aveline.

“The guarding goes as well as it can," Aveline said. Merrill nodded although she didn't know what "as well as it can" really entailed. "Nothing to pertinent for me this afternoon, so if you’d like an escort to the Hanged Man, I’d be happy to see you there. Or have one of my guardsman help.”

"We could treat it like a friendly stroll," Merrill suggested before another thought popped into her head. "But first, I should give you this."

Rifling about on her person, she finally revealed a small pink carnation and placed it on Aveline's desk. "I took that from a garden in Hightown and a man got very cross with me. I think it might have been his flower all along. The last thing I want is to cause trouble so if you could take that and please not lock me up in jail, I'd be very happy."

 

[Aveline Vallen]

"Not even naps?" Merrill seemed surprised at that, and Aveline shook her head.

“Nope, not even naps. They can nap when they are off shift, and they wouldn’t be napping anywhere near my office even then.” Aveline lifted a brow, but there was still a hint of amusement on her features.

The sleeping quarters of the barracks was far enough away from her office that Merrill wouldn’t have disturbed anyone. She went on to answer her next question, and offer to escort her to the Hanged Man, since that was likely her original destination.

"We could treat it like a friendly stroll. But first, I should give you this." The elven woman proceeded to place a pink flower on her desk. "I took that from a garden in Hightown and a man got very cross with me. I think it might have been his flower all along. The last thing I want is to cause trouble so if you could take that and please not lock me up in jail, I'd be very happy."

Aveline shook her head, “Don’t worry, Merrill, I’m not going to lock you up for picking a flower. If the man comes asking about it though, I’ll be sure to give it back to him.”

She gestured towards the door, moving to open it for Merrill, “Did you find yourself on any other adventures today?”

 

[Merrill]

"They can nap when they are off shift, and they wouldn’t be napping anywhere near my office even then.”

Aveline seemed intent on keeping the guards wide awake. Merrill tilted her head in thought.

"You could have them close one eye at a time," the elf said genuinely. "That way, they still get some rest."

For a moment, Merrill looked over her friend. Aveline always felt halfway between an armored Templar and a caring clan's Keeper, shifting from stern commander to kindly mother hen. It was doubtful that she would appreciate the latter comparison but that didn't make it less true. It was reassuring in some ways; for a much as Merrill adored Hawke and her friends for being so free spirited, Aveline brought a surety that was often needed. At the very least, she kept them all relatively honest and that was far more impressive a feat than anyone would ever give her credit for. Merrill didn't quite know how a guard captain was supposed to behave but she imagined that Aveline was as close to the ideal as any. That likely meant being stern, and so she hoped that her friend would at least consider her one eye closing proposal.

But that left another matter: the flower that she had picked and the very cross man that glared at her. Only now did Merrill realize that it might have been a private garden—as perplexing a concept as the elf had ever considered—and she might have committed theft. Returning the flower to Aveline seemed sensible although she worried about being locked in a jail cell if she was in trouble. Thankfully, that didn't seem to be a problem.

“Don’t worry, Merrill, I’m not going to lock you up for picking a flower. If the man comes asking about it though, I’ll be sure to give it back to him.”

The elf exhaled. "That's a relief," she said. "I don't think I'd be very good at prison. I could never find the heart to shank someone." She paused for a moment, thoughts of thieves coming back to her mind. "Aveline, if someone, um... if someone recently took something from me, could you help me get it back without arresting the person?"

One her last foray from her home, a speedy beggar had darted by and snatched a favorite scarf right from her shoulders. It was a gift she'd received long ago at Arlathvenn. Merrill had particularly enjoyed how soft it had been and couldn't find anything comparable in Kirkwall. While she was loathe to get anyone in trouble, she also truly did want it back. Perhaps Aveline could help but she first needed to know if her friend would toss the beggar in a cell. That seemed a bit much for a scarf but she'd read Varric's stories and knew guards liked to play it fast and loose, dammit.

For now, they could focus on getting to the Hanged Man. But not before Aveline asked a question: “Did you find yourself on any other adventures today?”

The elf looks down at her feet as she turned to walk out the door. "I've... been here all day," she admitted. "And I don't think I ever really go on adventures. Hawke goes on adventures and I think Isabela does too, but I don't really do that. Why? Do you think I should try being an adventurer? Is there good coin in that?"

 

[Aveline Vallen]

"You could have them close one eye at a time," Merrill seemed focused on the fact she didn't let her guards nap. She wasn't entirely sure the elf understood the concept of work shifts. "That way, they still get some rest."

She provided her best cordial smile, and reiterated, "They'll have time to rest when they aren't on shift, Merrill. When they are working, they need to be awake."

That's when Merrill presented her with the flower she had stolen. She tried to assure her friend that there would be no repercussions for a single blossom. If anything they'd give it back to the man if he did try to come in. Wouldn't let the thing grow anymore, but he'd have his property back. Not that she thought they'd be seeing him. It would be a silly thing to report in the scheme of things that happened in Kirkwall. Merrill let out a breath, appearing to calm some about the matter. At least as calm as Merrill ever seemed. "That's a relief. I don't think I'd be very good at prison. I could never find the heart to shank someone. Aveline, if someone, um... if someone recently took something from me, could you help me get it back without arresting the person?"

Aveline wasn't entirely sure what to do with all of that information. For one, shanking wasn't something that was a requirement when it came to be a prisoner, and one she certainly didn't want Merrill learning how to do anyway. She focused on the latter part of her comment, which was an actual question, and one she felt she could answer, "I could. If you aren't willing to press charges, then there's no reason for me to bring them in. What got stolen?"

The got moving, Merrill walking through the door as Aveline asked her about the rest of her day. She guided the elf up the stairs and out of the barracks proper while she spoke, "I've... been here all day. And I don't think I ever really go on adventures. Hawke goes on adventures and I think Isabela does too, but I don't really do that. Why? Do you think I should try being an adventurer? Is there good coin in that?"

Aveline laughed softly, "I just meant in the sense of what you did today, Merrill. Though if you worked on your sense of direction I think you could make a fine adventurer in the professional sort. Though maybe not take on the rougher jobs, yeah?"

And what adventures would those have been, she wondered. Finding lost things, maybe? Helping others fix broken things, since that seemed to be an interest of hers. Though a thought came to her then, and she asked, "Are you looking to keep yourself busy?"

 

[Merrill]

Merrill was glad to be out from under the desk but mostly worried now that she was asking Aveline to help her. The elf loved her friend but she also knew authority in Kirkwall was dangerous no matter who had it. If she helped, would she make arrests too? Merill didn't want that at all. Thankfully, Aveline didn't seem to think it would be an issue.

"If you aren't willing to press charges, then there's no reason for me to bring them in," Aveline said. Merrill gave a sigh of relief. "What got stolen?"

The elf made a gesture to her neck. "A scarf. It was really very with a sort of blue to the green," she explained. That would help them find it for sure.

"I was walking home and spooling up my twine when a very tall man with an eyepatch grabbed it off me and ran away. I think he might have been a pirate, although maybe not because Isabela's some sort of pirate and had no eyepatch. If he is a pirate, he probably gave the scarf to his parrot but if he's not a pirate, he might just be using it to keep warm.."

She paused, realizing that she was speaking too much. "But yes, I'd like it back very much."

When Aveline asked about adventures, Merrill wondered if she would ever get to be an adventurer like Hawke or Isabela. Certainly, the elf had been in situations that some would call adventurous: skeletons, demons, and even a few buckled swashes, but that didn't make her an adventurer. Maybe she could try it some time. There seemed to be good coin in woking odd jobs. Maybe she'd be able to buy a proper meal from time to time. Plus, it would be impressive and there were plenty of people she wished to impress.

"...if you worked on your sense of direction I think you could make a fine adventurer in the professional sort," Aveline said as they walked along. "Though maybe not take on the rougher jobs, yeah? Are you looking to keep yourself busy?"

"Everyone has something they do," Merrill said. "You're a guard, Fenris is grumpy, Varric tells stories and think he owns shops, Hawke is Hawke. I might as well do something too besides get lost. Unless you think I could be a guard? If I had one of those helmets, I could frown and look rather stern, I think."

 

[Aveline Vallen]

"A scarf. It was really very since with a sort of blue to the green," Merrill said about the item that was stolen. She could understand wanting it back. Aveline wondered if the thief was just cold? Scarves usually didn't fetch a high price on pawn. Merrill continued in her Merrill way, "I was walking home and spooling up my twine when a very tall man with an eyepatch grabbed it off me and ran away. I think he might have been a pirate, although maybe not because Isabela's some sort of pirate and had no eyepatch. If he is a pirate, he probably gave the scarf to his parrot but if he's not a pirate, he might just be using it to keep warm.."

Aveline kept the laugh that wanted to come out at imagining scene inside her. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Merrill's feelings. Eyepatches didn't always mean pirates but she could understand the connection. Still, the thought of a large man just taking it off of Merrill and running was almost hilarious. Was he afraid of her? As Aveline did her best to control herself, Merrill added in, "But yes, I'd like it back very much."

They started strolling through Hightown, and she made a mental note of putting the guards in Lowtown on the lookout for a large man with an eyepatch and a pretty scarf. She focused on something else, asking Merrill if she was looking for things to keep herself busy.

"Everyone has something they do," The elven woman said, as if she didn't. "You're a guard, Fenris is grumpy, Varric tells stories and think he owns shops, Hawke is Hawke. I might as well do something too besides get lost. Unless you think I could be a guard? If I had one of those helmets, I could frown and look rather stern, I think."

Aveline stopped for a moment, and made a slight show of looking over Merrill. "Not a guard, but maybe you could help the Alienage? Start a watch? Help everyone keep an eye on the community. They don't trust guards there much, though I've been trying to change that."

She started walking again, "Have you gotten to know the Hahren yet? Could be something they could help you with, if you're interested. You could branch out from that, later, when you have better bearings in the city."

 

[Merrill]

Walking with Aveline was proving to be a very good decision. Her confidence and solid steps were as infectious as Varric's strutting or Isabela's swagger. Merrill felt particularly safe with Aveline, probably because she was certain the guard-captain could fight one hundred people and still emerge victorious. She hoped nothing so dramatic would happen during their stroll and doubted that would be the case. At most, Aveline might frown at someone. That was punishment enough given the power behind her frowns.

Yet, as they moved through the streets, Merrill wondered if she might find a similar confidence in adventuring or another kind of work. She didn't think guarding would be the best option but she asked Aveline anyway. Her friend had seen her trash bad people around more than a few times, although that usually meant magic. Aveline looked up and down, assessing Merrill. The elf did her best to stand taller and walk with larger steps.

"Not a guard, but maybe you could help the Alienage? Start a watch?"

That seemed unlikely. The Alienage was rather disorganized and the gangs, such as they were, did their own kind of community policing. Some of them were surprisingly good at looking out for the downtrodden. However, there was another problem. "No one in the Alienage talks to me."

"They don't trust guards there much, though I've been trying to change that." That was an admirable goal but Merrill worried that trust would never come. She'd never tell that to Aveline though. Well, at least not explicitly.

"You're humans," she said carefully. That would be the extent of her thoughts on the matter. They continued walking, the city air feeling surprisingly fresh.

"Have you gotten to know the Hahren yet?" It was a more complicated question than Avelin could know. She had tried, and been stopped. "Could be something they could help you with, if you're interested. You could branch out from that, later, when you have better bearings in the city."

"They really don't talk to me, Aveline," Merrill stressed. "I'm pretty sure they think I'm some sort of witch." That wasn't as far off from the truth as they likely realized but she'd never let them know. "Maybe, in time, I can speak to the Hahren and see about helping but I don't think I could start a watch or anything. Unless it's just me but that's a lot of watching for one person do. My eyes would get very tired."

The walked further, Merrill keeping her steps light. "I thought about maybe starting a garden somewhere or at least keeping a plant in a pot," she mused. "Or see if someone might..."

A clamping of steel boots rang out in the street as a group of Templar rounded the corner and made their way through the throng. One of them bumped into a passerby, sending them tumbling to the ground. Merrill frowned. "I don't like them, Aveline," she said. "I don't like being in Kirkwall when they're around.."

 

[Aveline Vallen]

"No one in the Alienage talks to me." Aveline should have listened to that before she continued, but she was the optimistic sort, wanting to help Merrill find a place that would fit for her.

So she continued on, trying to think of things for her to do in the Alienage, and mentioning the status of her guardsman in the Alienage.

"You're humans," Merrill offered. Which was true. She’d take elves into the guard if she could. Her first offer at the idea had been shot down by the seneschal, but maybe she should press a little harder now that her position was a little more secure.

For her part, Merrill kept up with her stride well enough, even seemed to gain a bit of confidence in her step. That made Aveline smile, as she continued to throw out possible ideas for her.

"They really don't talk to me, Aveline," Aveline frowned a little when Merrill said that. "I'm pretty sure they think I'm some sort of witch."

That made Aveline pause mentally a moment, and really consider things. Why did they think she was a witch, was her first thought. Merrill didn’t make a show of her magic. Though Aveline didn’t entirely agree with her methods, Merrill had proven a good ally in combat with no ill intentions to the rest of their little circle of friends. She let her friend continue talking as she mulled this over.

"Maybe, in time, I can speak to the Hahren and see about helping but I don't think I could start a watch or anything. Unless it's just me but that's a lot of watching for one person do. My eyes would get very tired.” That brought the smile back to her face, and she gave a nod.

“Might be they just aren’t sure about a newcomer to the Alienage, even if you’ve been there a while. Maybe try mingling with your more outgoing neighbors when you have time?” Not that she didn’t think Merrill had maybe tried that already, but trying again couldn’t hurt unless they were just complete assholes.

"I thought about maybe starting a garden somewhere or at least keeping a plant in a pot," Now that was a good idea, maybe a community garden, bring in some soil from the foothills and set up a planter box. "Or see if someone might..."

Aveline turned to follow Merrill’s eyes to see what had stopped her mid-sentence. The templars that made their way through the crowd were the unkind sort, even knocking someone over. She almost went and had a word with the man when Merrill’s voice stopped her.

"I don't like them, Aveline," she almost thought she heard a touch of fear in her voice. And why shouldn’t she be afraid. Those men would kill her if they had any inkling of what she could do. "I don't like being in Kirkwall when they're around.."

“Come on, let’s get some space between them and us,” she said, turning down an alley away from the bigger throngs of people in the streets. When they were a good distance away, she let out a breath.

“I can’t blame you, the one’s here in Kirkwall are a bit… rougher than those I’ve known.” She frowned a little, recalling exactly how she had met her templar husband. “Not all of them are like that, some of them are kind and just.”

The alley spilled into a quieter street and the sun hit them again, warming her face, “It’s good to have caution with them around. My guardsmen and the templars have an uneasy truce for now. I wish I knew I could keep you safe from them.”

 

[Merrill]

“Come on, let’s get some space between them and us,” Aveline was quick to guide them away from the Templars, patrol-hardened feet moving through the city streets with an ease and familiarity that Merrill could only dream of. The elf kept close, almost bumping into her friend a few times, and never looking over her shoulders lest it somehow summon the Templars to her. Not that mattered. In Kirwall, the Templar were always a sneeze away.

When they'd found a quieter spot, Aveline spoke once more. “I can’t blame you, the one’s here in Kirkwall are a bit… rougher than those I’ve known.” Merrill raised a Hawke-worthy eyebrow at that before softening her expression. Aveline had good cause for saying what she did, and Merrill knew it. “Not all of them are like that, some of them are kind and just.”

Merrill nodded, her expression sad because she knew an important truth. "I know," she allowed before speaking again. "But it will never be enough of them to matter." She did not protest as loudly as Anders, but she would not hide her feelings on the matter either.

They quickly moved to a new, smaller but still bustling street. “It’s good to have caution with them around," Aveline said. "My guardsmen and the templars have an uneasy truce for now. I wish I knew I could keep you safe from them.” Merrill didn't speak her thoughts on that particularly matter, as they were quite dire. Not even Aveline could protect her from someone like Knight-Commander Meredith.

Whatever worries she might have had melted away once Merrill caught a telltale flicker of color in the crowd. That sort of aqua-twinges green that could only be her scarf. A tall man dipped through the crowd and she began to slide and slink towards him, beckoning to Aveline.

"That's it!" She pointed, unsure if her friend saw it too. "C'mon!" And with that she continued through the crowd, not even looking to see if Aveline was following.

 

[Aveline Vallen]

"I know," Merrill looked and sounded resigned. "But it will never be enough of them to matter."

Aveline wished it weren't so. She wished she could change it all, to protect the good people from the bad. But there were good and bad people in all places in the world, in all institutions. And sometimes people weren't just good or bad. Some people had both qualities in them, and it was about understanding why. The world was many shades of grey, and it frustrated her as much as she understood it. That understanding couldn't help Merrill, but Aveline decided on the side of moderate optimism for her response. "Maybe not now, maybe not in our lifetime. But there's always a chance at things changing, especially if someone works hard enough to make that change."

It wouldn't be her, it could never be her. The Chantry was not her battleground, the streets of Kirkwall was, those of her chosen family was. And if she had to stand against the templars now and again to defend those things? Then she would without compunction.

It was difficult seeing Merrill so dour, especially since her usual affection was upbeat. But that changed again when something caught the elf's eye, and she began to move towards the crowd. Her arm flew out and she pointed, though there were so many people that Aveline could not be sure where she was pointing to.

"That's it!" Merrill began to move on without her, pressing into the people milling about. "C'mon!"

"What's it? What are we chasing after?" The scarf was not something that was on Aveline's mind after all the discussions they had been having. Still, she chased after the elf, hoping that she would explain as they pushed through the crowd.

 

[Merrill]

(Scarf Man color code: #c2e3d6)

Merrill shared her pessimistic—some might say realistic—assessment of the Templars. It was a subject that robbed the elf of her characteristic good cheer. Not even she could maintain her smile at the thought of stomping armor and magical surpression. She feared the Circle more than anything, except perhaps the further cultural dissolution of her people. But in spite of this, Aveline settled for a more measured tone.

"Maybe not now, maybe not in our lifetime," she said of the general lack of decent Templars. "But there's always a chance at things changing, especially if someone works hard enough to make that change."

That made the elf smile, if only for a moment. She placed a hand on Aveline's shoulder. "You're a good person, Aveline," she said. "You believe in things. Really believe. It's nice."

It went without saying that belief did not make something happen more quickly. That was a strange combination of chance and bravery. And, at the moment, chance reared its head. Merrill had almost forgotten about her missing scarf for the moment when a familiar smattering of greenish-blue caught her gaze. No sooner had she seen it than she'd run off into the crowd.

It was, perhaps, not the smartest thing for Merrill to do. Graceful as she was, Kirkwall's streets were brimming with bodies and the elf found herself snaking, slinking, and sometimes literally sliding beneath whoever she came across. It was hard to say if she was gathering attention or successfully blending into the crowd. Some heads turned, others ignored what would have certainly elicited shocked yelling if anyone else but Merrill attempted the maneuver. The willowy elf flitted about like a leaf on the wind, and it wasn't quite clear how much of it was practiced grace or lucky scurrying. Not that it mattered. Within about half a minutes time, the elf had caught up to her mark.

"Wait!" She gave the cutest damn shout, a far cry from the sort of command that Hawke or Aveline might give but it was enough to make the man turn. Tall as could be, with the very same eyepatch she remembered. He was a City Elf, dirtied and scarred from a life of struggle that Merrill could only imagine. He might have fit in nicely on a pirate ship or with one of the various gangs, a possibility that she couldn't discount. But in spite of Merrill's meager shouting, the man actually stopped and turned around to look at her. If he remembered his theft, he didn't care. But it seemed more likely that he'd already forgotten, given the confusion in his glance.

"The hell you want, puny?" His voice was craggly, like he'd gargled rock and swallowed soot for breakfast. Merrill tried to stand up taller, which didn't really work.

"That.. um, well... You see.." The words were getting caught in her throat until she finally managed. "That's my scarf and I want it back, please."

The tall elf chuckled, taking a step towards her and ruffling her hair aggressively. "That's cute," he said with a sneer. "You're cute. But the scarf's mine, saavy? Ain't never seen no shade of green like it. So unless you want to lose some teeth, best you let it go."

 

[Aveline Vallen]

Merrill didn't stop to answer her, and Aveline ended up barreling through a few people that Merrill easily slipped between to keep up. She uttered apologies but didn't stop, in case she lost sight of her friend.

"Wait!" Merrill yelled at someone that Aveline hadn't honed in on yet, and she finally caught up, shoving one last person out of the way who refused to budge.

Any chance of a scene not being caused was gone, and there were plenty of irritated glances directed at her. At least they weren't on Merrill, and Aveline crossed her arms as she settled in behind Merrill who was now talking to an elf, giving those individuals a withering look.

"The hell you want, puny?" The voice that came out of the guy totally did not match his features and Aveline would have found it comical if he hadn't directed the puny comment at Merrill. She decided to wait a moment to see how events played out.

"That.. um, well... You see.." She stumbled a bit, but finished strong, even if it was a bit nicer than Aveline would have been to a thief. "That's my scarf and I want it back, please."

"That's cute," the elf stepped closer and ruffled Merrill's hair. "You're cute. But the scarf's mine, saavy? Ain't never seen no shade of green like it. So unless you want to lose some teeth, best you let it go."

Aveline grabbed his arm before he could pull it back, her grip tight and bordering painful. "How about you give it back to her and I won't throw you in a prison cell for stealing, savvy? She doesn't want to see you in jail, she just wants her scarf back, but if you're not going to cooperate..."

The thief gave her a cold look before trying to claw at her arm, which was covered with both glove and armor, "It's mine, not hers... let me go!"

Aveline grabbed his other arm, holding both above his head. She'd not stoop to violence unless she had too. "Merrill, why don't you retrieve your property?"

 

[Merrill]

"You're cute. But the scarf's mine, saavy? Ain't never seen no shade of green like it. So unless you want to lose some teeth, best you let it go."

Merrill agreed that the scarf had a very wonderful shade to it, which was partially why she wanted it back. But that agreement left her at odds with a very large man, possibly a pirate, who was not willing to part with one of her few valued possessions. She didn't want to fight for it ether, for a variety of reasons. First was that he was very tall and could easily bonk her on the head, something she was emphatically on the record of being against. No, she was not pro Merrill-bonking, thank you. The second reason was that the only way to really knock this grumpy goon on his buns would be magic and that was not the best idea.

"It is very pretty," she conceded. "But it's actually mine, and a gift so I really do want it back. Um, I'm sure there's plenty of other scarfs to steal."

The man crossed his arms. "Hell no," he stated but before either he or Merrill could notice, Aveline had stomped onto the scene and grabbed his arm in a spectacular display of strength and brute justice. Merrill gave a bit of a yelp and stepped backwards.

"How about you give it back to her and I won't throw you in a prison cell for stealing, savvy? She doesn't want to see you in jail, she just wants her scarf back, but if you're not going to cooperate..."

Suddenly, and Merrill did not understand how, Aveline had both of his arms high above his head. "It's mine, not hers... let me go!"

"Aveline, really..." Merrill wasn't sure if all of this was worth it. A crowd was beginning to form, which made her all the more nervous. But Aveline held firm and gave her friend a confident command: "Merrill, why don't you retrieve your property?"

The elf gingerly walked over an extracted the scarf from the man's ensemble before swirling it around her own neck. It felt rather nice to have back. She gave Aveline and grin and offered the man an apologetic smile. "Sorry..."

That seemed to be the end of it, until a horrible scarf-desiring rage seemed to unlock a wellspring of strength in the man. With a forceful jerking, her removed himself from Aveline's grip and gave something resembling a roar, lurching back to throw his fist out towards Merrill. Perhaps he hoped to smack her and grab the scarf again. Merrill, for her part, almost conjured some kind of defense before realizing that the crowd was still watching. Instead, all she could do was curl up and hope that either the strike would not hurt all that much or Aveline would swoop in again.

 

[Aveline Vallen]

Aveline scowled at the man she was holding up, who was still very much struggling against her grip, and ignored the weak plea from Merrill. This fellow was obviously not going to give the scarf back willingly, and with a few words, and she was tempted to have him thrown in a jail cell for a few days to consider his choices in life.

Merrill complied in retrieving the scarf after a moment, still being the Merrill she knew and even going so far as offering an apology, "Sorry..."

“He owes you an apolo…” her words were cut short when the man lurched out of her grip, apparently angry enough at the removal of his stolen goods to gain a new burst of strength.

Oddly the man didn’t focus on her at all, even though she would consider herself the larger threat of the two accosting him. His fist reared back and Aveline only had a few seconds to decide what do before his fist went flying at her elven friends face.

She hadn’t wanted to resort to actual violence in this, it was simple retrieval of property after all, but she didn’t want Merrill to get hurt. Her fist connected hard with the man’s gut, and he toppled forward, the air knocked from his lungs. The crowd split even further then, giving them almost an arena in the street as this happened. Aveline gave a shrill whistle between her teeth, and pushed the man down on his stomach with her boot. He was still heaving from the hit, and she kept an eye on him as she spoke to Merrill.

“I know you wanted to do this as painlessly as possible, but there was no way I was going to let him hit you. He’s added assault to his crime list now, so…” as she said that too guards filtered in from the crowd, “.. he’ll be spending some time in the cells.”

She waived the guards to pick the man up and carry him off. Aveline turned to Merrill once they started moving, but noticed the crowd that had formed still staring, “Off with all of you, shows over then!”