Once they'd managed to discern where they were, Lucien and Sophia were easily able to follow the Wounded Coast back overland to Kirkwall. The trip was mercifully free of bandits, or perhaps they simply thought better of attacking two well-armed strangers with such purpose in their steps; it was impossible to know for sure. Gradually, the loose sand underfoot gave way to more solid terrain, and this to the dirt and cobblestone roads which led back to the docks, conveniently their destination anyway. The natural salt tang of the ocean was here overpowered by the smell of fish, mostly, and occasionally the odor of industry, carried only rarely from the foundry district in lowtown. The Qunari compound was situated back from the shoreline, in what was likely once a large cluster of warehouses. As usual, the wooden gate was closed, manned by a single guard, his face and chest painted in red patterns that seemed based on triangles, mostly. He wondered if there was some significance to that. He remembered that the Tal-Vashoth had been without it.
"Your pardon," Lucien addressed the guard, deciding that directness was most likely to serve well here. "We are here to request audience with the Arishok. We have information regarding one of your Karataam which we believe will be of interest to him." That was about as succinctly as he could put it without either stating flat out what they knew or being too vague, something he doubted would be appreciated by a culture like theirs. Hopefully, it would be enough to get them a meeting.
The gate guard appeared to consider this for a moment, then nodded tersely and disappeared inside, leaving them to wait unaccompanied. Within a few minutes, he returned, gesturing that the two were to proceed into the compound. They were met there by a different kossith, this one simply leading them to where the Arishok sat, imposing as ever, on what was probably as close to a throne as the Qunari ever bothered with. It was raised from the floor on which they stood, at any rate. Still unsure about the protocol regarding bowing, he chose to be cautious and do so anyway. It wasn't as though doing so would damage anything, least of all his scant remaining pride. "Arishok." Lucien paused a moment. How exactly did one go about conveying a story like this, anyway? Oh, by the way, we killed a troop of your men because we were tricked into escorting one of your mages away from the city and our own mage lost her temper.
Well... the truth was best, of course, but even knowing that, it was hard to know where to start. Maybe with the part that seemed most directly relevant. "We are here to inform you that, due to a deception leveled against they and ourselves, one of your karataam is dead." Maybe he should stop there for now. From the limited previous experience he'd had, the Arishok seemed to have only sparse patience, but he wouldn't simply fly off the handle at that pronouncement. It was probably best to let him decide what the relevant questions were and then answer them as honestly and completely as possible.
The Arishok leaned forward in his seat, studying the two visitors to his compound. From the recognition in his eyes, he clearly remembered Lucien. Perhaps he had made an impression, or perhaps he was simply difficult to forget so easily. "The latest in a series of incidents," he said, not seeming particularly surprised. Taken aback may have been a better term for it. "I thought nothing could threaten Arvaarad. You have proven otherwise."
It wasn't the reaction Sophia had been expecting, but at this point, perhaps she should have been expecting to be surprised by Qunari. Greatest of her surprise was that he already knew of what they'd done, and that he was not immediately demanding their heads to be placed upon the ends of spears. Her plan for getting out of here alive had been to try and impress the Qunari leader with complete honesty, expressing her sincere regret over their deaths, explaining the misunderstanding, her intentions to ensure that this never happened again... but these thoughts quickly fled from her mind. "You aren't... angry?" she regretted the question as soon as she asked it, but it was all she could think to say.
"A mage is dead," he stated flatly, speaking slightly quicker. "That is what matters. The rest... impressive. But do not repeat it." Sophia had impressed the Arishok by killing his men? Although, it had been Lucien who had taken on Arvaarad and won. It wasn't clear, but perhaps the Arishok spoke more to him than her. She wasn't sure she particularly liked the idea of him judging her based on simply how powerful of enemies she had slain. Which led her to wonder if he had heard about that incident with the dragon.
It was likely best to change the subject away from talking about how she and Lucien had cut through a unit of Qunari. Even the thought of admitting what a Chantry sister had intended wracked her with guilt, but it was for that very reason that she wanted to be the one to deliver that bit of news, not Lucien. "Our encounter with Arvaarad was deliberately set up... by a sister of the Chantry." Why had that felt like such a betrayal? Petrice had wanted her dead, murdered by Qunari, and Sophia was feeling powerful guilt for admitting that to the Qunari. Was the title of Sister so powerful that she could not admit them of doing wrong?
"Friend and enemy blend together in this sea of filth," the Arishok responded, his disgust coming through clearly. "I can barely discern one group from another. Your recent actions have elevated you above your kind, the both of you. Perhaps if you continue, this city will not be so doomed as it appears. For now, I acknowledge the risk you have taken bringing this news to me." So they were indeed keeping an eye on her. It was only to be expected, she supposed, since word of her actions spread much more rapidly given her status. That aside... Sophia wasn't sure whether the Arishok had given her a compliment or not. It left her unsure of how to respond, and so she nodded her understanding, even if she didn't really understand.
When looked at from the right angle, the Qunari really weren't all that different from some of the old soldiers he'd known. At the very least, his own time in a proper army lent him what he chose to treat as a modest understanding of where the Arishok himself was coming from. There were only so many way to be effective in warfare, and perhaps this was why. The rest of the culture may have felt alien to him, but this part at least was relateable. Soldiers went into their every assignment knowing that it may be their job that day to die, and that it probably would be their job to kill. Life and death just didn't carry the same sacred weight for those people as it did for others. Regrettable, in a way, but until human beings reached greater levels of perfection than they had yet attained, necessary. Some learned to be this way so that not all would have to. What confused Sophia was actually, in some sense, reassuring to Lucien. It was a piece of common ground that he and they stood on.
He had guessed from his companion's tone that the explanation had not been easy on her, and perhaps that made sense. Hers was apparently a devotion much deeper in its nature than he had first thought. In a way, that made her like them, too, though he was unsure she would appreciate the comparison. He certainly understood how unwise it would be to make it just now. Instead, he sensed that the matter was drawing to its close. "Then we will linger no more. Good day to you, Arishok." It seemed like an appropriate time to leave, given that their business was concluded and the Arishok seemed to know more than Lucien would have expected, rendering inquiries seemingly redundant. Lifting both shoulders in something like resignation, he gestured with a hand for Sophia to precede him if she wished, and followed her from the compound.
"I suspect that could have been much worse, had the circumstances been different." That thought didn't faze him much, and it was voiced as an idle observation. It was nice, the rare occasion when acting as he felt he should produced better results for himself than being duplicitous or at least more risk averse. "If you like, I could also accompany you to the Chantry or the Keep?" He was careful to phrase it as the mildest of suggestions; far be it from him to assume she couldn't manage both disclosures on her own. Still, he was willing to wager that the encounter with the Grand Cleric especially was not going to be simple-- not if she'd had difficulty telling the Arishok about the Sister.
Sophia was glad to have that over with, and to still be in one piece. In all honesty, it had gone much better than she had expected. She had to admit, she was tempted to agree and allow him to accompany her to her next two stops... but these were private matters with the people she was closest to in her life, and his presence likely wouldn't be appropriate. "I'll be speaking to my father next, to let him know what transpired. That will likely be a family matter, but... walk with me to the Keep?"
The mercenary nodded his understanding with easy aquiescence. "Of course."
It was quite the walk from the Docks to Hightown, and no small amount of stairs were involved. It was reminding the Viscount's daughter of the fact that she'd had no sleep tonight. As soon as this business with her father and then the Grand Cleric, that would be priority number one. For the moment, however, there were a few things she needed to get off her chest. "I should have done this earlier, but I feel I need to apologize for what happened. None of this was necessary, not the first battle with the bandits, the tale Petrice spun, the deaths of those Qunari. It was not my intention to drag anyone into senseless danger. I was... unable to see what Petrice was planning, even though it seems so clear to me now." She sighed. "Perhaps it is the will of the Maker after all, that turned what should have been our deaths into a good impression on the Arishok."
He shook his head, half-smiling despite, or perhaps because of, the unusual situation he now found himself in. This was usually something he had to do, actually, or at least it had been so before he'd started working by himself. "No need. You were doing what you believed to be right, and I followed voluntarily. I would not have done so had I thought your intentions anything of the sort. Sometimes, the things right in front of us are the hardest to see, and I'm not saying that just because I've only got one eye to look with." His anger quite thoroughly banked for the moment, Lucien grimaced at his own bad joke for a moment, then shrugged. Sophia, however, gave it a laugh, thankful for Lucien's sense of humor, even if it wasn't the most sophisticated. Considering her current state of exhaustion, it was more or less exactly what she needed.
"Perhaps the Maker willed it, but do not sell your own skill and resolve short, my friend. A strong spirit and honest intentions can often move what all the force and cleverness in the world would not budge. Or at least, that's what an old man somewhere in Orlais seems to think, but I'm somewhat obligated to give my dear father the benefit of the doubt, I suppose."
Her smile turned to the self-contained close-lipped variety upon Lucien's mention of Orlais. All she knew of the man was that he had been a Chevalier at one point, and considering how useful she found his advice, and how much she was beginning to value his company, Sophia was hoping she might get her foot in the door he had just cracked open, so to speak. "You know, for having been in multiple deadly situations together already, I know remarkably little about you. You said you were a Chevalier once, didn't you?" They began working their way up the next great set of stairs, connecting the way from Lowtown to Hightown. "I'd understand if it's far too early to answer such questions, of course. Or perhaps it's too late. Maker knows conversation is about the only thing keeping me from falling asleep right here on these stairs."
Lucien for his part appeared thoughtful for a moment. "You're quite correct," he admitted, a little surprised to realize it. He had his secrets like anyone else, but he'd never considered himslef a closed off person. It was just that... "Though, truthfully, if you know that much, you know most of the important things anyway. I was in fact a Chevalier, yes. A Commander, if that's of any interest. The proper story is... long, though I suspect not that interesting. Still, it's a conversation for another time, perhaps. When we are not long due some sleep and with tasks yet before us." They had by this point entered Hightown proper and were approaching the Keep.
He was being honest-- he didn't find the details of his heritage to be particularly important, and the tale of his exile was... well, formative for him, but not as much so as the years before and since had been, and those were his periods as Chevalier and mercenary, respectively. Of course, there were many anecdotes to be given, some of them even humorous, but it was a discussion best saved for a tavern or a sitting-room, perhaps.
She stopped on the steps leading up to the Keep's great double doors. "I think I'd like to hear it some time. Whenever you're comfortable, that is. I'd exchange my own story, but I'm afraid the most important part is still being written." She smiled at bit at that. "Thank you for your help, Lucien. It is always appreciated." Now, for the matter of explaining all this to her father. Maker, but he was going to be angry with her when he heard this...
"'Twas no trouble. You are most welcome."
"Your pardon," Lucien addressed the guard, deciding that directness was most likely to serve well here. "We are here to request audience with the Arishok. We have information regarding one of your Karataam which we believe will be of interest to him." That was about as succinctly as he could put it without either stating flat out what they knew or being too vague, something he doubted would be appreciated by a culture like theirs. Hopefully, it would be enough to get them a meeting.
The gate guard appeared to consider this for a moment, then nodded tersely and disappeared inside, leaving them to wait unaccompanied. Within a few minutes, he returned, gesturing that the two were to proceed into the compound. They were met there by a different kossith, this one simply leading them to where the Arishok sat, imposing as ever, on what was probably as close to a throne as the Qunari ever bothered with. It was raised from the floor on which they stood, at any rate. Still unsure about the protocol regarding bowing, he chose to be cautious and do so anyway. It wasn't as though doing so would damage anything, least of all his scant remaining pride. "Arishok." Lucien paused a moment. How exactly did one go about conveying a story like this, anyway? Oh, by the way, we killed a troop of your men because we were tricked into escorting one of your mages away from the city and our own mage lost her temper.
Well... the truth was best, of course, but even knowing that, it was hard to know where to start. Maybe with the part that seemed most directly relevant. "We are here to inform you that, due to a deception leveled against they and ourselves, one of your karataam is dead." Maybe he should stop there for now. From the limited previous experience he'd had, the Arishok seemed to have only sparse patience, but he wouldn't simply fly off the handle at that pronouncement. It was probably best to let him decide what the relevant questions were and then answer them as honestly and completely as possible.
The Arishok leaned forward in his seat, studying the two visitors to his compound. From the recognition in his eyes, he clearly remembered Lucien. Perhaps he had made an impression, or perhaps he was simply difficult to forget so easily. "The latest in a series of incidents," he said, not seeming particularly surprised. Taken aback may have been a better term for it. "I thought nothing could threaten Arvaarad. You have proven otherwise."
It wasn't the reaction Sophia had been expecting, but at this point, perhaps she should have been expecting to be surprised by Qunari. Greatest of her surprise was that he already knew of what they'd done, and that he was not immediately demanding their heads to be placed upon the ends of spears. Her plan for getting out of here alive had been to try and impress the Qunari leader with complete honesty, expressing her sincere regret over their deaths, explaining the misunderstanding, her intentions to ensure that this never happened again... but these thoughts quickly fled from her mind. "You aren't... angry?" she regretted the question as soon as she asked it, but it was all she could think to say.
"A mage is dead," he stated flatly, speaking slightly quicker. "That is what matters. The rest... impressive. But do not repeat it." Sophia had impressed the Arishok by killing his men? Although, it had been Lucien who had taken on Arvaarad and won. It wasn't clear, but perhaps the Arishok spoke more to him than her. She wasn't sure she particularly liked the idea of him judging her based on simply how powerful of enemies she had slain. Which led her to wonder if he had heard about that incident with the dragon.
It was likely best to change the subject away from talking about how she and Lucien had cut through a unit of Qunari. Even the thought of admitting what a Chantry sister had intended wracked her with guilt, but it was for that very reason that she wanted to be the one to deliver that bit of news, not Lucien. "Our encounter with Arvaarad was deliberately set up... by a sister of the Chantry." Why had that felt like such a betrayal? Petrice had wanted her dead, murdered by Qunari, and Sophia was feeling powerful guilt for admitting that to the Qunari. Was the title of Sister so powerful that she could not admit them of doing wrong?
"Friend and enemy blend together in this sea of filth," the Arishok responded, his disgust coming through clearly. "I can barely discern one group from another. Your recent actions have elevated you above your kind, the both of you. Perhaps if you continue, this city will not be so doomed as it appears. For now, I acknowledge the risk you have taken bringing this news to me." So they were indeed keeping an eye on her. It was only to be expected, she supposed, since word of her actions spread much more rapidly given her status. That aside... Sophia wasn't sure whether the Arishok had given her a compliment or not. It left her unsure of how to respond, and so she nodded her understanding, even if she didn't really understand.
When looked at from the right angle, the Qunari really weren't all that different from some of the old soldiers he'd known. At the very least, his own time in a proper army lent him what he chose to treat as a modest understanding of where the Arishok himself was coming from. There were only so many way to be effective in warfare, and perhaps this was why. The rest of the culture may have felt alien to him, but this part at least was relateable. Soldiers went into their every assignment knowing that it may be their job that day to die, and that it probably would be their job to kill. Life and death just didn't carry the same sacred weight for those people as it did for others. Regrettable, in a way, but until human beings reached greater levels of perfection than they had yet attained, necessary. Some learned to be this way so that not all would have to. What confused Sophia was actually, in some sense, reassuring to Lucien. It was a piece of common ground that he and they stood on.
He had guessed from his companion's tone that the explanation had not been easy on her, and perhaps that made sense. Hers was apparently a devotion much deeper in its nature than he had first thought. In a way, that made her like them, too, though he was unsure she would appreciate the comparison. He certainly understood how unwise it would be to make it just now. Instead, he sensed that the matter was drawing to its close. "Then we will linger no more. Good day to you, Arishok." It seemed like an appropriate time to leave, given that their business was concluded and the Arishok seemed to know more than Lucien would have expected, rendering inquiries seemingly redundant. Lifting both shoulders in something like resignation, he gestured with a hand for Sophia to precede him if she wished, and followed her from the compound.
"I suspect that could have been much worse, had the circumstances been different." That thought didn't faze him much, and it was voiced as an idle observation. It was nice, the rare occasion when acting as he felt he should produced better results for himself than being duplicitous or at least more risk averse. "If you like, I could also accompany you to the Chantry or the Keep?" He was careful to phrase it as the mildest of suggestions; far be it from him to assume she couldn't manage both disclosures on her own. Still, he was willing to wager that the encounter with the Grand Cleric especially was not going to be simple-- not if she'd had difficulty telling the Arishok about the Sister.
Sophia was glad to have that over with, and to still be in one piece. In all honesty, it had gone much better than she had expected. She had to admit, she was tempted to agree and allow him to accompany her to her next two stops... but these were private matters with the people she was closest to in her life, and his presence likely wouldn't be appropriate. "I'll be speaking to my father next, to let him know what transpired. That will likely be a family matter, but... walk with me to the Keep?"
The mercenary nodded his understanding with easy aquiescence. "Of course."
It was quite the walk from the Docks to Hightown, and no small amount of stairs were involved. It was reminding the Viscount's daughter of the fact that she'd had no sleep tonight. As soon as this business with her father and then the Grand Cleric, that would be priority number one. For the moment, however, there were a few things she needed to get off her chest. "I should have done this earlier, but I feel I need to apologize for what happened. None of this was necessary, not the first battle with the bandits, the tale Petrice spun, the deaths of those Qunari. It was not my intention to drag anyone into senseless danger. I was... unable to see what Petrice was planning, even though it seems so clear to me now." She sighed. "Perhaps it is the will of the Maker after all, that turned what should have been our deaths into a good impression on the Arishok."
He shook his head, half-smiling despite, or perhaps because of, the unusual situation he now found himself in. This was usually something he had to do, actually, or at least it had been so before he'd started working by himself. "No need. You were doing what you believed to be right, and I followed voluntarily. I would not have done so had I thought your intentions anything of the sort. Sometimes, the things right in front of us are the hardest to see, and I'm not saying that just because I've only got one eye to look with." His anger quite thoroughly banked for the moment, Lucien grimaced at his own bad joke for a moment, then shrugged. Sophia, however, gave it a laugh, thankful for Lucien's sense of humor, even if it wasn't the most sophisticated. Considering her current state of exhaustion, it was more or less exactly what she needed.
"Perhaps the Maker willed it, but do not sell your own skill and resolve short, my friend. A strong spirit and honest intentions can often move what all the force and cleverness in the world would not budge. Or at least, that's what an old man somewhere in Orlais seems to think, but I'm somewhat obligated to give my dear father the benefit of the doubt, I suppose."
Her smile turned to the self-contained close-lipped variety upon Lucien's mention of Orlais. All she knew of the man was that he had been a Chevalier at one point, and considering how useful she found his advice, and how much she was beginning to value his company, Sophia was hoping she might get her foot in the door he had just cracked open, so to speak. "You know, for having been in multiple deadly situations together already, I know remarkably little about you. You said you were a Chevalier once, didn't you?" They began working their way up the next great set of stairs, connecting the way from Lowtown to Hightown. "I'd understand if it's far too early to answer such questions, of course. Or perhaps it's too late. Maker knows conversation is about the only thing keeping me from falling asleep right here on these stairs."
Lucien for his part appeared thoughtful for a moment. "You're quite correct," he admitted, a little surprised to realize it. He had his secrets like anyone else, but he'd never considered himslef a closed off person. It was just that... "Though, truthfully, if you know that much, you know most of the important things anyway. I was in fact a Chevalier, yes. A Commander, if that's of any interest. The proper story is... long, though I suspect not that interesting. Still, it's a conversation for another time, perhaps. When we are not long due some sleep and with tasks yet before us." They had by this point entered Hightown proper and were approaching the Keep.
He was being honest-- he didn't find the details of his heritage to be particularly important, and the tale of his exile was... well, formative for him, but not as much so as the years before and since had been, and those were his periods as Chevalier and mercenary, respectively. Of course, there were many anecdotes to be given, some of them even humorous, but it was a discussion best saved for a tavern or a sitting-room, perhaps.
She stopped on the steps leading up to the Keep's great double doors. "I think I'd like to hear it some time. Whenever you're comfortable, that is. I'd exchange my own story, but I'm afraid the most important part is still being written." She smiled at bit at that. "Thank you for your help, Lucien. It is always appreciated." Now, for the matter of explaining all this to her father. Maker, but he was going to be angry with her when he heard this...
"'Twas no trouble. You are most welcome."
The Chanter's Board has been updated. Shepherding Wolves has been completed.