It was a beautiful day, and it seemed such a waste to just sit inside and watch the store. Especially now that he had an employee. So obviously, being the managerial type, Ashton stuck Lia at the counter while he went outside. Not that he went far from the shop. He still had his own chores to do around the shop, and he was currently right in the middle of one. He no longer felt the Hunted Stag fit his shop, and he had since took that sign down. So he sat in a chair beside the door to the shop, old sign laying up against the leg of his chair, new sign in his lap. His hands were busily carving something away into the wood, and his entire concentrative powers were being brought to bear.
That didn't stop him from noticing that it had still been a slow day. That was to be expected, he had only opened his shop back up.. What? A couple of days ago? And his-- their-- stock was hardly complete. He had hinted to Lia that she should spread word about the grand reopening of his shop. The way he spoke of it was like it wasn't some hole in the wall. It still struck him sometimes that he had someone working for him. In fact, Lia had been quite the boon. She was quite the accomplished hunter in his eyes, managing to bring in a fat buck the very next day he hired her. He had taken the opportunity to skin and process it, allowing Lia to play the part of assistant. He needed something to do to take his mind off of recent activities. Ashton did note that the girl was well versed in the second, least thought about aspect of hunting as well-- the cleaning.
Between them, they had managed a soft opening of sorts. It'd still be a few weeks before they were back to power, and the leather skinned from the buck still needed time to cure and dry. Still, he couldn't complain. He even had to admit it felt nice to be back home, in some place familiar instead of having to fight tooth and nail to survive in the wilderness. The best part about it was the complete absence of bear signs. Speaking of signs, he looked up from the pile of wood shavings and tossed his glance about himself. It really was a beautiful day. He felt like nothing could go wrong.
The door to Ashton's shop swung open from the inside, the young elven girl propping it open with a wooden chair, which she took a seat in. She shrugged at Ashton. "Not much to do in there. I'll go back if someone shows up." She kicked her legs out in front of her and slid her hands behind her head, sighing contentedly as she took in the day. There was always a certain smell that hung over Lowtown, but today it seemed somewhat thinner than usual. It wasn't so sweet as the forest was, of course, but the improvement was serving to lift her spirits.
"You could call it..." Lia mused, quirking her mouth sideways in thought. "Hrm. Something with dragons, maybe? Since you've made things with dragonbone. Not many get to do that. Seems like a--" but she cut herself off, swiftly removing her hands from her head, her eyes getting a little wide as she caught sight of something behind Ashton.
Ithilian moved slowly today, not possessed of the same overbearing hate he'd had when throttling information out of Vincento years ago, and most of his other ventures into the rest of Lowtown. He was calm and largely emotionless, though just the way he walked seemed to give away the fact that something heavy hung over him, like a little storm cloud was disrupting the otherwise clear skies around him. He looked about to go on a hunt, armed with various knives, his bow in its sheath behind him, a full quiver of arrows hung from his hip.
"Go back inside, Lia. I need to speak to Ashton alone." She sat up straighter. "Ithilian..." But he waved her off, not looking like he wanted an argument with her. "Go on, I'm not going to kill him, we're just going to talk for a little while." She rolled her eyes, before picking up the chair and sulking back inside the shop. closing the door softly behind her. Ithilian came to a stop before the seated hunter, crossing his arms and lowering his voice.
"Unless that's what you desire?" Demons may have been false about granting desires, but they always offered them truly, and Ithilian had seen his.
Looks like he was wrong about the day not going completely tits up. Ashton sighed and dropped the sign into his lap. He'd figure that he wouldn't be be able to get anymore carving done without getting stabbed in the face with the chisel. He really didn't need this right now-- in fact he could have done without it for the rest of his life. He propped his hands up behind his head and pushed off with a foot, leaving the chair on two legs and him posted up against the wall of his shop. "Five years ago, I wouldn't have stopped you-- Though I'd appreciate if you didn't pretend to know what I desire now," He said without even shifting. He'd had enough of playing the coward.
He shrugged and continued, "Did you come by for a reason, or to just offer the sweet release of death? 'Cause I can do without that last part, thanks," he said, a false smile creeping into lips. He certainly was not in the mood to put up with some condescending, murderous elf. Not after what he'd been through lately.
"Good," Ithilian said. "misery directed at the past will only taint your future." The way he said it implied he knew it for himself. Ashton had likely not heard that he'd joined the Deep Roads Expedition specifically to seek death after claiming some pitiful vengeance, but he'd seen the way Ithilian had cleaved the darkspawn apart, no thought given to his own preservation, only the pain and suffering he inflicted upon his enemies. The look in his eyes had been that of a man with nothing left to lose but his hate. At least, so he had thought, before he realized how much he had to gain still.
"I'm here for Lia," he said. His tone remained civil, certainly, if not entirely friendly. Honestly, he'd expected he would approach this conversation with significantly more anger, but recent events had beaten on his established prejudices so much that he was willing to give the man a chance. Live with his eyes open. He wanted Ashton to show him that he was worthy of an ounce of Ithilian's trust, rather than simply deny it from him from the start simply by being what he was. Thinking back... he'd never been betrayed by a shemlen, but only because he'd never trusted one long enough to allow him or her to do so. Amalia was the only non-elf he had ever placed any amount of faith in... and she had yet to let him down in the slightest, despite the sheer magnitude of the ways in which he had already failed her.
"I'm here because there are very few things in this world that mean anything to me at this point in my life, and she is right at the top of that list. I'm not her father; I won't dictate what she does with her life unless I believe she is placing herself in danger that she doesn't yet understand." It was quite possible that Ithilian had never been as serious about anything in his entire life. "But she didn't see what I saw in that dream. I would like to know what that was. I don't need details, just the truth. This city has never been a safe place for our kind, and I need to know if I can trust you to protect her in the event that anything should happen."
Ashton sighed and pushed himself off the wall, setting his feet evenly on the ground. Truth be told, Ashton expected the conversation to be a bit more angry as well. The man did not like him, and that much was blindingly clear. When Ithilian said Lia's name, Ashton couldn't help but look toward the door, as if to make sure the girl went inside, before returning the gaze. He listened to the civil words of the man and nodded along. He could understand where the man was coming from, the contents of his own nightmare were suspect in their own right. As Ithilian neared the end of his speech, Ashton interlocked his fingers and placed them on the sign, with him staring down at it.
Deserved or not, it was still hard to speak of it, with the pain still so fresh in his mind. He couldn't keep hiding it forever, and he couldn't keep on running like he did. So he sighed and tried to put the words together that would both ease Ithilian's mind, and not send him for his throat. "I accidently let some of your people become slaves," wasn't going to work with this man. He needed to be subtle if he wanted to keep his throat intact. After a while collecting his thoughts, he spoke. "A mistake I never intend on making again," He answered, looking back up to Ithilian. "I screwed up a lot, okay? And I'm tired of it."
"It'll take a while before I can trust myself again, but I will promise you this. The only place that girl will be safer, is in your own hands. I won't ever make that mistake again," Ashton said, nodding resolutely. He wouldn't allow it. Nostariel had shown him that he could heal, and become stronger for it, and while his path was just starting, he had a great trailblazer by his side. "One thing, though," Ashton said, bringing a singular digit up. "Nostariel told me what happened when I left."
He needed to know, so he asked her. He couldn't hope to bury his head in the sand and forget about what happened in the Fade. She had told him enough. Now it was Ashton's turn to return Ithilian's look. Now Ithilian had to show him he could be trusted. "She thinks of you as a friend you know?" He said. Maybe it was because they were both elves, maybe they shared some kind of loss, Ashton didn't know-- he didn't want to know. The man's personal business was his own. That's why Ashton didn't ask why. "I need to know that you won't put her in danger again," Ashton emphasized. Danger was a fact of life for the Warden, hell for all of them it seemed like. It just never came from inside.
"I did what I did for Lia," he explained simply. "A demon convinced me to turn on the two greatest allies I have because I wanted to give her a world where she wouldn't be in danger every time she left home." He sighed. He had hoped the man would come clean completely, but this would have to do, he supposed.
"A mistake I never intend on making again," he said, mirroring the man's words. "Really, can either of us promise more? It's clear at this point that neither of us is infallible. I never harmed Nostariel, no more than you did. I took my action against a closer friend, and I have paid the price. You gave up on any chance you had at defending her when you fled from the dream."
His arms fell to his side, and he shrugged. "So maybe we'll learn some trust for each other as we learn to trust ourselves? Stranger things have happened. I expect that if Nostariel comes to harm at my hands, you'll put an arrow through my eye. You should expect that if Lia comes to harm at your hands, I'll put a sword through your throat. Neither of us will let either of those things happen. Does that sound agreeable?" He extended a hand to the human hunter. "I'd expect nothing less," Ashton said, standing and taking the Dalish warrior's hand.
"Good," Ithilian replied. "Now, if you don't need Lia for the rest of the day, I meant to go on a hunt." At that, the girl herself pushed the door open and looked at Ashton pleadingly. "Gods, yes. Can I leave, Ashton? I really need to kill something after listening to that." Ithilian breathed deeply through his nose, and sighed. Ashton's eyes dropped. Of course, why didn't he expect her to listen in. It's what he would have done if he was that age. Instead of fighting it, he sighed and just smiled. "You act like you were doing anything anyway, go on, get out of here," he said, shooing her off. "I'll finish this sign. What was it you said? Dragon something?" He said, taking his seat back on his chair, and resumed carving.
"Yeah, Dragon..." she disappeared inside the shop, returning with her bow and arrows. "... something. You'll figure it out, I'm sure."
Ithilian gave Ashton a single nod before turning and departing, the little huntress at his side.
That didn't stop him from noticing that it had still been a slow day. That was to be expected, he had only opened his shop back up.. What? A couple of days ago? And his-- their-- stock was hardly complete. He had hinted to Lia that she should spread word about the grand reopening of his shop. The way he spoke of it was like it wasn't some hole in the wall. It still struck him sometimes that he had someone working for him. In fact, Lia had been quite the boon. She was quite the accomplished hunter in his eyes, managing to bring in a fat buck the very next day he hired her. He had taken the opportunity to skin and process it, allowing Lia to play the part of assistant. He needed something to do to take his mind off of recent activities. Ashton did note that the girl was well versed in the second, least thought about aspect of hunting as well-- the cleaning.
Between them, they had managed a soft opening of sorts. It'd still be a few weeks before they were back to power, and the leather skinned from the buck still needed time to cure and dry. Still, he couldn't complain. He even had to admit it felt nice to be back home, in some place familiar instead of having to fight tooth and nail to survive in the wilderness. The best part about it was the complete absence of bear signs. Speaking of signs, he looked up from the pile of wood shavings and tossed his glance about himself. It really was a beautiful day. He felt like nothing could go wrong.
The door to Ashton's shop swung open from the inside, the young elven girl propping it open with a wooden chair, which she took a seat in. She shrugged at Ashton. "Not much to do in there. I'll go back if someone shows up." She kicked her legs out in front of her and slid her hands behind her head, sighing contentedly as she took in the day. There was always a certain smell that hung over Lowtown, but today it seemed somewhat thinner than usual. It wasn't so sweet as the forest was, of course, but the improvement was serving to lift her spirits.
"You could call it..." Lia mused, quirking her mouth sideways in thought. "Hrm. Something with dragons, maybe? Since you've made things with dragonbone. Not many get to do that. Seems like a--" but she cut herself off, swiftly removing her hands from her head, her eyes getting a little wide as she caught sight of something behind Ashton.
Ithilian moved slowly today, not possessed of the same overbearing hate he'd had when throttling information out of Vincento years ago, and most of his other ventures into the rest of Lowtown. He was calm and largely emotionless, though just the way he walked seemed to give away the fact that something heavy hung over him, like a little storm cloud was disrupting the otherwise clear skies around him. He looked about to go on a hunt, armed with various knives, his bow in its sheath behind him, a full quiver of arrows hung from his hip.
"Go back inside, Lia. I need to speak to Ashton alone." She sat up straighter. "Ithilian..." But he waved her off, not looking like he wanted an argument with her. "Go on, I'm not going to kill him, we're just going to talk for a little while." She rolled her eyes, before picking up the chair and sulking back inside the shop. closing the door softly behind her. Ithilian came to a stop before the seated hunter, crossing his arms and lowering his voice.
"Unless that's what you desire?" Demons may have been false about granting desires, but they always offered them truly, and Ithilian had seen his.
Looks like he was wrong about the day not going completely tits up. Ashton sighed and dropped the sign into his lap. He'd figure that he wouldn't be be able to get anymore carving done without getting stabbed in the face with the chisel. He really didn't need this right now-- in fact he could have done without it for the rest of his life. He propped his hands up behind his head and pushed off with a foot, leaving the chair on two legs and him posted up against the wall of his shop. "Five years ago, I wouldn't have stopped you-- Though I'd appreciate if you didn't pretend to know what I desire now," He said without even shifting. He'd had enough of playing the coward.
He shrugged and continued, "Did you come by for a reason, or to just offer the sweet release of death? 'Cause I can do without that last part, thanks," he said, a false smile creeping into lips. He certainly was not in the mood to put up with some condescending, murderous elf. Not after what he'd been through lately.
"Good," Ithilian said. "misery directed at the past will only taint your future." The way he said it implied he knew it for himself. Ashton had likely not heard that he'd joined the Deep Roads Expedition specifically to seek death after claiming some pitiful vengeance, but he'd seen the way Ithilian had cleaved the darkspawn apart, no thought given to his own preservation, only the pain and suffering he inflicted upon his enemies. The look in his eyes had been that of a man with nothing left to lose but his hate. At least, so he had thought, before he realized how much he had to gain still.
"I'm here for Lia," he said. His tone remained civil, certainly, if not entirely friendly. Honestly, he'd expected he would approach this conversation with significantly more anger, but recent events had beaten on his established prejudices so much that he was willing to give the man a chance. Live with his eyes open. He wanted Ashton to show him that he was worthy of an ounce of Ithilian's trust, rather than simply deny it from him from the start simply by being what he was. Thinking back... he'd never been betrayed by a shemlen, but only because he'd never trusted one long enough to allow him or her to do so. Amalia was the only non-elf he had ever placed any amount of faith in... and she had yet to let him down in the slightest, despite the sheer magnitude of the ways in which he had already failed her.
"I'm here because there are very few things in this world that mean anything to me at this point in my life, and she is right at the top of that list. I'm not her father; I won't dictate what she does with her life unless I believe she is placing herself in danger that she doesn't yet understand." It was quite possible that Ithilian had never been as serious about anything in his entire life. "But she didn't see what I saw in that dream. I would like to know what that was. I don't need details, just the truth. This city has never been a safe place for our kind, and I need to know if I can trust you to protect her in the event that anything should happen."
Ashton sighed and pushed himself off the wall, setting his feet evenly on the ground. Truth be told, Ashton expected the conversation to be a bit more angry as well. The man did not like him, and that much was blindingly clear. When Ithilian said Lia's name, Ashton couldn't help but look toward the door, as if to make sure the girl went inside, before returning the gaze. He listened to the civil words of the man and nodded along. He could understand where the man was coming from, the contents of his own nightmare were suspect in their own right. As Ithilian neared the end of his speech, Ashton interlocked his fingers and placed them on the sign, with him staring down at it.
Deserved or not, it was still hard to speak of it, with the pain still so fresh in his mind. He couldn't keep hiding it forever, and he couldn't keep on running like he did. So he sighed and tried to put the words together that would both ease Ithilian's mind, and not send him for his throat. "I accidently let some of your people become slaves," wasn't going to work with this man. He needed to be subtle if he wanted to keep his throat intact. After a while collecting his thoughts, he spoke. "A mistake I never intend on making again," He answered, looking back up to Ithilian. "I screwed up a lot, okay? And I'm tired of it."
"It'll take a while before I can trust myself again, but I will promise you this. The only place that girl will be safer, is in your own hands. I won't ever make that mistake again," Ashton said, nodding resolutely. He wouldn't allow it. Nostariel had shown him that he could heal, and become stronger for it, and while his path was just starting, he had a great trailblazer by his side. "One thing, though," Ashton said, bringing a singular digit up. "Nostariel told me what happened when I left."
He needed to know, so he asked her. He couldn't hope to bury his head in the sand and forget about what happened in the Fade. She had told him enough. Now it was Ashton's turn to return Ithilian's look. Now Ithilian had to show him he could be trusted. "She thinks of you as a friend you know?" He said. Maybe it was because they were both elves, maybe they shared some kind of loss, Ashton didn't know-- he didn't want to know. The man's personal business was his own. That's why Ashton didn't ask why. "I need to know that you won't put her in danger again," Ashton emphasized. Danger was a fact of life for the Warden, hell for all of them it seemed like. It just never came from inside.
"I did what I did for Lia," he explained simply. "A demon convinced me to turn on the two greatest allies I have because I wanted to give her a world where she wouldn't be in danger every time she left home." He sighed. He had hoped the man would come clean completely, but this would have to do, he supposed.
"A mistake I never intend on making again," he said, mirroring the man's words. "Really, can either of us promise more? It's clear at this point that neither of us is infallible. I never harmed Nostariel, no more than you did. I took my action against a closer friend, and I have paid the price. You gave up on any chance you had at defending her when you fled from the dream."
His arms fell to his side, and he shrugged. "So maybe we'll learn some trust for each other as we learn to trust ourselves? Stranger things have happened. I expect that if Nostariel comes to harm at my hands, you'll put an arrow through my eye. You should expect that if Lia comes to harm at your hands, I'll put a sword through your throat. Neither of us will let either of those things happen. Does that sound agreeable?" He extended a hand to the human hunter. "I'd expect nothing less," Ashton said, standing and taking the Dalish warrior's hand.
"Good," Ithilian replied. "Now, if you don't need Lia for the rest of the day, I meant to go on a hunt." At that, the girl herself pushed the door open and looked at Ashton pleadingly. "Gods, yes. Can I leave, Ashton? I really need to kill something after listening to that." Ithilian breathed deeply through his nose, and sighed. Ashton's eyes dropped. Of course, why didn't he expect her to listen in. It's what he would have done if he was that age. Instead of fighting it, he sighed and just smiled. "You act like you were doing anything anyway, go on, get out of here," he said, shooing her off. "I'll finish this sign. What was it you said? Dragon something?" He said, taking his seat back on his chair, and resumed carving.
"Yeah, Dragon..." she disappeared inside the shop, returning with her bow and arrows. "... something. You'll figure it out, I'm sure."
Ithilian gave Ashton a single nod before turning and departing, the little huntress at his side.