Another beautiful day. Aurora absolutely loved the spring months in Kirkwall, where there were hardly a cloud in the sky most days. Even when it rained, it was a short shower that brought along the smells of earth with it. Aurora loved that smell, it reminded her of home. A lot has been doing that lately, it seemed. She couldn't even tend to her flowers without being reminded. That was why she had taken leave of Lowtown and instead spent her afternoon taking a walk around Hightown. Her family hadn't been poor from what she remembered, but they didn't have near the excess the nobles had here had. They were... comfortable was probably the best word for it. They had what they needed and little bit extra, and that was fine. They had each other.
And there she was making herself melancholy again. She had come to Hightown to escape the homesickness, not wallow around in it. There was only one cure that could take her mind off of it. Aurora came to a sudden halt in the street she was walking down and angled herself toward the shopping district. She might not be able to buy anything, but window shopping was free, fortunately. Might as well replace the homesickness with the sadness that came with not affording the most precious shoes she could find. Not that she was a fanatic shoe girl-- she preferred pretty shirts to be honest.
Speaking of pretty shirts, she was wearing one today, a honey-colored thing with flared sleeves, baring the new scar running up her arm like a badge of honor. Despite living in abject anonymity, she still wore bright colors. That was something she couldn't change. She just couldn't bear to hide away in the dull browns and grays everyone else wore. Something she got from her mother, she had always worn bright clothing too. Thinking about it now, Aurora and her mother were the same in most regards. She found herself wondering how she was doing, and if she ever thought about her. And there she was again, her mind drifting back home. Her step kicked as her pace quickened toward the Markets. She needed to drown those thoughts out with items she couldn't possibly have. She flung her scarf around her neck and forged ahead.
Nothing made her realize how poor she was faster than a trip through Hightown's Market District. She could barely aford a thread from the clothes much less the clothes themselves. Most of her income came from odd jobs she did around the city, and when those odd jobs stopped coming in, her food supply became all that much more meager. She picked up a scarlet shirt and held it up to better examine it. It was a pretty thing, and it looked like it'd fit just right. It was the same color as her hair and scarf though, so maybe she was risking tackiness with it. Like she could afford it, but she could dream. She folded it neatly and put it back down, continuing to browse the shops' wares.
Maybe she should open a flower shop, she told herself, looking down at another shirt with a big bright sunflower stitched to the breast. She thought Lucien may have said something to that effect... or perhaps it was Nostariel. Thinking about it now, it wasn't a terribly bad idea. Maker knows Lowtown could use a bit more color in it. She could collect the wild flowers found around Sundermount and the Wounded Coast-- maybe sell a couple of herbs and spices with it. Of course, she'd need the money to buy a shop, and then she'd need to maintain it. Not to mention that a mage owning a store isn't the brightest idea ever. Though nobody accused her of being bright.
It was something to speak about. Maybe she'd bring it up with Nostariel next time they talked, or maybe even Lucien. She'd mention it to Amalia, but she doubted that the woman's frank words would be much for conversation. Not that Aurora minded, that was just how she was. She owed the woman a lot more than that, considering she was where she was today thanks in large part to her. She moved on to the next stall, this one containing shoes of all sizes. She stopped at a pair of fine leather boots, which she picked up. She raised an eyebrow and, oddly enough, took a sniff. Antivan leather, just like she thought. Just like her mother had. She quietly paused and set them down and moving along. Oh, how she wished she could afford them, just to have something.
She had begun to realize how much of a product of her experiences she was. Every hurdle, every obstacle, every detour, and every path made her who she was. It wasn't just Amalia, but everything she had been a part of. The Circle, the friend she made there, her escape, the exodus to Kirkwall, and everything she had been witness to here, everything she did added just a little bit more to her character. She was confident because of what she had survived, and she was confident because of what she was sure she could survive. Her certainty was not her, it was drawn from everything else that she was. Didn't Amalia say something similar about herself and her Qun? It felt like the day Aurora asked Amalia to teach her was lifetimes ago, and she had grown so fast since then. There had been many paths she could have taken since then, yet there had always been one choice. She felt like she was truly beginning to understand.
And she'd managed to keep her humor too! The Qunari were a dry bunch, and Amalia the driest. She was unsure if she even heard the woman laugh. She loved the woman as a friend, but she was so... efficient. She supposed that the Qun preached efficiency, but a chuckle every now and then wouldn't hurt. Though at this point if Aurora heard her laugh, she was quite certain that she would just die from shock. "Hey! Are you going to buy something or not!" she heard someone yell in her direction. At first, she glanced around to confirm that it was her that was being yelled at, and then looked down.
She had managed to meander her way over to the accessories. Earrings, rings, necklaces, hats, and even a couple of scarves-- though she was just fine with the one she had. "I'm just browsing. Have to inspect before I buy, you know?" Hah, her, buy jewelry. That was rich, richer than she'd ever be, but she wasn't about to let the shopkeep know that. He just grunted and let it go, and Aurora moved along. She had all the jewelry she needed anyway, Ketojan's amulet sat hidden underneath the folds of her scarf. That single piece was worth more than anything on the table, it was priceless, the remains of the Qunari mage who chose his own path.
Saarebas. That's what the others had called him, and even her. Dangerous thing in Qunlat, as Amalia told her. Thinking about it, she got a kick of the idea. Her a dangerous thing. If pride wasn't so dangerous, she would have been proud of the title. She was only dangerous to those who left her no choice-- it wasn't like she waded eagerly into a fight-- incident with Arvaarad not withstanding. She wasn't just going to allow the Kossith to take back the mage, not if Ketojan didn't have a choice. To others, the difference might have made little sense, considering Ketojan then immediately followed his Qun. However, he had chosen to, he had followed his own path. Death by choice, and death by force were two separate things. Aurora believed in the power of choice, in it's freedom, though some choices lead to chains.
Some chains did not have to bind. One could be restricted, but be free in that restriction. It was a difficult concept to grasp, and it had been for Aurora, but once she had, she had made it hers. She was bound by her own hands, by her own choice. And she had found freedom in it. She had chosen her path, and it was one she walked gladly. They had been many, but there had only been one choice. Hers. She wondered if Sophia learned that. Aurora shifted in the Market place and looked up to the Viscount's keep.
She would be lying if she said she liked the girl. She had her chains as well, and they were pulled by the Chantry. She very well remembered the trap that her faith had led them to. All to provoke the Qunari. Aurora was free, but was Sophia? She didn't like to think about it, as she turned away and moved to another stall, this one holding various sundry items. Perfumes, colognes, soaps, candles, and the like. She took a big whiff and was assaulted by a bouquet of smells. She'd be better off rolling around in a flower patch, at least that wouldn't choke her.
It'd been a long time since then. The next couple of years passing quickly. Her tutelage under Amalia was in full swing, and she learned how to better defend herself without using magic. Firing off lightning bolts wasn't an intelligent tactic if she wasn't currently being hunted. Aurora had also gone back to her roots, in a sense and began to garden again. It all made her think how it managed to all lead up to this.
Aurora wondered what Millian would think about all of this? Her thoughts turned to her elven friend, back at the Antivan Circle. It's been so long since she last saw Milly, though her face was still fresh in her mind. All of their faces were, her mother, her father, siblings, even Milly. She missed them all. There she was again, thinking about this, and this time she couldn't get herself to stop. She looked up from whatever it was she was looking at and simply stared off as she reminisced. She could almost hear Milly's voice in her head.
"Rosabella? Rosabella DiMerenda? That... That sounded a lot more real than she thought. It sent her head into a confused tilt as she wondered where that came from. She'd been missing them recently, yes, but to hear it so... So clearly? It was strange. "Little Rosy!" Okay... Aurora wasn't imagining it. She turned around in order to desperately search for the voice, but instead, the voice managed to find her. With an unexpected tackle, Aurora was dropped to the ground as the owner of the voice clutched her tightly, threatening to never let go. Not that Aurora would have minded. "Ooof... Milly?" She asked. Elven honeyed eyes looked back at her, with her lips stretching from ear to ear.
She had no words, so she did the only thing she could in the situation. Returned the hug just as hard, not even caring about the scene they were currently creating. But they could only lay on the ground for so long, so Aurora stood, dragging Milly up with her, and moving the pair to a more secluded and private spot. The obvious question came first. "Millian Randrel... Milly, what are you doing here? I mean it's great to see you and all, but what?" Aurora asked, equal parts confused, glad, and worried. "You ask me that like you can. What are you doing here? Did you not see the gigantic Circle they've got? Honestly Rosy, why not just hide in the basement of the thing?" Well, Aurora wasn't expecting that admonishment for the day. She wasn't expecting the elf either. It was safe to say all of her expectations for the day had been shattered.
"It's... The last place they'd expect? Look, I'm really careful! They haven't found me yet," Aurora tried to explain, but Milly had crossed her arms and set her foot to tapping. Good to know she'd gotten more motherly since they'd parted ways. Fortunately, Milly didn't keep it for long and it sent her into a fit of giggles, "That's what I thought too. Really, who would knowingly come to a city whose Circle is literally called 'The Gallows'. I also might have tracked you down. A little," Milly could see the word "how" forming on Aurora's lips, so she continued, not allowing her to speak yet. "Rosy, you're not very inconspicuous. Red hair, red scarf, green eyes, bright clothing. Things sailors notice. And if I know you as much as I do then it was easy for me."
They were quiet for the next couple of moments, just staring at each other and taking the moment in. It was years since the pair had been together last. Suddenly, Aurora hugged Milly again, "It's been a long time, Milly," She said, relenting her grip. Millian smiled and nodded, "It has... Hey, you wouldn't happen to have a place to sleep, would you Rosy? It's been a long trip, and one I'll tell you about... Later." She said, causing Aurora to laugh. "Yes, I do. Come on, I'll take you home... And Milly? It's Aurora now," She said, revealing her alias. Millian just laughed and shook her head.
"Whatever you say Rosy."
And there she was making herself melancholy again. She had come to Hightown to escape the homesickness, not wallow around in it. There was only one cure that could take her mind off of it. Aurora came to a sudden halt in the street she was walking down and angled herself toward the shopping district. She might not be able to buy anything, but window shopping was free, fortunately. Might as well replace the homesickness with the sadness that came with not affording the most precious shoes she could find. Not that she was a fanatic shoe girl-- she preferred pretty shirts to be honest.
Speaking of pretty shirts, she was wearing one today, a honey-colored thing with flared sleeves, baring the new scar running up her arm like a badge of honor. Despite living in abject anonymity, she still wore bright colors. That was something she couldn't change. She just couldn't bear to hide away in the dull browns and grays everyone else wore. Something she got from her mother, she had always worn bright clothing too. Thinking about it now, Aurora and her mother were the same in most regards. She found herself wondering how she was doing, and if she ever thought about her. And there she was again, her mind drifting back home. Her step kicked as her pace quickened toward the Markets. She needed to drown those thoughts out with items she couldn't possibly have. She flung her scarf around her neck and forged ahead.
Nothing made her realize how poor she was faster than a trip through Hightown's Market District. She could barely aford a thread from the clothes much less the clothes themselves. Most of her income came from odd jobs she did around the city, and when those odd jobs stopped coming in, her food supply became all that much more meager. She picked up a scarlet shirt and held it up to better examine it. It was a pretty thing, and it looked like it'd fit just right. It was the same color as her hair and scarf though, so maybe she was risking tackiness with it. Like she could afford it, but she could dream. She folded it neatly and put it back down, continuing to browse the shops' wares.
Maybe she should open a flower shop, she told herself, looking down at another shirt with a big bright sunflower stitched to the breast. She thought Lucien may have said something to that effect... or perhaps it was Nostariel. Thinking about it now, it wasn't a terribly bad idea. Maker knows Lowtown could use a bit more color in it. She could collect the wild flowers found around Sundermount and the Wounded Coast-- maybe sell a couple of herbs and spices with it. Of course, she'd need the money to buy a shop, and then she'd need to maintain it. Not to mention that a mage owning a store isn't the brightest idea ever. Though nobody accused her of being bright.
It was something to speak about. Maybe she'd bring it up with Nostariel next time they talked, or maybe even Lucien. She'd mention it to Amalia, but she doubted that the woman's frank words would be much for conversation. Not that Aurora minded, that was just how she was. She owed the woman a lot more than that, considering she was where she was today thanks in large part to her. She moved on to the next stall, this one containing shoes of all sizes. She stopped at a pair of fine leather boots, which she picked up. She raised an eyebrow and, oddly enough, took a sniff. Antivan leather, just like she thought. Just like her mother had. She quietly paused and set them down and moving along. Oh, how she wished she could afford them, just to have something.
She had begun to realize how much of a product of her experiences she was. Every hurdle, every obstacle, every detour, and every path made her who she was. It wasn't just Amalia, but everything she had been a part of. The Circle, the friend she made there, her escape, the exodus to Kirkwall, and everything she had been witness to here, everything she did added just a little bit more to her character. She was confident because of what she had survived, and she was confident because of what she was sure she could survive. Her certainty was not her, it was drawn from everything else that she was. Didn't Amalia say something similar about herself and her Qun? It felt like the day Aurora asked Amalia to teach her was lifetimes ago, and she had grown so fast since then. There had been many paths she could have taken since then, yet there had always been one choice. She felt like she was truly beginning to understand.
And she'd managed to keep her humor too! The Qunari were a dry bunch, and Amalia the driest. She was unsure if she even heard the woman laugh. She loved the woman as a friend, but she was so... efficient. She supposed that the Qun preached efficiency, but a chuckle every now and then wouldn't hurt. Though at this point if Aurora heard her laugh, she was quite certain that she would just die from shock. "Hey! Are you going to buy something or not!" she heard someone yell in her direction. At first, she glanced around to confirm that it was her that was being yelled at, and then looked down.
She had managed to meander her way over to the accessories. Earrings, rings, necklaces, hats, and even a couple of scarves-- though she was just fine with the one she had. "I'm just browsing. Have to inspect before I buy, you know?" Hah, her, buy jewelry. That was rich, richer than she'd ever be, but she wasn't about to let the shopkeep know that. He just grunted and let it go, and Aurora moved along. She had all the jewelry she needed anyway, Ketojan's amulet sat hidden underneath the folds of her scarf. That single piece was worth more than anything on the table, it was priceless, the remains of the Qunari mage who chose his own path.
Saarebas. That's what the others had called him, and even her. Dangerous thing in Qunlat, as Amalia told her. Thinking about it, she got a kick of the idea. Her a dangerous thing. If pride wasn't so dangerous, she would have been proud of the title. She was only dangerous to those who left her no choice-- it wasn't like she waded eagerly into a fight-- incident with Arvaarad not withstanding. She wasn't just going to allow the Kossith to take back the mage, not if Ketojan didn't have a choice. To others, the difference might have made little sense, considering Ketojan then immediately followed his Qun. However, he had chosen to, he had followed his own path. Death by choice, and death by force were two separate things. Aurora believed in the power of choice, in it's freedom, though some choices lead to chains.
Some chains did not have to bind. One could be restricted, but be free in that restriction. It was a difficult concept to grasp, and it had been for Aurora, but once she had, she had made it hers. She was bound by her own hands, by her own choice. And she had found freedom in it. She had chosen her path, and it was one she walked gladly. They had been many, but there had only been one choice. Hers. She wondered if Sophia learned that. Aurora shifted in the Market place and looked up to the Viscount's keep.
She would be lying if she said she liked the girl. She had her chains as well, and they were pulled by the Chantry. She very well remembered the trap that her faith had led them to. All to provoke the Qunari. Aurora was free, but was Sophia? She didn't like to think about it, as she turned away and moved to another stall, this one holding various sundry items. Perfumes, colognes, soaps, candles, and the like. She took a big whiff and was assaulted by a bouquet of smells. She'd be better off rolling around in a flower patch, at least that wouldn't choke her.
It'd been a long time since then. The next couple of years passing quickly. Her tutelage under Amalia was in full swing, and she learned how to better defend herself without using magic. Firing off lightning bolts wasn't an intelligent tactic if she wasn't currently being hunted. Aurora had also gone back to her roots, in a sense and began to garden again. It all made her think how it managed to all lead up to this.
Aurora wondered what Millian would think about all of this? Her thoughts turned to her elven friend, back at the Antivan Circle. It's been so long since she last saw Milly, though her face was still fresh in her mind. All of their faces were, her mother, her father, siblings, even Milly. She missed them all. There she was again, thinking about this, and this time she couldn't get herself to stop. She looked up from whatever it was she was looking at and simply stared off as she reminisced. She could almost hear Milly's voice in her head.
"Rosabella? Rosabella DiMerenda? That... That sounded a lot more real than she thought. It sent her head into a confused tilt as she wondered where that came from. She'd been missing them recently, yes, but to hear it so... So clearly? It was strange. "Little Rosy!" Okay... Aurora wasn't imagining it. She turned around in order to desperately search for the voice, but instead, the voice managed to find her. With an unexpected tackle, Aurora was dropped to the ground as the owner of the voice clutched her tightly, threatening to never let go. Not that Aurora would have minded. "Ooof... Milly?" She asked. Elven honeyed eyes looked back at her, with her lips stretching from ear to ear.
She had no words, so she did the only thing she could in the situation. Returned the hug just as hard, not even caring about the scene they were currently creating. But they could only lay on the ground for so long, so Aurora stood, dragging Milly up with her, and moving the pair to a more secluded and private spot. The obvious question came first. "Millian Randrel... Milly, what are you doing here? I mean it's great to see you and all, but what?" Aurora asked, equal parts confused, glad, and worried. "You ask me that like you can. What are you doing here? Did you not see the gigantic Circle they've got? Honestly Rosy, why not just hide in the basement of the thing?" Well, Aurora wasn't expecting that admonishment for the day. She wasn't expecting the elf either. It was safe to say all of her expectations for the day had been shattered.
"It's... The last place they'd expect? Look, I'm really careful! They haven't found me yet," Aurora tried to explain, but Milly had crossed her arms and set her foot to tapping. Good to know she'd gotten more motherly since they'd parted ways. Fortunately, Milly didn't keep it for long and it sent her into a fit of giggles, "That's what I thought too. Really, who would knowingly come to a city whose Circle is literally called 'The Gallows'. I also might have tracked you down. A little," Milly could see the word "how" forming on Aurora's lips, so she continued, not allowing her to speak yet. "Rosy, you're not very inconspicuous. Red hair, red scarf, green eyes, bright clothing. Things sailors notice. And if I know you as much as I do then it was easy for me."
They were quiet for the next couple of moments, just staring at each other and taking the moment in. It was years since the pair had been together last. Suddenly, Aurora hugged Milly again, "It's been a long time, Milly," She said, relenting her grip. Millian smiled and nodded, "It has... Hey, you wouldn't happen to have a place to sleep, would you Rosy? It's been a long trip, and one I'll tell you about... Later." She said, causing Aurora to laugh. "Yes, I do. Come on, I'll take you home... And Milly? It's Aurora now," She said, revealing her alias. Millian just laughed and shook her head.
"Whatever you say Rosy."