***
Etny enters the ancient, crumbling halls, and sees all that Atriox had already seen, and she spots the prince near one of the grandest sights she has ever beheld: the Throne of Skyhold. She quiets her steps so as not to disturb the sacred silence that exists in this place, and she carefully, gently approaches the Prince. When she is only just several feet from him, she takes a knee, and bows her head before him.
"Atriox-Dugairon," she says in draconic, "I offer thee my services, such as they are needed at this time. I plead thy forgiveness for my silence in following thee here. None were sent to guard thee, and I sought only that purpose in following thee here. What wilt thou that I should do, a lowly huntress in thy mighty presence?"
Atriox sighs and turns finally. He sits on the lowest step and looks at her in almost a naked way.
“You can stand up and stop acting like I’m a saint worthy of such praise and devotion for one thing. Come and sit by me huntress.”
Etny rises, and with an equally exposed look in her eyes, she approaches and takes her place next to Atriox. She is silent for a time, and wonders if she should even speak up. Of all the people in the entirety of his kinsman, she alone shares in the pain of loss that he is acquainted with.
"It's...it's beautiful here, despite all that has happened to it" she turns then to look at him. "Your home must have been a mighty and powerful place indeed. I can scarcely imagine it."
Atriox shrugs as he puts an arm on his leg. He sends a pebble flying with a slight kick.
“Honestly it may have looked tough but from what I remember we had grown to become a soft people. I’m not surprised we fell. One of the only true warriors here was my mentor.....Dargoth. He wasn’t from here and I honestly don’t remember what drew him here. He was rough on the exterior but a good man, a good teacher."
#shoutout
(LOLOL, well thankya!)
Etny folds her arms around her knees and looks off into the distance.
"Dargoth...I don't think I've heard a name like that. He sounds like quite a mentor. I...I never really had a mentor, other than my own kin, who taught me the ways of the bow and arrow." She falls silent again, remembering. She reaches down and tosses her own pebble the same direction he kicked his.
"How...," she speaks up again after some moments pass, "how does it feel, coming back?"
Atriox thinks on it before answering.
“Like a deep breath of fresh air and then all that breath leaving me as I take a hard blow to the stomach. Over and over again. I’m so happy, but so mad, and lost. I’m here.......now what ? I’ve fought for 11 years to get here but I don’t think that I thought I’d ever be able to do it.”
Etny is quiet for a moment. "I can't imagine what it will be like going back to my own home, and feeling that way. There is a small part of me that dreads going back." She takes up another tiny pebble and tosses into the darkness beyond, the sound of its clattering empty and forlorn against the silence and weight of the moment. "But... You did it! You're here! You've come so far, over such a long time, and now you are at the steps of this great throne! You've proven to everyone, everything, but most especially to yourself, that you indeed made it here." She eyes him again, thoughtfully, and full of empathy.
"You're an inspiration to us all, and...," she pauses, her voice quieting, "...to me as well, Atriox-Dugairon."
Atriox grunts at her annoyingly cheery demeanor. He blows some steam and watches Etny toss her own pebble
He looks sideways at her and try’s to nonchalantly kick a bigger rock than she did.
Etny takes note of Atriox's demeanor, seeing him kick a bigger rock than her little pebbles. She takes it as a friendly challenge, and, while not trying to draw too much attention to their little shenanigan, she does enjoy the quiet challenge. Nonchalantly, she tosses another pebble deep into the darkness of the halls beyond.
Looking at the dragonborn Prince with a sideways look, she asks, "what will you do to rebuild this place? And is there anything I can do?"
Atriox rouses a bit, the game mildly entertaining him
“Ohhhhh I’m hiring some people, my army will help in ways, it will step by step rebuild itself so to speak. May take a lot of steps but it’ll be worth it. What could you do ? Ohhhhh I suppose you could do some hunting. Help furnish and help make what’s livable.....well more livable.”
Atriox chuckles and kicks a slightly bigger rock
Etny's smile widens slightly, equally as entertained as Atriox. "I always hunt, Atriox-Dugairon. That, as a promise, will never stop. Hmmmm, make what's livable more livable, eh? Mind you, I'm no homemaker, but I'll see what I can do." She picks up a stone the size of her own palm, and lobs it down an empty hallway, the clattering loud and clear in the silence.
"I can certainly continue training new hunters and huntresses as well."
Atriox nods while stroking his grown chin hair
“Aye that’d be nice. Welp then that’s that Et. I name you Grand Huntress of Skyhold. New office, earnings for yourself, and hunters to train and command.”
Atriox says it all casually and even mock knights her with one hand on a shoulder but he’s very serious underneath all that casualness
While she’s busy mulling that over Atriox grabs a rock slightly bigger than his hand and gives a toss
Etny is slightly taken aback, but grateful all the same. She smiles proudly and a little cheekily. "Grand Huntress, eh? Well, I'll do my damned-est to live up to tha--heeeeey!" She sees him throw the larger stone across the room, and Etny, looking this way and that, and reaching sideways with both hands hefts a stone that fits in both hands--the size of her own head--across the way. She grunts loudly as she does so. And then, an idea strikes her.
She turns to Atriox, an excited tone to her voice. "Games! What if you blessed an event once a year where athletes from around the world compete in physical games? Of course, all of this would be for the future, but," she shrugs, "what do you think?"
Atriox thinks On it......world wide sports ? Hmmm there could be diplomatic advantages he supposes to it
“Perhaps.....yes I will think on it some more my friend. Something for the future. We have enough worries for now as it is.”
Atriox casually gets up and stretches before lifting up a pretty good sized rock, bigger than his head for sure and chucks it at a random wall
Afterwards he dusts his hands off while whistling and looking at Et
Etny takes on a joking tone, and mimics the sound of a roaring crowd. "And the crowds whoop and holler at the mighty champion Prince!" She smiles, and bows in jest. "I bow to your prowess!" She laughs heartily then, grateful for moments like this with her friend.
"Atriox-Dugairon, you're a true friend," she says, her voice quieting a little, though her mirth is undiminished. "That is a gift any soon-to-be king and emperor should have, I think. It is a great tool, as much as it is a valuable asset." She balls her hand up into a fist, and holds it up at him for a fistbump. "Elennari, Atriox-Dugairon en Etny," she says in her own tongue.
Atriox fist bumps her back but gives her and odd look of confusion as he doesn’t speak her tongue. He waves at her
“Throws a rock damn you kind one”
Etny laughs again. "It is just a simple yet meaningful declaration of friendship. I wouldn't trade it for anything else." She immediately turns about, and racing toward the darkness, she returns with a large stone hefted onto her shoulder. (22 total strength to heft this thing!)
(Works! XD)
With all her might, and a loud un-lady-like grunt, Etny heaves the great stone at the wall, the thing making a loud CRACK as it hits. She clears her throat, and pretends to nonchalantly brush dust off of her shoulder.
"What in the literal hell?!"
At that moment you both see someone standing in the doorway, perhaps ten feet from where the giant rock smashed against the wall: Oxious.
He looks startled, disheveled and bloodstained, despite--to your knowledge--not having been in the actual battle. The look on his face is absolutely priceless.
Atriox doubles over laughing from the look on Oxious face. In between breaths he try’s to say
“Oh oxy......your face.....oh god....your face.”
He stops laughing from the pain in his chest but the injuries can’t take away his smile
Oxious puts the palm of his hand to his face, covering it in exasperation at the laughter. You can't tell if he's hiding a smile of his own or not, or at least embarrassment, struggling to regain his composure.
"Ugh... you are exhausting, you little lizard king." His hand slides down as he rolls his eyes, obviously half teasing. He knows no harm was met, despite the ridiculous scene he walked in on.
Atriox grunts
“Little my ass and everybody keeps using the word king. I will not sit on that throne till it is time.”
Atriox points behind him to the throne and then lowers his hand
“What can I do for you, you old goat ? Why are you so bloody.”
Oxious looks confused at the comments but does not probe further. However, he does eye Etny for a moment... as if considering something.
"Yes, well, I..." The tiefling focuses again on Atriox. "I need your assistance with one of your lieutenants..."
Atriox sighs and can guess what this is about to some degree. He rolls his eyes and waves to Etny
“Till later huntress. Enjoy your freedom and welcome.”
Atriox spreads his hands out motioning to the scale of Skyhold before heading out of the room with Oxious
Oxious bows slightly to Etny, attempting to be courteous as he is to most females. His words are definitely more polite and honeyed than you've heard them before. "Pardon the interruption, miss. If you need anything please come see me."
He follows after Atriox, their footfalls loud on the stone floor. He eyes the dragonborn.
Etny bows respectfully to both of them, and waves as they leave. She smiles at Oxious, and when the two if them are a fair distance away, she begins to meander after, taking her time. She decides something then: tapping the side of her head, thinking, pondering, she un-shoulders her bow, and makes her way back to camp, keeping her thoughts and plans to herself. Only wanting to benefit Atriox's budding kingdom, she smiles to herself.
Etny makes her way into the camp, having meandered her way there, loosely following Oxious and Atriox. She makes her way down the hallways to her own quarters, and passing by some large stalls, sees Gaare.
She comes up to the axebeak and lovingly pets her neck, cooing sweet words to the creature in her own tongue. She mulls over what she must do to start a real establishment in Skyhold, feeding the axebeak and absently stroking her feathers.
Gaare nuzzles your face with her beak, nibbling at your hair as if grooming it. She perks up as someone approaches, alerting you to the movement.
You turn and see a small blue kobold you've grown familiar with on the journey, or at least seen on several occasions. She'd landed nearby on a giant, reptilian-looking creature, as if looking for you specifically. For a kobold, she speaks in rather decent common.
"Hello, you are miss Etny, correct?"
***
Atriox rolls his eyes as he descends the halls of Skyhold.
“What is your problem Oxious ? What is it ? I know you well enough by well and I feel your eyes upon me”
Oxious clears his throat. The smell of his blood is strong and spicy. You've become quite accustomed to it from your long sea voyage, and you feel, in some strange way, it's strengthened the connection between you both. You think he knows it as well.
"It's... complicated." He stiffens, walking steadily by your side. "Dahlia was.. injured. Badly. As was Dorokor."
He slowly explains what happened, with more tact than you've ever seen him use before. You learn Dahlia almost died, and that Kora... well...
"...The fact that she bit me is of no consequence. It is not the first time I've been bitten directly, and I was able to keep her from others. But it makes me worry for more than that.... She is still in and out of a minor frenzy, and I restrained her to a room. I have guards on her."
You can tell that he's trying to avoid talking about Dahlia too much. You know he cares for her dearly, and is masking his distress rather well. He clears his throat again.
"This could mean a few things with Dorokor. The least of which..."
He gives a nonchalant shrug, tilting his head as he tries to voice the words.
"Youuuu... may be a father a little sooner than planned."
Atriox grunts and turns to the tiefling In the middle of the staircase they are on
“Are you sure of this ? I.......I had planned on making sure everything was a little.....well nicer before that happened. Will both of them be ok ?”
You can see the tiefling's irritation and nervousness, but he stops and exhales. When he speaks, it's soft, with more sincerity than you've ever heard him use.
"I can't promise anything... But I will try my best, Atriox."
He clears his throat. "In the meantime, seeing you may calm her down. I don't think she's fully aware of who any of us are."
Atriox gives a slight nod noting Oxious demeanor more than before. He raises an eyebrow slightly at the old goat
“Very well then. That will have to be enough won’t it. Show me to her.”
"Will do." He smirks. "I'm tired of getting bit. Your turn to deal with it." He smacks you on the shoulder. "You and your crazy bunch of weirdos... making even more to run around the castle...."
"Ugh... children." He shudders half teasingly. You know you've discussed it before with him, and you know he's not a fan of kids.
Atriox rolls his eyes at the old goat and keeps on walking
You make your way down to the main floors, the stairs ever-winding through the great halls of the mountain. Oxious leads you down one hall, one that you vaguely remember. It had additional rooms for staff. Higher floors had rooms for visitors and diplomats.
One room off to the right is guarded by a pair of orcs. You can hear some loud noises from inside, peppered with orcish cursing. The pair glances your way, a little relieved that you've arrived.
Oxious pats your back. "Good luck! I'll check on you in a while. Or drag your corpse out. Either way is fine with me."
You see him continue down to another room without looking back, likely to check on Dahlia. You're sure the other injured are down in rooms below this one, at least to be comfortable.
Atriox nods to the guards and pauses right outside of the door. He takes a deep breath and braces himself before stepping inside the room.
***
Etny pats her axebeak on the head once more, and turns to the kobold.
"Yes, I am. How can I help you, little one?"
Vele nods, bowing to you. You remember now, when you first met her in the forest so long ago. She was the one who led the other kobolds to block your way to see Atriox at the temple, and who almost died at the hands of the others. She's definitely grown since then, at least in presence if not in stature.
"I would like to request aid from you..." She pauses, looking distraught. "You heal... correct?"
(I have ideas to tie you both together with a few things.... haha. This should be interesting as it plays out, and depending what you both do. I'm excited.)
"Eyeh, yes," Etny replies. "At least I know some healing spells. I do caution you, I am not a skilled healer like Dahlia-dera, or any of the others. My skills are...minimal at best. I will do what I can though."
Etny stands ready to follow Vele to wherever she is needed.
Vele nods, glancing back at her mount. "Thank you. Yes, well..."
As she leads you back, you notice she's got something with her--another blue kobold with a red, tattered bandanna.
"I went to find Dahlia, but she not there now. And the kobold healers, they...." She clears her throat. "They don't think he's savable. Don't want to waste their healing... Said he is on his way back to Kurtulmak's caves."
Looking over the small creature you see he's battered and blistered, with numerous bites and claw marks from Skaven. He's not even moving, and you'd figure he'd already passed on if not for the very subtle vibration in his throat. You'd hunted these beasts for years, and always knew how to make sure they were properly dead... you couldn't ever chance it otherwise.
Etny's eyes become distant and unreadable, her face an emotionless mask. "He is nearly gone, Vele. I...I do not know what power is in me but...I shall try."
Etny approaches the downed kobold, and very carefully cradles his head in her arm. Resting a hand on his chest, she very quietly, almost imperceptibly sings a prayer to the All-Mother. Her hand glows a greyish-white, and the kobold is enveloped in her power.
(I cast Cure Wounds on the little guy.)
(Go ahead and roll a medicine check for me, with advantage from the prayer)
(I know spells work regardless of this, but it's like a cross between rp and a skill check too XD)
(13 Medicine with adv.)
(Snap... mmm.. not quite, but you did do a spell too so:)
The soothing smell of mint and freshly fallen snow settles around the three of you as the glowing magic seeps into his scaly blue skin. You feel him shudder and go still again, his breathing just slightly more steady than before. But it is so, so faint. The largest wound, one on his chest, barely closes up--deep enough you worry it's pierced a lung.
Vele looks crestfallen. "Tak believes him dead already, I'm sure. He suffers enough. And Darr..." Her brow furrows and she looks away. Something stirs in her wet eyes but she says nothing more. "T-Thank you for trying, miss."
Etny, shaking her head, is silent as she tries more thoroughly to help the helpless little creature. Gritting her teeth, she acts fast, reaching now into her satchel, and drawing out several herbs and leaves, crushing them together into a bowl that she also produced. Etny struggles with her shaking hands to try and create a poultice, and infuses what little magic she has left in her, singing yet the stronger to the All-Mother.
Taking a long, wide leaf, she slathers it in the mixture thoroughly, and and gently presses it into the mostly closed wound. She tries and sings the more to the All-Mother. She will NOT let this one die!
(14 Medicine.)
(Mmmm second failure for medicine check.... idk if you have any inspiration points? XD If you want to use them here or not. I can't remember if you did)
Vele watches from nearby. Having reverted back to one of her old nervous habits of fiddling with the tip of her tail, she paces as you work.
The poultice is strong from the herbs you've brought along. You do not know the plants in these lands as well, but some of these in your pouch are from back in the old lands... and even from the mountain home of these creatures.
Darr flinches as the medicine seeps into his flesh, his breathing worsening.
(I have one. I'll use it. Welp......11 Medicine. Buh-bye!)
(I’m giving you two )
(😂😂 I'll allow it.....)
(Welp...7 and 9 respectively)
(Hmm..)
Vele comes over again, watching with heavy anxiety. "C-can I help with anything, miss? What can I do? Please direct me."
(Rofl you beat me to it. I was gonna do a combined med check with her...... we can use your highest roll for this thus far, 11. Plus whatever her roll is...if you want.)
"I...," Etny struggles with her own sense of deep inadequacy, and strives to think of what Vele can do. "Come, hold the compress firmly upon his chest! Do not loosen your grip!"
(Have another one boyo)
(Harr harr, 7.)
(Muh dice hates meeeeeeeee)
(😂 Damn hon you might need a different dice roller... Fight club is not feelin' it tonight. We'll go with the 11 since this is all the same turn.... rolling for Vele...)
(Well... hmmm she has a -2 wisdom score lolol so... 7 total for her. + 11, that roll was 18... that's a success. Two more attempts. You need one more success to save him.)
She pushes down, her arms shaking as she tries to do as directed. Darr twitches again as the medicine seeps in, foaming blood seeping from the wound. Etny, you can tell this is from the diseased rodents--likely poisoning his blood and keeping him from healing properly. But between the tending of the two of you, his heart beats just a fraction stronger.
Etny's mind races. She continues to dress the remainder of the kobold's wounds, and when done with that, she aides Vele in pressing down on the compress.
He will NOT die! He CANnot die. He MUST not die..., Etny thinks to herself.
(Uuuuh...12 Medicine?)
(Daaamn... Vele got 6........... you guys just barely scraped by with this. 😂 18 was the dc... congratulations.)
Darr's eyes open slightly, bloodshot and distant. He coughs again, more foam and blood escaping his lungs and stomach. You're not sure how much is still left in him, but...
"I-I feel his heart now." Vele whispers, almost as if saying it might make it stop again. She looks up at Etny with wide eyes full of tears. "Krushnak... Thank you... You are a rare friend to our kind."
"Wux re aldoer, Vele-aryte rimem," ("You are welcome, Vele-war chief"), Etny replies breathlessly. She let's herself fall to the floor, taking in deep gulps of air, as if she'd been suffocating the whole time.
"Vele," she says through gulps of air, "please...keep the...compress on...his chest...as...long as...you can...," she stops talking for a moment, and strives to regulate her breaths by breathing deeply into her nose, and out her mouth.
"Make sure," she says after breathing as deeply as she can,"to change...the cloth...often. Arat, Vele."
"Doooooooo...You know...where Atriox-Dugairon is?"
Vele obeys dutifully to your instructions, guilty at how drained you must be feeling. The day has definitely waned since that exhausting battle that morning.
"I do not know, miss... Surely back at the mountain, but I know not where. Perhaps one of the others will know more?" She looks down at Darr, torn about several things. "If you permit it I can leave him in your charge... Once you regain your strength. I can deliver a message for you, or--"
Vele stops herself, suddenly realizing something. "Oh! I... I was so focused on what I needed, I completely forgot... apologies, miss Etny..." She fumbles with her bag, the medicine from her hand getting on a scroll. "The fellow Oxious asked me to deliver this to you."
"O-Oxious," Etny's breathing begins to calm, though she is still a little breathless. She sits up and takes the scroll from Vele, and thanks the little kobold. "We need to get this one...Darr, is it? To a more comfortable place where he can heal up. Do...Do you think you could gather some of your kin, and have them carry him upon a stretcher?"
Vele nods. "Yes, I will do so. There are some in camp here, I'll have him brought to the... nesting area, I suppose."
She purposefully waits until you're done with the scroll before she goes, not wanting to leave the soldier alone with you until you are ready. As you unroll the scroll, you find a short missive from the tiefling:
"Etny,
Your hunting skills are known to me as they are to many here.
Please forgive the urgency of this request so quickly after battle. I am in need of some materials.
-Blood from two freshly slain does (as much as possible, please drain completely)
-Meat from said does, uncooked and unsalted
-Four live rabbits, as large as possible, caged or bagged
Many thanks,
Oxious
PS. I may be in need of your assistance with something... hands on. I will need to speak with you in person regarding this as it is too sensitive to send by letter."
Etny, upon reading such a request from the tiefling, blanches slightly, processing it, and wondering. No time, however. She rolls the scroll up, and stuffs into her satchel. She stands, making sure to do so slowly, seeing as she just exerted herself healing Darr. She turns to Vele, and smiles, weakly but satisfied and reassuring. "Don't worry, Vele," she says in an optimistic tone, "he will heal right up." Her smile fades a little, and her eyes grow more serious. "He needs plenty of rest, and water. Do not let him eat any hard foods for a while. His body cannot handle them at this time. Give it time, and don't over-worry yourself for his sake. The All-Mother is watching over him. I'd say about three weeks of bedrest or sitting up in bed, and regular changing of bandages, and he'll be up in no time after that." She thinks a little more, and continues, her smile coming back again, "He is a tough kobold, to have lived as long as he did with such an injury. Let his fellows know that often, so they do not question his authority. I will notify Atriox of his resilience. Sassalia rakka muranon de, Vele," she says gratefully in her own tongue to Vele.
"Also," she adds,"would you be willing to gather a small hunting party of your swiftest kobolds for me? It has to do with the scroll Oxious sent me."
Vele looks relieved from your reassurances. At the request she nods immediately. "Yes, of course. I'll have some come to your camp as soon as possible."
Gently letting go of Darr, she backs away to let you take over in her stead until she can gather more kobolds. Rushing to her mount, she hops atop its neck and it squawks indignantly. Gaare's head tilts to the side as it looks at the giant, almost featherless bird.
It's not long before she returns, a few other kobolds carrying with them some sort of makeshift nest or stretcher. They load Darr atop it, surprised that he is still alive--and that he was cared for so thoroughly--before carting him off. Vele knows not what to do other than to bow in thanks to Etny one more time, before giving her leg a sincerely genuine hug.
"These here are the best hunters nearby." She steps back with a little cough, embarrassed. "Rul, Wek and Bone." The three look like they were in the battle that morning, but are in relatively good shape despite that. Blue-scaled and sporting expressions like that of more feral kobolds you've hunted, you get the feeling they are just what you need.
"Perfect! Arat, you have my thanks, Vele. I would not have been able to help heal Darr without you...or at the very least keep him breathing. You did well." With that, Etny waves at Vele, letting the little kobold go about her business attending to Darr. Realizing something, she calls over her shoulder to Vele, "make sure those kobold healers who did not want to 'waste their skills' on him know he is alive and well!"
With that she makes her way over to Rul, Wek, and Bone. Eyeing them as she approaches, she sees that they are strong, feral, and more adept at the art of the hunt than some of their own brothers. She's seen that look in their eyes before, a long time ago...
Without mincing words, she approaches them, and speaking in draconic, she asks, "if any of you can handle a bow and arrow, come with me. We hunt!"
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