"Hey, breakfast is being served in the tavern."
Freydis squints at Kasaanda, groaning softly before rolling over. Morning has come too quickly again but at least her sleep was calm.
Kasaanda crawls inside the tent carefully as to make sure she doesn't knock it down or like holes in the fabric with her horns. "Come on, sleepyhead! If you don't get up now, there won't be anything left. And sneaking snacks is out of the question." She gives the redhead a light shake.
"Alright, alright. I'm getting up." The dragonborn says with a sigh. She slips out of her bedroll and quickly starts getting dressed. As she does so, she notices the other fidgeting. Fiery brows furrow while pale fingers start work on braiding sections of each locks. "What? What's with the twitching?"
The mage is caught off guard by the other's sharp observation. "I'm just stressed. Everything's got me on edge." The weight on her shoulders feels like it gets heavier and heavier. Even so she tries her hardest to keep it all together. That's not anyone's concern though.
"Sounds to me like you need a drink or five." Freydis snorts. She can't imagine the pressure her friend is under. As much as the dragonborn likes attention and power, she'd hate to be the one burdened with such responsibilities; a loss of freedom so to speak. Better someone else than her. She's finished with her hair, making it somewhat more tame and acceptable.
Kasaanda let's out a soft laugh at the retort and shakes her head. "There's not enough alcohol in Thedas to calm my nerves."
The two of them exit the tent. Freydis glances around while they walk, nose wrinkling at the sight of snow. A number of people stop to stare at the taller of the pair. Some offer waves. Others whisper amongst themselves. Whatever the reaction, it all feels foreign in a way. Uncomfortable almost.
"You're not alone, you know." Freydis mumbles. "You've got a council and underlings and people in general." Sappy; what an oh so mushy sentiment.
At that statement the qunari tilts her head before a grin breaks out on her face. "It's only been maybe a month apart and you've already gone soft on me? Unbelievable! But I am glad you're here. I could use a legendary hero at my side." Her smile falters when she looks back at Freydis who has stopped dead in her tracks. Kasaanda's hand hovers over the door knob. "What? Why the long face?"
The conversation dies off there as the door is opened. The two shuffle past a group of soldiers. Both have their composure back in place. Kasaanda takes a seat at a larger table where a group is already seated. The mage picks a spot beside Cassandra and across from Leliana while Freydis awkwardly just sits right next to her like some lost puppy. She takes note that the blond commander is seated infront of her, and she tries to keep up with whatever the four of them are talking about. In a snap a barmaid brings over a plate of food for the two newcomers - a hunk of bread, some slices of apple and a small portion of eggs.
Freydis eats in silence, giving up on trying to contribute to the group conversation. Her mind wanders back to moments before. Her friend states that it's only been a handful of weeks since their separation, yet for her it's been years. It's odd how time had flowed so differently for them. She's not sure whether that should be a concern or not. Not yet at least; perhaps when or if she ever gets back to Tamriel then it could cause some fuss. No, what really gnaws away at her is how Kasaanda called her a 'Legendary Hero.' It shouldn't have struck a nerve but it had. Since the defeat of Alduin, Freydis had found ways to continue her hero act. Yet while there was talk of the Last Dragonborn, there was never usually anything more than a sentence or two. A fraction of people could recognize her as the Last Dragonborn when they see her. Even on her quest to stop the World Eater and win the war in Skyrim, her reputation never seemed to have the traction that she had hoped it would. It's egotistical to have wanted more than what she got. Surprisingly, her ego was only a portion of the reason for the discontent towards her lacking legend. Really she had hoped to gain such a glowing reputation fueled by fantastical tales of her heroic acts as proof that her life means something - that it was no mistake for her parents to take her in.
Someone's cleared their throat and that is what pulled her from the rabbit hole of self pity. That's fine. It's much too early in the morning to be wanting to get comfort from the bottom of a bottle anyhow. But shit - there's four pairs of eyes trained on her which means someone had said something to include her in their chattering. She's obviously not paid attention and a few of the looks she gets are less than impressed. "I'm sorry. I'm still fighting off sleep. Could you please repeat what you said?"
"Leliana was saying that they wanted a demonstration of your fighting skills. Just to see what you can do." Kasaanda replies in a gentle tone. "But it's not necessary! Don't feel like you have to prove anything. It's ju-"
"I'll do it." The slightly surprised expression from the Commander and a raise of a brow from the warrior gives Freydis a burst of smug pride; enough so that she gives a haughty smirk in return. "What can I say? I like a good challenge." And a challenge it will be.
"Excellent. The Commander, Herald and myself have some business to attend to for a bit. I propose that after breakfast, you and Cassandra have a few sparring sessions. And then perhaps around lunch or afternoon time, you and Commander Cullen can have a go at it."
"Fine by me." It takes a little willpower to hold back a snippy remark that rests upon her tongue.
Cassandra is a much better fighter than Freydis had anticipated. That's not saying much considering she always believes herself to be better until proven otherwise. Surprisingly, she had enjoyed the trial more than she'd be willing to admit. It felt nice to just spar without too much worry. They've already gone several rounds with this one being agreed upon as the last. The dragonborn dodges an attack before proceeding to perform an empty fade. The Seeker catches on quick, blocking the surprise attack with her shield. The two go at it a bit longer until at last they both concede, making the match a draw. They both stand there with swords pointed at each other's throats in silence. Sweat drips down flushed faces while breaths come out as ragged huffs. They lower their weapons, and Freydis extends a hand out to the other woman. Cassandra takes it, giving her a quick handshake.
"She was bragging about you."
A look of confusion spreads across the redhead's face. "What are you talking about?"
"The Herald. She was bragging about your skills at breakfast." Cassandra repeats, shifting her weight from one foot to another. "You kept assuring us of your skills and how you'd be a good addition to the group."
Ah, that explains it. It hardly seems necessary for the mage to vouch for her so much. Are these people really that paranoid when it comes to outsiders? Actions always spoke louder than words however. "Did I pass your test?" she asks. The question comes out a bit more sarcastic than intended.
"You're good. There's no doubt about it. We'll see how you do out in the field."
And that was the end of that. She supposes that's as close to a stamp of approval that she'll get from the other warrior. No matter. Time will show them what a force she is. Everyone will see. It's a shame she can't use the full extent of her powers. If allowed, maybe that could be the easy solution to the hole in the sky.
This isn't your story. You aren't the hero.
The words ring clear in her mind. It's a bit offensive really.
No. She'll just play the role that her friend assigns her. The urge to be a show-off may be great, but she knows deep down it would only cause more issues for Kasaanda and herself than necessary.
The fights with the Commander are not too terribly different than her previous battles. His tactics and style are a little different compared to Cassandra's. He too provides her with an exhilarating challenge. Unlike her time with Cassandra, a crowd had formed around them. Cullen was trying to give out pointers and tips as he fought against her while trying to keep up. She's impressed with not only his skill but determination to turn this time into a learning experience.
"You're pretty good." Freydis chuckles, holding out her hand to him. He takes it and shakes it with the ghost of a smile tugging at his lips.
"You aren't too bad yourself." He takes a moment to direct the trainees on exercises to start practicing. "Actually you're really skilled. Much more than I expected."
Freydis smirks and sheaths her sword. "What can I say? I love destroying expectations." That earns her a bit of a chuckle from the the blond. "You know," she takes a step closer to him. "If you ever need a practice partner again, I'd be more than happy to volunteer." A quick wink is given which in turn causes a bit of a red hue to tint his cheeks. It's then she notices the two of them are the same height. And he's not bad on the eyes. Then again neither is Cassandra.
She has to hold back a laugh when Cullen stumbles slightly on his words.
"I'll, uh, keep that in mind." He mumbles, looking away from her face. He sees two recruits fumble around, one nearly impaling the other, and rushes off to correct them of their mistakes. That effectively brings their conversation and interaction to an end. And now she's free.
It's close to evening time and now she doesn't quite know what to do, besides just drinking. Some smithing? Alchemy? Were there books she could read? It would help if she were a bit more settled in her place here. She doesn't want to be too much of a hindrance to everyone else. Maybe exploring would be acceptable.
"You've had a busy day, Firecracker." Varric offers her a toothy grin. "Back to back combat sessions and you managed to squeeze in a moment to make Curly blush. Talk about being on a roll."
She lets a quiet laugh slip past her lips. "You been watching me the whole time?"
"Off and on. I got to witness most of the highlights though."
"Is that so? Am I to take it that it's more inspiration for your books? Which by the way, you should fill me in on the stories you've written."
"Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows." He smirks at her again before leaning forward. "But if it's stories you want, you've come to the right person. You look like you got a few of them yourself."
Freydis nibbles on her bottom lip, holding back another chuckle. "Maybe. Maybe not." she parrots. "Tell you want. You buy me a drink and I might tell you one. But! You have to share as well."
"You drive a hard bargain. Deal." Varric says with a nod.
In the distance, Kasaanda watches the two make a bee line towards the tavern, chatting enthusiastically with one another. There's very few people she's seen Freydis act like that around. Then again Varric could be charming. If nothing else, she's glad the dragonborn is making other friends. And with time she hopes the others will come around.
The snapping of a twig is what wakes Freydis in the middle of the night. Rather, it's several different loud noises. She grabs the hilt of a dagger, moving silently to look outside her tent. Relief washes over her when she sees Kasaanda wandering about. There's the temptation to sneak up on the mage, yet she remembers what happened last time she tried that. "Sneaking off somewhere" she asks loud enough for the other to hear but still quiet enough to not wake the whole campsite.
The qunari jumps slightly, whipping around to face the redhead. A hand comes to rest on her chest as if to calm her heart. "You scared me..again!" Kasaanda pouts playfully as Freydis closes the distance between them. "To answer your question, I'm having trouble falling asleep. That seems to be nothing new. Previously it was nightmares, and now it's just me being a worrywart. Tomorrow have to start preparations to head to Val Royeaux. Might even leave if time is still good. Politics and all that."
Freydis makes a face, her nose scrunching up. "How boring and troublesome." Politics. She has a love-hate relationship with them. There's very few political areas that she truly cares about. To hell with everything else. "You haven't even given me the details and I already feel like I might die of boredom. Am I going with you?"
"I mean, I was going to take you. Unless you'd rather stay here and be interrogated by Leliana or play swords more with Cullen."
"Only one of those things even sounds remotely tolerable. Besides, you can't leave me behind. I'm your sidekick, remember?"
Kasaanda let's out an ugly gigglesnort with a hand shooting up to cover up her mouth to stifle any other noises she may make. "Okay, okay." she mutters.
The two walk aimlessly for a few minutes until Freydis suddenly gets an idea. "You know, mother did teach me a few remedies that could help with sleepless nights. If you show me where your potion supplies, I'd be more than happy to make you something. I just need-" However, the words die off when she realizes that her plan couldn't work. Her expression falls, souring slightly. "Scratch that idea. I forgot this world is different. I wouldn't even begin to know what ingredients to use, what certain properties the plants here have..."
While Freydis may have a point, that failed idea actually sparks one for Kasaanda. "Come on!" She grabs the other woman's wrist and drags her towards her quarters.
"What's this?! You get your own tiny little house? No fair!" Freydis glances around the one room cabin. It's not much but it's damn better than some floppy, sad tent. There's even a bed! Oh now she's really envious.
"Herald of Andraste, remember?" Kasaanda laughs, digging through her few books. Finally she finds the tome she's looking for and shoves it into Freydis' grasp. "Here! You should read it to me. You'd be learning something new and I'd have something to maybe help settle my mind enough to doze off."
Browns eyes look from the old leather book cover to around the room. "And where am I suppose to sleep? The ground?" She looks again to the bed. It appears to barely be big enough to hold the qunari mage, much less a second person.
Kasaanda grabs a pillow and two blankets before making her way towards the door. "We can sleep in your tent. It'll be like old times." She doesn't even bother to think of how such a situation may appear to everyone else. It's not a priority right now.
It's certainly like old times. The two of them are squished together in the tight space. Kasaanda on one side of the tent and Freydis on the other. Once the two are settled, the dragonborn concentrates and casts an illumination spell strong enough to give her light to see but not overpowering to the point of blinding the two of them. She starts from the beginning, reading through the different plants found in the different regions. When her companion actually manages to fall asleep is unknown.
Evidently, she didn't make it to far in the book, for when she awakes it's laid atop her face, showing where she'd left off; page twenty-three to be exact which happened to be the many uses of elfroot. Freydis blinks, trying to clear the fog from her mind as she looks at her companion, who was deep asleep as apparent by her snoring. It brings a miniscule smile to her face. Freydis can't help herself but watch this strange sight that she hasn't seen for quite some time. It's a comforting sight; a reminder of fun times. Outside it sounds like the world is waking up, which means there'll be work to be done. But she really hates to wake Kasaanda up when she's just now probably getting a good night's sleep. With a sigh, she tucks the book away , and gets off her spot beside the sleeping woman. Slowly and with a quiet footstep, she makes her way out of the tent, careful not to wake the sleeping woman again. She closes the flap behind her before walking outside.