9:20 Dragon
Her name is Mari, and she's bored out of her mind.
She's sitting in the back of a wagon, trying to find a comfortable position on top of the sack of dried beans. It's a futile mission; every movement just jabs her in a different spot with a hard morsel, and at this point Mari's considering just throwing the stupid thing out the wagon completely. Coupled with the insufferable midday heat, and Carver constantly asking why they had to leave when all his friends were still in Amaranthine, and, well, Mari just might jump out and run all the way to Lothering, if it would make this trip go faster.
Mari throws some hair over her shoulder, irritated again by the stray ends which kept sticking to her sweat-stained cheek. It seems kind of unfair that while she's stuck on a sack of beans spitting out loose ends, Bethany is sitting on a rolled-up rug, quite serenely reading one of the books Dad bought from a passing merchant. Mari checks the cover, and, yup, it's another one about Andraste. Mari never saw the appeal of the Chantry herself (weekend sermons at the Chant were so boring), but ever since her magic happened, Bethany's become obsessed. She could probably recite the entire Chant from memory at this point, while all Mari can remember is something about fire and light and the Maker. If something in the Chant granted immunity to heatstroke and painless wagon trips, as Bethany's perfect posture seemed to imply, well then, Mari was just about ready to sign up as a lay sister.
If she did, though, Carver would probably try become Revered Mother. Mari glances over at her other sibling, who had demanded to sit up front with Mom but had been relegated to a crate of carrots near the front. As always, he's somehow managed to be the most miserable person on the road, grouchily hunched over a dagger he's trying to sharpen with a whetstone. Even though he's only nine, and he's about as graceful as a drunken druffalo, Carver insisted he get a dagger as well after Mari received one for her birthday. Malcolm acquiesced and so Carver and Mari both learnt knifeplay from their father. Secretly, though, Mari didn't think Carver had the aptitude. Still, she doesn't want to discourage her baby brother, so she teases and smirks and laughs, because Carver responds to her more when he thinks it's a competition. Give him a taste of sympathy and you're more likely to get your hand bitten off. Challenge, though, that's what whets Carver's appetite.
So that's why, instead of tying up her hair and going over to show Carver how to angle the whetstone so that it doesn't snap the blade in half, Mari leans backwards so that she can poke Bethany with her toe. Bethany looks up, momentarily startled at being pulled out of the world of the Maker and heroics and burning women. Mari mouths "watch this" at Bethany, and Bethany does that thing where she looks both anxious and eager.
Mari reaches into her makeshift seat and pulls out a bean. She tosses it in the air, getting a feel for its weight, before tossing it in Carver's direction with sideways sweep of her hand. Bethany makes a little squeak of protest and excitement.
The bean nails Carver between his eyes, right in the furrows of his eternal frown. Startled, he drops the whetstone, but has enough presence of mind to keep a grip on the dagger. He looks up, and when he sees Mari roaring with laughter and Bethany desperately hiding her giggles behind her book, he gets to his feet and jumps at his sister. And then they're rolling around on the wagon's floor, and Marian (of course) pins Carver and perches on his chest while he desperately wriggles beneath her. And then Carver's shouting "Get off me, Mari!" and Bethany's half-heartedly telling Mari to leave her twin alone, and now Mom's turning around to see what the commotion is. Mari waits for Mom to tell her off twice before she finally swings herself off of Carver, who huffs, more embarrassed at losing again than actually angry at Mari provoking him. As everyone settles back into their normal spots, Mari catches Bethany's eye and winks. When Carver looks up at them, she blows him a kiss. Bethany giggles and Carver grumbles and Mari smirks.
Her name is Mari, and the long trip to Lothering's gotten a little bit more bearable.