The Desk Of Knight Commander Norrington

[judgemewhole]

Notes and IC journal conversations can go right here

Comments

[judgemewhole]

Yes. It comes from a dragon. [And that's all she gets.]

[chainlightning]

Jaaames!

[judgemewhole]

My lips are sealed. You'll have to return to find out.

[chainlightning]

Well- okay. But I'll return either way, you know!

[judgemewhole]

Yes, but I like giving incentives.

[chainlightning]

Well, then remember that if you don't take care of yourself, I won't have an incentive to come back. Okay?

[judgemewhole]

Okay. I will take care of myself, I promise.

[chainlightning]

And so will I.

I should get some sleep; I have no idea what will be at the fortress in the morning.

[judgemewhole]

Maker, I hadn't realized it was so late ... yes, please, excuse me. Go get some sleep. Good night, Merrill.

[chainlightning]

[ With a slight laugh: ] Normally, I wouldn't mind.

Good night, James.

and then the very next day.

[chainlightning]

[ Sounding both nervous and like she's trying not to be overheard: ]

We're in the fortress and being allowed to stay. The First Warden is away, visiting the King. There's a man here who is probably Venatori. The Warden mages are still bound to demons.

[ Facts first, quick and each important, and then a sigh. ]

I'll be safe. I'm with Anders and Nathaniel and Mal, and his mabari. But it's- things are not right here, James. I don't think it's just your Templars that Corypheus reached, but I also don't know if these Wardens even realize it.

How's the desert?

Re: and then the very next day.

[judgemewhole]

Maker's Breath.

[And this is James hissing out, trying to be as quiet as he can himself.]

Merrill, that is very bad -- have any of you spoken to Ser Kief? She's a Templar - she should be able to take out the Venatori safely and perhaps find a way to disconnect the mages without ... without them turning into abominations.

[A pause, then a sigh.]

They've made it out of the Rift. All of them, including the other Wardens. They are .... bruised, and battered. But they are alive.

[chainlightning]

Both Ser Kief and Anders think they may be able to figure something out, though Warden-Commander Clarel doesn't seem to know how she feels about that -- probably because of what they did out of fear to get them like that. The mages and demons are being kept locked away in a different part of the fortress; they won't let us in. I don't know where the Venatori went -- they called him 'Macrinus'. He didn't want us to have our weapons, but High Constable Fulk overruled him. He doesn't seem to like him very much. We saw one of the mages -- he was alive, but I don't know that he was all the way... here. They seem to think they're "of sound mind", but it wasn't... right. And he had a Despair demon following him around, just- just right there.

[ Because he needs to know. Because for all her promises, Merrill doesn't actually know if they'll make it out of this, or if they'll be able to make it back in time. Whatever happens, someone else needs to know.

At least James has some good news. ]

Thank the Creators, and the Maker, and anyone else who helped.

[judgemewhole]

[Well, now James's concern is rocketed through the roof.]

Merrill, did it seem like the mage was being ... controlled? Did he seem dull-witted, slow to answer you?

[Maker's breath, he should have gone with them. He'd studied the effects of blood magic for years. His next words were terse.]

The rest of the Inquisition can handle their recovery. Should I be gathering up all the Templars I've found, telling Seeker Pentaghast and heading up there after you?

[chainlightning]

I- yes. Like he was speaking through a fog, trying to think through it, too.

It's a long journey, and I'm certain many of those Templars need to rest -- I don't know if you'll make it in time, because I'm certain they'll do something if they find out more Templars are coming, and we can't really just- invade the Grey Wardens. But- you should tell the advisors what I've told you, yes. If something goes wrong, or if you don't hear from me...

Just- tell them everything.

[judgemewhole]

[James is gripping the crystal so tightly that it is imprinted on his hand. Merrill, Ingrid ... Maker's Breath, what was happening there?]

[Then ... there is a pause.]

Did you say Mal?

[Some glimmer of hope, there.]

[chainlightning]

Yes. And his dog!

[ dogs c: ]

Why?

[judgemewhole]

[Right, there were many Mals. With dogs. It could be any one of them.]

Malcolm Reynolds? And his dog, Jayne?

[chainlightning]

Yes, those are the ones. And his horse is called Sasha.

[ In case that... has some relevance... ]

[judgemewhole]

All right. Then he'll know what you're talking about when I tell you, if you get into a tight corner with the Wardens and you need to find a way to get to the heart of your particular problem ... tell him Norrington said, Frilly Pink Bonnet.

[chainlightning]

I.

What?

[judgemewhole]

It's ...

It's an insurance policy. It's something that may or may not help you, if that damned fool remembers.

[chainlightning]

He's a friend. He'll help either way.

[ she is Not Getting It ]

[judgemewhole]

[Hm. All right. Describing the whole plan will probably ... not do well with the plan, but he can at least explain this part.]

It's a ... thief's technique, Merrill. Something that will help you get around the Wardens if need be.

crystal;

[eviscerates]

( There's rain in the background, because Hello from the Fallow Mire. )

Hi, Knight Commander? My name’s Ruby.

Uh, sorry to contact you kind of out of the blue, but Councillor LeBlanc and I have been working on an idea for a sort of… Inquisition team building morale boosting… thing… and I wondered if it might be of interest. To you.

( She is really out of practice with this stuff, wow. Snow was usually the talker. Princesses, man. )