The Deep Roads
Nov. 23rd, 2013 12:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Varric does not like being underground.
He's said this before, plenty of times. It's a known fact. He hasn't mentioned it since five minutes after they stepped into the Deep Roads (how Blondie managed to secure those Gray Warden maps of the entrance he doesn't know, but he's grateful). It would be bad form, considering how much of this expedition was his idea in the first place.
But, Maker, it's been four days now- he thinks- and they're still picking their way downwards with no sign of treasure anywhere to distract him from the knowledge of just how much stone is positioned directly over his head. This... this is not his idea of a good thing.
They'd better find the good stuff soon. This is getting way too old for his liking.
He's said this before, plenty of times. It's a known fact. He hasn't mentioned it since five minutes after they stepped into the Deep Roads (how Blondie managed to secure those Gray Warden maps of the entrance he doesn't know, but he's grateful). It would be bad form, considering how much of this expedition was his idea in the first place.
But, Maker, it's been four days now- he thinks- and they're still picking their way downwards with no sign of treasure anywhere to distract him from the knowledge of just how much stone is positioned directly over his head. This... this is not his idea of a good thing.
They'd better find the good stuff soon. This is getting way too old for his liking.
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 05:59 am (UTC)The sound catches the pale-haired dwarf's attention. Sandal turns to the newcomers, smiles brightly, and says, "Hallo!"
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 06:05 am (UTC)Mentally shaking herself of the memory, Hawke releases the pirate's hand and steps forward, crouching down to Sandall's level.
"Well isn't this something. How did you manage to kill all of them?"
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 06:08 am (UTC)But then he nods solemnly and holds out a round grey stone engraved with a peculiarly glimmering dwarven rune on it. "Boom," he says.
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 06:12 am (UTC)It's simple enough, it seems.
"Good job," she praises, then, looks towards the frozen ogre. "What about that?"
There's another long set of beats, where it doesn't seem like the boy it going to answer. When he does, though, it's just as enigmatic as 'boom'.
"Not enchantment."
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 06:15 am (UTC)To Hawke and Merrill- mostly- he adds, "We can't keep him with us, and I'm not about to send him back on his own. Seems like he'll be all right here, though."
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 06:20 am (UTC)She straightens, looking down at Sandall.
"You'll remember that, right? S-"
The boy nods emphatically.
"Smart boy. Stay here."
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 06:26 am (UTC)And, preferably, away from that.... frozen ogre.
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 06:33 am (UTC)That ogre is just too damn unsettling.
She clasps the buy warmly on the shoulder before they head off, leaving him with a bit of food and her canteen for the moment.
"Let's go kill some more darkspawn."
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 05:32 pm (UTC)No, a paved floor. And here the pillars aren't stalactites and stalagmites grown together, but carven stone- dwarven work. The dim red glare of what's probably the lava-stuff again shows them at regular intervals, and some carvings of what might be old, old dwarven script.
No wonder there are darkspawn howling in the distance.
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 05:46 pm (UTC)"Well then, this looks pretty impressive. Think it means we're on the right track?"
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 05:48 pm (UTC)Naturally, the darkspawn sounds are coming from the left.
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 05:54 pm (UTC)Hawke just groans frustratedly at the noises.
"So, I'd like to make a motion. After this is all said and done, no more darkspawn or Deep Roads ever again."
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 05:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 06:06 pm (UTC)That seems to be their luck these days, after all.
"People are going to come ask me to help save their second cousin or some such from the deep roads," she says, picking up on her previous thread of thought. "'Please, Hawke, save them!', and I'm just going to laugh. One of you hit me if I don't."
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 06:15 pm (UTC)"Tell you what, Hawke," says Varric as they make their way down a half-flight of stairs into a vast room lit on one side by an enormous lyrium vein and on the other by ancient dwarven lamps of some red stuff too shielded to see clearly. "I'll make a special point of paying for the courier to go find the nearest Gray Warden instead next time, personally. We can leave the darkspawn to the professionals. How does that sound?"
This room doesn't end in a tunnel, unlike the chambers they've encountered before this. At the far end a half-flight of stairs leads up to a heavy-looking iron-bound door.
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 06:30 pm (UTC)With that, Hawke leads the way up the stairs, muscling the ancient door open and-
There's a roar, and a yep, and...
What happened earlier, with Merrill and the spider? That's now replaced with Hawke, her daggers, and an ogre.
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 06:33 pm (UTC)At least the ogre's big enough that Varric can target some of its bulk without fear of hitting Hawke, right?
... that's a lot of ogre blood flying around the room.
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 06:36 pm (UTC)The ogre roars, staggering to the ground and staying down.
Hawke, meanwhile, shows no signs of stopping her assault.
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 06:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 06:44 pm (UTC)"Ah...sorry about that..."
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 06:49 pm (UTC)"Hawke?" calls Merrill, who's crept around the edges of the room to peer ahead just in case. "It's half-collapsed out there, but I don't see anything moving. I think we should be all right..."
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 06:56 pm (UTC)"Alright," she calls to the elf, stepping away from the beast to head in her direction. "We'll be right there."
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 07:06 pm (UTC)Although Varric finds himself sniffing the air unhappily as the dull red glow of a much larger chamber ahead starts to penetrate the dimness. "Hawke," he says, "I don't like that smell, do you? That's not darkspawn."
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 07:12 pm (UTC)"It doesn't," she answers, her mind trying to place the odd scent until...
"Oh no...no no no, I am calling cheat on this one, to whatever higher power is up there."
no subject
Date: 2013-12-15 07:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From: