No, not really, just a lot of exceedingly dull rumors, [ she's clearly feigning boredom because she knows that this particular rumor would hold his interest. ]
Apparently someone's working on making a new puppet show based on some old Orlesian stories. What were they called...? Blue Dog? Brown Falcon? Something like that.
[ Her half-hearted pen duel is quickly lost so she can force his hand in her own defeat, pretending to be grievously injured in the shoulder the way heroes always are. ]
[ Look it's hard to gossip after committing to a secretive bit. But she snaps out of it to fold her arms on the bench and divulge, because it's Bastien and he loves the Black Fox. ]
So I don't know when, but I have it on good authority that a guy called Guillory is adapting the stories.
the Black Fox was known for nothing so much as he was known for friendship—for befriending his enemy, for forgiving his betrayer. And perhaps it was not the insult that moved you, but kindness toward your friend?
[ Test passed, she puts away that sparkle and lets her eyes just be normal eyes again. ]
Hmmm...I liked the story of Ghilan'nain and the First Halla, and anything to do with the Emerald Knights, though the one about Elandrin and Adelene was my favorite.
Ghilan'nain is Mother of the Halla, but before that she was Andruil's beloved. Andruil being Goddess of the Hunt, 'course.
[ A little wave to accentuate that 'course, because it's a given and she assumes Bastien will play along. ]
One day, while hunting in the forest, Ghilan'nain came across a hunter. At his feet lay a hawk, shot through the heart by an arrow. Ghilan'nain was filled with rage, for the hawk and the hare are creatures much loved by Andruil. Ghilan'nain demanded that the hunter make an offering to Andruil, in exchange for taking the life of one of her creatures. The hunter refused, and Ghilan'nain called upon the goddess to curse him, so that he could never again hunt and kill a living creature.
Ghilan'nain's curse took hold, and the hunter found that he was unable to hunt. His prey would dart out of sight and his arrows would fly astray. His friends and family began to mock him for his impotence, for what use is a hunter who cannot hunt? Ashamed, the hunter swore he would find Ghilan'nain and repay her for what she had done to him.
[ He's listening closely enough that he doesn't try to write at the same time, just eats more cheese, in a thoughtful and slow way. He's swallowed in time to say, during her pause, ]
[ No arguments there, the tip of Athessa's head says. ]
He found Ghilan'nain while she was out on a hunt with her sisters, and lured her away from them. He told her he'd learned his lesson and begged her to come with him, so she could teach him to make a proper offering to Andruil. Moved by his plea, Ghilan'nain followed the hunter, and when they were away from all of her sisters, the hunter turned on her. He blinded her, then bound her as one would bind a fresh kill from the hunt. But because he was cursed, the hunter could not kill her. Instead he left her for dead in the forest.
Ghilan'nain prayed to the gods for help. She prayed to Elgar'nan for vengeance, to Mother Mythal to protect her, but with all her heart she prayed to Andruil. Andruil sent her hares to Ghilan'nain and they chewed through the ropes that bound her, but Ghilan'nain was still wounded and blind, and couldn't find her way home. So Andruil turned her into a beautiful white deer, and Ghilan'nain found her way back to her sisters, and led them to the hunter, who was brought to justice.
[ For the ending, she adopts a wizened accent, like that of the elder of her clan: ]
Since then, the halla have guided our People, and have never led us astray, for they listen to the voice of Ghilan'nain.
[ He's a reactive listener—frowning at the deception, wincing at the blinding and binding, then transitioning into a melancholy sort of relief at the conclusion, before ultimately smiling at her old person act. ]
I like that. I'm glad she was rescued. But did she remain a halla forever? Do you think she was happy?
The way the Keeper always told it, she stayed a halla forever, and though Andruil still loved her, they could never be together. When we have to bury our dead, [ Which he should know, since he'll have to be witness to such things, ] we sacrifice a halla in Andruil's name so Ghilan'nain's spirit can guide our souls to the Beyond, and afterwards be reunited with her beloved.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Apparently someone's working on making a new puppet show based on some old Orlesian stories. What were they called...? Blue Dog? Brown Falcon? Something like that.
no subject
[ He's briefly too excited to be offended by the transparently fake name-forgetting. ]
Who? When? –and if you call him the Blue Dog again, [ now he can be offended, ] I will cry.
no subject
I'll— I'll never tell! Augh!
no subject
Is this really what you want to die for? A puppet show?
no subject
[ She fake-spits off to one side, tilting her chin up for a cleaner target. ]
I will never betray the Black Fox's secret!
no subject
Good. You have passed the first test.
no subject
And continue not divulging anything about any rumored Black Fox puppet shows. ]
Maybe we should add pen dueling to our training, since you're clearly far more proficient in it than I am.
no subject
[ He eats more bread. He's not given up on the puppet show, but he isn't going to talk with his mouth full. ]
no subject
no subject
I did no such thing. [ And back to the important things: ] Is the show happening in Kirkwall?
no subject
Hm? Oh, probably. Eventually. Who knows, really?
no subject
no subject
[ Look it's hard to gossip after committing to a secretive bit. But she snaps out of it to fold her arms on the bench and divulge, because it's Bastien and he loves the Black Fox. ]
So I don't know when, but I have it on good authority that a guy called Guillory is adapting the stories.
no subject
no subject
[ She presses her face into her forearms, truly an image of dismay. ]
Damn it!
no subject
[ Momentously. ]
the Black Fox was known for nothing so much as he was known for friendship—for befriending his enemy, for forgiving his betrayer. And perhaps it was not the insult that moved you, but kindness toward your friend?
no subject
Yes, exactly that, I was moved to show kindness because friendship is the most important thing in life.
no subject
Then you have passed the third test. Two out of three. Not bad.
Guillory. I will find him, and I will make sure he is giving the Black Fox his due.
[ He won’t, of course. He has work to do. ]
The Dalish must have their heroes too. Was there a story you loved when you were small?
no subject
Hmmm...I liked the story of Ghilan'nain and the First Halla, and anything to do with the Emerald Knights, though the one about Elandrin and Adelene was my favorite.
[ Those might be telling, but who knows. ]
no subject
no subject
[ A little wave to accentuate that 'course, because it's a given and she assumes Bastien will play along. ]
One day, while hunting in the forest, Ghilan'nain came across a hunter. At his feet lay a hawk, shot through the heart by an arrow. Ghilan'nain was filled with rage, for the hawk and the hare are creatures much loved by Andruil. Ghilan'nain demanded that the hunter make an offering to Andruil, in exchange for taking the life of one of her creatures. The hunter refused, and Ghilan'nain called upon the goddess to curse him, so that he could never again hunt and kill a living creature.
Ghilan'nain's curse took hold, and the hunter found that he was unable to hunt. His prey would dart out of sight and his arrows would fly astray. His friends and family began to mock him for his impotence, for what use is a hunter who cannot hunt? Ashamed, the hunter swore he would find Ghilan'nain and repay her for what she had done to him.
no subject
Men are terrible.
no subject
He found Ghilan'nain while she was out on a hunt with her sisters, and lured her away from them. He told her he'd learned his lesson and begged her to come with him, so she could teach him to make a proper offering to Andruil. Moved by his plea, Ghilan'nain followed the hunter, and when they were away from all of her sisters, the hunter turned on her. He blinded her, then bound her as one would bind a fresh kill from the hunt. But because he was cursed, the hunter could not kill her. Instead he left her for dead in the forest.
Ghilan'nain prayed to the gods for help. She prayed to Elgar'nan for vengeance, to Mother Mythal to protect her, but with all her heart she prayed to Andruil. Andruil sent her hares to Ghilan'nain and they chewed through the ropes that bound her, but Ghilan'nain was still wounded and blind, and couldn't find her way home. So Andruil turned her into a beautiful white deer, and Ghilan'nain found her way back to her sisters, and led them to the hunter, who was brought to justice.
[ For the ending, she adopts a wizened accent, like that of the elder of her clan: ]
Since then, the halla have guided our People, and have never led us astray, for they listen to the voice of Ghilan'nain.
no subject
I like that. I'm glad she was rescued. But did she remain a halla forever? Do you think she was happy?
no subject
[ Athessa shrugs, gesturing with her pen. ]
There's a lot left to interpretation, though.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)