//Oops sorry I disappeared from here for a few days! I'm gonna try to get to stuff tonight between working on a costume, though. In the meantime, feel free to message me if you're interested in plotting or anything! :3
She didn’t know this man, but he hadn’t tried to kill her yet, which was always a good start.  He’d actually helped her, which was an even better start.  Catriona nodded in firm agreement as he suggested rest, following him to the clearing.
Confident that here was safer, she sat down on the ground and rested her head on her knees, the adrenalin from her flight fading in a rush.  ”Do you know these mountains well?” she asked, raising her head so she could speak to him properly and politely looking at who she was talking to.
Casper mirrored the stranger's movements, sitting across from her a few feet away. He leaned back, resting his hands in the dirt to prop himself up as he regarded her with kind eyes, though never meeting her gaze for more than a few seconds. Paying close attention to the woman's motions, he noticed how exhausted she seemed to be and pulled the water skin from his belt to offer to her.
Unsure of how he should approach the inevitable topic of what had just happened, the man opted to avoid inquiring about it for now. He decided, instead, to speak as normally as one would when meeting someone under any other (less violent) circumstances.
"I'm familiar with them, yes. I don't know every nook or cranny, but I can find my way through them." His voice carried a pleasant tone, though it did not hide his timidity. As he spoke, a rather mangy looking mutt padded up to him from behind some brush. The large dog's tongue lolled out from the grin he wore and the archer placed a gentle hand on his head. "This is Pip," Casper said, smiling at the dog as though he were the man's pride and joy. Turning back to the woman, he continued, "And I'm Casper."
She didn’t question the suggestion any further, not about to look the change in her fortune even if trusting strangers wasn’t something she did very often.  She skidded into the brush and mirrored his concealment amongst the trees, her heart thundering in her ears.
Catriona forced her breathing to slow down and her heart rate with it, trying to listen for her pursuers.
"Sodding… we’ve lost her."
"She can’t have gone that far!"
"Ain’t like we’ll be able to catch her with Jay in this state," said another, presumably referring to the injured man.
"Aye. Let’s get back to the others. If we’re lucky, we’ll run into her again before hitting the city."
She waited in silence a little longer, hoping it was enough for the mercenaries to move away, at least out of earshot.  ”Thank you,” she said in a soft whisper, genuinely grateful for this man’s intervention.  ”I don’t think I could have taken them if they’d caught up to me.”
It was an admission of weakness she wasn’t proud of, but it was the truth.  She was tired, hungry, far from at her best, and they had the advantage of strength and numbers - this time, at least.
Casper pulled back into the trees as the woman skidded between them, then pushed his back up against one, tilting his head to listen to the men that had been chasing her. He allowed a heavy breath to leave his lungs - this stranger's pursuers had been gotten rid of, for now at least.Â
Pushing himself from the trunk that he'd been leaning on, he turned his attention to the woman beside him as she spoke. A soft smile pulled at his lips and he looked down to his feet. "I'm happy to have helped," he said quietly through his slight accent. "There were a lot of them - any one person would have had a rough time taking them all on at once."
Casper stepped further into his quiet little clearing beyond the path, motioning that the woman should follow. He spoke once more, still quietly, his shyness evident in his tone. "They sounded like they might come back. You should rest while you can."
   As soon as the potion had flown past his lips and down his throat the wound in his side slowly started to heal, and bring the thief’s consciousness back.
   ❝Fasta vass!❞ he cursed as te tried to sit up, but already a second later pressing his hand against his forehead again and sinking back. He looked around again, he was still at the market place.. oh how ungraceful, and then up to his savior.
   ❝Ah.. thank you Serah…❞ again he forced himself to sit up, ignoring the painful throbbing in his head this time.
Casper jumped slightly as the man cursed, startled by his sudden return to consciousness. He tried to hide his shock with a smile as he carefully watched the other man's movements.
His hand remained hovering anxiously behind the stranger's head as he sat up, lest he pass out once more. Not expecting to be offered anything in return, Casper was surprised, made clear as he stumbled over his words. "Oh, nothing! It's. You don't owe me anything, Serah. I'm just happy to have helped!"
Surprised by being addressed so suddenly, Casper was clearly very nervous as he spoke. "Oh! Um... Its... I'm not sure that you owe a pleasure. I'm just... I'm not quite sure where I am. What uh. What city is this? I've lost my map on the way here." He offered a smile, trying to conceal how awkward he felt.Â
Catriona wasn’t the praying sort, but right now, she just wanted the Maker or whoever it was who pulled the strings to give her a break.
She scrambled up the mountain path, stones skittering under her feet. Â The plan was to take the narrow mountain paths as opposed to the wide mountain pass in order to avoid the Flint Company and whatever other mercenaries that were heading south. Â
Unfortunately, that made her road long and with fewer places to rest - and despite her best efforts, she somehow managed to have a Flint scouting party on her tail.
She heard an arrow whistle behind her and thunk into the ground.  Almost within range.  She kept running, at least until she could get to the plateau ahead and make a proper stand.
A dark coal pulled across the surface of stained paper, sketching a remarkably well proportioned and anatomically correct picture of an odd species of moth Casper had only ever seen mere moments ago. The insect rested peacefully on a tree trunk not 3 feet from where the man sat.
That was, of course, until the distinct sound of an arrow let loose whirred through the air and missed its target. As the moth rapidly fluttered away from the ruckus, the man's head snapped to attention in intrigue. Such noise had not been common in this part of the mountains - at least not since he'd been here.Â
Listening closely, he heard rapid footsteps far nearer than he'd expected, trailed by many others not far off. Someone was being chased. Casper rose swiftly, allowing his paper and coal to drop and pulling his bow from his back as he did so. He moved quietly up toward the path, readying his bow as he realized that he wasn't yet sure who's side he was on.
The man peered beyond the trees that concealed him, glancing either way along the path. At one end, he saw a woman running, and at the other were men wearing armor that he recognized as belonging to the Flint Company. He'd heard rumors of the Company's dastardly plans not long ago, and quickly decided that they were the foes in what would soon become his battle.
Though not yet certain if he was willing to kill for this stranger, Casper decided that he ought to do something. Still hidden amongst the trees, he fired a warning shot, sinking an arrow into one man's thigh. The target shrieked in anguish and his comrades slowed to a stop, shouting in confusion.Â
In their moment of pause, the archer dashed away from them, hoping to catch the woman before she was too far gone. Popping his head out from beyond the foliage, he called out to her in a whisper. "Come back here, off the path. They may not be able to see you!"
Heavy steps dug into the sand as Casper walked up the path's considerable incline, Pip striding happily beside him. Though the high-noon's sun was warm against his skin, a nearly constant breeze blew among the rocky cliffs of the Wounded Coast. The archer closed his eyes with a slight smile in one such gust of air as he reached the top of this particular hill.
Casper stepped carefully to the outer edge of the path before moving to sit atop a rock overlooking the water so far below. He was due for a break, and what better place than this to take it? His mutt laid across his lap as the man took a deep breath of the ocean air and admired his surroundings.
It wasn't often that Casper was so near to the sea, as he most commonly resided within forests or cities, so he was quite appreciative of the coast's environment. He'd heard this area was a rather dangerous one, but that had yet to be proven to him, So, for the time, he was quite pleased to be here.Â
After awhile, his wandering mind was brought to attention by the sound of another's footsteps up the path. His shoulders tensed slightly as Pip lifted his head, far too aware that this may very well be the proof he had hoped to avoid. Slowly, the archer turned his head toward the sound with curiosity, only to find a figure already standing at the top of the very hill he'd climbed.
In the years that Casper has been living his nomadic lifestyle, he's seen and experienced a considerable amount of Thedas.
After leaving Nordbotten, he set his sights on leaving Anderfels. This was a difficult feat, however, as he had never before lived on his own and was by no means accustomed to building his own shelter. He built himself a shoddy roof between two trees after a single night spent sleeping in the woods just outside of town and stayed there for a week, occasionally creeping back into town for food.Â
Thus, the beginnings of his travel were quite slow. It was three months before he reached the outskirts of the country, somewhere south of Weisshaupt. In the last week of this journey, Casper had grown increasingly ill, until eventually collapsing in a field of crops. He was lucky to have fallen there, however, as he just so happened to be strewn amongst the cabbages belonging to a friendly farm family who nursed him back to health.
He ended up staying at the farm for over a year, helping them in every way that he could once recovered. In his time there, the archer grew close with the whole family, particularly Gunther, the farmer's son who was about the same age as Casper. Though they have not been in contact in many years, the man still happily considers Gunther one of his best friends.
After what he can only explain as a tragic misunderstanding with shocking consequences, Casper was pushed to leave the farm. He travelled south-east until he met the Imperial Highway just north of Cumberland. There, he was greeted with a carriage full of prostitutes from Nevarra heading to Orlais on business. Never having been made aware of the correlation between 'prostitutes' and 'whores', the nearly 18 year old had no idea that these women were of the very variety that his mother had warned him to stay away from (not that such a thing mattered now).
These lovely ladies, overjoyed with the amount of coin they had received for their journey, invited Casper to ride along with them. He took up their offer, happy not to have to travel by foot for a time. Not to mention, their company was something he appreciates to this day. They were a lively bunch that found no small amount of joy in the archer's naivete about their lifestyle, though they all but coddled him, pleased to just mildly corrupt his boyish mind.Â
The group took him all the way to Val Royeaux with them. At that point, they grew quite busy with their work, though a few of them would still meet up with him in taverns when they had the chance. One woman in particular, Lykke, had gone on a few touristy outings with Casper, most often trying some of Orlais' finest chocolates (as was her custom when visiting any place other than her own home town). The two remain friends to this day, exchanging letters and chocolate from the places they've visited.
After 6 months of seeing the different parts of Orlais, Casper decided it was time he moved on, if for no other reason than to see more of Thedas. He travelled along the Imperial Highway for a time before reaching Verchiel and heading south into the Dales. Careful not to disturb anyone else living in the area, he took his time through the forest, residing totally and completely on his own. He lived that way for another month before returning to the highway and heading into Ferelden.Â
Upon entering the country, Casper had realized that he had considerable skill in fletching and used this as a means to make some coin whenever he'd make his way into towns. He spent nearly a year in Ferelden, between enjoying its wilderness as well as its cities as he zig-zagged through the country.
With some of the coin he'd earned, the man travelled across the Waking Sea and into Kirkwall. Having arrived only a few years after the massive influx of refugees, Casper put all his efforts into helping those impacted by the Blight. He offered nearly all the coin he could make to those in need, assembling and passing out care packages for yet another year.
Finding there was little more he could do to help and exhausted by the amount of interaction he had pushed himself into, he eventually left Kirkwall to explore the Vimmark Mountains. He spent a month in solitude before reemerging into civilization, only to seek transport from Ostwick to wherever a ship would take him.
He caught a boat headed for an unknown destination, free of charge so long as he assisted with the grunt work. Within about 2 weeks, the man was given a job far beyond the boundaries of what he'd signed up for - disposing of a body.
At this point, Casper learned that the the ship was transporting a great number of so called 'recruits' for the Antivan crows - a collection of young boys who were not being fed. After it had been made perfectly clear to him that he was not at all to intervene, the archer silently protested by bringing any and all scraps of food to the boys held captive in the ship's hold, including the majority of his own meals.Â
By the time the boat had reached Antiva, Casper had concocted an elaborate plan to help the remaining boys escape. Much to everyone's surprise, he succeeded, bringing the children to the first Chantry he could find. Despite his own opposition to Andrastian faith, he was certain that the Chantry would care for these young boys and keep them safe.Â
Unfortunately, though expectedly, his efforts did not go unnoticed by the crows. It was not long before the young man was made aware of the bounty on his own head, and somehow he knew that Antiva would not sympathize with his valiant efforts. So, from there, he fled into the Arlathan forest, where he lived an entire year by himself.
Eventually, he emerged, scruffy and somehow even less accustomed to social interaction than before, and made his way east to Rivain. He spent only a short time there, his quiet nature beyond outmatched by the vast personality of the country. While he could appreciate the wide reaching open-mindedness of Rivain, he was not at all suited to be among its people.
And so, he left after two months of all but hiding in its city's outskirts, only to find that they were perhaps worse for his mental health. He took a ship (careful to ensure that it harbored not a single person affiliated with the crows) back to Ferelden.
From here, Casper travelled without goal, sometimes spending a great deal of time here or there, simply because he enjoyed the people he'd observe. He still moves all over Thedas, though much more aware of where he knows he's comfortable.
The late afternoon's sun forced Casper's eyes into a squint as he traveled directly into its light. The Orlesian forests just west of Val Chevin were beautiful, but they did little to block out the sun's brightness on its setting path. Certainly, this was only a problem due to the archer's own decision to move westward at this hour - a fact he accepted and continued on, a sleeved arm moving to rest upon his forehead in attempt to block the light.
In truth, his exposure to this circumstance was without purpose, as he had absolutely nowhere to be. He'd recently been into town to sell what he could and restock any supplies he could see himself needing in the near future. Casper was simply in the mood to walk...in the wrong direction, apparently. Pippin, his mutt, followed happily behind him, smart enough to remain in the man's shadow to shield his own eyes.
After a long while of striding along, the archer was drawn from his thoughts by a quiet whining behind him. The sound was only ever presented to him with good reason, and so Casper turned slowly and kneeled next to his companion. Placing a gentle hand upon the animal's back, he spoke just barely above a whisper. "Was ist das, Pip?"
The dog's eyes were focused ahead of him, so the man craned his neck to listen carefully. It wasn't long before he caught a faint rustling just past some nearby bushes. Given that Pippin seemed more concerned than was to be expected with your average rustling, Casper decided he'd look into its source.
He stood to his full height before carefully stepping forward, fearful of intruding upon...well...whatever one might find in the forest. Gingerly, he pushed past a few bushes and poked his head out from behind a tree where he was greeted with the sight of what was clearly someone's camp. Blue eyes scanned over the area, not immediately able to locate whoever it was that may be staying there, so the man quietly called out. "Helloo?"
âťťI am.. not lost but I..âťž his words breathless, one hand holding his side, still trying to grin like usually.
   ❝..might need a doctor..❞ and with those words his consciousness and body gave up and fell before the stranger.
Casper's eyes widened in shock as the stranger fell before him. He swiftly moved to kneel beside the unconscious body, fearful that moving him would cause further injury.Â
A large, gentle hand slipped beneath the man's head as the other ripped a healing potion from his own belt. The archer gingerly pressed the vile to the other man's lips, hoping it would serve to awaken him, at least. He clenched his jaw, impatient to learn of the potion's results.
Casper kept a keen eye on the two rowdy tavern patrons just a few strides away.
"...If my judgement is right, I'm fairly certain that a fight's about to break out." He murmured curiously to no one in particular.
Another enemy managed to be taken down by the time his still unnamed fighting companion fired a shot into his main enemy’s arm. The shot hadn’t quite been what Theo wanted, but beggars couldn’t quite be choosers. He’d take any help he could get and this amount would suffice. The arrow had lodged itself in between the connections of the giant hurlock’s shoulder armor which gave Theo enough time to sneak in a quick attack. The elf’s dagger sliced at an open area at the beast’s side, snagging a satisfying stab into its torso before immediately retracting the blade. A growl of pained rage bellowed from the creature but Theo had already turned his attentions to one last foe charging him from behind.
A single leg swung up in a high kick as the other one was planted straight and balanced against the forest floor. Just as the dashing genlock raised its sword, Theo’s leg swung back and his knee bent, catching it in a sturdy headlock to swing it down to the ground with a swift and rigid crouch. It seemed either impeccable or just damned lucky timing to duck to the ground as the hurlock’s giant axe swept over Theo where his head had just been not a second prior. Finding the massive darkspawn still regaining itself from the swing of its weapon, the warden took the advantage and sliced into the tendons of its legs. Once it had toppled to the ground, he quickly finished off the genlock still in his clutches before finally driving his dagger into the eye slot of the biggest brute’s helmet.
Dark, sweat-laden hair whipped to the side as Theo finally had a moment of reprieve to stand up straight and still. His chest heaved with exhausted breaths while looking out over the group of corpses littering the ground, then finally up to the archer who had very well saved his sorry arse.
“…Oy!" He grinned with a dirty and blood-smeared face. A hand shot up to offer a wide and enthusiastic wave over his head, "I’m Theo!”
Though the archer had readied his bow once more, it seemed there was nothing else he could do for this battle. Dropping his arms, though still holding his weapon so that it may be used if needed, he watched intently on as the elf felled his enemies.Â
Certainly Casper had seen battles before, but none waged quite so skillfully as the one he'd just witnessed. Been a part of, he corrected himself, eyes just barely widening at the thought. He hadn't meant to compliment his own contribution - he was simply used to using his bow. But this fellow he'd been watching was quite a sight to behold. As far as Casper was concerned, this stranger was as skilled with daggers as they come.
And what in the world had they been fighting? Did this man seek these wretched creatures out? Why? Well to rid the world of them, clearly. And good riddance. The archer would be pleased to never lay eyes on another of these things again.
Suddenly he was brought back to attention by a lively greeting from the elf. A smile pulled at his lips and Casper relaxed his arms, replacing his arrow to his quiver and his bow to his back before returning the wave shyly and striding over. "Theo." he repeated, nodding as his grin grew wider. "I'm Casper. Its a pleasure to meet you!" His slightly accented voice sounded quietly as he offered a handshake.
Casper is almost always smiling, but he tends to keep his lips closed when he does, concealing his teeth. That slight bit of hiding himself is due to his shy nature, though his smile is still warm and welcoming. Whenever he laughs or smiles so wide that his teeth do show, however, he often turns away slightly in a subconscious attempt to hide it.
âť– describe their hands
His hands are quite large, calloused and rough from his years of archery and fletching.Â
âťž write a quote they would find themselves saying
snowghoul
pixelskylines
dailybridgerton
