Andaran atish'an

--er, hello, that is. My name is Merrill, former First to Keeper Marethari of the Sabrae Clan. Oh, dear, but I'm rambling. I'm so sorry. What was your name again?

[arcane-blood-art-blog]

MERRILL / JOWAN

[arcane-blood-art-blog]

“I have a bit of a headache,” he replied in a raspy voice, reaching an arm up and around her to draw her in closer to him. “Other than that…” Jowan sighed and shook his head. “It feels like a bad dream still.”

More and more the hazy details were coming into focus, and he began to fear that maybe she would run away from him after what little of the truth she did find out about him; why the templars were seeking him out. He was afraid to admit that he couldn’t exactly blame her, either. Now both of their lives were in danger more than ever. “…Are you alright?” he asked carefully.

[merrillthefirst-blog]

Merrill sat up and covered her eyes with her hands, not daring to look at Jowan. "I hate it. I hate blood magic," she replied, shaking her head. "It was never supposed to be like this." She turned to look at him and lifted a hand to his forehead to check for a fever. It was likely to be exhaustion and nothing more.

Whatever Jowan had done to get the templars from Fereldan to track him all the way to the Free Marches, Merrill wasn't sure it could be any worse than what she had done. Her clan, Marethari... it was her fault for using blood magic, and here she was endangering the man who had grown roots in her heart by using blood magic again.

"Why were they chasing you?" She ran her fingers through his hair and stared at him with worried eyes.

[arcane-blood-art-blog]

MERRILL / JOWAN

Jowan awoke suddenly with a start, gasping as he shot up straight in bed and panicked for a moment until he was able to register where he was at. Dark walls, minimal furnishing of shoddy wood— the pungent smell of incense and candles. That’s when he noticed a distinct warmth against him and looked down to realize that it was Merrill tucked up against him.

A cold sweat glistened on his forehead and upper lip, dark hair sticking to his pale skin as the events of the previous evening replayed in his mind. There was no evidence of the events that had taken place, however, and Jowan began to wonder if, perhaps, it had all just been a terrible dream after all. Once his vision adjusted more and he noticed the door battered down and some of Merrill’s belongings strewn uncharacteristically about, he knew it had been all true. That’s when the wound on his arm began to throb and he groaned as he clutched it carefully. If he had the energy he would have mustered a simple restoration spell, but it was proving to be a chore just to keep sitting up.

Maker, he was tired in every way one could be: physically, mentally, and emotionally. Jowan leaned back against the head board of the bed, but he didn’t sleep again. He also decided to let Merrill wake up on her own. She would no doubt feel more exhausted than he did currently after the amount of mana she used, and… Well, he wasn’t exactly looking forward to revealing more dark secrets of his past.

How were things only becoming more complicated the further he removed himself away from magic?

[merrillthefirst-blog]

Merrill felt Jowan stir and slowly opened her eyes, laying quietly and breathing for a few moments before shifting slightly and snaking one of her arms around Jowan's waist. 

"Are you okay, emma vhenan?" she whispered. Of all the questions swirling around her mind, that was the most important. Her wrist ached awfully, but she knew it would heal with time.

[azurehawke-blog]

Hawke grins; “I’ve been most well.” She replied with a bit of exuberance. “However, if by ‘great adventures’ you mean trudging around the Bone Pit and the Wounded Coast, then yes…they are worth a tale or two.”

It was really nothing to write home about..cleared out a humongous spider or two, but Varric always found a way to make her adventures sound interesting. He might throw in a drake or two and an assassin in for good measure, just to keep the story balanced.

“You should come with me next time.” Hawke offered. She was always happy to have her Dalish friend around, two mages (or even sometimes three) were more fun than just one.

[merrillthefirst-blog]

"I'd love to," she chirped. "You know you can always find me in the alienage if you need a companion. Isabela brought me to some caves along the Wounded Coast recently. Those can be very dangerous." Merrill nodded solemnly. "Why were you at the Bone Pit, Hawke? Are there more dragons there again?"

[isabelaisacaptain-blog]

Merrill || Isabela

[isabelaisacaptain-blog]

As the final shades disappeared, screaming, into the earth, Isabela turned to check on Merrill.  There had been more shades than expected, and though she’d tried to keep as many of them away from her companion as possible, she could see that Merrill had not been completely ignored by the attacks.  She walked over to Merrill and handed her a poultice.

“See,” she said with a weak smile, “aren’t you glad you didn’t miss this?”  She looked around the now quiet cave, making sure nothing was biding its time in the shadows.

[merrillthefirst-blog]

Merrill wiped the sweat off her brow, unknowingly leaving a streak of blood across her forehead. "Oh, ma serannas, Isabela," she said, taking the poultice and attending to the gash on the inside of her elbow. "I have missed having adventures with you. I know that everything will be okay when we're fighting together."

After wrapping her arm, Merrill squatted in front of the chests and continued to examine their contents, doling out which pieces could be sold and which she wanted to keep as artifacts. "What have you been doing lately?" she wondered, focused on her task.

[azurehawke-blog]

merrillthefirst started following you

“Merrill!” Hawke greets, “It’s nice to see you. I trust all is well?”

[merrillthefirst-blog]

"Hello, Hawke!" Merrill beams. "Yes, everything is fine, thank you. How have you been? I'm sure you've been off on some great adventures. I wonder which stories about you Varric will tell next..."

[vigilance-and-glory-blog]

merrillthefirst started following you

A deadpan stare. Oh. “Oh… Hi Merrill.” He said, looking away with a small flush on his face.”

[merrillthefirst-blog]

Merrill smiled at him, bouncing on her toes slightly. He was much taller than she was. It seemed like every time she saw him, he had grown even more. "Andaran atish'an, Carver. Have you been well? I haven't seen you in some time."

[merrillthefirst-blog]

lynamahariel replied to your post: Merrill, is that really you? Haven’t expected to find you hanging around in this dirty city…

Lyna smiled at her, “I am still here so I guess the Archdemon lost the battle. And I’m not sick anymore… at least not in the Way I had been before… But tell me, what happend to you? Why are you living among all those flat-ears now?”

Merrill faltered. "I... I live in the Alienage with the other elves," she quickly said, avoiding the question as much as possible. "I'm here so I can do research. It was my choice. But why do you call them flat-ears? Do you really hate humans so much? Haven't you been traveling with them for years now?"

[merrillthefirst-blog]

Merrill, is that really you? Haven't expected to find you hanging around in this dirty city...

Lyna? Lyna, is that really you? Oh, thank the Creators! I was so afraid when you left... you looked so sick, and that human said he was going to turn you into a Grey Warden. Did you really battle the Archdemon? Oh, Lyna, I was so worried. It's been so long. Aneth ara, lethallan.

[isabelaisacaptain-blog]

Merrill || Isabela

[isabelaisacaptain-blog]

Isabela continued to attack any shade she could get her hands on.  Normally they’d have to kill only a few shades and then they’d be in the clear, but this time their opponents seemed to multiply before their eyes.  She found herself grateful that she didn’t attempt this on her own, as the shades certainly would have had the upper hand had Isabela not brought Merrill along with her. 

“Where the hell are they all coming from,” Isabela called out to Merrill.  She leapt to plunge her daggers deep into the torso of a nearby shade, which wailed miserably as it fell.  ”Are all the spheres destroyed?”

[merrillthefirst-blog]

"Yes," Merrill replied in a shout. "No more shades should appear now!" Her last word was more of a grunt as she dodged the hand of one of the shades. She was too tired to recast the spell to coat her body in stone, so her only choice was the kill the shades as quickly as possible. A sleep spell might do nicely. Letting out a slow breath, she pulled at the energy of the room and focused it into her staff, sending the shades into a fitful sleep. Once that was done, she sent basic attacks from her staff, not wanting to use what little mana she had left.

As Isabela sliced through the shades nearest her, Merrill was able to easily dispose of the once in her vicinity. The cave would soon be clear of them, and she would be able to check on her bleeding arm. Still, it was not as bad as the templars. She imagined nothing would ever match up to that.

[isabelaisacaptain-blog]

Merrill || Isabela

[isabelaisacaptain-blog]

Isabela attacked the shade nearest her.  Sliced and tore at it with her daggers until it no longer stood before her.  She turned just in time to see a shade beginning to attack Merrill as she attempted to destroy the spheres.  Isabela threw one of her daggers at it, drawing its attention. She’d need to hold them off of Merrill if they were going to destroy those spheres in time to get away safely.  She finished that shade off just as another landed a blow to her back, knocking her down, and more began to materialize.  

[merrillthefirst-blog]

"Isabela, hold on!" Merrill cried, turning her attention from her task at hand and conjuring a powerful mind blast to stun the newest shades that appeared. It would give Isabela enough time to get to her feet, so Merrill returned to the second sphere and continued to heat it until it, too, finally cracked and split. "Elgar'nan!" she growled. She couldn't summon roots without risking the cave falling in around them, but using fire was rapidly eating away at her mana reserves. At this rate, she would have to let her rock armor fall in order to destroy the final sphere. So she did, still aware of the shades that were beginning to get their bearings once more.

Merrill took a deep breath and focused the flames on the third sphere. Once it was destroyed, their power would dissipate, and no more shades could be summoned. An awful shrieking sound filled the cave and resonated; she wasn't sure if it was the shades as they were slashed by Isabela's daggers, or if it was the spheres letting out one final protest. Merrill brought the pointed end of her staff up, and aiming carefully, slammed it into the now super-heated sphere in hopes of cleaving through it. Mythal must have been watching over her because it worked beautifully.

With the spheres destroyed, she was able to focus her attention on the remaining shades. Merrill turned, swinging her staff around, only to catch a claw across her arm and side. The chainmaille spared her side from any grievous injury, but the exposed inside of her elbow caught the brunt of the blow. She bit her tongue to keep from crying out and swung her staff through the center of the shade--which was rearing back for another swipe-- and felled it quickly. 

[undercoveranesthetic]

merrillthefirst started following you

[undercoveranesthetic]

Ah! Well, I suppose that’s because we’re both ‘outsiders’. -Rolls her eyes, chuckling a little.- But no, I quite like the Dalish, even if your people are a bit…strange to me. However, I find dwarves and humans equally as weird, so it’s probably just me. -Smiling, she shifts her weight slightly, shrugging.- It’s not rude at all! I’m here on Grey Warden business, nothing very important. Kinda boring, if you ask me. What are you doing away from your clan?

[merrillthefirst-blog]

Oh, I... it's a long story. A long, boring story. I won't bore you with the story. And I tend to ramble, which makes stories even longer, and then everybody misses the point, and I think Hahren Paivel tells stories best, but he's not here, he's back with the clan, and--

Sorry. I'm rambling again. I'll stop. Will you tell me about the Grey Wardens? Have you found any griffon eggs yet? I think that should be your top priority, now that the Arch-Demon's gone.

[unnecessarypity-blog]

Morrigan stared at her for half a moment in disbelief. Was she playing stupid, or was she truthfully this “out there”. The mage rubbed her head in annoyance. “You can become someone’s acquaintance without knowing who they are easily. I have done it on several occasions.” She shifted the weight onto her other leg now balancing on her staff. “I lost it in Ferelden. I have tracked it to here thus far. ‘Tis a very powerful artifact, and I seek to have it returned, as I have previously stated.”

[merrillthefirst-blog]

Merrill perked up at the word 'artifact.' She smiled. "I seek lost artifacts, too. But I suppose you aren't looking for things of elven origin, are you?" Pausing thoughtfully, she wondered what to tell this woman who acted even stranger than most humans. Maybe humans from Ferelden were different... but Hawke and Carver and Aveline weren't like her at all.

"Is it an artifact someone would keep and use, or something they would sell?" she asked. There were smugglers by the docks who knew Merrill well and would perhaps reward her for her continued business by sharing information, but if the... whatever-it-was wasn't being traded or sold, that would mean tracking down whomever kept it, which might fall better to Isabela or Hawke.

[askbroodyelf]

Wild Merrills are very weak against the BROOD attack.

[merrillthefirst-blog]

I disagree. This is not at all what happens. And I... I don't look like that, do I?

[isabelaisacaptain-blog]

Merrill || Isabela

[isabelaisacaptain-blog]

Isabela watched, becoming enraged as Merrill’s eyes filled with tears.  She knew demons played on basic fears, but to play on painful memories such as those that the demon faced Merrill with was too far.  As the demon turned its attention to her, Isabela hardly listened to its offer.  It wasn’t until Merrill reacted that she realized what the demon was offering- an out. 

Isabela stood frozen for a moment.  This was what she wanted.  She needed to get away from the Arishok, she needed to get her life back.  If the Arishok was no longer a factor, she could be free.  Free from her mistakes, free from Kirkwall.. but how much would she leave behind?  And at what cost?  

“Tempting, but I’ll have to decline,” Isabela said with a shrug, drawing her daggers.  ”There are certain things that even a pirate can value more than her own existence.”  She kicked one of the spheres away from the other two with her foot and prepared for the demon’s assault.

[merrillthefirst-blog]

Once the three spheres were disconnected, the image of the demon flickered away, but not before she called out for shades to appear. Merrill instantly had her staff in her hand, rocks rising up from the ground to cover her body in armor.

"Isabela," she cried, "I need to destroy the demon's containers. Get the shades!" Starting with the one that Isabela had kicked away, Merrill blasted the sphere with a white-hot flame, concentrating as much power into the fire as possible. It worked slowly; cracks began to form on its surface, then spread, fissures breaking the sphere into pieces until it finally crumbled. Meanwhile, one of the shades swiped at her, peeling off large chunks of her rock armor at a time. Merrill ignored it and focused on the next sphere, hoping Isabela would be able to hold her own surrounded by shades in the small cave.

[isabelaisacaptain-blog]

Merrill || Isabela

[isabelaisacaptain-blog]

Isabela smiled and knelt next to Merrill, leaning her torch against the wall and gingerly taking the ring to examine it.  Merrill had wonderful taste- even in the dimly lit cave, it was beautiful.  She slid it onto one of her long fingers, then held out her hand to admire it.  ”Merrill,” she said quietly.  ”It’s wonderful.”  She took a few more moments to look at the ring.  

Suddenly, Isabela’s attention was drawn by something at Merrill’s side.  On the elf’s far side, two spheres seemed to be glowing, giving off an eerie purple light.  Isabela arched an eyebrow and pointed at them, directing Merrill’s attention.  

“Merrill what the hell are those doing?”

[merrillthefirst-blog]

Merrill blinked. "I'm not sure," she muttered. Another sphere rocked within the chest, and she picked it up. "I think they want to be together." Her evaluation of the situation was innocent at best, and she rolled the third sphere over to its brethren, only for the small cavern to explode with purple light, an eerie scream filling the space. 

A desire demon--or rather, the projection of one--rose from the spheres, looking between the two women before speaking. "Ah, little ones," she said seductively, "you have come so close to freeing me. Why did you stop? Da'len, ar belannar in durgen. Ar nuvenin revas. You are one of the People."

Merrill shook her head. "We will not listen to you, demon!" she said bravely, but her voice shook.

"Oh, da'len, I can tell you of the past, reveal to you the secrets of the time when I was imprisoned. You used your blood to kill those men, why do you not use it to help someone? Free me. Learn of your past. Return to your people with my knowledge and you will be welcomed into your clan, revered, the triumphant Keeper you've always yearned to be."

Merrill felt as though every word rang true. Images of her clan embracing her, begging her to stay, instating her as Keeper raced through her mind. Then at the Arlathvhen, all the clans crowding around her to hear of their past. The rising of the new Elvhen empire. But it was wrong. Marethari facing the demon, Marethari's death, the faces of her clansmen who wanted to kill her flooded into her mind. Merrill backed away, almost hiding behind Isabela, her eyes filling with tears. "Halam! You cannot tempt us. Begone before I d-destroy you!"

The demon dismissed her threat with a wave of her hand and turned her attention to the Isabela. "And what about you? Surely you are smarter than your little friend here. You understand how the world works: some people win, some people lose. It's not fair. It's not fair that the Arishok pursues you for something you have been trying to return. I can help you, pirate. I can give you the power to destroy him, and I can give you a ship so you can sail away, safe and free. What do you say? A single drop of the elf's blood will do."

Merrill pulled at Isabela's arm. "You're the thief? You're the one who... Don't listen! Isabela, she won't do any of those things. I-I can help you. I'll try. Please, I'll talk to the Arishok, maybe he'll listen to me. This demon will kill us both. Please, Isabela!"

[isabelaisacaptain-blog]

Merrill || Isabela

[isabelaisacaptain-blog]

Isabela looked at the amulet without touching it.  In the dim light, she could see that it was beautiful.  ”If made by dwarven hands, I am sure they’d pay a large sum to see it returned,” she said with a shrug.  ”And old is good.  Old is very good.  Old is where the money is.  Is there anything in there that isn’t cursed?  Perhaps something pretty for a Pirate Queen?”  She winked at Merrill.

[merrillthefirst-blog]

Merrill elbowed her gently. "Isa-bel-a!" she grinned. "It's not always about money. But..." She put the amulet aside and went through the chest more thoroughly, switching her magical flame to her other hand when her arm tired. The spheres would require more study, a few bracelets that were the same strange mix of dwarven and elven elements could be interesting, too. Then Merrill pulled out some carved, ironbark rings with inlaid gems and admired them at length. They were beautiful, far better than anything even Master Ilen had crafted in all his years.

She picked out the prettiest one with small blue gems and a swirl of gold and held it against her lips. Merrill hummed before holding it out to Isabela. "I think this one is meant for my favorite Pirate Queen." Her eyes danced with excitement.

[isabelaisacaptain-blog]

Merrill || Isabela

[isabelaisacaptain-blog]

Isabela shrugged also, not mourning the loss of a few Templars.  ”They were probably pigs anyway.”  She was secretly just glad that Merrill had come out of the battle no worse for wear.   She walked along the wall until she found a small recess, into which she shone the torch, revealing the chests to which she was referring.  She’d opened all of them, of course, but she’d pushed them back inside when she realized what they were.  Now that Merrill was here, she reached into the small hole and pulled them out carefully. 

“As I said, I didn’t mess with them much.  Not a fan of Revenants.”

[merrillthefirst-blog]

"Mm." Merrill made a noncommittal noise. "They were just doing their job," she replied. Kneeling down, she once again used magic to shed more light on the chests, carefully tracing her finger over one of them and feeling for any ancient spells. She opened it slowly to find a stack of parchments and an array of small vials. Merrill picked up a vial and swirled its contents around; it was strangely viscous and blue.

"I've never seen anything like this," she breathed, setting the vial back as gently as possible and examining one of the documents. "It looks like Elvish, but it's very hard to read... maybe it's another dialect. Or maybe it's old."

Merrill moved on to a different chest and flipped open the lid. Her eyes widened. "Oh, Isabela..." she murmured. She plunged her hand into the chest filled with lockets and nondescript spheres and pulled out an amulet set with a deep purple stone. "This is cursed," Merrill warned. "You must never put it on, or it will cause you to drain the life from every living thing you touch. I don't think--no, I don't think it can be destroyed. This is powerful magic, but the chain looks dwarven-made." She puzzled over it for a moment, showing it to Isabela for her appraisal.