My prompt response :
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This was going to need all of his skills at stealth. Even more than breaking into the Vigil, sneaking out if it without being noticed was going to be tricky. Holding the things he'd need later carefully to avoid making a noise, Nate crept slowly down the darkened hallway.
"Howe!" Anders grinned when Nate jolted and turned to glare at him. "Where are you off to this early?"
"Mind your own business."
"No, I don't believe I will. Is that a fishing pole I see there?"
Sometimes Anders reminded Nate very strongly of a child. Always full of questions, usually about things that were none of his concern. "Goodbye, Anders."
"No, wait. Are you going fishing?"
"The Commander told me to take a day away from here. I'm using it to go fishing." Just in case the mage took it as an invitation for company he added. "Alone."
"Not very social are you Howe? I'd have thought you'd welcome the opp..hey come back here!"
Without looking back, Nate moved swiftly away. Its not that he minded the mage's company, just not today. After a quick detour past the kitchen to pick up supplies, he headed down to the front door.
"Howe!"
Oh, for the love of Maker. Was every Warden in this cursed place awake? "Oghren."
"Where're you going? Meeting a lady?"
"I'm carrying two fishing poles and a sack of food. Why would you assume I'm meeting a woman?"
"Heh. Never know what odd things you humans get up to. I knew this girl once, hey! Where you going? I wasn't finished."
After letting out a gusty sigh, Nate stopped. "What is it?"
"Well, I was wondering, about that little morsel the Commander picked up in Kal'Hirol."
Nate had to think about that one. What in Thedas could the dwarf be referring to? "Sigrun?"
"Yeah, her. You've spent some time with her. Do you reckon she'd be interested in a little, down time, if you know what I mean?"
"Are you seriously asking me if I think Sigrun would want to bed you?"
"Of course I'm serious." Studying Nate's expression, Oghren grunted. "Oh, I see. You're being sarcastic. No need for that. If you don't reckon she would be, just say so."
"I have no idea whether she would or wouldn't. Have you considered asking her yourself?"
"She wasn't too friendly last time we spoke. Said something about me being mean for telling the elf stories about dwarves." He couldn't see why himself. The stone cursed elf hadn't seemed to care.
"I see." After briefly wishing he had a hand free so he could rub his forehead, Nate settled for another sigh. "Perhaps that's a good sign she wouldn't be interested."
"Yeah. Blast it."
"May I go now?"
"What? Oh, yeah, Sure."
After waiting a moment to make sure Oghren was really finished, Nate turned and headed back towards the front door. He was hopeful now he'd get away without any more trouble.
Perhaps instead of trying to sneak out, he should have just climbed down the side of the Vigil. It was able to be done, he'd done it often as a young man. Stepping outside he blinked as the sun just peeking over the horizon hit his eyes.
Once he could see again, he noticed the figure standing at the bottom of the stairs. Andraste's knickers. Another one.
"Velanna." Hopefully this meant she didn't want to chat. He'd be late at this rate.
"Human." When he tried to walk past, she moved to stop him. "A moment."
If he didn't know better Nate would think they'd delayed him deliberately. He did know better however, they had no reason to want to delay him. Did they? "What can I do for you?"
"That mage, the human."
"Anders?" Watching her he could almost see her trying to think of something to say. "Are you trying to stop me leaving the Vigil?"
"No! Why would you think that? I simply wanted to know if you thought he was competent to heal us. He seems a little frivolous."
"Anders is frivolous. Very. He's also the best healer I've seen. Now if that's all? I'd like to try to catch some fish before the sun chases them all away."
She couldn't delay him any further without confirming his suspicions that they'd delayed him deliberately. Stepping out of his path, Velanna shrugged. "As you say."
Hoping that was the last of them, Nate hurried down along the path and out into the woods.
As soon as he arrived at the lake he knew why he'd been delayed. "That's cheating." They'd agreed after three lessons that at the next opportunity they'd wager on who could catch the most fish. It seemed he'd underestimated the guile of his competition.
"Its only cheating if it doesn't work." Sigrun grinned and pulled up another fish. "Besides, weren't you trying to get here first?"
"That would be cheating. Are you calling me a cheat?"
"A dirty cheat." She grinned again when he laughed. "I hope you bought enough food for your lunch. I don't think you'll have any fish to eat."
"Huh! We'll see about that."
Retour en haut
See you if I survive...
