Lost in the wild (Maria)

[Senior Enchanter Louis]

Being separated from the group that broke free from the circle in Montsimmard, Louis came to wander the Nahashin Marches in Orlais alone, traveling north to seek refuge from the ever vigilant Templars. After many days of travel, Louis finally came out of the stinky and wet marchland, entering the woods close to the city Churneau. It had been a long and dangerous journey and as Louis went through the woods at night exhausted, he could spot in the distance an abandoned cabin which seemed to prove worthy of shelter.

There he cleaned and changed his clothes, made food out of what he had found, drank water and got some rest. It was a cozy place and he was certain none would think to search for him there, but he knew he still had a long way to go before he could finally be with his mage friends again. He had not asked for what had happened, but seeing it all fall after Lambert had declared the Nevarran accord null and void there was little one could do. The Seekers and the Templars were no longer part of the Chantry, they acted alone and they seemed determined to bring down all apostates who had fled. For Louis there was no option but to try and survive, and maybe someday he could get the chance to negotiate a peaceful solution for them all, where maybe he could get the Mages to act equal to the Templars, like a right hand of the Chantry, preserving peace and assistance to those in need. It was a dream for now, one Louis hoped he could see fulfilled in the future.

Waking up the next morning Louis could hear the birds sing outside and it was peaceful, something that was rare to him as he for years had been locked inside the circle. Last time he properly had been outside was when he was young, but even though he had been a mage watched by Templars he had been allowed to walk in the streets, that were until the Templars became stricter on their rules and duty.

Stepping out of the cabin, Louis looked up at the sun which shone bright and he could feel its warmth on his face, deciding to sit down on his knees and pray to the Maker who so far had kept him safe and alive. With his hands together and eyes closed, he quoted a verse from the Canticle of Trials.

“I shall not be left to wander the drifting roads of the Fade
For there is no darkness, nor death either, in the Maker's Light
And nothing that He has wrought shall be lost.”

[Maria Pentaghast]

Through out the history of Thedas, many stories were told and legends were forged. One legend told of the mighty Pentaghast clan, a family of warriors which had the skill and abilities to slay dragons with ease. In each generation of the royal family, one woman would be chosen to became a Dragon Huntress. These women would live and breath in the depths of war and battle while they hunted down Dragons for fun and revelled in their victory, for them danger was just sport and life threatening situations was just a chance for them to overcome it and become even stronger.

Today the traditions of the Dragon Huntress continues onwards in the form of Maria Pentaghast. Having being hired by a nobleman in Churneau she was given a task to hunt and destroy a wyvern which had been seen on the outskirts, and in typical fashion Maria instantly took the job and was last seen within the location of where the wyvern was last seen...the marshlands.

But now she was kind of in a situation, Maria knew that if she did kill the beast she would need some kind of proof. So she had a crazy idea, now flying right on the back on an injured wyvern it flew downwards at great velocity as she diverted it towards, Churneau. But as she headed downwards she noticed an abandoned cabin and a man who looked like he was kneeling downwards.

Using all her strength she reared the dying wyvern. The wyvern wailed in pain as it headed just above the head of a stranger who had been seen kneeling downwards, there Maria jumped clear and landed on the ground softly as the beast fell to the ground with a sharp thud. Picking herself up slowly she sighed happily and brushed herself down, the beast groaned and soon perished by its wounds. Turning around she picked up her best friend and held the hilt as she headed over to the stranger and spoke to him.

"I apologise for dropping in, are you alright?"

[Senior Enchanter Louis]

Kneeling on the ground in the wild to pray, Louis expected neither danger nor disturbance, but was surprised when out of nowhere a beast came leaping through the air. Had he not looked up before he tried to stand he would have been hit by its pure strength, although as it came above his head he lowered further down with his arms across over, hoping for the best. Within seconds the silence returned and once Louis heard a female voice speaking to him, he looked up and was amazed. Just when he had prayed to the Maker such that he would not be lost in the wild, he had been god-sent a woman to his aid, not just any sort of woman, but a beautiful dark haired huntress.

There right in front of him she stood with her hand on the hilt of her sword, and as the dust settled, the Wyvern came into view behind her. “Oh Maker…” Louis whispered to himself as he watched in shock and awe, believing he was the luckiest mage in that very moment. Slowly he stood up and kept his gaze on the female, and then as he came realize she had asked him a question, he replied. “Ah merci mademoiselle, I am fine, but how are you? You just killed this Wyvern oui? An amazing feat, I`m impressed.” Louis spoke with his Orlesian accent as he glanced at her, and then turned to look at the dead Wyvern.

He had read and heard stories about such a creature and he knew well enough how they looked like, especially as he had seen images of Wyverns in books within the circle. There even was a famous chantry legend about Andraste who met a Wyvern when her armies went west, and that she went to sing to the Maker in the mountains with Meferath and Justinia, where she song and drew every animal to her, but when the Wyvern appeared Meferath made it bleed and when Andraste told him to stop he felt guilty and in respect he cut himself and mixed his blood with the Wyverns. At this the beast had nodded in acknowledgement and then vanished swiftly as it had appeared. Seeing the Wyvern reminded Louis of that particular story, and he felt bad that it had died. Why had the woman killed the Wyvern? Had it done her or any other any harm? It made him curious and he wanted to ask, but he did not.

Carefully he began to walk around the woman and the dead Wyvern, studying them both. Then he remembered the Wyverns were especially high sought after in Orlais, as he had heard rumours that nobles liked to hunt them and that they used its poison for many things. If he was allowed he would gladly examine the animal and if she approved he would collect some of its poison for further study or use. Looking back at Maria with a smile, kneeling close to the Wyvern`s head he stood up, carefully taking her hand in his as he kissed it. “Apologize I forgot my manners, my name is Louis, a pleasure to meet you.”

[Maria Pentaghast]

A wyvern was just as dangerous as any dragon. Maria knew that it was a stubborn creature just like the rest of its kind, but she rather enjoyed hunting and killing it. However now that the wyvern was dead she needed to bring back evidence that it was dead and could never terrorize any travellers again, and finally return to the noble who hired Maria and report her success. After all she had a reputation to uphold, she was however thankful that the poor man was not hurt by the decent of the dying wyvern, she silently thanked Andraste that he was unhurt.

Judging from this voice as he spoke of the Maker, he was definitely from Orlais. He didn’t seem like a warrior as there was no weapons with him, with a quiet nod the young Dragon Huntress spoke in total confidence. "I am fine, these creatures are but mere child’s play. I rather enjoyed killing it though" But they say curiosity killed the cat but this man from Orlais seemed very curious as he seemed to study her and the dead Wyvern.

Was it because he never saw a wyvern before? Then again these creatures were very much wanted in Orlais because of its famed poison which was fatal to anyone, at least it warmed up Maria for a real challenge. Her blade tasted the creature's flesh quite nicely like a butter cutting through a freshly made hot bread, she even enjoyed the flight back from its home, they tended to like caves just like dragons.

Immediately she looked somewhat confused as the man studied her and the wyvern closely. Maria felt a little mad because here she was defeating a wyvern and saving this man's life and only to be repaid by being studied at like an experiment! Despite this Maria gained some composure and soon was surprised as he kissed her hand and introduced himself. This startled Maria as she instantly pulled her hand away from his and shook it slightly, once again she remained calm and said. "I am Maria, Dragon Huntress of the Pentaghast clan of Nevarra."

[Senior Enchanter Louis]

Seeing how shocked and surprised Maria seemed when Louis just had kissed her hand were interesting, she sure didn`t like his manners much, but it did not offend him, quite the contrary. Louis loved tough women and when she introduced herself he intensely listened, becoming surprised once she told she was a member of the famous dragon hunting clan. They were legends in Thedas and to be standing so close to one of them was something he never had thought would ever happen, having lived in the circle almost his entire life. “Oh mon ami, what an honneur.” Louis said with a great fascination, happy to have encountered the dragon huntress.

“I have heard stories about the legendary dragon hunting clan, but never had I thought…” Louis stated as he glanced at Maria with a smile, before turning his gaze back at the dead Wyvern. “Can I take a portion of this creature`s venom? Or do you need it yourself? It is best to retrieve it once it’s fresh.” He asked, wondering if she would allow him, or if she needed it. Seeing how aggressive she seemed he didn`t want to take any chances, and he prayed to the Maker within himself that she wasn`t the typical person who would cause him harm.

Standing there waiting on response, Louis decided to get his bag of items which remained inside the hut. Once he stepped inside he noticed his staff leaning against the wall and it made him consider whether he should take it with him or leave it, not knowing if Maria the dragon huntress were against mages. It was a risk he was willing to take, believing she would not have been there had the Maker not sent her to his aid. Thus grabbing the bag and the staff, Louis stepped out of the hut again and stopped, waiting to see her response just in case.

[Maria Pentaghast]

The call of battle had ended once again with another victory upon her reputation. The wyvern was dead and the city was safe from its wrath, but Maria had forgotten that a simply kiss to her hand was simply a sign of respect to a lady. Which meant that Louis certainly had some good manners, yet he seemed surprised as she spoke of who she was. Being a Dragon Huntress meant that she was part of the royal family that rule over the land of Nevarra, but Maria was no princess.

She was a born warrior and hunting Wyverns and dragons were fun to this young woman. Still Maria appreciated the words from Louis as he began to express his admiration for her family, but she was quite surprised as he also spoke of wanting to get the poison sack from the dead Wyvern. At first she said nothing and simply looked at the beast and then back to Louis, then she remembered about Orlais and quickly she nodded and headed over to the dead Wyvern.

Twirling her sword around she thrusted it right into the body and began to slice her way deep into its flesh. Gently she withdrew the sword and made sure the area where the poison was accessible, looking over towards Louis she nodded and spoke out in complete confidence. "I have reached the area where the poison is, I leave the rest to you Louis" Gently she stepped back and gently she sat down on nearby log and began to clean and sharpen her blade.

[Senior Enchanter Louis]

Apparently it didn`t seem to bother Maria that Louis was a mage, or maybe she didn`t understand the purpose of his staff. None the less, he was happy she didn`t ask about it. Standing outside the hut he looked at her with a slight smile, noticing that she had done the Wyvern ready for him to take a portion of its venom. Carefully he stepped closer toward it, kneeling as he opened the bag with items, taking a vial out to fill it up. The poison was very deadly, touching it could cause severe damage and could lead to death was it not treated in time, thus Louis was very carefully with where he placed his bare hands as he took the sample.

Once he was done he placed the vial filled with wyvern`s venom carefully back into the bag, stood up and turned to Maria. “Merci, this will be excellent for my studies.” Louis said with a gentle smile, and then approached her as he continued speaking. “Hmm, I have a question, if you don`t mind me asking.” He spoke as he looked across her where she sat, seeing she took great care of her sharp objects. It kind of scared him a bit, but none the less he took the chance to speak further. “What happens now, will you drag the Wyvern to whoever paid you, or do you have other plans? Actually I could need some guidance, where am I, am I far from Andoral`s Reach?...do you know?”

[Maria Pentaghast]

The death of the wyvern had guaranteed the safety of the city and its inhabitants, not to mention travellers. With her duty fulfilled and the blade had been satisfied, Maria thought that it was time to head back to the city and collect the reward and her personal belongings. But she was really wondering why Orlais was so interested in the actual poison from that beast she killed? Maybe it was just a mage thing, in any case Louis got what he wanted and so did Maria. In the end it was a good battle and one which she enjoyed, after sheathing her sword she turned to look at the dead beast.

She watched as Louis carefully extracted the poison from the wyvern and nodded in complete approval. He certainly knew what he was doing, however Maria watched him carefully as he expressed his gratitude for her help and he even asked a question, once again she looked at the wyvern and then back to Louis to speak her reply in complete focus. "A wyvern is too heavy to lift Louis, however I luckily managed to guide it just within range of the Churneau guards patrol, they should be able to confirm it. However I should bring absolute proof of my victory, if you come with me to Churneau to collect my reward and personal items. I will take you to Andoral's Reach".

Gently she headed to the body of the beast and withdrew a knife from her weapon's belt. Gently she used the knife to slice deep into the eye socket of the wyvern and yanked out the eye, quickly she placed it into a small pouch and wiped the knife on her armour. From there she placed the knife back from where it came from and headed back to Louis and once again spoke to Louis. "Are you ready to leave?"

[Senior Enchanter Louis]

Maria was indeed right; a Wyvern was too heavy to lift all the way to the city. However that made Louis wonder, how did she intend to bring proof of her kill? None the less he kept listening to what she said and once she was done, he answered in a bit of a shock “To Churneau? Oh, he-he…well it certainly isn’t the safest place for me to travel right now, but I don`t know the way on my own, so it is best I follow you I think, but…there is something you should know about me.” Louis spoke a bit worried, as he looked at Maria, watching her as she went to pick out the Wyvern`s eye. How disgusting he thought, although it made him understand what she would use as proof of her successful hunt.

As Maria came back and asked if he was ready to go, he did not agree to walk right away, instead he chose to speak. “I am a Mage, Maria.” He said nervously, not knowing if she had already realized that he was, afraid that she maybe would try and strike him down, or capture him for the Templars. It was scary to tell a stranger, but it had to be done. He didn`t want to lie, nor lead Maria into unnecessary danger, but he hoped she would accept who he was and let the strife between Mages and Templars pass for a moment. “Even though the city is a tempting place to go, it is dangerous for me. I am sure you know this oui?” Louis asked and waited a reply, knowing that if he went with her, he would need to change into something else than the clothes he wore, including getting rid of his staff.

[Maria Pentaghast]

Something seemed strange as Louis seemed reluctant to go to Churneau, was he hiding something? But Maria soon found as he revealed himself to be a mage. This now truly explained everything, his interest in the Wyvern poison, his garments that he wore and of course the staff nearby. Now things were truly getting interesting as mages were masters of many kinds of powers beyond human imagination, but there was one thing Maria knew about a mage and that they excelled in long range attacks from far but where at their weakest when it came to actual hand to hand combat. However some used their powers to commit truly evil things, but Louis was not one to abuse his abilities.

She soon fell quiet for a few moments to regain her composure. Maria had to admit it was rather an awkward moment for the dragon huntress, despite this she simply shrugged it off and listened quietly to Louis's words. With a deepening sigh she looked at Louis with a focused look and simply walked up to him and peered deep into his eyes and said to him. "It doesn’t matter if your a mage or a templar. Your a good man Louis, and I noticed that Churneau is heavily guarded. And now I know why, but it matters not I know a way for us to enter Churneau without raising suspicion. However you may not like it, you were a traveller on your way here via a proposed route by one of your friends. When you encountered the wyvern and was injured, I came in just in time to kill it and save you, hence I'll take you into Churneau to have someone look at your injuries".

Folding her arms slightly she looked at the garments he wore and soon nodded. "Only problem is I hope you have something else to wear, if not I'll have to make a few tears in the clothes you wear now to make it look real, you can use your staff to lean on it. Pretend you broke your leg. Once inside I'll take you over to the inn and wait for me there while I get my reward and items, then we'll leave during the night".

[Senior Enchanter Louis]

Seeing Maria`s expression and hearing her response was surprising, even though she seemed shocked by the news, she took it well, and she even suggested a method for him to get into Churneau. It was a great plan and Louis felt it could work, which made him willing to risk it. If she could get him in and out of the city without the Templars discovering his abilities, it would be worth the while, especially since he then could get the chance to eat a good meal and sleep in a comfy bed, as well get the opportunity to gain needed supplies. It would be his last moment among the civilized people, before he would travel to live in Andoral`s Reach, where his future would be determined by the will and skills of all mages.

Noticing Maria`s glance at his clothes, he could not help it, but to smile back in return and in answer he replied “It would be an honour to follow you to Churneau, and I agree to your plan. However, I do not have any other set of clothing then what I am wearing…so I believe you will need to tear my clothes apart.” Louis said with a teasing glance, hoping she would do it for him. If she did, then who knows what could happen next. Perhaps she would like it, perhaps not.

Waiting for Maria`s answer, Louis kept his gaze on her, thinking how lucky he was to have met such a beauty in the wild, who did not act like the typical Orlesian women he was used to meet, who screamed either of fear or joy, depending whether they appreciated his talents or despised them. Oh yes, Louis was a charmer and in the circle tower he was known to have had many admirers, some young apprentices, some who were at his age and some who were older. He loved women and whenever he met a beauty, he could not resist but to use his charm on them.

[Maria Pentaghast]

Helping a mage like Louis was a big risk, as Maria could be proclaimed by the Templars to be an ally of their enemy and thus mark her as an enemy of the ancient order. But the Dragon Huntress, didn’t mind because she loves the thrill of fighting enemies and monsters, still her personal belongings was in Churneau and he did owe Louis for nearly trying to squash him by guiding the Wyvern closer to the city. But her plan would also mean she needed to buy a fresh set of garments for Louis, and luckily coin was waiting for her.

She was pleased that her new companion was willing to cooperate with the plan, it would make things a lot easier for him and Marian to both get what they wanted. Louis wanted to go Andoral's Reach and Maria wanted to get her belongings, with a gentle nod she withdrew a tiny dagger and held the handle in her left hand. There Maria spoke her mind. "Don’t get any funny ideas Louis", carefully she took the a firm grip hold of garments holdings his right leg and carefully sliced through it with her knife.

Twirling her knife she placed it back in her weapons belt, nodded and backed away. Now the entire right leg was exposed to the open, Maria felt proud of her precision cutting, part one was complete and now for the next part which was going to be tricky. Looking back up to Louis she looked focused and once again spoke with complete confidence. "Now one last thing, make your leg dirty, then gather your things and staff and met me near the entrance to Churneau", with a nod she turned back towards the city and headed towards the entrance.

[Senior Enchanter Louis]

“Oh my…” Louis replied to Maria as she told him not to get any funny ideas, seeing that she was going to rip his clothes apart with her knife to make him blend in more easily. Not getting any funny ideas out of the situation was difficult, but as she took hold of him and began, he couldn`t but help himself to feel attracted to the beautiful woman. Her presence was enticing and it made him excited, although calmly he watched as he stood still for her to work. The way she handled the knife was more than impressive, which made him wonder what other skills she had.

Once she was finished, Louis looked back down at Maria with a raised eyebrow and a smile, listening to her final words, to which he answered. “Sounds like a plan Mademoiselle, I`ll follow you shortly.” As Maria then turned to walk through the forest, heading for the entrance of the city, he remained and watched her rear end with a dazzled look. Shortly after he came back to senses he did what was recommended, from the ground he picked up a handful of dirt that he choose to rub himself in with. If the guards on the road and the city would ask what had happened, he would give them the story Maria had come up with, an excellent plan.

Picking up the staff and the bag of equipment, Louis ran after Maria through the forest to catch up. Once he reached her, he pretended to be wounded by leaning on the staff. “Well, here I am, ready for the big the city. This will be dangerous, but I trust in your plan.” Louis spoke as he walked side by side with the woman, in safe distance from the road and others. Ahead they could hear the sound of people getting louder and louder, and when they reached the outskirts of the forest they could both see a line of merchants gathering outside the city walls. They were all searched and asked questions, a procedure that most likely had been established after the fall of the circles. If they wanted to get in, they would have to pass them. Up the road further from the city, Louis could see a road block, which denied people access to Andoral`s Reach.

Getting to the city was a big risk, but if Louis managed, it would be worth it, even though getting further north would later be another task. Onto the road Louis stepped with Maria, pretending to have been wounded by the Wyvern, crouching his back while he continuing to lean on the staff. With a short look at Maria he nodded for her to take the lead in speaking with the guards and Templars at the entrance.

[Maria Pentaghast]

Perfect! Everything was going according to plan, with Louis pretending to be injured and his staff being used like a crutch it was a near flawless plan. But she learned not to count the dragon eggs before their hatched as a doctor could immediately see that her companion's leg was perfectly fine and that their cover would be blown, but if all goes well then they could leave the city before anyone would notice. Normally Maria remained neutral when it came to the war between Magic Users and Templars, but Louis had the heart of a good man and so she decided to help him reach his destination. But upon helping him it was just a case of going back to neutral ground and continue the journey to hunt the mighty dragons. She remained calm and focused as ever as she slowly walked beside Louis up towards the front gate of the beautiful city of Churneau, as always its guards were on high alert.

Clad in heavy armour and having swords by their sides, these Templars were born to fight magic. In total honesty Maria didn’t expect to actually take a side in the great war, but she owed Louis a debt due to nearly killing him after she landed with the injured wyvern. And it was one she was more then happy to repay, playing her role as support for Louis her head would often looked over at him with concern as she guided the mage up towards the front gate, upon arriving the guards looked over at the young Maria and instantly recognised her but their relaxed looks soon changed to a startled and cautious look as both guards hand their hands on their weapons while speaking to the dragon huntress.

"Halt Dragon Huntress! Who is this person? He looks awful suspicious!"

The tone of their voice was filled with curiosity and that of pure anger. But Maria remained as cool as a very air as she knew that neither of them didn’t notice her friend's so called injury, now she had a chance to exploit that. Gently she moved to once side to allow the guards a good look at Louis and immediately she began her explanation.

"Stand down! This man was injured from a Wyvern attack. Luckily I got to him in time and slew the beast, I am simply taking him to the inn so I can begin to treat his injuries"

At last the guards nodded to Maria and lowered their guard as the city of Churnea was open for them. With a quiet nod she walked slowly beside Louis and headed into the main centre of the city, from there she kept up the charade until at least they arrived at a win where two bedrooms were bought for the night. Luckily the inn had a room on the first floor which gave Louis a perfect opportunity to not use the stairs, the inn itself was full of customers drinking and eating merrily. Upon arriving inside the first bed room Maria sighed in relief as part of her plan had worked, now the difficult part was over all she had to do was get her payment, grab her horse and gear and leave the city with Louis.

With a slight smirk Maria dived into her pocket and held out a small bag of coins. Holding the bag before the now miraculously healed mage she spoke in utter seriousness for a moment as the final stages of operation Wyvern escape had now begun. Her voice was completed filled with focus and confidence.

"Ok now the tricky part, Louis I need you to stay her for awhile. If people see you up and about then they will begin to get suspicious and maybe even warn the guards. I'll inform the inn keeper to bring you some fresh food and water, but what ever happens lie down on the bed and don’t move. I'll buy you some fresh robes and supplies, for the journey ahead".

[Senior Enchanter Louis]

From out of the woods and onto the road Louis and Maria walked toward the city Churneau, and as they approached its gates, they could both see that the guards and Templars worked together. Ever since the fall of the circles, security had increased and the northern part of Orlais was surely not anything different. Instead of stepping into the line of people who eagerly waited to get inside, Louis and Maria simply passed by as if they were in haste to meet the physician, and when they came up to the gate, the guards quickly recognized the dragon huntress, but remained suspicious to her new found friend.

Putting on an act, Louis pretended that he had been attacked by a Wyvern and with Maria`s conversation skills they managed to trick the guards. Just as they were allowed to pass, they headed to the center of the city, where they found an Inn and a room. With a sigh of relief as they closed the door, Louis turned to face Maria as he said. “Thank the Maker, we made it.” He smiled, then watched what she did next as she with a smirk on her face dived her hand into the pocket and pulled out a small bag of coins, which she explained shortly after. Intently he listened and with a nod he agreed to her plan, while she would be out running errands he would stay there until it was safe, and hopefully none would notice what sort of man he was.

“An excellent plan Mon Cherie, I will remain here.“ He answered with a pleased glance, before he then went to sit down on the bed, leaning the staff against the wall close by. It was wonderful, they had made it inside and now that they finally was there it was just for them to remain civil, until they could leave and head further north.