His flirtatious smile turns into something more akin to offense as he takes the mug, scoffing.
"Those shemlen couldn't catch me in this forest even if I did leave a trail—which I didn't."
Not least of all because any trail he did leave would make it very obvious he'd been beyond the perimeter. He sits at Astrid's side in the dirt, turns his face to the trees above them. Closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, fills his lungs with the scent of damp earth and things that grow. The frost hasn't killed everything yet, but it gives the air a crispness which has its own appeal—certainly more than the oppressive stone walls of the Gallows.
He's wondered at the Dread Wolf's wisdom in sending him to Riftwatch. There are other agents he could have sent, elves and elfblooded humans from the cities who'd have been more comfortable in such a setting. Even some of his fellow Dalish-born had acclimated better to the shemlen cities. Kirkwall is nothing Talin would choose if he had a choice—
and there, a bit of honesty to offer Astrid, to paper over his lie.
"I needed to get the stone out of my system," he says after a long exhale. "Made the perimeter and then I just wanted to keep going, you know."
It's not a question; she knows, if nothing else, because he's complained of needing to see something green and growing at least once a week since he moved into the room they share. It's why she invited him out with her the first time: he was being annoying, and she had a solution. It's mostly good fortune (and a little desperation) that they like each other enough to keep coming out here together, even off assignment.
no subject
"Those shemlen couldn't catch me in this forest even if I did leave a trail—which I didn't."
Not least of all because any trail he did leave would make it very obvious he'd been beyond the perimeter. He sits at Astrid's side in the dirt, turns his face to the trees above them. Closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, fills his lungs with the scent of damp earth and things that grow. The frost hasn't killed everything yet, but it gives the air a crispness which has its own appeal—certainly more than the oppressive stone walls of the Gallows.
He's wondered at the Dread Wolf's wisdom in sending him to Riftwatch. There are other agents he could have sent, elves and elfblooded humans from the cities who'd have been more comfortable in such a setting. Even some of his fellow Dalish-born had acclimated better to the shemlen cities. Kirkwall is nothing Talin would choose if he had a choice—
and there, a bit of honesty to offer Astrid, to paper over his lie.
"I needed to get the stone out of my system," he says after a long exhale. "Made the perimeter and then I just wanted to keep going, you know."
It's not a question; she knows, if nothing else, because he's complained of needing to see something green and growing at least once a week since he moved into the room they share. It's why she invited him out with her the first time: he was being annoying, and she had a solution. It's mostly good fortune (and a little desperation) that they like each other enough to keep coming out here together, even off assignment.