bethen avilla ; the circle mage (bethe) wrote in thedas,
It was almost hard to imagine that Falina was actually fifteen, not nearly as young as she looked, especially when she was asking so many questions. Had she blue robes on, she would have fit right in with the apprentices at the Tower. Bethen shook her head at the dwarven girl, placid smile still on her lips, "Oh, I don't mind talking about it. I'm rather used to it, actually. Demons are a significant part of our education. Well, avoiding them, in any case." She paused then, again remembering that she wasn't only standing with an individual unfamiliar with the predominant surface religion. Not only was she uncertain of how freely she could speak, cordial and warm as Ser Ordhan had been, but she didn't think he'd even be interested in the topic. Speaking of the evils of another reality, much like politics or religion, wasn't really polite conversation to make, after all. The mage scuffed her shoe on the floor, looking a bit bashful as she said, "I expect it's not really something most people want to know about, though."
There were other, more innocuous questions she could address, though. Beth brightened a little, the wonder in Falina's eyes giving her reason to chuckle softly. Her astonishment was endearing, and it always gave the mage pleasure to be able to enlighten someone. "Ah, it wasn't always for the Circle of Magi. The Tower stood there centuries before any of us moved in. The Avvars built it, and they say it was with the help of your people, as well. I don't know if there was any magic involved in the construction, but it's certainly an impressive sight from the shores." A view she'd only seen twice in her life -- the first time she arrived on the shores of the Lake, and the second time when she left it behind her only about a month ago. For all the marvelous things she'd seen in the time since their departure, nothing yet could compare to the lofty spire that stretched up from the shimmering waters and straight into the skies.
Again, the mage felt self-conscious about how much she'd said, especially given how quiet the knight had been. Was she talking too much? She didn't know how to gauge herself in conversation with those who were neither associated with the Circle nor the Chantry. What did normal, average people want to hear about? She bit her lower lip. "But...enough history lessons. I must be terribly boring. I apologize, I'm rather used to giving lectures at the Tower." Beth tilted herself slightly to wave a hand at the shelves behind her, "I did see a section of books on the history of Ferelden, though, if you wanted to learn from people who know more than I do." Obviously, it didn't occur to her that there was a chance the girl couldn't make much use of those books.