bethen avilla ; the circle mage (bethe) wrote in thedas,
It wasn't until the mage had been forced to run in them that Bethen realized just how inconvenient her robes were. The garments of the Circle were designed protect from harm and imbued with magical enhancements, but she wasn't covered from nearly head to toe in layers just for practicality's sake. A woman's natural curves were still evident in the female pattern, but mages were allowed to show just about as much skin as, or even less than, any Chantry priest. Beth wasn't in any opposition to maintaining modesty, but she found the length of the blue skirt around her legs to be troublesome and restrictive, while the saffron material of the upper half uncomfortably trapped in the warm summer air and her building body heat. Considerations for modifications would have to be made later, though, as at the present moment, she was much more focused on following her fellow Warden into battle.
Seeing Dee return alone was alarming enough; hearing that Jaden had made a decision without the rest of them was only a little disconcerting, though admittedly, it was unlikely that they would have refused to help someone in danger even if they had paused to discuss and evaluate the situation. This woman was quite fortunate to have crossed paths with this particular party of Grey Wardens -- while it was no complete assessment of the other groups' characters, the four headed to Ostagar were of a virtuous nature. Bethen was often hesitant to rush headlong into things without knowing the full circumstances, but given what Dee had reported to them, she could see no fault in Jaden's actions, other than the fact that he was relying too much on their ability to catch up quickly. And at this rate, Beth was beginning to feel concerned that she wasn't going to make it on time.
Rhocanth was at the lead, with others following, and Beth was close to the tail end of the backup. It wasn't entirely intentional to fall behind, but it was likely for the better if she was to be successful at her role -- let the warriors draw the attention, while the rogues could flank, and the mage could cast unhindered. Most importantly, she would need to cast healing spells in order to mitigate damage while they were in combat, rather than have to delve into their first aid supplies so early once the battle was over. Uncomfortably, Beth shifted her veridium staff from where it was strapped to her back and into her hands, anxiety growing with each step closer to the sounds of clashing weapons and shouting fighters. She had dueled against other mages in the sanctuary of the Tower, she had fought demons in the perils of the Fade, but never had she been put in a position to engage with a real enemy that was mortal. And not only that, these opponents weren't creatures -- they were people, too, probably human, looking to slaughter.
With any fortune, Beth wouldn't have to deal any offense herself, but she still needed to be alert and be careful with her mana levels (the use of the staff would help a little with this). A few vials of potion were on hand just in case, though. Once they hit the fray, the Warden mage paused at the edges while others charged ahead, though she stepped around until she found that she could keep an eye on everyone's position and still be within casting range of her party. Before the sister could stray too far and too deep into the situation, Beth called out to her quickly, "Dee, could you cover me?" It should have been more of an order than a request, given their official chain of command now, but the mage had yet to find her voice for it. She didn't have time to wait for a response, though; the first target to focus her magic upon was the unknown and apparent victim of this attack. She raised her staff in the air and summoned the healing spell, a blue light flowing from her hands and encasing the mercenary woman in the same luminescence almost instantly.