Backscene: Curiosity and Trouble Who: Imenry Barras, Jill Sorrel When: 9:43, 27 Solis Where: Highever Summary: After a job escorting some travelers takes her to Highever, Imenry spends a day of downtime and finds something… very curious indeed. Rating: Fine for all
Imenry could not say that the trip from Denerim had been uneventful, something which she was certain had at turns distressed and excited her clients; the well-off merchant couple moving to Highever. At least they'd had no children, or she suspected it would have been a lot worse. At the halfway point the wagon wheel had snapped, causing them to delay for repairs, and of course, that's when the bandits had happened along. It had been only her and one other merc, a hugely-muscled sort with a shaven head and multiple tattoos, and the bandits had outnumbered them. The screams of Miss Merchant's wife were still ringing in her ears even now, as the two civilians had cowered in the broken wagon.
Of course they had taken care of the attackers, and been more than compensated for doing so, even a bonus. So despite the fact that she was exhausted, and suffering some minor injuries, Imenry was in a good mood. The coins jingling in the pouch she held were the cause for that and she tested it's weigh before tucking it into her pack. Her eyes drifted around her surroundings then, as if looking for the first time. It was indeed the first time she'd ever been to Highever, not that she'd been in Ferelden all that long either. In fact it had been mere weeks ago that she'd returned from Orlais; a return journey on foot and hitching rides on wagons that had taken her months. She'd seen many things in Orlais, but she had hated most of them.
Pushing that thought from her mind Imenry began to wander the area. Highever was immense, but for some reason she felt most curious about the castle. She had a thought to find the nearest inn, book a room and get some food in her belly, but instead she wandered towards the huge stone structure in the distance. Unlike in other cities, this castle didn't lurk about the town on a cliff or mountain, instead it seemed to shelter it, and the huge gates stood open. Imenry glanced inside curiously, watching. In the distance she could see Knights practicing, some of them had stopped and were chatting amongst themselves, others were sparring. She watched an archer aim at a target and set his arrow sailing before he hit the mark.
People from the town were moving through the open gate constantly, bringing deliveries to the castle, wandering the grounds, admiring the gardens. It certainly seemed that the Teyrn here was more involved in the lives of those beneath him than some others might be. Still, she hesitated a moment before slipping past the stone wall. Something had teased at the edges of her hearing. She smelled something... the faint smell of animal. But it wasn't overwhelming like the farms in Lothering. Did the Teyrn keep livestock? Tilting her head slightly Imenry ignored those that she passed, her steps leading her towards what looked to be a wide open area surrounded by a split-rail wood fence. At one end of the fence was a building, what for Imenry didn't know. But there were animals wandering the fenced area now. She wasn't sure exactly... what they were. Large. Bigger than an ox by far. Four-legged with a long face and pointed ears rather like those to be found on some breeds of dog. But this animal had a long mane of hair down it's graceful neck, and a tail of the same hair. It's feet were hooved like an ox as well. She stared at the animals with wide eyes, her hands curling around the top railing of the fence.
She must look a sight, certainly; with blue paint still streaked across her face, her hair spilling wildly over her shoulders, her jaw shadowed with a bruise, and her knuckles bloodied. But no one seemed to pay her any mind for the moment. There were a couple of people in the area with the animals, and it looked almost as if they were speaking with them, but she wasn't sure what they were doing. They would lead the animals in a wide circle, changing their pace or their steps. It was almost as if they were training them for some purpose. But what were they? She glanced about, perhaps someone here would be able to answer her questions.