"Well, it's a sight better than most Shemlen...but you aren't Shemlen," the elf observed, shivering on his side of the fire, careful to keep a safe distance. Mac didn't press him to draw closer at that moment, focusing instead on pressing the line of his body nearer to Uldren, warming his companion without even thinking about it. It was reflexive to be close to the man by that point, and he didn't see anything unnatural in what the Prince has made very clear was acceptable and right, and damned anyone who said different. Mac wasn't precisely easy to brainwash, but he took the words of those he cred about very seriously. It showed, and the elf noticed, but had no reason to comment. His own people didn't really have the luxury of being close-minded those days.
"I don't even know what a Shemlen is," Mac replied, looking at Uldren with a small frown. "Do you know what a Shemlen is?" the Guardian asked in their shared tongue, shaking his head slowly before looking back at Ilormael.
"Sheml--humans. You know humans?" the elf asked, nodding when Mac made and affirmative sound. "So what are you? Hornless Qunari? You look like..." the boy trailed off, frowning slowly.
"Like what?" Mac asked, adding wood to the fire for the sake of his lover and his guest.
"Demons. Desire Demons. I've seen them before. Your colors, I've never seen on Qunari, but they're on Desire Demons," Ilormael answered warily, frowning with Mac burst out laughing and turned to Uldren.
"Uldren. H-he thinks we're "Desire Demons" or something. Can you imagine? What sort of place is it where guys like us pass for something that sounds like that? Oh man," he kept laughing before reaching up and rubbing his eyes with a sigh.
"You find us desirable, then?" the Guardian quipped, grinning and wagging a brow at the elf, who scowled back.
"That's precisely the sort of thing they would say!"
"Well, I wouldn't know. I'm not a demon. Neither is he," Mac remarked, thumbing over at Uldren, "But he sure has enough attitude for it. We're...hm. How do I explain. We're Awoken. That's just what we're called. We aren't from this land at all. We lost our ship while traveling and now we're lost in this land that is completely unfamiliar to us. We don't even know what it's called."
"How do you speak my language then? Eh? Are you spies? Hm!?"
"Um...no. I'm a warlock and he--"
"What's that?"
"Warlock? Like um...a...wizard, maybe?"
"Mage!?"
"Yes, is that bad?" Mac asked, casting an unsure look at Uldren before focusing on the elf again.
"It depends on where you are and who you ask. My people keep their magic close, but most mages are either in Circles, under lock and key, or apostates."
"And that is...?"
"Illegal mages, essentially. You really aren't from here, are you..."
"As I said, we're very lost, and apparently in trouble just for existing," Mac muttered, turning to explain to Uldren that warlocks, or mages as they were called there, weren't allowed to just go around about their business.
"They don't police mages where you're from? Are you from Tevinter?" Ilormael asked, obviously easing up on his anger over everything, curious about the strangers.
"No. We're from The Reef, originally," Mac replied, finding no reason to lie, since his story was no less true one way or the other. It wasn't as if the boy would know anything about anywhere he spoke of.
"Where is that?" the elf asked, and Mac frowned, looking around curiously.
"From here? I have no idea. But considering how far we traveled? A long, long, loooong ways away."
"You still haven't explained why you speak my language," Ilormael reminded Mac, who shrugged and gestured vaguely.
"I have magic. I can do all manner of things with it. Listening and learning isn't difficult." Not entirely the truth, but not really a lie, either. The elf frowned a bit before shrugging it off. He didn't understand magic, personally, so trying now would be pointless.
"Why did you both come here?"
"Accident, actually. There was a hole in the sky and we fell through. I don't really understand it mysel--what?" Mac paused, looking at the elf, who looked suddenly very understanding and sympathetic.
"You fell into a Rift! They must happen everywhere, then!" the boy gasped, leaning forward with marked interest. "You could be clear across the world from your home! Rifts are so unpredictable...I'm terribly sorry this has happened to you both. Especially with everything going on in Thedas. There's wars brewing all over, you know? It really isn't safe for anyone."
Mac blinked several times, trying to process everything. Ghost had a few suggestions as well and Mac finally turned to Uldren, speaking in their own language again.
"I've got an answer and an in. Apparently in this world they have Rifts. Magical tears, I assume. but people can enter them and come out somewhere else, if the elf is right. So there you go. If anyone questions us, we're a Prince and his guardian, we fell through a rift and here we are. Work's pretty seamlessly, I think. We don't even have to lie, which will make us all the more convincing if it ever comes up."
"So you two are..."
Mac turned back, smiling brightly, back to being excited about everything because NOW, everything wasn't half so bad!
"Mac Jouney, at your service. This is his majesty, Prince of the Awoken, Uldren Sov," Mac replied, bowing his head slightly and gesturing to Uldren with the introduction.
"A Prince?"
"Yeah I know. Hard to believe. He's very grumpy and likes to do everything himself. Being in service to him is a nightmare, I promise," Mac added cheerfully.
"Service. Hm. Are you a knight then, or..."
"Or?"
"His...hm...uh..." How did one ask nicely if someone were a lover? Fortunately Mac wasn't all that much an idiot and caught on, coughing softly.
"Oh! Oh. Well, I'm his knight and guardian, and it's complicated. I suppose that's the best as I can say it. He's really quite marvelous under all the brooding."
The elf laughed, finding Mac's good-nature to be charming and relaxing in light of Uldren's doom and gloom. Much less troublesome for all involved, really, and the boy unconsciously shifted closer to the warmth of both the fire and the people.
"Sorry about all the mess from before," Mac added, offering an apologetic look. "He's really on edge about everything."
"Ah. I'm sorry as well," Ilormael replied, blushing faintly as he recalled delivering a few cruel kicks. "Would you tell him I apologize?"
Mac nodded, turning to Uldren again and smiling hopefully. "He said he's sorry. I don't know for what, but that's between you guys."
no subject
"I don't even know what a Shemlen is," Mac replied, looking at Uldren with a small frown. "Do you know what a Shemlen is?" the Guardian asked in their shared tongue, shaking his head slowly before looking back at Ilormael.
"Sheml--humans. You know humans?" the elf asked, nodding when Mac made and affirmative sound. "So what are you? Hornless Qunari? You look like..." the boy trailed off, frowning slowly.
"Like what?" Mac asked, adding wood to the fire for the sake of his lover and his guest.
"Demons. Desire Demons. I've seen them before. Your colors, I've never seen on Qunari, but they're on Desire Demons," Ilormael answered warily, frowning with Mac burst out laughing and turned to Uldren.
"Uldren. H-he thinks we're "Desire Demons" or something. Can you imagine? What sort of place is it where guys like us pass for something that sounds like that? Oh man," he kept laughing before reaching up and rubbing his eyes with a sigh.
"You find us desirable, then?" the Guardian quipped, grinning and wagging a brow at the elf, who scowled back.
"That's precisely the sort of thing they would say!"
"Well, I wouldn't know. I'm not a demon. Neither is he," Mac remarked, thumbing over at Uldren, "But he sure has enough attitude for it. We're...hm. How do I explain. We're Awoken. That's just what we're called. We aren't from this land at all. We lost our ship while traveling and now we're lost in this land that is completely unfamiliar to us. We don't even know what it's called."
"How do you speak my language then? Eh? Are you spies? Hm!?"
"Um...no. I'm a warlock and he--"
"What's that?"
"Warlock? Like um...a...wizard, maybe?"
"Mage!?"
"Yes, is that bad?" Mac asked, casting an unsure look at Uldren before focusing on the elf again.
"It depends on where you are and who you ask. My people keep their magic close, but most mages are either in Circles, under lock and key, or apostates."
"And that is...?"
"Illegal mages, essentially. You really aren't from here, are you..."
"As I said, we're very lost, and apparently in trouble just for existing," Mac muttered, turning to explain to Uldren that warlocks, or mages as they were called there, weren't allowed to just go around about their business.
"They don't police mages where you're from? Are you from Tevinter?" Ilormael asked, obviously easing up on his anger over everything, curious about the strangers.
"No. We're from The Reef, originally," Mac replied, finding no reason to lie, since his story was no less true one way or the other. It wasn't as if the boy would know anything about anywhere he spoke of.
"Where is that?" the elf asked, and Mac frowned, looking around curiously.
"From here? I have no idea. But considering how far we traveled? A long, long, loooong ways away."
"You still haven't explained why you speak my language," Ilormael reminded Mac, who shrugged and gestured vaguely.
"I have magic. I can do all manner of things with it. Listening and learning isn't difficult." Not entirely the truth, but not really a lie, either. The elf frowned a bit before shrugging it off. He didn't understand magic, personally, so trying now would be pointless.
"Why did you both come here?"
"Accident, actually. There was a hole in the sky and we fell through. I don't really understand it mysel--what?" Mac paused, looking at the elf, who looked suddenly very understanding and sympathetic.
"You fell into a Rift! They must happen everywhere, then!" the boy gasped, leaning forward with marked interest. "You could be clear across the world from your home! Rifts are so unpredictable...I'm terribly sorry this has happened to you both. Especially with everything going on in Thedas. There's wars brewing all over, you know? It really isn't safe for anyone."
Mac blinked several times, trying to process everything. Ghost had a few suggestions as well and Mac finally turned to Uldren, speaking in their own language again.
"I've got an answer and an in. Apparently in this world they have Rifts. Magical tears, I assume. but people can enter them and come out somewhere else, if the elf is right. So there you go. If anyone questions us, we're a Prince and his guardian, we fell through a rift and here we are. Work's pretty seamlessly, I think. We don't even have to lie, which will make us all the more convincing if it ever comes up."
"So you two are..."
Mac turned back, smiling brightly, back to being excited about everything because NOW, everything wasn't half so bad!
"Mac Jouney, at your service. This is his majesty, Prince of the Awoken, Uldren Sov," Mac replied, bowing his head slightly and gesturing to Uldren with the introduction.
"A Prince?"
"Yeah I know. Hard to believe. He's very grumpy and likes to do everything himself. Being in service to him is a nightmare, I promise," Mac added cheerfully.
"Service. Hm. Are you a knight then, or..."
"Or?"
"His...hm...uh..." How did one ask nicely if someone were a lover? Fortunately Mac wasn't all that much an idiot and caught on, coughing softly.
"Oh! Oh. Well, I'm his knight and guardian, and it's complicated. I suppose that's the best as I can say it. He's really quite marvelous under all the brooding."
The elf laughed, finding Mac's good-nature to be charming and relaxing in light of Uldren's doom and gloom. Much less troublesome for all involved, really, and the boy unconsciously shifted closer to the warmth of both the fire and the people.
"Sorry about all the mess from before," Mac added, offering an apologetic look. "He's really on edge about everything."
"Ah. I'm sorry as well," Ilormael replied, blushing faintly as he recalled delivering a few cruel kicks. "Would you tell him I apologize?"
Mac nodded, turning to Uldren again and smiling hopefully. "He said he's sorry. I don't know for what, but that's between you guys."