Gerald had little to prepare. He had spent the time in the morning preparing his supplies: Flasks of fresh water, elf foot, and other various things that could be useful. Nothing special and nothing out of the ordinary. Knowing the deep roads from the books he read in his time at Kirkwall he knew that the places were going to have stale air and as such he prepared a small cloth to act as a block between his mouth and the air while still allowing him to breath. It was more or less a minor safe guard that he could tie around his mouth in order to keep any possible diseases lurking down there to have a harder time getting in through his lungs. He grabbed his staff and hung it from his shoulder as he looked around and sighed deeply. Not a person who enjoyed talking to fools and loud mouths he had the pleasure of working with. He just hoped they were right and he was wrong and this moronic journey into the deep roads was actually worth it. If it was he'd eat his words. If he wasn't....well he'd probably be too busy dead to bother bad mouthing them for their life choices.

With a loud explosion and a cloud of smoke Henrietta's 'bedroll' lifted itself into an upright position and unfolded like some monstrous metal morning flower before collapsing back down into a small. easily portable box. Bending down, her armour and equipment shiny and polished as if she'd spent the entire night cleaning them rather than just sleeping in them, the dwarf quickly plucked her bedroll up[ off the floor and dropped it into her pack.

Moving over to the wagon she hoisted the large bag up over the side, making sure the delicate contraptions inside were secure before turning her attention to her battle harness. Grumbling to herself she reached down to her belt and pulled out a screwdriver, moving it to tighten something up under her elbow for a moment before straightening out her limb, testing its mobility.

Seemingly satisfied the artificer tucked her tool away again before stepping up beside the firepit with a smile. "So, what's for breakfast?" She asked merrily, her magnifying eyepiece locking down into place as she examined the array of pots and pans simmering over the waning embers. Dipping her finger carefully into a large vat of something brown and bubbling she jammed the digit quickly into her mouth before beaming a wide and joyful smile. "Mmm, Rat au vin. My favourite."

Reaching down Henrietta seemingly materialised a large spoon and bowl from somewhere about her person, serving herself up a generous helping of the mud-colored gruel before finding a comfortable place to sit overlooking the sea below. The weather seemed to be holding out well, with a slight chill quickly giving way to the warm sunshine as the first rays danced on the distant horizon, and the Siren bobbed merrily on the rising tide while Henrietta made short work of her food, before once again vanishing her implements away to wherever they'd appeared from in the first place.

Lian carefully finished strapping her daggers to her back. She was comforted by the familiar weight of the blades between her shoulder blades. She bent down to make sure that the rope attached to Snuffles neck was tight enough so he wouldn't escape. She had packed up the rest of her stuff already and had loaded it onto the wagon as she walked over to where breakfast was at and took a small helping. She ate quickly and when she was finished she sat down near the wagon, not in a talking mood for it being still early in the morning.

The massive beast that was Sasha emerged from the brush with Paxton not far in tow. The bearded mage was humming a jolly tune as his animal companion took a seat next to a near by tree where she began to lick the blood from her paws. This would of been a common sight for any who were in the mercenary band long enough. Paxton usual arose early, ate his breakfast, then accompanied Sasha on here hunt. This time they managed to catch a rather plump bore, it should tied Sasha over for quite some time.

With a smile on his face Paxton looked over his brothers and sisters in arms. "Morning all. I trust you all slept well." He said as he walked over to the burning fire. He stretched as he took in the smell of his companion's breakfast.

Gerald saw the other mage come out from hunting and was pleased at least they would have some food. "I sleep well enough I suppose. We're not at an inn but at least the air is fresh comparatively. Still I would've preferred a bed." Gerald commented simply as he finished his counting and went to grab his share of the breakfast. He hadn't grabbed it earlier in order to make sure he had enough time to pack. Other than that he was a rather quick eater. You had to be if you were out in the middle of nowhere like he was during his travels. Dangers lurk everywhere in the safest of places.

Cassius emerged from where he was laying: under a tent where he had a small fire to work with his cooking, for the past hour he was baking small cakes. These would be used for rationing. Easy to eat, good quantity and sharable. He even poured a bit of buttercream frosting on them.

"Morning all." he said before placing the small delicacies into containers and placing them into his backpack.

Fredrick gripped his battle axe in both hands. His comrades stood atound him, and Fredrick grinned confidently. He hefted his battle axe, side stepping as a large Drake charged at him. Fredrick lanced put twice with his axe, lightning fast, lopping off a leg, and then splitting it's neck open on the uppercut.

"Four!" He called.

"Seven!" One of his companions called back, his mentor Brok.

"Bastard fuck!" Fredrick said, "you're fucking lying to piss me off!"

"Did it work!?" Another of his friends, Ceran the Rogue, called.

Fredrick grinned as Mangy tore out a drake's throat.

"No need," he said as a drake lanced at him, claws swinging.

He dropped his axe and caught the claws, before headbutting the drake. As it staggered, Freddy swung the drake by it's claws and slammed it into the wall, before stomping it's skull in.

"I'm always pissed!"

Then, the ground shook. The world slowed down fore Freddy as a huge, scaled beast charged down the cave tunnels.

A high dragon. It tore into Freddy's flesh, cleansing him with Fire. Freddy watched helplessly as it did the same to his friends. The Dogs were torn, shredded, burned one by one. Freddy was helpless. He'd failed he'd failed he'd failed he'd failed he'd failed-

Mangy's barking roused Freddy. He instinctively tried to stand up, bracing himself with his left arm. After a moment, Freddy realized he had no such appendage, and ended up falling over himself, rolling forward into the side of his tent. His tent collapsed on him, and he flailed about, letting out a warcry.

A bundle of Freddy and tent rolled through the camp for a bit, almost slamming into one of his companions as he rolled about, letting out a string of curses. Mangy managed to catch up, and decided to help free his master.

Mangy grabbed the tent and pulled, onpy managing to drag Freddy along with the tent. He dragged him halfway across the camp, before Freddy was finally deposited unceremoniously on the ground.

Freddy then stood and kicked at the bundle of sticks and leather skin that had been his tent, referring to it as a "Makerforsaken fuckwit of a tent." He then faced his other comrades. He blushed, dark cheeks further darkening, before coughing.

"Uh..." he began, "Good...morning?"

He awkwardly collected his tent and began packing it up, before locating Dragonslayer. He secured his belongings in a pair of bags, one strapped to Mangy, one strapped to Freddy.

"So...yeah. At least another meal before we go into deathymcdoomcaveland? What do we have to eat. I'm fucking hungry."

As he approached the encampment they setup the night before, Karras pulled up the worn-out gray mask that was attached within the lower half of his hood over his the lower half of his mouth. It hid away his mouth and nose but didn't hinder his breathing through the gray cloth. Still not at ease with revealing to others more or less suspicious of the sight of him already. He didn't bother to speak up about anything as he walked past people dissembling their tents and rolling up their bedrolls. A heard a few of the militia group members complain about having to sleep on the ground as they loaded up the equipment onto the cargo wagons.

When he was nearing the smell of lingering food he paused his movement and eyed the irrepressible leader, Martin. Karras has become indebted with weathered man from saving his life, also as well indebted to others in with the party that he'd come to know some, and offering him a chance within his ever growing ranks. Though at the same while he felt a rather familiar yet odd sense from him. It was rather confusing for Karras, he consider the harden to be akin to himself, but he wiped that conclusion from his thought. How could he be something so hideous in the eyes of those that spited what he was, those that fought against his kind, but the odd sensation never left him when he was around Martin, but he never dared voice the matter, even with speaking so little as he did.

Karras found him self staring at the man for again. He glided hand through the air slowly, giving Martin the sign that the path was clear up head. He then slightly nodded to him and found himself seated within the back of the wagon.

Nodding his head over to the silent scout Martin dropped himself off the back of the wagon and tapped out his pipe, stamping heavily on the ashes to ensure they were well and truly extinguished before turning to the Company. Clearing his throat with a loud grumbling, cough, which turned into a deep, booming rattle of a cough as he found himself bent over hacking up thick phlegm, Martin called attention.

"We're heading over ground two days inland," The old soldier began, chewing on the lumpy mass in his mouth for a second before gobbing it off towards the remains of the campfire. "I'm not expecting there to be any trouble, bandits most likely won't want to bother such a large and well-armed party such as ours, but keep your eyes open just in case."

As he spoke Martin carefully eyed up the group gathered before him. There was quite a bit of magic in their ranks, in one form or another, even the dwarven wench's contraptions seemed to be powered by the stuff, and the militiamen they'd brought with them from Skyhold looked like they could hold a sword the right way round, at least on the second attempt. Pulling his bastard sword from its scabbard Martin raised it high into the air and glanced around the beach to make sure everyone was ready. In the distance he could see the Siren as it made its way out of the bay, heading back out into the Waking Sea. The sleek wooden hull making easy work of the draining tide.

Good riddance, he thought to himself before swinging his sword down to signal the driver to start their journey. "Forward!" He called out in his loudest battlefield voice, listening for a moment with a smile as the echoes bounced off the distant mountains.


It had been a good two days journey, with fine weather and clear skies, and apart from a little trouble with a sneak thief who'd tried to raid the camp during the first night there'd been no problems getting the party to the Deep Roads entrance Varric had told them to look out for. Martin smiled at the memory of the thief the way he'd found the man the next morning, hanging upside down from a tree with all his belongings carefully sorted and piled underneath him. The fine elvish dagger had been passed to one of the militiamen who'd recently married, a fine present for the new husband. The rest of the trinkets had been added to the Company coffers, to be bartered away at the first opportunity. At least Nighthawk managed to have some fun, Martin thought with a wicked smile.

Standing in front of the overgrown stone gateway Martin looked down the steep stairway with a scowl. They wouldn't have any trouble getting the wagon down into the tunnel, and from what he'd heard the path should be clear and smooth once they were in, but getting the wagon back up the stairs would be a nightmare, especially if they had to do it in a hurry or while under attack.


TIlting his head to one side, his eyes never leaving the darkened passage in front oof his, Martin called back over his shoulder, "I'm going to need three volunteers. Someone has to go down and make sure the path ahead is clear. A Mage would be useful, in case we need to light any veilfire braziers down there."

Stepping forward, her battle harness giving off a hiss of escaping steam as she did, Henrietta raised a hand to volunteer herself. "I'd love to get a good look at the place before... 'people' trample over everything." As she spoke 'Etta's eyes darted over to the animals in the party, she seemed to be busily sniffing each others butt over to one side.

Reaching up onto the wagon Henrietta pulled out a small six-inch rod. Pushing a large red button on one end of it she held it out at arm's length for a few moments while shielding her face with her other hand, almost as if expecting the thing to explode. After several seconds she peeked out from behind her fingers with a frown, glaring at the rod with bafflement. Shaking it a few times she lowered her hand from her face and flipped a small panel on the side of the rod open, reaching down to her belt for a screwdriver as she did.

"_{...dammit... it was working fine last night when I...}" 'Etta's voice trailed off as her eyes darted around the surrounding company and her cheeks began to blush, recalling exactly what she'd done with the device the night before. "_{Hmm, maybe it's still a little wet..?}" She muttered, blowing into the device's inner workings with a powerful puff which left her cheeks bulging and lips pursed in a slightly disturbing manner. Flipping the panel closed she held the device out and pushed the button again. This time the device immediately came to life, jiggling and vibrating on 'Etta's outstretched hand for a few moments before suddenly springing out into a four-foot long staff with a bright flame burning a merry shade of bright green at one end.

"All ready!" She called over at Martin, stepping forth with the flickering flame level with her face and a bright smile spreading across her lips. "Umm... what was it we were doing again?"

Paxton let out a slight chuckle as the group's residential Dwarven tinkerer stepped forward, volunteered as the first to scout out the entrance, and then proceeded to make quite the spectacle of activating what appeared to be some sort of mechanical torch. "As much confidence I have in you 'Etta, I think I would like to head down there." He said before continuing in his nicest tone possible. "Not that I doubt your skills in the slightest, just that... things tend to explode around you and we all know that something exploding in the Deep Roads won't be the best for us right now." He said, holding his hands up in a passive manor as to show he was trying to be as gentle as possible.

He then looked to Sasha, who was at his side. "You stay here girl, make sure to guard the cart." He said to the crimson furred animal, petting her head gently. Stepping forward and tuning his attention back the more than excitable dwarf. "At least allow me to accompany you down there to you know, keep any Darkspawn from turning you into a bit sized snack." He said with a slight chuckle.

"I could go too. I'm thin enough I can look in any small areas for danger." Lian said as she stepped forward. She had been silent the past two days but she thought she could be of help on this task. Her hair had fallen to cover one of her eyes. She had made sure before stepping forward that Snuffles had been secured to the wagon.

Cassius stood a fair bit away from Lian, he feared her leg would slow her down if there is danger. And he'd also rather not allow another like Fredrick... But it wasn't for him to decide. Regardless, there was choices to be made. Though... He never seen a dark spawn, or anything of the sort.

"I... could go in your place Lian. No disrespect to you... but I rather you not risk a leg injury... but I'll not hold you back if you truly wish to go." It was his nature to look out for others if he could. To him, her injury could be a hindrance, but to her, it serves as a reminder; two conflicting views.

"But... if you do go... I could give you an extra ration or two."

@Genni@Saarebas@booksmusicanime@CAS1006

Shaking his head Martin pointed over at Cassius. "No, it'll be better for her in the tunnels than it will be up here. Plenty of shadows for her to hide in if it comes to that." Looking over at the four volunteers Martin considered his options for a moment before shrugging noncommittally. "Might as well let all fo you go in there. At least that way at least one of you can be on your guard for any... problems." While he spoke he carefully rolled his gaze over Paxton, Cassius and Lian, before finally letting his eyes settle on Henrietta as he stabbed out the last word, almost as an accusation.

"As for the rest of you maggots," He called out, raising his voice to the rest of the Company as he turned to consider the surrounding woodlands. "Spread out a little and make sure nothing's sneaking up on us. Don't go too far though, hopefully these wretches won't take too long scouting the path and I want to get this cart down those steps before night fall."

Having spoke his piece the old soldier moved off to one side of the gateway and leant back against the wall, reaching for his pipe as he did. His nerves were on end at the moment, something about the dark shadows swarming around them from between the trees set him instincts on edge, and for once the thought of heading down into the relative safety of the Deep Roads seemed like a far better option than hanging around up on the surface, surrounded by those trees.

"Wait, so they get to go fucking cowboy explorer and we stay here and guard?" Freddy said, before pausing ,"Fuckin SWEET! This is the first merc company I've been in that didn't make the 'legendary berserker hero' do all the scary shit! Thank fuck! I might actually deal with a reasonable amount of danger instead of being balls deep in death at all hours of the day! Thank you, Martin. Thank you. I love you. Marry me."

Freddy chuckled, before looking at them.

"Remember, work together. And don't you fuckwits dare leave anyone behind or I'll kill you myself. You're all of a melee bent, except possibly Etta, so rogues should take this unique opportunity to flank hardcore. Just remember, be careful. I actually like you despicable fucktards.

Now, I'ma guard shit. Martin, let's talk later."

Freddy then knuckle touched Etta, and walked off. Mangy stayed behind to bark some orders, seasoned commander that he was. Hopefully one of them was fereldan and could translate.

Afterwards, Mangy approached Gerard. He paused, before barking a few times. He then plopped down on his stomach in front of the mage.

"Scouting the woods? Wonderful...at least I suppose it keeps me away from that tunnel." Gerald grumbled as he turned back to look at the woods before suddenly being approached by the one who called himself Freddy...strange demented fellow with the brain of a something that liked to smash things. He had nothing especially against the fellow but he did feel uneasy being around him especially after he started to bark. "What is it that you need from me? I don't see any particular reason to be sitting down either get up and help search the blasted woods...if the leader says we do something we do it." Gerald said plainly not exactly enthusiastic about even being here. The thought of being in direct danger like this made him feel stupid.

"Didn't know you spoke Mabari!" Freddy said in his characteristically shouty voice, seemingingly materializing behind Gerard.

Mangy barked a few times, and Freddy frowned.

"Gerard, were you just bitching at Mangy? Fucker, my dog does not need your negativity, shitting Maker. And Martin specifically said guard the area. But on that note...hmmm... I wonder if it might be worth gathering some potion herbs. Etta or Cass could probably brew potions if we asked. As for me, I recognize medicinal herbs pretty damn well. Just don't know how to render them into potions."

Freddy grinned, "You wanna come with me to ask Martin about it?"

Gerald looked at the fool for a moment before calmly replying, "No I do not speak Mabari and no I wasn't bitching at your dog. In fact the thing came over to me. I do know however Mabari are intelligent beasts and they can understand what we say just as good as most humans. I knew a mabari who could play chess once. Blasted thing beat a templar fool never got over it." Gerald said as he looked around once more before sighing, "No I am not interested in gathering herbs however if the leader wants me to do it, again, then I will. But I've already gathered enough herbs on our journey here to suffice for the journey through the roads. Blasted weeds are annoying to turn into poultice anyways."

Cassius looked at the two in slight annoyance. "I've yet to see anything legendary about you, secondly, I'm a healer who just happens to have fast hands and ability to go half into the fade." With a wave of his hands he became somewhat see through.

"So please, will you stop the silly shenanigans. Every time the word 'Fuck' comes out of your mouth I am a step closer to breaking your arm off and beating your head in... Every other thing you say is 'fuck'. Is that ALL you're limited to say? Surely I thought the Dalish could speak more than a human acquired set of words." Cassius was a bit annoyed to see how far his people could reduce themselves.

"Know what, I'll hear none of it." Cassius turned onto his heel and walked into the Tunnel, already half into the fade; such was good preparation of an Arcane Warrior, but in his case an Arcane Rouge.