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When you hear enough rumors that sound like a missing friend wandering in the wilds of Ferelden -- well.

Ysalwen finds it difficult not to act, or at least to think about acting. Which is why she's unrolled a map of Ferelden on the table and is placing colored stones on it. Red for passing mentions in taverns, blue for information passed by vouched-for informants, and purple for actual sightings.

The purple is clustered most tightly in the Korcari Wilds, which --

Well.

Isn't that interesting.

"What in Andraste's name are you doing, Morrigan?"

Because it's not like there's anything left alive in the Wilds, not after the Blight.

Liranan whines.

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Quentin needs more hot chocolate and stops when he hears Liranan whine before heading over to Ysalwen's table, he's in pajama pants with polar bears on them, "Something wrong?"

Ysalwen looks over, mouth open to respond, and --

"Bears. You're wearing white bears. With little hats. Is that -- is that the symbol of your house?"

Her train of thought has clearly been derailed.

"No, they're pajama pants. I wear them when I go to sleep or when I'm around the house sometimes, they're comfortable. They're polar bears," He likes his pants, they're cute.

"Huh. They're suspiciously adorable for bears. Have you -- ever actually met a bear?"

Bears are huge. And they have teeth. And they really hate surprises.

"Yes, I have and I didn't make the pants. They're only drawings of bears. I don't want to tangle with a polar bear, they eat seals."

"Seals? Not deer, or fish, or humans that are too slow to run away?"

Weird. Unless maybe seals are a species of fish. It's possible!

"Polar bears live near ice floes in the Arctic where its really cold. They eat seals and fish, most humans are smart enough to avoid them."

"But humans do live on these ice floes. Or near enough for them to matter."

Beat.

"Do you not have enough arable land for everyone? Or -- "

"Not that many, I mean people like to visit and go look but not many actually live there. Oh yes, we have lots of land. I'll get a map,"

Especially where he's from and some Fae like living near ice, just not everyone. When a rat comes by, he asks for a good map or atlas of North America.

Edited 2016-01-23 20:18 (UTC)

"I -- your world is very strange, you know."

Just in case he was unaware.

"Yes, I know. Okay, see all this white, that's the Arctic, polar bears live there and these dots are a few tiny town. That's the nearest city,"

He points to Northern Canada and Alaska.

"So your people like to pay visits to places that can kill them? Just to -- see them?"

Weird, Earth-ians.

Very, very weird.

"Not everyone, but yes."

"Do you do that?"

"No, I never have," When he was younger, it wouldn't have really made any sense to and now, there's never any time to travel.

"Do you want to?"

Now she's curious. Even if the concept of tourism is still -- very strange.

"It'd be nice to. I haven't actually seen a lot of California, except when we're investigating a case. Would you like to travel more?"

"Outside of Ferelden, yes. I think I've seen almost everything in my country at least twice over. But it's -- it can be dangerous."

Brigands, you know.

"And not having a purpose makes people look at you a little strangely. Even trade would be something, but -- I have work to do, yet."

But eventually, Antiva! Among other places.

"That would make it harder and its not as easy for Fae to travel as humans. You need a reason to be crossing someone's border."

"You're that factionalized?"

That seems -- incredibly unsafe. And borderline stupid.

"How close are these borders?"

Edited 2016-01-23 21:42 (UTC)

"It depends on the border, going between kingdoms is always an issue, smaller places like counties aren't as hard,"

There is definitely stupidity involved in Fae politics.

"Yes, but -- how large is a county? Or a kingdom?"

He looks down at the map and traces out,

"That's all the Westlands, this is the Kingdom of Mists, that's Silences, that's the Kingdom of Angels. Within each of those are duchies and counties, the borders don't really fully map onto the human borders but they give you an idea."

"And what does rulership mean for the Fae? I've come to learn it doesn't necessarily mean the same thing everywhere."

Her mouth twists at one corner.

"It's not the only concept not to map well across worlds, but. Anyway."

Edited 2016-01-23 22:04 (UTC)

"It means that nobles keep the borders safe, protect those who within their borders and train young Fae by taking them in as fosters like me. That helps to grow cooperation among the many kingdoms."