Lake Calenhad - By the Chantry Board

Benjin nods his approval at Riona's plan and looks to Tacivi with a grin. Kian couldn't be more opposite.

"So we got one mage who wants to take 3 on himself, and the other better on the back lines. Think that will work well enough anyways," He admits with a shrug, before falling in beside Kian, and peeking over at the little bundle in his back pack.

"Cute little furball," He comments looking down on the little black kitten. So much for all the stories about witches and their black cats - looked as though wizards kept them too. His thoughts are disrupted when through the woods come the echoing, mournful howl of wolves. They sounded a ways off, but noise carried strangely through the trees sometimes, regardless he shrugs it off, as he offers a comforting word between the crew, "Don't worry much about them. When we make camp tonight we can light some fires - what we should be scouring the road for is any sign of people, cutting away from the road. Just give a yell if you see anything."

"So we're not likely to run into a blood mage cult dancing nude in the moonlight?" the quip came quickly, but internally there was a note of seriousness to the question.

The idea of fighting any mage was...disquieting. Hitting a moving target required concentration enough when it wasn't flinging fire at you...or lightning. Out of its eyes. You couldn't fault a man for being afraid.
Their new mage companions seemed nice enough, though. Not the sort he met in the kind of establishments he frequented, but that was probably a good thing. They may as well have been a different breed from the pretentious court mages of Val Royeaux.

The lack of noise did set him on edge, however. Not from the group- but birdsong. Ferelden and its damn crows, often they kept him awake through the night till the larks came. But right now? Nothing. 

"Thats a fair call Ri, but how to hunt them? Chase around a deer with that sword of yours?" Benjin can't help but tease, but at the mention of blood mages has to give it some consideration. There was always the possibility.

"If we come across a naked cult, I suppose we give them a minute or two to dress before.. you know, getting to the fighting," He decides upon resolutely with a shrug, then turns to Kian. A sharp notice, that - as a city guard listening to the woodland had never been high on his list of priorities and while he had the basics of camping and bandit hunting down, tromping through forests on rough hewn dirt roads was not his area of expertise. Perhaps, for a moment he felt just the slightest bit homesick for Kirkwall - but its a thought that quickly passes. Piss on that accursed city and all it stood for.

"Mayhaps little Merin gave them a scare?" He suggests with a shrug, as the echoes of the wolves song winds its way through the trees, just the slightest bit longer than he'd like. Light faded faster in the forest, too - already darkening beneath the canopy they would soon truly be in proper darkness.

Dev gave a fond chuckle, "No. Might make things more interesting, though," he tried not to scrunch his nose at the stench of sap, "Maker knows Ferelden needs it." 

Of course, he'd gotten the distinct impression things were about to change. The continuous howling was disconcerting at best, and with light fading, it was best they come to a stop soon. 

"Usually they stick together," he spouted the comment, directed at no one in particular, "the crows and the wolves. The howling attracts them." His hand twitched toward the quiver strap across his shoulder, before relaxing. "But there's nothing. Means the crows are alert." They used to hunt game that way, him and his brother. Before he was sent to squire. Easy pickings often meant a larger predator elsewhere.