They had finally secured the aid of the dalish elves, leaving a camp full of exhausted men and women tending to various cuts and bruises, damaged gear and even the odd infection that the forest was no doubt responsible for. Only Morrigan really seemed to have escaped the whole ordeal without any damage or harm.

Damn her...

Grunting Alistair stretched his legs out and put his sword aside, he had used it on various branches too much...but they had been in the way! And annoying! Of course he now regretted attacking the foliage like the equally frustrated Oghren, at least the dwarf had had a proper excuse, that with being as tall as the bushes in his path. But now Alistair had at least paid his due...the sharpening of the blade had taken more than two hours.

Or at least it felt like it.

In front of him the main fire of the camp was slowly turning into a glowing mound of smouldering embers rather than the roaring fire it had once been. It didn't leave him cold though, they were in the warmer parts of the land and it was even a little brighter in the evening, the sky a light grey instead of the heavy darkness further west. He kind of preferred it this way..it felt somewhat fresher.

A grunt made him turn to the left, the qunari Sten was still bent over his breastplate, a small hammer in his hand as he hammered out the many dents it had received from the werewolves and bears that had so eagerly focused their attention on him. The bare chest of the warrior was practically purple by the many bruises, yet the warrior showed no discomfort as he continued his work, as focused as a tranquil by the looks of things.

Maybe pain didn't register to those people? Alistair grimaced, a bruise as large as his palm on the inside of his thigh making itself known. Damn charging wolves... Maybe he should do like the now sleeping Oghren on the other side of the fire, just drink his ass off and forget about the pain like that?

Then again he would probably just roll into the fire in his alcohol-induced stupor. Or Morrigan would push him into it...either way it didn't sound like a good idea.

Further off Wynne was sitting on a log, the old woman looking more dead than alive as she recovered from the strain. Alistair shook his head, she had really been doing a lot of healing as of late...he was impressed she had been able to see the work through all the way. Next to her Leliana was on her knees, hands closed in prayer and head bowed...had she been like that for...three hours now? Jeez...he knew they had killed a lot of people and creatures these last few days but did she have to apologize the maker for every single one by name or something? Didn't the maker know that...

He shook his head, banishing the thoughts, he wasn't a religious man and thinking about it usually brought on a headache, or maybe that was just phantom pains of his time spent with the grand cleric when she was in one of her moods? He chuckled at the thought, how was doing this constant maintenance on his sword different from scrubbing the pots again?

Oh right...her. Alistair smiled as he dared a glance over at Leanna, of course that bloody Zevran was also close by, but the assassin seemed busy enough checking his daggers, despite the charming and uncaring impression her gave the man was actually meticulous when it came to taking care of his gear, Alistair had to at least give him that...though if it was in readiness to stab Leanna between the ribs or just disrobe her with one of those sharp daggers was always a worry...

Not that Alistair would say anything out loud, that often, or at least not with a minimum amount of whining...sort of. How could Leanna stand him again? He smiled at his own self awareness as he eyed the other elf at the camp. In the greyness of the evening her red hair really stuck out, reminding Alistair of a flower.

Which she of course was...wonder if she still kept...focus man!

Chuckling to himself Alistair shrugged and begun eyeing the woman more openly. Who cared if the others talked? They all knew after all...he smiled, a warm feeling spreading through his battered body, making him forget about his injuries.

The woman had her back to him as she sat on a fallen tree trunk, though he could still sense her tenseness, it was something in the way she sat... Of course he could blame her, not even Morrigan had made much of a comment about what had happened, the actions had spoken enough volume. The fight to reach Witherfang had been hard...the fight at the end confrontation had also been tough...but also filled with enough bitterness to make even Oghren take notice.

No, the really moving action had been after that. To just give up your life like that...Alistair wasn't sure he could have done that. Of course he knew the reasoning behind it, he also believed it had been the best decision one could have reached. Yet...it been such an impressive action, to just look beyond your feelings like that, to find forgiveness and to even give up yourself in the same action...Alistair wasn't sure he would have been able to do such thing.

He really hoped he'd never have to make any similar decisions...

It had been...solemn...and the feeling had carried with the group ever since they've left the forest.

Shrugging Alistair decided that if they were to be all serious he could at least be it together with his love. Standing up he sauntered over to her, trying to look casual, maybe it would brighten her mood? She didn't notice his approach though, drawing a snicker out of the other elf whose focus apparently wasn't entirely focused on his work.

After shooting Zevran a hard look Alistair quickly forgot about his irritation as he put his hands on Leanna's shoulders, making her jump a little under his grip. "Deep in thoughts are we?"

"I guess you could say that." Leanna replied, shoulders stiff under Alistair's fingers. Only now did he realise she had a mirror in her hands, her gaze still focused on it as her free hand moved across her cheek, studying the face with an almost comical intensity. "Anything wrong?"

"Must there be something wrong for me to seek you out?" Alistair smiled as his hands begun to knead the tense flesh under his grip, in the mirror's reflection he saw a small smile begin to take form on his favourite elf's face. The green eyes glanced at him in the reflection, sending him a silent thanks before returning to studying her face.

"Ugh, I should take a bath or something, my hair's almost turned brown." She muttered, drawing a chuckle out of Alistair, at times she was so full of it...was she just fishing for compliments? Didn't seem like her, then again she seemed to like his lame attempts to be charming... "Plus I think I'm getting wrinkles under my eyes, too little sleep?"

"Is this your way of telling me to quit bothering you so you can get some sleep?" Alistair quizzed with a laugh, getting on one knee so he could better work on Leanna's lower back, drawing a strangled gasp out of her, much to his delight. "Or do you merely wish me to express my undiminished opinion that you're the most beautiful woman in the Ferelden?"

In the mirror an eyebrow shot up in faked shock. "Just Ferelden?"

"Wow, a greedy one aren't we?" Alistair mused, kneading thumbs digging in just behind the woman's shoulder blades, making her arch her back along with a giggle. "Sorry, too rough?"

"No, no, dig in." It came out as a purr as the elf pressed back against him, urging him on.

"Sooo...care to tell me why the woman that never been one for caring about a little dirt on her face is staring so intently in a mirror?" Alistair prodded, knowing fully well that Leanna could at any moment change the subject and distract him away from the issue if she found his questions uncomfortable, he hated that...it made him feel like an idiot.

Though she probably wouldn't this time, if nothing but to keep him around... Alistair grinned as Leanna gasped when he found her tension at the back of her neck. Aha! So this was how one pinned her down! Finally he had a way to get her to drop her defences for a moment, to...submit was probably the wrong word...to him. Heh, the great warden, defeated by a back rub...

"Well...uh...little lower..." Leanna's sigh of contentment made Alistair smile, Maker be praised, he liked this... "It was just something some of the dalish said, when they didn't think I was hearing of course, they called me flat ears."

Alistair frowned, his movement stopping but for a moment, Leanna's insistent push backwards got him quickly back to work though. "Since I assume you don't want us to go back and burn their camp down over a few insults I got to ask...so? Isn't that an insult the dalish use for the city dwelling elves? I'm not sure I get it...but it's not such a big deal, right?"

"No...no not really." Leanna admitted, one hand coming up to brush one of the pointed tips, she sighed. "I mean...I can deal with insults, they didn't really mean anything with it after all...but...erm...they said it so many times..."

"Yes?" Alistair tried not to smirk, he was sure it was something silly by now, he just...knew. Rubbing small circles into Leanna's neck he saw through the mirror how the elf's cheeks reddened as she hesitated. "Come on, I promise I won't laugh..." She arched an eyebrow. "...really!"

"Well...I don't really have flat ears...do I?"

The laugh came out, he couldn't help it.

He quickly bit his lips as he saw Leanna frown at him through the mirror, he couldn't suppress the smile though, making the frown less hostile than she probably meant it to be. "Well I don't know...maybe those tips of yours is just an optical illusion?" That brought a small smile out of her. "I better check."

"Wha-? Don't be ri-" Leanna's protest was replaced by a strangled laugh as Alistair's hand came up to her ears, rubbing the lower part between his fingers. Strange, he'd always figured elven ears to be...stiffer than humans...odd how he'd never checked when he had the chance back in the tent. "Alistair you're being ridiculous..." She couldn't really shake her head with Alistair's hands gripping her as they did, but she did try.

"Oh am I? Sounds like someone's hiding something!" Alistair hissed with a conspiratory voice, fingers trailing the edge of the woman's ears....until they came up to the tips. Huh, they were a little stiffer up there at least, funny that. "Hmm, I'm not sure...are you sure these are yours?"

An oddly girlish giggle escaped Leanna, the mirror silently dropping to the ground as the woman playfully tried to avoid his scrutiny, only to gasp as he firmed his grip a little. "You're...just..so...silly." She suddenly arched her back, shivering slightly under his touch. "They're not flat...dammit."

"You're probably right." Alistair agreed, then grinned as he got an idea. "Still, perhaps it's just you using some sort of make-up...one never knows..." He inched closer, so close he practically rubbed his nose in Leanna's hair, how she could smell nice after all this he had no idea. "...does one?"

"No..." She agreed, her voice small.

"Better make sure then..." He bent forward...and ever so carefully bit down on the tip of Leanna's left ear.

"Ah..." A strangled gasp escaped Leanna, a hand came down to rest on Alistair's leg as she leant backwards. Encouraged he moved his mouth down the length of the ear, carefully biting down along the way. "This is...silly!" Leanna protested even as he fingers dug into Alistair's thigh, at that moment he couldn't care less that she was practically digging right into his bruise.

"Ask me to stop then." Alistair replied with a grin, his right arm wrapping itself around Leanna's stomach and pulling her closer even as the other fondled the cute little butt now sticking out from the tree trunk she was barely sitting on any more. Heh...gentleman indeed. "I promise I'll consider it." He shifted his attention, his teeth gently scrapping the edge of Leanna's right ear, drawing a squeal from her.

Maker be praised...how had he not found out about this sooner!?

Suddenly she came to her feet, shooting up as if stung, leaving Alistair to almost fall on top of the trunk as the object of his attention suddenly disappeared. She caught one of his hands though, her grip so firm he looked up in surprise, almost expecting to see her glaring at him. Instead there was something else there, a weird sort of decisiveness he hadn't seen before. "My tent, now."

"What?"

"You heard me, get up." She ordered, pulling at him harder, shifting him despite their great difference in weight. "Now!"

"Erm...your desire is my command?" Alistair couldn't help but grin.