Often, Tabris found it becoming increasingly difficult to remember when her dislike of Velanna had grown into uneasy attraction. She had admired the woman's talent and bravado right away, but the naive enchantment had faded as soon as she allowed the woman to travel with them.
Velanna seemed to enjoy passing her time by sniping at the younger woman, making condescending comments about city elves and their less obtrusive ears and bemoaning Tabris' inability to read properly. On days she was feeling particularly good the mage kept to less pointed insults, sticking to noting Tabris' poor posture or lack of knowledge about their ancestors.
The Warden had toyed with the idea of simply strangling the woman as soon as her enchantment with the Dalish woman faded. Velanna had almost not made it to the Joining after their first trip to the city had set the two into a spitting row that had sent Anders and Sigurn had simultaneously fading into the shadows. Unfortunately, the older woman had already proven herself useful by then.
The Warden straightened in her chair, frowning at the memories she was calling up. The parchment in front of her was still blank and her fingers were slowly absorbing the ink leaking from the quill in her hand.
Perhaps it had been their next visit to Amaranthine weeks later that had really set things off between them.
Velanna had been in her typical sour humor and had snidely asked if the Warden wanted to stay and 'admire the view' as the Chantry Sisters milled about the courtyard of the market. The inquiry was one of many digs the Dalish woman had begun throwing at her after learning Tabris had taken such a devout human lover during the Blight. They had finished their business in the city in silence after the mage's taunt, but Tabris had had no intention of letting it go. As far as she had been concerned that day, Velanna had made her last barbed comment about Leliana.
The Warden and the bard had parted on decidedly unhappy terms and having Velanna throw it in her face and constantly salt such a deep wound had pushed her too far. Whether or not the mage realized just how deep the words cut (and the Warden suspected she had), it had still been a flagrant act of insubordination. And with Velanna newly joined to their ranks, Tabris had refused to let it stand.
As soon as they were away from the walls of the city she had sent Nathaniel and Anders on. Never one to be slow on the uptake, Velanna had begun drawing on her mana as soon as they disappeared down the road. The fight that had ensued had been vicious and bloody, but Tabris had faced enough mages to save her from being bested by a single one.
Despite any experience and their lack of willingness to kill one another, the tussle was close. The Warden was dripping blood from several cuts and burned in six different places, but she was victorious. Velanna's staff had cracked in two when the Warden's blades struck it and the surprise on her face had provided the only moment of distraction Tabris needed. She had tackled the older woman to the ground and pinnedher vallaslin laced wrists roughly to the dirt only seconds after. The memory still made her warm…
"You little fool, you're wasting the ink."
Velanna's voice woke Tabris from her musing with a start. She muttered and set the quill down, further spilling the ink left in the reservoir over the desk.
"You'll stain all the parchment," the mage snapped, setting down the supplies she'd been carrying on a nearby table.
Velanna grumbled in rapid Dalish as she rushed over to straighten the quill and set it upright in the ink pot. "Idiot," she finished, casting an irritated look at the younger elf.
Tabris shrugged. "We have plenty of parchment."
"Oh, that's right… I forgot that you were raised among wasteful buffoons who need only demand parchment for it to appear." She shook her head and glowered at the Warden. "Do you know how tedious it is to craft parchment?"
"No… and I don't care, because we have plenty of parchment,"
Velanna slid her fingers through Tabris' short crop of blonde hair gathered a handful of it before yanking on it painfully. "You are a foolish child," she muttered, though her voice distinctly lacked any malice.
Tabris' face curved into an unapologetic smile, causing the mage's grip to tighten. "A foolish child you enjoy."
Velanna's lips twisted into a smirk as she laughed and leaned down, lips level with the Warden's ear. The soft breath there sent a shudder down Tabris' spine and had her licking her lips in unconscious anticipation. "Not tonight I won't."
Tabris groaned in irritation as Velanna shoved her head back roughly, fingers releasing the younger woman's hair. "Over parchment… Really?"
Velanna ignored her and rifled through her supplies, producing a second quill with a guard. "I found this in that awful shemlen market. I suppose they teach their slack jawed children to write with this, so it's perfect for you."