A/N: Written for a prompt over at kink meme: Dog dies, and the Warden has to deal with it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, just a bit of a RL inspiration for the ending of this.

Remnant of Home

Elissa was crying.

Elissa was crying, uncaring about who might stumble on her here on the battlements of Vigil's Keep. All that mattered was that her last connection to her home, to her family, to her own past and old life, was dead.

Poor Bark.

She thought that taking him with her to Amaranthine Arling will show that the Wardens, her, the Commander of the Grey, are noble and trustworthy. After all, no mabari would imprint on anyone who wouldn't be worthy. Then Bark became her last link to Highever - her brother, new teyrn of Highever, disowned her once he learnt she conscripted a Howe into the Wardens ranks. How could you, Elissa, he wrote her in the last letter she received from him. I couldn't believe it when merchants travelling from Amaranthine told me but one of the mercenaries accompanying them confirmed that it is indeed son of Rendon Howe who's accompanying you now, wearing heraldy of Grey Wardens.

I no longer have a younger sister.

Her faithful mabari kept her company that day she received that letter, whimpering at the sight of her tears, laying his head on her knee to gaze at her mournfully. I'm here for you, his eyes seemed to be saying, and I won't leave you.

It took only one travel to Wending Woods where they got captured by this... Architect... for the dog to be unable to keep his silent promise, as he poisoned himself on the Darkspawn blood. Not even the cure, made from the Wilds flowers, which she made sure was supplied aplenty to the Keep, seemed to be helping, and Bark suffered as the Taint slowly coursed through his body. She was there, holding his head in her lap, as his suffering finally ended.

SInce then, she just sat on the battlements, time passing around her as her tears streamed down her cheeks. Anders offered her Ser Pounce-A-Lot, saying the amazing kitten is the best cure for sadness. Oghren offered her a bottle of his family brew. Velanna surprisingly offered short prayer for the dead, the first time where she showed some emotion and feeling aside of deep disdain. Nathaniel made himself scarce. Even the Keep garrison made sure they won't intrude on the Commander. Being alone was the best and the worst thing which could happen to her but at the time she got here, she just didn't care. It was strangely freeing to let the tears flow, her hair whipping around her face in the wind as she sipped on Oghren's brew.

Then her musings were interrupted by quiet cough.

"Commander?" sounded hesitant voice of Nathaniel. She turned around. He was holding a small basket in his hands, and he looked strangely nervous; as if he was about to do something he wasn't sure won't explode in his face. To her questioning glance he mumbled: "I've brought you something, Commander... Elissa," he added nervously. "I know nothing and no one can ever replace your hound, but Adria's mabari had pupies few weeks ago and now they are ready to wean, waiting for someone they would deem worthy of imprinting on him. I thought..." he once again paused under her stare, "I thought that you might like to take a look."

Regret is something I know well. Take care not to cling to it, to hold it so close that it poisons your soul.

When he held the basket to her, she took it and set it on the ground next to her. There were several pupies inside, whimpering as she uncovered them to take a look. One of them, a dark brown girl puppy, looked owlishly at her as she picked it up to take a closer look. Then it yawned. And peed on her.

Elissa grimaced. "I can't decide whether it's sign of eternal disgust or eternal love, to be peed on," she said to Nathaniel, who obviously was trying very hard not to laugh at her. With a smirk he remarked: "I think it's love, Commander, for she already marked you as her own." And truly, she felt a nudge in her mind, the pup curling itself in her hands.

Nothing would ever replace Bark, she thought as she followed Nathaniel down from the battlements, the pup safely in her arms. But it's good to have another good friend to count on.

A/N: The love on the first pee happened to me when we got new guinea pig. It was really small and all that - and when I took it out of the cage so I could take a closer look at it, the poor furry thing peed on me. And then absolutely adored me for the rest of his life. Oh well.