((Disclaimer first, in that Dragon Age, Awakenings, and the characters therein belong to Bioware and I'm just borrowing them for the sake of a story. Secondly, this was brought to my attention during a Valentine's prompt. Too bad it originally took me a month to write the thing and then longer to get it up here. Hope you enjoy!))
It was the girlish squeals that first got his attention.
The only woman whom he knew to be in the main hall of the keep was the commander and Warden-Commander Elissa Cousland did not squeal like a maid who had caught the attention of a dashing rogue.
Did she?
Quickening his pace, lest this unique event turn out to be something that would disappear as quickly as a Fade dream, Anders stopped in the doorway as he caught sight of the Commander clasping arms with another woman.
Her hair was what first drew his eye. An impossible to ignore mingling of braids and straight red hair that just covered her neck. Leathers, or at least he thought, given that the material didn't seem to have the same look as, say, Nathaniel's armor. It was skin, certainly, but seemed more...supple than hide. Two daggers framed her hips, one faintly crackling with lightning and the other, though it looked plain, fairly sung with power, something he could just sense, even if he couldn't see the enchantments on it. There was also a bow slung over her shoulder that looked nearly as tall as the woman herself but in excellent condition. Nathaniel would know more about that than he, but he could at least pride himself on knowing a fine weapon when he saw it.
"It has been much too long, has it not, Elli?" There was no disguising the woman's origins, which may have explained the touch of refinement he picked up in her voice.
"I couldn't agree more, Leli."
Both of them started giggling again and they shared an embrace that spoke of familiarity and, more importantly, camaraderie. Not wanting to intrude upon the moment further, the mage started to back out of the room when Elissa caught sight of him over the other's shoulder.
"Ah, looks like you get to meet one of my Wardens right away." She beckoned him closer. "Leliana, this is Anders, senior among the few mages we have here."
The red-head turned and he found himself under a pair of studious blue eyes. Starting, he noticed, at his feet, her gaze traveled upward, lingering at his chest and finally meeting his own gaze. A half-smile came to her lips and he watched her eyes lid demurely.
"A pleasure, and a pity," she remarked, her attention going to Elissa. "Seems this one is safe from having me as his tyrant of an instructor."
Anders' brows went up at that, turning his curious look on the commander. He also closed the distance between the three of them, intending on greeting Leliana properly.
"Leli is going to be assisting some of our rogues in their techniques. Nathaniel does a fair job, but there's certain skills that I know he doesn't excel at. Hopefully the two of them will compliment each other nicely."
Offering his hand to Leliana when he was close enough, Anders gently held her fingers as he brought them to his lips, laying a kiss at her knuckles. "Hopefully he doesn't compliment her too much. His flattery might start to seem insincere." He grinned.
Leliana laughed. "Should I worry over this Nathaniel, my friend?" She cast a glance to Elissa.
The other woman shook her head. "If you do, I want you to tell me because someone will be in so much trouble..."
"Oh? This sounds like a story I simply must hear." One brow arched upward.
"I promise you plenty of details later. Shall we get you settled?" Elissa looped her arm with the other woman's and began to lead her from the hall.
"Lead the way, my friend. Show me more of your grand new home."
Anders almost followed the two of them, but thought better of it. Given the familiar way the Commander lead Leliana away, it was clear she wanted time with the woman herself. Watching them go, he frowned just slightly, suddenly regretting that he hadn't the proper training to garner her attention later on.
Realizing that he likely looked strange simply standing in the middle of the hall, he shook his head and continued on his way to his workshop once again. As he went, he mused over the scent that he'd caught the faintest hint of as he'd drawn Leliana's hand to his lips, wondering if, perhaps, it might be as exotic as the woman herself.