1. In which Theron attempts to learn the subtle art of horseback riding while staying at Redcliffe.
"That could have gone better."
"Oh, shut up, Alistair."
Theron dragged himself out of the mud, scrapping it off his face, spitting the stuff, grimacing as he flicked his ears several times to rid himself of the muck that dripped from his hair and armor. With all the dignity he could muster, he rose up, cursing when he realized he'd lost a boot in the puddle.
Well, he wasn't going back in after it.
He eyed the horse again, blushing as, in the distance, he could hear Leliana's giggles, Zevran's cackles, and Morrigan's throaty chuckles. Ill tempered beast. One of Erl Eamon's gentlest his ass. Halla at least had sense to them. This foul creature had thrown him for no reason what so ever. And there it was, blinking oh so innocently at him as it daintly accepted the apple Alistair offered, the other warrior at least having the decency to try to hide his grin.
And they were still laughing.
Theron turned on his heel, marching off, chin raised as he roared at the three practically hanging off the fence.
"Well, I'd like to see you do better!"
And they had.
Even Morrigan, who, like him, wasn't likely to have rode a horse a day in her life.
Damnit.
He was never going to hear the end of it.
Bested by a bunch of shems and a flat ear.
He could almost hear Tamlen laughing from beyond the grave at this utterly disgraceful spectacle.
Although pushing Alistair into the mud pit did make him feel slightly better.
2. The Warden has his first encounter with love.
Theron ran his fingers through his hair, looking down at the flower. It was a pretty thing, a deep red in the center fading to pale gold at the edges. He looked to the girl seated beside him then, so anxious, green eyes flicking between the flower in his hand to his face, biting her lip.
"D-do you like it, Theron? You've always mentioned how red is your favorite color. Okay, maybe it was just once but I remembered it and-"
"Merrill. You're babbling again."
She blushed so hard it almost completely obscured her vallaslin, giggling nervously, slender hands clasped over her mouth, "Oh, sorry, Theron. I won't do it again, I just wanted to be su-"
The soft kiss on her cheek silenced the nervous girl, Theron gently threading his fingers through her dark brown hair for a brief moment, smiling.
"I love it. Thank you, Merrill."
And he didn't lie. The strange little girl who had come to the clan soon after his father's death had become one of his closest friends. Perhaps something more, judging by the secretive smiles the clan elders gave them and the way his heart seemed to quicken whenever he was around her lately. He wrapped a careful arm around her, tucking the flower behind her ear, which caused her to blush once again. But she didn't pull away, resting her head against his chest, settling into the embrace.
A week later, Duncan would take the sickened Theron away.
3. The one time Theron allowed himself to be talked into a drinking contest with Oghren, he regretted it.
Theron clutched his pillow for dear life, groaning piteously as the world around him lurched. His mouth had achieved the consistancy of sand paper, his head was pounding, and his stomach felt like it wanted to expel everything he had eaten in the last week. He dared not open his eyes, fearing the explosion of brightness that would push him over the edge.
Wait...
Theron furrowed his brow as his dulled senses informed him that he was very much naked, a breeze ruffling across parts that normally didn't get a breeze. Blindly, he reached around. Where were his pants?
Only for his hands to grope across skin. Soft skin. A roundness of flesh that in his limited experience felt very much like...
The elf's grey eyes flew open, his hand yanked away as though burned, the sight before him causing him to blush furiously.
The Rivaini girl, what was her name? Isadora? Isabel? Whatever her name was, she was smirking at him in a way that was mortifying but also rather exciting. Or would be if it wasn't for the fireworks cheerfully exploding in his skull.
"Well, I have to say, there's a reason why I like elves. So flexible..."
Theron made a noise that was most certainly was not a yelp as her fingers drifted teasingly over, ahem, certain area. Blushing furiously, he held up his hands in surrender, trying to sit up and ignoring the way the room spun.
"Now, listen, I have no clue how I got here and I just want to get my pants an-"
A soft, feminine yawn caused him to freeze, jaw hanging open as he looked on the other side of the Riviani woman who was now playing with his ear.
Leliana's large blue eyes slid open and she grimaced as well, looking rather hung over herself.
She was also, like Theron and the Rivaini who's name he was desperately trying to remember, very much nude, a bed sheet her only modesty, her red hair sprawled around her head like a halo.
"Uh...Huh...," Words failed the elf. Completely.
The Rivaini girl chuckled, casually reaching back to gather Leliana in her arms, who stretched languidly, both seeming a great deal more relaxed than Theron about the whole thing.
Isabella!
That was her name!
Theron let out a soft sigh of relief as the awkwardness dropped a little.
Isabella smirked at him as she herself laid back on the large bed, allowing Leliana to settle on her frame.
"So, I say we get some hair of the dog, go find that mage with the electricity trick, and go for round two. What say you, Zevran?"
The Grey Warden closed his eyes, holding his head. He was not going to get flustered. He was just going to make his excuses and apologies in a dignified manner and depart quickly. Along with pray that he hadn't made a complete fool of hims-
Wait, Zevran?
Strong, wiry arms suddenly wrapped around Theron's waist, pulling him flush along a muscular frame, his bare back against his captor's equally bare chest. He squeaked as a richly accented voice purred in his ear, blond hair brushing against his cheek.
"Indeed. What do you think, my dear Warden?"
Oh, he was never going to hear the end of it.
