"Oh, oh! Look at this one!"

"Oh, yes, that one is nice, isn't it? I found it in the ruins earlier today."

"It's so bright!"

Ellistine Surana, mage, bane of darkspawn, one of the only two remaining Grey Wardens in Ferelden, was sitting beside Shale and cooing over shiny gemstones. What had started as curiosity about their magical properties had quickly deteriorated into expressing how shiny it was or whether it made Shale look bigger. As if sensing the change in topic, Leliana had swooped in, too, bringing ribbons. She was now intently focused on braiding Ellistine's hair in a complicated Orlesian style. Occasionally she would pull too hard, causing Ellistine to squeak, which caused Shale to look around for birds. Since they'd found Shale, however, their campsites were conspicuously clear of birds. Though they would, at times, find a red smear or two around in the morning.

"Turn around," Ellistine told Shale, "it will fit in with the other crystals in the back."

The golem complied. It was an eerie combination of a cheerful girlish motion and a rockslide. Ellistine blew some of the dust out of the slot and attached the crystal.

"There. You're bright and pretty now."

"You look like a starry night sky," Leliana complimented.

"I could never reach back there. It is useful for something, I suppose," Shale sighed, turning back around. Ellistine picked up a crystal that was almost a glowstone. Rather than being blue or the pale yellow the Circle Tower used, it was a soft pink. "It has been gawking at that crystal all night. It really likes pink, does it?"

Ellistine nearly dropped it. "I… I suppose so. It's pretty."

"Oh, perfect!" Leliana chimed in. "The ribbons are gold. That crystal would look lovely in her hair." She clicked her tongue and said something snappish in Orlesian. "Sit still! You fidget so much."

"But," Ellistine continued, with some regret, "it's Shale's. Oh, maybe if we put it under, ah, Shale's face, it'd look ominous to darkspawn. Or something."

The golem heaved a heavy, mournful sigh, as if it made all these sacrifices for these pigeon-loving peasants with no hope of having something done in return. Shale felt a martyr!

"It may keep the crystal," it said. "I have… enough. I suppose."

Ellistine's eyes were wide. "Truly? Oh, Shale, thank you!"

She pushed from her knees to hug the golem, but it raised a hand to repel her, it's stone face skeptical. After a moment's surprise, she sat back down with a sheepish smile and handed the gem to Leliana to somehow tangle it in the monstrosity her hair was becoming.