As Sten watched the boat vanish into the mist surrounding the Circle tower, he heard a plaintive whine emanating from somewhere near his knees.
He looked down. "You fear for your mistress, mabari?
The warhound looked up - and up - and issued a single bark.
Sten's gaze returned to the hazy lake. "She travels into a tower filled with unchecked saarebas. She will most likely die quickly, and her sufferings will be over. Such an end is not to be feared."
Bane pulled his lips back from his teeth and growled deep in his throat. Then he turned his back on the qunari and pointedly relieved himself on a nearby tree as he walked toward their small campsite. Sten's brow furrowed as he watched the dog's departure. Then, as he made to return to the camp himself, he found his lip twitching in what very few people would consider a smile.
When Sten arrived at the campsite, he noted that the mabari appeared to be deliberately ignoring him. His lip twitched again. "Your loyalty to your mistress is admirable, Bane. I hope that she will prove me wrong." He saw Bane's muscular forelegs tense, as though he had almost begun to turn in Sten's direction, but had stopped himself. "Come, I believe she removed a few of those bone-shaped mabari rations from her pack before she left."
Bane turned and barked happily as the unspoken promise of snacks crumbled the last of his resistance.
A short time later, Sten heard a musical voice behind him call, "Sten, what are you doing?"
He turned towards the fiery-headed Chantry girl as Bane ran up to him and dropped a slobbery stick at his feet. "I am exercising the Warden's hound."
Leliana's grin almost split her face in half. "You were playing fetch!"
"I do not know this term. I am working on the beast's reflexes to better prepare him for battle. There is little else to do at the moment."
"As you say, Sten. As you say." Leliana's eyes sparkled with merriment.
Sten looked beyond the annoying woman, but saw no sign of the others. "What has happened? Are you the only survivor? I am surprised you would outlive them all."
"No one is dead, Sten. Yet." Leliana's smile faded. "One of the tower mages has joined the others to guide them through the tower and help fight the abominations. Her knowledge of magic and healing will benefit them far more than my archery and pickpocketing skills."
"No doubt. Why would this Circle mage want to help them? I can see the adder-tongued one having no qualms, but one would think this mage would object to slaughtering her brethren."
"They don't intend to slaughter them. Well, the abominations of course, but they hope to save as many innocents as they can."
Sten made an exasperated noise. "And I was just beginning to think only one of these Wardens is a fool."
Leliana bristled. "Melisande is no fool! She simply does not believe that someone deserves to die for what they might possibly do."
"Perhaps if they leashed their mages as we do, the events at hand would not have occurred."
"If they - what? Leashes? How could you - I..." Leliana shock sputtered into stunned silence.
"Parshaara. We will know soon who is correct."
Bane chuffed softly. Leliana looked down to find the mabari sitting on his haunches, stick in mouth. He placed the stick at her feet and cocked his head expectantly. Leliana's smile returned. "Of course, you sweet, smelly dear, I would love to play fetch with you." Bane barked happily and raced away.
As she walked away to find a clear spot, Sten muttered, "Not playing. Exercising..."
Author's Note:
