Disclaimer: The Dragon Age world doesn't belong to me.

Write in my journal

"…I walked where the Maker led me, and He has rewarded me for my faith. I found you."

'Indeed…' Kallian thought, scribbling the notes of the day, in her scrawny, unadorned handwriting.

"10th Harvestmere 9:30

The village of Haven was not welcoming. People there seemed to shelter some king of Dragon cult. One boy had a human finger as a luck charm. Alas, there was no way to avoid fighting, and I'm afraid that, as I am writing this, the whole of a village population…"

"Are you saying that I'm a gift from the Maker?"

"Something like that…" There was mirth in Leliana's voice, but Kallian was so absorbed with the task at hand that she barely took notice, as she went on with the gritty endeavor of recollecting the events in the village of Haven.

"…lays slain by our hands. We found Brother Genitivi, and he led us to the temple up the mountain. He had knowledge on how one could open the door, with the help of a strange medallion that we found on the body of Father Eirik…"

Leliana was saying something about the Maker's blessings that Kallian didn't quite pay attention to. She followed further the thread of her thoughts, instead; the High Dragon had been… mighty – no, too plain; manly - not really, it had been female; majestic – too great of a word… what was that 'm'-word she was looking for?

"Love?" Kallian frowned, clinging to the last word she'd heard, and it struck her that she had not even a remote idea if that was an appropriate answer. She hoped that Leliana couldn't see how cut-off from reality she really was. Earlier that evening, they had had quite a lengthy conversation about the Ashes, how they were for everybody to behold, but how off-hand and impudent it seemed that they be used as 'curative', as Leliana had put it, so, Kallian's mind was there still.

"…After fighting more of the cult members, we reached the top of the mountain. There a High Dragon lay, magnificent to our eyes. We took our chances in crossing the plateau, silently striving not to stir the beast."

When Kallian thought she heard something in the lines of love being as gloriously rich and decadent like caramel pudding, it seemed so off-character for Leliana that she thought her augmented Warden hunger had spoken, not her.

"Mmm… pudding…" She hoped she didn't say that aloud.

Alas, this was not the naked truth. And Leliana just said something about regaling – what? caramel pudding? What did 'regaling' even mean, something involving royalty, no doubt… Why did Leliana's voice sound so… inviting, then?

"I'm sorry – I'm – I'm writing in my journal…?" Kallian said apologetically, having the distinct feeling that something very important was getting away from her. She simply couldn't put her finger on what it was.

"I didn't know you had a journal. Or wrote in it regularly" Leliana said, finally seating herself on the same log Kallian sat, and resting her chin on her shoulder. It seemed she was taking a sudden interest in the leather bound stack of vellum that Kallian had sewn herself.

"I write in it sometimes…"

Leliana's chin was warm on her exposed neck where the armor ended, and her cheek almost brushed Kallian's own. She took the quill from Kallian's left hand, and she dipped the quill in the small vial filled with hand-made ink.

"Hmm. I could give suggestions…"

Leliana's handwriting was intricate and beautifully adorned, like a true bard's, and it took Kallian a while to decipher.

"Dear Journal,

Leliana has shewn much affection for me. Even asked me to come to bed with her, but, alas, subtlety is lost on me."

"Wait, what?" Kallian's cheeks flushed with a surge of blood that climbed right up to the tips of her ears – which was quite a long way, seeing that she had long, pointy ears even for elven standards.

Kallian thought to say, 'How could I turn down such an invitation,' but no sound made it through to her otherwise articulate mouth, which now stood unhinged, half open and fully useless.

"Now she gets it…"

Leliana's mirth seemed to have no end, as she leaned and kissed her thoroughly.

"Good. Now come with me, before I lose my patience."