DRAGON AGE: INTO THE DEEP
PART ONE - DINNER
Darren laid his sword and shield on the grass inside of his tent. After removing his plate as well he sat down next to his gear, leaning his head back on the tree he had set his tent up next to.
The flaps of his tent were open to let moonlight cut through the darkness and smoke in the sky. He could see the evidence of the cooking fire being lit through the smoke and dull smell of boiling beans. It was Alistair's turn to cook, again. It was also Sten and Darren's turn to take watch. They had really silently volunteered.
Beyond the stench of smoke were bitterness, fear, and disappointment. Beyond the tree Darren was leaning against was the camp of the group of people he had spent the last year with. Beyond that tree a group of people who no longer trusted him discussed the events of the day.
Zevran let out an excessively loud chain of laughter after watching Alistair accidently pour sugar instead of salt into the pot. The sound of his laughter brought a smirk out of the soon-to-be king as he realized his mistake, but no one else batted an eye. Everyone in camp was acting reserved and angry, and Alistair's cooking wasn't about to help. In truth Zevran was also extremely angry, but he didn't want to contribute to the feeling of distraught. Ever since they had set up their tents he had been the only one to make jokes, as well as the only one talking more than necessary. He had joked about all manners of things, Sten's hair, Leliana's new pet, even going so far as to say some sugar would make Alistair's cooking sweeter. But no one cared for the Antivan's jokes, no one cared for much of anything.
"So who is going to be the first one to try Alistair's Fereldan sweet beans?" asked Zevran, crossing his arms and sitting down on a tree stump near the fire.
"Hopefully no one," said Alistair with a worried expression as he looked into the pot. "I think the beans are starting to bubble."
"So they are Fereldan bubbling beans, then?"
"It might be served with a side of bubbling Antivan elf."
"That certainly sounds interesting. I wouldn't be opposed to try it," Zevran chuckled as he picked up one of his daggers and began to sharpen it.
After that silence again reigned until it was time for dinner. There was no bubbling Antivan elf, only Fereldan bubbling beans. According to Zevran they tasted like watered down and squishy versions of a candy he used to eat in Antiva from time to time. The only other response dinner received was from Leliana, who always thanked whoever cooked the food. As she did so tonight she held her nose and put her plate near the fire to be put away. She then went back to her tent to quietly pet Schmooples.
Nothing notable happened for hours. No one went to sleep, and Zevran's attempts at jokes were now completely ignored. Dinner had somehow managed to make everyone feel even worse. Even Zevran now stopped smiling, he just sat on his tree stump and stayed quiet.
"Kadan."
Darren jumped as he was awakened by a gaping hand sitting on his shoulder. At first he smacked it away in horror, but then he realized it was the hand of a Qunari. As his senses came back to him, he had to ponder why a Qunari would be waking him up. Once his memory arrvied he remembered that Sten was on watch with him. The fear seeped out of him. He stepped out of the tent and rubbed his eyes. Sten had his sword on his back and a cookie in his hand. Waking up to a Qunari with a cookie and a sword wasn't something Darren did every day.
"What's going on Sten?"
"You should eat."
"What?"
"You need to eat."
"How long was I asleep?"
"Long enough to miss dinner."
Darren muttered to himself as he yawned and noticed his stomach growling quite fiercely. He didn't enjoy being woken up, but his stomach appreciated it.
"What was for dinner?" he said as his stomach relayed the question through his mouth.
"I do not know, I smelt something similar to beans," said the Qunari as he quietly bit into his large cookie.
"Then what did you eat?"
"These pieces of bread."
Darren suppressed a chuckle and turned to walk back towards camp.
"They're called cookies, Sten."