Note:
I do not own the rights to BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins. I'm just writing this because it was in my head and needed to get out so I could have more room for more disturbing ideas about Alistair and Eisa (who is a human rogue). Any comments on how to improve are more than welcome. Or you can just yell at me stating that you hate it. I'm a big girl so I can take it.
Short run down:
Family killed, followed Duncan, laughed at Alistair and the mage. Survived the Tower of Ishal. Got to Lothering, told Alistair that he couldn't chose his parents just his path in life. Found Lilliana and Sten (who still hates me). Went to Redcliffe, then the Circle, now have Wynne. Saved Connor from the demon, found the Urn of Sacred Ashes after making a pit stop to find Zevran and Shale. Went back to Redcliffe to save the Arl. We are on our way to the Brecilian Forest to aid the elves. But for now, our happily dysfunctional family is at camp.
Dusk has yet to set in over the horizon. It is peaceful and quiet except for the sounds of nature herself.
"Get off! Get off me! For the love of the Maker, get off me!" Eisa yells.
Alistair looks up, startled from the suddenly loud noise, from his spot near the fire to Eisa's tent. He debates with himself about getting up from his warm spot to check on her. Ultimately, he surrenders to his curiosity.
"Eisa? You okay?" he asks standing just outside the door to her tent.
"Oh praise Andraste! Please help me," comes Eisa's pleading reply.
Alistair, standing just outside her door, debates if he should in fact go in. Well, he was already up, so...
"Please." Eisa pleads.
Alistair enters her tent not sure of what he will find. What he sees, is Eisa sitting on the floor in heavy plate armor with her hands tugging at her boots trying desperately to get them off. She looks up at him with a look of furry mixed with desperation.
"Can you help me with this?" Eisa asks with big puppy dog eyes.
Looking into her sky blue eyes, Alistair has an image of her as a child trying on her father's armor and being caught. He smiles at the thought.
"Why are you just standing there? Help me," Eisa states in a firm tone. "And get that smirk off your face."
Snapping back to reality, all Alistair can think to say is, "As you wish."
As he helps her, he has to ask, "So, why did you put this on?"
"Because if I get one more cut I am going to look like a butchered lamb," Eisa states once her boots come off.
"I doubt that. You look perfect to me," he blurts out and blushes, hoping that she didn't catch the last part.
She did catch what he said, but ignored it, being more concerned about getting out of her confining clothing. "Oh? I already have enough scars to be counted among the living dead."
"It's not that bad," Alistair reinstates smiling at her all the while.
Eisa, having enough, stares at Alistair with a look that could freeze the hottest flame.
Feeling like he was back in the Chantry under the Mother's scrutiny, "Alright, I believe you."
Once all the outer armor is removed, Eisa frees herself from the rest of her burden and stands in her underwear. Quickly, Alastair turns 180 degrees around.
"Thank the Maker for you Alistair," Eisa says while giving him a hug and inhaling his essence.
Alistair stands dead still while a mostly naked Eisa embraces him. Alistair clears his throat which is now mostly closed off due to blood flow to his face. "You are…um…welcome."
With another childish smile, she releases him and moves toward the door. "Now I can take a bath."
Still overcome, Alistair just stands there while Eisa leaves the tent. It is only after she leaves that he realizes what she said. "Waite," he exclaims running after her, "Are you going alone?"
As Eisa turns around, "Yes, unless you wish to join me?"
Alistair's cheeks turn bright red at the thought.
"You are so cute when you do that."
Crossing his arms over himself, "What, do what? I didn't do anything."
Eisa walks over to him and places hand on his face, caressing his cheek. "Act like a big strong Templar, just to blush when you think of me naked, glistening with water under the light of the moon."
Alastair clearing his throat, "I…uh…need to do…something…over there," he states and walks into his tent.
As Eisa laughs over Alistair still being uncomfortable with her, Zevran walks up behind her and grabs her. She lets out a very girly yelp.
"I love it when a naked woman screams in my arms," Zevran whispers in her ear.
"I think my heart almost came out of my chest," Eisa tells him while panting and grabbing at her heart.
"Now that's what I like to hear from you," he says while snuggling at her throat.
In a stern voice Eisa refuses Zevran, "Do not make me tell Shale that you are in fact a 'Crow', not an 'elf'."
Zevran releases her immediately but still stands next to her. "May I ask you something?"
"If you stand just a little further back, than yes."
"Why do you tease him so?" Zevran asks without moving as instructed.
"Who, Alistair?"
"Yes," Zevran purrs.
Eisa takes in a deep breath and looks toward the heavens, "Truth?"
Zevran shrugs, "If you like."
Taking another breath, she looks at Zevran, "Because, for a moment, he stops thinking about Duncan. From the first time I meet him, Alistair was always smiling and genuinely happy. Sarcastic, but happy. Since Ostagar he just…" looking at the ground and taking another breath, "I just want the old Alistair back. The one that would make any situation a delight to be in. It was because of him that I found the courage to fight, after my parents were…"
"I see." Zevran states.
Eisa, doubting that statement, "Really?"
"Yes. I believe, that you are, how do you say, in love with him," Zevran says smugly.
"Waite, hold. What?" Eisa asks not believing her ears. "No offence, but what would an assassin know about this?" she asks while crossing her arms over her now slightly cold body.
"Not much, is true. But I do see how you look at each other when you think the other is not looking."
"I am not getting into this with you."
As Eisa walks off toward the lake that they were camping near, she starts to wonder if Zevran was right. She did often wonder what Alistair would look like without any of his armor on…bathed in sun light…and above her…but that didn't count as love, just curiosity. Lust at best. Only once did she did come across him while he was bathing one night… Andraste help her, but he was gorgeous. Even in the dim light of the moon, one could tell he was built for…that thought made her blush from her head to her toes.
She also likes to see him smile. Again, not love, just compassion for another Grey Warden. Yet, when he did smile, it was like the entire world just melted away. No longer did the darkspawn matter, the fact that Logain betrayed them, or the urge she had to disembowel Howl in the worst manner possible. As long as he kept smiling, she could survive anything. But that was the thing, wasn't it? He wouldn't keep smiling. No matter how hard she tried, he would still go into his quiet moments where she knew he was thinking about Duncan and the other Grey Wardens.
Then, there was his smell. Oh how she loves his smell. Not even the finest perfume maker could bottle that sent. But if they could, they would be richer than no man alive or past.
Once she got to the lake, she couldn't quite thinking about him. She was thinking of him as blood pooled around her. About his hair and how he played with it when he was nervous. About how much more beautiful he was when he blushed. How she would love to wake up every morning with him beside her.
Having enough with her thoughts running amuck, she dunks her head under the cool water. When she came up, she saw her mabari sitting on the edge of the water tilting his head as he watched her.
"Come on Brutus. You need a bath too," she laughs while holding her noise, "I can smell you from here."
Brutus lets out a whimper, and then ran in toward her happily. Eisa laughs as he splashes water on her. She finally had a reprieve to her thoughts. Even if only for a moment.
Once they were both clean, Brutus and Eisa headed back to camp. She had third shift tonight. She was just going to go to her tent and sleep; and not think about Alistair anymore! Just as she and Brutus made it to the edge of camp, Alistair walks up to her.
"I, uh, heard you and Zevran talking and, uh, here, look at this," were the first words to leave his lips as he hands Eisa a rose. "Do you know what this is?"
Looking suspiciously up at him, "Is that a trick question?"
"Yes, absolutely. I'm trying to trick you. Is it working?" he speeds through as he smiles. "Ah. I just about had you didn't I?"
She remembers him sitting by the fire many a night just holding this very rose. "You've been thumbing this for a while now." Eisa raises it to her noise to smell it. It still smells wonderful, a harmonious combination of the flower itself and his sent.
"I picked it in Lothering. I remember thinking, 'How could something so beautiful exist in a place with so much despair and ugliness?' I probably should have left it alone but I couldn't. The darkspawn would come and their taint would just destroy it. So, I've had it ever since."
Eisa couldn't help but to smile. "That's a nice sentiment." The feel of the rose on her lips was wonderful, making her wonder if his lips were as soft.
"I thought that I might give it to you, actually. In a lot of ways, I think the same thing, when I look at you." Alastair said in a serene voice.
Now Eisa is blushing so hard she thinks her cheeks will bleed. "Thank you Alistair. That's a lovely thought."
"I'm glad you like it. I was just thinking, here I am doing all this complaining and you haven't exactly been having a good time of it yourself. You've had none of the good experiences of being a Grey Warden since your joining. Not a word of thanks or congratulations. It's all been death and fighting and tragedy. I thought, maybe I could say something. Tell you what a rare and wonderful thing you are to find amidst all this, darkness."
"So…does this mean we are married now?" She couldn't help but to play with him.
Laughing at her comment, "You won't land me that easily Eisa. I know I'm quite the prize after all. No need to start crying on me or anything. I guess it was just a, uh, stupid impulse. I don't know. Was it the wrong one?"
"No, it wasn't. Thank you Alistair." Although, I now have an urge to kiss you and take you in every way that I can think of. Eisa thought to herself.
"I'm glad you like it. Now if we could move right on past this acquired embarrassing stage and get right on to the steamy bits, I'd appreciate it." He speeds through.
"Well, I'm already mostly naked, so, off with your armor then," Eisa said in a playful manner.
"Bluff called. Damn you saw right through me," Alistair laughs.
"You're so cute when you're bashful." Eisa wanted so badly to reach out and stroke his cheek again so she could feel the heat rising through it, yet, she kept her hands on the rose.
"I'll be, ah, I'll be standing over there, until the blushing stops. Just to be, ah, safe. You know how it is." And with that, he leaves Eisa alone with Brutus to go back to sitting next to the fire.
She stands there playing with the rose; smelling it and placing it on her lips. Then Brutus barks and ruins her train of thought.
"Oh, fine," she says angrily. "Let's go to bed then."
As she makes her way to her tent, she takes one last look at Alistair warming himself by the fire. Brutus bumps her leg urging her to go inside. With a longing tugging at her heart, she went to bed. Yet, even her sleep gave her no peace.
"Eisa," came a voice that was familiar but not the one she wanted to hear. It was too foreign to be his voice. "Eisa, wake up. It's your turn to watch."
"Five more minutes," she complains as she rolls over snuggling closer to Brutus.
"Mmm. I would be more than willing to give you five minutes of my time," came the sultry voice.
Zevran! That was Zevran!
Quickly, she shoots up hitting him in the head with her own.
"What did I hit? It felt like a bolder," Eisa exclaims cradling her head in her hands.
"That, would be my head," Zevran says also holding onto his head as well.
"You sure you're not Shale?" Eisa asks looking up at him.
"I'm sure."
"Sorry about that," Eisa says sympathetically.
"It's fine," was all that Zevran said as he left her tent.
Quickly, Eisa put on her 'light' armor. Never again was she going to put that heavy armor on. Well, she would, if she wanted Alastair to strip it off her. "Stop thinking about that!" she exclaimed to herself. "The blight, must think of the blight. The blight, the blight, the blight, the blight." Taking a deep breath in, she repeats her mantra to herself.
She was still talking to herself as she left her tent. "So what if he's the embodiment of perfect. We still have to stop the Archdemon from killing everyone. We don't have time for me to go all girly and put hopes and dreams in a fantasy. But he's just so…"
"Talking to our selves again I see."
"Wynne!" Eisa exclaims stopping dead in her tracks and trying not to come out of her skin. "You scared me. What is with you and Zevran and scaring me half to death?"
"I did not mean to. As for Zevran, I believe he takes pleasure in torturing you." Wynne says with a smile.
"And that is what bothers me most about him," taking a place by the now died down fire pit.
"Then may I ask, why did you spare him?" Wynne inquires while sitting on the ground sipping a cup of tea.
"Because…do you really want to know?" Eisa asks while crossing herself gazing at the old mage.
"Yes, please."
Bowing her head, "I'm a sucker for an elf," she whispers.
"You spoke too softly. What was that?"
"I'm a sucker for an elf. When I was younger, and my parents weren't looking, I would sneak off and go to the kitchen. We had two elves that helped, and they would tell me stories of their ancestry. I was so fascinated with these stories that I swore I would help any elf who came across my path and try my hardest to free them of their slavery." Eisa blurts out as quickly as possible.
"And does Zevran know this?"
"If he does, than that makes him one smart assassin." Panic sets in. "Great. Now you have me doubting my decision. I hope you're happy."
"Not in the least. I was just merely asking a question." Wayne states while holding back a smile behind her cup.
"Right." Eisa states suspiciously but lets it go as she waits for dawn.
As time slowly slips by, Eisa finds her thoughts going back to Alistair again.
"What were you saying to yourself as you came out earlier?" Again it was Wynne who made her jump.
"What?" Eisa tried to ask in a non high pitched voice and fails.
"You were talking to yourself earlier. I was just wondering what about."
Right, like I'm going to tell you every nasty thought that has entered my mind about Alistair. Eisa thought. "I was thinking of a better plan on how to stop the blight."
"Oh, and have you one?" Wynne subtlety asks.
Reaching for the stick that was near her hand, she turns the embers while answering Wynne's question. "Not off hand, no."
"I see," taking another sip of tea. "And what of these 'girly fantasies' you spoke of?"
Blushing from ear to ear, Eisa stands up and clears her throat, "I'm going to go, look for breakfast. Keep an eye on things here?"
Wynne just tilts her head in acceptance of this request.
"Thanks."
