He already saw the tumult from the distance and wasn't at least surprised that Ajanami was directly in the middle of it. Patiently he found his way through the crowd which was standing around the merchant and got a glimpse on what was happening.

"That is no wood from the Brecilian forest", Ajanami just said, dangerously calm. "You are lying, Shemlen!"

"You call me a liar?" the man was silly enough to answer and raised an eyebrow. "Be careful what you say, elf! Back off, knife-ear…"

Namis knife was at his throat before Alistair hat any chance to keep her from acting like this. Not that he truly had wanted to. The merchant was a dumbass.

„What did you just call me?" his Dalish warrior whispered and stared into the eyes of the other man.

The merchant whimpered and tried to catch his breath, which wasn't so easy with a knife at his throat. Due to the fact that he looked as if he was just about to get a heart attack – and the guardsman were approaching – Alistair decided to step in.

„Nami, let's go. This idiot wouldn't recognize a tree if he stood directly in front of it…"

Several seconds she continued staring the merchant into the ground, than the knife disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "You are right. Let's go!"

„Like you command!" Alistair joked and stood mockingly at attention.

She was looking at him with her typical „Why am I travelling with you?" stare and left.

He followed her while watching the city they currently visited. Kirkwall was dusty and loud…. and dusty. The only reason why Nami and he had come here was to find Avernus who had escaped and fled to the Free Marches.

He missed Ferelden. And the Ferelden food. He loved Ferelden food – especially the cheese – in contrary to the food which was offered here.

When they entered the Hanged Man, he grimaced because of the smell and hustled a drunken guest to the side before he could make acquaintance with Namis blade. Then he followed her upstairs.

„I hate this stinky city", she murmured and opened the door to the room they shared. Then she leaned her arrow against the wall and started to take of her clothes. Alistair was – like always – ready before she was. His Dalish was wearing at least five knives on her body, additional to the warden armor with its numerous laces.

He still was angry that she had decided to not give Anders his rightful punishment. They met the renegade Grey Warden earlier today in Lowtown, but all Nami had done was to tell him that his way of fighting for his freedom was the right one. Alistair agreed with that, but not with the slaughtering of a group of Grey Wardens to flee.

They had discussed, and she had heard his arguments. But in the end she had decided with her heart, and they both knew it. He could not blame her for doing it.

His warrior… She was so small and unyielding, so unfriendly and grumpy, yet still – at least sometimes – sensitive and soft. All too well he remembered himself standing in front of her and telling her for the first time how much she meant to him…

„We should talk about what happened in Redcliff!" Alistair said and approached Nami. The small Dalish looked up to him, and like always, when he was facing her, he had to gulp in a mixture of excitement and discomfort. What was this feeling that made him on the one hand breathless and gave him on the other hand the permanent urge to flee?

"Yes, we should talk", she agreed. "The whole situation was absolutely absurd and useless! We should have simply killed the boy or allow this ridiculous woman to sacrifice herself. But no, instead we went to this jail you are putting your mages into and I had to run for a millions years through your dreams to save all of you!" Speechless he stared down at her when he followed her rambling. "So yes", she repeated impatiently and furious, "we should talk about it! What do you have to say?"

His heart was hammering in his chest, and different emotions were responsible for it. But all he could say was: "Thanks!" She raised an eyebrow whereupon he cleared his throat and added: "Thanks that you did everything to save Connors life. There is enough death and sorrow in this world. The thought that we have been able to at least save him makes me happy."

It was obvious that she did not know what to reply to his words. Eventually she said: "You are welcome, Alistair!"

Silence spread between them. He was struggling, but if he did not say it now, he would never say it. So he pulled the rose out of his armor and gave it to her. She crooked her head and stared at it.

Say something, Alistair, he told himself in his head, but no words came over his lips.

"Is this the new weapon of your choice?"

Her words helped him to make a joke and get more comfortable, but when he ended he was serious again: „But maybe it is simply a rose. I have picked it up nearby Lothering and asked myself how something so beautiful can grow at a place which has seen so much death." Again he was clearing his throat when he watched her taking the flower and carefully turning it in her hands. "In… a lot of ways she reminds me of you. I was moaning so many times, but for you it also has not been easy since you have joined the Wardens. There were no word of thanks, only death and despair. I thought you should know what a beautiful and precious creature you are…" He stopped his rambling, embarrassed. In his head the words had sounded much better than spoken, and he already expected a witty remark from her side.

Instead of answering she remained silent and simply watched him. The sight of her big eyes and beautiful ears caused thoughts and feelings inside of him he had never known. Uneasily he started to move from one feed to another.

„Shemlens give flowers to woman they want to have in their bed, don't they?" she finally asked.

„What? No!"He nearly choked at his hastily spoken words. „Well, yes, but … no. That wasn't the reason why I said it…" She raised her eyebrows. „It's not that I haven't thought about it", he added hastily, „but I don't think that…" Maker, just shut up, Alistair… „Nami, I am sorry, I did not want to…"

Wordlessly she came closer and jumped into his arms. He only caught her by reflex and felt his cheeks become red when he tried to not hold her by her bottom, but her legs. In his neck he felt the soft petals of the rose while her other hand was touching his face. "You are a strange shemlen", she murmured and watched his mouth. "But for some reason I do not understand I really like you." Now she was looking again into his eyes. He had the feeling everyone in the camp was watching them: Morrigan from her place aside of the fire, Leliana and Wynne who were just about to cook, even Sten who kept watch. Namis Mabari Bo had been the whole time next to them and probably asked himself how Alistair could be such a fool…

Her next words let him forget all his fears. "Don't you know that I saved the boy only for you?" she asked calmly and stroked his hair. "Only because of your unnerving, praying, beautiful brown eyes…"

His breath was caught in his throat when he watched her, not able or willing to understand what she just said. Never in his whole life had someone done something simply for him.

She was smiling at his lips and waiting, soft and pliable. So he took all his courage and pressed his lips to hers.

He had never kissed a woman before, but when he kissed her he knew that he never wanted to kiss anyone else. Her lips were soft, and her hair smelled of wild flowers. Under his hands he could feel how strong she was, yet feminine and soft to his touch. Then she opened her lips and allowed him entrance, showed him that a tongue could be used for so many other things than just making jokes, and he completely lost himself in her smell and flavor…

„Alistair!" Namis voice sounded sharp and he looked up from his bed in the Hanged Man. She was standing in front of him and was watching him in a mixture of amusement and annoyance.

With a grin he looked back at her and said: „I just thought about our first kiss, beautiful one!"

„You mean your fumbling in my mouth?""

Although he knew that she was just mocking him, he felt himself become red. "I wasn't so bad…"

He grin was becoming softer. "No, you are right…"

For a moment she was lost in memories, then he asked: „Alright, do we want to speak about the new humans and elves in our life…?"

„Mmm", was all she replied, and he took it as a yes. They were doing it since the Blight, talking about every new person they met.

„Alright. Hawke?" he startet.

„He is a fool."

Alistair smiled. "Actually he reminds me of myself…"

She was looking at him. "You have nothing with this man in common, Alistair!"

„You are judging him too harshly, Nami." They had had discussions like this often in the past, and she had learned that – at least sometimes – her first impression of a person wasn't always the right one. Nevertheless she shook her head and said: "The next one!"

"The elf!"

„Vigilant. Unpredictable and proud.

Alistair nodded in agreement. „The dwarf?"

She sighed. „You know I like Oghren, but he could have a bit of this man…"

Now he chuckled. "Yes, indeed…"

„Isabela?" Now she was asking and watching him carefully.

His grin went wide. "She is a beautiful woman…"

"She is a bitch!"

"Oh Nami…." He was laughing out loud, and she was smirking and lying herself on top of him.

With a smile he touched her neck and hold her close. She was such a small thing, and yet he had seen her fight against ogres and hurlocks and beat Oghren in drinking. Apart from that she regularly let him loose his mind when they were in bed together…

„Go on", she whispered and pressed her lips to the place where his neck met his shoulders.

After a moment of thinking he said: „There is no one left."

"Is that so?" She looked up to him, her hands pressed to his chest. "There is this big idiot who always has something silly to say…"

A slow smile spread on his face, then he said: „Alistair!"

„Faithful and strong", she immediately replied. „Nerv-racking and kind. Irreplaceable."

Tenderly his hands went to her hips. „You have forgotten unbelievably charming and good looking."

She was frowning. „We are talking about you…"

With a laugh he was turning so that she was lying below him. Her legs came around his waist and pulled him nearer to her body. Like always he was bracing himself to not crush her. She was so small and delicate…

„Don't you know that I am able to bear your weight after all these years", she murmured and pressed her lips to his.

For a short moment he was kissing her back, than he asked: "Are you going to see your old clan?"

He could see that she was hesitating. Her clan was camping at the Sundermound nearby the city, but she had not left them for good. Being a Grey warden had never meant anything to her, and she had preferred staying with her people and looking for Tamlen.

But that was a long time ago. In the meantime she was happy; at least he hoped she was.

When she shook her head, he stroked through her soft, short hair. "Why not?"

„Emma vehnan", she whispered, „ma emma lath! You are now my clan. I don't have to see them to know that they are there. All I want is here." Her hands pressed against his chest and he knew that she could feel how fast his heart was beating. She rarely said words like this to him.

Slowly he changed position again, pressed her body to his and kissed her softly. She was closing her eyes, opened her lips and moaned softly when his tongue tangled with hers. Soon the kiss became more heated, but he also knew that she was tired, therefore he murmured: "Sleep now, love. I will be here when you are awake…"

With a smile she cuddled against him, like a cat. "It's a blessing that you smell so good", she murmured and kissed his chest. "Especially in this city…"

He chuckled. "Always here to please, love…"

He was watching her while she was falling asleep at his chest. If somebody had told him at the beginning of his journey that this grumpy Dalish would be one day his, he would never have believed him. But now he savored every single day they had together. They were one, bonded to each other in fate and love.

Till the end.

emma vhenan: my heart

ma emma lath: you are my love