A/N: So you all are going to have to deal with the changes being made. Though I did warn you in the summary.
Note: Neenda=thank you, since they have no word for it I made one up.
On the Qunari: They have preferred mates, though all children are reared collectively by the priests. They either no not breed, unless needed to, or have some sort of remedy to render one's self infertile, why because I said so and it's my story.
On the Warden: She is my creation, not based on any one origin story. She is Fex and Kossith, she shares many facial similarities to the Kossith but she is not a pure blood as it were. Not that it matters. She is from Seheron, originally Par Vollen.
Keeping that in mind please enjoy.
" I saw what you were doing back there. " Leliana chimed at Sten.
"Oh?" he asked shifting his weight to his left leg and crossing his arms over his chest.
"Don't play innocent with me. " she shot back giving him a look.
"What are you talking about? " he asked raising his brow.
"Outside of camp, you were picking flowers! " she told him, pointing at him at his chest.
"...No, I wasn't. " Sten looked mildly uncomfortable.
"You were!" she cried.
"...They were medicinal." He told her.
"You're a big softie!" she said with a knowing smile, "Was that flower you left for her medical also? I've seen how you look at her."
"We will never speak of this again." Sten said firmly walking away from the redhead.
"Softie!" she yelled after him.
Infuriating woman. He thought stalking to where his bedroll was. He stared at it. He wanted to move, to be doing something and not sitting here. He was restless and his mind unfocused. Pulling off his armor he began to clean and polish it to keep his hands busy, he hoped it would focus his mind but it didn't.
His thoughts still wandered back to her. Kadan. They weren't moving because of his misstep, that is what was really bothering him and now with that redheads teasing he was really irritable. Rummaging through his pack to track down another container of polish.
"Vashaden!" he swore, sighing he threw the empty container on the ground. He stared sullenly at the offending container and his armor. Today was not his day.
"Shanedan, Sten." He heard her voice, he really didn't want to look at her but he would not be that rude to her. Her voice was neutral, as was her face, she acted as if they had not fought focusing on her duty.
"Shanedan, Warden." He tried to keep the irritated edge out of his voice. He noticed that Wynne had bound her arm to her body to keep it from moving while it healed.
"I have another container in my pack. You may have it."
"Neenda." He said.
He watched her profile as she knelt to retrieve it from her pack. The sun warmed her skin into a deep rich color, like cinnamon. All of the hard angles of her face showed her descend from the Kossith, her skin tone was considerably lighter and smoother. Her hair was a slightly darker and richer color, she had a decidedly Kossith hairline, sloping forehead and prominent brow. Taking the time he could appreciate the subtle differences between her and other Kossith. Her features were softened by the Fex in her. Her lips fuller, he found himself staring at her mouth.
Following her jaw line to her ears the feminine traits ended. Her ears were pierced with warriors bands and a small tooth dangled from one ear, marking her as a warrior. A man in the eyes of the Qun. From the looks of her she had most likely never mated. No man would want to sully his honor by mating with one so marked by the Qun as a man.
Finding what she sought she offered him the container. When she faced him he saw the Embrium tucked behind her ear, its light colors in clear contrast with her face. When he reached to take the container for her, her fingers brushed his hand. He was amazed that despite being a warrior she had very soft hands.
"Is there something on my face?" she asked looking at him.
"What?"
"You were staring at me. I thought there must have been something on my face."
"no-" he stopped talking when he heard Leliana giggling at him. He let out a grunting sigh and set his face into a firm scowl. "Infuriating woman!"
"Oh I kind of like her." The Warden said, "Reminds me of a time when I could smile so easily."
He purposefully kept his eyes on his armor and not at her. He busily began to polishing his armor again. He heard her sigh. It was like dropping a large sack, the sound she made.
"Can I ask you a favor?"
"Do what you like?" he responded still not looking up.
She sighed again watching him. She knew why. It was always the same. Either she was unclean because she had been a slave or seen as a man because of her place in the Qun. It should not have surprised her, she should be used to it, but for once she wished it wasn't so.
"Wynne told me I am not to use my arm. Can you clean this also?" she set her armor down beside him. He stared at her armor, rather than look at her. "If not I can ask Alistair to do it." She said bending to lift it again.
"No." he said taking it from her, "I will do it. He can barely care for his own armor."
"Neenda." She thanked him quietly, moving away to give him space.
Once her back was turned he gazed up and watched her sit down. He could hear her shoulders popping and grinding when she rolled them back. Reaching up with her good arm she began to knead the muscles of her neck and shoulder. She never hid the fact that she had been a slave but seeing lash scars made him more than a little angry. Sighing he went back to cleaning his armor.
A loud crack caught his attention. Looking up he watched her crack her neck, she was trying to relieve pressure somewhere. He frowned when he saw that Antivan assassin saunter up to her.
"I can help you with that, Warden." He offered leaning against a tree.
"I do not require your services in this matter." She replied reaching behind her to massage the back of her neck, "I am quite capable of caring for myself."
"Oh, I see that." He said pointing at her arm.
"What are you implying?" she asked staring at him.
"Our Qunari friend comes back uninjured and you not so much. I wonder who is caring for who." He said shrugged as if it didn't matter.
She stared at him. "And?"
"It would just seem you could use some caring, rather than being the one doing the caring. That's all." He pretended not to be watching her.
"Fine. If your hands wander you will lose fingers." She warned dropping her arm into her lap.
"I will be a perfect gentleman, I promise."
She watched him. He was careful of her broken collar bone. Groaned when he began kneading her sore muscles into submission. She immediately started to relax, she shoulders slumped and her breathing slowed. True to his word he didn't try to cop a feel.
Zevran looked back when he thought he heard teeth grinding, but all he saw was Sten cleaning her armor. Shrugging he turned back to the Warden. He turned again when he heard the man swear then rise and stalk off. Zevran patted her back when he was done.
"See? All better, no?" he asked "And I kept my word."
"Yes, you did. And thank you." She said giving him a small smile "Now help me up."
Taking her offered him he pulled her up. He was surprised by her weight. She wasn't much taller than Alistair and had to weigh nearly as much as he did.
"Now I trust you will stay here while I go wash. " she said.
"Oh, yes. I would not risk losing my eyes." He said laughing. "Later Warden." He waved as he sauntered back into camp.
She sighed and shook her head. She looked at Charr. "Why me?" she asked "at least my back doesn't hurt anymore. Come on boy lets go get clean."
He whined at her.
"This time you get one too. Come on." She waved.
He whined again.
"Fine. But if you don't you don't get to sleep in my bed tonight." He couldn't believe she was arguing with a dog. Shaking her head she headed down to the river. She wasn't surprised to hear him bounding behind her carrying the bag with her soap in it.
She stopped when she saw Sten standing by the bank. He turned and stared at her.
"Sorry. Didn't know you were here." She could sense the anger coming off the man "Come on boy lets find another spot."
Charr barked at her refusing to move.
"Here is not a good spot. Someone's here already." She sighed when he sat down. "Charr I am not bathing here. You can stay if you want but I am going to fine another spot."
"Don't." he said "I was just leaving."
"It's okay you were here first." She reached to bag her bag. Charr growled and wouldn't let go, she frowned "what is your problem?" she asked the dog.
"Why do you let him touch you?" he asked, he must have thought she was talking to him or answering for the dog.
"Excuse me?" she asked.
"That assassin. Why do you let him touch you?" the muscles in his jaw twitching.
She swore she heard his teeth grinding. "I don't know why you care," she said finally getting her bag from the hound "I miss contact. Even if it's from a sleazy elven assassin just trying to get into my knickers. He offered."
"Would you accept anything someone offered you?" the angry and jealousy creeping into his voice.
"What in the nine hells is your problem, Sten?" she snapped "I don't understand why you care. I'm not one of your brothers. I am a woman given the role of man. " now her jaw was clenched "I am not fit to have a proper role in Qunari society, that only people that see me as a woman are here. A naive Warden, a Sleazy assassin and a crazy lay sister. Those are my options. "
Charr barked.
"Yes there is you Charr." She sighed petting the dog.
He swore. "Vashaden, basra."
"Don't you call me that." She growled, "I may barely be a Qunari, but a Qunari I am."
"Are you?" he asked "or has being a slave softened your mind?"
She looked about ready to explode. She was faster than he'd anticipated, rapidly closing the distance between them. "How dare you!" she hissed, her eyes burned with both anger and disappointment.
"Look at you now! Do you think you can fight me like this?" he asked, to further prove his point he grabbed her shoulder pressing on her collar bone.
Despite the pain she didn't recoil. Instead she smashed her forehead into his nose, the blow surprised him more than hurt him knocking him back a step. He barely had enough to time to block her flow up blow, deflecting her punch.
She was now yelling at him in Qunari. Luckily for them the majority of the group was out scouting, which left Leliana and Morrigan behind to watch them and Oghren passed out in his tent. Leliana watched the exchange with a mixture of concern and interest.
Sten caught her wrist, he was going to pull her forward when her bare foot connected straight with his jaw, wrenching his head to the right and forcing him to let go and back up. Her next blow caught him straight in the mouth busting his lip open. By now nothing coherent was coming out of her mouth. She was far past the realm of conscious thought and fighting out of blind anger. She had an amazing amount of control though.
Because of her enraged state she didn't see the ruse for what it was and he caught her arm and tripped her over his foot. He followed her down to the ground pinning her with one hand on the opposite shoulder and sitting on her thighs.
"What is going on?" Zevran asked walking towards the sounds of yelling.
"Nothing." Leliana said getting in his path.
"I clearly hear fighting and not the good kind."
Leliana smiled sweetly, "They are sparing. Nothing to worry about."
"Ah-ha!" he said "I bet on the out Warden."
"Oh so do I." Leliana said grateful her ruse worked.