"There you are, you're mother's been asking me to find you. You'd think it'd be a lot easier since we've only been apart for about fifteen minutes. You're like a shadow, sometimes, I swear," Ser Gilmore yelled from across the courtyard. "It's your mabari again. The hound seems to have found its way into the larder. Growing bolder with each attempt I tell you. This time he didn't even try to sneak past Nan, just barged straight through her."

As odd as it sounded, Orion was glad that she had this little problem to distract her. She didn't want to say goodbye to her brother quite yet, but she didn't want to deal with Nan almost as much as she didn't want to say goodbye. The old woman was like a grandmother to her, she practically helped Eleanor raise her from infancy, but she was often times cranky and senile, and she treated her staff poorly when the nobility weren't around to keep her in line. Racism in Ferelden only got worse with age, and that was doubly true for Nan.

Orion sighed and shook her head. "I've only just changed out of my armor and now I have to go crawling through the larder in my dress? That's great, Rory. Thanks for the good news," She said playfully, already walking towards the kitchens.

"You know it's not my decision, milady."Ser Gilmore always hated whenever she used his first name so casually out in the open. He was one of the few people in her life who she felt genuinely close to, but he always kept his distance out of respect for the proper relationship between the nobility and their knights. She didn't understand why, she had known Rory since they were children, but there was no arguing with the man. He would simply say it was their duty to keep things professional in public, and Couslands always do what is required of them. "Besides, if anyone else were to do this, your hound would likely take off their hand."

At that, Orion genuinely laughed. Her pup was anything but vicious. He played with children in the courtyard. Rolled in the daisies until the landscapers could bare it no longer. Maker, he even cuddled with her nephew, Oren, before he went to bed on most nights. "He would never dare bite anyone who didn't intend to harm and you know that, Ser Gilmore."

"No offense, milady, but I'm not going to take that chance."

All the pair had to do to find her mabari war hound was follow the screaming. For such an old woman, Nan still had quite the pair of lungs, not that the entire castle wasn't already aware of that. When Orion opened the door the kitchens, Nan was already off shooing the elven servants, ordering them to do several things at one time, most of which contradicted the other.

Orion sighed. The woman wasn't as terrible as she seemed, she was just getting to old. If the Couslands had their way, she'd be set up in a room with all she could every ask for. If she needed a bath or a meal, there would be plenty of people here that would give it to her. But Nan was a workaholic. She didn't like getting something for nothing. She couldn't do the work of a maid due to her frail bones. She couldn't be a nanny anymore; there weren't many younger children in the castle for her to look after anymore. It was all the Couslands could do to set her up in the kitchen and hope that she could handle it until they could convince her that she was old enough to take a rest.

Orion just hated to see the elves suffer under her outdated opinions and treatment while they waited for it to happen.

The Cousland girl didn't even bother to stop and talk to Nan before entering the larder. For a moment, she seemed confused. There was no mess, meaning the dog had not dug through the kitchen's supplies looking for fresh meat. It was only when she saw him, her beautiful mabari war hound, crouched against the flour sacks on the floor that she felt slight relief.

"Mars! Thank goodness you haven't destroyed anything, you mutt," Orion came up behind the dog, scratching behind his ear affectionately. "What've you found, boy?"

"You sound so sure that he's not just here for a steak," Ser Gilmore teased, arms crossed.

"If he came here for a steak, he would've had one already, isn't that right Mars?"

The war hound barked happily, jumping in a circle before pouncing back into his original spot. The flour sacks were stacked in the corner, so whatever he found, he must've cornered it. Orion lifted one of the sacks, ignoring the powder that now littered her dress, and moved it off the side. Without missing a beat, Ser Gilmore joined her until they found the source of her mutt's attention. Just behind the final bag of flower were a small family of rabbits.

Mars barked and pounced at the small group, and Orion quickly stopped him before he could do much harm. If he were trying to kill, he would have. He was playful pup, and it was likely that he just wanted something to chase. He probably chased them into the larder from the courtyard if she were to guess.

Ser Gilmore grabbed a small box of carrots, dumping their remaining contents into another matching box before handing it to Orion, who scooped the rabbits up into it. She grabbed two carrots from the pile and left them in the box before.

"Well, I'm glad that's solved. I would keep the rabbits a secret from Nan. She would probably just want to turn them into a stew."

Orion laughed, but knew she had nothing to fear from the old woman. She wouldn't dare cook a rabbit from the courtyards for nobility. She had the finest ingredients already. Mars barked and jumped in front of Orion playfully, as if asking her to set the rabbits loose for some fun and games again. Orion only shook her head to which the hound whimpered and lowered his own.

"You've already startled Nan enough, boy. Let's go now."

Upon exiting the larder, Nan immediately intercepted the group. "There he is, as brazen as ever and licking his chops too! Helping himself to the roast no doubt." Orion laughed quietly tipping the box of rabbits towards the old woman. Nan had likely seen the box and had chosen to ignore it. She did that a lot. She only like to believe in her original theories. "Fortunately, Nan, Mars did not help himself to the roast. You will have your dinner yet, my good woman. He was only playing, and these little rabbits seemed to have taken refuge in your supplies."

The old woman huffed and crossed her arms looking between the noble, knight, and war hound before pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing. "Of course he would chase them here."

As if on cue, the hound whined sadly. Mars tormented the old woman to no end, but it didn't mean he disliked her. On contrary, he loved Nan almost as much as he loved Orion. She had no doubt that if she told Mars to stay with Nan, he would have no objections. It was simply that Mars had too much energy and Nan didn't not have enough. And Orion wouldn't let the grouchy attitude towards her pup fool her. Nan loved the dog just as much.

"Oh don't you try those puppy eyes on me, I'm immune to your charms," The old woman snapped.

Another pathetic whine.

"...fine. Don't you ever let anyone tell you that I don't do anything for you. Here are some pork bits, leftovers from the roast. Enjoy them mutt, I won't be giving you anymore."

Orion left the box of rabbits at the exit of the kitchens, hoping that a servant would see them and set them back in their proper place soon enough. Ser Gilmore left the room entirely with Mars strolling right beside him, chewing the last of his treat. Orion turned to the old woman and waved good-bye before apologizing for the disturbance. For a moment, the old woman's face softened and she smiled before nodding at the noble girl.

"It was good to see you, Orion. I don't get to see enough of you these days. Though, with your father and brother off to battle I expect I'll be seeing a lot more of you in the future," Nan sighed, smiling. "To think, the little girl I used to read stories to will be on the seat of power here in Highever. If I were your mother, I would be proud. But, I see you have things to do and so do I. I shall see you soon child."

Deeply touched by the old woman, she bowed politely. "Oh course, Nan. I'll see you very soon. And do treat your workers as kindly as you treat me, please? "

And with that, Orion ran to catch up to Ser Gilmore and Mars who had been strolling a few paces ahead of the kitchen.


Ser Gilmore smiled as they walked in silence. He seemed to be enjoying the time together with his lady as he escorted her to her mother, but Orion wasn't the silent type. She didn't enjoy silence. She liked talking to Ser Gilmore especially, if not to hear the sound of his voice, then the sound of her own.

"So, Grey Warden, huh?"

Ser Gilmore laughed, although it sounded sort of hollow. Joining the Grey Warden's would be a great honor. It was no surprise to any of the Highever knights or guards that Ser Roderick Gilmore asked to be tested when Duncan came looking for recruits. The Warden had come in to ask before meeting with the Teyrn officially to sort out everything beforehand.

From what he understood, the test would just be a simple sparring match with the Warden, and he was eager to prove himself. "Yeah, the Grey Wardens," He replied quietly to the noble woman at his side. It wasn't that he wasn't excited. He could imagine himself wearing the silver and blue of the Grey Warden uniform, fighting at their sides and saving lives. He knew it in his heart that he was destined to die protecting, and if a position as a Grey Warden didn't offer him that much, then there weren't many other positions left for him. "The test and, if I pass, the departure will likely be tomorrow."

Highever Castle had grown to be a place of comfort for Rory. He loved the guards and the knights. He loved the Couslands, especially Orion. If there weren't such a social gap between them he might have even admitted it. The thing was that love for Cousland family was almost universal in Highever. The nobility could practically walk around the city's streets without worry from the common folk. His lady, or rather the Couslands in general, did not need his protecting. If he could do good elsewhere, he would jump at the chance.

Ser Gilmore knew that Orion would approve of his choice, but he didn't want her to. She was a free spirit, and she would encourage the freedom for others to choose. She would openly admit that she was close to her dear knight, but would let him go if he should choose to walk away. He didn't want to see the hurt in her eyes, or the loneliness, when he announced his decision to leave.

The thing about love is, even if its buried or hidden, it could drive you towards decisions that you would normally never make. Would he abandon his protective calling to watch over his lady night and day as he was trained to for the last ten years if she asked? He thought that he might. Even if she didn't outwardly tell him to stay, he might.

He looked her, afraid of what he might see. Her eyes were somber and her smile sad, but he had a feeling that it had nothing to do with him.

"I wish I could go with you. I don't think father would allow it, even if I pressed him about it."

Rory could almost imagine the lovely Cousland girl in the griffon adorned armor, fighting alongside him. He could almost hear the sound her laughter as she fought victoriously over the enemy, the same laugh he had heard countless times in the sparring grounds. He could imagine her quickly traversing the battle field, not a scratch on her, downing twenty men before they knew what happened.

In training, she was often underestimated, but the thing was that she played it to her advantage. She's small and quick, and in her first sparring match she had downed her opponent in less than five minutes. Ser Gilmore would never get that arrogant smile out of his memories. It was the day he realized she was much more than a noble.

But he didn't want her to be more than that.

If he could imagine her victorious on the battlefield, he could definitely imagine all the other possibilities. She wasn't immortal. One bad move could kill her. He could imagine her in a pool of her own blood, and he never wanted to imagine it again. And somehow, imagining her unscathed in the blood of others, no victorious smile in sight, had managed to offset him even more.

Ser Gilmore sighed and turned to his Lady Cousland. The Teyrna was just around the corner and he knew that he should no show himself to the woman so casually, if at all. Besides, there were still preparations to be made for whatever would come next, whether it be a ride off to Ostagar in Cousland blues and greens, or Warden blues and silvers.

"No matter what happens tomorrow, you'll be my lady."

Orion huffed and smiled softly turning her head to the side.

"You bet I am. Now go. Rest. Spar. Do whatever it is you."

Ser Gilmore was both happy and crushed that she had not asked him to stay.