"Awwww... COME ON! That Black Wyvern card should have totally counted! Why are you being mean to me?" Alistair pouted and drummed his fingers on the table. Who knew Rowan was a card shark that could shake people down and take all their money? It was that face and voice, that's what. They lured you in with sweet wholesomeness, made you contemplate her pouting lips and wonderfully expressive turquoise eyes, and then metaphorically mugged you.
Hmmm... well... maybe if they were ever short on gold... that could be a useful bit of information..., he thought. He scratched that thought two seconds later though after thinking possible negative outcomes. He would rather not have Rowan be subject to seedy card cheats and possible knife fights if he could help it. Who knows where those people have been? Who knows how dirty those knives were? Ughh..
Rowan laughed at his pouting and losing position. "Normally, yes. It would. HOWEVER, you failed to notice the Red Queen affixed to my Three of Swords. My goodness, I had to really bite my tongue when you hesitated playing your Black Wyvern. So glad you did by the way. Thanks for the winnings!" She smiled and pulled her winnings of 3 coppers, pocket lint, a piece of wire, and a hastily scribbled IOU towards her side of the table.
She giggled at her winnings. "My, my... what a treasure trove! And behold this wonderous piece of luck!" She fanned herself with the IOU. "What a girl couldn't do with one of these!" She laughed wickedly as she smiled winsomely at Alistair, which promptly made him lose his train of thought.
Honestly, it wasn't fair. Any of it. Why can't she be this affected too? Why was he losing his mind if she smiled at him? Oh... uh oh... Alistair thought. Wait just one moment... Do I... like her more than a friend? Oh Maker. Aarrghhh... I can't deal with this right now. Please, Maker, Sweet Andraste beyond, can I just finish this game without embarrassing myself? That would be great.
He cleared his throught and hesitantly asked, "You're not taking this seriously? Are you? I thought this was for fun?" Alistair laughed nervously.
Rowan smirked at him and let his imagination twist him in knots for a moment, but relented because he looked so worried. "Oh relax. I'm not going to do anything bad. Ha! Me.. do something bad... Old Livinia would rise from her grave and chase me with a ruler to bash my knuckles." She bit her lip at the silly thought and watched Alistair let out a worried breath as he relaxed.
She added, "I'll just save it for when Barkspawn needs to be bathed. Which will probably be when the rain lets up." Alistair's face became a picture of mild disgust and horror at the future chore. Rowan bit back her grin and poured some salt on the wound. "I mean, I'm very grateful that the inn owners had a barn where Barkspawn could be tied up and kept dry out of the rain, but I can only imagine the smell. Horses smelling like sweaty horses.. doing their business... stalls needing mucked out... Barkspawn either smelling like a sweaty dog that stayed in a barn, or finding something disgusting to roll around in.."
"You're an evil, devious woman. Ugh... I cannot believe I got suckered. And now I have this disgusting chore hanging over my head that I am bound to fulfill." Alistair groaned and threw his arms across the table as he laid his head in defeat upon his cards. "Have mercy upon my poor soul, my Lady. I am but an innocent man caught up in the machinations of an evil, red-headed temptress who plots terrible gaeses upon the unwary." He gave a quiet, theatrical sob into the table.
Rowan reached forward and gently patted him sympathtically on the shoulder. "There, there, kind Ser. I did ask Barkspawn to behave. Mabari are very intelligent, as well you know. And he likes me very much. Mayhaps you will find him just smelling of dog and hay. It could happen."
Alistair looked up from his overplayed, but slightly real, despair with faint hope in his eyes. But it was dashed when she added, "Although... he did bark at you earlier when you were perceived as being mean to me, teasing me with the remains of that spider we slayed. I'm sure Barkspawn completely understood, as you chased me around the road with that hairy leg and had me screaming in horror." Alistair let his head plonk back face first into the table.
Rowan smiled and added to his misery. "Or... maybe he's plotting his revenge even as we speak." He groaned into the table again. It was worth it though. And hilarious. Alistair had chased her around the road with that huge hairy spider leg and laughed until he cried at her antics to get away. Even when she had used a spell to literally freeze him in his tracks. Still he laughed, unafraid at the possibility of getting hurt by a mage. It was Rowan. Besides, he couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so hard. Probably when he had just joined the Templars and had made friends for the first time. This was better, though.
He looked up at her face when she quietly thanked him. "By the way, thank you, Alistair. I had a lot of fun." She smiled down at him and Alistair gave a small, soft smile in return.
"You're welcome, Rowan." He replied, his voice low and lazy, almost bashful. But that couldn't be, thought Rowan. She stifled a shiver at his low voice. It drove her to distraction and sinful thoughts when he spoke thus. Luckily for her it was few and far between. She blushed at his low voice calling her by name. She was very thankful it was dark now, so the shadows mostly hid her blush.
It was only recently that he started calling her by name. She tried to remember the exact moment he did so. Not for any specific reason, she told herself, just because it was a moment of change is all.
For most of their initial time together, he called her "my Lady" or "Lady Amell". He had been very sweet with his manners and politeness. Sometimes at night she'd girlishly sigh over the thought of a knight (well, ex-Templar) being so courteous and chivalrous with someone like her.
She thought back to when it changed, and thought it might be when those bandits ambushed them as they were still fighting off those starving wolves. Rowan had just erected an ice wall to keep the wolves from them and required her concentration, when suddenly Alistair whipped around with his sword drawn at something behind her, shouting her name in worry. She let the ice wall fall, and switched to a chained lightning spell to catch all their attackers in one blow. Alistair ferociously kicked a wolf from her while she was casting her spells, and defended her if anyone or anything got too close. He knew not to distract her or get in the way of her magics, thank goodness.
Morrigan had just finished off the wolves and joined them to help finish off the bandits. Since Morrigan liked Rowan slightly more than Alistair, she had taken point on the magical attacks, while Rowan reverted to shields and healing. Morrigan was efficiently elegant as she coldly cast her spells upon the remaining bandits. Some had died screaming in agonizing fright at the sight of her smiling sinisterly while she called down spellfires and demon spiders to consume their flesh.
When it was done, Morrigan barely spared a glance towards Alistair, but made sure that Rowan was unhurt. She then cast a cooling spell upon the dessicated bodies, in case any were still burning, and proceeded to go through the bandits pockets for loose change or any signs of intent beyond robbery. Morrigan had then tossed the coins to Alistair as she had no use for them, and asked Rowan to help herself to the unexpected loot after pocketing a few rings and baubles for herself. When the bandits were picked clean of anything useful, Morrigan simply left without a backward glance. Parting only with a command directed at Alistair, "Be sure to dispose of the bodies properly. We would not want scavengers or disease to trouble anyone nearby. I shall await you both at camp."
Alistair had wiped the sweat from his brow and succeeded only in smearing the dirt, sweat, and blood stains across it. He lowered his blade and made sure to clean it before sheathing it behind him. He then turned towards Rowan and made to grab her arm in worry, but realizing his place and how dirty and bloody he was, he recalled his hand and asked her if she was unhurt. "Are you alright, Rowan? Did they hurt you? I don't trust Morrigan, I need to know you're unhurt." His brow had been furrowed in distress. Rowan remembered staring stupidly at his worry, her mouth hung open in puzzlement. He had called her by name. And was worried for her. Personally worried, not just out of fellowship for a fellow Grey Warden.
When she didn't answer fast enough, he did grab her arm, gently, but urgently, to pull her away from the bodies, thinking maybe it was the carnage that was upsetting her. She had felt the warmth from his hand right through her sleeve. She remembered thinking it was nice.
When she got her wits back from her bemused stupor, she had answered, "I'm fine, Alistair. I'm not hurt." She then fibbed slightly and told him that the effects of battle had just caught up to her and had made her a bit weary. Maker, she did not want him to know that he was the reason for her staring with her mouth open. She had thanked him for his kind concern, and apologized for making him worry.
Alistair had nodded at her words, acknowledged them, then gently, but firmly sat her down on a nearby boulder and asked her to rest for a moment while he tidied up. As if he were merely cleaning up after dinner.
Rowan had immediately leapt up in indignation. "I'm fine, Alistair! I'm fine! I'll help you dispose of them! I'm not an invalid. I'm completely fine! You'll need me anyway once you're done lugging them, so I can use my fire spells!"
Alistair had sighed, rolled his shoulders to work out some tenseness, and replied, "Please, Rowan. Just sit for a moment and rest." He rushed to talk over her when she objected again. "Ijustdon'twantyoutouchingthem!"
"I beg your pardon?"
Softly, but urgently, he told her, "Please. I can move them by myself. I just don't want you touching them." He gently pushed her to sit again, and knelt before her. "Please humor me. I know it's silly and I know you can help, but please let me move them. Afterwards, I'll have you burn them. Although I detest that I would use your talents in such a way." Absently, without thought, he took her hands in his own large, rough and scarred hands. "Your hands were made for finer things. For healing and light. Not this evil world..."
Rowan's breath had left her and her mouth formed a silent "oh".
Alistair then shot up and stood a pace away from her, his ears a burning red from blushing, but he had stood resolute and stubbornly firm before her while he awaited her reply.
Rowan had smiled slightly, in spite of herself, and folder her hands upon her lap, being sure to sit very regal and ladylike for her concerned (ex) knight. "Very well. If that is what you wish, and you are sure you can do this by yourself, I'll wait here for you."
Alistair stuck out his jaw in stubborn pride, nodded his thanks, and had promptly turned on his heel to stride back towards the dead bandits and wolves. If they had time and were a little more desperate, they could have salvaged the wolves for meat. But their supplies were in good order and that was a very messy business, so he had piled them with the bandits.
It had been nice actually to watch Alistair work. The Maker had smiled upon him and granted that man muscles to make any female swoon. Come to think of it, that was probably when she started thinking him as a capable man, and not the jesting, boyish Warden who automatically deferred to others with hard decisions. Oh, was still silly and jesting, always trying to make her smile, but underneath that she now knew he had a brain and he used it frequently. While she was quiet and studied people from the sidelines, he was the type to be in the thick of life and gauging others while people consistently underestimated him. He could be serious, but he just deflected a lot with humor.
Inwardly, Rowan sighed at his charm. He was very handsome, that was very apparent to anyone, but that could easily be dismissed. Alistair had charmed her with his good humored nature and his inate kindness. He used his people skills to make others smile and laugh, to take their worries away, if only for a moment. He would rather other people be happy and unafraid, and if people underestimated him or thought less of him for that, then so be it. Rowan found herself liking him for his kindness, and she daydreamed about his voice far more than she would care to admit. Oh, she'd just die of embarrassment if anyone knew how much she daydreamed about impossible, silly things.
Rowan now looked down upon his prostrate form, still dramatically limp with future despair, and poked him. With a small smile at his silliness, she ordered him, "Alright, silly. Time to get up from the table. I'm sure it hasn't been cleaned in a while."
Alistair rolled his eyes, but complied. He stretched his arms over his head, leather and armor shifting and creaking as he moved. She inwardly sighed at the sight. She loved his arms. Maker, the man had nice arms. She stopped herself from envisioning what his torso looked like. She bit her lip to stem the thoughts.
Alistair looked around and saw that the common room was still empty. "Are you hungry, Rowan? I know I am. Losing such a grueling battle of wits makes a man hungry! I could see if the innmaster is still around or if he left us some dinner in the kitchen." He turned back toward her for her response, but her stomach chose that moment to growl. He laughed. "Well that answers that. I shall return shortly." He stretched his long legs over the bench.
Rowan crossed her arms. "I swear! I didn't use to be such a slave to hunger when I was back at the Circle! I could go almost a whole day sometimes and just be happy with an apple or a small hunk of fresh bread. Ughhh... stupid Warden hunger.."
And she was pouting again. Maker help him. He just wanted to lean over and kiss her pout away. Sweet Andraste he had it bad. Well first things first, he thought. Let me take care of something that I know has an easy resolution. Alistair smiled as he walked towards the kitchens. He liked the idea of taking care of her. It made him feel warm and happy.
