Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age or anything associated with it, nor am I making a profit with this story.
Of Fluff and Feathers
Chapter 2 – Decisions and Nostalgia
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Ellana muffled a yawn as she followed Cassandra into the war room, noting through heavy eyes that the other advisors were already assembled and waiting on them. As if the sound of the heavy doors clicking shut were all the invitation they needed, talk began almost immediately. Ellana tried to keep up, however she feared her exhaustion was slowing her thought processes down somewhat, making it more than moderately difficult to keep up with the multiple topics flying around.
Giving up the entire effort as futile after only a few minutes of struggle, Ellana resigned herself to simply looking like she was attentively listening, all the while essentially dozing on her feet. She made sure, however, to keep an ear out in case she was addressed directly.
"Any trouble escorting Mother Giselle to Haven?" Cullen inquired straight away, his gaze awkwardly drifting from the Herald and coming to rest upon Cassandra after receiving no response.
"Not as such, no," Cassandra replied simply. "We found ourselves in the middle of a few skirmishes between mages and Templars, however it was nothing we couldn't handle. The increased frequency of those skirmishes and the repercussions are, however, a growing cause for concern."
"Oh?" Leliana's brow rose in intrigue. Cassandra was doing a marvelous job of trying to hide it, however Leliana had come to know the Seeker well enough in the past few years to not be deceived by the warrior's mask. Even if she doubted the validity of her suspicions, the fact that the Herald was practically asleep on her feet - and shamelessly at that - was a dead giveaway. The returning party, it seemed, was far more exhausted than should be normal for such a simple fetch quest.
Cassandra followed Leliana's pointed gaze to the Herald and sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. Shaking her head, she answered the Spymaster's silent question. "The refugees at the Crossroads were in need of aid, and the Herald was quick to promise hers – and by association, ours."
"What sort of aid?" Leliana narrowed her eyes. Promises were dangerous at the best of times. When you were the public face of a fledgling organisation such as the Inquisition, however, promises could be both deadly and damning.
"Nothing like that," Cassandra assured Leliana, knowing exactly what dark places the other's mind had gone. "Simple things; meat for the hunter to distribute, pelts to be cured and used for clothes and blankets, collecting herbs to aid the wounded. There was also a small bandit troupe harassing the refugees that we cleared out, and the Herald managed to locate and convince a healer to lend their services to those at the Crossroads."
"That's wonderful," Josephine smiled, pleased. "Not only will that help the refugees, but it will also help to cement ours as a cause worth supporting."
"Yes, I'll send a raven to Corporal Vale and see if he needs more men," Cullen mused. "If these skirmishes are escalating as you say, it is something to look into. After declaring the Crossroads under Inquisition protection, we've an obligation to the refugees' continued safety."
Leliana hummed lightly, registering everything that was said, yet her gaze never strayed from the lightly dozing Herald. The small party had only spent two days and one night in the Hinterlands, making haste to locate and escort Mother Giselle back to Haven. With this new information, it was no surprise that the group was so weary; having spent much of their time either fighting or aiding the refugees left little time for rest.
Leliana was of two minds concerning the Herald's actions. On the one hand, as Josie stated, it was actions such as those that would give the Inquisition a good name. Furthermore, it went a long way to cementing the preliminary conclusions she had reached concerning their mysterious Herald.
That wasn't necessarily a good thing, however. While on the surface, a kind and determined soul such as Lavellan's seemed a boon to the budding organisation. Realistically, however, Leliana wondered how the elf would react when faced with the truly hard choices she would inevitably be confronted with in the near future.
Wondering about it wouldn't reap any answers in the present, however, and so Leliana absentmindedly moved the train of thought to the back of her mind. She supposed only time would tell for certain, though in the meantime she'd continue to keep a close eye on their Herald.
"Any developments in our absence worth mentioning?" Cassandra inquired when a momentary lull fell upon the room.
The advisors shared a glance, Cullen opting to go first. "I have new recruits trickling in daily; not nearly enough for an army, however our numbers are growing."
"They're not your recruits," Leliana cut in with a raised brow, fixing Cullen with an unamused look. "They're ours."
Aware of the rising tension between the Spymaster and Commander, Josephine jumped in as Cullen cleared his throat. "While there are no visiting dignitaries of note at the moment, we did receive word from our inquiries into the Grey Warden sightings along the Storm Coast. Leliana?"
Leliana gave Cullen one last look before allowing her friend to draw her into the new topic. "As you know, Scout Harding's orders were to establish a forward camp on the Storm Coast after reporting to you in the Hinterlands. We received a few reports by raven since, though only one after she successfully made camp." Leliana frowned. "My other scouts in the area have yet to make further contact with her, however, and she is overdue for a report."
"So it is likely that she ran into trouble along the coast," Cassandra stated plainly as she frowned. "What of the rumors? Do we know if there are Wardens in the area?"
"No," Leliana reluctantly admitted, frown deepening. Though the thought of losing a good scout was less than ideal, the sour taste in her mouth was mostly due to such a glaring blind spot existing in her network. If there was trouble on the Storm Coast, Grey Wardens or no, she wanted to know everything from their numbers to what they had for dinner.
"That's our next stop, then? Trying to make contact with Scout Harding on the Storm Coast?"
The audibly sluggish voice surprised the other occupants of the room, most having written the Herald off as preoccupied at best and passed out on her feet at worst.
Ellana paused and raised a hand to cover her yawn. "Ara seranna-ma," she mumbled. Blinking slowly as her eyes wandered from one amused advisor to the next, her green orbs lingered momentarily on the light curl of their Spymaster's lips before almost reluctantly settling on Cassandra. The warrior also wore a lightly amused look, and for a moment Ellana's mind wandered, loftily debating whether or not that was an okay turn of events.
While she wanted her companions to warm up to her – seeing as the prospect of returning home post-haste was naught but a far-off dream at that point – did she really want them to find her amusing when she wasn't trying to be? It felt a little like being indulged, as one would an amusing yet oft times troubling younger sibling. And while she was most likely the youngest in their inner circle, she was also supposedly occupying a leader-type position.
Mythal, but she was tired. Her thoughts were making little sense, and had nothing to do with the current conversation. Stamping down another yawn, Ellana supposed that being the recipient of amused looks was far better than being shackled and held at sword-point, and so, matter laid to rest, she blinked and returned to the conversation at hand.
"-more men, and track down Master Dennet." Cullen pointed out, in favor of having the Herald return to the Hinterlands and securing some quality mounts for the Inquisition.
"While that is true, we still have to make preparations should he accept our offer; we are not currently equipped to house more than a dozen or so horses," Josephine interjected sensibly. "Also, we are already running out of room for our forces such as they are. Perhaps we should enlarge the encampment before throwing ourselves further into a recruitment campaign?"
"Yes, and in the meantime, the Herald can travel to the Storm Coast and attempt to make contact with Scout Harding," Leliana jumped in matter-of-factly, her tone unwavering. The lack of information coming out of that place was putting her in a foul mood. "While there, either with or without Scout Harding's information, the Herald should then determine whether the rumors of Grey Warden sightings hold any substance."
Having missed part of the conversation due to her wandering mind, Ellana nevertheless shrugged when three sets of eyes turned towards her. "I believe I've already stated my opinion." Turning to Cassandra, she silently gave the Seeker the final word.
Cassandra sighed, and though laced with a certain amount of weariness, her tone was nevertheless decisive. "We'll rest tonight and resupply tomorrow, then leave for the Storm Coast."
It seemed that was the signal for the meeting to adjourn, and Ellana thankfully shuffled from the confining room. Making it halfway down the main hall, the elf stumbled on a fold in the thick carpet and began to sway. Yawning once more, Ellana spied an unoccupied bench nearby and all but fell onto it, telling herself she'd just rest her weary body for a moment.
Just a moment.
Just…
...
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Leliana silently observed as the Herald exited the room, the elf's relief at the meeting's adjournment plainly visible across her expressive face. Turning her attention away once the doors shut behind Cassandra and Cullen, Leliana glanced at her quickly scribbling friend.
"Our Herald of Andraste looked particularly exhausted, didn't she?" Josephine commented with a smile, though her eyes never left the scroll before her. "I know it's rude of me to say, however she looked rather adorable while trying to hide her yawning."
"Hm," Leliana hummed noncommittally, though Josephine correctly took it as a sign of agreement. Slowly, a devious smile teased the edges of the former bard's lips. "Why Josie, is that attraction I hear in your voice? Should I perhaps corner our Herald and question her intentions?"
"Oh you," Josephine scoffed and finally looked up at her friend, though she was unable to completely beat back a light blush at the redhead's expression. Though she had successfully navigated The Game, Leliana always seemed to know just what buttons to push to make her flustered. It was, Josephine knew, a testament to Leliana's own prowess at navigating The Game, and her success as a former bard.
The redhead was very good at what she did, and she knew it.
Keeping the playful lilt to her voice, Josephine pointed out innocently, "Even you must admit that Mistress Lavellan is rather easy on the eyes."
"Hmm." Leliana's hum was slightly more drawn out, and Josephine allowed herself a brief yet no less satisfied smirk at the acknowledgment.
Gathering the rest of her papers, Josephine capped her inkwell and secured her quill. "Well, I believe I have everything I need."
Pushing herself away from the war table with her hip, Leliana straightened and fell into step with her friend. "You should get some rest, Josie. The final copies can keep until morning."
"I could say the same of you," Josephine's brows rose as she glanced at her friend pointedly. Receiving the wry look she expected from such a remark, the scribe sighed and shook her head with a small smile. "I think I shall heed your advice; though Leliana, please get at least a few hours sleep before dawn."
"Hm. We shall see." Leliana smiled and opened the door, allowing Josephine to exit first. "Sweet dreams, Josie."
Leliana watched as Josephine murmured the same well wishes before breaking off and heading to her chambers. Alone once more, Leliana strode down the hallway, intent on continuing to slave over her reports for another candlemark or two. Her purposeful gait faltered, however, when a she spied a figure slumped in a shady alcove from her peripherals.
Immediately changing directions and sporting a small frown, Leliana paused in surprise when the figure became clear to her searching gaze. Slowly, however, her surprise melted into exasperation tinged with a hint of wry amusement.
Reaching down, Leliana lightly shook the woman's shoulder.
"Herald?" Receiving no response, Leliana sighed and tried again, this time speaking louder and shaking her more insistently. "Herald."
Again, the redhead was met with nary a twitch. It seemed the excursion to the Hinterlands were more exhausting than Cassandra had let on, and Leliana made a mental note to get a full report of the events in the morning.
Pursing her lips, Leliana glanced around the large hall. The hour was late and the Chantry empty, however she couldn't in good conscience leave the foolish elf where she was. Not only was that inviting someone to take a shot at the vulnerable woman, but she wouldn't get anywhere near a good night's rest and thus her performance would suffer.
Telling herself she would attempt to wake the sleeping Herald again, this time not nearly as nicely, Leliana was thusly surprised when instead of prodding the sleeping woman awake, her arms slipped underneath Lavellan's bent legs and behind her back. Straightening, Leliana scowled and silently reprimanded herself. Her scowl only deepened as Lavellan's head lolled to the side and settled upon her shoulder, the elf's warm breath breaking against her neck through the opening of her cowl.
Despite her personal misgivings, however, Leliana made sure the Herald was secure in her arms – which wasn't a very difficult task, the elf being rather light – and turned towards her quarters. She was not going to walk to the other end of Haven with an unconscious Herald in her arms, and even then, assigning her to a cabin so far on the outskirts was a glaring oversight on their part. Though the Herald was an important figure, and thus was technically entitled to the privacy and space inherent in a personal cabin, it wasn't the most secure place for the Herald to be when at her most vulnerable. Despite her reception taking a turn for the better since the halting of the breach and the declaration of the Inquisition, whispers of malcontent still reached Leliana's ears.
Decided, and making another mental note to assign the Herald new quarters in the morning, Leliana redistributed the weight in her arms and deftly unlocked the door to her room with one hand. Walking into the dark room and nudging the door closed behind her, she deposited the Herald onto her bed and walked confidently without sight to where she knew a candle and box of matches were kept. Striking the match and holding it up to the wick, Leliana took a moment to blink and adjust to the change in lighting before moving.
Walking over to the bed, Leliana began automatically removing the elf's footwear. It was only as the second boot hit the floor with a muffled thud that the redhead became aware of just what she was doing, and who she was disrobing. Frowning at herself, a quick glance at the sleeping elf turned into a long yet increasingly absent stare, a bittersweet expression overtaking and softening her features.
Thoughts she usually kept well under lock and key were dangerously close to the surface that night; thoughts of another elf, this one with a headstrong personality and stubborn streak a mile wide. Her cold demeanor and biting words hid a kind and gentle heart, however, and Leliana remembered many a precious stolen moment on their journey as the proud kingdom of Ferelden fell to pieces around them. Sweet nothings, whispered promises, kisses under the moonlight, and a low and slightly rough voice a welcome constant throughout it all…
A light murmur from the sleeping elf before her knocked Leliana swiftly from her memories. With an embarrassingly shaky inhale, Leliana took a moment to once again clear her mind of nostalgic thoughts of a time long passed. Once she felt more or less back in control, the former bard glanced at the elf resting in her bed for a forcefully short moment before groaning.
Leaving the Herald in her traveling clothes was perhaps unkind, however Leliana couldn't bring herself to care at that moment. Lifting the heavy blanket, she settled it around the slumbering form before retreating to her desk in the corner, intent on working until the candle was spent and the flame flickered and died.
And when that happened, she mused with another quick glance at her bed and the figure slumbering peacefully within it, she'd simply light another.
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A/N: Apologies; my writing is rusty. Fluff and humor will come – be patience. Right now I'm just getting used to the characters and setting, and setting things up. The actual romance most likely won't start until after they reach Skyhold, and I have a few chapters planned before that happens.
I forgot to mention this after chapter one, but I will be sprinkling a few elvish words and phrases throughout the story, courtesy of the Dragon Age Wiki's Elven Language page. I will also leave a quick and rough translation at the end of the chapter, so you don't have to flip between windows.
Andaran atish'an – (Seen last chapter). A formal elven greeting that literally means 'I dwell in this place, a place of peace.'.
Ara seranna-ma – A polite 'excuse me' used after a sneeze, yawn, belch, etc…