They had all built the pyre for Cailan's body, but Sunny had not let anyone touch the kings body, but they could all see as she struggled alone against her injuries to lay him on the bed of logs. But any offer of help was ignored without even an acknowledgement that they even spoke to her, Sunny only turned to Alistair talking to her, but even his help was refused.
"Atisha." she whispered again as she lifted her hand and lit the pyre with a wisp of magic. when they had returned to camp with the contents of the Kings chest and his armour, the elf sat by Alistair's tent in front of the fire cleaning the deceased kings armour, ignoring all attempts of the others to talk to her bar Alistair, refusing even the offer to eat with them, though she was looking gaunt and Alistair had said so to his fellow warden wondering when the last time she ate. When finally Alistair snapped getting up and shoving a dish at her chest, her hands catching the offending plate.
"Will you just sit with us by the fire and eat, you look like you're about to collapse." and to his shock with a jaw that almost hit the floor she took the plate walked past him and sat with the group and began to eat. He ran to her side and she looked up at him with those big green eyes, he could really see the gold now the fire shone on them. "Wait what happened there? why did you come sit down?" she finished her mouthful before answering him.
"You ordered me to." her answer was simple and he was left just as gobsmacked, she returned to her meal. He had sat down next to her looking over to the other warden, confusion also on her face. After everyone had returned to their tents only the two wardens remained ready to take their turn for the night watch. Sunny still sat by the fire she was staring into the flames and he could swear he was watching her almost play with the flames, she was moving her hand and the flames bent into shapes but he was sure she was paying just as much attention to the borders of the camp. Alistair made his way over and sat next to her and her attention was immediately on him.
"Hi Sunny."
"Hello Alistair." she looked at him, her face devoid of emotion but he could feel his cheeks flush, no one looked at him with such intensity, well no one except Elissa Cousland, his fellow warden, she gave him butterflies and she was always there for him to talk too. She now joined him too sitting on his right whilst Sunny sat on his left.
"I know I already did the rounds with everyone else's names but this here is Elissa Cousland." he swore he could see Sunny's eyes widen at the name but she soon covered that up. Alistair had gone on to explain what had happened at Ostagar , and so far what they had done, they had got their treaties but had yet to approach most of them, they had to see the Dalish, Orzammar and Arl Eamon, so really they had done nothing other than return to Ostagar and visit the circle. and Sunny had deduced Alistair had shouldered all the responsibility on to the young lady's shoulder, much like Anora had taken much responsibility off of Cailan. The way the two Wardens looked at each other was like two puppies, although the Cousland's were second only to the Theirin's so maybe a Cousland on the throne may not be so bad Sunny thought. Alistair showed Elissa a lot of respect like Maric had shown Lady Rowan. She and Lady Rowan had gotten on together rather well, joined at first for their dislike of Katriel. Maybe Sunny and Cousland would get on too.
"We plan to go to Redcliffe next." Elissa said taking Sunny's attention off Alistair and onto herself, she still shuddered when Sunny made eye contact she wasn't quite sure if she would ever get used to it, but so far she had done what Alistair said down to the last detail so having another sword arm wouldn't hurt. When Sunny said nothing, she continued. "We plan to ask for the Arls aid, obviously we are going to need his help with a landsmeet. You have no objections?"
"No, it seems the smart move, if you get Arl Eamon's approval now, it will help us move Alistair through the bannorn. I'm sure though Arl Eamon would rather have a Theirin on the throne. he was never keen on Loghain."
"You know the Arl?" Elissa sounded surprised.
"Of course." Sunny said matter of fact. then she changed the subject. "I see you usually travel in a main group of four, consisting of yourself, Alistair, the mage Wynne and the Orlesian Bard Leliana, I would like to remain by His majesty's side-" Alistair interrupted.
"About that, the 'His majesty' stuff, it has to stop." he said it almost angrily and felt bad when Sunny's head tilted in confusion, "We could um, get um, noticed. So please just call me Alistair." Sunny nodded, her hand on her chin seeming to think it through. She turned and handed him the armour that Cailan had worn, the dragons face that gleamed on the front of it looked amazing. "I can't accept it."
"Alistair, we cannot simply throw the armour away, wearing it will help us strengthen your claim to the throne, the creators, no, Andraste has lead you to it." he tried to protest and as he was getting more grumpy with the elf Elissa excused herself to her first watch, he agreed to wear the armour after a while, they sat in silence and he watched as Sunny stifled a yawn. So he thought he would ask, did she know his father? What he was like? and he thought he actually saw her smile. She spoke of him fondly, and he watched as a softness took over her eyes she spoke of how his noble side would show itself in the most awkward of times. He had a big heart and cared immensely for fereldens people. "He would have loved to have seen both you and Cailan grow up, maybe Cailan wouldn't have been so foolish, listening to the stories of his father and wanting the same glory. maybe he would be alive still." she stood and stretched, her thin leather armour was worn and torn in many places, and Alistair could see the evidence of her wounds on her small lithe body, she then turned to him, the smile that was on her face now gone as if it were never there. "I want to travel with you and keep you safe your- Alistair, I would like to keep one of Marics sons alive I would not want to fail him, nor Calenhad. I know you travel in a group of four, but if I am not chosen by your leader, Cousland, to accompany the group I shall follow you in the shadows or I shall clear you a path." Alistair began to open his mouth. "This is nonnegotiable"
Alistair watched as she walked away, she moved to the forest, he realised she spoke of Maric as if she really knew him during the rebellion, but she looked barely older than himself, could she really have known him? Or did she prolong her life with magic she was obviously adept at? She climbed a tree with ease and settled herself on a long branch her arms tucked behind her head as she lay there, her eyes closed. She called to Alistair and he found he hung on her every word, eager to hear the next, even just to hear her voice, all the things she may know about his father, did she know of his mother, but the call was just to wake her at the end of his shift and she would take the next. he wanted to argue about her sleeping in a tree but he couldn't very well offer his tent when he had to sleep in it too, and they had no spare, he could hardly ask the others to share, but at least she seemed content. With one last look over his shoulder at her he returned to his own tent he settled in for a few hours sleep before his own shift.
When he awoke in the morning the camp was already bustling, Leliana was cooking breakfast, Wynne was packing away her camp, as was Morrigan. Elissa was emerging from the wood her hair damp from her morning wash and Sunny and Elissa's Mabari Trigg were sitting at the far end of the camp the dog appeared to be barking at her and she seemed to be talking back as she was mending parts of her armour with what appeared to be an old chantry robe donated from Leliana, most likely to serve her until they reached the next town.
Sunny enjoyed the mabari's company, he had intelligent eyes and was just a joy to be with, Trigg was currently watching her sew the bits of fabric over the exposed parts of her armour. A bark resounded around the camp. "I'm mending it." Bark! "Because it's got holes in it." Bark! "Yes leather would be better, but I have none, unless you want to go catch me a rabbit or two so I can skin and tan them." the dog wagged its tail and barked, running off in to the woods. "Of course you can eat the rest." she laughed as she shouted after the dog. The dog was back in a flash with two very large hares in his mouth dropping them at Sunny's feet. She stroked the dog affectionately as she thanked him and pulled the small knife from her ankle and began her work the animals, whilst Trigg watched with bated breath licking his lips.
Trigg followed her to the fire side as she stretched the skin out over a smooth rock over the fire salting it heavily, Alistair and most of the camp watched her as she made her way over to a very thin and spindly tree checking its branches as she threw the hares for the dog to catch and eat across the camp. She found the perfect branch to serve her for now, she bent it and it had a lot of tension. Using her small dagger to hack away at the branch at the base, fully aware that all members of the camp watched her carefully, satisfied with her work she sat back on her tree stump seat at the mouth of the camp, she pulled a rawhide woven string from a pouch at her waist tying it to one end of the stick she bent the stick over into a crescent, tying the other end and released it, the bow was not the best, but it was better than nothing, she would most likely be able to pick something up in Redcliffe.
Sunny decided whilst everyone sat down for breakfast she would fine-tune her new bow with some target practice. and packed away the small leather patches in the leather pouch at her hip, as the group seemed ready to move on.
After breakfast, Elissa divided them to travel to Redcliffe in two groups in the hopes of drawing less attention, she took Alistair, Leliana and Wynne with herself, and asked Sunny to accompany, Trigg and Morrigan. Sunny frowned, she needed to be with Alistair to make sure he lived, how would she be able to keep an eye on him if they had to travel separately, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, but where he goes I go." Elissa was caught off guard by the hostility in Sunny's tone. Elissa tried to argue that they would all meet up later in Redcliffe anyway but sunny was not budging. Alistair smirked.
"Sunny, it is an order that you follow Elissa's orders." The entire groups eyes snapped to him and then moved to Sunny, her face had fallen into an emotionless mask, but she opened her mouth and everyone waited on her reply, Elissa could hear the restrained anger in her voice and by the tiniest fraction of cowering in Alistair's shoulders she guessed he could too. Elissa was glad that she was not on the other end of that intense glare for she was sure she would have erupted into flames on the spot.
"Barking that kind of order at me Your Majesty" she spat the words and Alistair flinched. "will only result in me breaking your nose. Maric told me to follow Loghains orders once and never did again, I swore to Calenhad I would serve him and his sons only. Just because you like to pass the responsibility does not mean we all do. I am to keep you alive, what do a few broken bones matter." her threat hung in the air and Alistair audibly gulped as Sunny shouldered her bow and stomped past him, she could hear Morrigan point blank laughing at the outburst "I Will clear the way, I will see you in Redcliffe." she said. She left the camp talking in elven and Alistair could tell by the lashing of her tongue that they were not kind words.