The fire was dancing in the dark and the moon was hiding behind some clouds. Solas looked up at it and wondered how he ended up alone with the inquisitor in the wilderness. It had all happened so fast. He had asked for help to save one of his old friends. Aniel had only asked a few questions and had accepted that his friend was a spirit with ease, and suddenly they where on their way to the spot he had marked on the map.
It was remarkable how open-minded she seemed to be. He had half expected her to tell him that she did not have time to save a spirit, or for her to reluctantly agree to help him.
Solas looked at the female; she was sleeping with her back against a tree. They had decided to take turns to guard their camp and he was first out. He somehow found it comfortable to watch her sleep. To watch how the blond hair fell down over her shoulders and how her chest rose and fell as she was breathing.
For a moment he felt content over the fact that she had choose to only bring him with her. He knew she liked to be surrounded by friends.
Solas stirred around in the fire with a stick to keep it alive. Some embers flew up into the sky like tiny fireflies. It was time to switch with Aniel but he did not feel like waking her up. He did not feel tired and it was something about her calm sleeping face that he took out one of his traveling sketchbooks and before he knew it the papers was filled with drawings of let out a small cough when he realised what he was doing and hastily hide his book when he saw how her eyes slowly opened. Half asleep she looked around, for a moment it looked like she was going to fall asleep again.
" Maker! How long have I been sleeping? Why did you not wake me up?" She asked when she realised the time.
She still looked half asleep, eyes half opened and her hair was a bit messy. Solas chuckled softly and put a log on the fire.
" I simply saw no need in waking you up, as I'm capable of guarding. " He answered with a calm voice.
She gave him a small frown and told him it was only right to take turns. To his surprised she moved from her sleeping spot and sat down next to him. Their shoulder were touching and he felt it getting warmer.
" Well you need some sleep. Let me make up for oversleeping by offering you a lap to rest your head on. " She casually said and gestured towards her thighs.
Solas felt his ears and cheeks getting warmer but kept his usual calm face.
" I have no need to rest my head; in fact I don't feel tired at all. " He said and hoped that his voice sounded normal.
He was so focused on keeping himself under control; that when she pulled his arm he lost his balance and ended up with his head on her lap. She gently pushed him down when he tried to sit up.
" Sleep, you need it." She said with a calm and firm voice.
Solas stared into the fire, his body was tense, and it could simply not be possible to relax in this position. Not when she was so close.
Aniel must have noticed how tense he was; for he felt gentle cresses on his cheek and she hummed a soft melody. Before he knew it he had drifted to sleep.
It was morning when he woke up, he found himself resting his head against Aniel's jacket. It had the same fresh and sweet scent as its owner. Like rain he thought.
" Morning. Sorry I had to move, my legs were falling asleep and I almost thought I would lose them." Aniel joked as she gave him a small bag with dried fruits in it.
Solas mumbled a good morning before he used the food as an excuse to not speak. He felt strangely rested, different kind of rested. It was not the same as when he woke up from his trips to the fade. There was an unusual calm over him.
" I thank you for letting me lean... against you. " He said after some time and stood up.
" Any time. " Aniel said and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.
The cleaned up the camp, made sure the fire was put out and then moved on.
It was Aniel who was the first one to reach the place. They had followed a trail of dead bodies. Solas felt a sick feeling in his stomach, his friend was supposed to be around here. Then a loud roar filled the air and shook the ground, they both ran toward the sound.
It felt like his blood started to boiling when he saw the demon.
" They have corrupted your friend. " Aniel gasped.
A man came running toward them, calling for help. It turned out to be one of the mage who had forced his friend out from the fade. The sorry excuse for a mage begged them for help, claiming to be an expert. Solas told him to shut up.
His anger ebbed out a bit when Aniel told the mage that they where here to help the spirit and not him. Solas tried his best to hastily explain that his friend could be saved if the summoning pillars were destroyed.
" I have studied rituals like this. I think I can destroy them without any problems. " Aniel said with a small smile.
He promised to try to distract his friend while she worked on breaking the summoning.
The worthless mage who had started it all ran away to hide.
To Solas relief was Aniel been able to break the pillars without any problems and without having to attack his friend.
But his heart sank like a stone when he realised that it was too late and it felt like someone had poured cold water over him. The spirit asked him to guide it back to the fade. Told him it was happy to be itself again. He held his old friend as she slowly dissolved and returned to the fade; to be born as something new.
" I heard what it said, it was right you did help it." Aniel said with a soft sad and gentle voice.
Solas stared into the air, his chest felt heavy and sorrow was overwhelming him. Every breath was painful and he felt cold.
" Now... I must endure. " He said as he thought about his friends last words.
" Let me know if I can help." Aniel said softly as if she was afraid that he would break.
" You already have " Solas answered as he stood up.
He felt how sorrow was replaced with rage as he saw the fool of a mage return together with two others. They thanked them for saving them. Solas felt the anger burn in him as a cold raging fire. He walked towards them with heavy steps.
" You tortured and killed my friend." He said with a voice burning with anger.
The pathetic mage started to rabble some excuses. Telling him it was just a spirit.
Solas felt a part of him snap at the last statement and ended their lives in rage.
He turned around and faced Aniel, who watched him with a sad look on her face and her eyes was darker.
" I need some time alone. I will meet you back at skyhold. " He simply said and left her standing there alone.
She was waiting for him when he returned to Skyhold. He felt guilt blend in with the sorrow, he had left her all alone in a dangerous place.
" How are you Solas?" She gently asked.
For a moment he thought about not answering her.
" It hurts, it always does. But I will survive. " He answered and tried to make his voice sound steady.
She thanked him for coming back and he suddenly realised that if not for her he might had left in blind rage and sorrow.
"You were a true friend; you did everything you could to help. I can hardly abandon you now." He said, carefully choosing the word friend. Deep down without truly realising it he hoped they were more.
" The next time you have to mourn you don't have to be alone. I'm here for you " Aniel said and put her hand on his shoulder.
Solas did not really know what to answer, so he told her it had been such a long time ago he had anyone he could trust. She simply answered that she knew and gave him a small smile.
"I'll work on it. And thank you." He said and looked into her clear blue eyes. He noticed that somehow it felt easier to breathe and his chest did not feel as heavy anymore.