Getting to know you

Alistair was woken up by a firm lick to the face. He opened his eyes to see the Mabari's muzzle practically touching his nose. He wondered what he'd done to deserve such an awakening, then realised why. Next to Alistair, Amelie was twitching and shuddering in her sleep.

"Ah, that's people work, is it?" he whispered to the dog, who nudged his head in reply.

Alistair rolled over to his other side, facing Amelie. He didn't know whether to wake the girl outright or try to comfort her while she slept. Well, the second plan did not preclude the first. Alistair put his arm over her and she snuggled up to him at once, her face on his chest, the top of her head fitting neatly under his chin. He stroked her back gently, in much the same way as he would soothe a dog.

"Shush," Alistair murmured. "It's a dream, it can't hurt you."

Amelie gradually stilled and Alistair thought she might stay asleep, the bad dream banished. She didn't though, pulling away a little to look at him. Alistair was amazed Amelie didn't protest at finding herself in his arms under the same blankets.

"I was having another terrible dream about darkspawn," Amelie confided softly.

"Me too," he replied, "but I'm a bit more used to them. We told you, didn't we? About the dreams?"

"Yes, after the ritual. Is it going to be like that every night?"

"I don't know. The Blight is supposed to make the dreams worse, especially if you just joined. For me, I don't dream like that all night or even every night. I did at first though."

"So it might get better or it might not. Great."

"I know, I know. I have all the best news," Alistair responded. "Such as, I bet you're feeling rather hungry right now."

Amelie's stomach growled. "How did you know?" she asked, surprised.

"Don't move. I'll fetch you something," he said, extricating himself from Amelie and the blankets. He returned shortly with the bag of hard biscuits he'd looted from the supply cart, some dried meat and a water canteen.

"It isn't very tasty," he whispered, handing Amelie a biscuit, "but it's something."

"Come back under the blankets," Amelie told him, before biting into the biscuit.

"Sure?"

She nodded, swallowed. "We need to talk and this is as good a time as any. Plus, you're really really warm."

"Aw, you say the nicest things," Alistair smiled, settling down next to her again.

They snacked in silence for several minutes.

"I think you should be in charge of talking to people," Alistair said eventually. "I'm not very good at it, and you seem to be."

"You're very good at talking to me," Amelie countered.

"Really? Because if I am, it's entirely by accident. You heard me and that mage, right? If someone annoys me, I'm no good at hiding it. I can be a bit, well, cheeky."

"Really? Because I hadn't noticed."

"Are you ticklish? Because I'm prepared to tickle you if necessary," Alistair warned.

"I'm not frightened. I have a Mabari," Amelie said. "Give me more of the meat stuff and let me think."

Alistair passed her a strip of dried meat and gnawed on a strip himself.

"Right, I'll do the talking but we decide together beforehand what I'm going to say."

"There'll be times when we can't discuss something, Amelie."

"True. What then?"

"You decide what you think is best and I'll support you. I don't agree I'll just whinge at you afterwards in private. Let's try not to disagree in front of strangers," Alistair suggested. "Or if I really really disagree, I can signal you or something. Tug my ear, maybe."

"Sure? People will assume I'm in charge, Alistair," she replied.

"Amelie, I don't know how to be in charge. I've only ever been trained to follow. Duncan had been trying to break me of the habit but ... They always told me I wasn't up to the responsibility."

"That's rubbish. Who told you that? Chantry busies, I assume?" Amelie sounded cross.

"I was trained to be a Templar. I was supposed to keep my mouth shut and do what I was told."

"What nonsense. I think you'd be a good leader with a little practice to build your confidence."

"We don't have time for me to learn. You already know how, don't you? I could tell, the way you took charge of Daveth and Jory," Alistair stated.

"Yes. Yes, I do. My father trained me, my mother too. I might not know how to cook but I can organise a fighting unit," Amelie admitted.

"Then it's settled. You lead and I cook. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Let's go back to sleep then, shall we? I'll move over here a bit," Alistair said.

"No! Don't!" she exclaimed. "I mean, we'll be warmer if we're close together."

"You've had survival training too?"

Amelie nodded sheepishly. They lay down together. Alistair was surprised when Amelie cuddled up to him without any trace of shyness or awkwardness.

She must have been married, he thought. I have to remember that, have to make myself remember that.

"Mmm, you are so warm," she mumbled into his chest.

And you're so trusting, and lovely.

oooOOOooo

They were nearly at Lothering. Alistair had been lost in his own thoughts while they travelled. As they left the Imperial Highway to cut over to Lothering, Alistair asked Amelie what they were going to do next. Truthfully, he'd sort of forgotten about the witch, because Morrigan hadn't been saying much either. Now, though, she launched a scathing attack on Alistair, castigating him for his silence and his grief. Alistair tried to defend himself but he wasn't used verbal venom of this kind.

Amelie stepped in and dragged Morrigan to one side. Alistair didn't hear most of the conversation. There were bits about not angering someone who'd stopped you being skewered by bandits, and if Amelie didn't object to his behaviour, Morrigan shouldn't pick at him. His fellow Warden looked downright fierce.

Morrigan eventually shrugged and said,"I'll try if you insist."

He hadn't heard what Amelie had told Morrigan to do. He thought he probably didn't want to know. Anyway, Amelie told them both that they needed more recent news before they make a final decision on where to go first. Loghain was out of the question. He would be too difficult to get at. Besides if they hacked down the Hero of River Dane without first proving him a regicide, they would be slaughtered pretty much immediately.

Lothering was in chaos. There were refugees everywhere. The Chantry was packed out but they met someone Alistair recognised, a knight from Redcliffe. Amelie had found a locket and a letter addressed to Ser Donall on a bandit she had killed. It was a blow to learn Arl Eamon had a serious illness. They would not be able to get immediate aid from him. Alistair decided the Arlessa must be half-mad to insist on the Sacred Ashes as the only possible cure. As a child he had thought Isolde unstable but maturity had revised that opinion. Currently he was wondering if he'd been right the first time.

Alistair and Amelie decided to do the jobs on the Chanter's board. Morrigan was not best pleased but reluctantly agreed the money would be handy. The witch had disapproved of Amelie involving them in various disputes. Amelie stood her ground, explained that these people had been abandoned by their bann, that they needed to know the Grey Wardens were standing staunch against the darkspawn, that the Wardens cared about their plight. Amelie insisted that the only way Alistair and she had to disprove Loghain's lies was through their actions. If that meant calming battle-shocked men and intimidating profiteering merchants, so be it.

Alistair agreed with Amelie's reasoning, especially after some of Loghain's men attacked them in the inn. They defeated Loghain's hounds easily. Alistair had wanted to kill them. Instead Amelie made a big performance out of showing mercy to the men while the whole tavern watched.

"We're going to be doing some awful deeds, I expect, Alistair," Amelie said to him privately. "And there will be plenty of killing for us all to do. In public though, we'll kiss babies and help old ladies and get rid of bandits. The better we look, the worse Loghain looks."

"That's devious," he replied. "I like it."

A lay Chantry sister had helped them in the fight. When she said she'd had a dream about fighting the Blight and wanted to join them, Alistair had been dubious. Amelie had agreed to the woman's request after a few questions about her fighting skills. The witch had disapproved.

Morrigan's opinion changed somewhat when Leliana persuaded the Revered Mother to release her prisoner into the custody of the Wardens. Alistair was pleased to learn that he and Morrigan had more in common than simply their species. He too had thought it disgusting the Qunari was being left to the darkspawn.

Another of Alistair's hopes was crushed in Lothering as well. Ferelden's other teryn, Bryce Cousland, the logical choice to lead the opposition to Loghain, was dead. He had been accused of treason and killed even before the final battle at Ostagar.

"That's terrible news," he said to Amelie. "I'd thought Arl Eamon could introduce us to the teryn and if the Couslands backed us, Loghain would lose support. Do you think there's any truth to the treason accusation?"

"None! None at all! My ... teryn would never have betrayed Cailan, and certainly not the way Loghain did," Amelie declared, flushing with temper.

Too late, Alistair remembered Amelie came from Highever, the Couslands' home. As a noble woman she had no doubt known the Couslands. That might have even been why her family had been killed. Foot in mouth again!

"I didn't think so either," he said mildly. "Loghain planned for Cailan to die at Ostagar, didn't he? Well in advance, I mean."

"That's what I believe, Alistair. Loghain and Howe will pay for their crimes, I promise you." Amelie was fervent, fiery. Alistair was glad she was his ally, not his enemy.

"Good," he said, "good to know we're on the same page."

"Let's plan," Amelie suggested. "I know you're keen to get to Redcliffe but I'm wondering if we should go to the mages first? There's trouble there, apparently. If we can head that off, then the Circle might join us more easily. Plus it will give the arl more time to recover before we turn up on his doorstep demanding aid."

Alistair considered her suggestion. It seemed sound. "I agree. Let's go to the Circle."