Abelas looked out at the sky through the windows in the Inquisitor's - Ashara, she had insisted that he call her by her given name - quarters, as he reached for his glass and took a drink. He was surprised to find that night had fallen and the moon stood high in the sky above the snow capped peaks. They had been here for several hours already, if night had progressed so far.

She was incredibly easy to talk to, and he had found himself sharing far more than he had planned. Before and during their meal, he had told her a bit about his journey to Skyhold and what he thought about the world he had walked through for the first time in centuries.

After they had finished with the lunch she had provided, he got down to business and told her his reason for coming. She hadn't seemed too surprised, and had promised to consider his question of what the Sentinals should do now. She had asked him a few probing questions about the opinions of the others, and then listened silently as he told her.

He had talked without interruption for hours, telling her about the Sentinals and their lives in Mythal's temple. He told her of uthenera, and how those charged with maintaining the temple woke the warriors and mages when a threat appeared. He told her about the schedules of training and learning that he had created for the others, so they all slept, woke, worked, learned, and slept again. He told her, sounding rather offended even to his own ears, about how the others would delay their return to sleep for various personal activities.

Abelas even found himself telling her of his own feelings - the faint twinge of loneliness when he returned to uthenera knowing the others stayed awake to visit among themselves; the pain of losing brothers he'd known for centuries when Corypheus attacked the temple.

He had never spoken to the other Sentinals as he found himself speaking to Ashara, and he had finally fallen silent to gaze out the window at the bright moon shining and the snow and marvel at this. She was an excellent listener, and to his surprise he found he was comfortable with her.

Abelas was fairly sure he shouldn't be this comfortable with anyone, let alone the shemlen elf leader of a human army that had come to destroy his peace, his sanctuary, and his charge all in one fell swoop.

Unbidden, a thought forced itself to the front of his mind. Asha itlath uth.* Abelas shook his head sharply to clear it. No. If he ever found his asha irlath uth, it would not be here. It only made sense that he would find her among the Sentinals.

He knew that, in the time before Mythal's temple was sealed and the Sentinals sealed away with it, that the People had formed deep and permanent attachments. The bond was formed quickly and without conscious intent; the courtship that followed was slow in order to teach the bonded pair how appreciate and care for each other - the elvhen had always known that lasting relationships took work and required more than love alone.

He had never experienced that bond, and had never expected to. His life had been given to Mythal; his entire being was devoted to her - to protecting his temple and vir'abelasan. There was no room for anything or anyone else. The Sentinals had always been kept separate in part to avoid such entanglements.

He turned his attention back to Ashara, to find her eyes steady on him and a smile on her lips.

"Hungry again? I'm afraid we missed dinner with everyone, but I'm sure we could raid the kitchen."

He was appalled by how willing he was to agree with this, how pleased he was that she wanted to spend more time with only him. Despite these unreasonable feelings, Abelas pushed himself to his feet, and gave her a short formal bow.

"I thank you for your hospitality, but my journey was long. I find I am more interested in rest than food. I hope you will excuse me."

Ashara looked surprised, but nodded willingly enough.

"Of course, Abelas, I apologize for keeping you so long. I'll let you get some rest, and perhaps we can speak further tomorrow about the temple? I do have some suggestions for you."

He nodded, and offered a stilted agreement to her plan. He left her quarters and headed for the room the servant had described to him as quickly as he could manage at a dignified pace. He would have to be more careful in the future.

A/N: * Asha irlath uth = literally "woman I love forever." I couldn't resist the idea that the ancient elves formed lifemate bonds. Or all the potential tangles and angst that goes with that idea. ;-)