"You all right, my sweet?" Elissa smiled and brushed Alistair's unruly hair out of his face. He was sitting in the back of a covered wagon that held fresh supplies for the journey between Redcliff and Highever. His precious belongings were tucked in beside him in a new backpack, and she made sure he had a full waterskin.
"Yes, my Lady," the boy blinked owlishly and huddled more into his little corner.
"This is only for a day or two," Elissa reminded him, "Until we're away from all the other nobles leaving Redcliffe. Once we split off you can ride with me."
Alistair nodded and clutched the book she'd given him close to his chest. She'd been delighted when the boy told her he could read and knew his numbers. At least Eamon had done that right.
Elissa secured the flaps of the wagon and stepped away to climb into the saddle of her horse. The Highever guard holding the reins passed them up and she gave him a warm smile. He sketched a quick salute and then climbed up next to the wagon driver.
Elissa wheeled her horse and rode him around the side of the wagon so she could join her father at the head of the Highever host. He sat on his horse next to her brother while the two watched the King's party depart.
"All settled?" Bryce asked with a raised eyebrow. His expressed was blank other than that little tell.
"Comfortably," Elissa nodded, not meeting his gaze. She on her bay with her back straight and her head held high.
"I trust you on this, pup," her father murmured softly, exchanging a somber look with Fergus.
"Thank you, Father," Elissa nodded again, but her eyes were drawn to shimmer of gold embossed armor. The King's party was finally done mingling outside the gates of Redcliffe and the honor guard smoothly slid into neat rows. They set off, the first of the groups to depart. Elissa thought back to their arrival, when she'd gawked like a peasant at their passing. That in mind she held her chin a little higher and deigned to look at the passing soldiers as though they were on inspection. They were past in moments, and then he was there.
Maric again rode with his son and Teyrn Loghain at his sides. His armor gleamed, and so did his eyes as he rode by. This time though instead of scanning the crowd his eyes locked on Elissa's, and she inclined her head in silent acknowledgement. The king returned the gesture somberly, and then they were gone. Elissa stared off into the distance for a moment and then turned away. She caught her father's unreadable gaze and shrugged.
"Finally," Elissa sighed with relief as the last of the bannorn parties broke off to trail after the royal host when the road out of Redcliffe forked to the east. Only the Highever host remained, taking the northern road toward the Storm Coast.
"Indeed," Elissa's father agreed, his eyes flickering nervously, "I feel like we're riding around with a primed barrel of that explosive powder the dwarves keep trying to sell me."
"He's just a little boy, Father," Elissa chuckled softly.
"He's more than that, and you damn well know it. To my sorrow," Bryce bit back, draining Elissa's humor quickly. She pulled at the reins of her horse.
"I promised him I'd let him ride with me after the other hosts left," she said woodenly, "I'll be at the back of the column."
"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Elissa," Bryce said slowly, but stopped when his daughter leveled angry eyes on him.
"I didn't take him out of that life just to shove him back into the shadows again. He will have a normal life," Elissa yanked savagely on the reins, startling her mount. He reared a bit off his front hooves as he spun around and trotted back past the rest of the column. Elissa felt her mother's eyes on her as she cantered past the carriage, but she did not stop. She hurried to the wagons and nodded to the guard sitting next to the driver of the first wagon. He nodded back and reached under the oiled canvas covering the interior. A moment later Alistair climbed under edge of the covering to join the guard and driver. He was rubbing sleepy eyes, but they grew wide when he looked around at the countryside laid out before him.
Elissa held her arms out and the guard helped Alistair scramble across the seat and then lifted him into the saddle in front of Elissa's seat. She nodded her thanks and pulled away from the wagon. Her horse shivered his back as he adjusted to the changed seat on his back, but the boy's weight was negligible.
"Where are we?" Alistair breathed, his head swiveling about to take in the soaring peaks rising up on either side of the road.
"We just passed West Hill, and we're entering the Coastlands," Elissa nodded to the left, "The Storm Coast is a little north, and that's where we're going. We should be to Highever tomorrow night."
"I've never been out of Redcliffe," the boy breathed softly.
"I know, sweeling," Elissa gave him a quick hug, "If you start to get cold, let me know. The weather is much cooler up here, even in the summer."
"Aye, your ladyship," Alistair whispered and Elissa smiled. He was absorbed in the journey and she gently coaxed him to ask her questions as they rode. She had some of his trust, but the experience was so new and sudden the boy still wasn't sure where exactly he stood. She answered his questions with stories her teachers and father shared with her as a child.
"…and after Flemeth killed Bann Conobar the captain of his guard, Sarim Coulsand, assumed control of his lands," Elissa smiled at Alistair's gasp.
"She killed him?" the boy was shocked, and then paused, "Wait, isn't Coulsand your name?"
"It is; he was one of my ancestors," Elissa nodded, her chin bumping into the top of Alistair's head. It was close to evening when the column would normally halt for the night, but her father was pushing them a little further so they could bunk in one of the vassal keeps that protected his lands.
"But if he was a bann," Alistair trailed off in thought, "How did your family become a teyrnir?"
Elissa chuckled, "That is a long and bloody story best told in broad daylight, not as evening edges in on us."
"Hold still," Elissa ordered firmly and nodded to the elven servant to continue. Alistair fidgeted again and she gave him a sharp look. He blushed and sat still.
"You're going to look like an Avaar if you don't stand still," Elissa shook her head as her maid continued clipping at Alistair's mop of unruly hair. It had taken several scrubbings to get all the dirt and grime out to Elissa's satisfaction. His hair was considerably lighter than she'd originally thought, a soft tawny blond that reminded her of a lion skin rug from Antiva in her father's study.
"What's an Avaar?" Alistair asked curiously, but he stayed still as the hair fell away. He wrinkled his nose when clumps fell down and tickled his face.
"Savage tribes that live in the Frostback mountains," Elissa answered, "They cut strange patterns in their hair. It's very odd."
"Will I get to see them someday?" he asked eagerly, his eyes bright.
"Of course," Elissa replied immediately, "They're fierce warriors, though. You'll want to learn to handle a blade before you meet them."
Alistair's eyes grew wide, and she couldn't help but smile. Her maid worked quickly and soon she had the boy's ragged locks trimmed back close to his head. She'd left it a bit longer in the front so that a short fringe brushed his forehead. The elven lady looked at him critically from all sides and then pulled out a tub of sandlewood scented grease. She rubbed a tiny amount on her fingers and brushed them through the short fringe until it stuck up and back in an artfully messy sweep. She stepped back and inclined her head in question to Elissa.
"It's adorable, Ashlyn. Thank you," Elissa grinned broadly and held up a hand mirror for Alistair to look into while the maid brushed the hair from his shoulders. The boy's mouth drooped in shock and he looked from the mirror to Elissa before stammering his thanks to her, and to the maid, who tutted at him happily.
"You look dashing, sweetling," Elissa gave the boy a hug and then sent him to play outside. He dashed out of the room, laughing as he charged out of the family wing and out to the yards where other children were bound to be playing games.
"He's a sweetheart," Ashlyn murmured after the boy, shaking her head. She resumed her sweeping, cleaning up the last of the hairy mess from Elissa's floor.
"That he is," Elissa absently gathered up her maid's tools and tucked them back into the case she stored them in. The elf had been her maid as long as Elissa could remember and had long since given up scolding the noble for helping with such mundane things as cleaning.
"Will he be staying with us long? Shall I send for the tailors?" Ashlyn asked easily, "He'll need warmer clothes if he's to stay over the winter."
"He'll be with us for a long time," Elissa crossed her arms and leaned on the post of her canopied bed, "I'm taking him on as my ward. He'll need a new wardrobe suitable for the seasons, and a page's outfit. Probably two, actually. I can see him being hard on his clothes."
"Aye mistress," Ashlyn nodded her head and Elissa knew she was making a mental list.
"See the armorer, also. I want to get him started on weapon training, so he'll need some practice gear," Elissa added, drumming her fingers on her arm, "And see about getting him into lessons. Reading, numbers, the usual."
"Are you warding or adopting him?" Ashlyn's eyes twinkled with humor. In private as they were Elissa's maid was comfortably familiar with her mistress.
"Ehhh…" Elissa glanced away and then gave her maid a lopsided grin when the elven woman laughed, as soft tinkling sound that reminded Elissa more of bells than laughter.
"I'll see to it, mistress," the elf bowed and took her leave, leaving Elissa to sigh and fall down on her large comfortable bed. She ran her fingers through the thick fur of her bedspread and stretched her arms.
"It's good to be home."
