Chapter 9: Warning- Matchmaking ahead

A/N: This chapter is a bit short- I might decide to merge it with the one that I'm still writing :)

Kiera

It was dawn. Finally. I sat at the main doors, waiting for the rest. Only Loki, the mabari was there—being awfully chipper, bouncing joyously as he caught the small pieces of bacon I tossed (having burned them with little flames from my fingers). "Such an adorable grin you have—a lovely doggy grin," I mumbled. "Just like Alistair—don't you think?" I smiled, scratching Loki's furry head.

"I agree with that. Our chantry boy does have his puppy moments at times. Very adorable." I jerked around to find Leliana coming down the stairs, all dressed in armor and sheathed blades—ready to leave. Watching her wan complexion, Alistair's words from last night struck me—Leliana…probably liked Daylen? I decided to test out this theory.

"Leliana?"

"Yes?" She had also started feeding Loki with scraps from the fully stocked packs the servants had put together for us. We were spoiling him silly.

"Daylen and I… we're kind of like brother and sister—" I broke off deliberately.

"So… not together?" I noticed that she had stopped petting the lolling mabari.

"Not—what you and Alistair think anyway…"

"Ah."Her response was purposefully ambiguous, but her cast down eyes told a whole different story—she was secretly overjoyed.

"So… feel free to go after him." There, I hope that was direct enough.

"….I'm sorry… What?" Hmm I should try and phrase it differently.

Um… what I mean, is that Daylen might be a bit dense at times, but I can tell that you'd make a cute couple!" For some reason, she wasn't acting like I thought she would; like say, jumping for joy.

"I'm afraid I… don't really know what you're talking about."

Darn. I could have sworn—"Oh… then I'm sorry—" I began, as she dissolved into giggles. Orlesian bards. They played the 'game' for a living.

"I guess I could try—he is very handsome." She was sobering slightly, though the mirth in her eyes remained.

"And charming. He had girls—even older mages—getting him gifts and numerous love letters."

"Ah." Her lilting voice faltered, and Leliana started to look pensive.

"But he never took those declarations of love—he made use of me all the time, claiming that we were already promised to each other. I think I got several death threats. They might have been from the same person though. Oh. By the way, you two will be taking the same watch from now on." I winked, and Leliana giggled again.

"How perfectly coincidental."

"I know! You'd think that there was some kind of conspiracy. Also—he'd never know what hit him." At this, we sank to the floor weakly, laughing hard. Poor Daylen.

Leliana

Kiera was all right—such a lively girl she was, practically shoving Daylen in my direction. She was also very direct—likes to make her point clear on the first try. I think our dear Alistair might have a chance with her after all. She handed me a pack of food—to which I found a bottle of brandy, tucked away under the dried fruits and bread. Ooh.

"Daylen's not very good with alcohol. Just saying." She grinned mischievously.

Kiera

Morrigan and Sten appeared to be coming down the stairs, and we eavesdropped on their conversation—hiding our giggles after we determined that she was asking if he were interested in her. Was everyone in our party going to pair up this quickly?

"So are you going to continue staring at me as if I am covered in eels?" She teased the qunari.

"Eels would be something." He seemed almost discomfited.

"Prudery? How charming! I expected paranoia, but this is much better! I prefer to be stared at lustfully, if at all—"

"Keep trying then." Sten cut her off, eyes narrowing.

"Oh? Then shall I demonstrate an act or two, and you may tell me 'hot' or 'cold'?"

"I'll save time. Cold." His bluntness was a little intimidating, but Morrigan was not fazed—laughing.

"You are a tease!" Neither of us had ever imagine that Morrigan would be quite so… wanton and this willing to test the kossith's patience, but we were thoroughly entertained all the same.

The qunari was getting thoroughly annoyed, and seemed quite relieved to find respite in our presence, as we innocently began checking our pack's contents. Morrigan gave me one of her deadly glares as I hiccoughed suspiciously, so I slipped off, wandering the first floor and into what appeared to be an office. There were a lot of books on Orlais, were these Isolde's? Or the Arl's?

A while later, Daylen and Wynne came down the stairs, fussing over his hair. I stayed in the room—for fear of incurring old lady wrath before she could distract herself with furthering Daylen's toilette.

"Stop touching it! It's my hair, and I shall do whatever I like with it—"

"But you're a Grey Warden—you have to be presentable to the rest of Ferelden—"

"So what, that everyone will be awed by my carefully coiffed curls? Darkspawn will lay themselves at my feet for fear of my sublimely styled tresses? Honestly—"

"Just make it neater—here I have a brush—" Wynne was persistent, and Daylen's patience was wearing thin.

"Oh leave him alone, Wynne—I know what it's like to obsess over one's hair. He'll come around. Eventually." Alistair's voice startled me, and I hurriedly left the room and crept back into the hall, not realizing that I had something round clutched behind my back.

Daylen

"Well, are we all here?" I looked around, counting us off. Such a large group of travelers we were—at least we'd be far less likely to be targeted by bandits. I hefted a pack of supplies, passing a smaller one to Wynne. Alistair picked up his own. Most of it was dried fruit and nuts, but I noted the bread, cheese and bacon—these would save us from the mysterious goopy stew for a couple of meals.

xOxOx

We left with as little commotion as we could, a few knights saluted our exit from the courtyard and I felt better with each step in the brightening sunlight; it was looking to be a fine breezy day, a perfect day to march towards the capital— Denerim.

We met up with Bodahn and Sandal who were camped near the outskirts of Redcliffe village, away from the death that had pervaded every nook and cranny of the place. We rested around midday a break and I noticed that Alistair was keeping stead with Kiera's (who seemed awfully rigid today) unexplainable pacing, trying to accost her without creating too much fuss. Was he making his move now? I started distracting Wynne with a few choice questions on banal things like obscure spells that were taught only as theory; claiming that some of those might be useful to the Grey Wardens' cause—a skill I learnt while trying to help Kiera sneak into classes.

Alistair

"Hey, Kiera, look at this," I said, finally cornering her, brandishing a rose that I had picked in Lothering. "Do you know what this is?" I winced inwardly, of course she knew what it was – it was a flower—a rose. Ugh.

"Your new weapon of choice?" She replied with a smirk, idly stroking its velvet petals.

"Yes, that's right. Watch as I thrash our enemies with the mighty power of floral arrangements! Feel my thorns, darkspawn! RAWR! I will overpower you with my rosy scent!" I blurted, unable to help myself. "Or, you know, it could just be a rose. I know that's pretty dull in comparison." I finished lamely. I felt like such a fool.

"Sentiment can sometimes be a pretty powerful sentiment, Alistair." Kiera's smile faded, and I saw a sad look creep into her eyes.

"I picked in Lothering—I remember thinking, how could something so beautiful exist in a place with so much despair and ugliness? I probably should have left it alone, but I couldn't. The darkspawn would come and their taint would just destroy it. So I've had it ever since."

"How… nice. What do you intend to do with it then?" She was no longer thinking about whatever it was that made her sad—and I knew just what I wanted to say to her.

"I thought that I might, give it to you, actually. In a lot of ways, I think the same thing when I look at you." I knew that it was going too fast, and wondered briefly if she would turn me down.

"Is this in return for that statue I gave you at the Tower?" She mused, taking the flower out of my barely-steady hands, "Oh wait. Do you think of me as a flower with thorns of its own? How… apt."

"Er no… I didn't mean—" I was bordering on frantic.

"I'll take it as a compliment then—thank you, Alistair" A lovely smile rewarded my clumsy efforts and the familiar impish gleam of amusement returned to her eyes. I began to breathe again.

Before I could say anything just as endearing back at her, we were interrupted by a strange woman who ran to us, claiming to have been attacked by bandits—and it was then that everyone in the party knew that something bad lay ahead.

OxOxO

P.S.: I know I promised that the story'll move fast from now on. Er... I'll stick to that when I'm finally done with the next chapter. Heh. sorry. Meanwhile, please review! :)