The stables were a beautiful quiet, interrupted by the stomping of horses and the swing of an axe. Sarliah strolled towards Blackwall and sat on the grass. She observed him as he cut the logs. He barely broke a sweat, yet his arms displayed his exhaustion every time the axe fell.
"Blackwall."
"Yes, Inquisitor?" he answered, not looking away from his task.
"I'm cashing in the IOU. You need to rest, anyway." He replied with a sigh and a quiet grunt. The axe found its way onto the pile of wood and the two of them made their way to Blackwall's abode. He retrieved his whittling supplies, a knife and a block that vaguely looked like a griffin. They both sat down on the bench next to the fire.
"This is ridiculous."
"If you find it so, then don't lose at cards next time."
Blackwall sent her an annoyed yet reluctant look and began his work on the halfway finished project. Sarliah calmly ran her fingers through his beard, combing the coarse hairs. She separated his locks into three sections and separated one of those into three more sections. Sarliah then began to intertwine all three into a plait.
"I still do not understand your insistence on braiding my beard."
"It's fun. I used to braid Deylan's hair all the time," she explained. "I would do it to someone else, but no one really has enough hair for it."
He silently agreed and they both continued. Blackwall was quick to finish, completing the head by the time Sarliah completed the first braid. Sarliah began humming Empress of Fire and Blackwall was slightly eased. Her styling followed the tune, each part weaving gracefully into the next. She finished as the last note sounded.
"Done."
Blackwall nodded approvingly. As the elf left, he stroked his beard softly.