First light saw Elissa already awake. She sat outside the canopy where Alistair was recuperating, knees drawn against her chest, waiting for permission to enter. The Mabari dozed by her side, content to allow his mistress to be the one to remain alert for the time being.
A little way across the camp, Athras moved around the camp fire, talking in low tones with two of the elves who had helped to carry Alistair from the ruins. One of the hunters abruptly stood up and bent over a small pot, stirring the contents with a practised hand. The other hunter gathered up a stout jug resting nearby and between them, the elves poured the contents of the pot into the jug. Lifting it with a grunt audible even to Elissa, the first elf turned and made his way towards the canopy, exchanging a curt nod with the Warden as he staggered past her.
Shortly after, both the hunter and Otholin, the novice healer, emerged from the tent. While the hunter departed into the forest, calling to the second huntsman still sitting at the fire, Otholin regarded Elissa through bleary eyes.
"He is asleep, Warden," he informed her, barely stifling his yawn as he added in a mutter, "as we all should be."
Elissa swivelled where she sat, seeking a better angle at which to gaze up at the elf. "I promised him I would be here first thing."
"Even if he was awake, he would not know if it were first or last thing, Warden. It will be some time before he is both conscious and coherent. Go rest."
"Grey Wardens are different. We heal faster." She had no idea if that was true, but given their other abilities, it was not so far-fetched.
"Not from near-death," the elf bluntly countered.
The truth of his words did nothing to endear Otholin to the young woman. Her expression hardened and her tone became clipped. "I said I'd be here."
The Mabari raised his head, a soft growl rumbling from his chest as he looked between the pair. The warning was intended as much for Elissa as it was for the healer: the dog was clearly unimpressed that they thought it appropriate to be arguing with one another.
"Elissa," the soothing sound of Athras' voice entered into what was fast becoming a battle of wills. Both Warden and healer looked in the direction of the approaching hunter. "Come, you have not eaten. Sit with me by the fire: you will be within sight of the tent if Alistair awakens sooner than expected."
Without waiting for her to respond, Athras hooked a hand beneath her elbow and forcibly hauled her up onto her feet, pulling her towards the campfire. Elissa capitulated, albeit with a bad grace, while Otholin retreated beneath the canopy, muttering beneath his breath as he rubbed at his eyes. Sensing the situation was suitably diffused, the Mabari gave a wide yawn before settling back down upon the ground in front of the canopy. Were it not for the occasional twitch of his ear as the dog monitored the various noises of the camp and surrounding forest, anyone might be forgiven for assuming that the Mabari lay dead. More fool them.
Athras kept a hold of Elissa until they were nearer the campfire than the tent. When he did finally relinquish his hold, it was to point to one of the logs which had been placed just within the circle of warmth provided by the flames.
"Sit," he ordered.
As Elissa sank down upon the log, Athras rummaged through a small crate of supplies which sat nearby. Without so much as another look in her direction, the elf set about making a small breakfast for them both.
Elissa remained silent. Her gaze had already returned to rest upon the tent.
"Otholin may be young but he is honest. If he says that Alistair will sleep for hours yet, it is so."
"Hm?" Tearing her eyes away from the canopy, she refocused on Athras and then blushed as his pointed words penetrated her distraction. "I was rude to him, wasn't I?"
"We expect no less from shemlen."
Elissa flinched.
"But neither would we expect less from one who obviously cares deeply for her clansmate," he added, more gently this time as he spared her a quick glance. "You are worried. We understand this. But we will not harm him. Our Keeper has decreed that we are to treat you as allies. So we will do so."
"But…"
"I know what it is to be forced to wait and not be allowed to do anything, Warden," Athras interrupted, an ill-disguised flash of grief crossing his face. Hastily, he turned away from Elissa and redirected his attention to what was in the crate. "At least you know he is being cared for. As difficult as it is, you must allow the Keeper to do as she sees fit."
The subtle reference to Danyla, Athras' deceased wife, was more effective than any argument Otholin could have made.
Elissa nodded her assent. "Yes. I'll try. I mean, I will. I'm sorry."
Shrugging his shoulders, his expression once more closely guarded, Athras busied himself with preparing the food. He lifted out a small jar filled with large brown seeds and poured some into a mortar. Taking up the pestle, he ground the seeds down before adding a handful of bright green berries into the mix.
Leaning forward so her forearms rested against her knees, Elissa watched the process for a little while before her attention began to wander. Casting her eye about, she alighted on the hunter's bow which lay propped against a small pile of packs.
"I was surprised to discover in the ruins that Morrigan could use your bow," she began, hoping to distract herself with some conversation. "It's not something I've seen her do before."
Athras grunted. "She is quite proficient."
"'t'was necessary." Appearing from the direction of the tent which the Dalish had kindly provided for the two human women, Morrigan approached the pair and sat down on the log opposite Elissa. "I could not always rely upon my magic to feed me in the Wilds."
"That makes sense," Elissa conceded, offering her companion a tight smile. "Good morning, Morrigan."
Wordlessly, Athras added more of the berries to his mixture before pouring in some water. As he stirred the concoction with the pestle, he nodded his head towards a pile of feathers and thread which lay beside the bow.
"I will need to replace the arrows which were used in the ruins. Do you have any skill in fletching?" he looked between the two women.
"Some," Morrigan admitted, while Elissa merely shrugged.
"I'll try," she offered.
The hunter looked pleased. "Excellent. I can make use of your idle hands once we have eaten."
In the midst of eating the grainy porridge-like breakfast, before Athras could make good on his word, Elissa caught sight of Lanaya walking towards the canopy. The Keeper appeared markedly improved from how she had fared only a few hours before and the Warden assumed that some well-earned rest had encouraged the return of the woman's mana.
Yet before her thoughts could return to the welfare of Alistair, Elissa found her attention snared by a question Morrigan made of Athras.
"How far to the aravels?" she demanded in her usual abrupt way.
"Two day's travel. With a guide."
Morrigan narrowed her eyes, as though calculating whether Athras spoke truthfully. "And the human settlement of South Reach?"
"Double, if not more."
Spooning some of her breakfast into her mouth, the Witch chewed on the mouthful for a few moments. Swallowing, she announced, "'t'is best I leave today then."
"Leave?" Elissa echoed, spluttering as she struggled to eat, speak and breathe all at once.
"Yes, Warden." While Morrigan turned a cool gaze upon the other woman, the irritation she felt at having to explain herself was clear to hear. "The remainder of our belongings remain within the Dalish camp. Someone must fetch them."
"We'll fetch them later. Together, when Alistair is fit…"
"What foolishness is this?" the Witch interrupted with a derisive snort. "'t'is unnecessary for us all to make the journey."
"Morrigan—" Elissa was at a loss for words. It was only in the last few hours that she had narrowly avoided losing one of her companions, and here was another one insisting on departing without so much as a backwards glance. "No."
The Witch's eyes flashed. "Time is of the essence, Warden. Do you truly believe the Archdemon is waiting for your companion to heal rather than continuing to summon his Horde to him?"
"He's not my companion, he's our friend," Elissa snapped, surprised by her own ferocity. "And be thankful he is healing, Morrigan."
To blame Morrigan for all that had happened in the ruins was unfair. There were no means by which the Witch could have foreseen the reaction Elissa had experienced towards the amplified call of the taint nor the presence, or viciousness, of the creatures guarding the Eluvian. What had happened in the ruins was a hard lesson in the importance of assessing ever changing odds, and knowing when to admit defeat. All three had failed.
Whether Morrigan had already reached this conclusion or was simply judged the retrieval of the Eluvian fragment as success enough to warrant Alistair's injuries, the Witch did not flinch at the implied accusation. Whatever apprehension, or guilt, she had briefly suffered in the ruins was now fully mastered. "'t'was not I who insisted that he accompany us."
It was perhaps fortuitous that Lanaya chose that moment to approach the trio. She greeted both Athras and Morrigan by name, exchanging a few murmured pleasantries with each, before turning her attention to Elissa.
"Warden, Otholin has informed me of what occurred between you earlier. While he was right to refuse you, he should have done so with a greater kindness."
Elissa had no need to dart a glance towards Athras. She accepted she had acted poorly. "I was short-tempered with him. We aggravated each other."
Whatever Lanaya had expected the human to say, it clearly hadn't been that. Yet as she regarded the Warden in silence for a few moments, her forehead furrowed slightly, the Keeper kept her counsel.
"Your honesty does you credit," she informed the human woman at last, her expression clearing. She offered a small smile towards the Warden. "Perhaps I can offer a compromise. Alistair is due to drink some elfroot tea I have crafted which I hope will aid his recovery. If you wish, you may sit with him while I prepare it." The Keeper held up a hand as though to halt any exuberance from Elissa at this concession. "How alert he may be however, I make no guarantees."
The young Warden was on her feet in an instant, the beginnings of the heated discussion with Morrigan forgotten for the time being. "Yes, of course I'll sit with him."
Following in Lanaya's footstep, Elissa crossed the camp and ducked through the entrance into the tent, signalling to the Mabari that he should stay put. Once her eyes had adjusted to the dim light, she shot an apologetic look towards Otholin. Although the elf pursed his lips, he did offer an abrupt nod of acknowledgement.
"Go, Otholin," Lanaya spoke softly, squeezing the shoulder of her young apprentice as she passed him. "I will send for you if needed. Go and sleep."
His eyes widened a fraction but he required no second telling. Murmuring his gratitude, the young healer hastily departed from the tent.
Glancing over her shoulder towards Elissa, Lanaya pointed towards a small upturned crate which had been placed near the bed in which Alistair rested. "Sit, Warden. I will require a little time to prepare the tea." She returned her attention to the long wooden bench in front of her which had been moved into the tent and now supported an array of vials, herbs and Maker only knew what else. "You may wake him and try to speak with him."
Moving slowly towards the bedside, Elissa suddenly found herself to be shy. What to say that would not be irritatingly chipper or unnecessarily stupid? At least the colour had somewhat returned to his cheeks: he was not as ashen as he had been in the night. He had been overly warm though, or maybe that was just a result of the healing. Otholin had kept watch over him, after all. Nevertheless, his hair was plastered against his forehead.
"Now I definitely know you're poorly," she murmured beneath her breath, reaching forward to brush the hair aside. "How will you ever live down having a bad hair day?"
He stirred beneath her touch, his breath catching for a moment, as his peaceful tranquillity was interrupted.
"You're safe," Elissa continued quietly, trying to ensure a gentle awakening rather than an abrupt shock. "You're with the Dalish. You needed healing and Lanaya is looking after you."
His eyes scrunched more tightly shut, denying that he was required to open them. No doubt his body begged for rest but his unconscious attempts to resist the inevitable brought Elissa some amusement.
"Come on, Alistair," she wheedled, more confident of herself now. "The sooner you wake, the sooner you can go back to sleep. You need to drink what Lanaya's making for you."
Slowly, begrudgingly even, his eyelids rolled back and he regarded her with a dazed expression. His unfocused gaze was proof enough that while his body might be awake, his mind was still firmly in the Fade.
"I did warn you, Elissa." Lanaya was behind her, holding a wooden cup between her hands. "That is as much as he will wake for now. It is a part of the healing."
"I don't mind," she replied, straightening up and withdrawing her hand with some reluctance. She accepted that Alistair needed time to recover, but it was a bitter disappointment to realise that her visit with him was already almost at an end. "So long as I can be here with him when it's allowed."
"I think that can be arranged," the Keeper agreed, a knowing spark in her eye which Elissa did not quite understand. "Step away, Warden, while I help him to drink. I do not wish to see this tea spilled."
Since her assistance was clearly not required, Elissa retreated fully from the tent. The Mabari lifted his head, both ears cocked, and questioned her with a soft woof.
"He's fine," she confirmed with a smile. "As soon as he is properly awake, we'll ask Lanaya if you can visit too."
The dog gave another quiet bark, his stub tail wiggling in approval, before dropping his head upon his paws once more and closing his eyes.
After a short while, the Keeper emerged from beneath the canopy. The jug which the hunter had dutifully delivered earlier in the morning was now held tightly in her grasp. It seemed remarkably lighter than before.
"He is sleeping," the elven woman informed Elissa, wincing as her eyes readjusted to the brightness of the mid-morning sun. "I intend to wake him again at midday, if you wish to attend."
Elissa nodded eagerly. "Yes, thank you. And thank you for helping him. I… didn't say it last night."
"He is a Grey Warden and we are facing a Blight," Lanaya remarked evenly, dismissing any form of credit implied by the expression of appreciation. "I could do little else." She grew thoughtful, chewing on the corner of her lip. "However, you are too generous with your praise. If the blood of the elvhen did not run in his veins, I fear that my skill would not have sufficed. Fortunately, a Keeper's skill is always more effective amongst our own kind, or those who share our blood."
Confusion reigned in Elissa's mind. "I don't understand."
"Alistair has elvhen blood."
A snort of laughter escaped from the Warden. "Does he also have Kossith blood then? That would at least explain the height."
"I would not know," Lanaya replied drily. "I am not Kossith. What I do know is that a child borne of an elf and human will favour the human. There may be exceptions but I have never witnessed them."
It at last dawned on Elissa that the Keeper was serious in her assertion. "We… I… don't talk about our families," she stammered, struggling to reconcile this new information with what she thought she knew about Alistair. He was human, so he had human parents: why should she have assumed otherwise?
"I take it you did not know," the Keeper observed, shifting her weight between her feet as she stood. "I mentioned it only in passing, Warden. He may not know either. I am aware such things are not welcome in your society."
"No, not always…" she admitted, before shaking her head. "No, there must be some mistake. Alistair was a ward to one of our nobles. I can't imagine that Arl Eamon would concern himself with the child of an elf." Too late, Elissa realised what she said. Her cheeks reddened and her gaze dropped like a stone to the ground. "I mean…"
"I know what you meant." The elven woman's voice was ice cold. "It is a matter to discuss with Alistair. I cannot offer any more answers. I would, however, remind you that his being the child of an elf is what saved his life, regardless if it be his mother or father. I do not think you realise how desperate his condition was."
Blood pounding in her ears, Elissa hung her head low. "I do," she said, barely above a whisper. "The connection we have… I knew."
There was a short silence.
"In that case," Lanaya drew a deep breath, clearly attempting to regain her temper, "you will not be surprised to learn that our supplies of elfroot are severely depleted." She exhaled slowly. "We will honour our treaty, of course. However, should you and your allies wish to make use of our skills in herbalism, I will require a great deal more elfroot."
Keen to make up for her horrendous indiscretion, Elissa forced herself to raise her head in order to meet the Keeper's gaze. "Of course," she agreed at once, not even considering how she might source such a thing, only that she would do it. "Just tell me how much you need and I'll find it."
The remainder of that first day passed in much the same way for Elissa as the first few hours: resting, talking, visiting. Each visit with Alistair, regardless how brief, served to allay her fears regarding the need to have her companions close by. During the late evening of the following day, Elissa at last agreed to Morrigan's proposal that the Witch would return to the main Dalish camp to collect what remained of their belongings.
The journey would not be as perilous as Elissa first imagined. Far from travelling with only a single guide, Morrigan was to be escorted by the majority of the hunters who had accompanied Lanaya to this abandoned campsite. While the Keeper respected the assurances Elissa offered regarding the eradication of the cause of the taint, Lanaya maintained that the effects would remain apparent for some time to come. Since no one save the Grey Wardens could counter the infection of the taint, avoidance of the area was the only option. Only those directly involved with healing Alistair or guarding the Keeper would remain.
Evidently Lanaya expected that she would be required to remain within the vicinity of the ruins for some time. Yet as the vitality common to all Grey Wardens asserted itself in his healing, Alistair improved in leaps and bounds, much to the incredulity of both the Keeper and Otholin. Heads bent together as they crafted further doses of the healing elfroot tea, the two elves would debate and discuss the progress of the human, much to the consternation of Alistair.
"I overheard Lanaya say the strangest thing this morning," Alistair confided to Elissa in low tones. "I think she's trying to work out what's causing me to heal faster than she expected."
Sitting on a bedroll spread out beneath them, the two Wardens sat side by side beneath the overhang of the canopy, watching the scant comings and goings of the camp. While Lanaya had consented to the man moving from his bed, she disapproved of his insistence that he was more than well enough to wander outside. This was the compromise they had brokered: he was permitted outside so long as all he did was sit. It was Elissa who had insisted that a blanket was draped across his shoulders to protect him from any chill.
"Oh?" Elissa turned her head in the direction of the Keeper who was sitting by the campfire, engrossed in conversation with Athras. "What did she say?"
"Something about mixing blood."
The beginnings of a frown crinkled her forehead as Elissa tried to make sense of the comment. "Mixing blood?" she echoed, her confusion clear in her voice. "Why would… oh!" A short laugh escaped from her as she suddenly made the connection between what Alistair thought he had heard and what Lanaya had told her two days ago. "Mixed blood. She must have said mixed blood."
Alistair screwed up his face, his mouth twisting in distaste. "What's the difference?"
"One's a strange experiment and the other is parentage. Lanaya says you have human and elvhen blood."
"She thinks I'm mixed blooded?" He shook his head. "No, I'm not. My mother was a serving girl in Redcliffe Castle, but she wasn't an elf."
"Well, if it wasn't your mother, it must have been your father."
His response was emphatic. "No."
"It has to be your father. If your mother was human and Lanaya says there's elvhen blood…" Elissa tried to explain, but Alistair cut her off.
"Lanaya is wrong. Maybe there is elvhen blood somewhere, but not from my parents."
Elissa tilted her head, squinting at him. "But how can you be so sure? You don't know who your father is."
"I've never said that." There was a distinct uneasiness to his tone. "Look, maybe my mother was an elf. No ever mentioned that she was, though. There is one way I could check. I have a sister… at least I think I do. In Denerim." He shrugged, pulling the blanket closer around his shoulders and refusing to look at her. "But it doesn't really matter, does it?" Suddenly his head jerked up and Alistair focused a piercing stare on her, seemingly struck by something. "Does it?"
Elissa swatted at him, understanding the implication. "Maker's breath! Really, Alistair? Don't you think we have more to worry about than stupid racial tensions? I don't care if you're half elf, whole elf or one and a half elf!"
"Except you're the one going on about parentage and mixed blood," he muttered, dropping his gaze to stare moodily at his feet. "All I know is that I'm really, really grateful to Lanaya, Athras and whoever else—elf or otherwise—who helped me."
His anger quietened her. "I know," she soothed, placing a hand on his arm. "We owe the Dalish a massive debt."
"Well, I owe them a massive debt."
"We," she repeated firmly, the corner of her mouth quirking upwards as she took note of his surprise. "Oh, for the love of the Maker, can't I be glad that you're safe and sound? Is that so surprising?"
"No," he said slowly, a grin beginning to creep across his face. "But it's still nice to hear."
She snorted before nudging him with her hip. "Move over. You're stealing all the bedroll."
"Um, it's my bedroll," he protested. Even so, he slid across a little so she could squeeze closer beside him and escape from sitting on the cold hard ground. "If I end up catching a chill because you pushed me off my bedroll, you can explain what happened to Lanaya. It'll be all your fault."
"You're fully dressed and you're wrapped in a blanket. I don't think you'll catch a chill," she retorted, but immediately contradicted her own argument by fussing over him, pulling the blanket tighter around his shoulders.
His hand shot out from beneath the blanket and caught her wrist. He made a noise that was something between a long-suffering sigh and a chuckle. "I'm fine, Elissa. I was teasing. Do you remember? We do that. Quite often."
She glared at him.
"Not about this," she snapped, voice breaking slightly. "Never about this. About what happened here."
Alistair studied her in silence, his brows knitted together. She could appreciate his puzzlement: he hadn't actually referred to what had happened in the ruins. But the thought that he might suffer some sort of relapse… a shard of fear drove through her chest, making it hard to breathe.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, Elissa abruptly caught him in a fierce hug, the rough stubble covering his cheek scratching against the smooth skin of hers. Lanaya would probably berate her but so long as her embrace didn't hurt him, Elissa didn't care. She had been overly gentle with him for days and nothing she had done seemed to accurately communicate the sheer relief she experienced every time she sat with him.
"We're safe," he murmured in her ear, apparently understanding her motivation. Although he could do little else but hold her unless he wished to be toppled to the floor, he drew her flush against him as the blanket slipped from his shoulders to the ground. She wasn't hurting him, then. That was something. "We're both safe, Elissa. That's all that matters."
"Oh I know," she replied, forcing levity into her voice even as she squeezed tighter. "I was just trying to ward off that chill you were on about."
Alistair just laughed.
Morrigan and the Mabari returned two days later. While Alistair slept beneath the canopy, Elissa sat with Athras and valiantly attempted to follow his instructions on how to properly fletch an arrow. On hearing the unmistakable sound of the Mabari crashing through the undergrowth, Elissa paused in her task, her eyes searching out the perimeter of the camp. True enough, both Witch and dog soon emerged from the forest, laden with packs.
No one else was about the camp so Morrigan came and joined the Warden and elf already sitting by the fire. She dropped the packs by her feet and sat down, a faint sigh of relief communicating her weariness. The Mabari fussed around Elissa, nuzzling at her hands with his nose.
"Welcome back," the Warden greeted with a smile, obligingly tickling the doog beneath his chin. She glanced towards Morrigan. "It's good to see you both."
The Witch nodded an acknowledgement, but her attention was fixed on the small pile of poorly fletched arrows on the ground beside Elissa. Leaning forward, she retrieved one and brought it closer to her face, inspecting the shoddy workmanship, a condescending smile playing about her lips.
Elissa felt her cheeks burn. Despite being nimble, her fingers could not replicate the complicated movements which Athras had shown her. The result was always a disaster. While the feathers were always tightly bound to the shaft, they were forever askew.
"Come, Warden," Athras commanded abruptly, interrupting the spectacle of Morrigan examining he arrow as he reached between the two women to take a handful of Elissa's arrows. Straightening, he retrieved his bow from where it rested in the grass and gestured with a jerk of his head that Elissa should follow him towards the edge of the camp.
"Do you have any shooting skill?" he asked as she joined him.
"No. Leliana is our archer."
Nocking the bow with one of the arrows he had crafted, Athras aimed into the forest. He stilled for a moment before sending the arrow flying through the air. It embedded in a tree trunk nearest to them.
"Can you hit that tree?"
"Doubtful," Elissa muttered, but accepted the bow as Athras pushed it into her hands.
He handed her another of his arrows, clearly expecting that she would know what to do. She did not. With a patience which spoke of many years experience of teaching, the elf helped to adjust her stance and hold of the bow. Stepping back, he encouraged her to let loose the arrow. Doing as she was bid, Elissa watched with resigned humiliation as the arrow flew into a thicket of briars beside the tree.
Athras blinked. Turning to the pile of her arrows, he bent down and picked one up, playing it through his hands. A small smile spread across his face as he judged its craftsmanship.
"Interesting," he remarked before offering the arrow towards the Warden. "Try again; with this."
"Why? If I can't hit it properly with your properly made one…" she protested, aware that Morrigan was watching the whole farce. Did the elf mean to ridicule her so thoroughly?
Athras simply repeated his instruction.
Sighing, Elissa judged that it would be easier to comply and get the embarrassment over with. Again, the hunter helped to correct her stance and then bid her aim exactly as she had before.
"Exactly as before, Warden," he repeated firmly.
She did; and the arrow hit its mark.
Silence fell over the three before Elissa let out a loud whoop. Spinning round, intent on celebrating her success with Athras, she caught sight of Alistair watching her from the entrance of the canopy.
Exhilaration robbed her of her sense for a moment. "Did you see?" she crowed to him, grinning widely. "Did you see!"
"I saw," he called, laughing at her high spirits. "Well done."
She turned back to Athras who, despite himself, was chuckling at her behaviour. "How though?" she demanded.
"I cannot deny that there was some luck to it," the elf admitted, but his eyes twinkled. "Your arrow compliments your skill perfectly. It would never fly straight but I wondered if the positioning of the fletchings would cause it to veer. Since you also veer when you release the arrow, I imagined one would balance the other out." He shook his head with a mock sigh. "I fear you are correct, Warden: you are no archer."
The truth did not hurt all that much and Elissa just giggled. She twirled back to Alistair and suddenly recalled that he was supposed to be sleeping, let alone standing outside in the cool air.
"Maker's breath!" She shoved the bow into the hands of the huntsman and darted to the side of her fellow Warden, slipping an arm around his waist as she made to support his weight. "What are you doing? Back to bed."
"And miss all the fun?"
Crestfallen at the thought she had disturbed him, Elissa nibbled at her lip as she gazed up at him. "Did we wake you?"
"No, I just wondered where everyone was."
Somehow, Elissa wasn't quite sure how, Alistair had succeeded in manoeuvring her in the direction of the fire. And since she was supporting him, he was headed that way too. As they reached the logs, Alistair offered a nod towards both Athras and Morrigan. "Hello."
"This is Athras," Elissa made the introduction. "He was the one..."
"Who came to find us in the ruins," Alistair finished, his gaze resting on the elf. "I remember. Well, I remember you from before in the camp. I only know what Lanaya told me."
"It is very welcome to see you on your feet, Warden," the elf inclined his head as a show of respect. "As I believe I have have already told your companion, I am well-aware of the value which a young and newly bonded warrior has to his clan."
"Uh, thank you..." Alistair shot a questioning look towards Elissa as they sat down together.
"I guess we are a little clan," she shrugged, purposefully avoiding the other detail. How in the Maker's name had Athras come to the conclusion that Alistair was bonded? A furtive glance towards Alistair, who was flicking his gaze between the two women with a growing agitation, confirmed that he was as confused as she. Elissa took pity on him. "But he's not bonded, newly or otherwise."
"My apologies to you, Wardens. I simply presumed," the man murmured.
Both she and Alistair snapped their eyes onto the elf. The plural was the key: Athras thought she was bonded to Alistair... or Alistair was bonded to her; she didn't fully understand how the Dalish viewed who was bonded to whom.
Beside the elf, Morrigan studied the pair from between narrowed eyes. Disapproval was clearly written across her face. If Elissa didn't know better, she would have thought the Witch was assessing whether the presumption had merit or not. Flaming Andraste!
Unaware of the Witch's expression, Athras simply shrugged. "Varathron mentioned the carving which Alistair requested. It seemed clear it was a love token."
Morrigan started. She grabbed at her pack and rummaged through the contents, withdrawing a tightly bundled package. "The craftsman gave me this. Do you mean to tell me it's…"
"Uh... I didn't request a carving," Alistair interrupted hastily, looking slightly unnerved at the indignation with which the Witch was glaring at him.
"He said that the Warden..." Athras trailed off as he glanced to Elissa. "Ah; the Warden."
"Yes, it's confusing isn't it?" Forcing herself to laugh, Elissa hoped it would distract from the redness in her cheeks. Perhaps it could be explained by the warmth of the sun, the heat of the fire, or anything but the subject at hand. Practically snatching the bundle from Morrigan, she placed it by her feet as she continued her ramblings, "but I'm actually the junior Warden. Alistair has more experience and knowledge than I do. He understands more."
"I do?" Roused at the sound of his name, Alistair blinked at her. She shot him a pointed look and he quickly cleared his throat, nodding at Athras. "I do."
Morrigan snorted.
"I see." There was a hint of mockery to the gravity with which Athras regarded the pair. "So it was you who requested the rose, Elissa?"
Evidently this was far too much for Morrigan. Cursing beneath her breath, she abruptly stood and left the camp fire.
"A rose?" Alistair echoed, ignoring the departure of the Witch in favour of staring at Elissa, bemusement clearly written across his features.
"Yes. I... asked Varathorn to carve it before we left." Her tongue suddenly felt unwieldy in her mouth. "For you."
He raised an eyebrow. "For me?"
Sensing his company was no longer welcome, Athras quietly murmured his excuses and left the pair. Neither Warden acknowledged his leaving.
"It's supposed to be a replacement," Elissa hastily explained. "You know, for the rose the dog chewed?"
All of a sudden his expression smoothed into one of sheer impassivity.
"I asked him to use the same piece of ironbark which I brought back," she added, unsure why she felt so exposed by the gift. She clung to practicalities. "It won't get crushed or broken. And the dog certainly won't be able to eat it."
"I never expected that you would remember," Alistair muttered, almost to himself.
Elissa studied him for a moment, her self-doubt vanishing. "You don't ever expect much, do you?" she remarked softly. It was a ridiculous statement to make considering what had almost happened... but it remained true nonetheless.
He made to open his mouth, no doubt to impart some degrading remark which would be delivered with a laugh and a joke which deflected the simple truth of the matter. All of a sudden, she found she didn't want to hear it —it could have been the greatest witticism ever told and she did not care.
"You should, you know," Elissa interrupted before he could speak. "You should expect more for yourself."
"It's usually 'of myself'," he corrected, summoning a lopsided grin. "I should expect more 'of myself', not 'for'."
She rolled her eyes. It was unsurprising that one comment could not reverse an entire lifetime of derogatory comments, but since she had not known Alistair for his entire lifetime, she had to start somewhere. Now was as good a time as any.
"Not this time." She picked up the bundle and pushed it into his hands, coaxing his fingers to close around the gift by covering them in her own. "How did you describe the other one again? 'A beautiful thing surrounded by death and despair', wasn't it?"
Lifting her head, Elissa discovered with a start that there was now only a matter of inches between them. His eyes locked on hers as though he thought he could uncover some hidden motive behind her sincerity if only he looked hard enough.
"A rare and wonderful thing amidst all this darkness," he said at last, barely audible.
The remark caught her off-guard. "What?"
"That's how I described it."
"Oh." Her tongue flicked across her lower lip as she considered the wording. "Yes, that..." A tentative smile curved the corners of her mouth. "... does sound better."
His smile flourished at sight of hers and immediately she felt her heart lighten.
"Thank you." The interruption was soft, almost inaudible, but it was heartfelt.
He hadn't even unwrapped the bundle.
"You're very welcome," was all she could think to reply. "I'm just… glad you're still here. To, you know, give it to."
Alistair chuckled softly. "Me too." He glanced down at their still entwined hands. "But I don't need gifts from you." A swift look and a hint of a grin followed. "I'm not saying they don't help me like you more…" His grin faltered as shyness crept in. "… but I already like you plenty without you seeking my approval like that. Talking to me works just as well, you know."
"Bet it doesn't earn quite as much approval as the perfect gift," Elissa remarked, a ready smile on her lips as she teased him.
"Well, of course not. Who could resist a well-wrapped package?"
She rolled her eyes, but laughed anyway. "I promised a replacement, Alistair. I keep my word."
"Well, in that case, will you make me another promise?" His tone was playful.
"It depends. What is it?"
Alistair grinned. "Promise me that you'll never force me to go along with anything Morrigan suggests ever again."
"Easy," she responded without hesitation, a smile blossoming across her face as she held his gaze. "I promise. Never ever ever."
Some of that counts as fluff, right? Right? ;) Thanks for reading.