As the rickety door closed on Alistair's back. Elissa emptied her pouch on a table in front of Alistairs sister, a few coins fell to the floor, she could see Goldanna taking careful note of them."'He will try to help you more at some point, and I will not stop him. Not because you deserve it but because he does."

Goldanna retorted in anger. "What right have you to judge me? Come back when you have five mouths to feed and no coin. Then you can advise me how to run my life."

Elissa bit back the angry retort, mentally congratulating herself. There was something of her mother in her after all. "That is totally irrelevant to the issue. Even feeling the way you do, you could have let him down kindly. Your brother did not come here expecting you to welcome him with open arms." She cringed inwardly as she said this. Knowing too well that was exactly what he had secretly hoped for. She had read it from his face, how had she come to know him that well? "Anyhow, he has done nothing to deserve having the door slammed in his face like that. Will you not reconsider?"

Goldanna quickly gathered the coins, as if afraid Elissa would change her mind. "I have no sympathy for your friend who claims to be my brother. He could be an imposter for all I know. And if he is indeed my brother, that only makes me hate him more. If not for him, my mother would still be alive and I would not have been banished from Redcliffe. But for him, I could have had a good life instead of this." She indicated her home with a sweep of the hand. "Tell him there'll be no loving family here as long as there is no coin to back it up."

Elissa bristled at the way Goldanna called Alistair a liar, somehow that seemed to rub off on her as well. She took a step closer to the sister, lowering her voice in case Alistair was still nearby, she hissed. "I will do no such thing. I have not known your brother for very long but I can tell you this. He is a good man, If you let him go it is your loss, not his."

She could see Goldanna considering something. "You said you were Grey Wardens. At the moment this is not an advantage, do you think this will change? Will Alistair be able to make connections in high places in the future? She bent to gather up the last coins. "If so, I could perhaps let him visit from time to time..."

"Nay, we'll both end up piss-poor in a ditch with our heads cut off.' Elissa slammed the door on the way out.

Taking a deep breath she scanned around the market, Alistair was nowhere to be seen. Great job Elissa, she shook her head. The sister was obviously deranged, even to the point of confusing the Arl with the King, even so, sooner rather than later Goldanna would probably realise that there was a price on their heads. They would have to be gone, and quickly now. Thankfully they had been ready to leave anyway. Having already found the possible location of the elusive Brother Genitivi. It had been guarded by a cultist of some sort who had defended the secret to the death. Which certainly made it seem genuine enough.

As she wandered back to the campsite outside the gates to deliver the news, she was half hoping Alistair would not be there. If he was, he would surley be in a seriously pissy mood. But on the other hand, if he had done the sensible thing, and was drinking himself senseless in a tavern right now, they would have to search for him. That did not have much appeal either. Dusk was descending quickly now and the streets of Denerhim were certainly not safe at night. She had no idea why Alistair had asked her to accompany him as he sought out his sister, and she now regretted that she had agreed, but it had seemed a simple enough request at the time.

It was with mixed emotions Elissa returned to the camp to find Alistair coaching the flames of a meager fire. As she came closer she realized that his tunic was stuck to his body with sweat. Good! He had at least had the sense to transform some of his disappointment into action before she was available to be on the receiving end.

"Hello Elissa", he spoke without turning his head. It was unnerving. Would she ever get used to the way they he could sense her presence through the taint. She had learned by herself early on how to block him out. Alistair had actually been quite impressed when she told him. She had not deemed it necessary to add that it was because she had been fuelled by her loathing of him at the time.

The downside was that she was blocking her awareness of darkspawn as well. Alistair had started teaching her Templar techniques that would give her some control, but her mastery was still shaky at best. She still preferred to keep a heavy wall up at all times when it was not strictly needed. Elissa was disgusted by the sense of darkspawn which almost made bile rising to her mouth, and disturbed by the ever shifting currents of her fellow Warden.

"Hello Alistair. Where are the others?" She perched on one of the logs they had placed around the firepit yesterday, as far opposite from him as possible.

Still without meeting her eyes he answered. "You'll be surprised to know that Leliana and Sten elected to make an evening of it in Denerhim."

Maybe not so much, Elissa thought. There was definitely something going on between the pair. She did not ask where Morrigan was. Morrigan never gave a reason for her disappearances.

"I'm truly sorry things turned out the way they did today Alistair." she offered hesitantly.

"Well, I guess they turned out exactly the way you expected." He gave the fire an angry poke. "Feel free to tell me how much of a fool I was to hope for anything else. I know you're itching to."

"I am not! Why do you say that? It should come as no surprise that everyone is out for themselves, that's all I had to say." She was heavily on the defensive now.

"And now you've said it." Throwing the stick into the fire he settled back on the log burying his face in his hands.

Elissa was totally at a loss. She endured the uncomfortable silence for a while before essaying a lighter tone. "Would you like to spar? I'm game. It could make you feel better, and I would find it hard to sleep without a few new bruises."

He did not rise to the bait. "As tempting as the offer is, no."

Her attempts at levity ignored. Elissa decided that she should definitely hit her tent. Before she had even started to rise, Alistair shot to his feet. Without a word he stalked off in the darkness.

Elissa was unsure of what she should do. Alistair was a grown man. Surely he would prefer to master his grief by himself. She had every intention to beat a hasty retreat when she realized that it was impossible. No matter how much he continued to infuriate her at times, this was also the man who had saved her life on more occasions that she could even bring to mind, and now he was sinking. The sudden realization that Alistair was even capable of breaking disturbed her to no end. In the passed he had always been able of taking any licking and keep on ticking. She would be less than the worthless sister she had lectured earlier if she let him go down now. Not to mention that she had no clue as of what to do without him.

Before she could change her mind again she set off.

She found him sitting near the edge of the small pond that had been the best source of water they could find this close to the city. He was facing away from her, face hidden in his hands. With a sense of despair she belatedly realized that he was crying. Elissa ransacked her brain for anything to make the situation less awkward. Gingerly she lowered her walls to him in hope of finding a solution. Immediately she regretted it. The force of his despair struck her like a wave, threatening to drag her down. She had only one choice now.

Elissa reached out and placed a hesitant hand on his shoulder. She felt him stiffen. She ransacked her brain for something worthwhile and cheering to say and came up empty. At at loss for clever words she did the only thing reasonable, given the circumstances, and threw her arms around his shoulders. He tried to pull away but she held on. If nothing else, she was stubborn.

"I can't make you sister change her mind. But I'll gladly go back and slap her silly if that would help." She offered. She could hear him make a sound half ways between a laugh and a sob. Quickly she slammed up her walls, she had no right or desire to partake of his internal turmoil. What she had to offer was her friendship and a shoulder to cry on.

She did not know how long she had been holding him. She remembered crying a bit for herself as well, feeling selfish, but the better for it. She stroke his back as she remembered her mother doing. As she felt him drawing inwards, collecting himself, she released her grip.

She could feel him draw a shaky breath. "I'm sorry. I should have been able to handle this better. For lack of a better word, thank you."

Elissa felt shaken by the sincerity in his tone. "Please don't. Anyone would have done the same. Why don't we just forget about it. Feel free to smack me around in the evening as usual. Truly, It would not be the same otherwise."

Alistair blinked. "I guess not." he seemed sad, looking away.

She desperately wished he would not say anything more. He was weak at the moment but he was sure to regret it later, and possibly make her pay for it. Or perhaps not, Elissa mused. She had spoken no less than the truth as she saw it to Goldanna. Alistair was a good man. She should probably not be so quick to pin her own natural reactions on him.

Such self scrutiny was as unfamiliar as unwelcome to Elissa. As if realizing it, she quickly got to her feet. "I think I'd better, eh, check out the camp. Take as long as you need. I'm quite sure I can manage awhile."

When she finally saw Alistair approaching Elissa pretended to be fully occupied with the arrangement of firs in front of the fireplace. As if sensing her discomfort he spoke without looking at her. "Maker, I'm tired. I feel like I've fought the arch demon single handed."

Elissa grunted in agreement. "Shut up and sleep then, you need it. I'll keep watch." With enormous relief she could hear him retreating to his tent.

Just before entering he said."With risk of repeating myself, Thank you."

"With risk of repeating myself. Shut up!" She answered.