Leliana woke the next morning, her eyes immediately scanning the room looking for Scarlet. The walls of the room are rough-hewn stone. A bed, three bookshelves, an armor rack, and a chest adorn the room. A red carpet spans the room, lit by a chandelier set in the ceiling. Light lazily drifted through a small gap in the heavy drapes. She couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment when she found the room empty, she had been hoping to find her there, the small amount of time they had spent together last night had made her heart soar and she wanted more of it. If she was to get closer to the Warden then she would have, to be honest. It was no less than she deserved but that meant revealing her past which gave her pause. What if she rejected her? What if the Warden was like everyone else in her life she had gotten close to and she cast her aside?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a few small knocks to the door. She glanced at it hopefully, sitting up and fixing her hair quickly.
"Come in."
The door opened and in walked, not Scarlet or any of her other companions for that matter, but an elf. She was tall for an elf, her frame slender as was common among the elven with skin that looked like it had been carved from ivory. A beautifully carved bow hung from her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, I was told Scarlet Cousland would be here. I... I've been looking for her," She said, eyes scanning the room as the Orlesians had done moments before. Leliana's now snapped to her face.
Purple vallaslin started at the bridge of her nose then spread out across her forehead like branches stretching from a tree. Dalish. Her hair was light brown, tied back loosely into a ponytail, strands stubbornly hung in front of her ears, framing her face. Her ears were rather large and one stuck our more predominantly than the other.
"Creators, where are my manners? My name is Asahartha, Scarlet is my friend, I've been very worried about her," The elf walked over to her and offered her hand which Leliana took. A small smile graced her lips, two front teeth jutting out slightly. Deep deep green eyes that faded to amber locked with the Orlesians as they shook hands. She was beautiful.
"My name is Leliana, you are welcome to wait until she returns, I'm sure she won't be long."
"Thank you," The elf said, removing her bow, she walked to the window, placing her hands on the drapes, she glanced back at Leliana, the Orlesian nodded, and the drapes were pulled apart. Light invaded the room causing her to shield her eyes. The elf took a seat by the window, waiting.
The markings of violence were etched into the cold stone of the floor. The sounds of Scarlets footsteps echoed against the walls, shattering the omnipresent silence. As she walked forward, she could smell the fear that'd been haunting the inhabitants of the castle, noticing the drops of blood staining some of the ancient paintings.
The Arl was laying on the bed when the Warden entered his room with Wynne, the sheets were soaked in his sweat, Scarlet didn't think he had long left. His cheeks were pale and gaunt, his hair ragged. Death would be a mercy at this point, it seemed.
"Absolutely not, I won't have any more mages near him, they're the reason he's ill," Isolde screeched and Scarlet could see this spoiled brat barely hold back from stamping her foot. The Warden had been trying to convince her to let Wynne look over him, but she was being impossible and Scarlet was beginning to lose her patience. She just wanted to get back to Leliana, she had spent all night by the Orlesian's side and she wanted to be there when she woke up.
Scarlet had never liked her, growing up a noble they would meet up often at events and the woman just rubbed her the wrong way. She was so entitled, she would make a show if the Arl was paying more attention to other people, would sneer at Fereldan customs and sulk if she didn't get her own way. It had been a couple years since she'd last seen her but it appeared not even having a child had made this Orlesian gain some humility.
"Actually, he's in this condition because you tried to hide your son's magical ability and didn't want to send Connor to the circle which allowed him to become possessed by a demon. "Scarlet said flatly. "Wynne is a healer and a damn good one, just let her look over the Arl, maybe she can help."
The Warden watched the conflicting emotions rage across the Arlessa's face before she yielded, nodding, she allowed the circle mage to look at her husband.
Blue light pulsed from Wynne's hands as she ran them parallel to the Arl's body, This went on for few minutes before the mage pull her hands back, looking at Scarlet she shook her head.
"There's nothing I can do, dear."
"Would it help if I brought Morrigan here? Maybe the both of y-"
"There's no magic I know of which would save the Arl," Wynne interrupted her. "She's had her nose in that... Book since the tower and it's yielded nothing that would be of assistance."
Their eyes met for a second and Scarlet could tell Wynne was disappointed in her for giving Morrigan the grimoire.
"Then it's hopeless." The Warden said dejected, "Thank you for trying."
Scarlet slumped into a nearby chair, they needed the Arl, needed his support in the fight against Loghain, all was lost. They couldn't fight the blight and the Teryn on their own, it was impossible.
"It is not hopeless, there is still a chance my husband can be saved."
Scarlet glanced up, Isolde was now standing in front of her, arms crossed over her chest. She was glaring down at the Warden, a mixture of sadness and defiance in her eyes that garnered some compassion from her and she softened somewhat.
"How?" She asked wearily, "What else can be done?"
"I agree," Wynne said softly, she went to rest a reassuring hand on the Arlessa's shoulder but thought better of it. "No magic can cure him, even if the demon dies, the Arl will remain as he is."
"No! The ashes can save him."
"What ashes?" Scarlet leaned forward in her chair, blue eyes fixed on brown.
"The ashes of Andraste."
"How do you know Scarlet?" Leliana asked, shifting in her bed to try and face the elf. It was a mistake, she suddenly felt nauseous and her head began spinning. She reached for the water by her bed but lost her grip and the pitcher smashed on the floor.
"You should lay back down, you don't look so good." The elf glided from the windowsill, moving with effortless grace, she pressed Leliana back onto the bed. "Let me get that," kneeling down she began picking the shards up.
"Please, I can-"
A knock on the door interrupted Leliana, she glanced at Asahartha, the elf didn't react and carried on cleaning up the mess with her back to the door.
"Come in."
Scarlet entered, holding a tray of food, a small smile gracing her lips as her eyes met Leliana's before they shifted to the elf. Her brows furrowed then understanding rippled across her face.
"Asa! Asa, is that you?"
A grin appeared on the elf's face, her vallaslin wrinkling slightly, as she stood up turning to face the Warden. "Miss me?"
She had barely finished the question before the Warden had placed the tray on a nearby table and strode across the room and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug which she returned just as fiercely. Leliana watched for a moment before turning her head slightly, feeling she was intruding on a private moment.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were with the Dalish." The Warden was now holding the elf at arms length, taking her in like the elf was water and she was dying of thirst. A small knot sat in her stomach, were they lovers?
Scarlet's eyes finally rested on the vallaslin. "I guess you're all grown up now," she pinched the elf's cheek, who batted it away with feigned chagrin.
"Bugger off."
The Warden saw Leliana's furrowed brow, " Asa is my best friend, we grew up together in Highever." She sat on the bed next to Leliana, Asa taking the chair. Answering her unasked question. She then proceeded to tell a story of how when Asa was eight years old, she and her mother had gone to a nearby town to trade when bandits surrounded them on a road near the woods. The elf's mother managed to kill two of them before they injured her. Scarlet and her mother were travelling back to Highever with some soldiers. They fought off the bandits but it was too late to save Asa's mother, Nehna, she died from her wounds shortly after. Leaving the terrified young elf all alone. Scarlet's mother, Eleanor, brought her home and she was raised with The Warden and Fergus, causing quite the scandal among the other nobles.
"We were pretty much inseparable until last year when she went off on her own to find the Dalish." Scarlet finished.
Leliana listened to the story with fervor. The Warden hadn't opened up about her family since the circle and to hear her speak with joy and not sadness made the Orlesians heart melt. She loved seeing her like this.
"How did you know I was here?" The Warden asked after a moments silence.
"I... I got wind of what happened at Highever," The elf's dropped her gaze to the floor, "I was trading with some merchants on the road and they said they had to change their normal route because Highever had been attacked and taken over by Rendon Howe. I was confused, He was a friend of your fathers."
She stood up and started pacing the room, "I had to find out what happened, I went back but it was Howe's men in who was standing guard on the castle. I went to the market, some people recognised me and told me what happened."
Stopping at the window, she stared out, "I had to come find you, I thought Redcliffe would be a good place to start."
They talked for a long time, telling their story. Scarlet told them about how she joined the Grey Wardens, that Duncan had promised her dying father, he would take her to safety if he agreed to let his daughter join the Wardens. Which outraged both Asa and Leliana but the Warden calmed them, Duncan had done what was best for the order.
Asa told a story of wandering the forest in search of the Dalish for many weeks before they found her. Eleanor was one of the best archers around and she had gladly taught Asa how to shoot when her own children showed no interest in learning. She was able to help the clan and learn her mothers ways, before finally earning her vallaslin and taking her place back with the Dalish, until she asked permission to leave to find Scarlet.
"So, when will you be going back to the Dalish?" The Warden asked, trying to hide her disappointment but she fooled no one.
"When this archdemon is taken care of," Asa said grinning, and she was again pulled into another hug.
The silence was broken by Leliana's stomach growling, she hadn't eaten for nearly two days and now it was protesting rather loudly.
"Food!" Scarlet exclaimed, running over to the tray of food she'd brought in earlier.
